Rock Chick Renegade

by Ashley, Kristen

  Indy laughed. “Probably not.”

  “Um…” I hesitated again, “did you ever double up on toiletries with Lee?”

  “Negative, sister,” she replied, “I moved in with him the first night we were together, kind of.”

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  “I know,” she said. Then she giggled then for some strange reason I giggled too.

  About an hour before leaving work came cal number two, Jet. “Hey, what’re you doing for Thanksgiving?” Something felt funny in my bel y, not exactly the flutter, something else, a flutter mixed with a whoosh of happiness.

  This was because I was hoping I’d be spending Thanksgiving with Nick and Vance and that would be cool.

  “I don’t know,” I told her.

  “Wel , Eddie and I are going to Eddie’s Mom, Blanca’s house and since Mom and Tex are together, he and Mom are coming and since Tex is Roxie’s uncle, she and Hank are coming and since Al y is Hank’s sister, Al y and Hank’s parents are coming. Blanca asked me to ask you if you, Vance and Nick want to come.”

  “I’l have to ask Vance and Nick.”

  “Okay, let me know. Eddie and I are going over there for dinner tonight so just give me a ring.”

  “Cool,” I said then, “um… Jet?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Vance asked me to leave my lotion and stuff at his place this morning.”

  “That is so cool!” she shouted.

  I grinned at the phone. “Did you ever double up on toiletries with Eddie?” I asked. “One set for his place, one set for yours?”

  “No. Didn’t have to do that. I moved in with Eddie after a few days and never moved out.”

  Yikes.

  What was it with these guys?

  I was heading to the mal when cal number three came, Daisy. “Hey Sugar. What’s shakin’?”

  “I’m on my way to the mal ,” I told her. “Vance said to leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I’m doubling up on toiletries.”

  “That is so cool!” she shouted.

  I started laughing.

  I flipped the phone shut after listening to Daisy tel ing me about how her masseuse was coming that night. It was only after I hung up that I realized I’d just talked to a drug dealing, gun running, pimp’s wife and I had no problem with that.

  None at al .

  How weird was that?

  Cal number four came about five minutes after Daisy. It was Tod.

  “Girlie! You’re doubling up on toiletries?” Someone was obviously talking and that someone was either a redhead, a platinum blonde or a honey blonde. I was guessing platinum or Daisy.

  “That cal s for champagne!” Tod screeched. “I’m getting on a flight as we speak and Stevie’s in Baltimore. We’re both back in a couple of days and then we’re having a Toiletries and Tiaras party.”

  By the way, when Tod wasn’t a drag queen both Stevie and Tod were flight attendants.

  “Toiletries and Tiaras?” I asked.

  “Everything goes with tiaras, girlie.”

  There you go.

  Cal number five came when I was in Bath and Body Works at Cherry Creek Mal . It was Roxie.

  “Daisy says you’re at the mal .” Her tone sounded accusatory.

  “Um, yeah. Vance told me to leave my lotion –” I started to say.

  “I know, I know. Why didn’t you cal and tel me you were going to the mal ?” she asked then didn’t give me time answer. “I’l meet you outside the MAC store in fifteen minutes. We’l shop, then get pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and we’l gab.” Again, she didn’t let me answer, she disconnected.

  Roxie and I were browsing in the underwear section of Nordstrom’s when cal number six came, Al y. “Hey chickie.

  What’s this I hear about leaving your lotion at Vance’s?” I gave her the lowdown.

  “That is so cool!” she yel ed then, “listen, I’m working a shift at Brother’s.” Al y, I’d found out the other night, was a bartender at My Brother’s Bar when she wasn’t working at Fortnum’s, “come over, I’l buy you a drink to celebrate.”

  “Can’t. Roxie and I are at the mal . We’re looking at undies then we’re getting a pizza. Anyway, Tod is going to undies then we’re getting a pizza. Anyway, Tod is going to have a Toiletries and Tiaras party in a couple of days,” I said.

  “Works for me,” Al replied, clearly always up for any kind of party.

