Terry collapsed onto her back catching her breath as her heart rate slowed and she could breathe easily again. Red leaned over her smiling and she heard movement; Ajax was there with a beer for each of them.
“Tumbleweed you are fucking awesome. We knew you would be but that was damn amazing,” Ajax said in tribute to her.
“Oh yeah Darlin’ we are not gonna want to let you go now. We would have rocked anything you wanted to do, but that…hell yes Darlin’, you are stuck with us,” Red added with a laugh of his amazement. Terry felt so complete and satisfied she smiled and sat up, taking the beer and smoke Ajax offered.
“So which is it guys, am I Tumble, or Darlin’?” she asked with a soft laugh. She did not mind either one as a nickname. They both laughed.
“How about Tumble Darlin’?” Ajax said with a laugh. Both Terry and Red joined in but they were interrupted.
“Someone is coming Ajax, heads up!” Mockingbird called out. The guys were on their feet and dressing in a heartbeat and Terry was not far behind. The danger she was in returned to her mind as she pulled on her clothes. She put on her bra and grabbed her vest off of the chair and put it on over it. Then her leggings and skirt followed. The guys were already off down the stairs and Mockingbird came up.
“Hang here for a minute until we know who our guests are,” he told her.
Terry’s buzz was gone and her nerves tightened. She wondered who it could be. Was it Killgood and his gang, the cops to hassle them again? Mockingbird kept his head moving, looking around the yard behind the store. She heard voices coming faintly from around the front and she matched stares with the brother guarding her, waiting.
*****
“Bring her around Mockingbird,” she heard Ajax call.
Terry went with him down the porch stairs and around the side of the store. When she came around she could see Charlene’s car. Then she saw Charlene standing under the front lights. She was wearing a loose red robe with shorts and a tank top underneath. Her hair was mussed and un-kept and that was very unusual for Charlene. As Terry approached she could see the woman was very upset.
“I am so sorry Terry. I didn’t know Cheryl would do such a thing. I had to come and warn you. When I get my hands on her she has had it!” Charlene babbled.
“What are you talking about?” Terry asked.
“Tell her,” Ajax growled.
“Cheryl and I went for a drink after we got home. After one I was too wiped to party so I left, but Cheryl stayed behind. When I was dozing off I heard a car pull up and I looked out front. Cheryl was there with that cop Jackson and that Killgood guy. She made a deal with those scum. When she came in I confronted her and she made some stupid excuse of doing it for our safety. I got her to tell me what was going on.” She took a breath and it was obvious how upset she was.
“That stupid woman has been friends with Jackson for weeks, since about the same time we got hired here. She has been working with him and that is how he found out the Daggers would be upset if something happened to your store. She told me they were coming after you because they know the Daggers like your store and you. They figure you might make a good hostage. Can you believe that shit? My own sister, going against you? I shoved her into a closet and locked the door. I have her phone so she can’t call them. Maybe spending the night in the closet will teach her a lesson,” she finished with moist eyes. Terry hugged her.
“Thanks for warning us Charlene. Now you have to go, if it is not safe I want you away from here,” Terry told her.
“No chance!” Charlene said with fire in her eyes and hands on her hips. “My sister is part of the problem and that means I have to help clean up her mess. So you are stuck with me Terry. You can fire me later if you want. I wouldn’t blame you,” she said defiantly, yet humbly. Terry was a little surprised she managed both at the same time so well. She sighed and stared at her friend for a moment.
“Alright Char, but we will argue about your employment later,” she told her.
“So when are they coming?” Ajax asked, a little impatiently.
“Before daylight is what Cheryl said. You guys have time to disappear. That is why I came here right away. I figured you would need time,” she said, looking up at the Ajax. Terry saw a hard smile come over his face.
“Thanks for the warning and we will use the time. Not for what you are thinking though. The Daggers are going to end it here, tonight. If you are going to hang out with us, you are going to have to learn a few things. Daggers don’t run,” he said and the others around them cheered.
