Mimi
2000, Fort Lauderdale (After the Execution)
Slade watched as Mimi sipped the coffee and made a face.
“Drink it, Mimi. It should help,” he told her in a soothing voice.
He watched her take a sip of the coffee and slowly swallow it. Then, with a trembling hand, she placed it in the cup holder, pulled the blanket they’d swiped from the condo tightly around her shoulders, and started to cry.
“So stupid. So stupid. So embarrassed,” was all she said as she rocked back and forth.
They were sitting in an isolated parking spot behind the fast food joint Slade had brought her to. He’d bought two coffees in the drive-thru and parked behind the restaurant. He tried to console her.
“It’s okay, Mimi. You’re okay. I got there in time. Nothing happened. Nothing will happen.” His voice was quiet.
“If you hadn’t gotten there when you did, I don’t know how far Elliott would’ve gone and I, I, I...”
“But I did get there, Mimi, and nothing happened.”
He then went on to explain what Christian had told him to say. That he knew Elliott as Nick Rosman and had heard through some friends what Nick had planned on doing to try to get the notice of some biker gangs.
“I knew they were talking about Grizz, Mimi, and that’s how I made the connection to you. I guess I’m a little shocked that you know about Grizz. I didn’t think you knew he was your real father.”
She took a shuddery breath. “I found out by accident. It’s a long story, but I know who he is. It’s just unbelievable that you knew these guys, too.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t realized who they were talking about until it was almost too late,” he lied.
He wouldn’t tell her his brother, Christian, was the one who’d purposely buddied up to these idiots. He wanted to save her the embarrassment of thinking someone else knew what Rosman had planned to do.
“I just can’t believe they were going to film me having sex with Elliott—err, Nick.” She shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.
She looked up then at Slade and, with the biggest, most expressive eyes he’d ever seen, and with complete adoration in her voice, said, “You saved me, Slade. You saved me.”
**********
“What do you mean, you messed his face up? Why didn’t you put him in the fucking hospital, Slade?” Christian’s face was red.
“Because I’m not you,” Slade yelled back.
It had been a long night and Slade was tired. After quietly dropping Mimi off at her home, he returned to the apartment he shared with three roommates and had gone to bed. He’d had trouble falling asleep, though. He hadn’t seen Mimi in years and had been startled by what he saw. The sweet little brown-haired girl with the big eyes had turned into a real beauty. He had to remind himself she was only fifteen. That fucking Rosman should’ve been shot for what he’d planned on doing to her.
Slade had known his parents would bail Christian out of jail, and he’d been right. He just didn’t think it would happen so quickly—or that Chris would show up at his apartment so early in the morning.
“You knew what that motherfucker was planning on doing. He shouldn’t have walked out of that condo, Slade.” Christian leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.
Slade poured himself some coffee and sat at the small kitchen table.
“You’re fucked in the head. You know that? If I had done something that had caused the police or an ambulance to have to come to that condo, they would’ve tracked down those three goons, and it would all have been traced back to Mimi and me. You want the police knocking on her door waking up her parents to find out why the guy she was dating was put in the hospital by one of Anthony Bear’s kids? It’s a good thing you gave that cop some lip, Christian. If he hadn’t hauled your ass to jail, you’d have brought down a load of shit on everybody. You and your fucking temper!”
Slade looked up at his brother then and recognized an expression that had always made him uncomfortable.
“Don’t even think about it, Chris.” He held up a warning hand. “Let it go. Besides, if word gets around to certain people of what he even attempted to do, he’s dead. Grizz still has loyal followers. Even from the grave that guy has clout, and Rosman must be an imbecile to think he would be impressing anybody with his stunt. Yeah, maybe some rival gangs from back in the day would’ve been amused, but with Grizz dead and gone, none of his old enemies really give a shit.”
Slade took a sip of coffee and let out a long breath. He stared at his brother who was still standing there, arms crossed and a furious expression on his face. After a few minutes, Slade’s expression softened.
“I don’t get this thing with you and Mimi. Why are you so riled up over this? I thought you crushed on her when we were kids, but we haven’t seen them in years. You still like her that much?”
Christian didn’t say anything. He walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. He turned around and looked at Slade as he took a sip, ignoring the look of disapproval from his older brother.
“How did you handle her parents?”
“I didn’t have to,” Slade said tiredly. “We came up with a story for her to tell her mom and dad, and I dropped her a few houses down from her own.” He caught his brother’s look. “I made sure she got in her house before I drove off, okay? I didn’t want my car to be seen in front of their house. Her parents don’t need to be asking why I was bringing her home. They’ll think Nick dropped her off.”
Christian just nodded.
Slade felt compelled to add, “If you think you like her, why don’t you do something about it? Maybe you could run into her somewhere or even go by her house. Say you were in the neighborhood and wanted to say hi. You know Aunt Ginny would welcome you with open arms.”
“I saw her father at Axel’s place. He looked at me like I was a piece of trash. Couldn’t tell me quick enough how she was in love with some guy. He doesn’t want me around. He thinks she can do better than me. He’s probably right.”
“That’s bullshit. If it weren’t for you, Mimi would’ve been raped tonight. And if the wrong people found out about it, Rosman would’ve died for it. Still might. You took the initiative to find out what was going on. You may be a hothead, bro, but you are one bad motherfucker who’d make sure nobody’d ever go near their daughter. Quit selling yourself short, Christian. You want a chance with Mimi? A real chance? Start working on your grades and get rid of some of your friends. I don’t know if it’ll help you get a foot in the door with the Dillons, but at least you’d make Mom and Dad a lot happier.”
Christian guzzled the last of his beer and set the bottle on the counter. Ignoring his brother’s advice, he headed for the door, calling out over his shoulder as he went.
“I owe you one, Slade.”