“Smithie…”
His hand went up.
“No fuckin’ discussion. I’m keepin’ an eye on you.” Then he dropped my wrist and moved away.
Wonderful.
The night stayed busy and as peaceful as a night could be at a strip joint. Indy, Ally, Daisy, Tod and Stevie called in a steady round of drinks, were nearing three sheets to the wind and frequent bursts of laughter could be heard from their table. They were more entertainment for the customers; even fully clothed, Indy, Ally and Daisy weren’t hard to look at.
It was nearing closing when I dropped a round of drinks on a table at the farthest edge of the stage. I’d never liked that corner, even when my life wasn’t chaos. It was shadowy and always seemed somehow disconnected from the club.
I turned and nearly ran right into Vince Fratelli.
I froze, my heart stopped and I looked up at him.
“I been watchin’, know you have a bodyguard and I know you have Chavez’s protection,” he said, his eyes hard. “There’ll be a time when you aren’t protected and I want you to know, come that time, I’ll be there.”
My heart started pounding and my eyes flew beyond his shoulder. Richie was close but he wasn’t paying attention, he was watching Indy’s table.
“Look at me when I’m talkin’ to you, bitch.”
My eyes went back to Vince and fear closed my throat at his tone.
“Been spendin’ my time thinkin’ about what to do to you. You think you’re safe: Chavez’s piece. You should know, Marcus and Chavez, they hate each other. Marcus’ll give me a bonus; I fuck with you, no matter what Daisy says. Anything to stick it to Chavez. Anything. Even war with Nightingale.”
I was rooted to the spot.
I wanted to run, to scream, but my body wasn’t functioning.
My mind had totally shut down.
“All fours,” he said, leaning into me, “I’m gonna do you doggie-style and you’re gonna beg for it, even if I have to put a gun to your head.”
I thought, for a second, I would faint but then he was gone. Just as quickly as he came, he melted into the crowd and disappeared. I leaned against the wall, hugged my tray to my chest and took deep breaths to try to calm down.
This was now officially out of hand.
I wanted to tell someone, I wanted someone to protect me, to make me safe.
I didn’t know Eddie that well but I was getting to know him real quick. I had a feeling that if I told him that hot-blooded streak would come out and he’d lose his ever-lovin’ mind. If I told Smithie, I’d be going on “vacation” and I couldn’t afford vacation. If I told Indy, she’d tell Lee and he’d tell Eddie and war would break out. I wasn’t sure I knew what war meant but war was war and I didn’t want Eddie or Lee involved in any type of war, especially not because of me.
Even in a packed strip club I’d never felt so alone and scared. Never in my whole life.
My mind re-engaged when I saw Tanya, walking funny, with a man I’d never seen close to her back. She was heading toward the dancer’s hall, where their dressing room was. The waitresses rarely went back there during shift and the customers never went back there.
I looked closely and saw he had a gun held to her back.
Oh… dear… Lord.
What now?
For some reason, I didn’t think I just acted. I didn’t want to bring attention to Tanya and the guy and I didn’t want to waste any time. I had to admit I hoped Richie would follow me. It was his job, even though he’d never been really good at it.
As quickly as I could, I followed them, straight to the dancer’s dressing room.
I heard the guy say, “Out.” And before I entered the room, the dancers were hustling out, faces pale, jostling me.
“Tell Smithie,” I whispered to JoJo as she passed. She nodded.
I entered the room, trying to be calm and casual.
“Hey Tanya, what’s up? Table ten is asking for drinks.”
Tanya’s face was a mask of terror and my stomach lurched at the sight.
The guy’s head turned to her. “Tanya?” he asked, “I thought you were Jet.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
And it was a multi f-word moment, let me tell you.
I said, “I’m Jet.” At the same time Tanya yelled, “Don’t!”
The guy turned to me. He was white, tall, brown-haired and had an ugly scar running from the corner of his mouth down to his jaw. My heart was hammering in my chest but it tripped and faltered when he turned the gun to me.
