24. Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Medusa
Placing my phone in my back pocket, I smile at the patron who just sat beside me. I’m bartending tonight, and it’s a busy one. The girls are dancing tonight. Once a week, we have a night where we have all females stripping on the stage and lots of different specials on beer and whiskey drinks.
“What can I get you?” I yell over the music playing. It’s just a heavy beat that a local DJ made for us while we waited for the dancers to begin.
“Can I get a draft of whatever you have on tap?” He smiles at me. I nod. I ask him if he’s good with an IPA or just regular. I gave him one of our local ales. I tell him the price and he hands me a fifty telling me to keep the change. I thank him and he stops me as I head to the next customer. “Do you know where I can find Amelia Baxter?”
“Why do you want her?” I almost snapped at him but stopped myself. I don’t want to give it away that I’m who he is looking for.
“A business opportunity.” His voice is so casual. “Is she here tonight?”
“She is but as you can see around you, it’s a busy night and she’s not going to stop working just because you are here. Leave your name and number then she can decide what she wants to do.” I tell him in a firm tone trying not to give him any indication I’m Amelia.
“Sure. Here is my business card.” He slides it over the counter and I put it in my back pocket without looking at it. I nod at him as I move on to the next person.
The night is flying by and I forgot about my texting with Noah. I hate not being able to see him, but with the hunt of the guy who caused the bombing, doing the rebuild of the autobody shop which we are going bigger this time, Michelle being M.I.A since she left my house, and dealing with Tripline and her ups and downs, I’m so fucking exhausted. I sleep about three to four hours a night. I grab a bottle of water and walk outside for my break.
The bouncer is Derby’s brother, Derek, who is a fighter. He needed some extra money for child support and we were all too happy to pay for him.
“Hey Medusa.” He teases my road name. It took Derek almost a year to stop calling me Amelia when he saw me out in club gear or at one of our businesses. “Still fucking weird.” He chuckles, shaking his head. I laugh with him.
“I know. Thanks for doing it for us. I know calling your sister her name is weird too. TJ never does.”
“How does he get a pass?” He crosses his massive arms across his chest. He looks very intimidating.
“TJ’s an ass that’s why, plus he’s never around us like you are. Any issues tonight?” He shakes his head. “The man in the business suit, slick back blond hair, and bright white teeth, what car did he drive? Did you notice?” He points to a car.
“Son of a bitch!” I take my phone out and call Bubbles. “The yellow car guy is here. I need a tracker now.” I pace outside. I grab the business card. “Are you at the clubhouse?”
“Yes. Why?” I hear a door shut in the background.
“Tell Joker I need her to look up this name and number.” I put the business card between my teeth waiting for Bubbles to get to Joker.
“Okay I got Joker with me, what is she doing?” Bubbles asks and I jump because I was in my thoughts.
“I need you to run this name and number. Find out who he talks to, who he’s associated with, and all that fun stuff. He’s the one who brought those guys to TJ’s the day before it exploded.” I hear Joker swearing and some typing. She says go. “Luca Rossi and the number is 555-458-9874”
“I’ll try to get something by the time you get back here. Derby’s on her way over with a couple of prospects.” Bubbles lets me know. “I’d come, but there’s another party tonight.” I sigh. “She’s okay. We’re all watching.”
“Thanks. I’ll deal with it once things calm down.” I hung up my phone. I put both things back into my shorts. “Keep an eye on that car. Let me know if you notice people in an SUV watching it. He tends to not travel light.”
“He blew up the shop?” I nod. “Who is coming?” I smile. “Derby really?” I nod again. “Great tell the fucking girls stay inside. I can’t be seen with a girl with her around.” He’s cursing about his break getting boring. I cackle like the big sister I am to him. I pat him on his shoulder as I walk back in. The stage has a lot of attention and I see Luca sitting there at the bar not even watching the stage.
“Another one?” I point to his empty beer. He slides it over to me. The music isn’t as loud back here since the speakers are off and focus on the stage. “I’m Amelia Baxter.”
“Really?” Luca’s brown eyes scan my body and I want to shiver. When Noah does it, I feel sexy, powerful but right now all I feel is dirty. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but I was quite busy when you sat down in my section but knowing business men like you, you knew who I was before you came here. So let’s stop playing games. The body shop is not for sale. We are rebuilding it.”
“Why rebuild? I have all the customers now. It will be hard for your brother to get them back. Once they use us, they won’t go anywhere else.” I shrug my shoulders. “Sell me the business and land then your brother can work for me. I’ll even give him a manager’s title.” I laugh. I’m not talking about the girl chuckle that you’d expect from a woman talking to a man. His tone and mannerism is one of trying to pick at me. My laugh is so boisterous when some people who were watching the stage turn to see what’s so funny.
