Chapter 3
3
HOPE
A fter our awkward interaction, Grim gave me no more trouble and kept to himself. I went about my closing-up routine of locking down the shutters and stacking chairs on tables, but whenever I glanced Grim’s way, his attention was either on his phone or the soccer game on the TV in the corner.
As I was restocking the beer refrigerator, booming laughter came from the street-side door. I turned in time to see four guys enter. One stayed at the door while the other three headed for the bar, straight toward me.
Their look screamed gangster wannabe, from the exaggerated swagger in their step to the fresh scorpion neck tattoos labeling them as Pacific Coast Cartel.
Could my night get any worse?
But if these clowns were with the cartel, they were as green as they came. For starters, they were young. Barely out of their teens. Their special-edition Nikes and shiny wristwatches made me think they’d used their first paychecks to splurge on a new gangbanger wardrobe. But the biggest giveaway of their inexperience was that they hadn’t immediately identified the biggest threat in the room.
Grim.
When my eyes darted to him, he was paying no attention to the new arrivals and still watching the soccer match.
“Disculpen,” I called out. “Estamos cerrados. Ustedes tienen que irse.” Excuse me. We’re closed. You have to go . I wished I’d flipped the door sign to Closed when I’d had the chance.
The three wannabes ignored me and slouched into barstools. Only the one on the right who hadn’t taken off his dark-tinted shades had the sense to cast a fleeting glance at Grim.
I’d seen their type come in here before. Cocky and full of testosterone and misplaced bravado courtesy of their association with the cartel. They liked to stir up trouble by threatening local businesses and trying to recruit kids with promises of cash and notoriety. That shit didn’t fly in Playa de la Palmera. We were a united front when it came to keeping the cartel out of our village.
All the same, these guys were a problem, and if I didn’t get rid of them now, they were likely to want to drink here all night and leave without paying the bill.
Not on my shift.
“You’ll make an exception for us,” said the one in the middle with a buzz cut.
Not a question. A demand.
Buzz wore a grin like he knew a secret while running his thumb and forefinger over the pathetic scruff on his chin. Between his lips, he shifted a toothpick around with his tongue.
“I’m afraid I’m all out of favors tonight.” I started stacking empty bottles into a crate. With any luck, they’d go if I ignored them.
“Come on,” said the wannabe who still hadn’t taken off his shades. He leaned back in his seat and propped his hands behind his head. “Don’t be like that. We’re just thirsty is all.”
“There’s a gas station in the next town,” I said without making eye contact.
“Bitch,” spat the third guy, a jacked-up meathead.
I froze at the insult and glared at him.
I wanted to ask if his bad temper was due to his obvious steroid-abuse problem or because he had a complex about the nose that was far too big for his face.
Big Nose met my glare with one of his own. “Show some fucking respect. Don’t you know who we are?” He pulled aside the collar of his shirt, pointing to the black scorpion on his neck.
There was one thing I knew about assholes like this: if you showed fear, they’d eat it up and come hunting for more. But I’d dealt with far scarier and more powerful men than these thugs, so I wouldn’t let them intimidate me.
“Yeah.” I chuckled, mostly to myself, because if this punk had any idea how much I knew about whom he worked for, he’d probably shit his pants. “I think I know who you are. Nice tattoo, by the way. Did you get that yesterday, or did you draw it on with a Sharpie just before you got here?”
Big Nose rose from his barstool so fast it screeched across the tiled floor. He was all bluster, though, given how quickly he backed down when Buzz placed a steadying palm on his chest.
“There’s no need for that.” Buzz pulled the toothpick from his mouth and pointed it at my face. “It looks like someone already messed her up pretty bad.”
“Didn’t you learn your lesson?” Shades added.
Pigs, the lot of them.
My eyes again shifted to Grim. He continued ignoring my exchange with the wannabes. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me. I’d been kind of rude to him earlier, so it was no surprise he didn’t want to burden himself with what was fast becoming a shit show.
Buzz leaned forward, letting his dark gaze roam my scars. “What happened to your face?”
I flinched at his words, then instantly regretted showing any sign of vulnerability, especially while all eyes were on me. Even the watcher at the door redirected his attention to see what all the fuss was about.
“Someone chargrilled her bad.” Shades snickered. “They do some fucked-up shit to their whores down here.”
Big Nose scratched his cheek while staring at me curiously. “One side is sexy as fuck. The other looks like a Freddy Krueger nightmare.”
Enough .
These fools had no intention of leaving, and I was sick of listening to their bullshit.
I stalked closer to the bar, maintaining my steely focus on Buzz since he seemed to be the leader of the group. With no local law enforcement in Playa de la Palmera, we took protection into our own hands, and there was only one way to confront trouble in Javi’s when words no longer worked.
Slowly, I inched my hand toward the concealed revolver under the counter. Once I had it in my grip, I kept it hidden but aimed at the buzz-cut asshole directly in front of me.