“Leavin’ a message for Ray,” he said to me. “Steal from me, somebody pays. That’d be you.”
Then, without hesitation, he fired.
My luck took a turn and he missed. I dove to the side, my tray flying in the opposite direction.
Tanya pulled free and dove to the side too.
I did my tuck and roll as shots rang out. Then I stood, my mind a blur except for the fact that I was pissed, right the hell, off.
I mean, really.
Enough was enough.
I charged him, bent double and hit him in the belly with my shoulder. We both went down, me grappling for the gun.
Another shot was fired and I vaguely sensed activity in the room.
Soon, I was joined by others, wrestling, a pack of arms and legs and lots and lots of nails.
JoJo had joined the tangle, wearing nothing but a g-string, the pasties long gone. Tanya was there too, obviously feeling the need to get hers back. A couple of other strippers jumped into the fray, the gun was wrenched free and we ended up with me straddling the guy’s stomach, my hands pushing down his shoulders. JoJo had her knees on one of his wrists, Tanya holding down the other arm with both hands and Meena, another stripper, was laying flat out on both of his thighs.
We didn’t have to hold him down, Indy was there and had gotten hold of the gun and was pointing it at him, looking seriously badass and like she knew her way around a gun.
“Don’t fucking move,” Indy clipped.
I turned from Indy to the guy.
“What the fuck!” I shouted in his face.
He spat at me. Luckily, this too missed and the spittle just went up in the air and then landed right on his cheek.
“Talk or I swear to God I’ll strangle you to death. What’s this all about?” I snapped.
I was not a woman on the edge, I was a woman who’d been pushed off the edge and was in free fall.
I moved my hands in order to wrap them around his neck when I was hauled off him. I fought it, kicking and growling as Richie and another couple of bouncers picked him up and shoved him with a thud, face first against the wall, kicking his legs out wide and patting him down.
“Cool it,” Smithie said in my ear, his arm around my belly, pulling me out the door.
I saw Ally, Daisy, Tod and Stevie. They were all standing close to the door and staring at me. Tod and Stevie with world-weary but concerned expressions. Daisy and Ally looked nearly as pissed off as me.
Smithie firmly but gently pushed me against the wall in the dancers’ hallway and got up close. I was still struggling to get back to the bad guy.
“Settle, child, it’s over,” he said in a gentle voice.
His gentle voice hit me and I stopped struggling, the fight just left me.
“Smithie! What the hell was that? I thought your girls had protection,” Daisy was there, hands on hips, attitude crackling, Indy and Ally flanking her like honor guards.
I saw a bartender escorting two police officers down the hall, one of them Ally’s boyfriend Carl and all of them were moving at a jog. They went into the dressing room.
Smithie ignored Daisy and turned to me, “You’re officially on vacation.”
“What’s goin’ on here? Do I need to call Marcus?” Daisy, not used to being ignored, threatened.
“Fuck no,” Smithie said. “It’s taken care of. Tonight, Jet’s goin’ on vacation.”
“What kind of trouble do you have???
? Daisy asked me.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall.
When I opened them, I looked at Indy, “He said Dad stole from him.”
Indy’s eyes flared.
Daisy was on a roll and when she started speaking, my eyes went to her.
“No one fucks with a Smithie’s Girl. No one. This is outrageous. Sugar, I’m talkin’ to Marcus. We’re just goin’ to see about this.”
“Please, no…” I said to her, “don’t talk to Marcus.”
Marcus meant Vince. I didn’t want anything to do with either one of them and I certainly didn’t want to owe one a favor while the other one was planning to rape me.
Something changed in the air, something stronger and even scarier than Daisy’s attitude. I looked to my left and saw Eddie coming toward us.
Serious uh-oh.
He held his body in a way that was controlled but clearly hostile. His eyes were glittery and he’d gone so passed pissed off that he had rocketed straight into fury. Before he could open his mouth to say a word, though, Smithie moved. For a big man, he was lightning-quick.
