The following day, I didn’t hear from D. When I went to the club to work, he was not there. I overheard Knuckles telling someone that he had business to attend to over in central. I could only assume he had not gotten the response he had requested on the phone yesterday and went to tend to things there. I wouldn’t be surprised to read about some mysterious carnage in the paper tomorrow.
That was how these things worked. Rival gangs and clubs went head to head, and even though the authorities knew there had been some fallout between the two, they glossed it over to not seem like gang violence. It made the city look bad and didn’t foster the welcoming atmosphere they wanted to draw in new residents and visitors.
Sometimes it was just a matter of keeping it quiet so that they could investigate the situation without it escalating before they could find out what had happened. It was just like the situation with Jack Knife. Until D had known that he was dead, he took no action, but once he was aware of it and who had supposedly done it, then it was a given that there would be payback.
Because of this, the police sometimes hid discoveries and attributed them to reasons other than one gang or club doing damage to another. It was simply a matter of keeping the peace on a much broader scale. Reducing the damage to minor incidents or none at all instead of all-out war on opposing turfs. It was something I had learned when my father died. It had taken days to receive notification of his death while they sorted out whether they had more to worry about than just one death.
My father had never harmed anyone in his life. He was a good man, but irresponsible. Gambling was his weakness and when he had gone to the Black Aces for money, they had gladly given it to him, at a very high price. Oddly enough, he had gotten lucky with that money, paying it off with the ridiculous interest he had owed within days of having borrowed it. That should have been the end of things, but for some reason, it wasn’t.
I suddenly realized that I felt very tired. All of this business with D and the club, Jack Knife and everything else was really getting to me. I wanted to walk out and never come back, but if I did, I knew that I would never know what happened to my father, and that was something for which I needed answers. Shaking myself free of my thoughts, I got ready to leave.
“I’m headed home, Knuckles.”
“Alright. Goodnight, Janessa.”
I made my way through the lobby, still not seeing D anywhere, and caught the transit home. I didn’t think much about not seeing D due to the circumstances with Jack Knife, but when two more days passed and I didn’t see or talk to him, I began to wonder what was going on. I mentioned his absence to one of the other girls who seemed to like me and was told he had been in and out, but mostly during times I wasn’t there.
After a few days, I finally saw him making his way in through the front doors. I smiled at him as he approached the bar, but the expression on his face was blank, emotionless. Though it shouldn’t matter to me, I found that I felt hurt. I chastised myself for losing sight of what I was supposed to be doing here and decided to get back on my game plan rather than worrying about the likes of D.
When one of the other girls asked for a few nights off to visit her sick sister in another state, I quickly told her I could fill in for her. I knew D wouldn’t like finding me out on the floor, but I had to be more mobile and get the answers I had come here for. With me having been there for at least a short while and being behind the bar for a bit, most of the guys and the girls who worked there were at least familiar with me.
It would give me a chance to find out everything I could. Of course, I found myself hoping that it might make D just a hint jealous to see me once again flirting my way around the casino with members of the club. I knew there were rumors that he had told them I was off limits, so he must have some interest. I made my way to one of the other main players in the club, a burly guy by the name of Ringo.
“Ringo, can I get you something to drink?”
Ringo was a regular at the bar. He was one of the few who liked to sit up there, and I had seen him looking at me while I worked on several occasions. Though he was only a year younger than D, he looked at least ten years older. His use of steroids was well known and quite obvious from his overly muscular frame. He could be a hothead at times, but mostly just liked to drink and have fun with the girls from what I had seen.
“You sure can. How about you get us both a bottle of Crown and we’ll share it?”
“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.”
The rest of my evening was spent talking to him about his short-lived but combat-heavy military career, which seemed to be his favorite subject. He was so engrossed in telling me graphic tales of his heroic acts that he didn’t take note of the fact that for each glass I poured myself, I poured him two that were considerably fuller than the one I nursed. Pretty soon he was pretty liquored up and talking a lot more than I’m sure D would approve of.
