"Goddamnit," Beatrix groaned as she shifted beneath the confides of the covers. She had just awoken to an unpleasant face…Budd's. She quickly pulled the covers up over her own face.
"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey," the cowboy chimed in a jubilant tone of voice. He was standing near the side of the bed, thumbs looped in his jean pockets, wearing a light blue t-shirt, and a smashing pair of cowboy boots.
Beatrix thrust down the covers and peered over to him with a 'what the fuck' expression plastered on her groggy features. "Where'd you learn that?" She inclined curiously.
He shrugged his shoulders and shifted from one foot to the other. "Made it up myself," his voice was still holding the jubilant spark. "Ya like it?"
"No," she replied flatly and sat up, locks of blonde hair falling into place in a disheveled manner. The look in those glossy blue eyes only exaggerated her hatred for Budd's made up morning rhyme. He didn't seem to give a damn.
"It'll grow on ya," and he left it at that.
Beatrix casually and somewhat mechanically began to force herself out of bed. Her legs swung over the side and she sat there trying to collect herself. Luckily she had slept in her pajamas, which was probably the only reason Bill let his brother into the bedroom. Speaking of Bill. She turned her head. "Where's your brother?"
"Out on the patio making some phone calls. He told me to check on sleeping beauty and to make sure you hadn't keeled over."
"How sweet of you."
"I'm all about the sweetness, sista," Budd said and puffed his chest out in a manly manner which really didn't work for him. Beatrix raised a slender brow and got to her feet. "You can tell him I'm alive and…hungry."
"Right away, your royal pain in the ass," he took a step to the door.
Beatrix shot him a look. "No, you can't watch. Get the hell out of here, Budd," she shooed him away with a hand gesture and Budd dismissed himself with a small pout of the lip to report to Bill.
The two brothers were both out on the patio when Beatrix emerged from getting dressed. It was still rather amazing that Bill and Budd were related, even along the material side...they both held themselves completely differently, spoke differently, looked differently and when it came down to it, acted quite differently. But, it still remained that they were brothers...even if Budd could easily have been Bill's son...and often was treated as such, in a very subconscious manner.
Both in their very different stances, they turned from their conversation as Beatrix approached, the two sets of brown eyes settling on her...with very, very different attitudes. Budd was leaning against one of the pillars that supported the stylish partial covering on the patio, smoking. Bill was standing a few feet away, black leather cowboy boots planted firmly on the deck, cell phone clasped in one ringed hand, the other settled confidently in his pocket.
"I hear that not only are you living...but your hungry," Bill quipped, squinting at her fondly in the morning sun. "Hrm, well...lucky for you Kiddo, I'm not in the mood to cook anything," he smirked, sauntering towards her, "And even more lucky for you," he continued, still gazing at her fondly as he halted close to her, "...you get to have breakfast with the two coolest brothers this side of the Mississippi." He pivoted a little to glance over his shoulder at Budd, "Isn't that right Budd?"
Budd opened his mouth.
Without even waiting for Budd's reply, Bill turned back to Beatrix, "There's a good breakfast place just a few minutes away, on the border...you'll like it," he prompted her with a tilt of the head, "Lots of that deep fried egg stuff you adore." He rubbed her shoulder affectionately, giving her a quick kiss...the type that was generally acceptable in front of siblings. "You look great...," he said in a lower and more personal tone...further softened with a smile, but then he quickly glanced over his shoulder again, "Hurry it up Budd, you don't want to see Beatrix when she gets too hungry...she's truly frightening." He smirked again, turning back to her with a wink.
Budd grumbled through his cigarette and shuffled over to the ashtray and put it out before shuffling after the 'couple'. And speaking of couples Budd made a quick remark on just that as they piled into one of Bill's luxurious cars, they sure as hell weren't taking Budd's truck and Beatrix didn't come with a car. "Don't you too go fucking PDA on me in the restaurant…or anywhere else for that matter," he threatened in a low but effective tone.
The tall blonde craned her neck to the back seat from her spot in the front. "Oh, there goes my idea of trying hot sex in a moving vehicle." Her lower lip stuck out in a make shift pout that only looked pathetically cute and she turned back around. She let a hand settle on Bill's thigh. "Sorry, baby," she apologized gently, her blue eyes flashing.
Bill instantly turned to look at Beatrix...the two phrases 'hot sex' and 'moving vehicle' in conjunction catching his full attention. His eyebrows rose fractionally over the rims of his sunglasses and the classic smirk appeared.
