The Orphan and the Beast

Nine

Before I even get three steps into the bar, Jerry hands me a Jack filled glass, must be he knows it'll calm my nerves.

Slamming the drink in one large swallow I hurl the glass at Craig. Bet neither of them was expecting that! Especially given the fact he didn't even attempt to step out of the way.

CR*CK! Glass showers the floor as I make no attempt to hide my actions. The patrons here know me, they know my temper, but above all - they know if I'm this pissed it's best to square up any open tabs and head home.

As the bar begins to clear out, I make my way towards my office, if I'm going to kill someone tonight, might not want to do it on camera, huh.

Jerry scurries behind me into the back while Craig is heading behind the bar for a towel to cover the second gash on his head for the night.

Once everyone is in the office, I start with Jerry's side of the story. You can tell he's nervous now, given I've just assaulted Craig in the middle of a packed bar room.

"Well, as I said earlier boss man" (yup, now onto boss man - that is a clear-cut sign he's sweating this conversation),

"Toothless Tonya came running at us and slashed Craig with her nasty cr*ck nails, caught the side of his face. He got upset and reacted by punching her, it was self defense though, she wasn't going to stop swinging those crusty sword nails until he lost his damn eye."

Laughter spills out of me at this point, I can see these two `rough and tumble` men in a cat fight with a woman that weighs no more than 115lbs soaking wet. As confusion washes over their faces, I can't help but laugh more, they must think I'm going insane right now based off my reaction. "Please, continue" I mutter once I've regained control over myself.

Jerry and Craig share a look between them. Craig must have found his `big boy balls` because the next line of the story came from him; "Well that's when Hammer got into Jerry's face and said he'd ruin you if you don't X his tab on that kilo we delivered tonight."

Hmmm, interesting. I'm not one to shy away from some good blackmail, but Jack ought to know better than to mess with my reputation. I can see putting the fear into these knuckleheads, but me, the boss lord of the mafia... it just isn't wise.

After hearing their side of events, I honestly feel the situation was more of a set-up, I mean Toothless Tonya, err, I mean Tonya, can be a bit of a handful, but I'm more upset over the fact my crew let it get to that point.

"Go patch up Craig, he's gotta DJ tonight. Take him to good ol' Freddy's infirmary." I should note, Freddy's infirmary is a skeezeball vet named Francis - Freddy for short - that by day passes as a half-way decent vet but moonlights for the mafia patching up whatever injuries come his way.

Gathering my keys and shoving my Nine MM in my waistline, I decide it's time to pay Jack and his wh*re of a wife a visit.

Crawling through the alleyways, I'm on the hunt. Bingo, I found em! Coming to a stop, they know it's my car, rolling down the window I call Jack over.

"Jack!" I yell.

I wonder if he will actually approach me, his face is white as a ghost and he looks as if he may pass out at any moment.

"Jack! NOW!" I boom, "I won't ask nicely again, I promise you that".

Scrapping his lumpy a** off the pavement, he comes strolling over. He must think he has the high ground based on his tone when he reached my window.

"I see your puppets informed you of how they hit women." He pauses long enough to gauge my reaction, but of course my stone face gives nothing away.

Continuing, he matter-of-factly boasts "you owe us, poor Tonya was beaten half to death".

"She looks fine to me" I flick my high-beams on to get a better look at the woman tucked into the shadows. "Might I suggest you keep your b*tch on a shorter leash next time?"

Hope flickers from his eyes, he knows nothing comes for free.

"You will either pay me for that kilo your blowing up your nose, or I'll take that weight in skin". I wait patiently for his decision, but I'm quickly running out of patience.

Huffing he begins to step away, alright then, skin it is. I'm out of my car and on him before he can even process the error he just made. "WAIT, WAIT MAN, I'm sorry - I'll pay, I'll pay - I swear!"

I've already heard enough, he made his decision the moment he stepped away from my window. Throwing the sack of sh*t into my trunk I drive off without another word - well except the banging noises coming from the back of my car.

Heading into the outskirts of town, I make sure to head in the opposite direction from my chestnut haired beauty, no sense in her seeing this side of me.

I pull up to a rental property of mine, quite and low-key, just on the outskirts of town unlike the cabin in the damn woods she lives in. Ugh, get with it Rosco, you have a job to do - get her out of your d*mn mind. Shaking it off I open the trunk and throw Jack onto the ground.

"One kilo of skin please" I state, all boy-scout like - aha - as if!

Panicked Jack starts pleading, It's his only hope, doesn't hurt to try right? WRONG!

"Look man, you don't have to do this! I was joking, yeah, joking that's right, I never meant any of it".

Ah, the useless rambling of a man who knows he's f*cked up. I never get tired of the pleas - in fact I think they excite me more than the act itself, it's like bloody foreplay for me.

Grabbing him by the arm, I lead him into the abandoned looking structure, look's like I'll have a long night.