Lethal

by Robbins, Cassandra

  “Want who?”

  I spin toward the door and gasp out “Holy shit you scared me.”

  Dewey smiles and stands in the kitchen—a grown man with happy child eyes.

  “Dewey! You can’t let yourself in like that. You scared me.”

  He looks confused. “But I texted you and you didn’t come.” He shakes his head. “It’s my job to watch over you.”

  I grit my teeth at the reminder that he’s right. Jason doesn’t trust me. Not I that I can blame him. I’m all over the place in the emotions department right now.

  “Well, next time knock.” I wave my hand at the door.

  “Sorry. I was worried.” His brown eyes are sincere. And again, I have that sensation that’s hard to express, almost like… compassion or responsibility. I don’t know, but I hate it so I push it away.

  He nods and holds the door open as I step outside. I look back and have to glance away before I steal Dewey’s keys. I’ll have my own set soon enough. That’s if I play my cards right.

  “Are you hungry? I’m supposed to make sure you eat.” He opens up the Tahoe door for me.

  “Actually, I’m starving. Why don’t we go to that bagel shop over by Dolly’s salon and I can get my dad some bagels.”

  “Um, that’s kind of the wrong direction.”

  “I know, but I should probably stop by and see Dolly anyway. You know how I need to stay waxed and all that.”

  Dewey’s face turns red as he clears his voice. “Prez said to feed you and take you to your dad’s but… I guess a bagel is food.”

  I bite back a smile. Like tampons, anything to do with the vagina makes men stupid. “Sorry, Dewey. I’m only trying to keep Blade happy.”

  He coughs into his shoulder and cracks his neck like Jason does.

  “Hey, no problem.” He pushes the button for the window to go down and turns on the radio. I almost groan out loud at the country music he seems to love. Instead, I look at the narrow street and its incredible houses. I’m fascinated at all this. Jason has a house in a neighborhood that appears to be wealthy. People are jogging and walking their dogs.

  “How long has Jason had this place?”

  He shrugs and keeps his eyes on the road. I always forget that Dewey needs to focus way harder than most. I’m beginning to recognize the shops and restaurants on Ventura Boulevard. We pass a huge CVS and I almost scream for him to stop. But come on, I need to be thinking about diamonds, not hand lotion. Speaking of diamonds, there’s a pawn shop across the street from Dolly’s place. Not that it does me any good. Pawn shops are filled with cameras and everything is locked up with super thick glass. Yeah, the way you can rip them off is if you take a hammer and smash the glass. Grab whatever you can, praying you don’t get shot. I don’t work that way. The guy who ran the fun house at the carnival had a son who did that. He took a long wrench and tried to rob a pawn shop in Arizona. He’s still in jail I think. Anyway it’s desperate, sloppy, and stupid. I’m not stupid.

  “So, do you want a plain bagel? Might be good for you and your dad’s stomachs? You always get the everything bagel and I don’t know…” Dewey has parked the car and is preparing to get out.

  “Oh, um.” Jesus, how long have I been in my head? I had no idea he even stopped.

  “Yes, plain bagels.” I hop out and head over to Dolly’s salon, calling over my shoulder, “And something sweet if they have it. My dad loves anything sweet.”

  He nods and looks at his boots as he shuffles to the bagel shop. This is it. Holy shit, I’m free. Adrenaline pumps through me all the way to my fingertips and I have to breathe for a second. It’s been way too long. I’m not Eve anymore. I’m a dirty-haired blond girl who used to be able to pick people’s pockets in seconds. I turn and make sure I’m alone and enter a small boutique. Incense hits me as soon as I enter and a small bell alerts that I’m here. A woman in her late forties sits behind the desk on the phone as I nod and quickly scan the place for cameras. I find one pointing toward the shop. God, it’s almost too easy. Like stealing candy from a baby.

  I brazenly walk over to the racks of actually pretty dresses and start to grab a bunch. I hear the woman say she has a customer and has to go.

  I’m making my way over to the jacket section when I hear her say, “Can I put all of that in a room for you?” Her eyes are sharp and alert and I smile my sweet smile.

