CHAPTER 6: Theo
Anna dismissed Piper from her office and we avoided each other’s eyes as she walked past me. Best not to give Madam X any more ammunition than she already had, it seemed. And, saddened as I was that Piper was still looking at being sold to Vinnie, I was mad as hell at Anna.
“We had a deal, Anna,” I had to stop myself from yelling.
“We did?” she feigned ignorance.
“Don’t fuck around,” I seethed. “Yesterday, up in your penthouse.”
“Darling,” her voice went high and derisive, “you really should know better than to try and use sex as a currency with a madam. Really? Did you think I’d have an orgasm and forget all about good business? Sorry, darling, but you’re not that good.”
She turned her attention back to the papers on her desk, leaving me standing there like an asshole. I had to admit, she had a point. Right or wrong, I couldn’t do much about it. I hated her so much right then, for me and for Piper, but there wasn’t much else I could do but shuffle downstairs and get to work.
‘Work’? Really? That was a joke. I was basically doing nothing a well-dressed and moderately trained gorilla couldn’t do, and I had far too much time to think. Too much time to think about Piper and what she must be going through, having to smile and flatter the assholes that come in here with this threat hanging over her, and too much time to think about me and how much more I could be doing.
I was twenty-six. I wasn’t a kid anymore. I’d proved my mettle among the ranks of the Steel Angels, I should be doing more than babysitting whores. I wanted a family, eventually, a little home of my own where I could teach my kids to hunt and fish. I needed to start planning for my future or I wasn’t going to have one. I needed to talk to Frost, the president of our crew, about some more worthwhile work.
Again it was an uneventful night. I didn’t see Piper again until she was leaving, around three like last night. She traipsed wearily into the break room and we both managed to give each other a weak smile.
“Coffee?” she offered and I could think of nothing I wanted to do more.
She had changed into her jeans and t-shirt again. Even though she looked tired, her skin still seemed to shine. I just couldn’t stop staring at her as we made our way to the diner again. I longed to be holding her, smelling her, looking out across some woodland that was far away from here, watching deer play. Then I felt something that snapped me out of my daydream. She gently curled her hand into mine and squeezed it.
“I never said thank you for coming to get me,” she said softly. “It was the right thing to do and I’m grateful, even if I didn’t seem like it at the time.”
I said nothing, I just squeezed her hand back as we reached the diner.
***
“What are you thinking?” Piper asked me after a few minutes of us silently staring into our coffee cups. The truth was I wasn’t thinking about anything specific. My mind was like a bar during happy hour; a hundred different conversations seemed to be taking place and it was tough to focus on just one. In one corner, I was thinking about Piper and how to save her from Vinnie. In another place, I was wondering how she would really do if I couldn’t save her.
Elsewhere, I was calculating how difficult it might be to take Vinnie out of the picture altogether. And then there was my fury at Anna, which kept replaying the sex in my mind and thinking about that, while sitting opposite Piper, made me feel embarrassed and guilty. Another part of my brain was visualizing the conversation with Frost about how I didn’t think my potential was being fully utilized.
However, almost all of me was troubled by the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about this girl. I didn’t do this. I didn’t obsess and I certainly didn’t fall in love. So why did I want to help her so much? Why did I just want to make her happy? Of all the girls I’d known, why did I seem to care so much about a damaged hooker with no future. Not that I did relationships, but there was no chance in this world for us. None.
“Nothing,” I replied. We gave each other a sly smile. “How are you doing?” I tried.
“I guess I’m okay, just tired. I’m beginning to figure that this thing with Vinnie, maybe I’m just blowing it out of proportion. Maybe I’ll spend ninety percent of my time as arm candy, wearing jewels and expensive dresses at all the black tie functions he goes to.” I was pretty sure she was trying to convince herself at least as much as she was trying to convince me.
“Yeah, maybe,” I tried to sound supportive but the thought of her going anywhere with Vinnie turned my stomach. “Listen, I know I’ve no right to poke around in your business, and I you don’t have to tell me how you got here, but can I ask you what you want? What you’re looking for?”
I had no clue why I asked her that. Maybe I just wanted to know something personal about her, without her having to bring up a load of bad emotions to tell me. Maybe I wanted to know what I could do for her. Just maybe, I wanted to know if she ultimately wanted the same things as me.
“My mom died when I was really young,” she said, looking out the window beside us, back at the brothel. “My dad worked hard to take care of me, but he was killed when I was in junior high.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, “you don’t have to tell me this stuff if it hurts.”
