Chapter 20, Get Out Of My Office
When Torrie got to the store she went strait back to the owner's office. This was solely her domain. The manager had a manager's office and was not allowed in the owner's office. She had the door locked. But when she walked in he was in her office. She was livid. He picked the lock on the door to get into her office. All her stuff was there and stuff her father left behind. This guy was gone. She would insist the bank fire him.
"Ken, what the fuck are you doing in my office?"
"Torrie what are you doing here? No one asked you down."
"Well Ken the bank might have made you the manager but this is still my store, last time I checked, my future and this is still my fucking office. Get up from my desk. When Stacy called me in tears about how you treated her I realized I had to come down. I will not lose her over you. You will be gone first, count on it."
"Says who? You can't fire me. And I like this office. I don't want to move. I think I should have the good office when I am here all the time."
"Well it is the owner's office and that is not you. It's me. So get up and move. And then you will call Stacy and apologise for how you treated her. I am going to stick around for the morning to help out while its busy then I have to go. But so help me if you do anything like this again. MOVE!"
"I don't know who you think you are Torrie but I run the show here now. You have no say in the matter so you should just leave."
"Listen you ass, get out of my office and I still own the store. The bank will never own it and neither will you. It makes a good profit and the mortgage will be paid off in three years, four tops then you are gone. I will fire you so fast it will make your small shrunken head spin."
"No you listen you bitch. You might think cause you are fucking Dom Torreto that it gives you special treatment but it doesn't. Now shut up or I am going to have you removed from the premises."
Torrie could never hold her temper and the fact that she was not as he so crudely put it 'fucking' Dom made her see red. She had taken about all she was going to from Ken. It had been like this for the 6 months he had worked with her. She slapped him hard across the face.
"Never say things like that about me and Dom and GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY OFFICE!" She screamed at him. This had been coming to a head long before she ever met Dom and it was going to end now she decided. They were going to come to the agreement that it was her store right now. Then she was going to call Stacy and get her back to work. Stacy was loyal to Torrie and was watching Ken for crookedness. Stacy had told her that it looked like he thought about stealing a few times but always caught her looking at him in time not to. So Torrie knew she needed Stacy around.
Ken could not believe she had hit him. He hauled off and backhanded her across the mouth as well. "Never hit me you bitch. It might get Torreto off but I won't take it." He advanced on Torrie and backed her up against the wall. "Maybe I will get myself a little taste of what Torreto has been getting eh? You're willing to give it out to that thug, let me show you what it is like with a real man." He moved to pull up her shirt. Torrie was scared out of her mind. He was a big guy and she was not sure if she could fight him off. He had a hand over her mouth so she could not scream and try to get Mark from the counter to come investigate. She brought her knee up into his groin. He doubled over for a second then came at her again. He put his hand over her mouth again. She bit him hard and he grunted and moved his hand. She screamed "Help me!"
Ken flew at her again. She ducked and he hit the wall. He was fast. He turned and came at her again. Mark came running because of the scream and the commotion.
"What's going on here boss?" Mark knew what was going on but he did not want to lose his job. However he was not going to let the boss assault a girl right there in front of him.
"Nothing" Ken gave Torrie a look he hoped said we will continue later and keep your mouth shut. Torrie had no plans of keeping her mouth shut. She was running on pure adrenaline.
"What is going on is Ken tried to." She stammered like she might cry, but steeled herself because she did not want to give him the satisfaction, "he tried to force himself on me and called me horrible names and slapped me. You better get him out of here before I hurt him. And he is out of here. I am calling the bank and getting rid of him."
Mark saw the bruise on her cheek and the blood at the corner of her split lip. He saw the bruise on the cheek of the boss and the blood on his lip and nose. And the bloody bit mark on his hand. It was very clear what had gone down and Mark would not have it. He might not like Torrie much himself or the idea of working for a girl but he would not stand by while a woman was raped right under his nose. Plus next thing you know they would have Dom Torreto down here kicking ass and taking names for allowing that to happen to his girl.
