by Louise Dawn
“Don’t move, bitch!”
“I’m not… I swear.” Pearl eyed the two men. Her cellphone sat in her back pocket—if she could just dial 911… Her shift was almost over, and now, she dealt with two drunk hooligans who’d had a falling out in aisle three.
The man with the face tattoo waved a large knife in the air. “You fucked my girl?”
His former friend rubbed a shiny head. “She’s a whore who’s banged half the club.”
“You lying shit! I’m going to shank you and knife-punch her fucking face.”
Pearl spoke up. “Look, why don’t you sort this out in the lot—away from the store.”
“Shut your damn mouth. Keep your hands up.”
Pearl studied his tattoos. 1488 was plastered on his forehead. Three dots were tattooed beside his eye and a swastika on his neck.
“Bro, she’s right; you’re out on parole. Put the knife away.”
The assailant lunged, and his bald friend grabbed Pearl and used her as a shield. She screamed, and he clamped a hand over her mouth. “Money over bitches, man. You need me.”
“I need to carve your dick off.”
Pearl struggled. The man holding her reeked of alcohol and fear, and she clawed at his clamped hand. His fingers dug into her jaw, and she moaned as his grip tightened. His focus was all on his enraged friend as he dragged her down the aisle.
Aside from these two psychos, the store was empty. They could take their time hurting her or doing worse. Panic had her striking out, but his fingers squeezed like an iron cuff. Antonio’s words ran through her desperate brain. “Convenience store employees suffer from high rates of homicide, second only to taxicab drivers.”
“You’re using her as a hostage?” Mr. Swastika laughed. “Some random hooch. You’re just delaying my revenge.” His knife whipped out, and Pearl felt the burn on her waist. Baldie tugged her away as the door jangled.
“I’ll butcher you both.”
“I can’t let that happen.” A large man stood in the entrance, and Pearl pulled in a breath. The newcomer stroked his beard. “You’re manhandling my friend’s woman. I’d appreciate it if you let her go and fuck the hell off.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Hands in pockets, Bronco walked over, and both men edged back. “You’ve chosen the wrong knife.” He pointed at the weapon. “Size doesn’t always matter. Too big, and a sword becomes unwieldy and loses function.”
“Are you seriously making dick jokes?”
“Well, you may be overcompensating for the tiny blade between your legs….”
The armed gangster turned to Bronco, and he smiled. “Good choice. I’m the real threat.”
“I’m gonna make you bleed, asshole.”
“Then let’s begin.” Bronco pulled his hands free and flexed his fists.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pearl’s back felt damp from her hostage taker’s chest. His sweaty neck rubbed against her temple as she whimpered. The other bastard rushed forward, and Bronco leaped out of the way. Weaponless, he held little chance, and Pearl struggled to get free. She prayed he’d called the police before rushing into battle.
The gangster turned and swiped the air. Bronco grabbed his wrist, ducked, and twisted. Pearl heard a bone crack as Bronco side-stepped and flipped the man to the floor in a vicious dance.
“Choose a smaller knife next time.” Bronco kicked aside the weapon before pulling a zip tie from his pocket and quickly fastening the groaning man’s wrists. The giant warrior stood back up. “Let her go.”
Her captor held on; his panic clearly felt in his stiffening stance.
“You don’t have a weapon. You’re no threat, so let her go.”
A tear fell, and Pearl closed her eyes and prayed for release. She wanted to run… out of this store… out of this life. She wanted to take her daughter and run. To a forest. To an island. To a safe place.
Baldie panted and tightened his hold. Her face hurt beneath his desperate grip. “I can’t go back to jail.”
“If you continue to hurt her, you will be in the slammer for a longer time.” Bronco circled and headed down the aisle. “The police are on the way. Release her now, and we’ll pin the blame on your fucked-up friend.”
“I… I can’t.”
“Fine.” Without hesitation, Bronco rushed them. Bronco punched at the man’s ribs, and when he grunted, Bronco pulled the arm from her chest and twisted her assailant away. Pearl staggered and fell onto the shelf as the men fought.
