by Zoey Parker
“Hey, did you guys hear what happened last night?” Robbie, the weekday receptionist, blurted as he came through the front door. He always smelled of a strange combination of vanilla and petrol.
“What happened?” Nancy asked, one hand on her hip. For one awful moment, she thought he was going to say that he saw her having sex in the parlor. The tips of her ears started to burn and she felt a blush creeping up her chest.
“That little bar down the street, O’Hannigans got totally trashed. There’s like seven people in the hospital this morning,” Robbie was talking fast, his chubby face bright with excitement.
“O’Hannigans?” Brittany repeated slowly, her hands twisting in a nervous ball in front of her. “I worked on a girl yesterday who works there.”
“Poor her,” Robbie rolled his eyes. “About working there, not being worked on by you,” he quickly clarified. “But from what I can hear it was pretty bad. Some broken bones, people needing multiple stitches.”
“Why…” Nancy swallowed nervously. Was this the kind of trouble Zack was so concerned about? Was her tattoo parlor going to be targeted next? “Why did it happen?”
“Thugs,” Robbie’s eyes widened. “Although my friend at the police station mentioned it might be gang related.”
Nancy felt light-headed. She leaned against the reception counter for support. Just a few hours earlier it had been the sight of an erotic encounter but in the harsh light of day everything seemed dulled. Nancy wanted to pull down the shutters over her store and just close up for the day.
The blonde-haired gang member was due in again that afternoon, the one Brittany had been working on. What if he was all beaten up because of last night? Because it had to be him and his friends, right? It couldn’t have been Zack, because he was with her.
“Colridge is feeling less and less safe these days,” Robbie declared, moving past his colleagues towards the staff room at the back of the building, his designer satchel flapping at his side.
“It is,” Brittany agreed quietly, folding her arms across her chest and fearfully bowing her head. Nancy didn’t know what to say to comfort the young woman. Brittany was sleeping with one of the guys who’d probably caused the trouble at the bar. Nancy shivered at the thought.
“I hope that the girl I worked on yesterday is…is okay,” Brittany whispered, casting a concerned glance out towards the street.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Nancy lied. She knew from past stories of gang-related violence that members didn’t discern between men and women; in their twisted minds, everyone was fair game. They’d crack a woman’s skull just as swiftly as they’d crack a man’s.
“Maybe I should close up early today,” Nancy pursed her lips and imagined spending the day tucked up safely in her apartment with the dead bolt on. She sensed that it was no longer safe to be out and about in Colridge, not when a gang war was brewing.
“But I’ve got a client coming in this afternoon,” Brittany gently objected. “I’d hate to let him down.”
Nancy bit her tongue. She wanted to point out that Brittany might feel very differently if he did show up all beaten and bruised. She’d surely put two and two together. Nancy nervously scratched at her forearms. It wasn’t safe to have gang members in her store. If she closed up and lowered the shutters, then the blonde would have no choice but to walk away. He couldn’t harass them into working on him if they weren’t there.
“No, I’m definitely closing up,” Nancy insisted, trying to sound less panicked than she was. “It’s the right thing to do, considering what happened at the bar last night.”
“But surely, we shouldn’t give into acts of intimidation,” Brittany countered, the fear in her face replaced by a look of indignation.
“When it comes to gangs, we need to keep ourselves safe,” Nancy told the younger woman sternly. “I’ll call your client and have his appointment rescheduled.” This was a lie, but it seemed to have been told convincingly enough to placate Brittany. She gave a shrug and then a nod of consent.
“Okay, if you’re sure it’s the right thing to do. It’s your call.”
“Yes,” Nancy felt a little bit relieved to have made her decision. “Go home, Brittany,” she ordered. “And stay safe.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
Brittany felt strange being back in her apartment so early in the day, but Nancy had insisted on closing the store, leaving her little choice. She paced back and forth, buzzing with unspent energy. She kept thinking about the woman she’d tattooed the day before who worked at the bar. Was she okay? Did she get caught up in the fray that had happened there the night before? Brittany had no way of knowing and that frustrated her.
She checked the online news stories about the fight on her phone, but they were frustratingly vague. It was as if Colridge didn’t want to know about it, or was scared to. Nancy had seemed so scared by the news. She usually loved to gossip with Robbie first thing in the morning. Over a fresh cup of coffee, the pair of them would put the world to rights. But this morning the daily news had shaken her so badly that she’d closed the tattoo parlor.
“Weird,” Brittany shrugged to herself before calling up Max. If she had a day at home, she might as well spend it with him.
Holding her phone to her ear, she listened to each ring drag out. She was starting to think that he wouldn’t answer when on the seventh ring he picked up.
“Hey.” His voice sounded cracked, broken.
