Lexi poured herself another glass of wine and sat down in the living room to browse through a magazine. After about 20 minutes, a knock came at the door.
“Wow, that was fast,” she said as she opened the door without looking out the peephole. She expected Eli, but was surprised to find a drunken Carl Richards holding her reports in his hand.
****
Dog was busy most of the day in the Tavern, cleaning and taking inventory of the various wines, beer, and alcohol. He wanted to check on Rose, but thought it better to leave her be after what happened that morning. He felt bad for her, what she had gone through because of the club. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t ask for this. Sure, she could be a bitch from time to time, but he knew under that tough exterior was a soft heart that just wanted to be loved.
Once I get this inventory done I’ll check in on her, he thought. A few customers had dribbled in, the regulars, and most of the club members were out. Dog thought he could slip away and see how she was. But he wouldn’t have to, because at that moment she walked through the front entrance of the Tavern.
Rose wasn’t wearing her bandages so the two red H’s shown like beacons on her porcelain cheeks. She looked haggard, like she was ready to faint. Dog ran over to her and grabbed her around the waist.
“Rose, where have you been?” Dog asked in a concerned voice. “Come here and sit down.”
He led her to a table where he sat down next to her and held her hands.
“What’s going on Rose?”
“I did something,” she whispered.
“What did you do Rose?”
“I killed Zane.”
Dog looked at her not sure whether to believe her or not. He knew Alice had given her some drugs for the pain a day ago, but he wasn’t sure if she was still on them or not.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
“Let’s go back to the warehouse where we’ll have more privacy.”
She followed him out the door from the Tavern and into the warehouse.
“What do you mean you killed Zane Rose?”
“Just what I said. I killed him and three of his men for what they did to me.”
Dog was still trying to wrap his brain around what she was telling him. She seemed lucid, not spaced out, but strangely calm.
“I don’t understand Rose, how could you have killed Zane and three of his men?”
“With the guns and ammo I found here in the warehouse. Here, I’ll show you,” she said as she walked towards the back of the warehouse where the box of guns lay. Dog followed her as she led him to the rear of the warehouse. He looked at the opened wood box with the tarp laid to the side.
“I took the guns from here and the ammo from over there,” she said pointing towards another box. Dog looked dumbfounded. There was security on the warehouse along with an alarm. But the club never thought that one of their own would partake of the weapons hidden there.
“Where are the guns now Rose?”
“In my car. I also have Zane’s gun.”
Dog grabbed Rose’s hand and walked to the parking lot. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight again.
He looked inside her vehicle and sure enough, there laid three guns. Two of them were from the warehouse, and the other was a .45.
“Fuck me,” Dog said. He grabbed the guns and led Rose back into the warehouse.
“I need to call Eli,” he said.
****
“What the hell Carl?” Lexi was so startled to see the disheveled man she didn’t hold back. “What is wrong with you?”
“I wanted to go over the reports with you,” he slurred. He burst by Lexi into the house.
“Well gee, come on in then,” Lexi said with a sarcastic tone.
“Sit down while I go change.”
“Do you have anything to drink?” Carl asked as he plopped down on the sofa.
“I think you’ve had quite enough,” Lexi yelled from the bedroom. “How did you get here? You didn’t drive did you?”
“Of course not. I took a cab.”
“How did you know where I lived?” Lexi asked as she pulled on an oversized t-shirt along with her jeans.
“Company records.”
Shit! Yep that’s how he got it Lexi thought.
Lexi walked out of the bedroom and confronted Carl.
“You’re drunk. There’s no way we can go through the reports with you like this.”
“We could find something else to occupy our time,” Carl said with a devilish grin.
“In your dreams Carl. I’m calling you another cab,” Lexi said as she reached for the phone.
“No, not yet,” Carl pleaded. “Sit down and let’s talk. I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot and I want to work things out.” He talked slow and slurred his words making it difficult to make out what he was saying, but Lexi got the gist of it. She was afraid he’d pass out any minute and she didn’t want that.
“How about I make a pot of coffee and we can talk?” Lexi thought it would sober him up enough to get him out before Eli came.
“Okay,” he muttered.
Lexi headed into the kitchen to put on the coffee.
Chapter Nineteen
Eli, Blaze and the other club members took a break at a rest area on their ride back to Chancey’s Tavern. They sat on the picnic tables smoking a cigarette.
“So how is Lexi?” Blaze asked. “Alice really likes her and I don’t want my old lady warming up to someone who won’t last long. Then I have to deal with her bitchiness because she lost a friend due to your fucking whims.”
