Puzzling Pieces
Chapter 36 – I Bleed for No One but Myself
By TempestRaces
AN: The views on drug use and other illicit topics in this story in no way reflect the opinions of the other authors or myself. I in no way condone people doing drugs, selling drugs, underage drinking, underage drug use, and last but certainly not least drunk driving. No one drives better high or drunk no matter what they say so don't let friends drive drunk and be a DD (designated Dancer/driver) or make sure someone has money for a cab home. These topics merely go with the story lines herein and are solely used for dramatic effect in this work of fiction. Thank you and on with the story.
"What do you mean Verone escaped?" Storm asked through clenched teeth, fighting to remain calm. "I beat him to within an inch of his life and left him for dead and tied up, after killing his thug. How the hell did he escape?"
"I don't know how the hell he did it but he did." Taylor answered. "I went back to check on him, to finish him so this wouldn't happen and when I got back to the warehouse all that was left of him was a pile of his blood."
"Ok, whose bright idea was it to drug me? I shoulda been out there after his ass ages ago."
"You need to take it easy. You lost a lot of blood." Vince said in what he hoped was a soothing voice.
"I'll take it easy when Stacey is home and Verone isn't running the streets loose!" Storm exclaimed in pure frustration. "If you guys had listened to me in the first place this never woulda happened. I wanted one of us to stay and keep an eye on him."
"I doubt he's doing much running. We messed him up pretty good." Vince said with a satisfied grin.
"And I wanted to finish him and you wouldn't let me." Taylor reminded Storm.
"And none of it changes the fact that Verone is loose, Stacey has been kidnapped and Verone has my sister and mother. Plus you all think I should spend the foreseeable future lying around recovering from one. Puny. Gunshot!" Storm's voice gained an octave after each word till she ended in a roar.
"Hey, I've been shot and there is no such thing as a puny gunshot wound. They're all serious." Vince told Storm and rubbed his side, remembering the pain.
"I been shot before myself and I'm still here. I guess women just have a higher tolerance for pain then men." Storm smirked. "Listen, we need to go find Verone."
"I just got arrested and I am currently only out on bail here I might remind you all. Can we get this over with so that I can get back to New York?" Taylor asked then went to say something else, but Storm held up her hand to silence him, a disturbing idea just popping into her head in that second. She spun on Brian.
"Hey cop boy, you were questioning me pretty heavy right before I blacked out."
"I am not a cop!" Brian reiterated.
"No, but you are working for them aren't you? They couldn't find me so they grabbed the next best person they could find, which was Taylor. What the fuck did you tell them Brian?" Storm asked in her deathly calm voice and she advanced on Brian. "What the fuck did you tell them?" She roared as she grabbed the front of Brian's shirt with both hands and shook.
"Nothing." Brian fought free then ran an agitated hand through his hair with a sigh. "Listen, they told me to find out some dirt on you, anything they could use. They gave me the hint to use the Columbia connection since I didn't know where to start. You're wanted for crying out loud. They're already on to you ok and they told me if I didn't help them they'd take Stacey and put her in foster care. I couldn't let them do that to her. She's already been through so much. She can't end up in some group home somewhere." Brian sniffled, trying hard not to break down in front of so many people. "I just did what I had to do to protect my sister!" Brian started to get angry.
"Who told you I was wanted?" Storm laughed, unable to control it.
"The FBI, your buddy there, a few people. Why?" Brian asked, confused.
"I'm not wanted. I'm too damn good for them to have enough on me to end up with warrants. Shit boy, use your damn head. You know who my father is. If they had enough to have warrants on me I'd be in jail. I'm not exactly low profile in New York ya know?" Storm paused and looked at her brother. "Search him Matty. Make sure he's not wired in any way." Matty moved to do her bidding. Brian went to stop him but thought better of it when Storm's hand twitched toward her gun. He allowed the search. Dom and Leon looked on angrily.
"He's clean." Matty assured his sister. Storm continued her story.