I delivered him a death stare packed with every ounce of disgust I harbored for bullies like them. “You’re not welcome in this restaurant, and you’re not welcome in this village. Get. Out.”
One wrong move from these pencil dicks and I wouldn’t hesitate to unleash the revolver. I’d handled weapons since I was a child, and this wouldn’t be the first time I used one to defend myself.
Seemingly unaware of the threat I posed, Buzz leaned back in his barstool with a sinister grin as though considering how he ought to discipline me.
“You should probably do as she says,” came a deep voice from the other side of the room.
Grim.
All four gang members turned to face him like they’d forgotten he was there.
“Oh yeah. Why is that?” asked Buzz.
Grim lit a cigarette and finally swapped his attention from the TV to us. “Several reasons, all of which should be obvious, but you’re clearly too much of a dumbass to see them.”
The wannabes bristled.
Grim casually blew smoke into the air. “Firstly, because you’re guests in this restaurant, and the staff is under no obligation to serve you if they don’t want to. Secondly, because the woman asked you to leave. Politely, until all three of you started being assholes. And thirdly, because she’s about to blow your dick off with whatever weapon she has hidden behind the bar.”
A wide-eyed Buzz turned toward me slowly.
I shrugged and cocked the revolver. “He’s right.”
“Not sure about you”—Grim took another lazy drag—“but I don’t like the idea of lying on a restaurant floor two hundred kilometers from the nearest hospital while I’m bleeding out from the place where my cock used to be.”
Buzz swallowed deeply, and his eyes lowered to the bar as if he could see through the wooden countertop to the revolver in my grip.
Shades jumped up from his barstool and puffed his chest out like a silverback gorilla. “Why don’t you mind your own business, you son of a bitch?”
A wicked smile spread over Grim’s face, and despite the fact that he was a surly prick who’d pissed me off earlier, it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. And the violence that grin promised caused a very inappropriate tingling sensation to stir between my thighs.
Hey, God. It’s me. Just letting you know that you made me all wrong.
“You know”—Grim butted out his cigarette in the ashtray while downing the last of his beer—“I was really hoping one of you would say that.”
Quicker than I thought possible, Grim snatched something shiny from his hip. In the blink of an eye, he hurled it toward Shades. It struck with a meaty thud, leaving the handle of a large blade protruding from the man’s shoulder.
Shades shrieked and stumbled back. His disbelieving eyes locked on to the red shadow spreading around the embedded knife.
The two punks before me launched from their seats, but Grim was already on his way. Those dark eyes, which had seemed cold and harsh only moments ago, suddenly looked alive.
The uninjured wannabes reached for their weapons.
“Uh-uh.” Grim was quicker and already had a pair of pistols aimed at their heads. They froze, and Grim added, “If we were going to have a gunfight, all four of you would be dead already. So we’re going to settle this the old-fashioned way—with our fists. And trust me when I say that allows you the only chance of walking out of here alive. Given the circumstances, I feel like I’m being pretty generous.”
Buzz’s hands twitched, and his entire body shook. “You…you just knifed my homie!”
Oh yeah. These losers were new to thug life. The first sign of blood had their bottom lips wobbling.
Grim shrugged, not looking remotely remorseful about his actions. “Yeah. It’s weird. That sort of thing keeps happening around me.” He jerked his chin toward the men. “Here’s what we’re going to do. All of us are going to lay our pistols on the bar, but if even one of you reaches for them while I’m kicking your asses, you’re all dead.”
Big Nose chuckled with amusement. “You think you can take all of us?”
“I’ll even let you use the switchblade you’ve got hidden in your pocket.”
A flash of surprise swept across Big Nose’s features. How could Grim have known about the switchblade? And why would he tell Big Nose he could use it? The overconfident fool!
The wannabes shared a nervous glance, some silent conversation going on between them before they hesitantly laid their weapons on the counter. Shades, who’d sunk to his ass on the floor, moaning pathetically, slid his pistol several feet away.
“Look after these, Gatita. And don’t even think about using them.” Grim placed his pistols on the bar before me. Facing his opponents again, he rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, then let his arms hang loose at his sides. “You”—Grim growled, pointing at Big Nose—“You’ve got one free shot. Make it count.” When a confused Big Nose made no move to strike, Grim pounded his fists against his chest and yelled, “Come on. Hit me. I’m not going to ask again.”
Coming to his senses, Big Nose wound back and lined Grim up with a haymaker.
Grim’s face snapped to the side from the solid punch. He lurched before righting himself. Blood leaked from a gash in his lip, and his tongue darted out to catch it. Had I thought his eyes looked alive a moment ago? Now his pupils were thoroughly blown.
Big Nose shook out his hand, seeming baffled as to how his foe remained standing. But Grim only smiled in that unhinged way of his. With his dark gaze locked on Big Nose, he charged the bulky wannabe, tackled him around the belly, and took him to the ground.
