Chapter 6 Stiffed on the Tip
Chapter six
Stiffed on the Tip
Cactus
“Why do you constantly take in strays, Ang? Haven’t you learned yet?
They’re only out for themselves,” I yelled at her.
She’d come running when she’d heard the breaking glass, ushering me into her office to dry off.
My club cut hung from one of the office chairs, but the beer seeped into the leather pores.
I was going to have to figure out how to dry-clean it without taking it to a professional.
“If she can’t keep her shit together, she’s a liability.
I’ll have Aces fix her car, and she can be gone in a few days. ”
Ang didn’t understand that this wasn’t about the beer. It was about Roxy’s reaction in the heat of the moment. She’d frozen. If that was her first instinct, she’d have more accidents the saloon would be responsible for.
“That’s rude. You always jump to the wrong conclusion,” she said, throwing a towel at my chest.
“How much do you know about her?” I pushed.
This wasn’t the first time Ang had tried to save someone, but she’d honestly be better off if Roxy didn’t show up for her next shift.
I wasn’t the only one to think so, which was why Scorpion hadn’t barged back here. He was busy watching Roxy’s every move.
“I know enough.” Ang crossed her arms over her chest, sticking her hip out. “You only see the negative in people, which is why you’re still pretending to be big and bad at your age.”
“You saw her. She couldn’t even last one shift.
What if she had bumped into something? Or what if it had been a kid trying to get her attention?
” I dropped my shirt on the tiled floor, picked up the towel and rubbed it against me.
“Do you really want to lose everything you’ve worked for?
You exposed the saloon the last time you tried this. ”
“You’ve always been the protector, and if you hadn’t been busy maintaining your image, you would have noticed the moment she froze.
I know you. You would have clocked it and made sure she was safe.
Instead, you stood there yelling over your bruised pride.
” She tapped her heel against the floor, making a clicking sound.
“Maybe you’ve been an Outlaw too long because you can’t see your salvation when it’s staring you in the face. ”
“How did that work out for you?” I asked, knowing she’d button up quickly.
Her lips pursed, and I was in the clear.
Angelica would stop pushing me. She never liked to be reminded how many times I’d pulled her ass out of the fire.
“She dumped beer down my back.” I huffed, drying my neck with the towel.
“Lulu said the father behind you had his hand on Roxy. That’s why she froze, but you would rather assume the worst because it fits your narrative a little easier.
” She walked towards the door, placing her hand on the handle before she turned back towards me.
“It was an accident. Get over it, because I can guarantee Roxy is trying to figure out where she went wrong.”
***
I watched Roxy cross the street to the cheap motel, still dressed in her saloon uniform.
There were a few catcalls, but she ignored them.
I did not, threatening violence with a look at the offenders as I passed them.
There were a few who wanted to test me, but one look at the patch on my back, and they thought better of it.
Who is she? One minute I thought I had her pegged as a rich daddy’s girl, but nothing else fit that mold.
Her car was a shitbox, and she waitressed like she was a veteran.
A daddy’s girl would never have set foot in this dump.
I was no closer to the truth, and each piece I learned contradicted the one before.
She was a puzzle, and I had all the wrong fucking pieces.
Roxy stopped in front of the third door on the second floor, and I crouched between two cars parked in the lot.
She opened her purse and started digging for the skeleton key they actually gave the patrons here, but it was shit like this that made me think I was wrong.
Any poor chick would have had the key in her palm, with the blade sticking out to cut a bitch.
Her door slammed shut, and I started the countdown.
Three minutes. Pulling my wallet out of my back pocket, I reached for the fake credit card I had stored for this exact purpose.
Two minutes. A smirk danced at the corner of my lips as I took the stairs one at a time to the second floor. I wanted to savor the anticipation.
One minute. It didn’t take long to reach her door. Placing my ear against the grain, I listened for any sound. She should have been moving around the room, but there was nothing. Too quiet.
“What the fuck are you doing?” a man said from behind me. I hadn’t been paying close enough attention, my heart pounding in my ears the closer I was to her door.
“I fucked up, and my Old Lady won’t let me in.
” The words tasted like sawdust. Women were too much trouble, and I never saw myself actually committing to one.
