'Did I see it right? The Boss... Carlos... Holy... Fucking... Crap.'
Gat kept driving out of instinct, positively stunned, his expression blank while he chewed on his signature straw, trying to process the news.
The man just had too much information on the same day.
He was forced to leave this catatonic state for a while as he sensed that the car approached the parking lot of the underground caves.
Shaundi hurried to open the door, and let out a cry of indignation when she saw in what shape The Boss was delivered.
With the help of the lieutenants, The Boss was transferred to a gurney and Gat, Carlos and Pierce entered in the back of ambulance with her.
'David is here to take a look at you Boss.' Pierce said and a young and handsome man approached.
David was the Saint's 'official' doctor, he studied medicine and was the one that fixed and stitched the gang when things got too complicated to be handled at home. Most importantly, he was discreet and accepted to do it for the a reasonable price (to pay his studies he said, but in reality most of the payment was made in Loa).
'So Boss, what happened? Who did this to you?'
'I am asking myself the same question Pierce.'
'This looks like revenge.' Carlos said, his accent laced with rage.
'I know why. But I don't know who?' She muttered, her gaze lost on the ceiling as she tortured her mind further into an answer.
What was the link between the Saints and the man with the crutch? Where did she see that middle age dude before, those unpleasant bright eyes he had?
The Boss sighed in frustration, pissed that she had nothing.
But then sudden light came to her spirit, some memories flashing and starting to make sense.
A tight, dark alley and brick walls.
Then what? A car.
But it was a big one, more like a...
Limo.
A fucking limo. He was the one with Hector's murderer, that night when she and Carlos went to Freckle Bitch's together.
The guy survived the shot then?
She frowned, turning to David and shifting his attention from examining a swollen spot on her arm:
'I need you to make a fake admission at the hospital for me, tonight if possible. And also check for anyone who's been admitted with a slashed neck.'
'Why is that Boss?' Gat wondered.
'I wounded one of them. He has nowhere to go but there. And as for the others, I dunno, maybe they will get desperate. Maybe they'll see no other choice but to come and finish the service if they think I am there. It's definitely worth a shot.'
'We set them up.' Johnny picked up.
She nodded, glancing at him and Pierce. 'I am counting on you to put some crew on that room, 24/7.'
'My pleasure.' Gat said, delighted at the thought of putting his hands on those pricks sooner than he expected.
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'Got anything for me Gat?'
'Yes, I did everything like you said. We've got muscle at the hospital. Now, turns out the person you were looking for is dead. Pierce.'
The Ronin Lieutenant stepped up.
'Well?' She asked.
'I sent everything to you. Check your mail.'
The Boss blinked in annoyance showing that she waited for another kind of answer. Pierce always liked to make everything too complicated, or too sophisticated.
'I never use it. What the fuck is this a movie?'
'Shit...I...'
Carlos and Johnny looked at each other and pulled a face. Less two points for Pierce. The Boss was clueless when the matter was technology.
She rolled her eyes and picked the phone on the nightstand to access her mail box , and started to read it:
'Double your penis size at Image as Designed, gain up to six inch...!'
'What! No. Not this one!' Pierce with exasperation from behind her shoulder. 'This is spam.'
'Ah. Patrick Lambert. Worked for the PD since 1998, yes that's him. I recognize the picture. Hmm... What else? Ok... Died from blood loss hours after he was admitted.'
'Well, that's only three more to go.' Carlos said. 'What about The Boss' exams?'
'We should call her Wolverine from now on.' Gat joked, looking for something else in his papers . 'Doc said the ribs are ok but don't ask me how, call it a miracle or ridiculous good luck.'
'Phew. That's great.' Carlos looked at her, relaxing a little.
'Can't say the same thing about the arm and wrist.' He put an X ray over the lamp on the nightstand showing Carlos the exact place where the bone was broken.
'Ah, it seems small. How long 'till I am back on track?' The Boss inquired.
'Eight weeks.'
'Fuck you say?! Eight fucking weeks? The Samedi won't wait that long. Eight days at most!'
'Sorry, those are bones we're talking about, once in a blue moon they'll heal before five weeks. I've been there.'
'No shit buddy. I remember you running around and killing people even when you had that electronic leg...'
'Robot.' He corrected. 'You're gonna have to rest that ass in bed for now. And... Someone's gonna have to keep an eye on you, bring you food and help you shower.'
'Huh, I can do that.' Carlos was quick to offer.
Gat turned his head towards him, and then to The Boss who cleared her throat, and didn't seem to be against this idea at all:
'Ok, Shaundi ain't strong enough to pick me up anyway.'
'Shocking.'Johnny thought, ironically.
'Let's go Pierce.'
'Good Job Gat. Thanks.' She said.
'You welcome.'
Gat rose from the chair to leave and The Boss looked at Pierce. He watched her silently and waited for his share of praise. She waved the phone in the air and gave him her feedback:
'Couldn't you just've printed that shit?'
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Johnny left the two lovebirds alone to find the much deserved comfort of his bed.
He felt a little guilty at the fact that his mind, at the present moment, was not on revenge plans.
As soon as he saw that his friend was ok and the adrenaline lowered, it started to rush somewhere else.
That scene on the rear view mirror.
He didn't know why, but he wasn't ok with it. It was the first time she didn't share a secret with him. And there was something else...
Pride?