Eli laughed. “Yeah, I know. But this time feels different. Lexi’s different. Smart, beautiful, sexy. She’s everything I want. I just don’t want to fuck it up, and with all that’s happened since I met her it’s a wonder she hasn’t run off screaming.”
“True,” Blaze said. “Maybe she’s tougher than you think.”
“I’m supposed to meet her at her house later. I want to talk to her about moving in together.”
“Then you better get going,” Blaze said.
“Don’t you need me back at the club?”
“Hell no. We can take it from here. Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Eli said. He stamped out his cigarette and jumped on his bike roaring off down the road.
After another minute had passed Blaze yelled to the other members.
“Better get a move on.”
Suddenly his cell phone rang.
He looked at the screen. It said Dog Breath.
“Yeah,” Blaze said as he answered the phone.
“Where’s Eli? I just tried him and got no answer,” Dog said.
“He just left for Lexi’s. What’s up?”
“We’ve got a problem. Rose killed Zane and three of his men.”
“What? Fuck! Why can’t anyone just lay low for two fucking minutes?” Blaze was furious and concerned at the same time. “Is she alright?”
“Yeah, she’s right here with me in the warehouse.”
“Don’t let her out of your sight. We’re coming right now.”
“What about Eli?”
“I can’t reach him while he’s riding and I’m not going to leave a message. Let me get there and we’ll access the situation.”
“We’ll be here.”
Blaze hung up the phone and looked at the others.
“We’ve got a situation---again.” With that, they hightailed it down the freeway.
****
Lexi handed Carl a steaming cup of coffee. She had made him come into the kitchen and sit at the table so he wouldn’t spill the coffee on her sofa. He sat holding the mug with both hands and taking small sips.
“Once you’re sober enough I’ll call a cab and you can go. We’ll talk about the reports tomorrow at the restaurant,” Lexi said.
“You’re the reason I got drunk,” Carl said not looking at her.
Lexi was startled. Huh?
“What, I
forced you to drink? You did that all on your own cowboy.” Lexi was getting fed up.
“After you left they demoted me,” Carl responded. “It was never said out loud, but the word around the office was you wanted relocated because of me and some bullshit story about me hitting on you. So the powers that be decided to demote me.”
“Carl, you brought everything that happened to you on yourself. Don’t try to deflect anything on me. You knew what you were doing was inappropriate, but you didn’t care. You didn’t think you could be touched. Actually you ought to be glad I didn’t file a sexual harassment suit against you.”
Lexi was finally glad she said it. Now it was out in the open, not hidden like some slimy secret. Carl turned his head to look at her. His eyes no longer looked dull from alcohol. In fact, they looked glassy and dead. Lexi didn’t like the look at all.
“I’m going to call you a cab.” She started to rise from her chair opposite Carl when he reached out suddenly and grabbed her arm.
“You bitch! You think you can talk to me like that? I think someone needs to teach you a lesson.” He flung his coffee on her t-shirt, although he was aiming for her face. Luckily, the liquid had cooled considerably since she poured it from the pot.
“Let go of me you ape!” Lexi tried pulling her arm from his grasp, but he held on tight. Although he was drunk, Carl still had the strength afforded to an overweight middle-aged man. He rounded the corner of the table where Lexi promptly hit him across the face with her free hand.
The face blow startled Carl and he momentarily relaxed his grip on her arm, allowing her to wrench free. She took off towards the front door to get away from him, but he grabbed her around the waist and threw her to the floor where he got on top of her. It wasn’t that he was so strong, but rather so fat that it was difficult for Lexi to get him off her. She slapped at him until he was able to grab her wrists and put them over her head.
Lexi couldn’t believe what was happening.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she yelled. “Get off me you big buffoon!”
She should have been scared, but Lexi was more angry than frightened.
At that moment, Eli walked through the door.
“Eli!” Lexi yelled.
Before Carl could react, Eli pulled him off Lexi, threw him on the sofa, and pointed a gun barrel at his right eye.
“What the fuck is going on here!”
“Eli, calm down,” Lexi said as she stood up from the floor.
“I ought to kill you, you son of a bitch!”
“Eli, I’m okay.”
“Well he won’t be!”
“Please Eli, just put the gun away.”
“Yes please do as she says,” Carl squeaked.
“YOU don’t talk!! You got that?!” Eli yelled two inches from Carl’s face.
Carl shut his eyes and nodded.
Lexi grabbed Eli’s shoulders to pull him away from Carl.
“Eli, I’m fine. Just put the gun away,” Lexi pleaded.
Eli looked at Lexi. He stood straight up and put the gun in the back of his jeans.
