by Galen Rose
“Asshole,” Mike loudly whispered to Sean.
“Bite me,” Sean whispered back and both of them received shushing noises from the few people in the theater. I didn’t even bother to stifle a laugh.
I managed to ignore them throughout the remainder of the movie and the credits. I always sat through the credits. Those makers, gaffers, and stunt people were the unsung heroes of the movie industry so I figured they deserved some recognition. I stood up then looked back behind me.
“You two still here?” I didn’t wait for an answer, but put on my jacket on and headed out, both of them following me. “Well thanks for the movie, Sean. Mike, thanks for the rose,” and I walked over to the curb to hail a cab.
“Come on, Laney. I can give you a ride home,” Mike said.
“Yeah sure, in what? Your magic carpet?” Sean said to Mike. I watched Mike turn on Sean with barely restrained violence. “If you’re the one who messed with my truck then you’re the one I’ll kick the crap out of.” Sean cocked his head as if to say, go for it. Mike moved forward to take that dare and security stepped in between them.
Good grief, this was ridiculous. I was not going to hang around and wait for the children to play nice, so I started walking home. There were no cabs to be seen but I was pretty sure I’d find a bus stop before long. The streets became less business and residential and more run-down as I walked along. Before too long, I realized I was lost and turned around to backtrack to the theatre. Two dark shapes moved from the shadows down the street and started toward me. I didn’t wait to find out if they were friend or foe; I did an about face, ran up the street a couple of blocks, then quickly ducked down an alleyway.
I stepped back into the shadows and waited to catch my breath and see if they had managed to follow me. Probably not one of the smartest things I could have done. I soon realized this, when a grimy hand covered my mouth from behind and a strong arm slid across my throat. Fear shot through me as I was pulled backward, deeper down the alley. All the self-defense training I had done raced through my head. Unfortunately, it was all at once and combined with the fear, I couldn’t get my muscles to do squat. A fat lot of good all those bruises and cracked ribs did when I had been training.
The arm across my throat moved to my waist and I heard the audible click of a knife being flicked open. “Scream and I will cut you.” My attacker had the voice of a rat and the stench of a garbage can. Funny what runs through your head when the sharp point of a knife sticks into your ribcage.
I nodded my head to indicate I wouldn’t scream. My muscles were already lax and I was shaking like a leaf. No need to fake it, I was scared. He moved in front of me removing his hand from my mouth and shoving me hard, back against a wall. His hand moved to my throat and he waved a knife in front of me. “Let’s see what you got for me? Give me your money, sweetheart and I promise not to hurt you.” His voice moved along my spine like a cheese grater.
I knew he was lying. I was finally able to get my brain to get over this scared crap and get in gear. I nodded and slowly unzipped my jacket to reach inside. “Easy now, girl. No tricks.” The knife hovered near my face, as he moved closer to me.
I shook my head as his hand tightened on my throat. My heart was going a mile a minute and so was my breathing. It was now, or never. My attacker heard a noise behind him and turned his head away for one second. I brought my knee up into his balls, raised my arm up to block the descending knife arm and with my other hand grabbed his hand at my throat and twisted it. His knees gave out but he didn’t fall to the ground as he grunted in pain and doubled over some. It figures. I get an attacker that has balls of steel. I had his left wrist in a lock but the knife arm was coming around again. As I used his own arm to turn him away, he kicked out with his foot at my knee.
I quickly let go of him, dodging the kick. Moving away from the wall, he came at me again, swinging the knife at my face. I let it go by and kicked him in the gut. This had some effect as he doubled over. Finally, I thought; but I was wrong. He was only faking it. He rose up quickly and backhanded me, ass over teakettle, into a trash can. Somehow I still managed to get back up before he got too close. Tasting blood in my mouth, I smiled at him, now I was pissed. The man and I squared off, a little more leery about the other’s abilities.
“Come on, asshole. I ain’t got all night to wait for you.” I hoped that if I goaded him enough he would do something stupid. But he just smiled, licked his lips, and shifted the knife to his other hand.
Over the man’s shoulder, Mike and Sean came into the alley. Sean started to run forward but Mike stopped him.
“Hey, Laney, you done yet?” Mike casually asked. Thankfully this was the diversion I needed for “asshole” to turn away to see who was talking. I grabbed the metal lid off a trash can and hit him in the knife arm and then in the head. Finally, he dropped like a rock, as did I. I fell to my knees and started trying to breathe normally again. Sean ran over and hauled me up, his hands moving firmly over my arms and then up to my face. “You okay?” His hands were gentle as his thumb wiped blood from my lip. All I could do was nod. I’m not sure what had me more speechless, the look of fear in his eyes or the whole past ten minutes. Mike kicked the guy on the ground for good measure and took out his cell phone and called the cops. Sean handed me over to Mike. “I am going to run back to the theater and get my car.” Sean gently touched my face again. “You’ll be okay.” I wanted to tell him of course I’d be okay, as he ran off, but my brain had not reengaged yet.
“Nice job,” Mike said. “I think you might need some more practice. But not bad.” I muttered “thanks,” and leaned back against the wall, my knees still shaking.