Richie had walked into the hall. In the blink of an eye, Smithie had Richie by the arm and he slammed him against the wall, his hand leaving Richie’s arm and he planted it at his throat.
“I thought I fuckin’ told you, not five feet away from her!” he shouted in Richie’s face.
Richie stared up at Smithie and opened his mouth to speak. Smithie didn’t let him.
“You pay more attention to what’s happenin’ on the fuckin’ stage and not to their protection. The girls on the floor ain’t job satisfaction eye-candy, motherfucker. You’re there to keep ‘em safe. You’re fuckin’ fired. I don’t want to see your sorry ass anywhere near my place again. You got me?” Smithie warned.
Richie looked at me, eyes full of angry blame. Then he nodded to Smithie.
Wonderful. Another enemy.
I opened my mouth to protest and defend, not because Richie was a good bouncer, he wasn’t. Smithie was right, he was there for the jollies, being a big man bouncer at a titty bar and ogling the girls. But I didn’t want someone else after me.
I didn’t get to say anything because Eddie stepped in.
“Look at me,” he demanded to Richie, forcing Smithie out and getting smack into Richie’s space. Eddie didn’t need to hold him where he was physically, his wrath was enough to keep Richie pinned to the wall.
When Richie’s eyes turned to him, Eddie said, “Don’t even fuckin’ think about it.”
Richie stared at Eddie, his face changed and if he’d wet his pants, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Then again, Richie had been there the night Eddie took care of Bachelor Number One and Eddie wasn’t nearly as furious then as he was now.
Eddie turned to me as I noticed Lee and Carl materialize behind Indy and Ally. I didn’t have a chance to react as Eddie’s hand curled around my arm.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“No way.” Smithie stepped in our way. “Jet’s takin’ a vacation. She ain’t safe and you ain’t keepin’ her safe so she’s gonna disappear until this shit blows over.”
Eddie, already tense, froze rock solid.
“I’m sorry?” he said in his quiet voice, “I thought she got shot at on your watch.”
An uncomfortable look passed Smithie’s face.
Eddie kept talking.
“Find another waitress. This was Jet’s last night.”
It was my turn to freeze rock solid.
“What?” I said to Eddie.
Eddie didn’t answer me.
“Let’s go,” he repeated.
“I don’t think so,” I yelled, “I need this job.”
“You’ll be taken care of,” Eddie said, like it was as easy as that, and began to pull me away.
I yanked my arm out of his hold.
“Yeah? Is that so? You gonna pay for Mom’s therapy? The rent on a disabled-accessible apartment? Her follow-up MRI? You don’t have any fucking clue, do you? This isn’t as easy as a couple bags of groceries and fixing a stupid car. This shit is relentless, this shit is my life,” I shouted.
Everyone was staring at me and I didn’t care. I turned to Smithie.
“Am I fired?” I asked for the millionth time.
He shook his head, his face still held anger but it was softening.
“You ain’t fired, child, but you ain’t comin’ back either. You’re not safe here. I’ll hold your job open until you can come back and not get shot at.”
My world, already spinning out of control, tilted and I could swear I was going to fall off. There was absolutely nothing to hold on to.
So I held on to the only thing I ever had.
I squared my shoulders.
I hadn’t been in worse spots than this, it was true, but I had also always made my own way.
I’d do it again.
Somehow.
“Fine,” I snapped and walked away from Eddie, right by Smithie and through Daisy, Indy, Ally, Lee, Carl, Tod and Stevie and a dozen dancers, bouncers and waitresses.
Fuck it.
Fuck it all.
I walked into the club and behind the bar, grabbed my purse and coat, pulled my cell out of my apron and handed the apron to the bartender.
“I’ll come back for my tips,” I said to him and walked to the front door.
Eddie was standing there. I didn’t look at him.
I had no idea where to go or what to do. The only thing I knew I wasn’t going to do was cry, even though I wanted to, really, really badly.