"They'd have me any day they wanted to back home. They don't need to wait till I'm in California to do it. It's because I'm not wanted that they tried to get you to help them. They figured you could give them the inside connection they need to try and get me. They've tried but we're too good for them to catch. I'm sure you know what above the law is right cop boy, or should I say cop bitch?"
"Why'd he tell me you were on the most wanted list then?" Brian asked, pointing at Taylor.
"Because he likes to play us up to be more dangerous then we really are. Adds to the image and all that. Brian, you were a cop. When the FBI has enough on you that they can put you on the most wanted list you either flee the country or you go into some major hiding. Do I seem to be in hiding to you?"
"No…" Brian trailed off like he wasn't sure. "But you're not exactly the play it safe type either. Could be you just don't mind taking your chances and flying in the face of the law. How am I supposed to know? You came in here and now Verone has my sister again."
"Listen, she'd be in jail along with our father and half his crew if she were really on the most wanted list. They know Storm and Benny are up to a lot of illegal things but they can never pin the jobs and the money together or on one person. It's how the mob's worked for as far back as they've been in this country and it's how it continues to thrive even while the FBI and local PD's feed those lines of PC bullshit to the public about how they've sounded the death knell of organized crimes. It'll never happen. Storm has our family linked up with the Russians. The Demaret's are far too above most local PD's for them to even entertain thoughts of going after us and the FBI needs to try and use you for a line in. Even the other 4 families don't mess with us anymore." Matty confirmed what Storm had said.
"Were they telling the truth about the drugs? Are you bringing in Ecstasy from Columbia? You know I'm not wired now so you know I just need to know for my own piece of mind. I deserve to know what I'm getting into here."
Storm felt the eyes of all the Toretto's on her plus those of Taylor and Matty. She felt like she was under a microscope and she didn't like it one bit. She wasn't use to feeling the intenseness. She was always under scrutiny and she'd learned to deal with it easily at an early age. But these people weren't cops, or strangers, or press. They were Stacey's family. And Stacey was like Storm's family.
But Storm also was not use to answering to anyone for what she did. She didn't know if she should tell Brian that she was in fact running drugs and he could deal with it how he wished, or keep in from him. She figured if she confirmed it he'd try to keep Stacey from seeing her when they got her back. And they would get her back, or Storm would die trying.
"Listen to me Brian, and all of you. I am what I am. I am my father's heir, I do run the Demaret crime rackets in New York, Miami and L.A. I have for the last two years and I don't intend to stop any time soon. I'm just trying to be what I'm destined to be."
"But as to exactly what we're into, what I'm into, that's on a need to know basis and ya'll don't need to know. I'll keep my business to myself like I always do. But I will assure you that I always kept my business to myself from my mother, sister and Stacey too. The girls never had any idea what I was or what I did and I intend to keep it that way. They thought that my father was a business tycoon and I was his personal driver. My mom knew the real score but not how involved I was with Dad. But she was married to the man; she knew what he was when she lived with him. I thought she went to her grave loving him for the sacrifice he made for her. Since she's still out there now I'm gonna assume she still loves him to this day. So take a page out of her book and judge me on how I handle myself and how I act and live, not on what I do."
"How can you ask me to do that when what you do could put my family and my sister in danger?"
"Who can protect you all better then me?" Storm asked, throwing her arms wide.
"Yeah, look how good you protected yourself, Miss 'I got shot and passed out in the hospital'." Letty sneered.
"I got a plan. I'll shoot you in the god damn shoulder and we'll see how far through what I did yesterday you get before the pain gets to you huh?" Storm fought the urge to do just that. Dom stepped in front of Letty.
"Storm, can we talk." Taylor growled out between his teeth and started Storm's way.
"What do you want? Taylor I'm not in a good mood right now and it's not the time you want to talk to me."
"It might be best if we talked in the kitchen."
"Yeah Storm, we definitely need to talk." Matty added his two cents.
"Later." Storm hissed.