********
“How is this going to keep my store safe?” she asked, managing to keep her voice calm.
“Don’t you worry Tumble Darlin’, we are moving all the breakables. What could go wrong?” Crowbar told her with a grin through his blond beard. Terry sighed. Charlene came over from talking to Mockingbird and sat next to her.
“They mean well, right?” she asked jokingly.
“Uh huh,” Terry replied.
They had moved all the stock into the back rooms and kitchen area. Now they were using the shelves as barricades to secure the front section of the store. Once Terry had hesitantly agreed to Ajax’s plan they had put it into motion immediately, as if they knew she might change her mind. Too late now, she told herself. She made a sudden decision.
“I’m going out for a smoke, coming?” she asked Charlene. The woman shrugged and got up. Terry just didn’t want to watch the reordering of her store. She knew she was doing the right thing; she just didn’t like it.
She walked outside and the night was cool and quiet. It was what she needed as she lit a cigarette.
“You know those things will kill you right?” Charlene said. It was exactly what Ajax had at the beginning of the previous day.
“So I have heard,” she responded to her friend.
“So you and the big guy had a good time tonight?” Charlene asked bluntly. There was no one else around and Terry decided she might as well talk about it.
“Something like that. How did you hear about it?” was Terry’s return question.
“That Mockingbird talks almost as much as I do. He said the three of you were making all kinds of noise. Even if they hadn’t though, you dressed in a hurry,” she pointed out. Terry looked down and blushed, a little embarrassed. She had not realized she was not wearing her t-shirt. Just her bra and short vest.
“Shit, well this night is as weird as the day was. Who are you to talk about dressing in a hurry,” she asked humorously. Charlene was still in her light robe and shorts with a tank top. She had put her hair into a pony tail.
“Well I was trying to sleep when I was interrupted. Speaking of which, sorry about interrupting boss. I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t panicked,” Charlene apologized.
“No worries Char. We were done and having a beer when you showed up. It was fun, but you didn’t really interrupt. Quit feeling bad about it. I feel bad that you are still here. Maybe we should both stop feeling sorry and just deal with it,” Terry told her. Charlene laughed and they shook hands on it.
“Great, it is a deal. I have got to wonder though about all this. I mean, he said you were going to invite the bad guys in when they come, how is that going to work?” Charlene asked reasonably. Terry didn’t have an answer for her. She hadn’t been told that either.
“Beats the hell out of me. From what your sister said they will be here in what, two hours?” Terry asked taking a drag from her smoke. Then she yawned.
“Yep, that is what she said she heard. I guess we just have to go with the flow. So is that what you were doing tonight, going with their flow, or is it something more,” she asked, bluntly again. Terry realized she was like a pit bull when she wanted to know something. She would just come back to it later.
“I don’t know. I mean we had a blast, but I think there may be more. Then again it might be too early to tell, if you know what I mean.”
Charlene nodded in agreement.
“Nice looking g
uys so I don’t blame you. A hell of a lot nicer than the Dragon goons, so you are batting a thousand there,” she pointed out. Terry laughed. Mockingbird came out and handed them each a coffee. Terry noticed him eyeing Charlene and he winked at her causing her to blush. Ah ha! She thought mischievously.
“Looks like someone is getting some attention from a Dagger goon,” she said to Charlene when Mockingbird went back into the store. Charlene blushed heavier and sipped her coffee.
“I don’t know; he isn’t bad looking but he does talk a lot. You should have heard him going on and on about his Harley. Then it was his trailer and then his patches. Jeez you would have thought that…” Terry interrupted her with a laugh and a hug.
“Who talks a lot Charlene?”
Charlene blushed again but didn’t deny it.
Ajax came around the corner on his phone. He had a satisfied look on his face and was nodding.
“Ok man, I got ya. Yep we will be ready, just be on time okay,” he said. Then he flipped the phone off.
“Change of plans. At least a little bit. If you ladies would be so kind as to go upstairs and maybe change into something…what do you call it…modest for our guests. Trust me it is important,” Ajax said and then went into the store and they could faintly hear him giving orders.