  “Yes.” I dump my pile into her outstretched arms and watch as she turns and walks over to a tall, amber-colored curtain. I guess that’s the changing room? Whatever. I don’t have time to ponder. I reach over and take a couple rings sitting on the counter. It’s actually a cool-looking display with different-colored sand. The rings are placed in the sand or on a black lava rock.

  “Thanks.” I wander over to the curtain noticing how the wood floor has flowers painted on it.

  “If you need anything else let me know. Maybe a belt to go with the dresses?”

  She needs to dye her hair. Now that I’m up close to her, it’s dark brown with an inch of gray roots. I almost tell her that she should go see Dolly or Doug, but then that would be horribly rude. Also, I’m pressing it on time here. If there’s a line at the bagel place, I probably have a few more minutes. If not, Dewey is going to panic if I’m not at Dolly’s. Shutting the curtains with a swift whoosh, I get to business, grab my phone, and go to settings and ringtones, pick the opening tone and let it ring. And it’s on… “Hello… Wait, what? I can’t hear you. Great. I’m shopping. What about Dad? Oh shit, okay calm down. I’ll be there soon.” The whole time I’m having this fake conversation I’m wishing I had more time to try this stuff on. Some of it is super cute, but I don’t, so I stuff black overalls that are ridiculously priced at $399 and a cut white T-shirt to go with them in my bag. Now here’s the deal. I can’t see any device on them, which leads me to believe she is relying on the mirrors and camera. Or they are sewn in and she deactivates them at the check-out. Whatever. I’m not sticking around long enough to figure it out. Actually, judging from her hair, Dolly’s salon is the perfect place to hide. I smile as I slip the rings on my fingers, the clothes safely in my bag, and step out looking every inch the distraught girl that I am.

  “Oh my God, here.” I dump the pile of clothes on her glass counter. Looking her in the eye I say, “My sister said my dad fell. I’ll be back. I love your stuff,” I say, waving my hand with her rings on my fingers. She nods. “Of course. I hope all is well, dear.”

  This is it… my blood is pumping. I’m so charged that I sense every little sound and smell. It’s alive and tingly and I don’t want this feeling to end. Reaching for the door, I step out and the alarm goes off. I turn and look at the woman, rolling my eyes like it’s her fault.

  “Listen, sorry, but I have to go. Jesus, I didn’t even buy anything. Is that thing going off on me?” I’m completely playing dumb.

  My eyes start to fill with tears. “What? God can this day get any worse?” I lift up my hands and start walking. She doesn’t follow and I make myself not run. The adrenaline is flowing through my bloodstream like hot lava runs down a volcano. Breathe, Eve. I stop and wait for a large black SUV to turn but it doesn’t. Instead it pulls up in front of me.

  “Christ!” I almost pound on the hood. The doors open and out steps some Hispanic guy.

  “Eve Smith?” I look at the man. He’s in a dark suit and all of a sudden, my stomach lurches. The blood flows to my face and I close my eyes. Holy shit, I’ve been set up.

  BLADE/JASON

  “You okay, man?” I’m staring out the window. The morning gloom has burned off to a sunny day. The driveway is littered with Harleys, the chrome catching the sun perfectly to make me blink and turn away. I’m on edge. I don’t know if it’s the fight last night or Eve saying she loves me. The baby? I turn to stare at Axel. His blue eyes reflect concern. Besides one being black and purple he doesn’t look bad.

  “I’m fucked, I think.” My eyes take in our conference room. It has the usual shit going on. Drinking,
drugs, and arguing and I’m not in the mood for it today. “Everyone out but my officers,” I bark.

  The room goes quiet and I don’t turn to watch them murmur and leave.

  “Take it easy, Blade.” Axel looks at me then down at his phone, which is vibrating. “Shit,” he hisses, looks at me, then turns and answers. Time and noise stop. It’s the same thing that happened right before my dad and brother died. Everything stops, and I know the shit in my life is going to come crashing down on me. I blink as I watch Axel talk animatedly into the phone, then look over to Ryder. My enforcer, the rock of my club, looks as though he might burst into tears.

  “Get me our lawyers.” I say this without even hearing what’s happening, but I don’t need to.