“Oh how generous of you, a manager's position.” I roll my eyes and someone hands me a glass and asks for another whiskey on the rocks. Luca is watching every one of my moves. I smile at the customer, thanking him as he walks away. I turn my attention to Luca. “We are not for sale. I’m pretty sure my brother already told you.”
“Everything is for sale.” I laugh again but not as loud.
“Said every villain in every movie. We are not for sale. Thank you so much for your concern about TJ and his business. Oh and his worker is alive and well, not like you asked.” I muttered the last four words, not really sure if he heard me or not.
“I’m so happy to hear that he’s doing well. I’ll have to send flowers. It’s such a shame he was there when the place burned down.” He shakes his head. I give him a dirty look. “Listen, I mean no harm to you and your family but I’m only trying to help out a fellow business owner.” I see Derby walking in and nods.
“Listen, I’ll tell you again.” Once in Italian and again in English. We are not for sale. Non siamo in vendita. ” Luca’s nostrils flare and he slaps his hands down on the bar.
“Bitch, you don’t know who you are messing with and I’m going to enjoy every minute of your demise.” The two bouncers start moving this way. I walk around the bar to stand in front of him.
“I’m going to rain hellfire down on you Luca Rossi. I will have you on your knees begging for your life and when I take it, I’ll make sure to do it slowly. You will feel every slice, burn, and pain you’ve inflicted on me and what’s mine.” He moves to come at me, but I ball my hand into a fist punching him in his stomach then taking the palm of my hand straight to his nose. He cries out in pain as blood gushes from his nose. I heard the sweet crack of his nose. “Now get the fuck out of here and don’t come back.” I nod to the bouncers and they grab him by the neck dragging him out.
“This isn’t over bitch. You made a huge mistake.” He’s yelling or I think he’s yelling. I can’t help but laugh as he sounds very nasally. I wave him goodbye with my middle finger raised. “Was that necessary?” Derby stands beside me. I sigh up at her. “We don’t know if he’s connected with the DeMarcos yet.” I walk behind the bar and take out a plastic bag like the police use for collecting evidence and use a latex glove that we have stashed back here when we need to run DNA or prints of someone.
“We will find out if Joker can’t find anything.” I smirk, sealing up the cup and handing it to her. “Get this to DaVinci and tell her to rush it.” Derby shakes her head.
“Are you sure this is the road you want to go?” Derby is something like the angel on my shoulder while Bubbles is the devil on my shoulder.
“If he is connected to the DeMarcos, he blew up my brother’s business and tried to kill my boyfriend. And he could be Lucas, the mysterious boyfriend of Michelle’s. I have every right to be suspicious. Besides he was here wanting to buy the body shop location.” Something doesn’t sit well with me. “Maybe we need to research the area where the body shop is on and see what’s so special about it.” Derby nods. She taps the bar top a couple of times before she heads off but stops.
“Are you coming back to the clubhouse or are you heading to the hospital?”
“Clubhouse. It’ll be too late to go see him.” It’s almost closing time, which I’m thankful for because I want to try to get some sleep. “Why?”
“When you get there, we might need to have a quick Church meeting with officers only to let everyone know what’s going on. I think it’d be best to keep everyone on the same page.”
“Should we call for an eight a.m. meeting to give DaVinci and Joker time to do their thing?” She nods as she pulls out her cell phone. My phone buzzes and I’m pretty sure she sent a group text about the officers only meeting. She waves as she bounces out of the bar. The rest of the night goes by without any incidents. When the last customer is gone, I sit down and check my phone.
NOAH: I wish you were here.
NOAH: Picture
He sends me a picture of him in the hospital bed all by himself but he circled a spot for me. I send him a selfie of me with my makeup off and hair sticking to my face.
ME: Long ass night.
JOKER: Come see when you get in.
DAVINCI: I'll get the results hopefully by the time of the meeting if not tomorrow sometime.
I sent them both replies. I yawn and decide to leave the cleanup to the rest of the staff. I tell them I’m heading out. I’d been there since noon, so a fourteen hour day. Derek is helping the drunk people get into Ubers and cabs. We have a contract with them to be here at closing time and they get all the money. I will also send the drivers a tip the next day as well. They love being able to work for the Valkyries. I wave to Derek as I head to my bike. I do my check of it, making sure there’s no trackers, no one messing with my brakes, or anything else on my bike.
I start my bike and let the wind clear my mind before I get to the clubhouse. I don’t want to worry about what Joker has to tell me, Noah being in the hospital, Tripline spiraling back on drugs, TJ having to start over, and Michelle not talking to me. There’s so much going on and I don’t know if I’ll ever catch my breath.