“When did you get back here?”
“Minute ago, sir.”
I scan the area quickly. There are shrubs and a fence. I see a board move just as a man slides through. He’s left a boy on our side of the fence. His mouth is duct taped.
“Pursuing on foot!” I yell into the walkie-talkie.
The kid looks just like his mother. It’s got to be him.
I run to the fence like I was shot out a cannon. I grab the loose board and slide through. I seem him up in the distance. He’s got maybe twenty yards on me.
I may not be from Vegas but I know this town like the back of my hand. I sprint back up towards the sidewalk, which runs in front of the houses on this street. It’s perpendicular to the direction he’s going. When I reach the sidewalk I make a hard right and continue running as fast as I can. I’m running parallel to him now, but he’ll have no other option than to cut left soon if he wants’ to try and get away. I’ll be right there waiting for him. I haven’t run this hard since my high school football days, but I’m not about to let some scumbag who takes a kid hostage get away.
I make it to the end of the block and slide in next to the bushes by the last house.
I hear someone panting and heavy footsteps. I wait, and wait, and pounce!
I wrap him up at the midsection and his weapon goes flying. I’ve got him pinned and cuffed in less than ten seconds.
“You’re going away for long time. I’m gonna make sure of it.”
“Pig! You can—”
I push his face into the dirt. I’m not going to give him the joy of insulting me. Worse yet the odds are through the roof that he’ll try and spit on me. Not gonna happen.
“Got you, Dawson,” Rico says, arriving like clockwork on my six.
“Nice work, Dawson,” Jones says a few seconds later as he catches up to us.
“Have to thank my high school football coach for all those extra tackling drills.”
“I thought you said you played quarterback?”
“I did, but half of tackling is knowing how to escape a tackle. Obviously he didn’t,” I say as the suspect is led away.
“Weapon’s over there,” I say. I point to the spot where it landed.
“You’re just a one man army today, aren’t you?” Rico says.
“Just like you on the dance floor White Pants.”
“Let’s get outta here, partner.”
We high five and walk back to the car.
My adrenaline’s still pumping from the pursuit and take down, but my mind is racing from something else. I think back to how I lost Carissa. And I imagine what I would do if someone took Charlotte hostage. How messed up can some people be?
After about ten minutes in the car a completely unexpected thought pops into my head. What if someone tried to harm Violet? She lives here in Vegas now. The things I would do to protect her. If anyone tried to mess with her…boy would they ever get a whooping.
My left fist tightens around the center console and my right hand squeezes the door handle hard from my position in the passenger seat.
“You okay over there, partner?” Rico asks.
“Yeah, I’m okay. But anybody that goes after women and children in this town is going to regret it beyond belief. I’m going to make sure of that.”
“I’m with you on that, brother. Serve and protect.”
“Serve and protect,” I say under my breath.
Soon it will be time to serve my girl a late supper and as soon as Vic gives me her number I’ll let Violet know I’m here to protect her.
CHAPTER 8
Violet
The next day
I wake up on the couch clutching the remote. I look at the screen and see the AMC logo. Oh right. I must have fallen asleep to something on American Movie Classics, or whatever they call themselves these days.
I stumble into the shower and thirty minutes later I’m back on the couch deciding what to do today. First order of business…I need a photo partner for street shooting.
I Google some photo clubs in Las Vegas and see there’s one meeting today. I look at my watch and realize it’s starting at the top of the hour. If I hurry I can make it.
Less than two minutes later I’m in my car and on the road.
On the way over I get a call from Penelope.
“Meet any guys last night?”
“Just the hunks on the TV.”
“Come on! What about the high roller at your table from yesterday?”
“What about him? He probably went out and partied all night long last night. I doubt he’s even awake right now.”
“Right! And you should be right there by his side.”
“Uhhh…no.”
“Come on. An awkward morning beats a boring night any day of the week.”
“I’ll be happy if I don’t wind up in a police station again today. I’m keeping my goals at a little more attainable level.”
“Violet. There are almost a million guys in the Las Vegas metropolitan area and a quarter of a million of them in the heart of Vegas alone. You mean to tell me we can’t find one for you?”
“Not looking.”
“What about just for a fling? A wham bam thank you ma’am welcome to the city?”
“There will be no whamming or bamming of this ma’am.”
“You need to get laid. When was the last time you had some action?”
