Rated: NC-17
ERASE & REWIND...VERSION 3, PART 14
"PHILLY P.I.M.P."
Concentrating on court documents and securing a warrant for Guarino's arrest was a lot more difficult now that he had the image of those ass cheeks burned into his memory.
Did I mention it had been a long time?
He managed to make it through the first half of the day by some miracle, getting the wonderful phone call around noon advising him that Guarino was in custody. No rest for the wicked, though. He still had a lot of calls to make, people to see, forms to complete…
But damned if he didn't catch himself heading out to 'lunch' with one thing on his mind. It was too far of a drive for him to make it to his place for a quickie and return before the end of the day (and that was partly because he had no intentions of it being quick), but he'd had an idea occur to him shortly after arriving at his office. It would cheer her up the rest of the way and was worth a drive into the busiest part of the city...
He was almost to his car when his phone rang and he answered it hesitantly, already knowing that he'd get terrible reception at this section of the parking garage.
"McNorris here." He said, covering his other ear and pressing the phone closer listening to a garbled voice on the other end of the line.
"….came….station….looking for…" The dispatcher from the 15th said and he sighed.
"I'm sorry; you're breaking up…who came to the station?" He asked.
"…looking for Alisha…didn't know…to your office…soon…" His eyes were squinted as he tried to make out what she was saying, but the last words made his expression fall.
In the window of the van to his side he made out the shapes of two men following him and ground his teeth together. Already? And here, at the courthouse?
He started walking again, figuring if he could at least get into the car he could run them over…
But a man stepped out in front of him and stopped him dead in his tracks.
Shaved head and face, save for the mustache, eyes hidden behind a pair of dark shades, a massive Puerto Rican man now towered over him. His arms were crossed over his chest and his jaw was flexing impatiently.
McNorris' eyes quickly wandered over the tattoos covering his oversized forearms, the chain around his neck and thugged-out clothes.
He let out a slightly nervous laugh as several men closed in behind him. "You would be Big Dog." He said, praying he was right.
"And you be dat D.A. I'm lookin for." Big Dog said in recognition, the bass of his voice echoing through the garage. He turned away from McNorris, running a hand over his face and struggling to keep his temper in check. "I go to the station and they say to me some cat McNorris gave the order to waive charges against little Loca. Funny thing, though – no one seems to know where she at...even wit her car still there. So since she no call me sayin there a change in plans, I'm only gonna ask this once nicely." He turned back to McNorris and stepped up to him, his face mere inches away as he took off his shades and glared down into his eyes. "Where…is…she?"
McNorris leaned back a little, looking around the group of ex-con types, not one in the bunch less than two inches taller than him or lacking a thorough covering of tattoos…and every one of them looked as pissed off as the one in his face.
"She's…keeping her head down…" McNorris said slowly, watching Big Dog's brow arch and nostrils flare at the words he knew had come from her. "It's the only thing that's going to keep her safe until trial."
Big Dog turned away and laughed, the booming sound reverberating off the walls as he clapped in amusement. "No, gringo…" He said, smiling back at him as he said. "You're looking at the only thing that's gonna keep shorty safe." He said, motioning to himself and the mob surrounding them. "You take me to my Joven now." He said, nodding and walking away.
It wasn't a question.
In fact the group disbanded before McNorris could even attempt to say another word. His mouth hung open uselessly as the men disappeared among the parked cars and he growled in frustration before climbing into his own vehicle.
"Fuck!" He yelled in surprise as the bald head leaned down into his window without warning.
Big Dog smiled. "Widow gonna ride wit you to keep you safe." He said and McNorris rolled his eyes as another bald Puerto Rican man climbed into his passenger seat.
This one only shaved his head to find more space for tattoos, apparently. He looked like he could bench-press the Mercedes and from his left eye to his chin a spider had been inked. "Say hi, Widow." Big Dog said with a laugh and the man waived to McNorris.