“What the hell is wrong with what we are wearing,” Charlene asked.
Terry was wondering too and was a little irritated. She reminded herself that she trusted Ajax and shook her head.
“I don’t know but it sounds important. Let’s go, and if it’s a waste of time you can kick him in the nuts later,” she told her.
“Cool, fair deal,” she returned as they walked around the building instead of going through where everyone else was working.
“I hope my clothes fit you Char. I am a little taller,” she said as they went into her bedroom and she opened the closet.
“A little? At least the rest of us is pretty even,” Charlene said. She had a point, Terry thought. Their measurements were close but the lady was a good six inches shorter than Terry.
Terry dressed in her blue flowery summer dress with a t-shirt underneath. The dress came to her knees and the t-shirt completely covered her upper assets. Charlene wore a long purple blouse that came to her hips and a knee length skirt that came to her calves. She buttoned up the blouse and she was completely covered and modest looking. Terry put her hair into a ponytail like Charlene’s and standing next to each other in the mirror they smiled.
“I guess this is modest. We look like church goers,” Charlene said with a smirk. Terry laughed and they went back downstairs. To her surprise the store was being turned back to what it normally was like. The shelves were back in place and the Daggers were almost running as they were putting the stuff back on the shelves. Terry noticed not everything was going where it had originally been.
“What’s going on Mockingbird, what’s the change in plans?” she asked him as he passed with an armload of bread.
“Ask the boss,” he said and kept going. Terry looked at Charlene.
“Now he stops talking,” she said. She went looking for Ajax and couldn’t find him. Red had disappeared too. Everyone she asked just said they would be back, don’t worry about it. Terry wondered if she was just tired or if things really were getting out of hand. Her store looked more or less how it had started out. They were still waiting for the Dragons as well as some dirty cops to come by, and she was still a target. She was ready to hit someone to find out what was going on. Then Ajax and Red ran in.
“Okay everyone, the show is on. Get to your places and stay in hiding. If this works, it will go easy as grain through a goose. If not, you will know and get your asses down here again,” he told everyone and then turned to Terry and Charlene.
“Okay ladies, they are almost here. I have set it up so that these dumbasses are going to screw themselves. You are just a humble shop owner and her loyal employee. Red and I will be in the back and keeping an eye on things. If it looks hairy we will be there, do you trust us?” he finished. She did not have to think about it.
“Yeah I do. I don’t know why, but I do,” Terry said.
“Then so do I,” Charlene chimed in. “I trust Terry so let’s get this over with. If I have to wait to find out what is going on I am going to hurt somebody,” she finished.
“No wonder Mockingbird likes you,” Red commented and he went into the back room with Ajax as the sound of motorcycles come to her ears, and in no time there were about ten motorcycles pulling into her parking lot. Terry looked at Charlene and they both let out a breath.
“Do you have any idea what we are supposed to do?”
Terry answered her by just staring nervously.
“Me either, shit,” Charlene said quietly and Killgood with Officer Jackson came in the door.
“Well little ladies, where are they? I know Ajax and Red are around here somewhere,” Killgood said. He was looking them both over, running his eyes up and down their figures.
“I don’t know,” Terry began. “He said things were taken care of about an hour ago and left. Something about Cheryl…,” Terry lied. It was the first words that came to her mind. She felt energized and every sense was on alert.
“Little Squealer, she is out front. The chick came with me. I like her and I think I am going to keep her. When this is over I may decide to keep both of you too. I promise you I can make you scream better than any Dagger can.”
Terry felt a rush of anger but Charlene beat her to it.
“You a worthless individual, and you…you waste of a badge. Why are you here, letting this creep take my sister?” Charlene said and then launched herself at the cop. He was surprised and she got a good right to the man’s face before he was able to grab her and pin her arms to her sides while she thrashed and yelled at him. Terry sneered at Killgood. There was nothing she could do for Charlene, not yet.