Then suddenly, with well practiced skill, using a combination of both the normal and emergency brake, he stopped the car dead in the middle of the highway in less then three seconds. It was a surprisingly smooth maneuver and obviously best done on the often deserted highways that stretched across these parts of Mexico.
Bill turned around in his seat...the leather creaking and sneered at his brother, "Ah, I've changed my mind Budd...Beatrix and I will drive...and you can walk...or you might be able to hitch a ride...then again," a shrug, "most likely not."
Budd's reply was only an irritated grunt, seeing as he was rather used to his brother's antics. By his expression and posture he looked as if only wild horses were going to drag him out of the car.
"No?" Bill prompted with dramatic tilt of his head.
"No," came Budd's blunt reply.
With a dramatic sigh, Bill turned back to the steering wheel, "Very well," he looked at Beatrix slyly, who was only giving him another one of her amazingly cute pouty faces...which, he had to admit, was really quite pathetically adorable.
Laying on the dramatic reluctance, he restarted the car and they continued on. But after only a few moments of silence, he spoke up, "Ya know...that is quite possible...hot sex in a moving vehicle."
This resulted in another loud and disgusted groan from Budd and glancing at
Beatrix again, Bill started laughing.
It was in the somewhat sickly twisted humored mood that they arrived at the restaurant. It was fairly crowded with a mostly local crowd. Nobody took much notice of them, as they were seated at a small booth sitting under a large mural painting of the Virgin Mary done in very Spanish pinks and greens. The place was far from high class, but it had its own charm in that 'breakfast joint' sort of way. Cowboy hats adorned many of those sitting around the bar seating, where most were turned to watch the small television hanging in the corner. Their waitress was a young Mexican woman named
Maria, who didn't look old enough to be working. She handed them their menus and left them to decide.
Seated next to Beatrix, Bill was still smirking over the whole car thing and only glanced over the menu quickly before murmuring in Beatrix's ear, "Budd of all people should not be giving us shit about PDA's...I could tell you some PDA stories about him that would make you lose your appetite."
Beatrix side glanced to Bill with an expression that clearly read; 'you can save it for later…or never.' She was just about to eat and it was rare that she ever went out for a real breakfast and she didn't want to lose her appetite. Besides, she never was really going to have hot sex in a moving vehicle with Bill. As exciting and pleasurably enticing as it sounded considering the driver and the sex in general, Bea wasn't sure how safe she'd feel.
She then casually turned back to her menu in a placid demeanor and skimmed over the contents. Sparkling blue eyes gazed over the rim of her menu to Budd. She dropped the menu down to settle open on the table top. "I am going to get the…" Slender brows furrowed in further decision making. "Eggs, scrambled soft with a side of bacon." It was hard to miss the grin that measured the state of Mexico that came over Budd's face. "And a vanilla shake."
Budd looked up at her questionably. "Their shakes are five fucking dollars."
"And?" She closed the menu. Budd let it go, for now, and closed his menu coming to a final decision of what to order.
Bill hoped that Beatrix knew he'd been completely playing up the hot sex in the car thing...he not only valued the exterior of his car but the interior too much to take that dangerous if not somewhat tantalizing prospect seriously enough to actually do it. Talk about unsafe sex; not that it wasn't a pretty damn cool thought.
"Five dollar shakes?" Bill gaped at the menu, "Jesus fucking Christ," he lowered his voice, spotting two kids sitting in the booth next to them, "I remember when shakes were a quarter," he hissed, but quickly smirked after spotting the look on both Budd and Beatrix's faces, "Don't even say it...just…..don't." He sat back grumpily; well aware he'd just completely dated himself.
"Well, I hope that shake is the best damn shake you've ever had Kiddo," he said to her with a raised eyebrow, "And of course you are doing to give me a sip...or two..." Bill's menu was set aside; apparently he'd already made up his mind.
Within a few minutes Maria returned and everyone placed their orders, Bill...of course, gave his in Spanish. He always capitalized on any situation where could speak anything but English and Maria obviously wasn't a fluent English speaker.
And of course, he couldn't help but bring up the shakes. "Cinco dolar's?" He looked at her in exasperation, "Porqué?"
Maria just shrugged, "Ellos es bueno..." she chewed on the end her pen, far from caring about some old white guy who could speak Spanish getting mad about the expensive shakes.
"There's good...heh..," Bill sneered, giving her a look, "Please….que es ridiculo..."
Maria shrugged again, "Afligido.." she mumbled and walked away from the table.