I breathe out deciding whether I really want to go down this route. As much fun as Penelope can be to talk to, if I answer her question it might just fuel the fire even more.
“Let’s say it’s been awhile.”
“Define awhile.”
“A really long time.”
“Okay, define a really long time.”
“About twenty-three years.”
“Twenty-three?” I hear her swallow hard. “Twenty-three years! You’re a virgin?”
I tap the steering wheel with my hands and look down at my phone, which is staring back at me from the charging dock.
“You’re breaking up. Can you hear me? I think reception is bad in this part of town. Are you there? I might lose you.”
“Very funny. There are so many phone towers here the mafia can still hear all the wiretaps from their unmarked graves out in the desert. Please tell me you’ve done something before?”
“Please tell me we don’t have to keep talking about this.”
“Not even a blowjob?”
“Good bye, Penelope.” I reach for the phone’s red end call button.
“Wait. Wait. Wait. I’m sorry. Really. I went too far.”
My finger is an inch from the button. I leave it there and drive with one hand. Any more virgin talk and this call is history.
“I respect that. Really.”
“Thank you,” I say. I put my hand back on the wheel. “I promised myself a long time ago I would wait for the perfect guy. When he comes then well both cum I guess.”
“Oh! Somebody’s got jokes!”
I can’t help but smile.
“What are you up to today?”
I flip on my turn signal and enter the parking lot of the meet-up. “Photography meet-up. Just arrived.”
“Tell me if there are any hot guys there.”
“Penelope…”
“We can do some nude pics of them. Black and white of course. It’s art you know.”
I laugh. “You’re too much. Gotta run.”
“Bye,” she says just as I end the call.
I grab my backpack and make my way inside.
After a fifteen minute meet and greet we’re told to pair off into twos for today’s assignment. This sounds promising. Safety plus improving my pictures. I like this already.
“I like your camera.”
I turn and see a guy standing next to me. He’s not bad looking and in pretty good shape.
“Would you like to flash me behind the rear curtain?”
I bring my hand to my face and walk away. I have to admit it’s a good photography
double entendre, but it’s definitely a little over the top. And just to think Penelope was saying how many guys there were in Vegas. I think I’ll have to go through all of them before I meet a normal one.
“Do you have a partner yet?”
I turn and see a guy standing next to me. He’s well dressed, handsome, and smells pretty darn good. He definitely doesn’t look like he uses his camera to spy on the neighbors or any other nefarious purposes.
“Not yet.”
“Would you like to pair up for today?”
“Um. Sure,” I say.
We all pile into the bus that was rented for the class. It’s free but everyone donates ten dollars out of courtesy and with so many people it’s enough to cover the cost.
The ride into old Vegas is pretty good. Brad is nice. He tells me about himself and is a good listener. He lets me know what he’s trying to improve in regards to his pictures and asks if there’s anything he wants me to help him with, and vice versa.
I like that he’s laid back and here to learn. He doesn’t have an attitude at all, which is great. I think to myself how Brad would be an excellent catch…just not for me.
He seems a little too safe. He doesn’t have any rough edges or anything that really excites me. He’s like drinking a glass of water when you’re kind of thirsty, or watching a movie when you just want to chill out for a couple hours.
Regardless the day is fun and nobody gets hurt. Mission accomplished.
And the best part is since I was relaxed I took better pictures. I’m glad I decided to come and when the bus driver drops us back off at the meet-up spot I thank Brad for his help and turn to go.
“Hey Violet,” he says.
I turn back hoping that I forgot something, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. I know what’s coming next.
“Yeah.”
“There are a lot of cool places to shoot around here. Some I know since I grew up here. If you want I can show you sometime.”
Brad’s nice. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea, but if he’s fine with it I do think we could be good photo friends.
“Sure. Want to give me your number?”
I take down his number and shortly after I’m on my way.
“That worked out well,” I say to myself on the drive back to my apartment. I turn on the radio and hum along. I got his number so there’s no pressure on me to pick up if he calls.
But there is an uneasy feeling. When I put his number in my contacts list and hit save the name right after his reminded me of what he wasn’t.
Brad was the last of the B’s in my contact list. Chance was the first of the C’s…and the number I want to dial the most. Too bad I just have his old L.A. number. Who knows where he is or what he’s up to these days?