“You think you are going to use me against Ajax and Red. Are you really so stupid to think those guys haven’t got you and this dirty cop figured out. You are going to be lucky to leave this place without more problems than you came with,” she said fiercely.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about my business with the badge. We do each other favors from time to time. He has no problem helping me get rid of the Daggers, he owes me,” he told Terry.
“You ought to listen to her Killgood. You don’t have much time, but you could leave now and forget the whole thing. Or, you are going down. I’ll do you myself,” Ajax said as he walked out of the bread isle to stand next to Terry. Red came around the corner of the soda and chips lane.
“Last chance man,” Red told the Dragon leader. Killgood smiled.
“How are you going to do that? I know you must have more of your people around, then again, so do I and the Dragons outnumber the Daggers,” Killgood said. Charlene was still struggling against the cop, who was holding her and cursing softly. Terry wanted to do something for her, but couldn’t think of what. It turned out Ajax had a plan for that.
“Before I get into that I thought your buddy there should let our friend go. Otherwise it is about to go wrong for the dirty cop,” Ajax said. Jackson sneered.
“How is that scum,” the cop answered.
Terry saw a shadow behind the counter and to her surprise Mockingbird sprang out and over the counter. He brought his fist down on Jackson’s shoulder from behind and he cried out, letting go of Charlene who immediately kicked him as he dropped to one knee. Jackson started reaching for his gun but Mockingbird was a quicker draw. Charlene backed up and stood next to her protector. He put an arm around her.
“Come near this woman again and I will break you. Now give me your gun,” Mockingbird rumbled at the swearing cop while pointing a hand gun at him. Jackson slid his gun across the floor.
“That’s how dumbass. You hurt a Daggers’ friend you piss us all off. Now, I remember you had a question Killgood,” Ajax looked at Red who raised a handheld radio to his mouth.
“Suddenly there was a roar of engines and many headlights were pointing down the hills on either side of her store. A rev of engines and the lights moved quickly down until the Dragons in the lot were now surrounded. The new arrivals, more Daggers, got off their bikes and began moving towards the Dragons. Killgood and the injured cop were shocked, and stared for a moment as the fighting began. It was clear that the Dragons were getting beat.
“If you are wondering about your other men, we already took care of them. You are now alone boys,” Ajax told Killgood and launched himself across the room without any sign he was going to move. Killgood had only turned halfway back so he got blindsided. Terry noticed then that Mockingbird had slipped out with Charlene. Good, she thought watching Ajax punch Killgood in the face twice before he was shoved back. The big man’s beard was streaked with blood and he growled, rushing Ajax. The cop was still down on one knee and stayed there, watching the fight.
Ajax blocked his punch and had one of his own stopped. Killgood got one through and Ajax staggered back, but when Killgood rushed to follow up he caught a kick in the gut that doubled him over. Then Ajax brought his fist down and Killgood couldn’t avoid it. The man was already bent over from the kick so when Ajax’s fist came down like a hammer it knocked him to the ground. Ajax stepped forward and kicked him in the ribs and then the thigh before stepping back.
“I would kill you now but there are some other folks who have an even better claim to your sorry ass’s,” he told them both with a growl. She could see the rage in Ajax’s face as he stared at the both of them.
“What the hell are you talking about Ajax?” Killgood asked. Terry noticed the cop was looking nervous on top of his pain. Mockingbird must have really hit him hard. Or Charlene was a hell of a kicker.
“I understand getting by however you can. It is a tough old world man. Except for those middle eastern arms dealers. That is going a little far,” Ajax said softly. Jackson paled and suddenly bent forward to begin throwing up. For some reason that got Ajax to start laughing and to Terry’s surprise she heard Charlene and Mockingbird from the shadows of the stock room where they had apparently been watching.
Alpha Vampire Romance: Vampire’s Mate (Paranormal Shapeshifter Alpha Demon Vampire Romance) (Coming of Age Werewolf BBW Shifter Women’s Fiction Short Stories) Page 68