Realizing that thus far, he was sounding like a real cranky old bastard, Bill gave it up with a shrug of his own. "I still want a sip," he added after a moment, pushing his shoulder playfully into Beatrix's.
Of course Beatrix had to playfully and in slight irritation push back into him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she began to slouch back comfortably in her chair.
"Were you," Budd pursed his lips. "Bargain' with that girl 'bout that shake?" At Bill's reassuring nod Budd let out a low whistle. Why Bill had to bargain over the cost of some fucking shake when he could buy twenty of that five dollar shake without putting a dent in his wallet was beyond Budd.
The air within the restaurant was beginning to swelter and the tall blonde found it her priority and best interest to cool it down. "Budd," she casually leaned forward, her still folded arms settled on the table top. "What have you been up to lately?" It was friendly conversation to move into friendly territory.
Budd didn't seem too surprised by Beatrix's question and was amiable to answer her. "The usual, ya know. Doin' stuff for Bill, going to the local bars, sight seeing…"
The blonde cut in curiously, "Sight seeing?"
Budd nodded. "Mmhmm…..in Texas."
The blonde raised a brow. "What the fuck is there to see in Texas?"
"Friend a mine knows the local bars 'round there…and he's been hooking me up with some of them," the cowboy explained trying to keep a calm placement about it.
Beatrix gave a slow nod. She wasn't sure what Budd was getting at but she could easily tell he was a tad uneasy on the subject, especially in front of Bill. She didn't want to go in depth on the present topic and decided to wing it around. She put on a tight smile; her gaze shifted to Bill, and added, "How about moving the squad out to Texas?"
Bill was watching his brother closely from across the table...watching him like a man who knew how to read people exceptionally well, most especially his own sibling. His expression remained neutral, but there was no missing the slight downturn of his mouth and the heightened intensity in his gaze as Budd rather vaguely revealed some sort of new information on himself. But, for the moment, Bill said nothing in reply to his brother's words...which generally meant he was still processing it and deciding what to do with it.
He turned to Beatrix, easily moving out of that mood and into another. "Texas?" he leaned back, arm wrapping around the back of the booth behind the tall blonde's shoulders, "It's not a bad choice," he offered. Of course, he'd already made up his mind on the DiVA's next locale, but he would certainly entertain the idea. "I can't really stand the big cities there though..." When it came down to it, Bill wasn't much of a big city person in any state nowadays...he liked his open spaces too much. "Houston and Austin are pretty shitty if you ask me, El Paso is alright...quant," he shrugged, "Not a bad suggestion Kiddo," he offered her a smile.
Bill's gaze flickered back to his brother for a brief moment. Budd had been labeled something of a moron by many of those around him, but Bill knew better...his brother was far smarter than he put on. And something was stewing underneath that shitkicking hat and laid back demeanor of Budd's...he just couldn't quite put his finger on it yet.
And Budd wouldn't miss his elder brother's look either, and Bill knew it. They had developed a long vocabulary of non-verbal communication over the years...like many siblings, but in their case it was even more highly developed. It was a vital thing to possess when one was in such a dangerous business as they were.
Bill knew Budd was up to some shit. He also knew Budd was sending some...mixed signals in his direction, and not exactly friendly ones.
This matter would have to be dealt with...but not in front of Beatrix.
Once again turning to the woman at his side, Bill eased back into his former mode. "It is true...what they say...the most dastardly bastard of bastard millionaires live in Texas."
"Oh?" Beatrix inquired with a raised brow.
"Yup," Budd added as he leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through a messy array of brown locks. "Bill's yet to make his claim there though."
At this moment before any more secretive bickering could move forward, the waitress, Maria approached with a tray of drinks. Water was distributed amongst the three, as was coffee for Budd and Bill, and of course, Beatrix's five dollar vanilla shake.
Lavishing in the idea of a five dollar shake the tall blonde wheeled it in and seeing it was her drink she was inclined to take the first sip. She casually wrapped her lips around the straw and took a gulp. "Mmm," she cooed, licking her lips for added dramatization of how fucking good that five dollar shake was. She slid it in Bill's direction. Budd didn't bother asking to try the shake. The last time he offered Beatrix something with his 'kooties' on it, aka the muffin, he resigned from sharing with the blonde ever again.
Bill only remained smirking at the Texas comment. Actually, he had lived in Texas for a short time many, many years ago...before the millionaire part but certainly after the dastardly bastard part. Then again, he'd lived in allot of different places throughout his life for a short time. He found Texas far more to his liking than many other states.
