They are all scared. One of them got gunned down in cold blood and no one knows who did it. The note that was left implies there were nine more of us to get. All of us are wondering what’s happening and who’s getting capped next.
“Ah,” Tony mutters, “I’m putting the music back on.”
I hear someone shouting again.
Something doesn't feel right,to hell with listening to Tony. I climb up and look out the window. I hear Felony's voice and a man’s voice shouting in the background behind her. I can't make out anything that's being said.
Rage flushes through my body. Something is happening and Felony is involved.
"Tony, something's happening in the lot. Something with the girls,” I say, slamming my fists down on the table as I pass in front of him to the door.
“Nobody better ding my car,” he grumbles.
I run up the stairs two at a time and bust out of the side door just in time to see Felony throw one hell of a Tyson-like right hook into some poor guy’s face. There’s a sick crunch that stops me dead in my tracks. My girl just broke that man’s nose.
Another one of the dancers sits on the ground between my car and Tony’s Mercedes. She looks scuffed up and hurt. There are tears streaming down her face and blood on her hands. It's Lace, the one on the ground, and the guy who just crumpled to the blacktop from one hell of a TKO, I recognize as Junior.
I jump in front of Felony, her eyes are unfocused and her hair is wild. She’s staring down at the heap of man on the pavement facing the sky.
"If you ever lay a hand on her again, I will kill you. Kill you!" she screams.
“Hey. Hey,” I say jumping in front of her. I gently raise my hands to her shoulder and I can feel the anger and rage coming off her in waves. “Tell me what happened. Felony, babe, what happened?”
“Nothing, it was a mistake,” Lace sniffles from the dirt and gravel. “Nothing happened.” She won't even look up at me and it's because it wasn't nothing that just happened. It was definitely something. And whatever it was would probably make her and Felony turn up floating face down in the bay if Tony was pissed enough at what they said.
The rest of the lazy assholes come walking out of the side door, Tony following behind, a gun in his right hand, index finger on the trigger.
It's dark, but the glow of the club’s lights shine on Lace's face and you could tell she's been hit a few times in the face. There are even bruises blooming across the front of her neck.
Tony walks over to her and scoops her up in his arms. "What the hell happened?"
Felony sighs. I don’t want her to say anything. I want her to keep her mouth shut, but she doesn’t. She just doesn’t know she should. "He hit her. He attacked us."
Lace is shaking her head in his arms, "No, Tony. I swear everything is okay, Junior is just really fucked up and we was just kidding around."
Felony shuffles back and forth on her feet and looks to me for help. I shift next to her and try to get her attention, but she blatantly ignores me.
Tony narrows his eyes at Felony. She stands up straighter, about to argue something with him, and I lean forward, wrapping my hand over her mouth. "Keep your mouth shut if you want to keep breathing."
Tony steps up in front of her, my hand still covering her mouth. "You hit one of my boys?" He tilts his head to me, "Let her talk, Corey."
Reluctantly, I drop my hands from her lips.
"Did you hit one of my boys?" he asks her again.
"Yes. A few times, actually." She doesn’t back down. She doesn’t shy away. “He’s a pussy that can’t take a punch from a girl.”
Tony tilts he head back, laughing loudly. “I really like this girl.” He turns his attention to me and smiles. “Make sure she gets home okay tonight. Enzo? You take Lace home.” He scans the parking lot quickly, “Oh and Lace, don’t show your face here until it looks better, or you find something to cover it up with, got it?”
“Yeah, Tony,” Lace says as she stands on wobbly legs. Enzo holds out an arm for her and leads her to his car.
The rest of them clear the parking lot until it’s just me and Felony, face to face and all alone.
“Let me take you home,” I say, tugging on her sleeve.
“No. Corrado, I don't need anyone taking me anywhere.” She’s still angry. She’s probably scared too. I bet she thought Junior was going to try and force himself on them. It’s good to know she wasn’t afraid to fight.
“I’m taking you home, Felony.”
