by Blair Grey
His hands fell to his sides as he turned to face me. “You know me, mister?”
“Dean Strong?” I growled.
“What the fuck do you want?” He cocked his head to one side as I came at him. “Who the fuck are you?”
That’s all I let him say. One punch to the gut had him doubled over. An uppercut beneath his chin split it open, blood dripping to the grey asphalt under our feet.
He stumbled backward with his eyes bugged out. “Stop!” Reaching behind him, I was sure he was going for a gun.
I wasn’t going to stop. Rushing him, I leaned over, ramming my shoulder into his stomach, lifting his feet off the ground as I ran forward until the dumpster behind him met with his ass. Only then did I grab his shoulders, pushing him up, then pounding his face until that stupid fucking fake mustache fell off, landing on the ground in a puddle of blood.
His eyes closed as he crumpled in a heap on the ground. Satisfied that he was no longer a threat to anyone, I turned and walked back toward my bike.
Greta opened the door, looking at what was left of the man, then she looked at me. “Garrett? What the fuck?”
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the cash I was going to use to buy the beer and held it out. A hundred-dollar bill would keep her quiet. “Don’t tell anyone a thing. I was never here.”
She nodded as I went and got back on my bike, then left. My chest rose and fell as I tried to calm myself down with deep breaths.
Killing that son-of-a-bitch will be a piece of cake.
Chapter Six
Nicki
The night had been horrible. All the interaction with the superior asshole had made it nearly impossible for me to go to sleep. When I finally did, I had a nightmare about the night he lost all control and made my life even more unbearable than it had been.
I often sat and wondered what I’d done to deserve all the bad things that had happened to me. I’d been a nice person. I had lied a few times to my mother about various little things. And once I stole a candy bar from the grocery store while my dad was shopping. No one ever found that out though.
Maybe that one infraction had been witnessed by a higher authority who decided I needed to be punished. Maybe that one time I screamed at my mother that I hated her for not letting me go to the movies with my friends to see an R rated movie was the reason. Whatever it might’ve been that had me in God’s not so good graces, I would gladly apologize for it until the day I died if it all would just end.
The morning sun greeted me as I opened the door to go out to get some breakfast. No matter how hard my nights were – because some of them got very fucking hard – I always made sure I went out to get myself a good breakfast to break the spell.
Sunshine helped. It was harder to pull myself out of the funk when the mornings were cloudy. The entire day would seem to be an extension of the miserable night on cloudy days.
But not today. This was going to be a nice, sunny day and I was going to let the night go.
Taking in a deep breath, inhaling the salty air that drifted to me from the not too distant harbor, I headed out, locking the door to my little one-room efficiency behind me. They’d gotten me a small space in one of the old, reclaimed warehouses not far from the waterfront.
Baltimore had that old historical vibe that made it feel like if it could last this long, anything could. Even me.
One day Dean Strong would get what he had coming to him. No one can do as many bad things as he’d done and not pay for it in some way.
While he was on probation at work, I hadn’t had to deal with him at all. They had moved him across the country from me. Why they brought him back to Arlington as soon as the probation was up, I had no idea.
I’d asked to be sent out as soon as possible and they only saw fit to send me to Baltimore two years after I’d asked to be moved. And now, here he was too.
My heart wasn’t happy with my agency. I felt not only let down by the DEA but also disillusioned by the people in it that were over me.
How hard can it be to separate me and the man who raped me?
Weren’t we the good guys? Weren’t we into fixing what was wrong with the world? Weren’t we supposed to help those who needed it?
It felt like I was in an upside-down version of the agency I’d been drawn to. Why would they keep letting the man who’d hurt me keep coming around?
Walking along the sidewalk, I wanted to find somewhere close by where I could get breakfast on the regular. Finding an Italian bakery, I was pretty sure I’d found it.
As I went in, the bell over the door made a delicate tinkling sound. A young woman came out from the back to greet me, “Morning. Welcome to Giovanni’s Baked Goods. Momma has a fresh brunch torte coming out of the oven just now. How about a nice fat slice? It’s made with eggs, Romano cheese, roasted red peppers and turkey sausage with Italian herbs and spices. And the coffee is fresh, so feel free to take a cup off the counter and pour yourself a cup.”
I felt at home already. “Thank you. It smells amazing in here. And I love the atmosphere.” There were eight other guests already seated and everyone wore a smile. “Such a friendly place. I’d love a slice. Thank you so much.”
After filling a small cup with rich coffee, I took a seat by the large window that overlooked the harbor. The water was smooth as glass and so was the coffee. Before I could say how great it was, the woman next to me let out a moan, “Oh, so good.”
“I agree.” I tapped my cup to hers then we both took tiny sips of the steaming hot liquid. “I’m new in town and I was looking for my morning stop. I think I’ve found it.”
Nodding, she held the cup in between the palms of her hands. “I’ve lived here forever. I stop by here at least twice a month when I come to do inspections at the shipyard down the street.”
The girl who’d greeted me came to the small table, giving me a generous slice of the torte that looked delicious. “Momma is about to make some fresh donuts. How about I bring you one when they’re ready?”