“Hey, it’s me,” Brittany declared brightly. “Nancy randomly decided to close the store today so I’ve got some free time and was thinking…” she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers as she smiled flirtatiously. She was about to describe exactly how she’d like to spend that free time when Max interrupted her.
“Sorry, I can’t.”
The response was so abrupt that Brittany straightened in surprise, releasing the strand of hair she’d been holding.
“You can’t?”
Panic began to roll around inside her, making her feel nauseous. Last night Max had cancelled on her because he had to work and now he was bypassing another chance to see her. What was going on? Brittany inhaled sharply as she waited for his excuse, praying that it would at least sound plausible.
“Babe, I’m so sorry.” Each of his words was strained as though he were having difficulty saying them. Brittany sighed in frustration, releasing the breath she’d been holding.
“You cancelled on me last night.” She sounded so plaintive and needy, which she hated, but she couldn’t help it. She was desperate to see Max, didn’t he feel the same way about her? Hadn’t he said that he loved her?
“I know,” Max croaked. “And I’m sorry.”
“So what is it this time? You can’t be working again.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. Brittany could almost hear the cogs in Max’ brain whirring as he frantically tried to think up an excuse.
“You know what? Forget it!” she declared sharply, ending the call and breathing heavily, her chest heaving. Somehow, she’d managed to do just as Zack had wanted. She’d pushed Max away. Tears burned behind her eyes. Brittany willed herself to remain calm, to be rational, but the hurt in her chest was too much. She dropped against her small sofa and buried her head in her arms and sobbed.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Max winced as he dropped his cell phone back onto the nightstand beside the bed. Everything hurt. Each breath he took felt brittle and sore. With a groan, he managed to hoist himself up so that he was sitting up in bed. In the dim light offered through the closed drapes, he could see Henry and Aaron sprawled out around him. The sheets beneath them were dark with blood.
“Urgh,” Max massaged his neck, all of his muscles protesting at the movement. Using all the energy he had, he slowly got up and made his way towards the small bathroom, needing to access the damage.
When he looked in the mirror above the sink, he was greeted with a grim sight. Both of his eyes were bloodshot and bordered in darkening sha
dows. A deep cut ran down from his left ear and dried blood had collected down his neck like a dark, inky stain. Turning on the faucets, he began running the water to clean his hands. As he did, he noticed that his knuckles were red raw and when he put them under the warm water it stung. Grimacing he pulled his hands back from the sink. There was no way he could let Brittany see him like this.
He needed pain relief and fast. But first he had to make himself presentable. Wincing he undressed and climbed into the shower. He stood beneath the hot water for a good twenty minutes. It felt good and eased some of the pain. When the water around him was finally running clear, he came out and dried off, steam surrounding him like a foggy cloud.
He pulled his jeans back on but grabbed a clean shirt from his duffel bag in the motel room. Henry and Will still hadn’t stirred. Max felt better for showering, but his temple was starting to throb. Shrugging on his jacket, he prepared to go outside, but as he placed his hand on the door handle something stirred behind him.
“Hey, Max,” Henry called out groggily, raking his hands through his long blonde hair and managing to sit up with some effort.
“Hey, man,” Max turned around and took in how terrible his companion looked. Henry’s right cheek was red and swollen up like a balloon about to pop. It was painful just to look at.
“I know I don’t look like my usual pretty self,” he chuckled. “But I’ll be right again soon enough. Hand me that will ya?” he nodded to a half empty bottle of whiskey over by the television. Max stepped back into the room to grab it for him.
“Thanks,” Henry lifted the bottle to his lips and drank greedily from it. “You off out?” he asked when he was done drinking.
“Yeah,” Max nodded. “I need some pain meds.”
“I got all the pain relief I need right here,” Henry raised the bottle and grinned.
“I need to keep a clear head,” Max countered.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“We made a lot of noise last night. We’ll have attracted the attention of the damn Red Riders, I’m sure they’ll be here soon enough.”
“Let them come,” Henry gestured widely with his bottle, his eyes burning with the fiery delight of a mad man. “I had so much fun last night. I’d love to do it all again.”
Max’ head throbbed even more furiously when he thought about the previous night. How the three of them had descended upon the small bar in town. It had been a slow night, most of the tables were empty.
A waitress with dark blonde hair had flirtatiously lifted her top to show Henry her new tattoo. He’d grinned with approval and ran a hand down her back, letting it settle on her waist.
“Darling, I think you should come home with me,” he’d told her. Max had glanced at the tattoo and wondered if it was Brittany’s work. He felt heavy with guilt to think of her. He knew that they should have been in some darkened theater watching a movie, rather than him out running errands for the Kings gang. Resentment burned in him, dangerous and hot.
When the clock approached the witching hour, the trio made their move. Henry had casually approached the pool table where two men in lumberjack shirts were playing.
“Hey man, we’re still playing, wait your turn,” the taller of the men had declared tersely.
