Southern Comfort (Lunchtime Chronicles, #23)

by Loren, L.

  “Well, sis, the footage doesn’t lie. We all saw you shooting those men in black.”

  Malina growled as she spoke into the phone. Mandy didn’t realize how lucky she was not to be within reach.

  “That was all in self-defense. Those men were trying to kill us. All we did was defend ourselves.”

  “Where did you learn to defend yourself, the Rambo school of self-defense?”

  “See, that’s why people want to smack the taste out of your mouth. I didn’t call here for all that sarcasm so watch it. The problem with you, and your profession, is that you see something and run with it. There is no verification. All you care about is getting the hot story out first.”

  “Then why are you calling?”

  “To clear our name. Our only crime was falling in love. My father wanted me to marry another man for business purposes. I wanted to marry the love of my life. Then I found out the man I was promised to, was my lover’s father. The only way for us to be together was to run away. Well, the man I was supposed to marry is a very powerful man in the underworld. He got angry and placed a bounty on our heads. So what you see in those videos is not a reckless couple like Bonnie & Clyde. We are lovers on the run simply trying to live our lives.”

  “Wow, that sounds like a movie of the week. Since you hate being referred to as a modern Bonnie & Clyde, what should we call you? What’s your name?”

  “You can refer to me as Southern Comfort.”

  “Okay, then, Come thru Southern Comfort lovers. You heard it here first Lunchtime. We need to help these lovers get away from the men who are chasing them. If you see them out in these streets, don’t approach them, but use your cameras to record them and take pictures. Post your sightings on Instagram™ using #SoCo. That’s Big S, little o, big C, little o. Alright lovers, good luck to you and I hope you stay safe.”

  “Thank you, Mandy.”

  After she hung up the call, Malina turned to me and smiled.

  “See how easy that was. We got to spin our own story and now people are on our side, including Mandy. Now when the end comes, they will all be watching, and our legacy will be solidified as an epic love story. What was it she said #SoCo? Yeah, I like that.”

  “Now that you’ve managed to change the climate of our story, what should we do next?”

  “It’s your turn, baby. Remember, I got my chicken sandwich. What do you want to do next?”

  “I know just the thing.”

  Six

  Bonding In Bates

  We couldn’t look more conspicuous pulling up to the roadside motel in a $300,000 car if we tried. The flashing neon sign was missing lights in the M so the letters OTEL blinked at us as I parked the car. This may be a bad idea. The place was scary, even for an assassin and a mafia prince. If given a choice, I bet even Norman Bates would pass this place by.

  “G, tell me again why we are getting a room here.”

  Malina was very uncomfortable. I could feel her anxiety all over her. I didn’t want to disappoint my lady, but this was one of the things on my list of things to do before I die. Staying in luxurious suites and being waited on hand and foot was great, but it was boring. I wanted an adventure. For once, I simply wanted to be like a normal person. Though it was extreme. This wasn’t the way a normal person would sleep. This was what a homeless person would choose simply to get off the streets.

  I climbed out of the car, leaving Lina behind to watch our backs. Looking around, I noticed the parking lot was empty besides a few open-top dumpsters with mattresses and other furniture piled inside. It appeared as if they were renovating. That’s a good thing. This place could certainly use a makeover from the outer appearance.

  “Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

  The man behind the counter sat working on a laptop. I chuckled to myself at the sight of the nameplate on the desk – N. Bates, owner. Clean cut and well groomed, Mr. Bates was not the stereotypical night desk clerk you would expect to find at a fleabag motel in the middle of nowhere. The interior of the lobby did not match the exterior of the building. The fresh smell was a welcomed surprise. The place had new modern seating set against the backdrop of freshly painted walls with bright tropical colors. It was far from the dark, dank place I had anticipated when I pulled into the parking lot. Well, that makes me feel a bit better.

  “Yes, I would like to rent a room for the night.”

  The man smiled as he stood to help me. It was then that I noticed he had a prosthetic arm. His demeanor screamed military vet. He was polite without being overly friendly and he did not seem interested in the expensive car I was driving. Most would be curious why I was staying in a place like this, but this man minded his own business. I appreciated that.

  After securing a room at the rear of the motel, I took a chance and inquired about a safe place to park my baby. I loved that damn car and didn’t want her damaged or worse, stolen. Plus, if shit went down, we needed a quick getaway. If something happened to Sophia, we would be out of luck.

  “Do you have somewhere for me to park my car? I don’t want her damaged or stolen while we sleep.”

  The man looked up as if he was thinking, then shook his head.

  “No, I’m sorry. We don’t have a garage or anything. However, we do have those open top dumpsters. Those things are huge. You can park the car behind one of them, and it will be hidden from view. Unless someone was looking for it, they wouldn’t see it. Here, let me change rooms for you. I’ll give you one near that big blue dumpster. That way you can see your car at all times.”

  “Sounds great. Thank you.”

  I handed him back the key he had given me a second ago. No one used actual keys anymore, did they? He gave me a keycard in place of it. I looked down at the plastic rectangle no bigger than a credit card in confusion, not sure why some rooms had keys while others had cards. As of he was reading my mind, the man responded.