I hesitated when I got outside and Eddie grabbed my hand and pulled me to his truck. We got in, took off and rode to his house in complete silence. I should have protested but I didn’t have it in me. I was struggling for control of my emotions. I had a man with a knife after me, another man was planning on raping me and another man had shot at me. I had to pick my battles.
Eddie walked me into his kitchen and I slammed my purse on the counter then stood in the middle of the room while he closed the door.
He came at me but I skirted around him, walked back to the door and threw it open.
I leaned over and took off one of my stiletto-heeled pumps and threw it in the backyard and did the same with the other one. I closed the door and turned to Eddie.
He was staring at me, residual hostility still glittering in his eyes.
“I hate those shoes,” I told him.
I walked through the kitchen and into his bedroom and started to open and shut drawers, or more like, yanking open drawers and slamming them shut, looking for a t-shirt.
Eddie came in, gently tugged me away from my assault on his innocent dresser and started to pull me in his arms.
“No!” I wrenched free, “I need to go to bed. I need a t-shirt.”
I turned to the drawers. He pulled me back and into his arms, this time less gently and with more determination.
“Don’t, Eddie. I’m hanging on by a thread here,” I told his throat. If he held me, I’d lose it, I knew it.
“Why?”
My eyes lifted and I noticed his were guarded but the hostility was gone.
“Why what?”
“Why are you hangin’ on?”
I stared at him.
“I can’t let go,” I told him, thinking it was obvious.
“Jet, everyone has to let go.”
“Not me,” I replied.
His arms tightened and I tensed and pushed away. It didn’t get me far but I concentrated on the act anyway.
“Why not you?” he asked.
I didn’t answer. He shook me.
“Why not you?” he repeated.
The tears hit the back of my throat and I gulped them down.
“Jet,” he said.
I shook my head but answered.
“I can’t because there’s no one to catch me when I fall.”
His guard went down and his eyes warmed. He’d looked at me with warm eyes before but never like this, th
ey came complete with a look so tender it made my breath catch.
“Everyone’s got their hands out waitin’ for you to take one. Cariña, you gotta learn when to take someone’s hand before you fall.”
I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t take anymore. I put my forehead to his chest, slid my arms around his middle and relaxed into him. Then, I felt the tears roll down my cheeks.
He stood there, holding me and stroking my back for awhile. I had to admit, it felt good. Super good.
We both heard the doorbell go and Eddie said quietly, “That’ll be Jimmy.” He pulled a little away and looked down on me, “You gonna be okay?”
I wiped the tears away and nodded. He kissed my forehead and that felt good too.
We walked into the living room and Eddie let in Detective Marker. He greeted me, his eyes soft with concern. A handsome black man and a young-looking white guy, both in uniform, came in with Detective Marker. Eddie introduced them as Sergeant Willie Moses and Officer Brian Bond.
“Sorry, we have to ask you a few questions, while it’s fresh. It won’t take long.” Detective Marker explained.
I sat down on the couch and answered questions. Eddie stood by the couch for awhile, then I saw him motion with his chin to Willie, the black officer, and they both disappeared into the kitchen.
I kept answering questions but glanced into the kitchen every once in awhile.
Eddie and Willie were out of sight but once Eddie paced into the doorway, his cell to his ear, his other hand at his hip, then he went out of sight again.
“I think we’re done,” Detective Marker said. “You still got my card from last time?”
I nodded and so did he.
“Call me if you remember anything or something else happens,” I nodded again, “Chavez! I’m done,” Detective Marker called.
Eddie and Willie came in; I stood and Eddie saw them out the door. I watched out the window as Detective Marker drove off and Eddie, Willie and Brian stood on the sidewalk next to the squad car. Eddie was talking, Willie and Brian listening. Willie looked up to the house and said something to Eddie and Eddie looked too. I stayed at the window and kept watching. He disengaged from them with a low wave. I remained where I was as he came back in.