  I was buying three new silky, lacy and satiny underwear sets when cal number seven came, Vance.

  “Where are you?” he asked, not taking my instruction in common civility that you should identify yourself, he launched right in with macho-speak.

  “Buying underwear at Nordstrom’s with Roxie.” Silence.

  “Vance?”

  “Give me a minute, Princess.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m enjoying a mental picture.”

  I grinned at the phone. “Stil your mind, Crowe, and tel me why you cal ed.”

  “Lee tel s me you’re goin’ out tonight.”

  “How did he…?” I started.

  This time, I figured it was the redhead who had the big mouth, Indy.

  Jeez.

  “Yeah, I’m thinking about it,” I said.

  “I’m caught up in something. I can’t take your back.”

  “That’s okay.”

  More silence for a beat and then, “It’s not okay. I don’t want you on the streets without someone doin’ backup.”

  “Crowe, I’ve been doing this alone for months.”

  “You’re not doin’ it alone anymore.”

  Again the macho-speak.

  “Crowe –”

  “I’l ask around, get one of the guys to ride with you.”

  “Crowe –” I started again but I heard the disconnect.

  “God dammit!” I shouted at my dead phone.

  “What?” Roxie asked.

  “Vance is arranging for someone to ride with me tonight even though I’m perfectly fine going it alone. I mean, I did flip a drug dealer onto his back and nearly shot another one in the foot not a week ago and two nights ago, on my own, I dropped a pimp and two of his whores!” I snapped.

  The customer service representative who was ringing up my sexy, silky, lacy, satiny delicate, pretty, girlie underwear gasped.

  Roxie’s gaze swung to her then back to me and she giggled.

  Then she said, “Ask Uncle Tex. He’s dying for some action.”

  This was true, he was. But Tex was a little scary. Tex had an old gym bag ful of tear gas at the ready. Tex, I thought, was not a good idea.

  “I don’t think –” I started but she was already hitting the green button on her phone.

  “Uncle Tex? It’s Roxie, listen Jules needs someone to ride with her tonight…”

  I sighed and looked at the customer service representative. She looked pale.

  “What can you do?” I asked her.

  She shook her head and rushed through my purchase.

  Cal number eight came while we were walking towards California Pizza Kitchen. I pul ed out my phone wondering if it could overheat. I’d never been this popular.

  It was Zip and he didn’t have the courtesy to identify himself either.

  “What? You got the big boys teachin’ you the fancy moves, you don’t need me, Heavy and Frank no more?” Uh-oh.

  “Zip –” I started.

  “You’re comin’ in to target practice. Tonight.”

  “Zip, I just doubled up on toiletries because Vance told me to leave mine at his place. Now I’m getting pizza with Roxie. Then I’m going out to crack some heads. I don’t have time to shoot.”

  “You left your stuff at Crowe’s? I thought you two had broken up,” Zip asked.

  “There was a misunderstanding, apparently we hadn’t.”

  “Yeah. I bet. Heard you’ve been on the street with Stark.

  One moves out, the other moves in, the first one decides he doesn’t feel so much like movin’ out no more.
”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Don’t got time to process your love life. Girl, you are loco. Fuckin’ loco. You don’t leave your stuff at a man’s house after knowin’ him for a week!”

  “Of course not,” I snapped, “I’ve known him for a week and two days.”

  “Shee-it. Those fuckin’ guys,” Zip said then gave up.

  “You’re in here tomorrow night. No excuses.” Disconnect.

  When our pizzas were served, I asked Roxie. “So, did you ever double up on toiletries with Hank?” She shook her head. “I lived in Chicago. When I was in Denver most of the time I stayed with Hank. I went back to Chicago for a few weeks to pack up and when I got to Denver, I moved right in with Hank. I was supposed to get an apartment for six months but Hank didn’t like that idea as in really didn’t like it.”

  I blinked at her. “These guys move fast,” I whispered.

  She smiled and I realized that she’d been living with Hank for as long as I’d known Vance, she’d moved to Denver the day I met him. Their relationship was stil relatively new.