The cops showed up and chaos ensued for a few minutes as they got my attacker off the ground and took my statement. Eventually we were all allowed to leave and we got in Sean’s car. Sean dropped Mike off at his house first. Mike stopped by the passenger side and looked at me. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He leaned in and lightly kissed me, his eyes watching me. Straightening up, he flipped Sean off and sauntered away. Lovely. The war was still on. Sean pulled away and we drove in silence for a few minutes.
“Go ahead,” I say to Sean.
“What?”
“Aren’t you going to scold me? Chastise me for running off?”
“Nope.”
“No?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. Good.”
“I’m just going to let Tommy do it.” He began whistling.
“Don’t you dare tell Tommy! Damn it, Sean, I handled it fine.” Sean abruptly swerved to the curb, ignoring the honking horns behind him, threw the car into park and turned to look at me. Fury had now replaced the fear in his eyes. “Damn it, Laney! You could have been hurt. Maybe killed.”
“Piss off, Sean.” I grabbed the door handle to get out, but that was as far as I got. Sean reached over, grabbed the front of my jacket, and hauled me across the center console.
“Damn you, I don’t want this!” he growled, as his lips descended on mine.
Okay, whatever he just said about not wanting this was a lie. His kiss, a mix of passion and ferocity, said he wanted it; and the molten heat that was now pouring through my veins said I wanted it, too. Even though there was this small weak voice yelling in my brain to resist, I ignored it. I had never had heat move through me like this. His lips plundered mine with strength and skill. When I tried to draw in a breath his tongue touched mine and I moaned in spite of myself.
With an oath he let go of my jacket and shoved me back into my seat, threw the car back into gear, and left a strip of rubber as he pulled away from the curb. I don’t know what hurt worse, my pride or my mouth. It hurt from the slap I had received from “asshole” and now felt bruised from Sean’s kiss.
We said nothing to each other for the remaining ten minutes it took to get back to Muldoon’s. As soon as he pulled up to the house I got out and slammed the door.
“Laney. Wait.” Sean quickly came around the car and grabb
ed my arm. I swung out and my fist solidly connected with his jaw. He staggered back a full two feet and then his ass hit the ground.
“If it’s any consolation, Ace, I don’t want this either!” I knew I was lying through my throbbing teeth but he didn’t have to know that. I shook my now sore hand. “Damn you, I hate hitting people!”
A noise behind me had me whirling around, arm drawn back ready to clock the next bastard in line. Chase stepped back, hands up. “Easy slugger,” he chuckled.
Tommy and Molly came down the steps from the house, concern on both their faces. I looked at Sean who was still sitting on the ground rubbing his jaw, at Chase who was smiling and at Tommy and Molly.
“To hell with it!” I threw up my hands and stalked inside, to the kitchen and made an ice pack and went to my room. I was done. I take back everything I said about wanting adventure.
Chapter Six
The next morning I awoke with my cheek throbbing from where I had been backhanded and my hand hurt from hitting Sean. Lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, I went over the previous night’s events. I hate hitting people. Doesn’t mean I’m above doing it. I just don’t like it. I really don’t have a fondness for violence, although at times my attitude says otherwise. But that’s just it, it’s an attitude that has usually kept me somewhat protected. Isolated, too. Not many people will take the time to break down the walls I’ve built up over the years.
I finally got up and went across the back yard to the kitchen. Molly pulled out a chair for me as soon as I walked in and set a bottle of aspirin down in front of me with a glass of juice. She then poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.
I poured out four aspirin. “Thanks.”
“You want to tell me about what happened last night?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
I looked at her. This wasn’t quite what I expected her to say.
“Huh?”
“Why don’t you want to tell me what happened?”
“There isn’t much to tell.” I was already starting to feel like I was on the hot seat. “I got stood up. Went to the movies anyway. Men are stupid. Got smacked by an asshole in the alley and kissed by … ” I could hear this small voice in my head saying, “Please engage edit control before you start talking.” I looked at the table; I looked at the bottle of aspirin, and finally I looked at Molly, who sat there with a smile on her face, patiently waiting for me to continue.
“Look it was an accident. An aberration.”
“What was? The getting attacked in an alley, or getting kissed by Sean, or was it Mike?”
“Sean, and in some ways both. I won’t make a habit of going down dark alleys anymore and, well, as for Sean, it won’t, I mean, I won’t allow it to go any further. I don’t want it to anyway.” I stood up quickly knocking my chair backward. “How did you find out so fast anyway?”
“Laney, Tommy knows half the police force. We are either related to them or they are related to friends. But Officer Liam Sweeney, whom I believe took your statement, is one of Mason’s brothers. Her real last name is Sweeney, anyway, as for Chase knowing, well let’s just say that Chase has more informants out there than the FBI. It’s not my intention to give you the third degree.” She laughed. “Well, okay, it is. Did you hit him because he kissed you?”
“No. I hit him because, A, he didn’t want to kiss me but did it anyway, and B, because Sean has been asking for it since the day we met, and C, because I was mad at myself for wanting it, and, last but not least, I don’t want to be some toy that gets used because two boys can’t get along.” I sighed, rubbing my aching head. “Mrs. Muldoon, the last thing I want is to want anyone again. I can’t stand the pain of losing them.”
