Chapter 13
Commando
The ringing of the phone was sharp in my ear and my eyes flew open. I could feel the warmth of Ava beside me, nestled in the crook of my arm. I reached for my phone in the dark and I sensed her moving, but she was still sleeping.
It was Girth.
“They hit the pawn shop again,” I heard him say, he was breathing hard. I sat up in bed, my legs already swinging off the edge.
“Were you alone?”
“I shot a guy.”
“Is he still with you?
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Call King and ask him to meet us there,” I said and hung up the phone. In the dark, I started dressing myself, while Ava remained peacefully sleeping. I could smell her scent on my skin, the softness of her breathing as she slept was loud in my ears. For the first time, I didn’t want to leave a woman sleeping on my bed. For the first time, I wanted to stay and yet, I had to go.
I gave her one last look before I left the room. She hadn’t moved, just curled up in a fetal position amidst the sheets. Her bare body glistened like silver in the pale moonlight filtering in through the curtains.
I left my apartment and jumped on my bike. At least I knew Ava would be relatively safe there in my apartment. Safer there than anywhere else. I could still feel the throbbing rage in my temples every time I thought about that bruise on her arm.
An ex boyfriend.
A fucking ex boyfriend!
I could kill him if she let me.
I rode fast, noisily towards Hill’s pawn shop and found that King was just pulling in as well.
The Black Skulls guy was sitting on the pavement, clutching the gunshot wound to his leg. Girth was standing over him, his gun pointed to the guy’s head. I clenched and unclenched my fists as I strode towards them. King was quick on my heels, but all I wanted to do was beat the shit out of someone. I needed to feel some guy’s jaw on my knuckles. I didn’t know what this ex boyfriend looked like, but I could picture him well now. This Black Skulls guy would have to do for the night.
He didn’t see it coming. He wasn’t expecting it. I knocked his jaw and a spurt of blood splashed out of his mouth and he fell backwards.
“Holy shit!” Girth stepped back, a smile spreading on his face. I stood over the guy’s body and his groans only made my blood curdle more. I saw Ava’s long limbs entwined in mine, the curves of her bare hips, her legs stretching invitingly, her red hair flying as she bounced underneath me. Some fucking asshole had touched her and left a bruise.
I punched the guy in the face again and he groaned even louder.
“Commando!” King’s voice snapped me out of my blind fury. “We need him conscious so we can question him,” he said, in a softer voice. He had seen the madness in my eyes. He knew if he let me, I would kill this guy. I clenched my jaw, my shoulders heaving with rage and I stepped away. I felt something like a crack in my knuckles and when I looked down I saw them bruised and bloodied. Finally, I could feel something.
“Where are the fight clubs?” Girth kicked the guy’s feet. He groaned, and still clutching his wound, he tried to haul himself up. There was blood coursing down the front of his face and I glared at him, with narrowed eyes and flared nostrils. I could go again. I could go all night, till he was senseless.
“Over by Bukawski, the abandoned warehouse,” the guy said, blood sputtering from his mouth as he tried to speak.
“Are they running guns?” King asked. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t grab this opportune moment to question this weasel.
Girth kicked his feet again when he didn’t respond and the guy shook his head.
“Yeah. Fuck!” he groaned and clutched his wound tighter.
They were running guns. This was our territory. No one runs guns on our territory. I lunged towards him again and he cowered, bringing his hand up to shield his face from another punch. I fisted the collars of his jacket in my hands and pulled him close to my face, so he could look into my eyes. So there was no doubt left in his mind.
“Go back to your pussy pals and tell them we’re coming for them,” I snarled and then released him. The guy fell tumbling back on the pavement again, but now tried to slide away from me.
“We know about the guns and picking up kids, and if they don’t stop hitting the pawn shop, there is going to be war,” King spoke in a calmer, more collected voice to the guy. He shook his head and King came over to me. We were going to let this bastard go.
“Someone woke up cranky,” Girth said with a laugh, following us towards our bikes now. King was walking beside me, keeping an eye on me.
“You left suddenly from the bar,” King said.
I rubbed the back of my hand on my forehead, realizing that I must have left a trail of blood on my face now.
“I’ve been fucked up drinking. Need to catch up on sleep,” I said, putting on my helmet as I approached my bike. King didn’t look like he bought the explanation, but Girth hadn’t caught on.
“Yeah, get some beauty sleep in ya. Maybe have a mud bath and sip some cucumber water while you’re at it,” he said, laughing by himself. I could still hear him laughing as I rode away from them.