Chapter 12 #2
She sits down, but makes it damn obvious she’s not happy about it. When we’re sure no one else is going to try anything and Oleg hollers in to let us know the back is secure, we turn our attention to the men in the room.
“Which one of you is Lyle?” I ask, scanning the crowd of men. There are a few women, all of them waitresses, because most of the people here are older men who look like they’re desperately trying to relive their glory days and the only women they can get are those who are being paid to be here.
When no one raises their hand, I point my gun at the man closest to me. “I’ll shoot you all one by one,” I tell them. “I really don’t give a fuck.”
The man in front of me holds his hands up and shakes his head.
I knew he’d rat out Lyle, but even I’m surprised by how quickly he does it.
“Fuck this,” he yells and points a finger at a truly ugly man sitting at the bar.
His hair is long and greasy, and even in the dim lighting, I can see the big gut hanging over his jeans.
Knowing this asshole used to stare at my girl and make her feel so unsafe that she had to lock her goddamn door has me tightening my grip on the gun as I walk over to him.
“Well that didn’t take long. You don’t seem to inspire loyalty, Lyle,” I tell him.
He looks up at me, the rage obvious in his eyes. They’re small and too close together. He’s the kind of ugly that’s irritating to look at because his unattractive features are mixed with a really shitty attitude. It’s a combo that ensures most everyone hates him within seconds of meeting him.
“What the fuck do you want?” he asks, trying to appear tough even though I can see the slight tremor in his hands.
“I’d like to know why you’re going around telling people that Evie is yours, and I’d like to know why you sent that jackass after us last night.”
“Fuck you,” he growls.
I fist his dirty hair, cringing as the greasy strands meet my skin, and slam his head hard enough into the bar to break his nose. He screams and brings his hands to his face only to quickly pull them away when even his gentle probing is too painful to bear.
“Those were perfectly reasonable questions,” I remind him. “You’re the one who had to be a jackass.”
“You busted Jim’s hand,” he moans like that gives him the right to send some goon after Evie.
“I did. He beat her, and you just sat back and let it happen. Of course, I expect nothing less from a piece of worthless shit like you. Evie told me how you like to stare at her, how you told her she was going to be yours.” I let out a harsh, disgusted laugh.
“You should never have been allowed to even be in the same room as her. Jim is alive because Evie is a better person than me, and she asked me to spare his life.” I smile and lean in closer, ignoring the rancid smell coming off his unwashed body.
“She didn’t say anything about you, though. ”
I slam his head against the bar three more times and then throw him on the floor. He tries to crawl away, but I kick him in the ribs so he’ll curl up into a ball and stay put.
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” I hear Volodya say from behind me. I turn to see the older waitress slowly reaching her hand behind her back. Instead of his usual knife, he has a gun in his hand, and it’s pointed right at her chest. “I won’t warn you again.”
I see the look in her eyes and know she’s about to make a very stupid decision.
She assumes that because she’s a woman, she’s safe.
The reality of her situation is a bullet through her heart when she keeps reaching for the gun she must have tucked in the back of her jeans.
Her eyes widen in shock, and her wheezy gasps fill the now dead-quiet bar.
Everyone watches her die, and when she’s slumped over, I turn my attention back to Lyle.
“You should never have come after Evie, but the truth is you were already a dead man. The second she told me about you, I knew it was going to come to this, that I wouldn’t be satisfied until I put a bullet in your head.”
“I didn’t know she was yours,” he groans.
“You do now, though, don’t you?”
“Yes.” He nods, grasping onto the small hope that I’ll let him live.
“It’s nice that you’ll get to die an enlightened man, Lyle. That makes me feel so much better."
I don’t give him a chance to respond. The shot to the head puts him out of his misery, and when I’m satisfied that no trace of life is left in him, I turn and give Vasily a nod.
He walks around the bar, eyeing the men who are left and the scared waitresses. “Who’s the leader?”
When no one says anything, he stops in front of a grey-haired man with a long, salt-and-pepper beard, finding their leader based on body language and impeccable instincts.
“You know who we are?” Vasily asks.
The man takes a drink of the whiskey in front of him. “I do.”
“And you run this big titty mermaid gang?”