She looked at me and smiled a little. “It’s ancient history, now. I’m over it. After he died, I went into foster care. I knew it was going to be temporary, though, no one ever wants to adopt a twelve-year-old. I bounced through a few of families. I was just a meal ticket to some, and it was often too much trouble for them to get up and take me to school. I guess I was just too hot and tempting for the dad in another, so I got out of there pretty quick. I just focused on learning. I wanted to be smart so I would lose myself in school. I got really good grades in high school and a grant to go to UCLA. I was going to be a doctor, but I ended up here.
“That’s tough,” I said. She seemed okay still, though.
“But you asked what I’m looking for?” she looked right at me. “I’ve been alone, taking care of myself pretty much, since I was twelve. I don’t remember many things about my dad anymore but, I do remember, he made me feel cared for, protected and safe. Theo, I just want to feel safe again.” A tear rolled down her cheek. She’d been hiding her pain so well as she spoke. I wanted to wipe it away. I wanted to hold her and tell her I’d keep her safe. Problem was, it wasn’t like me to do that. Plus, I didn’t think I could live up to that promise and she didn’t need another person lying to her. “What about you?” she asked, dabbing her eye dry.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve just told you more about me than I’ve told anyone else in fifteen years,” she smiled. “You don’t get that for free, spill.”
So I told her some things. I told her that my ma and pa were bikers. How they died in a cycle wreck when I was ten, leaving the gang to take care of me. We were a family anyway and it wasn’t the first time this had happened. I didn’t go to school, but I still learned stuff. Reading, writing, math, but also fighting, shooting, hunting, fixing things. It wasn’t a bad way to grow up and I had a place for life among the Steel Angels.
“So what happens when one of your gang is in trouble?” she asked.
“We fix it,” I told her. “We look out for each other. I care about my brothers, even the ones I don’t know.”
She smiled at that. “Good to know,” she murmured.
“Guess we should be heading home,” I volunteered. The sun was peeking up over the horizon again.
“But I’m not tired, Theo,” she whined. “Teach me something instead.”
***
We went back to the club, but stayed in the parking lot. I showed her how to handle a piece; how to load it, unload it, charge it, hold it and aim it. She pouted when I wouldn’t let her shoot it, so I had to explain that firing even a couple of shots in this part of LA would most likely land us in jail. Plus, my SIG wasn’t exactly California compliant, holding fifteen rounds instead of the legal ten.
Instead, after our chase yesterday, I was inspired to show her how to jump and land from a moving vehicle and still be able to walk away. We used her car for some static attempts. Piper was throwing herself into it, launching herself at the ground and laughing hard every time I told her to go limp. After an hour of fooling around, I drove the car around the car park at walking pace and she dove out perfectly, landing on her feet to let her legs take the impact, then rolling out.
“Woo-who!” she yelled, throwing her arms around my neck. “Nailed it!”
“Sure did,” I laughed, hugging her back. Then, just like the movies, we had a moment in each other’s arms. Our eyes met, our breathing grew rapid. I wanted to kiss her so bad but I couldn’t. In the back of my mind, all I could think of was that I’d be just another guy, just another asshole she’d have to let touch her, whether she wanted it or not. Suddenly, though, she gently pushed me away.
I gave her an inquiring look and she nodded her head towards the club. I looked over and saw Anna standing in the open door. She didn’t say anything, just turned and walked slowly away.
“Hey,” said Piper, trying to bring us back to the present, “let me give you a ride to go pick up your bike before I go home.”
***
We didn’t have much to say again in the car. I could tell that the all distraction for Piper had disappeared when she saw Anna watching us.
“It’ll be okay,” I told her, “she’ll bitch at me, not you. She knows you’ll just tell her to go fuck herself.” I saw a slight smile at that.
“You could be right,” she conceded, “but what if she decides to take you away? Request another Steel Angel to replace you? We’ll never see each other again.”
“I won’t let that happen,” I told her.
We reached the bike and it was just where we’d left it. Piper parked the car behind it and I was able to inspect the damage from it hitting the floor. Happily, nothing was broken. There were a few small scratches on the end of the bar and on the footrest, and the rear brake pedal was bent, but it was nothing major at all. I started her up and she roared into life. It was good to hear.
“Let me ride it back,” pleaded Piper from over my shoulder, that playful smile creeping back into her voice.
“Why should I do that? It’s your fault she’s out here and hurt.” I yelled back over the noise of motor
“Yeah, but I look good on it,” she laughed, flinging her long leg over the saddle and settling in. I couldn’t argue with that statement at all, and the idea seemed to make her so happy.
“Straight back to the club,” I told her. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Woo-who!” she whooped again and roared off before I could even get back in the car.