His attention was quickly diverted by the arrival of the drinks, most especially Beatrix's five dollar shake. He watched her with extreme intensity as she somewhat suggestively took a long sip from the straw.
He gave the tall blonde a sly look as she slid the beverage in his direction. Taking an equally long sip that was, thankfully, devoid of any of the feminine mannerisms that Beatrix had just so effectively delivered, he then sat back again the booth...a look of skeptical judgment on his face. "Goddamn," he said after a moment, a typical smile/smirk replacing the former skepticism, "...fuck...that's a good shake." He nodded at Beatrix, brows raised, giving her a look of approval. Bill didn't gush on about most things very often, and for him that was a pretty ecstatic reaction to something.
Of course, then he tried to make another grab for the glass, but Beatrix was quick to pull it away. Bill gave his brother a humored look, which was only partially returned.
At this maneuver Beatrix let long white fingers coil around her frosty glass. She felt recently that ever since Elle kidnapped her drink on the airplane, everyone was out to kidnap her drink, and so she had to protect it. She gave both men a predatory look but it was directed more so at Bill. "Get your own fucking shake," she muttered before taking another cleverly thorough and suggestive sip from the straw.
A light chuckle came from Budd's side of the table. "One thing 'bout women, Bill, never ever try to take their shakes, especially five dollar ones. They can turn vicious," he pointed out and came back to a humorous, well-natured moron that held no dark secrets.
The tall blonde nodded as she swallowed the liquid in her mouth and sat back. "They sure can," she paused. "You should listen to your brother's advice more often."
Bill waved a dismissive hand, laughing bitterly. "I have no reason to listen to Budd's advice Kiddo." It was amazing how easily Bill could dish out potential hurtful remarks right in the presence of that who he was insulting. "I never have really...I mean Budd," he chuckled, leaning against the table. "I wouldn't exactly be taking women advice from you of all people. If I recall correctly the last girl you had...I mean one that you didn't just drunkenly sleep with one night, stuck around for two weeks before taking off with one of your trucks and five hundred bucks in cash."
He leaned back, smirking, "And that was two years ago."
Bill, of course was well aware of the sorts of things he said to Budd. There was a fine line between fraternal teasing and more sinister intentions...and Bill often crossed it. He raised his brows at his brother, in an almost taunting look.
But before anything else could be said, Maria returned with their food and everybody fell momentarily silent, more occupied with their breakfast.
That being said, Bill made no more attempts to snatch Beatrix's five dollar shake.
Beatrix nor Budd were going to remark on Bill's earlier comment as they both had distasteful feelings towards it so they shut up. If this was to be an uncomfortable silence than the food was making it more comfortable.
Beatrix had to admit she was enjoying her bacon and eggs and the fact she was hungry to begin with made it more enjoyable. It was surely a worthy diner she'd insist to go to more often, especially when Bill didn't feel like playing host. Time passed at a reasonable rate as the three finished their meals. Beatrix scooped up the last bit of her scrabbled eggs with a dash of salt, and set her fork down. "Pardon me while I go use the restroom," she declared in a casual tone of voice.
She brushed Bill's side affectionately as well as playfully as she rose from her seat. "Have fun," Budd dramatically added with a sly grin as he shuffled more food into his mouth.
"I sure will," the blonde replied over her shoulder and sauntered off to the bathroom to have some 'fun'.
Bill, who made a habit of not eating too much cholesterol nowadays, was still finishing up his pancakes and side of mixed fruit, when Beatrix brushed by to momentarily take leave of the table.
He offered her a smile as she passed by him and watched her walk off towards the back of the diner. There was no missing the look on his face as he did this. There was something of a universal male expression that said a number of things in one shot.
His attention focused back on his nearly cleared plate, he glanced across the table at Budd, a drastic change in demeanor took over.
"Don't drink a woman's five dollar shake?" He snorted, "Alright Budd...I suppose I can take that one bit of advice from you. But I draw the line there."
A few more moments of silence passed between them, where Bill nonchalantly pretended to disregard his brother completely.
"So...," Bill spoke up, examining his glass of water, "...what exactly where you doing in Texas?" This was delivered in that trademark casual but somehow threatening tone of voice.