The pair wrestled on the floor. A table toppled to its side. Chairs crashed to the tiles. Big Nose got in a decent shot, but Grim gained the advantage when he maneuvered his opponent into a headlock like something straight out of a UFC bout. Veins bulged at Big Nose’s temples, and his face turned an unsettling shade of purple.
Buzz jumped in to help his friend, landing a hard kick to Grim’s ribs that forced him to release his death grip on Big Nose.
Grim rolled onto his back and clutched his chest, then he?—
Wait. Was Grim laughing? This guy was certifiable.
Should I do something? It didn’t seem like a good idea to start firing off bullets, and there wasn’t time to call for help.
Grim jumped to his feet just in time to square off against both Buzz and the door man. He landed a heavy push kick to the door man’s chest, sending the smaller guy hurtling into a table. He must’ve hit his head on the tiled floor, because he didn’t get up.
Buzz took a swing at Grim, who dodged it and shoved the wannabe against the nearest wall. Grim winded him with a knee to the ribs followed by a series of brutal blows to his face.
Now that he’d caught his breath, Big Nose staggered to his feet.
Shit . He had the switchblade out and ready to use.
Big Nose made his way across the room toward Grim, who had no idea of the trouble approaching. I couldn’t let him get stabbed.
I launched myself over the bar, picked up a chair, and slammed it across Big Nose’s spine. The chair broke apart, and Big Nose roared. He briefly aimed his furious glare at me before deciding Grim posed a bigger problem.
“Back off, Gatita.” Grim panted while still laying into Buzz. “I’ve got this.”
Except he didn’t, because Big Nose was still coming for him with that switchblade.
Plan B quickly formed in my mind. There was no time to overthink it, so I snatched up the splintered leg of the busted chair, ran up behind Big Nose, and staked him in the back, vampire-hunter style.
Oh my God.
What had I done?
Big Nose froze and glanced over his shoulder at the shard of timber protruding from his back. His eyes widened, and as if he were removing a nasty thorn, he yanked the bloody stake from his flesh and dropped it. As soon as it clattered to the tiles, Big Nose’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the floor—lights out.
I guessed he didn’t like the sight of his own blood. Or maybe he had an aversion to exceptionally large splinters.
At the sound of Big Nose’s solid body hitting the deck, Grim finally noticed what I’d done, and a look of utter disappointment crossed his features. “Oh, come on, Gatita. You’re spoiling my fun.”
I pointed toward the unconscious jerk on the floor. “He was going to murder you!”
“Pfft. Please.” Grim screwed up his face while holding a dazed and bloody Buzz against the wall. “Give me some credit. I was just getting warmed up.”
When Buzz groaned, Grim headbutted him, swiftly knocking him out. He let go of the chief wannabe’s shirt, and the man’s body slumped to the tiles.
The room fell silent except for Shades’ moaning. He was still cowering on the floor, nursing his stab wound and trembling in fear. He noticed Grim’s approach and crawled toward the door, leaving smears of blood on the tiled floor. “Get away from me!” he cried.
“Not so fast,” Grim said, then landed a kick to Shades’ gut, sending him sprawling onto his back.
Shades coughed and wheezed, his hands clutching his stomach.
“You’re not going anywhere with my lucky knife.” Grim leaned down and yanked it free from Shades’ shoulder, raising the man’s shrieks to an earsplitting level. Then he planted a heavy boot on the laceration and pinned him to the ground.
Shades’ face contorted when the fresh wave of pain assaulted him. He bucked and clawed at Grim’s leg, but to no effect.
Grim clicked his tongue. “Don’t pass out on me, now. Your buddies are taking a nap, and I have important instructions, so listen up.” He leaned over and waved the bloody blade in Shades’ face. “You’re going to bring your car out front and collect these shit bags, then you’ll leave this village and never come back.”
Shades nodded frantically.
Grim dug his boot in even harder, and a dark stain spread over the crotch of Shades’ denim shorts.
“I know what you’re doing here,” Grim said with a sneer. “I strongly suggest you pick another village to do business in. And you might want to think twice about telling your boss what happened here tonight, although if you really want to explain how you let one gringo beat up all four of you, then be my guest. But if you ever show your faces here again, I’ll make what just happened feel like a ride on the teacups at Disneyland. Understood?”
Snot leaked from Shades’ nose as his wails continued. “Christ, man. You’re fucking crazy!”
Grim stood, removed his boot from Shades, and let a proud smile spread over his full lips. “Thank you.” Then he wiped the knife clean on the back of his jeans, flipped it in the air like some death-defying circus performer, and slotted it back into the sheath at his hip.
I didn’t know whether I was terrified, turned on, or completely in awe of my tattooed savior. Possibly all three. Although Shades was right. Grim was fucking crazy.
Shades staggered to his feet, one arm hanging limp, and made a hasty exit.
Then a firm hand clamped around my ankle and yanked, sending me off-balance. As I fell backward, my head cracked against something hard.
And everything went black.