"No, now." Taylor grabbed Storm, accidentally by her bad arm and gave a tug. With a cry of pain and rage Storm took her gun out of the holster and holding it by the barrel gave Taylor a sharp crack on his temple, dropping him like a stone before he even had time to let go. Storm rubbed her sore shoulder.
"Boy never did know how to take no for an answer." She said ruefully, looking down at the out stone cold Taylor Reese. She then looked up to catch various looks ranging from fear to amusement from the team. Matty just looked pissed off.
"Fine, you wanna have our family business dragged out in front of all these people then so be it Arabella Stormianna Demaret!"
Uh oh, Storm thought. When Matty brings out the full name, especially in front of other people it's serious for sure.
"What is this about you importing drugs? I can't believe you! That was never one of our businesses. I can't believe you'd get into something so dirty."
"Matty, this is not the time!" Storm yelled back, her anger fueled by people putting their noses where they didn't belong and the whole group hearing her full name, which she hated beyond hate. "You're not involved in our business anyway so how the fuck would you know?!"
"I think if dad branched that far out of his own world it would make a big enough splash that I'd hear about it around. I still hang out at Pizzo's you know? I'm still around the scene. Big things get talked about Storm."
"I never even confirmed it was true for the love of Jesus." Storm sighed. "It's all FBI conjecture made even more obscure by being second hand from Brian here."
"I know you. If it wasn't something you were into you'da just denied it from the gate. But you played the old Stormi trick. Don't say yes, don't say no, just gloss it over with another affidavit about how you keep personal and public separate."
Storm had never seen her brother so mad in her life, let alone with her. She almost wished she could reassure him instead of continuing to take him to task for his very inappropriate show of insubordination.
"Matty I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just not about to start justifying my life and how I live it to the cop boy who's working with the FBI ok? What's wrong with you? You know what dad would do if he found out we told shit all to someone working for the FBI?"
"Drugs Stormianna! Drugs. I can't believe you would get involved with drugs. They get sold to kids you know? And poor people. They get people killed." Matty threw up his hands. "I can't believe you. I can't believe you'd do something like this behind dad's back. And Taylor didn't know either did he? But he had ideas so you took him temporarily out of commission so he couldn't spill it to us himself. It's one of the big things that got Johnny into trouble that ended up getting him killed. He was your friend since grade school."
The Toretto's were watching the drama unfold in front of them with great interest. They were also hoping it wasn't the Johnny they knew that the Demaret's were talking about.
Storm's eyes clouded over at the mention of her friend Johnny Marbles. His addiction to sniffing coke had been one of the major contributors to his death. He'd been high on the job and it had made him nervous. Nervous and sloppy. But the true blame for his death rested solely with Teddy Deserve in Storm's mind and since Matty had taken Teddy out the score was settled. But that didn't bring Marbles back.
"Lot's of stuff gets people killed Matty. This life gets people killed. Crossing certain people can get you killed. Living in certain parts of Brooklyn can get you killed. Used responsibly drugs are no worse then alcohol. It gets kids killed too but no one ever goes off on the people who buy it for underage people. I can't deal with this right now Matty. I just can't. Johnny Marbles was one of my best friends. I know that it was the coke that made him paranoid like he was. But it wasn't me that got him onto it. It was Chris and I can't be held responsible for what Chris does. Listen, I got too much to handle right now for us to deal with this now. If you got some deep seated issues with me we'll resolve them at home after this shit is all handled."
"Did Taylor know?" Matty said in a very low, very angry voice.
"Yes and no." Storm took one look at Matty's face and decided that she was not getting away with that answer. "He knew back in the day I ran a little X on the side to make money for my car and my racing. He never knew that the Russians got the family into it hard core. He's a soldier Matty, not a boss. He didn't need to know. It wasn't part of his business."
"But it is part of yours?" Matty looked pretty disgusted.
"It wasn't even my idea. The Russians convinced Benny it was a good idea. I just do what he tells me Matty. I mean, I have some input but I had no good reason to give him why not to do it. I can't say hey Benny, you stand to make a killin off this but don't do it because it could get into the hands of a few kids in rave clubs."