Budd was sectioning off the last piece of his sausage when Bill spoke up with an actual question. It wasn't the most pleasant but it was delivered in a brotherly fashion. He set down his sausage with the fork prongs half embedded into the lard of fat and settled his knife before giving Bill a leveled gaze. "If you must know," he began slowly. "I was hanging out with Ernie. You remember Ernie, right?" The cowboy folded his hands on the table and deliberately cleared his throat. "Anywho, he wanted me to come visit since we hadn't seen one another since that incident in Southern Texas." Ernie and Budd were friends or as close as friends one could get with Budd's profession. So throughout the years they remained in touch. "He showed me a couple of the bars down there. It was along the borders of El Paso."
He shifted in his seat. Budd never much liked trying to make civil sibling talk with Bill. It never worked, but he managed. "I was payin' a courtesy call."
"Ah," Bill raised his chin, "I see," he replied characteristically, pushing his empty plate towards the end of the table. "If I'm remembering the right Ernie, the guy's a complete asshole," he shrugged, "The last time I saw him he called me an arrogant prick," he smirked, giving his brother a look, "Not that I'm arguing..."
He took a long drink from his glass of water, setting it back down with a dark frown. Obviously he had something on his mind, but instead he slowly glanced around the crowded diner with a distant look. Eventually he came back around to gaze at his brother, giving the younger man a probing look. "You'd be wasting your talents pulling drinks instead of triggers Budd," he said pointedly. Leave it to Bill jump directly down the throat of the whole story.
In Bill's own twisted manner that was a compliment in Budd's direction and Budd took it as a compliment. He gave a tight nod. "I'll keep that in mind," he tipped his chin and took a large and 'rude' bite of his previously pronged sausage and chewed. Maria, the waitress came back shortly to clear away the dirty plates acting no less sociable than before. But, Beatrix, who was much more sociable returned, all freshened up and enjoyed herself in the bathroom as she was told to.
The check was already on the table as she slipped into the booth. Blue eyes viewed over the expressions on both men's faces with a casual rise of her brow. She sat down and moved to finishing off her shake. It would be tragedy if she didn't finish the last drop. All gone she said, "I'm ready when you are."
Bill cast one more glance at Budd, but said nothing more on the former topic. "I'm ready," he said a little dryly and snatched the check off of the table. Bill always had a tendency to want to pay for everything and he didn't allow either of them a word in otherwise as he made his way up to the counter to pay.
The three of them stood at the cluttered counter as a middle aged Hispanic man rang up the check. Bill grabbed a toothpick out of the dispenser as they waited.
Once the check was settled, the three of them exited the noisy diner into the warm glaring morning. The parking lot was now almost entirely full.
Chewing absent mindedly on the toothpick, Bill scanned the parking lot for his car...which he spotted within seconds. He had this old habit of finding his car visually before walking towards it. Clasping onto Beatrix's hand with a warm smile, they...along with Budd, began to make their way across the bustling parking lot.
Bill turned to the tall blonde at his side, who seemed to be in a very good mood, "So Kiddo, you-" but he stopped mid-sentence, eyes flashing with warning.
Something wasn't right.
Beatrix and Budd were killers who were trained mostly by Bill and thus they sensed that something surely wasn't right at the approximate time Bill did. Budd was hanging a foot back from the 'couple' when Bill had abruptly stopped. He stuffed his hands casually in his pockets as he had a way of blending in.
The tall blonde shifted in closer to Bill, she could as well play casual. If they were being watched it was smart not to lead on. As long as they all knew it was safe to say they had their backs checked. She nudged Bill with her elbow, her demeanor placid, but blue eyes were flashing. "So, baby, what were you saying?"
Bill played right along, well versed at this game, proud that Beatrix knew it just as well and thankful she had the sense to keep him on his toes. He pulled his cell phone out his pocket, checking the display for his messages...at least, that was the idea and the explanation for his momentary pause. After a few seconds, he put away the phone.
"I was saying," he replied smoothly, looking at Beatrix but at the same time looking beyond her, "So...now that you've helped me pack…..I have some business matters for you...," while he was talking, he slowly moved his other hand under his jacket, looking more like he was straightening his shirt than anything. "Nothing big, small errands."
They continued walking nonchalantly across the cracked and pot holed pavement towards Bill's car.
What had really set Bill off, as well as the other two, was the rather displaced looking silver Mercedes Benz parked on the far aisle of the parking lot. Amidst the run down pick up trucks and outdated 80's sedans, it just didn't really fit into a Mexican border town...and Bill knew Mexican border towns, after all he'd grown up in one. More than that, the Benz had unmarked plates. The same could be said about Bill's car, although at least it had Mexican plates.
This sort of thing might have seemed a bit on the super paranoid side to anybody else, but for those who were killers, it was important to always be watchful for these small not right things. It was inevitable that more than one person wanted you dead...and at least in Bill's case...it was well over one.