She glanced back as Bronco slammed Baldie to the floor and knelt on his back. Another zip tie appeared. Pearl slumped to her butt and let out a shaky breath. She concentrated on breathing as her limbs shook apart. Sirens rang in the distance, and her phone buzzed again. It stopped and then started.
“That’s probably Snax—Antonio. I messaged him before I charged the place.” Bronco helped her to her feet.
“How did you… how?”
“Snax was in a late meeting, and I happened to call. He asked if I could swing by and see you safely home. I spotted those two fuckers through the window and called for help.”
“And you… called Antonio?”
“I shot him a quick SOS text.”
“Thank you. Uh… for saving….” Pearl could barely stand.
“Shit. You’re bleeding. Snax is gonna fucking kill me. Easy. Let me get you to a chair, don’t sit on this dirty floor.”
“Chair. Behind the counter. I can stand. Need this.” She handed him her ID card, and he raced into her office before retrieving an office chair.
Pearl sat heavily, and Bronco hunkered down and pulled aside her blood-stained blouse. Officers stormed through the front door, and they both raised their hands. Bronco called out to them, explaining what happened. “We need paramedics.”
“Is it that bad?” Pearl glanced at her side. “I don’t have insurance.”
“The company will pay for your treatment. And I broke that guy’s wrist—and ribs.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“You’re in shock. Slow breaths.” Bronco patted her back as she tried not to throw up her lunch. He re-examined her wound as an officer hunkered down beside them. “It looks like you were just nicked by the knife. I don’t even think you’ll need stitches.”
She watched as both men were placed in cuffs. Her captor was placed on his knees, the other guy still lay curled on his side, wailing in pain. Two paramedics approached, and Bronco moved out of their way as they assessed her injury.
“Pearl! Pearl!”
And Antonio had arrived, looking like a crazed maniac. He struggled with an officer at the door before barging through.
“Bro, you’ll get yourself arrested.” Bronco strode over, and Antonio shoved him aside.
He’d spotted her. “Pearl! No, oh, shit, no!”
“I’m fine.”
“Jeez, baby.”
“I’m okay.” The knot in her chest eased as he bent down beside her. His warm hands cupped her neck, and his roving eyes blazed with fury and concern as he spotted her injury.
“You’ve been stabbed.”
“More like sliced.” The paramedic smiled. “Give us some space.”
Antonio paled and swore soundly.
“The slash isn’t deep.” Bronco touched Antonio’s shoulder.
“Your face…” Antonio held her chin up to the fluorescent light. Pearl knew she’d bruise and tried to offer a reassuring smile.
“I’m alive and—”
“Those are the fuckers?” He turned his fury on the cuffed men.
“Easy.” Bronco blocked his path as Antonio surged forward.
“I’ll kill them.”
Officers closed in, and Bronco clasped his friend around the chest. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Get out of my way.”
The men struggled, and Pearl called out. “You can’t go to jail. Not because of me!”
“She’s right, bud. C’mon, calm down.”
A
ntonio shoved away and paced. Pearl could feel his hot rage and hated that she’d caused so much worry. Hadn’t he been in an important meeting? Her brain felt like thick sludge, and she stared numbly at the canned goods shelf as the paramedic worked his magic. Bronco pulled Antonio aside, and they spoke in earnest.
The medic touched her arm. “You won’t need stitches. You’re lucky this was just a graze.” He placed an adhesive pad over her wound.
“Are you sure?” Antonio now stood at her side. “Should I take her to the ER, just in case?”
“So, I can become a regular at the trauma center? No thanks.”
“Is this funny?” Antonio’s deadly stare had her snapping her mouth shut. Pearl could now picture what kind of team leader he was in the Army. A scary one. “You’ve just been assaulted and held hostage. This isn’t a damn joke.”
The paramedic stood and walked away.
“I know. I just… I want to go home.” Her mind snapped into focus, and she tried to stand.