  “How’s it going?” I asked softly.

  Her smile got bright but her eyes got soft and she didn’t answer because she didn’t have to.

  “I’m so glad, Roxie.” Then, before I could stop myself, I reached out, grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

  She squeezed back then she started giggling and again, I did too.

  Cal number nine came after Roxie and I said good-bye and I was walking back to my car. It was Luke.

  “What the fuck?” He also hadn’t taken phone etiquette classes.

  “What the fuck what?” I asked.

  “I thought you were givin’ me a week? Shortest fuckin’

  week in history, you goin’ out tonight with Tex.”

  “How did you know I was going out with Tex?”

  “How did you know I was going out with Tex?”

  “Clue in, Law. People talk.”

  I was beginning to realize that. “I thought our deal went south when Vance and I got back together.”

  “A deal’s a deal.”

  I thought about this. I thought about what Vance would think about this. I figured Vance wouldn’t like it much.

  Furthermore, I decided I didn’t like ride-alongs partly because they reminded me that people sucked and partly because Luke hogged al the action.

  “You hog al the action,” I told him.

  “Babe,” he replied.

  “No, seriously.”

  “Wasn’t me who took down a pimp and two whores single-handed.”

  Hmm.

  He was right.

  Time for a different tactic. “If we keep our deal, I have to explain it to Vance. I’m not sure Vance can take another Yoko Ono conversation,” I told Luke.

  Silence.

  “Luke?”

  “Jesus,” came the muttered reply.

  “What?”

  He didn’t answer on our primary topic, instead he said,

  “Tonight, you be sure you take lead. Tex is a nut and Tex is an ex-con. Do not let him do anything crazy. You go down, you got no priors. He goes down, he’s fucked. The cops want you off the streets and they’l be aimin’ for you. Take Tex’s Camino, your Camaro’s too visible. And for fuck’s sake, keep sharp.”

  Disconnect.

  Cal number ten came when I was in my kitchen, punching in my alarm code and Boo was shouting at me for treats, very unhappy with my trip to the mal and my gab with Roxie at California Pizza Kitchen and not afraid to tel me.

  I dumped my shopping bags and purse on the kitchen table and snatched out the phone. Vance.

  “What’s this about Tex?”

  Jeez.

  “Crowe –”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  Time for evasive maneuvering. “Jet wants to know if you want to have Thanksgiving at Eddie’s Mom’s house with her and Eddie, Tex and Nancy, Roxie and Hank, Al y and her parents. Or do you just want to have it with Nick and me? Or, erm… did you, um, have to work or something?” Oh my God.

  I was such a dork.

  When Vance answered, his voice was pure silk. Evasive maneuvering was effective and it was clear Vance didn’t think I was a dork.

  “What do you want, Princess?”

  I felt the warm whoosh in my bel y. “Just you and Nick,” I replied.

  “That’s what we’l do then.”

  I smiled at the phone. Again.

  “I’l make pumpkin pie,” I said.

  “We’l get one at King Soopers.”

  Disconnect.

  I stared at the phone.

  “I am so sure,” I said to the phone.

  “Meow!” Boo said to me.

  * * * * *

  Tex drove a bronze El Camino and Tex played his rock ‘n’ rol loud.

  Therefore when we went barreling into the parking lot toward the drug deal, the Doobie Brother’s “Listen to the Music” was blasting.

  Tex screeched to a halt, swinging the wheel at the last minute so we did a 180 degree turn.

  We were such a sight to see (and hear), instead of running the buyers and sel er stared at us in frozen shock and I didn’t blame them.

  Then during the Doobie Brothers singing the chorus, Tex got out his side, I got out my side and we lobbed the smoke bombs. Three for him, three for me. The buyers and sel er started choking, spluttering, cursing and scurrying.

  Tex and I jumped into the car and Tex peeled away.

  “That’s what I’m talkin’ about, turkey!” Tex shouted at the windshield and banged his fist on the steering wheel. He did this every time we’d seen action, except once instead of “turkey”, he said, “sucka”.