“Please do.” I couldn’t believe how hospitable she was. “I’m Nicki. And I’m going to be a regular. We should probably be on a first-name basis.”
“I am Joanna. It’s lovely to meet you, Nicki.” She turned to leave. “I’ve gotta help Momma. I’ll be back with fresh donuts for you all.”
Soft clapping signaled that everyone was happy about that. I’d never been to such a place. “I suppose the water has a calming effect here. Everyone seems to be in great moods.”
“Perhaps it’s a combination of the water, the atmosphere, the great service, and the insanely awesome smells inside this place.” The woman next to me held out her hand. “I’m Lacy Flanigan.”
“Nice to meet you, Lacy.” I shook her hand. “Nicki.”
“Yes, I overheard you telling Joanna.” Her eyes went to the window where I too stared at the calm water. “Baltimore isn’t always this serene.”
“I bet it’s not.” It hadn’t been this serene since I’d been here. “At least I’ve found a place to detox from it all.”
“For sure.” She nodded then took another sip. “Feel free to refill your cup as often as you’d like. It’s endless coffee here.”
“Wow. I might never leave.” It sounded as if thunder had suddenly erupted outside, then I caught sight of a black Harley coming down the street. A man with a black helmet parked it right in front of the bakery. The muscular man took off his helmet as he got off his bike then walked along the sidewalk. His blonde hair hung to the collar of his black leather jacket. A pair of dark shades hid his eyes from me. He pulled them off just before coming inside.
The guy was pretty damn hot, but I didn’t want to turn around to look him over, so I stayed facing the window as I eavesdropped on his conversation with Joanna. “Good morning, Mr. Robertson. How are you this morning?”
“Hungry. What does Mamma got going on back there?” he asked with a deep voice that had a lightness about it as his tone was friendly.
“Her fa
mous brunch torte is fresh. And she’s got some donuts shaping up nicely too.” I heard her opening the glass case. “Here’s your morning lobster tail.”
“Thanks, Joanna.” His laugh was genuine and slightly husky. “I would love to know the genius that invented a pastry that looks like a lobster tail.”
I glanced over my shoulder to get a look at what he had and found he held what looked like a tan lobster tail with some white filling coming out of the top of it.
I thought he might take a seat but instead, the girl handed him a bag with the food in it. “Here you go. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Robertson.”
“Bye. See you tomorrow.” He left with a little ding of the door and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
Joanna came out with a mountain of fresh donuts, passing them out to each and every one of us. “Here we are.”
Taking one, I bit into it, finding it light, fluffy, and Heavenly. Seems I’ve stumbled into a little slice of Heaven.
With a start to the morning like that, I felt the day would move along accordingly. I hated to leave the place behind, but I had work to get to. “See you tomorrow.”
Everyone waved as I left. It felt like I already had a home in Baltimore. Even though I knew I couldn’t ever have a steady home as long as I was in the DEA.
You had to go whenever they said to go. And it might not even be inside the U.S. where they sent you. You might end up in a desert or a frozen tundra. Although not many drug rings did business in the frozen areas of the world. But if there was one in a region like that, we’d get sent there.
Without having a family to worry about, I was free to be moved anywhere they felt like putting me. No one would miss me, that was for sure.
Going to the police station, I had a lead to go on and wanted to find out if there was anyone by the name of Max on the radar with the department before I began digging into the guy. One never knew who might be being used as a snitch.
Just as I walked up the steps to the front doors, I saw Dean walking out. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, but a noticeable cut and swelling were on his chin and jowls. “Whoa,” I couldn’t help myself. “What happened to you?”
With a quick jerk of his hand, he whipped off his glasses, revealing two black eyes. “I got beat the fuck up. I’m pretty sure I’ve got you to thank for that. Some motherfucking vigilante must’ve seen us arguing last night and he jumped me when I wasn’t looking.”
Throwing my hand over my mouth, it wasn’t because I was shocked or dismayed. It was because I had a smile a mile wide and knew that it was completely inappropriate. “Oh!”
“Yeah.” He put his glasses back on. “I just made a police report. The dumb motherfucker should get found soon. The lady at the store was helpful. I had no idea what the bastard looked like because he kept on his motorcycle helmet. I didn’t see a damn thing before he left me knocked out cold.”
“What did she say?” I’d managed to rein in my humor at his situation.
“She said the guy wasn’t from around here. She’d never seen him before. I asked her about his bike since he had on a helmet. She told me it was a Honda and that she was watching the whole thing. When he walked by the door, she looked at the sticker alongside it with the height marked on it. He was five foot four, is what she said.”
Dean was over six feet tall. To think a man who was five foot four could best him was astonishing. And once again a smile found its way to my lips. “Wow.”
“Little fucking ninja jackass, I’m guessing.” He shook his head as if he just couldn’t believe someone had kicked his ass so soundly. “But the cops said they’ve got an idea about who it might be. Some guy named Chang Lee. He’s short and rides a Honda. Plus, he’s got a bad temper and he’s an expert in Jui Jitsu.”