Not that he wanted to be with The Boss, no. They've always been too friends for that, besides, and he wasn't even close to be over Eesh.
But the fact that an attractive woman like her decided to date someone of the gang without even considering him as an option, kind of stung his ego.
Honestly. No G in the gang was half the bad ass he was.
If Eesh was here she would be saying: 'Now come on. I know you are happy for them deep down. I didn't know a tough guy like you could be this insecure.'
Before he realized what he was doing, he got up, opened the closet door and stuffed his chest in front the mirror to feel his huge pectorals.
The feminine voice spoke again in his head, mockingly:
'Yeah, yeah. You still have it. Look at yourself Johnny. This ego thing is ridiculous.'
Was it Aisha's echo or his own judgement?
He shook his head, a bit embarrassed at his own reflection, glad that it was the sole witness of that awkward moment.
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'Watch out for your arm. Here, put your hand over my shoulder.'
Carlos was standing face to face with The Boss under the shower, naked; a purple towel hung from his shoulders.
He was trying to undress her as carefully as possible, but the feminine complexity of the buttons on her dress were way beyond him.
With this helpless expression, he was putting a lot of pressure on himself to be of service.
'Fuck. Did that hurt?' He mumbled, trying to force the stuck zipper open with his teeth.
He pulled with both hands and it gave in, but so clumsily that the Boss's body bent forward.
'Ouch.'
'I am sorry! Jesus!'
He kept apologizing over and over, his hands were shaking.
'It's ok. Calm down. What is happening to you?' She said, posing a hand on his face to reassure him.
'I dunno...' He replied, not wanting to go into that now.
The thing was that every time he looked at that torn dress and the bruises on her body, he felt like killing someone...
Confused, lost in this excruciating feeling, he faced The Boss.
There wasn't any need for words. They simply confounded each other in a tight embrace.
All the unspoken weight of that awful day expressed itself in an urgent need for comfort.
They touched each other's convulsively, like they needed to make sure that the other was really there.
'I don't know what I would do if something happened to you.'
'Carlito...Hey. I am fine sweetheart.'
He sighed heavily again, getting a hold of himself and carefully broke their hug.
Carlos turned and opened the knob, testing the temperature of the water in his hand.
He cupped it and let the warm water in his palm run down her back.
'Ah... This feels great.'
Nothing could happen tonight, but both looked at each other and shared an accomplice smile, the memories from the other time obviously been evoked in their minds.
The Boss gave his body a long lusty glance, from his wide shoulders to his arms, he had just the right amount of muscles.
He could feel her checking him out and almost flushed, flattered.
Her eyes followed her way down his torso only to find that his body was reacting already.
'It's just from being so close to you like this, it will calm down after a while.' He explained softly.
'I don't know how can anyone find me attractive all beaten up like this.'
He blinked seriously. 'Don't be silly...'
After they were done with the bath and dry, he dressed her and helped her to bed.
'Can you take my gun and put it here on the nightstand?'
'You always sleep with it?' Carlos asked curiously.
'Since I was a baby gangster...' She explained.
'Reminds me a have a lot to learn.'
'When I am off this bed I will show you... If you are willing to teach me a few other things too.' She said provocatively.
'Hmm. I can't wait.' He leaned closer. 'Besides, I still owe my girlfriend a real first date.'
The Boss jumped at that word immediately.
'Come on.' Carlos teased, amused. 'We made love, that makes us something dontcha think?' He put an international pun.
'I am gonna kill that bitch Shaundi.' She frowned in the meaning of making him backing up a little.
But to her surprise, Carlos didn't even blink, showing that he wasn't going to take no as an answer. Apparently, the man was growing more confident by the day, but in that specific case, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing.
'I think that I've created a monster...' She thought, a bit amused too, feeling a small sparkle of excitement.
She didn't answer and by doing so gave Carlos the best sign that she was ok with it.
He smiled and laid by her side, covering them with a sheet and The Boss yawned, starting to lose the battle against sleep.
The switch of the lamp on the nightstand was flicked and the room fell into total darkness.
She couldn't see him anymore but could feel the skin his arm against hers, so she moved closer to rest her head over it.
'Carlos?'
'Tell me something.'
'What?' He passed his arm behind her head, inviting her to his chest.
'I dunno, something about you.' Her voice was sleepy but she still wanted to hear his.
'Es una nina!'* He replied fondly. 'Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?'
'Yup.' She snuggled closer.
He kissed her neck softly, and started telling The Boss about his life, delighted with her interest.
The few but happy memories he had in his homeland, the death of his parents. The playground days at Sunnyalle Gardens, while watching his brother do minor drug deals for a living. Then, his first job at a pizzeria when he was 16, followed by another one at Rusty's Needles after he was fired for stealing. The day that Hector got home, bruised but proud from his canonization, convincing him that now their lives took a new turn. After, followed the hopeful period where money was not such a huge problem anymore, and they could afford this small, but decent apartment at the row.
He didn't go further, sensing that she was on the edge of sleep now.
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*You're such a little girl (I hope the use of the Spanish language is accurate).
Long time to update this one, I know... Next update will be MUCH quicker!
This was a transitional chapter and kind of hard to write (I guess one can tell I was a bit lost lol). XD
This subplot grew bigger than I expected and pages added up, so what was supposed to be a small passage became three whole chapters. Oops.
I can't wait to get back to the Samedi plot, a lot of surprises will come oooooooooooooh...