“Man, they messed my boy Jack Knife up. Tortured him for hours before slitting his throat. I can’t believe that it went down with him like that.”
“The bangers? Why would they do that?”
“Word is that it had something to do with stealing money from the club. I don’t know how true that is, but D has been pretty pissed about the whole situation. Doesn’t trust anyone anymore. We are all getting raked over the coals by him.”
“I guess that is why he is in such a mood lately.”
“In a mood is putting it mildly. He’s fucking pissed off.”
“So Jack Knife was stealing from the club? I thought a gang took him down?”
“Yeah, the Vipers down in central. I don’t know the details, but I know it was tied into missing money from here.”
“That seems weird that another group would be the ones to punish him for something he was doing here.”
“Honey, you hang around here enough and you won’t think anything is strange anymore. I’ve seen more stuff than you could ever imagine. Things ain’t always like they seem.”
“I guess not.”
I poured him another drink as I continued to nurse mine, now up to about a half glass to every three of his. We had already been through one bottle, and I’d had to go get a second. How someone could drink like that and still be talking, I didn’t know, but he was hanging in there. Of course, it didn’t seem he had to be too very drunk to run his mouth anyway.
“What is going on over here?”
I turned to see D looming over me, just as dark and foreboding as he could be when he wanted. I was surprised that he had decided to grace me with his presence after so many days. Perhaps he was just as jealous as I thought he might be with me flirting with Ringo. It certainly seemed that way anyway.
“Nothing. Just having a conversation with Ringo.”
“What are you doing out on the floor? I thought we had you only working the bar?”
“I’m just filling in for Cynthia. She had to go out of town.”
“I’m pretty sure we could do without one coked out whore for just a few nights without you filling her shoes.”
“Well, I said I would do it and so here I am.”
“You watch yourself, Janessa.”
“Watch myself? I’m just working, D. Isn’t that what you pay me to do?”
“Yeah, behind the bar.”
“I’ll be back behind there soon enough.”
“See to it that you are and stay out of trouble while you are out here. If you can’t just do the job I ask you to do without going off on your own little whims of what you prefer to be doing, then there won’t be a place for you here. I’ve already told you once that I’m not someone you want to fuck with.”
I tried not to visibly flinch at how cold he was being to me, but it was a little hard to take. I forced myself to focus on the bigger picture instead. Faced with the risk of getting kicked out of the casino, I decided to tone down my defiance a bit and appease him. He was being an asshole, but then again, it was my fault for expecting him to be anything but that, given his reputation.
“I understand. I’ll watch my step.”
“I’ll be watching it too.”
He turned as someone across the casino called out to him. I watched as he began walking in their direction, leaving me alone with Ringo, who had sat quietly listening in a drunken stupor.
“You shouldn’t piss off the boss, little lady. He’s got a mean streak a mile wide.”
“He’ll be fine, I’m sure.”
“You’ve got some real spunk. I like that.”
“Well, thanks. I think.”
“Got some real nice tits too. I’d like to get a much better view of them.”
“I don’t know about all that now.”
“I do. Come on up to my room with me, and let’s see just how perky those puppies are.”
“I can’t do that, Ringo. You know D won’t be happy about it.”
“So, you’re just a fucking cock tease, then? Sitting here all night letting me look down your shirt and batting your eyelashes at me, but when it comes time to seal the deal, you are suddenly fucking Pollyanna? What bullshit!”
“Ringo. There’s no need to get ugly about it. I thought we were just having a decent conversation.”
“Fuck conversation. I want to get my dick wet in that sweet little pussy of yours.”
“That isn’t going to happen, Ringo. Look, I’m going to go and let you finish your whiskey.”
“Fuck you.”
I walked away from the table, feeling a little shaky. His anger was apparent, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about it. I wasn’t going to his room, and D would come down on him if he pushed the issue too hard. Perhaps he had been a bit cool to me lately, but his showing up at the table told me that I was right about him being jealous of me out on the floor. In fact, I wasn’t done pushing his buttons just yet. I just had to be subtle about it.