“I don’t like waiting,” Henry had replied, narrowing his eyes. Then without warning he’d punched the taller man square in the nose, deliberately aiming his fist so that it connected with the soft base. There was a loud crack and blood erupted from the man’s face like a sinister fountain. He staggered back, clutching at his nose.
“You broke my fucking nose!” he cried shrilly. “You fucking bastard!”
The man’s friend managed to get a punch in. It landed on Henry’s cheek, connecting squarely with his flesh. Spittle came from his mouth as his face got knocked so harshly to the side. But Aaron was there to step in. He grabbed the man by the shoulders, pulled him close and then delivered a knee directly into his chest, winding him.
“Hey, we don’t want no trouble!” the freshly tattooed waitress had called out, her face drained of color.
“Go home,” Max instructed her quietly. “Turn around and walk away right now.”
“I’ll lose my job if I leave,” she fretted.
“Then find somewhere to hide. Things are going to get pretty ugly in here.”
She’d nodded fearfully and scurried off towards the back room. A few of the other patrons made a hasty retreat, but the more foolhardy among them stayed. They were keen to defend their local bar. Max wanted to laugh at their naivety. Instead, he was surprised by a bearded man who wielded a blade and slashed at him, realizing that he was with the other trouble makers.
Max cried out in surprise. But he didn’t hesitate in delivering a defensive blow. He moved with cat-like speed and grace, grabbing the man’s arm which was holding the blade and bending it back, applying pressure until he heard the reassuring snap of a bone breaking. The man screamed and dropped to his knees in agony. Stooping down Max grabbed the blade and took it for himself.
“Thanks,” he told the man who was writhing in pain, clutching his limp arm. Max walked over to join Aaron and Henry, he could feel his own warm blood trickling down from where the blade had caught him.
“Hey,” Will was wiping a hand across his clammy forehead, his sleeves rolled up as six burly men approached the trio, thinking that they had them cornered over by the pool table.
“What happened to you?” Will nodded at Max’s ear.
“Some fucker cut me,” he replied with a sneer.
“Redneck bastards. Who brings a blade to a brawl?”
“Exactly.”
The other men in the bar who had banded together approached the trio and as the two sides connected punches and kicks were thrown. Henry bit the ear clean off one guy, while Max tried to keep his own fighting cleaner. He mainly just punched anyone who came at him. He knocked out a few teeth and might have even broken a jaw or two.
Finally, when all the men were down, they started to rip apart the bar. They turned over tables, toppled the pool table, ripped down light fittings. They did everything they could to render the place ruined.
Not once did they hear the piercing squeal of approaching sirens. The cops knew that this was club business and were smart enough to stay away.
“Are we done here?” Henry eventually asked, pausing to kick a fallen man in the ribs.
Max scanned the destruction. The bar had been totaled. It would be months before it was able to re-open.
“Yeah, we’re done.”
As they were leaving, he noticed the blonde barmaid peering out from a distant door towards the back of the room. When she observed the destruction, a solitary tear fell from her eyes, and she shot Max a hateful look. He’d normally shrug off such a look but this time it pierced him deeper than the blade had. She hated him and she had every right to. He’d ruined her bar and for no good reason other than he’d been told to, by his bitter old Uncle. Both shame and pain kept Max’ head low as he trudged back towards the motel behind Henry and Will.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Zack didn’t care who saw him as he rode into town. With Jameson at his side, he felt powerful and unstoppable. He drove down the narrow streets until he arrived on the street where Brittany worked. He drove directly towards the tattoo parlor and then stopped.
“Looks closed to me,” Jameson observed as he came to a stop just behind him. Swinging himself off his bike he walked round to Zack and glanced at the closed shutters.
“Yeah,” Zack agreed, frowning in confusion. “It does.”
“Shouldn’t it be open by now?” Jameson checked the time on his cell phone.
“It should be, yeah.”
Jameson approached the shutters and read the sign on the nearby wall with the opening times for the tattoo parlor.
“Open daily 10 – 8,” he called out. “And it’s 11:30.”
“Damn,” Zack clenched his fists in frustration. Brittany blatantly
wasn’t at work which meant she must be back at her apartment. It’d be hard to convince her to leave from there, and worse, Max might be there. Fear slid up Zack’s throat, causing him to cough. Even though it’d be two on one, he didn’t want to have to face down a Skeleton Kings gang member in front of his sister. He knew how messy that could get.
“So, is she at her place?” Jameson was striding back towards his bike. “Let’s go there.”
“I need to check if she’s alone first,” Zack sighed as he fished his phone out of his pocket.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Brittany stopped crying when she heard her cell phone ringing. Sniffling, she wiped her face and reaching for the phone, expecting to see Max’s name glowing on the screen. Instead, it was her brother’s details she saw. For a moment, her finger hovered over the decline button but then at the last minute, she accepted the call.