  “We’re in the middle of doing renovations. The first room you requested hasn’t been updated yet. That’s why it still had an actual key. This new room has been updated with new everything. I would have offered it to you, but you originally requested a room at the back of the property.”

  He must get that confusion a lot. I appreciated the explanation. It made me relax a bit. Without thinking, I offered my hand to shake. Then it donned on me that his right arm was the one that had been replaced with an artificial limb. It was strange shaking it but didn’t feel any different. He smiled as I thanked him and left the lobby. Nice guy.

  After hiding the car, I snagged our bags and helped Lina out of the car. Unlocking the door, I led her into the room. I was shocked to see how clean and vibrant the interior was. The clerk said they had done some upgrades, but this room looked like they gutted the original and replaced everything. I was happy when I looked in the bathroom and found brand new fixtures. They had replaced everything from the shower head to the tile. There was even one of those new water saving toilets.

  “G, this is a lot nicer than I thought it would be.”

  Malina’s eyes were wide, as she took in our night’s lodging. She was so beautiful when she was relaxed and happy. I loved this side of her. She spread her arms wide and spun in a circle. I laughed at her silliness. This side of her did not get to come out and play very often, so I planned to take advantage of it. I picked her up and tossed her on the bed. Jumping on top of her I began pecking kisses all over her face as she writhed beneath me. She made a big deal about protesting but she made little effort to get away. Malina loved playing around with me just as much as I did her.

  “Stop, G,” she whined, while giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush.

  “Nope. I am going to lay on top of you and kiss your beautiful face all night.”

  “Boy, if you don’t move. I am funky and need to wash my ass. Stop playing.”

  Laughing, I let her up. As I laid on my side, I watched her get up, grab her bag, and go into the bathroom. She allowed the door to stay open a bit just to fuck with me. Damn tease.
The Sandman briefly visited me as I waited for my turn to shower. I already knew not to ask to join Malina. She hated showering together. Something about it being nonhygienic. It didn’t bother me, but I usually gave her space when she needed it. That was one of her quirks and I could respect it.

  When Malina stepped out of the shower, she was wrapped in a towel and holding a red box with a white cross on it. She handed the first aid kit to me and asked me to help her with her arm. How the hell had I forgotten she was injured? Damn.

  “G, I need you to sew me up.”

  “What? Hell no! I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Boy, if you don’t get your fine ass over here and sew this hole up. I cleaned it up pretty good when I was in the shower. All I need you to do is close the wound, I have some lidocaine right here. You won’t hurt me.”

  “Lina, you know that is only going to numb the skin. This shit is going to hurt.”

  “Just do it, okay? I can take it. I have done this plenty of times and never had any issues. Knock on wood.”

  Lina slid closer to me and lightly rapped her fist on my temple as a joke.

  “I got some wood for you, woman. Sit your ass down and let me take care of this for you.”

  I swear the woman had the highest tolerance for pain that I have ever seen. True, my involvement in the family business was limited, but I had seen gunshots being treated where grown men cried like babies. Not my Lina. She acted as if she barely felt it. After dressing her wound with a self-adhesive gauze pad, I kissed her on her forehead and headed into the bathroom to take my own shower.

  Stepping under the steamy stream of water felt so good. We had been running around, sweating, fucking and fighting all day. My muscles ached from all the extra exertion from the day’s activities. I must have stood there letting the water massage my body for at least ten minutes. I closed my eyes to relax, but all I could think about was the gun fights from earlier. Malina was a real badass. Before today, I had only romanticized being a mafia hitman or hitwoman in her case. She did this for a living. I had no idea her life was in danger every time she went out on a job.

  In the Disney™ version I built in my head, she whipped around wearing a cape and killed the bad guys. I never once thought about the smell of blood and piss or the feel of a man’s brain splattering onto my face. This entire experience had me thinking differently about my woman. I admired her before, but now she was launched into goddess status. I can’t even imagine all the shit she holds inside that haunts her. Now that I know what it felt like, I had the capability to understand that part of her life. Too bad we were on our way to our graves. This could have been an epic breakthrough for our relationship. She wouldn’t have to hide this part of her life from me anymore.

  After taking care of my personal needs, I stepped into a pair of boxer briefs and went back into the bedroom where my woman was lying across the bed reading a book. When I looked closer, I saw it was the bible. Just when I thought she couldn’t surprise me anymore, she does this.

  “Babe, what are you reading?”

  She sat up and gave me a smile that melted my heart. “I was just reading the Song of Soloman looking for inspiration.”

  Now I’m not gonna lie, I have never been one to read the bible, and I was quite shocked that someone who took lives for a living would care about religion. I had never seen her do this before so maybe she was preparing her soul for the hereafter.

  “Malina, why are you reading the bible for inspiration?”

  “You would be surprised what you can find in this book. There really is something for almost every topic. But, what I was looking for was a quote I heard a while back about love. Listen to this...”

  She picked up the book and crawled over to me. She sat cross legged while reading the verse out loud.

  “This is from chapter 2 verse 16 – ‘I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.’ Isn’t that beautiful?”