"Hola, gringo." He said as he grinned.
Big Dog's face became serious and he knelt down beside the car, which horrifyingly enough still left him tall enough to drape his arms across the opened window. "Escuchame D.A. – there was men here earlier nosin around your car…we took care of it but you need to keep it in your head - you no safe."
McNorris stared at the man in shock.
Firstly, that he'd already had Guarino's men scouting his car.
Secondly, that Big Dog and this group of strangers had looked out for him before they'd even met him.
Thirdly…what did he mean, 'took care of it'?
He didn't want to know.
"Now…let's go see Loca." Big Dog said with a grin and knocked on the inside of the door impatiently, standing and whistling before calling out in Spanish across the parking lot.
"This is god damned perfect…" McNorris grumbled under his breath as he pulled out onto the street and to his great displeasure he watched as one…two…THREE tinted out black Escalades fell in behind his car. "Oh, yeah…way to stay low key." He said sarcastically as he glared up at the rearview.
As if answering his frustration the radios started at that point, the bass making the images of their vehicles in his mirrors tremble. "Fucking fantastic! Why don't we just call Guarino now and get it over with."
"You're a funny cat, D.A. Ju know dat?" Widow said in amusement from the passenger seat and McNorris only glared over at him.
BadGirl was rocking a pair of denim capris and a camouflage tank-top as she lay upside down on the couch flipping through her magazine.
Hechler and Turcotte had just arrived to change shifts with Stevens and Fearless and the four were now engaged in some boring discussion that had nothing on the article she was reading about the new Mercedes R500 concept car.
Her toes were swinging to an unnoticed beat as she turned the pages, practically drooling over the design of the new vehicle…before long she was humming the song…and after a moment she was singing along.
"Shake your tambourines go and get yourself a whistle and shake your tambourines go and get yourself a whistle and…"
Her eyes widened as she realized what she was singing.
"Whoa…guys, we got company…." Stevens said and before she could get a word in Fearless was hauling her off the couch and toward the back door, stopping for an indication of which direction they would need to go.
Hechler and Turcotte went to the windows, watching as the Escalades parked in front of the house. "Oh Christ…" Turcotte breathed.
"Wait…wait…" He said as McNorris got out of the car. "It's just the fair-haired boy…" His eyes focused in on the attire of the men who were now climbing out of the SUVs. "And what looks to be the entire offensive line for the Eagles."
"My boys!!" She squealed and wiggled out of Fearless' grasp before he could get a word in end wise.
She rushed out the front door and Big Dog, who had been brooding and eyeing McNorris up a moment earlier immediately started smiling and laughing, talking quickly in Spanish as she leapt at him.
"Chino! Papi! ¿Cómo estás?" She was instantly jabbering back to him just as fast, hanging on him as he swung her back and forth with her feet off the ground.
McNorris stood at the front door, him, Turcotte, Hechler, Fearless and Stevens all wearing the same thunderstruck expressions as the group of seemingly hardened criminals before them turned into a pack of teddy bears.
"Hector!" She said with a laugh and he picked her up the instant Big Dog had set her down.
The group closed in around her, all talking fast and laughing, giving her playful shoves and tussling her hair as she greeted them. She laughed and started play fighting with Hector and McNorris shook his head.
The girl had thirty big brother types...and apparently, one Papi.
After a moment McNorris cleared his throat and all at once the group stopped talking and turned at him. He cast a purposeful look around the neighborhood and motioned toward the backyard with his head.
BadGirl gave him an apologetic look as the group filed behind the house and out of the view of the street and he slowly fell in beside her.
"Thank you for bringing them here." She whispered and he rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, because Big Dog over there really gave me a choice in the matter." He said and ignored the glare those words earned from her 'papi'. He leaned in closer to her, his mouth an inch from her ear as he whispered. "This changes nothing. You're still gonna get it."
She grinned up at him, her eyes flashing with mischief again. "That's the best news I've heard all day."