"Ken you better leave her alone and come with me. I can see what must have happened here. Are you nuts? You wanna fuck with Dom Torreto's girl. He will be down here to smash your skull in as soon as he hears. I saw what he did to the last guy he beat up." They walked away and Torrie slammed the door and locked it. Ken had not picked it he had somehow gotten a key. She would have to have the lock changed. But he had left his keys in here so she was sure she was safe once the door was closed. She broke down and started to cry as the thought of what had almost happened to her crystallized. She called Dom at the garage.
Dom checked the phone and saw the racer's edge on the call display. He thought it was Torrie calling to tell him she was not going to show up and he did not answer it. He didn't trust himself not to explode at her and that would just ruin the whole day. He let it ring and went back to work.
Damn he was not answering. What was she going to do? She could not just walk past Ken, what if Mark was not around. Well she supposed he would not do anything in plain view of the public. But she was scared. She called the house.
"Yo?" Leon answered the phone. He was playing a video game and did not really want to deal with the distraction.
"Leon? Is that you?"
"Torrie what's wrong!?" Leon could tell she was badly upset.
"Is Vince home?" Torrie and Vince were closer then she was with any of the guys but Dom and she wanted her big bro if she couldn't have Dom.
"No, he's gone out somewhere, Torrie, what's wrong." Leon could hear the near panic in her voice.
"Um, the manager I was telling you guys about." She trailed off for a second, "When I came here today he was in my office and when I told him to get out he hit me and then he tried to. Oh god he tried to." She couldn't finish the sentence. "And Dom is not answering his phone. Leon I am too scared to leave the office. Can you come down and get me? And bring Jesse or Mia cause I can't drive right now but if I leave my car here he will do something to it I know it."
"Torrie just stay there with the door locked I will be right there don't worry."
"Leon, come behind the counter and it is the only closed door on the left. You need to come right back and get me so I will know it is you."
"No sweat, just hang tight." Leon hung up and took off running. He grabbed Jesse who what thankfully home for lunch and then sped down to the store at extreme speeds. Leon went running into the store and saw the manager surrounded by the other employees. He headed back behind the counter to get Torrie.
"You can't go back there." Ken just did not know when to quit. He got in Leon's way and in his face.
"You gonna stop me? That is my friend and team mate you have scared in an office back there Dawg and you are lucky I am not Dom. You would be hurting bad if Dom was here. Or, hell, you've got some sort of horseshoe up your ass Vince was not home. I am taking Torrie whether you like it or not and I advise you to get out of town before Dominic comes looking for you. You must be stupider then you look to mess with anyone off Dom's team, let alone his girl. If you so much as look at her again you will have Me, Dom, Vince, Jesse and Brian after you. And Brian is a cop. We can have you in jail for what you did. Or beat you senseless. Which is what is going to happen if you don't MOVE!"
Mark moved Ken out of the way.
"Torrie, girl it's me Leon. Open the door girl."
The door opened and there was Torrie. She had a big bruise on her cheek and her eyes were all swollen up from crying. She was all wet cause she had taken a shower while she waited cause she felt so dirty over the whole situation. Leon could see the scab where her lip split when the bastard slapped her. She launched herself at him and started to shake and sob.
"It's ok Torrie. Come on lets go find Dom. Wait, that manager, he didn't manage to, well, do anything did he?" Leon would just kill him now.
"No he didn't Leon. Let's go please."
"Ok, come on Jesse will drive your car home for you." He carried her out of the store. She thought she was so lucky to have the team to look out for her. She wondered where Dom was though.
"Leon where is Dom? I called the garage and no one answered. If you had not been home I don't know what I would have done."
"Dom is at the garage but he may have had some sort of loud tool going when you called. Try not to think about it. Your safe now and that's all that matters girl. I will have you to the garage in no time."
"Maybe we should just go home Leon. I should clean myself up some and calm down. Maybe we should not tell Dom. He will go after Ken himself and with his record they won't show him any leniency. He'll end up back in jail."