  “On it.” His fingers are already tapping at his screen.

  “Stay there. Ox is on his way,” Axel shouts into the phone and I wait to hear what I know is going to be the game changer.

  He looks up. “Eve got picked up by the Feds for shoplifting.” He rubs the back of his neck. “She won’t talk, right?” Which is code for do you want me to put a fucking bullet in her head? Because we don’t allow traitors and we certainly don’t need any more shit.

  “I take it by the look you are giving me that’s a no,” he says.

  I breathe in and out and look at my brothers. “This is my woman. She’s my responsibility. I need you guys to protect her.” All of them nod, their eyes trained on me.

  Ryder looks up from his phone. “Rodney is on his way to Burbank PD.”

  Phones are vibrating as texts are coming in. “We’re on lockdown. Everything that happens does not leave this room. Fuck.” My phone vibrates as I look down to see Doc’s number come up. I roll my neck and prepare myself.

  “What?” I snarl because he’s the cause of all this heat. And now I have to protect Eve, all because his wife’s a fucking junkie and he’s worthless. Rage takes over my brain and for a few moments, I don’t comprehend that it’s not Doc speaking but a woman. She’s screeching and weeping on the end of the wire.

  “Sandy?” I reach for my blade and stab the wooden table. “You’re going to have to stop that crying,” I command.

  “You did this, Blade! It’s all your fault… If you would… If he could have made the drug… this wouldn’t have happened. He would have left us alone.” Her sobbing and slurring words are almost hard for even me to understand and I’m a god damn pro dealing with drug addicts.

  “Sandy, what the fuck are you talking about?” I look down at my forearm. It’s covered in goose bumps as I stab the table again. This time, the force is so great a bottle smashes to the floor.

  “Um… I think he needs an ambulance… Doc?” She’s gone into sounding like a child. “He can’t be… did you kill him?”

  My pulse beats in my temples. “Who are you talking to?” Her breathing is labored and I definitely hear a man in the background. “Sandy? Is that Doc?” I scream into the phone, but it’s eerily silent.

  “Fuck.” Looking around the room, I see all my guys are ready, eyes alert. I push on Doc’s name, but it goes straight to voice mail. “Christ! Something’s gone down with Doc and Sandy.” I breathe out before I look up.

  “She killed him, right?” Edge speaks as he pockets his phone and checks his Glock. He looks up, eyes eerily calm, quiet, deadly. It’s one of his strong suits. Edge never loses it.

  “I have no idea… It sounded like someone is with her. Jesus Christ.” I look at Axel who is pale and anything but calm. “Axel, you come with me and Ox to get Eve.”

  I look straight at Edge. “Go take care of it.” He nods. “Ryder go with… if it’s out of control…”

  “We got this.” Ryder goes to the safe and hands Edge another Glock along with a bunch of bullets and another two burner phones.

  I look down at my phone and hear my teeth grinding. “Talk to me, Roddy. This day has been nothing but fucked. Tell me my girl is safe.” I motion for Axel and Ox to move.

  An unsettling foreboding is pumping through my blood like venom from a snakebite. Axel barks orders to the guys playing pool as we pass and Ox beeps open the Tahoe.

  There’s static and then Rodney’s voice. “Stay calm, Jason. I’m here and Eve is with me. I got here in time. They haven’t interrogated her yet. They tried but she said nothing.” The breath that I’ve been holding for hours slowly slips out.

  “According to one of the cops, she was mute except to ask for water.”

  Slamming the Tahoe door shut, I nod at Ox to start driving. “I’m on my way.”

  “Don’t come in, Jason. I will call you when we I have her released.”

  “I’m not stupid, Rodney,” I snap, getting ready to go off on him. Instead I need him, so I swallow back my scathing remarks. “I know not to come. We’ll wait for her outside.”

  “Hold, please.” If all this wasn’t so morbid I would laugh at my lawyer’s polite manners. He’s mumbling something to someone.

  “Sorry, Jason, they are being difficult, saying that the clothing she happened to accidentally have in her bag is reason enough to hold her. I’ve informed them that the outfit was planted and she has no priors. So please, one thing at a time. Let me take care of Eve.” He hangs up. The line goes dead and I look down at my fists, which are red and swollen from last night and also because I’ve been clenching them so tight they actually ache.