I sped back in the direction of Madam X’s. It was weird how Piper seemed to be able to compartmentalize everything that was going on in her life. Everything sucked for her, she had to have sex for money, all day, to pay back a five-year-old debt, and was looking at losing her freedom to a sadistic, abusive mob boss but, if she could get the wind in her hair for five minutes, she was able to deal, to carry on. She was so much braver than I could ever hope to be and I loved her for that. I guess I was falling for her, no doubt about it. It was not like me, it was stupid, it was doomed, but it made me smile.
***
My smile faded as I neared the club.
As the building came into view I saw my bike, parked by the wall and unharmed. Next to it was a black Mercedes, one of the big ones you see CEOs riding around in. Then I saw Piper, looking up at a big guy in a dark suit. I got a little closer and recognized it was Vinnie. He was smiling at Piper and she was shaking her head. I’d only seen this Vinnie guy once, the night before last, and him being here at dawn couldn’t be a good thing.
I began to get angry again, about the unfairness of Piper’s situation, that it was essentially his fault we couldn’t be together, so I held onto that anger. That anger was good. If I could get mad enough to steam in, not give Vinnie a chance to figure out what was going on, I had a chance to get him off balance and uncomfortable. I’d used the tactic before and it had worked. I spotted two more guys in suits over by the Merc, but I knew they wouldn’t do anything until Vinnie gave them the order.
I screeched up and stormed out, not killing the engine, not even shutting the door, and charged towards Vinnie. I got a proper look at him in the early sunlight. Subjectively, was a pretty good looking guy. He must have been in his early thirties, with neat black hair, a certain glint in his brown eyes, and a good tan. What I hadn’t noticed at our earlier was exactly how much bigger and stronger than me he looked. Nope, I didn’t like my odds if we went toe-to-toe. I could only hope his size made him slow.
“I’m sorry, Vinnie,” I heard Piper pleading as I strode up behind her, “I’m off right now, can’t you just wait until Monday, baby…?”
“I shouldn’t have to…” he began, clamping his meat hook right hand on Piper’s slender wrist. He saw me just before I struck.
“That’s enough, Vinnie!” yelled, thinking I should go with the club bouncer role for now, just doing my job. If it was nothing personal, he might be less inclined to fight back, less inclined to retaliate later. I put my hands on his chest and had enough momentum from charging at him to shove him off balance. At the same time, I applied pressure on the back of his elbow with my forearms. It was a variation on a Japanese jiu-jitsu move and it causes enough pain, with very little movement, to make an opponent drop whatever is in their hand. In this case, that would be Piper.
Vinnie stumbled back but kept his footing, and I didn’t give him a chance to recover. I kept coming at him, making him involuntarily take a step backward. “You know the rules, asshole!” I shouted, putting as much authority in my voice as I could and shoving him in the chest again, “The girls are off limits when they’re off duty. She’s not yours, yet! Now get the fuck out of here before I don’t let you back in, ever!”
Well, it worked for a little while. As I shoved Vinnie a third time he fell, sitting down hard on his ass. Seeing their boss go down was enough for the goons, though. I saw their hands move to their jackets in my peripheral vision and had a microsecond to reach back and draw my gun before they drew down on me. I pointed mine at Vinnie, sitting on the ground, and didn’t even look up at the two guys aiming their weapons at me.
Everything went very still and quiet, very quickly. I heard Piper gasp behind me but, in front of me, Vinnie stopped trying to pick himself up. He held out his empty hands then placed them, palms down, on the ground. Vinnie was smart. But then, I guess you didn’t last too long in the mob by being an irrational hot-head, regardless of what the movies say. He didn’t know me. He didn’t know how much experience I had with guns and he didn’t want to get his face accidently blown off by scratching his nose.
“Theo, isn’t it?” he smiled at me, moving nothing but his mouth. His voice was warm and calm. “You really think you can shoot me, and Rico and Pauley, before one of us gets you?”
“Nope,” I said, cocking the hammer on my SIG. “Just you.”
“Take it easy, buddy,” he kept smiling, “Next you’ll be telling me that even if Rico and Pauley plug you, you’ll still blow my head off before you go down, right?”
“Something like that,” I replied evenly. I’d begun this standoff thinking there was no way any shots would be fired. Now, I wasn’t so sure. All of a sudden, I didn’t see a way I was going to come out of this alive. I could feel sweat beading in the middle of my back, but I held my gun firm. “Or maybe I should just kill you now to make sure.”
“I can’t stop you,” Vinnie continued, “but, I can guarantee you, the beautiful girl behind you will die pretty quickly after you and me, right boys?”