"We have to tell Dom Torrie. If he finds out after and we don't tell him we are all dead. We can get Vince though so we can hold him back if he tries to go after him. And Brian too so he can have this guy dealt with legally. Listen to that, us doing anything the legal way." She giggled at that and Leon thought that was a good sign she was going to be ok.
"Vince is just as hot tempered as Dom, what if they both go to take off, what then?"
"We'll have to deal with that if it happens Torrie."
"Well alright then tell Vince and Brian to meet us at the garage and we'll tell Dom."
"We really have to tell him."
"I know but I don't want him to do something foolish."
"We'll make sure he doesn't." Leon called Vince and asked him to meet them at the garage and to bring Brian.
Vince and Brian arrived first but stood outside waiting.
"What do you think this is about Vince?"
"I don't know man but Leon sounded really angry. Leon angry is strange enough let alone him asking us to meet him here."
The yellow skyline pulled up and Leon jumped out and went around to help Torrie out of it. He carried her up to the other guys. This is a pattern she thought. They all think I can't walk.
"What happened to you Torrie?" Vince was ready to go beat someone himself. He took his 'little sis' from Leon and looked into her bruised face. "Who did this to you Torrie? I need to know so I can beat the face off him."
"I only want to tell the story once so we need to go find Dom. Don't let Dom leave once I tell the story though. We want Brian to deal with it through the police because Dom will end up back in prison if not. And you too Vince, I am not visiting my big bro in jail so you better cool that hot head of yours and help us control Dom."
This was serious. They followed Leon, who into the garage. Vince carried Torrie into the garage.
"Dom! Yo Dom, you here Dawg?"
"Ya I'm here what's up Leon?" Dom came around the corner of the office just then and saw his friend carrying Torrie. "What happened?" He strode up to them and took Torrie from Vince. She started to cry. She was so glad to see him. She threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in his throat and just sobbed.
"Well is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Dom said, looking down at Torrie in his arms and tilting her face up to kiss her forehead so she would know he was not mad with her. He saw the cut and bruise. "Well?"
"Give her a second Dom, it's her story and she has to tell it." Brian was just as curious considering it was going to involve the police.
When Torrie got to the store she went strait back to the owner's office. This was solely her domain. The manager had a manager's office and was not allowed in the owner's office. She had the door locked. But when she walked in he was in her office. She was livid. He picked the lock on the door to get into her office. All her stuff was there and stuff her father left behind. This guy was gone. She would insist the bank fire him.
"Ken, what the fuck are you doing in my office?"
"Torrie what are you doing here? No one asked you down."
"Well Ken the bank might have made you the manager but this is still my store, last time I checked, my future and this is still my fucking office. Get up from my desk. When Stacy called me in tears about how you treated her I realized I had to come down. I will not lose her over you. You will be gone first, count on it."
"Says who? You can't fire me. And I like this office. I don't want to move. I think I should have the good office when I am here all the time."
"Well it is the owner's office and that is not you. It's me. So get up and move. And then you will call Stacy and apologise for how you treated her. I am going to stick around for the morning to help out while its busy then I have to go. But so help me if you do anything like this again. MOVE!"
"I don't know who you think you are Torrie but I run the show here now. You have no say in the matter so you should just leave."
"Listen you ass, get out of my office and I still own the store. The bank will never own it and neither will you. It makes a good profit and the mortgage will be paid off in three years, four tops then you are gone. I will fire you so fast it will make your small shrunken head spin."
"No you listen you bitch. You might think cause you are fucking Dom Torreto that it gives you special treatment but it doesn't. Now shut up or I am going to have you removed from the premises."
Torrie could never hold her temper and the fact that she was not as he so crudely put it 'fucking' Dom made her see red. She had taken about all she was going to from Ken. It had been like this for the 6 months he had worked with her. She slapped him hard across the face.
"Never say things like that about me and Dom and GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY OFFICE!" She screamed at him. This had been coming to a head long before she ever met Dom and it was going to end now she decided. They were going to come to the agreement that it was her store right now. Then she was going to call Stacy and get her back to work. Stacy was loyal to Torrie and was watching Ken for crookedness. Stacy had told her that it looked like he thought about stealing a few times but always caught her looking at him in time not to. So Torrie knew she needed Stacy around.