“Call me Molly, dear. How did William die?”
I slowly turned to look at Molly, wondering just how many people had run checks on me? She slid a small prayer card across the table. I had managed to get one from William’s funeral.
“I found it on the floor of your room, Laney.” I set my chair upright and sat down taking a deep breath, slowly letting it out. It did little to dispel the knot forming in my stomach. I had not spoken of this to anyone for a year.
“William and some friends had started a fishing charter service in Santa Cruz. They had taken the boat out for a trial run. About mid-afternoon they heard a distress call on the radio from a nearby sailboat. By the time they got there, it was in flames. William and his buddy, Mark, dove into the water to save the six people who had abandoned ship. In the process of saving the last two people the sailboat exploded. Debris hit Sean in the head. He was killed instantly.”
“You mean William, dear. You said Sean.”
“I did? I meant William.” I rubbed my hands over my face. An ache was building up inside me and I rubbed the heel of my hand across my chest. “I didn’t find out about it until a day after it happened. I … I had gone on an overnight retreat with the girlfriends of the others who had been aboard William’s boat. By the time I got to the funeral home, William’s family had already arrived. I had never met them before. Within five minutes it was clear to me why I’d never met them too. They were no different from the family I had run away from. They wouldn’t even let me see his body.”
I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out at the kids playing in the street. “His father made it very clear that the worthless piece of money grubbing trash that I was would not have one more thing to do with his son. I had to come back after hours and bribe the mortician to let me see William.”
Tears were rolling down my face but I couldn’t stop them. Not this time. “By the time I got back to our house his family had cleaned everything out. The only thing they left was the furniture, pictures of the both of us, and his Marine Corps duffel bag. I had nothing left but that and my memories.” I hung my head and cried. I didn’t even have the energy to pull away when Molly put her arms around me.
“Go ahead dear, let it out now. They were wrong you know. You are worth so much to us.”
My body shook with the anguish I had long since held inside me. I had closed myself off from everyone after William’s death. I had felt guilty for wishing that someone else had died that day instead of William. Hell, I wished it had been me that had died that day.
Molly pulled out a chair and gently pushed me into it. She pulled another chair up close, her hands holding mine she put a finger under my chin and lifted it. “Whether it was fate or just blind luck that brought you here, I don’t know. But whatever it was, we are more than happy to have you with us.”
She stood up and kissed me on the top of my head just as Chase walked in. I looked up at Chase and knew he had heard everything. We stared at one another for a minute as he sat down. “Morning, Slugger. How’s the hand?”
“Just fine.” I quickly wiped the tears from my face.
Molly set a pitcher of orange juice on the table, “Now both of you sit right there. I’m going to fix some breakfast.”
Chase got a glass and poured himself some juice before sitting down to stretch his long legs out. “Molly, a man would be a fool to turn away one of your breakfasts. My mama didn’t raise no fools.”
Molly snorted and continued doing whatever she did in the kitchen. I have no clue what goes on in a kitchen except that food generally comes from one and I like to eat. Since I can’t even boil water, then so much the better that someone else is in charge of the kitchen.
Chase sat back and looked at me. “Laney, I’d like to offer you a job.”
“I have a job.”
“Yes, you do. I’m sure Tommy appreciates you doing it, too. But I am prepared to offer you a better job.”
“At the risk of repeating myself, sir, I have a job.”
“Yes, I know that. I am also sure that you might like this job better.”
“How so?”
“Well I was going to bring up the money angle.” He put his hand up to stop my comment. “But I’m betting that money is an issue for you.
I was then going to bring up the adventure angle. Wait.” His hand went up again and I sat back impatiently.
“And after last night you might not be so keen on adventure. So let’s talk about helping people.”
“Okay. Go ahead and talk about it.” Pretending to not be interested but knowing full well he had my attention.
“Woo Security is in the business of helping people. From point A, when someone is in need of protection in one form or another, to point Z, when we’ve provided that protection and we’re no longer a physical presence, or our security systems are in place, we are helping people. Helping people feel safe and secure. It’s an important job and unless I miss my guess, and I rarely do, you would be good at it. You have a good eye for reading people and situations. You know how to handle yourself. Those are the qualities I want in the company.” Chase sat back and drank more juice and waited for my response.
“But I have a job and I don’t think it would be fair to Tommy to just cut out on it.”
Tommy chose this moment to walk in. “Cut out on what?” He asked, bending down to kiss his wife.
“Chase has just offered me a job.” Tommy looked at me, and then his wife, and finally at Chase.
“No.” Tommy said bluntly and sat down.
“Thank you, Molly.” Chase said, as a plate of food was set before him, “Tommy, I don’t think it’s your decision.”
“No.” was all Tommy said again. I watched the undercurrents between Chase and Tommy. Something was definitely not being said here. Well, far be it from me to let sleeping dogs lie.
“Why no? I mean I’m sure I could keep working … ”
“No.” Tommy didn’t even let me finish speaking.
“Sir, I think I would like a bit more of an answer than that.” I was going to push this envelope open no matter what.