I still had several hours to go in my shift, so I targeted every person on my list who I thought might be able to help me, making quite the production of flirting with them and spending as much time as possible with those who seemed to be well inebriated and a little more forthcoming with anything of use. At the end of the night, I really hadn’t gathered much, but at least I knew who might be good to talk to again. I had sorted out the tight lips from the loose.
“You need to pack up and get out of here. Your shift is over, and I’m not sure that I’m going to let you come back unless it is behind the bar.”
I turned to face D as he pulled away from growling his little order in my ear. I looked him in the eyes defiantly, as if I was not afraid of him. It was a struggle to maintain my cool when I was on the verge of shaking all over, as much out of anger at him for making me feel something for that one night and then just acting like I didn’t exist as any fear he might instill as anything else.
“I am almost done with my shift. I need to cash out at the bar, and then I will be going home. Would you like to come with me?”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“Of course not. Can’t have anyone believing they are good to you as anything more than a one-night stand.”
“I’ve already warned you, Janessa. Watch yourself. Be careful what you say to me.”
“Or what?”
“That is something you won’t really care to learn.”
I watched as he turned and walked away. Cocky, arrogant bastard! I was nothing more than a plaything to him. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had made me as angry as he did. Beneath that, there was more than just a bit of hurt, though I didn’t want to admit that I was falling for someone like D. I didn’t want to admit that I might be losing sight of what I had come here to do.
Still seething, I did what I needed to at the bar and then grabbed my purse to head to the elevator. I was almost there when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, expecting to see D, and instead found myself face to face with Ringo, drunk and obviously pissed off about something.
“You think you are too good for someone like me? You only go for fucking the boss?”
“What? No. I didn’t say anything like that, Ringo. Come on, I thought we were friends.”
“I’ve got enough friends. I don’t need anymore. What I do need is to get laid tonight.”
“Well, if that is what you need to do, I am sure there are plenty of girls who would be happy to go back to your room with you.”
“I don’t want any of them. I’ve decided to fuck you.”
“You need to step off, Ringo.”
My heart thudded heavily. He was very drunk now and he had an iron grip on my shoulder. I looked around to see that we were alone in the corridor that led to the garage elevators, despite the crowded casino around us. I glanced up at the camera above. Hopefully security was watching. He was beginning to hurt me, and I told him so.
“You need to let go of my shoulder, Ringo. That hurts.”
“I’ll let go when I’m good and damned ready to let go.”
“Ringo, please…”
“Don’t fucking please me. All of you women are nothing more than whores. You all think you are too good for me. Well, tonight ain’t your night, honey. I’m about to show you what happens to cock teases when they mess with the wrong guy.”
“You’ve got me all wrong, Ringo. I just…”
The elevator opened, but was empty. I turned to make a run for the door next to it, hoping his drunken state would slow him enough that I could get into the stairwell there and away from him. Instead, he lunged forward and shoved me into the opening, clamping his big sweaty hand over my mouth before I could scream. Pushing the button for his floor, he held me in place, his foul breath making me gag as he growled at me from only inches away.
“I don’t have anything wrong, bitch. You’re going to do exactly what I want you to do.”
I was filled with panic. As the elevator went up a few floors, I prayed that someone would be standing there when it opened and saw that I needed help. My heart almost stopped as it came to a stop and the doors opened, revealing no one. This couldn’t be happening. I had known I was setting myself up for danger when I decided to do this, but I never considered anything like this.
Ringo was dragging me down the hall as I continued to try to fight to free myself. With one arm around my waist and the other still clamped over my mouth, he made his way to a room only a few doors down from the elevator and pushed me against the door, holding me there with his body as he struggled to work the door key with one hand and keep his other pressed firmly over my lips.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of one of the other girls down the hall. It was the same one D had sent to entertain the guest who was looking for coke one night. I think Amy was her name. Seeing her as my only chance, I took it, clamping my teeth down hard onto Ringo’s hand. He yanked it back and cursed loudly. It gave me just enough time to get her attention.