Ken could not believe she had hit him. He hauled off and backhanded her across the mouth as well. "Never hit me you bitch. It might get Torreto off but I won't take it." He advanced on Torrie and backed her up against the wall. "Maybe I will get myself a little taste of what Torreto has been getting eh? You're willing to give it out to that thug, let me show you what it is like with a real man." He moved to pull up her shirt. Torrie was scared out of her mind. He was a big guy and she was not sure if she could fight him off. He had a hand over her mouth so she could not scream and try to get Mark from the counter to come investigate. She brought her knee up into his groin. He doubled over for a second then came at her again. He put his hand over her mouth again. She bit him hard and he grunted and moved his hand. She screamed "Help me!"
Ken flew at her again. She ducked and he hit the wall. He was fast. He turned and came at her again. Mark came running because of the scream and the commotion.
"What's going on here boss?" Mark knew what was going on but he did not want to lose his job. However he was not going to let the boss assault a girl right there in front of him.
"Nothing" Ken gave Torrie a look he hoped said we will continue later and keep your mouth shut. Torrie had no plans of keeping her mouth shut. She was running on pure adrenaline.
"What is going on is Ken tried to." She stammered like she might cry, but steeled herself because she did not want to give him the satisfaction, "he tried to force himself on me and called me horrible names and slapped me. You better get him out of here before I hurt him. And he is out of here. I am calling the bank and getting rid of him."
Mark saw the bruise on her cheek and the blood at the corner of her split lip. He saw the bruise on the cheek of the boss and the blood on his lip and nose. And the bloody bit mark on his hand. It was very clear what had gone down and Mark would not have it. He might not like Torrie much himself or the idea of working for a girl but he would not stand by while a woman was raped right under his nose. Plus next thing you know they would have Dom Torreto down here kicking ass and taking names for allowing that to happen to his girl.
"Ken you better leave her alone and come with me. I can see what must have happened here. Are you nuts? You wanna fuck with Dom Torreto's girl. He will be down here to smash your skull in as soon as he hears. I saw what he did to the last guy he beat up." They walked away and Torrie slammed the door and locked it. Ken had not picked it he had somehow gotten a key. She would have to have the lock changed. But he had left his keys in here so she was sure she was safe once the door was closed. She broke down and started to cry as the thought of what had almost happened to her crystallized. She called Dom at the garage.
Dom checked the phone and saw the racer's edge on the call display. He thought it was Torrie calling to tell him she was not going to show up and he did not answer it. He didn't trust himself not to explode at her and that would just ruin the whole day. He let it ring and went back to work.
Damn he was not answering. What was she going to do? She could not just walk past Ken, what if Mark was not around. Well she supposed he would not do anything in plain view of the public. But she was scared. She called the house.
"Yo?" Leon answered the phone. He was playing a video game and did not really want to deal with the distraction.
"Leon? Is that you?"
"Torrie what's wrong!?" Leon could tell she was badly upset.
"Is Vince home?" Torrie and Vince were closer then she was with any of the guys but Dom and she wanted her big bro if she couldn't have Dom.
"No, he's gone out somewhere, Torrie, what's wrong." Leon could hear the near panic in her voice.
"Um, the manager I was telling you guys about." She trailed off for a second, "When I came here today he was in my office and when I told him to get out he hit me and then he tried to. Oh god he tried to." She couldn't finish the sentence. "And Dom is not answering his phone. Leon I am too scared to leave the office. Can you come down and get me? And bring Jesse or Mia cause I can't drive right now but if I leave my car here he will do something to it I know it."
"Torrie just stay there with the door locked I will be right there don't worry."
"Leon, come behind the counter and it is the only closed door on the left. You need to come right back and get me so I will know it is you."
"No sweat, just hang tight." Leon hung up and took off running. He grabbed Jesse who what thankfully home for lunch and then sped down to the store at extreme speeds. Leon went running into the store and saw the manager surrounded by the other employees. He headed back behind the counter to get Torrie.