“Whoa.” Antonio lunged to support her, which was good as her legs still felt wobbly.
“Coraline will soon leave to drop Aysha off. No one is home. Oh my gosh, I need… I need to call her.”
“I’ve got this. What’s her number?”
With fumbling fingers, Pearl pulled her phone from her back pocket and handed it over. “My PIN is 5498. There aren’t many contacts. She’s the second one.”
Once he’d found the number, he stepped away.
“Don’t tell her what happened. She doesn’t know I work here.”
“Oh, I think she does.” Another lethal glance.
“Please don’t say anything.”
He snorted and placed the phone to his ear. Pearl rubbed her hands together as he spoke.
“Hey, Coraline. So, we were on our way to fetch Aysha, but I got into a small accident… Yeah, we’re fine. A little bruised. Pearl is shaken up. Can we come by later after sorting out this mess to pick up Aysha?”
Walking over to a shelf, Antonio traced a bag of chips as Coraline spoke.
“No, I swear, we’re both okay. There’s no need. I can put Pearl on the phone. She’s okay.”
He stalked over to Pearl and presented the phone. Letting out a steadying breath, she took the device and placed it to her ear.
“Are you hurt?”
“No, I just got a fright. We won’t be long.”
“Aysha and Brooke fell asleep in her room. They were playing on the bed. Why don’t you leave her here for the night?”
Feeling torn, Pearl gnawed at her lip.
“She’s safe with her cousins. Unless you don’t trust—”
“I do. I trust both of you. I’ll be… Can you drop her off in the morning?”
“Sure thing. Get some rest and go to the hospital if you feel bad. Especially if you’ve hurt your neck. Whiplash isn’t a joke.”
After hanging up, Pearl stared at the phone, which beat looking up into Antonio’s scorching glare. Could she blame him? Her life was a farce. Feeling hopeless and useless at the same time, Pearl rubbed at the screen. An officer approached, and Antonio dropped a hand to her shoulder.
“Can I take your statement? Then you can get out of here.”
Pearl nodded. Her face and ribs throbbed from her attacker’s tight hold. He’d squeezed her like a boa constrictor. She craved a hot bath.
“Start from the beginning. How did this escalate? We have footage from one camera, but the quality isn’t great.”
“I was tidying up the candy aisle when that man,” she pointed at the bald man cuffed in the corner, “ran into the store, straight into the toilet paper display.” Pearl waved towards the scattered toilet rolls. “He looked terrified and asked if there was a place to hide. Before I could respond, the tattooed guy barged in with a huge knife. They were fighting over a woman, and when I tried to run, he threatened to stab me.”
Antonio’s grip on her shoulder tightened as she relayed the details—and when she spoke of how Bronco had disarmed and defeated both men. She was asked to repeat her statement twice over, and Pearl tried to remember every detail.
By the time she stood, it was almost midnight, and Antonio helped her to the door.
“Thank you. For saving my life.”
Bronco nodded at her words. “Glad to have helped.”
“I owe you everything.”
“How about a beer? Or you can cook me dinner sometime.” Bronco grinned at Antonio’s reaction. “Relax, dude, I meant as friends.”
“I’ll call you later. Are you going to be okay?” she asked.
Bronco gave a thumbs up. “I’ll be leaving shortly. Surveillance footage backs up our statements.”
Antonio helped Pearl through the door into the damp air.
“Um… you parked halfway up the pavement. I think you’ve damaged your bumper.”
“I wasn’t much worried about parking when I pulled up.”
“You shouldn’t have come. You had to leave your—”
He suddenly stopped. “Right. I shouldn’t have come.” He spoke carefully, and she sensed the controlled anger. Pearl reached out, and he stiffened.
“I shouldn’t have come. Perhaps, Bronco shouldn’t have come either. He’s still in the store, giving a statement as he broke a man’s bones tonight. But guess what, he saved your life.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“But you don’t need anyone. You’re fine, right? You could’ve handled those two thugs by yourself? A lone employee. You’ll make rash decisions and work in a rundown shithole because that pays the bills.”