  “Axel?” I know I’m snarling but I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen that I might not ever recover from. “When was the last time you saw Doc?”

  He says nothing and stares out the window.

  “Brother, I need you now. Shit’s going down.”

  He turns and I lower my head into my hands. “What? What happened to make you look like this?” Rubbing my face, I lean back and wait for my best friend to speak his sins.

  “Doc came by last night… late after you left. He was nervous and acting paranoid.” He laughs as he glances out the window. “He wanted money, said someone was after Sandy and that he would pay me back as soon as he started cooking again.”

  I take a deep breath and let it out. “Did you tell him that we had voted on not dealing anymore?”

  Axel looks over at me then down at my phone, which is vibrating in my hand.

  “Talk to me, Ryder,” I grit, trying to fit all the shitty pieces together before he tells me what we already know.

  Loud sirens are in the background. “Hold on a second. Let me move around to the back of this shithole. Fuck it stinks out here.” The sirens fade and Ryder’s voice is loud and clear.

  “Yeah, he’s dead, Prez. And there is no sign of Sandy.”

  My eyes travel to the window as we speed through the streets of Burbank and I digest the news. Because even though I knew he was going to say that… I mean, the phone call with Sandy was obvious, but this… this confirms that my childhood friend has either been murdered or died of a drug overdose. Either way, he’s dead and his batshit crazy wife is wandering the streets, high, paranoid, and insane.

  “Do you know what happened?”

  “He’s been dead for hours, long before Sandy called. The place is a fucking sty man. They were into some serious shit.”

  “Jesus,” Axel groans as he leans his dark head back on the leather seat.

  “I take it the cops are there?” Realizing that we’ve stopped, I notice Ox has parked us so that we can see the entrance of the police department. He takes off his sunglasses to rub his eyes. Doc was a brother. He might have been a snitch, but first he was a brother.

  “Yeah, it’s taped off, but Agent Deckard sends his best and he let me identify the body.”

  I release the air I was holding because I have no idea what the fuck Doc had in that shithole he was living in.

  “The cops had already gone through the place, right?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think he had anything but drugs. It looked like he was trying to buy stuff to cook up some shit. But he must have died beforehand. Fuck, Prez, they were hardcore
.” Ryder’s voice is filled with anger.

  “Get the fuck out of there. I’ll meet you back at the clubhouse.”

  “You got it, Prez.”

  “And Ryder, try to find Sandy before she does anything crazy. All this shit is connected.”

  He sighs. “Whoever Sandy is with either killed him, or both of them are too high to care.”

  “That makes her dangerous. Get Edge and find her.” I hang up because Rodney is buzzing in.

  I look over at Axel who is packing his small black pipe full of weed. The flick of the lighter and his deep inhale makes me push the button for the window to go down and allow some air in as the thick, pungent smoke clings to the back seat.

  “Roddy, talk to me? We ready?”

  A loud sigh comes through the phone. “Yes. They are releasing her. Of course she needs to see the judge but… out of the blue, she can go.”

  I can tell by Rodney’s tone he is not happy. “What’s your concern?” I ask, leaning forward and glancing around the parking lot.

  “Well, ten minutes ago, they were trying to find any way to get her to talk and keep her, then out of the blue they say she can go? Anything I need to know?”

  “I’ll tell you later. I’m waiting outside.” I reach for my cigarettes.

  “Give us ten minutes or so.” He hangs up and I light up, blowing the smoke in the air.

  “Axel? What the fuck, man? It can’t be that much of a shock that Sandy finally killed Doc or someone else took him out. For all we know he could have OD’d. Ryder said the place was crawling with drugs.”

  He sighs and opens his passenger door. “He asked me for help, Blade. He flat-out asked me to get him and Sandy help. And I blew him off because I was sure he was setting me up… us up.” He steps out and looks down at me, his blue eyes swimming with tears. “And now he’s dead and I feel like shit.” He slams the door and walks in the opposite direction from the station.

  Ox clears his throat and looks back at me. “Let him walk it off, Prez. He’ll be fine.”