“Okay, tell me what’s going on here.”
“Well, this oaf is Carl Richards, my boss.” Eli did a double take.
“Yes, my boss. He was sent here to go over my reports with me but instead got drunk and came to my home. Then he got mad because I called him out on a few things and decided to get---well, that’s when you arrived.”
“I’m sorry Lexi, I’m drunk--I don’t know what I’m doing.” Carl pleaded.
“I thought I told you to stay quiet!” Eli shouted. Carl turned his head and closed his eyes again.
“Listen! Both of you!” Lexi shouted. “First my love, please calm down.” Eli stepped back from Carl but kept a watchful eye on him.
“Second, Carl I want you to leave, walk back to your hotel for all I care. But once you’re back there I want you to call corporate and tell them you’re resigning.”
“What?!” Eli took a step and Carl shut up.
“You heard me, you’re resigning. I don’t ever want to see or hear from you again.”
“But I can’t afford to quit.”
“You can’t afford not to Carl! Because if you don’t quit, I’m going to file assault charges and a sexual harassment suit and even if I fail at winning any of that, everyone will still think you’re a pervert. Spectrum Inc. will fire you and no one else will touch you. Besides, my boyfriend here will kick your mother fucking ass!”
Carl peered over at Eli who nodded his head.
“Okay--okay, just give me a chance to write a resignation letter. I don’t think I can do it tonight,” Carl pleaded. “I will tomorrow and then fax it in.”
“Fine by me,” Lexi answered. “But if you don’t, my boyfriend and his friends will hunt you done. You got that?”
“Yes, loud and clear.”
“Now get out of here before I change my mind about the ass kicking,” Lexi said.
Carl looked towards Eli. “Yeah, get out of here.”
Carl stood up and backed over to the front door. He opened it and walked backwards through it, all the while watching Lexi and Eli. Then he promptly fell backwards down the front stoop.
Lexi burst out laughing as they watched Carl get up and scamper away.
“Do you think he’ll do as you told him?” Eli asked.
“Yes I do. He’s a coward and your presence scared the shit out of him. He won’t be back and he knows I’ll be checking up on his resignation.”
Lexi walked over to Eli and put her arms around his shoulders. “My hero,” she said with a smile.
“I’m just glad I got here when I did.”
“How about I pay you back. Maybe we could take a shower together. I especially need one after getting soaked with cold coffee.”
“I was wondering what happened.”
“Don’t ask.”
“Alright,” Eli said as he pulled off his t-shirt. “We’ve got better things to do.”
Lexi giggled as he chased her to the bathroom.
Chapter Twenty
When Blaze and the others arrived, Dog, Rose and Alice were in the meeting room. Blaze had called Alice at home and told her to meet him there. Once she got there, Dog proceeded to tell her about Rose’s latest adventure. Alice examined Rose’s wounds, cleaned them and then put more bandages over her cheeks.
Blaze walked into the meeting room and sat down.
“First of all I’m not going to yell at you Rose for doing what you did, because I get it. What they did to you was unthinkable. But now we have to figure out how this is all going to shake out. Are you sure you killed Zane?”
“Yes,” Rose answered. “I’m positive. He told me he was the one that sliced me.”
“You talked to him?” Blaze asked incredulously.
“Yeah, after I shot him in the lung.”
Blaze sat back in his chair. “Okaaay.” Maybe we should patch her in he thought.
“Do you know who the others were? I mean could you tell if it was his VP or not?”
“No, I didn’t stay around long enough to look at their cuts or patches.”
“How about the bikes outside. Did you get a look at those?”
“That’s how I knew Zane was in there. I saw his bike.” Rose was as cool as a cucumber.
“Did you notice the other bikes then? Did one have a flying hound on the side?”
Rose thought for a second and then said, “Yes, I do remember the dog on one of the bikes.”
“YES!” Blaze exclaimed. “Don’t get me wrong Rose. I don’t ever, and I mean EVER want you to do something so damn stupid again. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Rose said as she looked at the floor.
Blaze felt sorry for her. The cuts on her face were enough punishment without him being gruff with her. He got up from his chair, walked over, and gave her a hug.
“Will you go home with Alice now so we can take care of you?”
Rose peered up at Blaze with tears i
n her eyes. “Yes.”
Dog led her to the back office to gather some of her things.
Blaze looked at Alice. “Can you believe she did that?”
“In a way--yes,” Alice answered. “Now what?”
“I think she just cut off the head of the snake. Hopefully the rest of the body, or club, just withers away and dies,” Blaze said.
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