If the car wasn't enough, there were two men...in suits, standing about twenty feet from the Benz. They were turned at an angle, a posture that, for one who knew it, knew they were watching without wanting to be seen. Besides, most people didn't wear designer suits to this sort of diner...not even on Sundays...let alone owned a designer suit.
"Remind me I have some things to get out of the car," Bill continued, a placid...seemingly oblivious smile on his face. Of course, in this case...things meant things that fired bullets.
As the trio was nearing Bill's car, a rather random thing happened, or so it seemed...a woman came running up to them...apparently in a panic, her high heels clomping on the asphalt.
"You've got to help me!" She yelled, arms flailing. "I've locked my keys in my car and I've got to be at this meeting in San Diego in thirty minutes!" She motioned wildly towards the silver Benz.
Bill gave her a look that bordered on banal. She was dressed rather nicely, Caucasian, perfect English, late 20's, brunette, leather designer purse...
"I'd say you're screwed," Bill replied with a smirk, before removing his car keys, his eyes quickly flashing in Budd and Beatrix's direction.
"No, no!" The woman drew closer, more desperate. "You have to help me!"
"Actually," Bill opened his car door, "I don't think that I do." There was an audible click as he raised the muzzle of a pistol over the top of the door...just enough for those nearby to get a clear view, but discrete enough that it wouldn't attract any attention elsewhere.
The woman froze, her little act cracking significantly.
Bill was now dead serious, his piercing gaze fixated on the suddenly quiet woman, "Kiddo...do you happen to recognize this woman by any chance?"
The tall blonde gave the formally dressed brunette a skeptical look. The second the women came over with arms flaying in the window like a scolded chicken Beatrix knew this wasn't your typical 'I need help' situation. Actually, the blonde made a quick, amusing note to never ask Bill for help if she ever locked her keys in her car. Her mind placed in the face of the woman with a killer's accuracy. She blinked and said with an all out bad-ass, haughty expression, "Yes, I do. She looks like one of the woman I remember roaming around at-"
"Bob," finished Budd, standing on the opposite of Beatrix now. The blonde turned and gave him a quizzical expression as the cowboy wasn't known for finishing Beatrix's sentences.
"Bob's place..." she reaffirmed uncertainly. "I saw her when I was at Bob's place."
"No," Budd said, his tone indifferent but casual. "Bob." He turned, a hand coming out of his pocket to motion to the Benz. Beatrix and Bill both turned their eyes to see stepping out of the supposedly once locked stylish silver car, a man that no one particularly wanted the pleasure of seeing. "Ohhh...Bob," Beatrix stated with a tight nod, her expression on instant turned sour now that she clearly understood what the fuck Bill's brother was talking about.
Budd nodded stoically. "Yup."
"Well, I'll be damned," Bill mumbled to him, an amused smirk further spreading across his face, as he pivoted slightly to watch the man of the hour get out of the Benz. Of course, he kept the muzzle of the pistol glued right onto the brunette, who was now looking genuinely nervous as she spotted her boss coming their way.
Bob gracefully unfolded himself from the car, silver hair, sunglasses, Rolex, shoes, cufflinks, tie pin and ego all shining brightly in the morning sun. As he started towards them, the two men in suits fell in behind him in a flanking position. He seemed to take his time sauntering towards them, as he smoothly unbuttoned his blazer and put a hand in his pocket, as if he were doing a model shoot for GQ.
Bill's smirk only widened. He should have known the moment he saw that Benz, but the brunette had been the dead giveaway. He looked almost feral to finally get his hands on Bob.
Bob, finally done with his strutting, came to a halt a few feet from the group, his cronies stepping up beside him. "Bill." Bob said smoothly, designer sunglasses glinting, "I see you're still a craggy, burnt out, weed smoking, gun slinging, cradle robbing, wannabe kung fu cowboy." A small smile touched Bob's otherwise stony face, "….old dogs don't change I suppose."
"Ah, but you forgot murderous, untrustworthy bastard. And very nice to see you too Bob," Bill replied, looking even more amused, "Why don't you cut the bullshit cockblockery and tell us all why you've graced this lovely Mexican town with your cologne soaked presence."
Bob's lip twitched, but he moved on, "I received some...valid information that you had a hit out on me." His thin brows ached over his sunglasses, "You know I don't take kindly to death threats Bill. I decided it was best to stop you before you even tried."