“Help! Help me! Amy! Get D!”
Amy looked at me, seeming puzzled at first, and then she smiled knowingly. Rather than helping me, she opened the door to the room she had been heading into and blew me a kiss, disappearing inside. I was stunned. How could a woman let another woman be assaulted and do nothing to stop it? I began screaming as loudly as I could. Before I realized what was happening, Ringo drew back his hand and struck me solidly with his fist, making my head spin. I felt myself falling into the opening doorway.
Everything was gray as he shoved me inside and locked the door behind him, fishing around in his pocket for something. I was aware of the smell of gas fumes as he pulled a dirty bandana from his pocket and stuffed it into my mouth before pushing me down onto the bed. I could only assume he had wiped his hands on it after fueling his bike. I felt myself convulse and became frightened I would throw up and choke. My arms were aching from the way he had them pulled behind my back as he ripped my shirt open.
“Oh yeah. Those are nice. I’m going to need both hands for this.”
I tried to get free again, but he was too strong and he had me pinned down with his knees now. He pulled off his belt and wrapped it around my wrists, cinching them tightly together as I continued to flail around on the bed. He laughed at my efforts and pulled me upward using the belt. It felt like my wrists were on fire as the leather chafed with the movement.
“You’re a little fire ball. I like that. It’s going to make this all the more fun for me. I’m going to fuck that defiance right out of you.”
I felt numb as he looped the belt around the bed post and wound it back around to latch it tightly. It felt like the circulation in my hands was being cut off as they tingled and ached. I tried to remove myself from what was happening to me as he slipped down and slid off my shoes before moving back up to unfasten my pants. It was like this was all happening to someone else as I looked on in horror.
“Your body is so damn tight. It’s going to be a real pleasure fucking D’s girl. He thinks he has his thumb down on everyone around here, but he doesn’t. Pretty soon there will be a new boss in this place, and I’ll be his second in command. D don’t know shit about what goes on behind his back. He can’t even keep his pussy safe from me.”
Something inside me broke as I realized that Ringo was one of the guys that Arthur has been talking about the night I talked to him. It was if some sort of inhuman strength came over me, and I began kicking at him wildly. He stumbled backwards, giving me just enough time to heave my body upwards and bring the belt he had looped around the post up and over it.
Everything happened too fast after that. He was coming for me, attempting to throw his body on top of mine to pin me down when the belt suddenly loosened around my hands a bit and I was able to grab the metal lamp that sat on the bedside table. It didn’t even feel like me who was doing it as I swung it heavily, clipping him alongside the head and sending him reeling backwards onto the floor.
I jumped from the bed and removed the belt. He was lying on the floor, unconscious and bleeding heavily from where I had hit him. I hurriedly got my pants pulled back up and slipped into my shoes, wrapping my shirt around me tightly as I fled toward the door and toward the stairs, spotting my purse still laying on the floor near the elevator and grabbing it as I ran. I was outside on the sidewalk before I even knew how I got there.
Cowering in a corner of the transit bus, I rode to the stop near my house and walked the few blocks home, letting myself in and dead bolting the door. My heart was still racing and I felt sick from the gas fumes on the gag he had used as much as from what had almost happened to me. Why had I done this to myself? Was it not bad enough that my father was dead? I had to get involved with the likes of the Black Aces and get assaulted too? Stripping off my clothes, I looked in the mirror. I didn’t recognize the girl looking back at me.
After a hot shower, I climbed into bed and slept, feeling like the failure that I was. I had to walk away from this. No way could I go back there now. For all I knew, Ringo might even be dead. I might not have to answer to the authorities for that due to the Black Aces’ code of not involving them in club matters, but I would certainly have to answer to D. Given the options, I would have rather dealt with the cops.