He didn’t need to know the truth, and I didn’t give a fuck if he bought it.
He looked me up and down, decided it wasn’t worth the fight, and continued past me until he reached the stairs.
Leaning against the door frame, I stayed in place until I couldn’t see his back anymore. I could have taken him if he had been a threat, but if he ever met Roxy, he’d instantly believe I was in the doghouse. Shaking my head, I pushed my shoulder against the door, creating a gap.
The trick was simple—wedge the credit card in between the door and the jamb along the curved edge of the bolt, pushing it back into the door to unlock. I’d done this a thousand times, but when I heard the lock pop, I couldn’t shove the door open. What the fuck?
The lock hadn’t clicked back into place, but when I tried again to press the door open, it wouldn’t move. These doors didn’t have chains on them, and that was when it hit me. She’d stuck the desk chair underneath the handle, like that would protect her.
Kicking the door repeatedly, I created enough forward pressure to force the chair to slide to the floor.
The door opened completely, and Roxy was leaning against the wall near the bathroom, wearing only a towel.
She’d heard the door, and when she’d actually seen it was me, she went silent.
It made me angry to think someone had taught her to be invisible.
I let go, letting the door slam. The walls were thin, and the sound echoed around the room.
I wasn’t a betting man, but even I’d play the odds nothing was sacred in this motel.
My eyes never left her as I hauled the chair upright and dropped into it, planting myself between her and freedom.
She wasn’t going anywhere, and while I searched for fear in her eyes, there was only bone-deep exhaustion. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
“If you want to go through my things, I don’t care. Just don’t touch my underwear. That’s gross.” She stood straight, heading toward a small suitcase lying on the floor before crouching down.
“Why don’t you just tell me your story? The longer you keep this to yourself, the more suspicious it becomes.” I’d sift through her things, but if she only had that little suitcase, there wouldn’t be much to find.
“You don’t see me asking for your story every two seconds.
” She stood before turning towards the bed to drop some clothes.
Roxy grabbed the shirt, flinging it over her head until it came down past her waist. She quickly dressed, pulling the towel away from her before heading back to the bathroom.
“I don’t expect Aces to fix my car for free.
Nothing is, but you couldn’t even leave a buck after all the bullshit. Figures, I got stiffed.”
“I actually gave Aces the money for your car.” I didn’t know why I was telling her this, when I didn’t honestly care what she thought.
The brothers had wanted to punish her for the beer, but when Angelica told me what had happened, I collected the money.
It had been too late to give it to her, so I’d made a deposit towards her car.
“If you each left a dollar or two, that’s not enough to pay for the repairs. You should have given it to me. I’m an adult, and I know how to balance my finances. Shocking!” She leaned against the wall again, staring straight at me.
“Why are you angry? You’re going to have to pay for your repairs, and all I did was make a deposit.”
“It wasn’t your decision. If you wanted to stiff me, fine. I can’t control what people think of my services. I’m an adult, and I can take care of myself.” She glared at me, crossing her arms over her chest.
I didn’t flinch, returning her gaze. “So, are you going to tell me your story?”
“There’s nothing interesting to tell. I’ll be gone in a few weeks, and you won’t even remember I was here.” She yawned, not covering the exasperation with me.
“Scorpion’s worried you’re bringing something into town that’s going to affect Angelica. She takes in strays, and it’s happened before. That’s why I’m here, so that he doesn’t take it upon himself to get answers his way.” I shifted in the chair, studying her.
She’d been dolled up for the saloon, but now her hair hung loose, black and messy, falling to her shoulders. Her eyes were exhausted, like she’d seen some shit, and tonight, she couldn’t hide her pain.
“Look,” she said, walking towards me until she reached the edge of the bed, turning down the bedspread that had seen better days. “I’m leaving as soon as Aces fixes my car. Goodnight.” When she placed one knee onto the bed, that was when I saw it.
The sleep shorts shifted, showing the red fingerprints on her upper leg.
My nostrils flared, and all I saw was red as I tried to force air into my lungs, not letting her see how much this was rattling me. She’d thought silence was the answer, but in our world, it was violence.
The motherfucker had touched her.