"Bob," Bill almost sighed, gun still poised at the brunette, "...as tempting as putting out a hit on you sounds...I can't say I've had the fortune of that opportunity."
"You're an infamous liar Bill," Bob replied without hesitation. "I have every right to believe that, you are in fact, bullshitting me."
"You have the right...but you'd be wrong," Bill murmured, looking a little irked, "How did you find me?"
"I have my ways," Bob answered in that confident tone, "Your nice housemaid...eh...Nicariki….or something or rather, informed me of your whereabouts. Not her fault Bill...I was very persuasive."
Bill's expression had turned stoic, he said nothing for the moment.
Bob's gaze turned to Beatrix and Budd. "Beatrix Kiddo," he said, a note of disgust creeping into his voice, "I didn't miss you and Bill's cute little couples moment back there. Your rather trashy Miss Kiddo, but I didn't think you'd really steep so low as to actually crawl into bed with the old bastard." His gaze flicked to Budd, "Then again...Budd, you are in fact...lower on the food chain."
"You've been practicing your insults," Bill spoke up, "How studious of you."
"I have, thank you Bill," Bob replied. "Now, why don't you get the heat off of my lovely employee Dana?"
"Actually," Bill raised the muzzle a little, a sharkish smile on his face, "I'd rather put a hole in the middle of her head."
Dana's eyes widened in terror, her red lips working nervously.
"I'd rather you not," Bob hissed, his voice suddenly many degrees colder.
"Actually," Beatrix intervened from her spot on the sidelines. "You are wrong," her words directed at Bob. "Bill didn't put a hit on you because if he had, I would have been the first one to volunteer and," she raised a daunting white finger to exaggerate the point, "If I had you would have been dead long before you could stroll down here to Mexico." The tall blonde warrior was acting quite cool in the present situation. Of course her hatred for Bob ran deep but she wasn't irrational…besides, a few of his low-brained insults were nothing compared to past insults she had endured, many of them, point taken, from the man she was crawling into bed with.
Budd was keeping to his spot on the sidelines and had to yet to take a step into the situation. He could be obedient and sly when he wanted too. For now he decided to let the big guys talk it out until something drastic needed to be dealt with, such as taking out a fire arm of his own. He shifted on his feet and hands returned to his pockets.
"I don't believe a word you say Miss Kiddo," Bob replied quickly and evenly to Beatrix, "Not only because I dislike you greatly and hold a very low opinion on your views, but I know for a fact that you learned how to lie from Bill himself here. You're a liar amongst liar's Miss Kiddo...don't bullshit me...I find it highly insulting."
Bill raised an eyebrow, taking all of this in, the toothpick he'd picked up minutes earlier still clenched in-between his teeth. Bob was a grade A prick and he certainly wasn't going to pass up the chance to get rid of him. But, he had to play this cool if that was to be the outcome. Beatrix and Budd were likewise playing it calm...but this was going to be a tricky one for all of them, since Bob was a shade stonier than the average asshole. Not only that, despite his designer look and fanciful attitude, he was a dangerous man...as were the two men at his side. There was no telling how many other CPA cronies Bob had brought with him either.
Then again, Bill knew he and those who worked for him were far more dangerous. He'd just have to take some chances on this one.
"Ya know Bob," Bill drawled, leaning a little against the door, yet still holding a tight aim on the petrified looking Dana, "...I hate to say this, but you're really getting far stupider with age. If you really wanted me dead, you should have sent your best killers to find me. Instead, you show up yourself...so I can conveniently kill you. Honestly, I had no intention of killing you...but now, you've put yourself in the situation...leaving me no other choice."
"Your not going to kill me Bill," Bob sneered, "And don't use the word honestly...it doesn't suit you."
"Hrm," Bill smiled, shrugging nonchalantly. Suddenly, amidst this very nonchalant gesture, he smoothly shot the brunette Dana, right between the eyes. The gunshot rang throughout the parking lot. She slumped to the ground with a short gasp and a good amount of blood spraying out the back of her head. Before her body even hit the ground, Bill had trained the gun right on Bob...whilst in the meantime everybody else had drawn formerly concealed weapons in a matter of seconds.
It was a genuine standoff now.
"Jesus Christ!" Bob had taken a reflexive step back, his own small pistol now in his hand, "You're a maniac Bill." He snatched off his sunglasses, being sure to crisply put them away in his jacket pocket before moving on, "That was extremely uncalled for," he hissed, cold grey eyes flashing with sudden anger.