  It had been an active night. We were out of smoke bombs.

  Make no mistake, The Law and her sidekick, Tex, the Crackpot Coffee Guy were on the job.

  “We’re out of smoke bombs,” I told Tex.

  “Could swing by your place, pick up the tear gas,” Tex suggested.

  Um.

  No.

  “I don’t think smoke bombs are il egal. I’m not sure about tear gas.”

  Tex was silent for a moment as if contemplating this.

  Final y he said, “See your point.”

  “Maybe we should cal it a night?”

  “We goin’ out again tomorrow?”

  Hmm.

  He said “we”.

  I was a loner or had been until recently. I hadn’t seen a lot of alone time in awhile and that had been at night when I thought Vance and I had broken up.

  That time wasn’t fun.

  Furthermore Tex was huge, burly and relaxed. He caused mayhem like it was second nature. He made me feel safe.

  It was a new experience, being out making life a pain for drug dealers with Tex.

  I liked it.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Fuckin’ A, woman!” Tex boomed.

  I smiled.

  We went to his house and he stood on the sidewalk and didn’t make a move toward his door until I was in my car and headed down the street.

  * * * * *

  I was negotiating the al ey toward Nick and my garage when a car reversed out of a back drive right into the al ey, right in front of me. To avoid it I slammed on the brakes and came to a bone-jarring halt. I stared out the windshield. The car was dark, no lights.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  I threw the Camaro in reverse and looked over my shoulder but al I could see was a motorcycle parked perpendicular to my car.

  I’d wasted precious time shifting to reverse. I should have locked my doors. I didn’t even get a chance to move when my door was thrown open.

  Before I could grab my gun or stun gun on the seat beside me, someone reached in, undid my belt and yanked me out of the car.

  He slammed the door and then slammed me against the car and got up close, his hard body to my soft one, his heat slamming into me like a physical thing.

  When I got a look
at him in the hazy al ey streetlight, I went stil .

  He looked like a somewhat younger, tougher, rougher but just as red-hot-handsome version of Eddie Chavez.

  This had to be Hector Chavez, Eddie’s brother.

  Oh my God.

  Before I could say a word or do a thing, he started speaking. “Get off the street Law. Shard, Jermaine and Clarence are lookin’ for retribution, no matter what Clarence are lookin’ for retribution, no matter what protection Crowe is offering. They aren’t gonna take you down. They’re gonna take you somewhere and play with you awhile, games you won’t think are fun.” I’d stil ed at the sight of him but his words sent a chil through my blood.

  “When they’re done, you’l beg them to kil you,” he went on.

  Um.

  Yikes.

  “Do I make myself clear?” he asked.

  Without delay I nodded. He made himself clear al right.

  He stared at me. I could tel his eyes were dark, liquid black like his brother’s and I found myself wishing for more light just so I could read them.

  He got closer, this wouldn’t seem possible but just like Vance had, Hector did – right deep, face-to-face in my space.

  “You tel anyone you saw me, you’l blow my cover and I won’t be happy mainly because I won’t be breathin’.” I swal owed.

  “Nod if you understand,” he demanded.

  I nodded again, I understood.

  He was a cop… or something. Likely deep cover if even Eddie and Lee didn’t know what he was up to.

  “Does that mean you don’t want me to say anything to…?” I started.

  He looked to his left, nodded once, then back at me.

  “The boys’l know to keep their mouths shut.” Then as fast as he’d come, he was gone, disappearing into the night. The car in front of Hazel took off, the motorcycle behind her did the same. I never even saw the drivers.

  Wow.

  With ful body shakes I drove Hazel to the garage, super-cautious, eyes checking mirrors, wil ing my ears to have powers beyond normal. I parked, secured the garage and then ran into the house even though I wanted to stop and kiss Vance’s Harley which was sitting outside my backdoor.

  I flew into the kitchen and dumped my weapons and bag on the table. Then I locked the door and armed the alarm.

  Boo sauntered in and looked at me. “Meow,” he said.