The way his face looked - it didn’t seem like martial arts were used on him. This looked like an old-fashioned ass-kicking. And he thought some guy did it to him because of the argument we were having.
Looking up, I said a silent thank you to the man upstairs. Thanks. Maybe I’ve been punished enough and now you’re sending one of your angels to watch over me now.
That would be a pleasant change from the last ten years.
The night before may have sucked ass, but so far, the morning was proving to be spectacular. “I’m sure they’ll find him.”
“If they don’t, I will.” He huffed. “I told them, I’m not the type of man who sits around waiting to see if justice is served. I’ll find my own justice if I have to. And God help the little freak if I get to him before the local authorities do.”
I found that rather hypocritical of him. He had no concern for me finding my justice when he did what he did to me. “If I see a tiny guy on a Honda, I’ll let you know.”
“Do that.” He pulled his shades down again. “You do have my number, right?”
I did not have his number and I did not want it. “I meant that I’ll call my contact here at the police station to get him picked up.” Which I didn’t even mean to do that. The guy was my hero. I wasn’t about to turn him in. “I’ve got to meet with her now. Have a nice day.” I started to walk around him as he’d stopped in front of me.
“I can’t, now that I’ve got this going on.” He walked away with a huff and some groans.
I walked away with a huge smile on my face and the idea that life might be getting to be a bit more fair than I’d been giving it credit for.
Maybe karma had finally tracked the bastard down. Maybe Dean Strong was about to get what he had coming to him. And maybe I would get a front-row seat for that.
It’s a wonderful day to be alive!
Chapter Seven
Garrett
Meeting with Lyle, I handed him the bag from Giovanni’s with the donut and the torte in it. “I brought this for you. Figured you might not have had anything to eat yet.”
“Thanks.” He took the bag from me as we sat down at a table in the MC’s bar. “Just because you brought me some food doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
“Of course, not.” I smiled as his attitude was all macho man, but his eyes told me he had a good heart. “It’s just how I am is all. You’ve got a job to do. I get it. I wanted to meet with you this morning because I’ve done some digging on Dean Strong and it seems he’s raped a woman he works with.”
“Fucker.” He pulled out the torte. “Looks good.”
As he feasted, I went on, “Not only did he do that to her three years ago, but he’s still bothering her. She’s in Baltimore for some reason. And he’s here too – also for reasons I’m not aware of.”
“To bother us.” He took another bite as he nodded at a mug of beer on the other side of me.
Picking it up, I put it in front of him. “Yeah, I kind of guessed that. He had on this ridiculous mustache last night when I kicked his ass in a corner store parking lot.”
Chocking on his food, his eyes went wide. “You what?” Grabbing the beer, he took a few gulps before putting it back down. “Did you kill him? In public?” He shook his head. “That’s no good, kid.”
“I didn’t kill him.” I wasn’t an idiot. “I just roughed him up. He was yelling at the poor girl he’d raped. It was crazy. I can’t believe he’s being allowed to do this to her. I mean, why are they even in the same place at the same damn time? Doesn’t the DEA care about their people?”
“Fuck if I know.” He finished off the torte then pulled the donut out of the bag. “Still warm. Cool.”
“I’m not going to get into any trouble over what I did. The only witness is sort of a friend of mine.” I always gave Greta extra cash whenever I bought anything at Rudy’s. It never hurt to have people in your pocket. Plus, she was the old lady to a biker named Max in a small MC that mostly ran marijuana and prescription meds. She was aware of how our kind did things.
“Can’t say I’m happy that you did that, kid. But what’s done is done.” He sucked the glaze off his fingertips after he’d scarfed the donut down. “So, how are you going to take
this fucker out?”
“Well, I don’t know yet.” I had no idea. I knew I could do it now. But I didn’t know how I would do it. “He’s obviously got a thing for this woman. I looked her up too.”
“Maybe you could get to know her and use her to get to him,” Lyle came up with. “And don’t be expecting me to come up with everything for you, kid. I’m not your think-tank.”
“Yes, I get it. You’re not my friend and not my think-tank. But you are familiar with such things. And as a person with experience behind you, there is a chance that I might be able to pick that brain of yours.” I was working hard to find the right words to get the man’s help.
“You can try. I’ve got about an hour for you is all.” He finished off the beer then slid the empty mug across the table to me.
Understanding that I was to be his maid while I bent his ear, I took the mug and went behind the bar to fill it up as the barkeep hadn’t shown up yet.
Mable never came in until after lunch. She was as old as Methuselah. I couldn’t figure out how she stayed up so late each night to serve beers to the rowdy men of the MC and the women who loved them.
“Agents often can be pulled away by phoning in a fake hint on the case they’re on and asking for a private meeting.” He took the mug I handed to him. “They can also be caught alone in their homes. With so many people who have a grudge against them, it’s nearly impossible to make a list of suspects as it’s so damn long.”
“A home invasion?” I liked that one. “I can find out where he’s living and if he’s got others living there who might make that a problem.” He was already helping me come up with a plan. I knew I’d been right to ask for a meeting.
“That woman could be something you use,” he said again.
I wasn’t very cool with using a woman who had already been hurt. “I’d rather leave her out of it.”