In Time to Love

by Gloria Martin

  “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.

  “Do it!” he said into the device.

  “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.

  “He gets it. That is bigger than a little dealing, or even local arms sales. The FBI gets pissed over that sort of international thing coming to America. So do I, boy. What the hell were you thinking?”

  Jackson just shook his head, not looking up. Killgood snarled through the blood coming out of his broken nose, holding his ribs. He was tough, Terry would give him that, if nothing else.

  “You don’t know what you are talking about,” he began.

  “Sure I do. I thought it weird that right after I kicked those strangers off the Heights you were suddenly interested in those caves. I didn’t think much about it, but put the word out just in case something would come of it. The reason I was not pushing you back that hard is that I have a rule. If you want to keep someone from getting something, you have to know why they want it. It is much easier that way. Imagine my surprise when I found where those two gentlemen from the Heights were from. I was even more surprised when Chainsaw got the information out of them so fast. How do you think your boys are going to react when they find out you are going to prison for that?”

  Killgood snarled at him.

  “It’s no big deal. People sell weapons all the time. This was just a place for them to do it and a lot of money for space rental, that’s all. What the hell are you so bent about Ajax?” he asked.

  Ajax laughed again.

  “You threatened my woman, you threatened the Daggers, and you were bringing people into my territory. That is more heat than I like. I found a way around it though. Especially since you admitted your stupidity boy,” Ajax said. There was a rustling in the storage room and out walked a man in a blue blazer with yellow lettering that read F.B.I. Terry felt her eyes widen in surprise. Suddenly there were sirens all around them and flashing lights coming into her parking lot. She saw the Daggers had backed off already. The fight with the Dragons had not taken long and they were being arrested.

  “You know to leave my people be right?” Ajax said to the man in the windbreaker.

  “Yeah I know. I got your paper work too. Not much of a patriot if you want payment,” he commented while putting cuffs on Killgood then moving over to Jackson who was crying now. Charlene began taunting the dirty cop as more F.B.I. agents began coming into the store. It was over so fast Terry was surprised and yet glad. Maybe she could have her store back now.

  *****

  Terry was watching the sunrise an hour after the feds had left with the Dragons. She still was not sure what all had gone on. She turned to Ajax on the bench next to her.

  “I know I have not slept in twenty-four hours, so maybe I am just slow. Can you explain things to me again?” she asked her lover, or one of them anyway. Red was not there right then. Ajax laughed softly and hugged her.

  “Nope you’re not slow. I just didn’t have time to explain. I asked you and Charlene to change clothes as a sort of confusion to the enemy. I wanted Killgood to think you were just straights, clean and modest civilians. I wanted to make him wonder why we were here. Anything to make him wonder about something other than what we were actually doing,” he explained.

  “Then I had my people spotted throughout the hills. They took out the Dragons as they tried to sneak up on us. That way we would have the upper hand. They really are not that organized of a club. Killgood is a more bulldoze ahead kind of guy. No subtlety at all. Anyway, I found out about the arms dealers this afternoon and sent someone to talk to them. Once I learned their relationship with Killgood and Jackson it was easy. Those two dealers were on the terrorist watch list. Normally I would not make deals with cops, even for an ass like Killgood. This though is a different situation, so I had someone put in a call and…ta da. It was a done deal. I just wanted Killgood to give me enough time to kick his ass before the feds got him. He did and I am happy. How about you?” he asked with a grin. Terry smiled for him, and then ruined it with a yawn.

  “I am great. Just tired. So things should be back to normal then right?” she asked.

  “Yep, well as normal as it gets with Daggers around. You know you are going to have more of us around now. Yellow Girl and Kay really like you, and Mockingbird is stuck on that little bird Charlene. Too bad about her sister. That part I did not know about,” he said softer. Terry sighed.

  Cheryl had been talking too, and secretly dating Killgood for several weeks and knew all about the deal he wanted to make with the arms guys. It made her an accessory so she was going to do some time in prison. Charlene was a little upset about it, but Mockingbird was helping her stay positive.

  “She will be alright. She is tough,” Terry told him.

  He nodded.

  “So are you Tumble Darlin’. I can’t wait to see how you handle whatever is next,” he said humorously.

  “What do you mean? What’s next?” she asked startled.

  “We are the Daggers Tumble. There is always something next.”

  THE END

  Bonus Story 23 of 40

  Taming the Billionaire’s Heart

  The wind whipped through Brody’s tousled blond hair as his best friend Aiden sped down route 27 in the red top convertible that just hours ago had three gorgeous supermodels baring all in the back seat. Now it just had two hung over best friends who were speeding down the end of a glorious alcohol and sex infused summer in the Hamptons, back to sixteen-hour work days in their fathers’ Manhattan offices. Aiden was a Sinclair and Brody was a Montgomery-West, which meant billions of dollars in old family real estate money, and fun was limited to summers lest their fathers threatened to disinherit them. The massive, manicured evergreen trees were slowly transforming to handsomely erected, silvery skyscrapers with the fingerprints of the Sinclairs’ and the Montgomery-Wests’ all over them. Aiden and Brody had been conjoined at the hip since their mothers met in an exclusive Mommy-and-Me class on the Upper East Side. They went to the same preparatory schools, same Ivy League University, and their fathers’ brokered a deal that essentially gave their families ownership of almost all of the prime real estate in not only New York, but New Jersey and Connecticut as well. Both of their fathers were aging and their sons, who in their early thirties, were expected to give up summers in the Hamptons for full-time workaholism on Manhattan island.

  “Jesus, man, do y
ou have to hit every fucking speed bump?” Brody asked, putting on black Ray Ban sunglasses.

  “It’s New York; the streets are crap. We’re almost to the Palace,” Aiden said, shoving him playfully.

  “God, I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

  “Well, lean out of the window. You need a haircut too, man.”

  “I don’t have anything left to throw up. We might be getting to old for this bullshit.”

  Aiden shook his head. His dark hair was always cropped short matching his dark, five o’clock shadow. He had a square jaw and broad shoulders making him look more like an off-duty marine. Brody’s boy-next-door look made him look more like Aiden’s little brother.

  “Brody, we are getting to old for these summers, man,” Aiden said, flashing Brody a cheeky grin.

  “How the hell else am I supposed to stand all the long meetings and my dad glowering over me?”

  Aiden shrugged his massive shoulders and stared forward. Brody saw the slight tick of a muscle in his neck, telling him that his best friend had more than a fleeting thought in his square head.

  “Spill it, man. You look like my mom when she’s trying to give me advice.”

  “Look, I think these summers are getting old. We’ve been doing it for ten years—”

  “Fourteen,” Brody corrected, rubbing his temples.

  “Whatever. That makes it worse. We’re thirty-two now and I think it’s time we settle down in New York.”

  “Settle down?” Brody shrieked.

  Brody winced as the raised pitch in his own voice sent a shooting pain across his forehead.

  “I don’t mean stop partying. I mean party like adults instead of frat boys.”

  “You were never a frat boy.”

  “Not my scene. I mean I feel like I need to card girls nowadays at the Hamptons. I’m not wanting to get screwed over by some wannabe social media star.”

  “Alright, dad,” Brody scoffed, and pulled a bottle of water from the floor of the car.

  He chugged the bottle, letting the first non-alcoholic beverage he’d drank in days settle in his tumultuous stomach. The effect was instantaneous, but it was quickly ousted by the shock of Aiden giving him an Oprah-esque pep talk about growing up and settling down.