"You can't go back there." Ken just did not know when to quit. He got in Leon's way and in his face.
"You gonna stop me? That is my friend and team mate you have scared in an office back there Dawg and you are lucky I am not Dom. You would be hurting bad if Dom was here. Or, hell, you've got some sort of horseshoe up your ass Vince was not home. I am taking Torrie whether you like it or not and I advise you to get out of town before Dominic comes looking for you. You must be stupider then you look to mess with anyone off Dom's team, let alone his girl. If you so much as look at her again you will have Me, Dom, Vince, Jesse and Brian after you. And Brian is a cop. We can have you in jail for what you did. Or beat you senseless. Which is what is going to happen if you don't MOVE!"
Mark moved Ken out of the way.
"Torrie, girl it's me Leon. Open the door girl."
The door opened and there was Torrie. She had a big bruise on her cheek and her eyes were all swollen up from crying. She was all wet cause she had taken a shower while she waited cause she felt so dirty over the whole situation. Leon could see the scab where her lip split when the bastard slapped her. She launched herself at him and started to shake and sob.
"It's ok Torrie. Come on lets go find Dom. Wait, that manager, he didn't manage to, well, do anything did he?" Leon would just kill him now.
"No he didn't Leon. Let's go please."
"Ok, come on Jesse will drive your car home for you." He carried her out of the store. She thought she was so lucky to have the team to look out for her. She wondered where Dom was though.
"Leon where is Dom? I called the garage and no one answered. If you had not been home I don't know what I would have done."
"Dom is at the garage but he may have had some sort of loud tool going when you called. Try not to think about it. Your safe now and that's all that matters girl. I will have you to the garage in no time."
"Maybe we should just go home Leon. I should clean myself up some and calm down. Maybe we should not tell Dom. He will go after Ken himself and with his record they won't show him any leniency. He'll end up back in jail."
"We have to tell Dom Torrie. If he finds out after and we don't tell him we are all dead. We can get Vince though so we can hold him back if he tries to go after him. And Brian too so he can have this guy dealt with legally. Listen to that, us doing anything the legal way." She giggled at that and Leon thought that was a good sign she was going to be ok.
"Vince is just as hot tempered as Dom, what if they both go to take off, what then?"
"We'll have to deal with that if it happens Torrie."
"Well alright then tell Vince and Brian to meet us at the garage and we'll tell Dom."
"We really have to tell him."
"I know but I don't want him to do something foolish."
"We'll make sure he doesn't." Leon called Vince and asked him to meet them at the garage and to bring Brian.
Vince and Brian arrived first but stood outside waiting.
"What do you think this is about Vince?"
"I don't know man but Leon sounded really angry. Leon angry is strange enough let alone him asking us to meet him here."
The yellow skyline pulled up and Leon jumped out and went around to help Torrie out of it. He carried her up to the other guys. This is a pattern she thought. They all think I can't walk.
"What happened to you Torrie?" Vince was ready to go beat someone himself. He took his 'little sis' from Leon and looked into her bruised face. "Who did this to you Torrie? I need to know so I can beat the face off him."
"I only want to tell the story once so we need to go find Dom. Don't let Dom leave once I tell the story though. We want Brian to deal with it through the police because Dom will end up back in prison if not. And you too Vince, I am not visiting my big bro in jail so you better cool that hot head of yours and help us control Dom."
This was serious. They followed Leon, who into the garage. Vince carried Torrie into the garage.
"Dom! Yo Dom, you here Dawg?"
"Ya I'm here what's up Leon?" Dom came around the corner of the office just then and saw his friend carrying Torrie. "What happened?" He strode up to them and took Torrie from Vince. She started to cry. She was so glad to see him. She threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in his throat and just sobbed.
"Well is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Dom said, looking down at Torrie in his arms and tilting her face up to kiss her forehead so she would know he was not mad with her. He saw the cut and bruise. "Well?"
"Give her a second Dom, it's her story and she has to tell it." Brian was just as curious considering it was going to involve the police.