“You see, Jake,” the suit said, “this doesn’t work for me. I’m not going to stop by and clear out your register. I don’t want that filthy cash. I want clean cash. The good cash. You know how this works.”
“This is all I have,” Ava’s old man - Jake - said. “We had a bad turnout, okay? Ava was home, sick. You know that. You were here, Frank. You saw…”
The suit - Frank - swung the knuckle and smacked Jake hard. He fell to the floor, dropping the cash. Frank then started to kick Jake. Shit, it looked like a scene out of a mafia movie. Right here in my fucking town?
I stepped around a giant storage shelf and walked slowly, positioning myself behind Frank. I moved forward and took my fate into my hands. I smacked my gun to the base of Frank’s skull. He instantly fell forward, grabbing for his head. He tripped over Jake and went down to the ground.
He quickly turned and grabbed for a weapon. I jumped forward and dropped to one knee, putting my gun to his forehead.
“Touch the gun and I’ll spray your brains all over this back room,” I warned.
“Who the fuck are you?” Frank growled at me.
“You’re worst nightmare. Now tell me what the fuck is happening here.”
“Business,” he said. “And you better fuck off real soon before it gets bad.”
I looked over and Jake as he was climbing to his feet. His face was bleeding everywhere. Even his crumbled up cash had blood all over it.
“Looks like it already is bad,” I said. “Stand the fuck up.”
I dragged Frank to his feet and threw him against a wall.
“You have no idea,” Frank said. “You know who I am?”
“Do you know who I am?” I asked. “You’re in my town doing what?”
Jake stumbled to his right and leaned on a shelf. “Go away, Frank. You’ve done enough here. I have no money for you.”
“Now you get a set of balls?” Frank asked. “Tell you what, Jake, let’s keep it simple. I’ll call it even if you let me take your daughter for a few nights. I’ll bring her back in one piece, I swear.”
“Ava?” I asked.
Frank looked at me. “You know her?”
“What the fuck do you want with Ava? What does she have to do with this?”
“Nice tits and a round ass,” Frank said. “I’d fuck every hole…”
I threw my head forward and smashed it against Frank’s face. He started to crumble and I let him fall. I then started to throw my knee forward against his face over and over. The rage was white hot as it burned inside me. I couldn’t believe the feeling… jealousy.
“Stop!” Jake’s voice yelled. “You’ll kill him!”
I jumped back away and collected myself. I was almost out of breath. Frank fell to the side and curled up in the fetal position. He was making noise and I couldn’t tell if he was crying or trying to talk.
I was done with him for now. I turned and set my sights to Jake.
I went right after him, no matter how old he was. I grabbed his shirt and slammed him against a storage shelf. Boxes toppled off the top and back, slamming to the floor with a heavy echo.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Personal.”
I shook him. “Don’t fuck with me, man.”
“Don’t hurt me,” Jake said.
“Hurt you? I could have killed your daughter. But I didn’t. I could make one phone call right now and have the entire MC here. You know who I am, right?”
“Yes,” Jake said. “God, yes.”
“So if I wanted you hurt or dead, it would have happened by now.”
Jake nodded. “I run business back here. Okay?”
“Games? Drugs? Hookers?”
Jake slowly nodded.
“Fuck,” I whispered. “And your daughter?”
Why the fuck did you ask that? What does it matter if she gambles, snorts coke, or sucks dick for cash?
I felt that little ping on jealousy again.
“What about her?” Jake asked.
“She work this too?”
“Yes.”
I shoved back and stepped away.
I walked to Frank and grabbed him. I brought him to his feet. “You drive here, asshole?”
“Yeah,” he said. His nose looked like a smushed meatball.
“Get the fuck out of here right now,” I ordered. “The town of Bishop is run by us. Find somewhere else to conduct your business and your fucking shakedowns. I see you come within spitting distance of Ava and I’ll gut you.”
“You don’t get…”
I threw my head forward again and hit his nose a second time. His head flew back and hit the wall. I dragged Frank to the back door of the store and opened it. I shoved him back and outside.
“Get out of here, asshole.”
I watched as Frank stumbled to his car and sped away.
I shut the door and turned to look at Jake.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “I didn’t expect that.”
I looked around and saw a stack of paper towels. I ripped open a package and tossed a roll to Jake.
“Clean yourself up,” I said. “Your daughter is out there terrified.”
I started to walk and Jake ran after me. He grabbed my arm. “Why?”
“What?”
“Why… this? Frank is a powerful man. His group…”
“I don’t give a shit who he is,” I said. “He’s in my town causing problems.”
“That still doesn’t answer why.”