  It was pretty dope. I wondered what else was in that book. I really should have read it long before now. I took the book from her hand and sat on the floor in front of the bed where my towel laid. As I flipped through the book, I felt Malina’s fingers in my hair, scratching my scalp. It felt so good I wanted to lay my head down and go to sleep. I resisted the urge so I could talk to my girl.

  “Baby, I just realized today how traumatizing your lifestyle can be. Why in God’s name did you choose to become an assassin? I’ve asked before but you never wanted to talk about it. Tell me. I think I will understand it better now.”

  “Yeah, I think I am ready to talk about it. I have to tell you before they come for us again. So, I guess the idea started when I was eight. My dad has always been a dick. There was no question he loved his business more than he did his family. He always had other women and my mom knew it. She turned a blind eye. I like to think it was because she knew we had nowhere to go, and she wanted me in a nice home.

  “So anyway, mom and I had gone out for brunch after church one Sunday. I remember we were so happy. Mom told me to go to my room and change out of my church clothes and then we could have ice cream, Well, like any eight-year-old, I ran to my room to change. As I was running, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and ran smack dab into some woman who was coming out of the bathroom. It’s funny what your mind remembers in tragic situations. I distinctly remember her wearing these blood red panties. That’s it. She had absolutely nothing else on. I just stood there staring at her, shocked to hell.

  “My mom called out to me because I was taking so long. She walked around the corner to discover the lady in red, and me locked in a staring contest. I don’t know if the lady was high or what, but she just stood there staring me down. Neither of us said one word. That all changed when Felice Everton Gardner walked up to the unsuspecting woman and knocked her on her ass.

  “She moved lightning fast. Feet, fists, and anything else she could get her hands on, were used as weapons on the woman. I always thought it was so weird that she never said one word. When my father came out of the bedroom to see what the ruckus was, he lost it. Instead of kicking the whore out, he grabbed my mom and hit her. He punched her dead in the face. I screamed in horror. That’s when I saw my mother’s eyes go cold.

  “Mom had quick hands, and before my dad could react, she sliced him across his face and throat. Not enough to kill, just enough to scar. It took only two swipes. Slash. Slash. There was blood everywhere. She never said a word, but I could hear her screaming just the same. She was hurt. He had no business bringing his whore into our home. She turned to me with no regret in her eyes. That’s when her last words she would ever speak on earth sounded out into the room. She told me ‘Malina, don’t be afraid of the gift inside you. I want you to live your life the way you want. Don’t ever let a man control you. I love you baby girl, but I have to go now. Remember everything I’ve taught you.’

  “My mom turned back to my dad, who was standing there pointing a .357 at her. He took aim. She stood there with her head raised and arms out, as if she welcomed death. The way I saw it, she was taking her power back. If she had to die to get it, she was fine with that. The rest played in my head like a movie reel. He raised the gun in slow motion, the bullet flew from the chamber, traveled across the room, and blasted into my mom’s head, right between the eyes. A part of her head exploded, covering me with her brains and blood.

  “It took years for me to stop seeing that movie every time I closed my eyes. I never forgot her words to me, but after seeing my father execute her for standing up for herself, it caused me to fear him. That fear fueled me to seek out a way to protect myself. That’s when I found her journals. I soon learned my mother had been an assassin when she met my father. He married her, she got pregnant with me, and she retired from the game.

  “I secretly started teaching myself how to handle knives. They were the easiest to get my hands on without him noticing. I studied films, books, anything I could get my hands on in reference to combat training, the most effective way of kil
ling, disguises. You name it. Once I was sure I could hold my own, I started taking jobs. That’s how I met your father. I collected a mark that he was after, and when he saw my skills, he respected me. When he came into power, he sought me out and hired me. The rest is history.”

  I sat there listening to that tragic story, not understanding how she was able to survive something like that. I think I would have killed my father if he had done that to me. Suddenly, I got this urge to hold Malina, so I stood up, got on the bed and opened my arms. Without having to say a word, she allowed me to comfort her. As I rocked her in my arms, I heard her sniffles and felt twenty years of tears fall onto my chest. I held her all night, even after she fell asleep. I needed the contact just as much a she did. Instead of sleeping, I decided to keep watch for any attackers. I would wake her in a few hours, so I could grab some shut eye before it was time to get on the road. This is how we had to live our lives now.

  Seven

  Shake Your Ass, But Watch Yourself

  The drive to Vegas was a long one. We made it across country without any further incidents. Anytime we stopped for gas or food, people would come up to us asking for pictures and videos for their social media. Apparently, #SoCo was lit with people posting memes, quotes, love songs and all kinds of stuff. It fueled our enthusiasm as we made our way to our final destination. All I could think about was making Malina my wife. Nothing else in this world mattered to me. I could die a happy man once that happened.

  “Lina, it’s your turn. What do you want to do when we get to Vegas? You have about thirty minutes to decide.”

  My girl did not hesitate. She, apparently, had been thinking about what she wanted to do because her answer was finite. “We are getting matching tattoos.”

  “What?”

  “I know you don’t have any and I want to be with you when you get your ink virginity taken.”

  “Lina, really?”