I laugh because god do I hope that’s really their name. That would make my fucking day. The man obviously doesn’t have a sense of humor because he doesn’t even crack a smile. Instead he glares at my brother.
“I do,” he says, and this time it’s much closer to a growl.
“You had your men try and fuck with our shipments.”
The man shrugs. “We’ve been watching you and thought it would be an easy way to get our hands on some more guns.”
“Regretting that decision yet?” Vasily asks, a cruel smile playing at his lips.
“I may have underestimated you,” the man admits. “But I’m willing to work something out, maybe cut a deal.”
Vasily laughs. “Why in the fuck would we make a deal with someone who can’t offer us anything in return? We’re not really in need of a bunch of fat, old bikers.”
“This place reeks of Bengay and talcum powder. God, I bet they douse their balls in that shit so they don’t chafe while they ride around,” Ilya says in Russian, making us all laugh.
“Anyone else bored with this?” Vasily asks in Russian.
“Fuck yes,” Volodya says.
“Don’t shoot the waitresses,” Vasily says before shooting their leader between the eyes. I take out the two men closest to me, and within seconds every person in the bar is dead, aside from the waitresses who are trying like hell to not freak out and make themselves more of a target.
I walk over to them, tucking my gun against the small of my back so they know I’m not about to shoot them. They look up at me, eyes wide with fear. The four of them are clutching each other’s arms, supporting one another even as they’re shaking and crying.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I calmly tell them.
“You’re going to get your purses and show us your driver’s licenses.
We’re going to take photos of them, and if any of you speak to the police about anything that you’ve seen tonight, then we’re going to find you and pay you a visit.
Believe me when I say you don’t want that. ”
They nod their heads in unison, more than happy to agree to my terms if it gets their asses out of here alive.
“Good. After we’ve taken the photos, you’re more than welcome to empty the cash register and whatever safe may be in the back and split the money between the four of you.”
More nods from the group as I wave Nikolai over and let him finish.
A couple of them whisper a “thank you” before they scurry to the back to get their purses.
The blonde at the front with the shirt that looks two sizes too small gives Nikolai a smile when he winks at her.
Well, that’s one way to get her silence.
Volodya’s giving orders to burn the place and the motorcycles out front when I walk over to him. His shirt is splattered in blood. I shake my head at him.
“Why you insist on the knife, I’ll never know.”
He laughs and looks down at his shirt. “Guns are so impersonal.” Reaching over, he ruffles my hair like he loves to do, mainly because he knows it irritates me. “I believe you got four kills tonight.”
I smile and lift a brow at him. “How many did you get?”
He laughs at my hopeful tone and then crushes it by saying, “Five.”
“Motherfucker,” I groan while he slaps my back.
“One day, little brother.” He laughs again. “Just not tonight, obviously, because I kicked your ass.”
“You only got one more,” I remind him. “Are you sure you didn’t just shoot the same person twice, because that doesn’t count.”
He starts counting off by holding up fingers. “I slit one throat, shot the woman, you’re welcome by the way, and then shot those three bastards in the corner booth when Vasya took out the leader.” He wiggles his fingers. “Five,” he repeats with a smug grin on his face.
“Thanks for killing the woman,” I tell him, laughing when he keeps wiggling his fingers in my face like we’re fucking kids and he’s trying to annoy me to death. I shove his hand away, making him laugh. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Gladly. I’m ready to go home.”
“Yeah, I bet you are,” I say as we walk over to Vasily. “Ready?”
“Yeah, the waitresses just left, and I’m pretty sure I saw one of them getting on the back of Nikolai’s bike, big surprise to no one, and Ilya and the others are about to get the fire started.”
We walk out into the cool night, the jukebox still serenading us with the best rock the ‘70s had to offer, and make our way back to Volodya’s car. I text Evie on the drive back. Be there soon. You better still be naked and in that pool when I get there.
Her response is quick, and I know she’s been waiting to hear from me. Floating naked as I type this.
I smile at the image and put my phone away. He pulls into my parking spot to drop me off since my car will be at Mac’s for several more days.
“Have fun,” Volodya says with a laugh.
“Don’t forget about supper at our place,” Vasily reminds me.