“I’m not having this argument.”
“Your life fucking matters.” Antonio barked out the words. “Those were Aryan gang members. They would’ve killed you in a heartbeat.”
“Take me home.”
“People care about you. Aysha cares. I care. You have family that cares!”
And just like that, her temper snapped. “What do you know about my family? You know nothing.”
“Your sister—”
“My sister has lived a very different life to mine. She got the good parents—the ones who loved her. She’s lived the perfect life. My adoptive mother also looked like the “savior” type—the good Samaritan. The same person who’d threaten to cut my face out of family photos if I misbehaved. She told me that they’d put another kid’s face in my place and send me back to the orphanage‚ especially if I told ‘Dad’ about her threats.”
Antonio reached for her, and Pearl evaded his touch.
“She’d tell me that she’d send me back to my original mom, except she didn’t want me either. She was right. My birth mother really didn’t want me. She abandoned Coraline and me at a truck stop, where I waited for hours for her to return. I refused to leave. Officers had to carry me away, kicking and screaming.”
“Honey…”
“No matter how I tried, to my adoptive mom, I was such a ‘terrible’ child that I was sent to kids’ camps or fobbed off onto others while my adoptive father was never home. And my birth mother never looked back. Until… until…” Pearl collapsed against the car, and Antonio pulled her into his arms. The numb shock had thawed, and she dissolved into a sobbing mess.
“I keep failing. Why do I… keep failing?”
“No, you don’t.”
“I took this… this stupid job.” Pearl sniffled into his shirt. “I almost got Bronco killed.”
“Bronco can take care of himself.” A hand cupped her neck as her tears fell.
Pearl held on to the solid male who cradled her so gently. Resting her head on his chest, she heard his heart thumping in a steady rhythm and tried to draw on his vitality. Her arms tightened, causing her ribs to shout in pain. Pearl winced, and Antonio immediately pulled back.
“Did I hurt you?”
“I hurt myself.”
“Your waist?”
“My ribs. He held me so tight—the bald man.”
“Shitting asshole. Let’s get you home.” Antonio adj
usted the seat and helped her into the car, and she lay back and closed her eyes on the short drive.
Once she was in her safe living room, Pearl felt like she’d fall apart. Violent tremors had her wrapping her arms around her waist as she sank to the sofa.
“I’ll make you a cup of warm, sweet tea.” Antonio covered her shoulders with a soft throw before heading to the kitchen. The night’s events played over and over, and as she stared at the blank television, Pearl wondered what she could’ve done differently—aside from taking the job in the first place.
If she’d been behind the counter, she could’ve pressed the alarm. Or what if she’d tried to run when the men first entered the store? Would the armed thug have chased her? Stabbed her in the back?
“Here we go. Chamomile tea with honey.” Antonio handed her the mug along with a couple of Advil. “I had to dig in your cupboard to find the honey.”
“You know your tea.”
“My mother loves tea. As a kid, I’d always make her a cup before bed.”
He hadn’t filled it all the way, which meant she could hold it in a shaking grip. Still, his hand supported hers as he lowered himself beside her.
After taking a sip, Pearl closed her eyes. “There are so many ways this could’ve played out. What if I’d tried to escape? Or fight them? What if—”
“Tonight can’t happen again.”
“I know. I spoke to the store owner on the phone and quit. He didn’t even bother coming over. He said this happens often enough. Told me to ‘toughen up.’”
“I’d like to get my hands on that filthy bastard.”
They sat in silence as she sipped her tea. The heat from Antonio’s shoulder gave Pearl comfort. Her tense muscles began to relax, and her hands slowly steadied.
“Can I hold you?”
His words took her by surprise. Pearl nodded.
Antonio took her empty mug and placed it on the coffee table before easing back and tucking her into his side. He rearranged the blanket to cover her fully and pressed her head to his chest. “When I saw the text from Bronco… on the drive over, a thousand scenarios ran through my head. I felt so damn helpless.”