Bill shrugged again, as if shooting somebody was akin to throwing his shoe at them, "I dunno...somebody had to something."
"Certainly...but killing my employee...that was unnecessary."
"As unnecessary as killing...oh what was her name, Kiddo?" he tiled his head towards the tall blonde standing next to him, "Ah...wait...I remember now, Clarice..."
Bob's small nostrils flared, an unmistakable rush of anger reddening his face.
Bill sneered. Bob had walked into this with the upper hand, but it was his turn to take it back. He knew he was goading Bob on, and he knew Bob was more prone to do something even stupider under the influence of his own anger.
Bill leaned forward a little, "Do you want to know how I killed her Bob?" he said softly.
"You fucking sadistic bastard," Bob snarled.
Bill chuckled, chewing on his toothpick, "Are you sure you don't want to know?"
"Shut up," Bob replied with a raised finger, "Just...shut up…."
"Oh come on Bob!" Bill threw his unarmed hand up in disgust, "You're a killer Bob, not a fucking pencil pushing cocksucker, so start acting like a killer!"
Bob obviously found those words rather insulting as his lips drew back in a feral expression. It was weird to see Bob crack...but apparently he wasn't impenetrable. He cocked the hammer back on his pistol, taking aim at Bill, but suddenly changed his mind and aimed it at Beatrix. "We all have our weaknesses Bill..." he whispered.
That was a cheap shot, well; Bob was 'cheap' so they probably should have expected that. Beatrix stood there with a conveniently construed line on her face. She wasn't smiling, smirking, or grinning but she wasn't quite blank in façade either. She just was, which said a shit load for Beatrix Kiddo. She never was one for playing damsel in distress (that had been noted times before), she despised being vulnerable, nor did she enjoy being part of a guilt trip so her current predicament wasn't on her 'favorites' list.
Everyone had a gun pointed at someone's head. Bill poised at Bob, Budd poised at the two jackass henchmen who had a gun pointed at both brothers, and Bob had a gun poised at Beatrix, who was the only without a gun. This had to change.
Normally Beatrix carried a weapon on her 24/7 and this day was no different. Well, only by a smidge, considering they had just gone out to breakfast the blonde didn't make it a priority to pack on the real deal. She had her SOG in her boot and that was it. If she had known she'd have to fend for her life after eating a hardy meal of bacon and eggs she would have brought a fucking machine gun, but unfortunately she didn't think like that. But, that wasn't a problem.
Bill had conveniently left the trunk open which concealed under all of the unnecessary car shit a shitload of firearms, or at least one more pistol. So, she took her chances and made her move. The tall blonde warrior in a daunting measure of speed and accuracy, moved from her position, a few inches behind Bill but in front of Budd, stretched an arm into the trunk, whipped out a 9mm, came back and leaned behind the edge of the car, arms extended, hammer cocked, and poised to blow Bob's fucking head off. All of this done in the process of Bob firing off his weapon that only whizzed past the spot Beatrix would have been in had she not moved.
She wasn't Quick Draw Kiddo for nothing. Long white fingers flexed on the cool metal, her façade hard and blue eyes frozen. A brow lifted smugly in Bob's direction silently challenging him.
Bill hadn't been all that worried about Bob's turn on Beatrix. Bob had thought he was going to crack at the sight of his woman with a gun to her head. Well, Bob had thought wrong.
Bill laughed; chuckling at the expression on the CPA boss's face as Beatrix confidently whipped the gun out of the trunk and trained it on him. One could almost hear a trademark 'that's my girl' behind that laugh.
Bob now just looked incredibly irritated, his own gun firmly leveled at Beatrix's eyes.
Bill's gunshot and then Bob's moments before had not gone unnoticed. A number of people had fled, whilst a less intelligent group remained gathered behind the windows that lined the front of the diner. Bill had been very aware of the consequences of firing a gun in public, even if it was in a dinky Mexican border town. But, he had every intention of this little standoff having ended and he, Beatrix and Budd safely long gone from the scene by the time the disorganized and ill-funded police force showed up to investigate.
"Don't be stupid Miss Kiddo," Bob hissed, staring her down.
"If you'd have put a bullet hole in my car," Bill spoke up quietly, "I would have just skipped this whole inane but amusing standoff thing and blown your fucking head off," he shrugged, "Good thing for you, you didn't. Besides, I think 'Miss Kiddo' deserves that honor more than myself."
Bob did not reply...most likely because mere seconds later, one of his cronies got a little too twitchy from the tension and fired off his weapon at Budd. He missed, but this set all hell loose.