Chapter 26 #2
“I truly wasn’t going to do anything with it, until I received it a second time.
” Sounds of metal clanking, drawers opening until she produced envelopes that appeared to be open.
Curiosity got the best of us as we threaded toward the counter.
She pulled out the contents, exposing typed letters with no heading or indication of a business.
Dear Ms. Raven Amoure
We’ve been attempting to gain your attention. You’re a very busy woman and one with too many eyes for your own good. We have seen you become successful, bringing in many people within our lovely city.
We believe that someone is holding you back from becoming even more successful. Perhaps even more powerful. We could see a beautiful partnership that would give you more assistance with that lingering debt from your own mother’s senior living.
We can be more helpful than your current associates. If you're interested, turn your pink neon sign on, and we’ll be in touch.
Sincerely,
A trusted new business partner.
I read the letter over and over again. It wasn’t a scam, it was someone trying to poach a good, and prideful, woman by holding her family over her head. We scanned the next two letters. Fender took out his phone taking photos and sent it to our board.
I saw red.
We had taken care of our issues months ago, and it seemed like when one problem ended, another one would pop up like a daisy.
Raven’s eyes flooded with fear, fear of the unknown, fear that we would turn our frustration out on her.
She fumbled with her hands, showing the stress that coursed through her body.
“How long have these been coming?” Skaggs chimed in.
“A couple of weeks. The last letter was three days ago.” Her voice was soft.
“Why didn’t you come to us with this?” Fender treaded lightly.
She quickly shook her head. “Because I wasn’t going to do anything.
I thought it was a scam, someone trying to scare me or something.
I have never been one to say I needed more money.
I have been content. I’m blessed to have your business, your assistance.
I’m in your good graces, why the fuck would I go back on y’all?
” Her voice trembled, yet I knew she was telling the truth.
Whoever sent the letter was targeting a close associate but one we would never have trouble with, again someone quiet enough to pass by our radar.
A single tear streamed down her cheek. I offered my sleeve for it, but she quickly wiped it away.
“I’ve been scared that whoever this is, they have been watching my store, and watching closely. I never turn on my pink neon, it clashes, I just have been too lazy to take it down,” she explained.
“Have you noticed anything else out of the ordinary? Any word from your neighbors on this “recruitment”?” Skaggs pestered on.
She shook her head. “Well, at least about the neighbors part.”
“And about anything out of the ordinary?” I pressed.
She bit her lower lip. The same move Amelia did when she was worried about telling me something I wouldn’t like. Fuck, I was down bad for that girl.
“Every once in a while I see a SUV down the block. It’s not that suspicious, just this neighborhood or at least block of business isn’t known to have big SUVs, maybe like lifted trucks or something.” she admitted.
Skaggs took to the window, scanning the streets back and forth.
Ms. Raven was worried, either about retaliation or that she was about to get involved in a situation that she wasn’t ready for.
“Shooter, I can’t lose my store,” she said sheepishly.
“You won’t.”
“But this threat, someone knows about y’all and knows how I’m associated with the club. I can’t go down and lose everything.” Tears streamed down her face, and a tiny bit of guilt hit my chest.
Before I could console her, a loud yell boomed through the store. “Hit the deck!”
Fender jumped over the counter, bringing Ms. Raven down with him. Rounds of shots pelted through the storm, rapidly hitting everything in their path. Skaggs hid down by a thick wall near the door.
Scatters of glass and materials from the store bursted, causing more and more chaos in its path. Ms. Raven’s screams filled the air. My instincts took in, crouching low to the ground to head through the front door.
It was a fucking ambush and we didn’t have time for backup, so I did the only thing logical in my brain, serve and protect.
Bullets passed me, as I bolted through the door. Shards of hard acrylic and wood scraped through. I didn’t feel anything but the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Screams from passing patrons filled the streets, everyone running in the opposite direction.
Their screams mixed with the sounds of bullets flying in the air brought flashes of desert, my own men covering on top of bodies making sure the patients' safety was their priority.
Yells of the commanding officer telling us to hold tight, calling for backup, static filling the air, it was like I was there again.
One person, in my mind, walked toward me and I yelled for them to get back.
A bright eyed blonde angel extended her hand.
The shout of my name pulled me back, demanding voices to get down again, but I shook it off, and unholstered my gun, getting down to the ground to shoot at the speeding vehicle.
Something that would distract them or slow them down.
I knew we didn’t have time to call for back up, I did what I had to do, what I felt wired to do.
Protect.
I fired off a few rounds, and until one clip was emptied.
When the SUV halted and drifted around to come back charging back toward us, I stood up.
Not backing down from a fight. It was like a western standoff, waiting for them to make the next move.
Skaggs kept yelling, cursing me for being a dumb motherfucker.
Wheels squealed, the smell of burnt rubber hit the pavement. The black SUV charged with a roar of their engine. As I stood in the middle of the street, I fired off more rounds into their windshield, quickly realizing that it wasn’t making a dent.
Bulletproof. Fuckers came prepared.
The SUV never let up on speed, and I waited until the last second before jumping out of the way.
The rough concrete didn’t cushion my fall, but the sound of more bullets flying through the air had me scrambling for brief cover.
A slight sting spread across my upper arm.
My eyes looked to see where they were, and with one hopeful shot, I fired off the rest of the last clip, hearing that I punctured one of the back tires.
It was the faintest of released air sound, enough for me to know I hit something. The SUV kept going around the corner and disappeared into the busy streets. I rushed to my feet to run toward the corner to assess where their damage was, but all I saw was the SUV speeding off.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered. I hung my head in defeat.
We needed some answers, and all we got was more questions. A warm drip trailed down my arm, the crimson essence spilling onto the white long sleeve.
Someone wasn’t going to like this.