“Just say the word, boss,” said Rico or Pauley. They both stayed still, though, not wanting to provoke anything.
Vinnie and I stared at each other for a long moment. I had no idea how to get out of this. I had no idea how long I had before Vinnie got pissed enough to just tell his guys to shoot me. If I backed down, I had a feeling Vinnie would shoot me just for being a pussy. His wise guys couldn’t be more than five or six yards away. If I tried to cap them both I wasn’t going to miss, I just wasn’t sure I could shoot one without the other getting a round off in return. Let’s face it, they weren’t likely to miss either. But even if I got both of them, it gave Vinnie enough time to grab the gun I could see in the holster on his right ankle, right by where he’d placed his right hand flat and open. Fuck!
“Gentlemen,” Anna’s voice sent a brief shock through me, but I kept my gun on Vinnie, “what seems to be the trouble?”
Vinnie smiled at me, then slowly turned his head towards Anna’s voice. I took the opportunity to glance my eyes back towards the building as well. I saw Anna and Miguel both pointing pistols at Vinnie’s men. Vinnie turned his head back to me.
“I must apologize, Madam,” Vinnie said loudly, once his eyes were pointing back my way. “It’s entirely my fault. It seems I’d misunderstood the lovely Piper when she told me she was no longer on the clock. The gallant Theo here tried to explain it to me but, you know,” he chuckled to himself, “I’m just too hard-headed to listen sometimes. My wife’s always bitching at me about that, right boys?”
I sensed the goons smile and relax a little. I guessed we had our way out of this.
“Misunderstandings,” said Anna, “unfortunately happen. But if you’d be so kind as to tell your friends to lower their guns, we can clear this one up amicably.”
Vinnie was still smiling at me. I felt a chill run down my spine from his look. For an all too long instant I thought he was just going to go straight for his gun anyway, trusting his strength to keep him alive long enough to kill me, no matter how many rounds I put in him. He didn’t look scared but, for that second, he sure looked crazy enough.
“Stand easy, boys,” he said finally. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Rico and Pauley holstered their pistols and I suddenly felt lightheaded. It took all my resolve to keep myself standing.
I lowered my gun and Vinnie picked himself up, happy to turn his back on me now. Piper appeared beside me. I searched her face to gauge what she was feeling. I could tell she was scared and emotional, and wanted to hold her so much. But we couldn’t risk Vinnie’s reaction. We swapped quick glances instead and I felt the lightest touch as the back of her hand brushed mine. It melted my heart. I knew then that she wanted me to hold her as much as I did.
“Once again, Madam,” Vinnie called as he strode up to Anna’s tiny figure. She and Miguel had lowered their guns too, but I swear I saw Anna adjust the grip she had on her pretty little nickel-plated Walther nervously as he approached her. “Please, accept my most profound apologies, and I’ll see you for our standing appointment on Monday?”
“Of course, Mr. Greca,” Anna replied, breathing out slightly as the mobster turned and walked to his car. He turned back, smiled and waved at me, then ducked his head into the back seat. His guys got into the front and the car pulled away.
Piper and I exchanged another look, then trudged over to Anna. I tucked my SIG into the back of my jeans again and prepared to receive my bitch-slapping.
“Back inside, Miguel,” Anna ordered as Piper and I came to stand in front of her. “Piper, darling, I expected better from you than to lead this poor boy on. But stay, I want you to hear this. Theo, darling, you’re fired.”
“What?” shouted Piper, outraged. “I’d probably be being forced to chain fuck Vinnie and his goons for the rest of the day if it wasn’t for Theo. And now you're firing him?”
“You should keep your nose out of things you don’t understand, Piper.” I was beginning to feel like I didn’t need to be here, really. “It’s not good business to keep on a subcontractor that assaults and pulls a gun on one of your best, and most dangerous, customers, darling.”
“So your customers can do anything they like to your girls if they’re rich and powerful enough? That sounds like what you’re saying, Anna.” I went to say something, but Piper waved me away. She stepped closer to Anna, unworried that she still held a gun in her hand. Piper towered over her boss, hissing, “You’re scared of him. That’s it, isn’t it? You’re scared of Vinnie and his connections.”
Anna paused for a long minute before, finally, turning to Piper and saying, “It’s just business, darling. Like when Theo came up to my room yesterday. He fucked me to within an inch of my life just so I’d agree to ignore Vinnie’s offer.” I couldn’t look at her, but I felt Piper’s eyes throw a look of disgust over me. “It was only business but, unfortunately, a verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it isn’t printed on. I’d keep hold of this one, Piper. Trust me, you wouldn’t believe the things he was prepared to do for you.”