CHAPTER 9
Chance
I cut the lights on my Toyota 4Runner just before I turn into the driveway. No point in waking anybody up.
I open the front door as quietly as I can and make my way to the back living room.
There’s Charlotte curled in in my sister Harmony’s lap. They’re both sawing logs.
I tiptoe upstairs and turn on the shower. Feeling the water wash over me is the relief I need. Yesterday the soap removed the itchiness from rolling around in the grass with that burglar who took the little boy hostage. Today it washes away the sweat and grime from chasing a drug dealer eight blocks before throwing him to the pavement. I see some blood in the bottom of the shower and realize my forearm’s cut. Must have been from scaling that chain link fence.
I step out of the shower and towel off before putting on a pair of shorts and a white T-shirt from my stack of about fifty. I take a deep inhale and then exhale.
“Another day in the books. Almost,” I say quietly to myself.
My life is starting to feel like that movie Groundhog’s Day. Today feels almost like a carbon copy of yesterday. There is one glaring difference. I spent most of today checking my phone waiting for the message from Vic with Violet’s number. He still hasn’t sent it and I know it takes all of five seconds to do.
I hear my phone vibrate and see it’s a message from Vic. Speak of the devil.
She’s at the Three Pyramids Casino.
I can feel my alertness rise as I see the screen indicate he’s still typing.
Was off today. Working on the gaming floor tomorrow afternoon.
Why didn’t he give me her number on her day off? He thinks it’s better if I go by her work and not just meet her on a day when she’s free and might have more time available?
I realize I’m probably just overthinking this. I pause thinking maybe I shouldn’t reply right away. I don’t want to seem too eager…for Vic’s sake or mine. I’m not one to play games, but this is a unique situation that I need to handle with care. This is my best friend and his sister after all.
I set my phone down, but then realize the messaging app will confirm I already saw his messages. If I don’t reply it’s going to look even stranger.
Thanks
No problem. Say hi to MY SISTER.
Will do. And point taken.
A minute ago I was on the brink of passing out. Now I feel like I’m wide awake.
“Daddy!” Charlotte’s little voice fills my room quickly followed by her tiny hands wrapping around my legs.
“Hey pumpkin!” I say. I scoop her up.
“Sorry. I thought I could carry her upstairs without her waking up but it didn’t really work out like that,” Harmony says as she leans against the doorjamb to my room.
“She’s always had an endless supply of energy. When Carissa and I used to try and carry her off to bed when she was younger she’d try and slip out of our grasp and turn it into a game of catch the greased piglet.”
“Oink oink.” Charlotte says.
I give her a good tickling under the armpits and then remember getting her energy levels up now isn’t going to make putting her to bed any easier.
“Off you go!” I say.
I carry her to her room and set her on her bed.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes to check your teeth.”
“Okay,” she says.
I look on the nightstand to make sure there are no mints. She still gets a lot of enjoyment out of foaming up what seems like half a tube of toothpaste, so luckily getting her to brush her teeth is pretty easy. I can’t let my guard down though. Her bag of tricks is loaded with ingenious ways to pull the wool over my eyes when she doesn’t feel like doing something.
“I’ve got some coffee on downstairs,” Harmony says.
“Sounds good, although it’s not like it has much of an effect on me anymore these days.”
“Me either. I’m way past addiction.”
We head downstairs and I pour a couple cups o’ Joe.
“That girl has more energy than any kid I’ve ever seen. And she’s a girl!”
“She’s definitely not right,” I say. I take a long swig of my drink. “And I love every minute of it.”
“She’s exceptionally entertaining.”
“And keeps me on my toes.”
“Chance,” Harmony begins. She sits her cup down on the island in-between us in the kitchen. “You should take some of mom’s money and move to a family area.”
“We’re good right here.”
“Don’t you want a fresh start? I think it would be good for both of you.”
“There are no fresh starts in life. You just keep your head down and keep on going.”
“But your head’s been down for too long. I’m worried about you. I want to see that chin up in the air and a smile on your face. The way things used to be.”
“Things aren’t the way they used to be. They never will be again.”
“I know. And I know it’s tough, but I think it’s best for both of you.”
My sis comes around the edge of the island and wraps her arms around me. It takes me a second but I put one of my arms around her. My other arm is still extended, my palm down on the
island.
“Sell the house. The market’s strong right now. You can take that money and add it to the money mom left for you.”
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