"What if one of those kids was Stacey or Tabitha?" Mia asked calmly, trying to be the voice of reason.
"It'd never happen." Storm said firmly.
"How can you be so sure?" Mia questioned further.
"Because I always made sure my sister knew that drugs were dangerous and off limits. I made it quite clear that she was not to go near them and told her exactly why she shouldn't and what could happen to her. I made it quite clear that I did not do drugs myself and that I would kick her ass from Miami to New York if I ever caught her. She looked up to me, she wouldn't do anything I wouldn'ta done. She also knew if she wanted to drink a bit after her 16th I'd get her liquor as long as I was there to supervise to make sure she didn't over do it or get into any trouble."
"Kinda hypocritical isn't it?" Letty asked from her new position beside Dominic.
"How so?" Storm asked with an exasperated sigh.
"You got no problem with other people's sisters and brothers buying it and doing it but it sure wasn't ok for your sister to do. What kind of double standard is that?"
"I never said that I thought it was ok for those other kids to do it. I just said that I was told we were selling it so I did. I mean, we deal in bulk anyway, it's not like I'm out on the street selling it to people myself here."
"But you use to."
"I use to a bit in clubs yes. Listen guys; don't act like a group of sweet little angels here. You all do illegal shit yourselves."
"A little street racing is nothing like selling drugs." Leon broke in.
"Oh really?" Storm cocked an eyebrow and held up a hand. "You were doing more then street racing not so very long ago." She ticked one finger down and caught Dom's surprised look. "Don't look so shocked. I know all about your little get rich quick scheme. I got little informants everywhere." She ticked down another finger. "You street race. You will not let Stacey even learn to drive because you don't want her doing it. Yet it's fine for all of you. So you will race other people's kids and sisters and brothers but it's not ok for your own. And don't tell me no one ever gets hurt or killed in street racing. Taylor could tell you himself if he'd just wake up that I've been on the street racing scene for some time myself."
"Ok, so there are some similarities, it still doesn't change the fact that I don't like drugs around my sister. I don't think she should see you anymore when we get her back." Brian said, not looking pleased or smug about it at all. Storm was still angry about it though.
Angry was too mild a word. Here she was, busting her ass to get his sister back, and the whole process was getting her into fights with her brother, her friends, getting her shot and drugged. Getting her involved with men she had no business being involved with, and that she knew she should put out of her life before she got feelings for them she couldn't take back. She fought the urge to hyperventilate as all the shit with Vince, Stacey, Carter and her brother and Taylor started to hit her at once. And all on top of a drug induced headache. Her face pulled into an evil glare and she threw her hands to her hips as she looked at Brian and his team.
"Fine. You wanna play like that, see how you do without me. Have fun finding her on your own then goodie two shoes." She bent down and surprised everyone by very gently slapping Taylor across the face a few times and shaking him till he started to come to. He opened one black eye with an almost hung over groan and looked up at Storm from his position prone on the floor.
"You can really be a bitch you know that?"
"I know." Storm smiled softly at Taylor. There was a lotta love in her for him still, just not the same kind as before he'd left her. She continued more in her normal style. "It was just a little tap ya big baby. You grabbed my shot arm fool. Get up, we need to go."
"We goin to find Verone?" Taylor sat up and shook his head then got slightly unsteadily to his feet, refusing Storm's offered hand.
"Nope. Because you and Matty had to bring up the D topic here in front of everyone Brian has decided that I should not be allowed to have anything to do with Stacey. Therefore we are going to concentrate on finding my sister and mother instead. I'm sure that Benny will hunt down Verone soon enough. Hopefully Stacey is still ok when Daddy finds Carter." Storm started for the door. Taylor walked at her side, feeling like he'd just gotten his own way. He'd never wanted to be so involved with Stacey, her brother, or her brother's team. As far as Taylor was concerned this just meant no more annoying Vince. "Matty, you comin? Or have you defected to the other side here?" Storm questioned, sarcastic eyebrow in full effect. Matty walked up behind them to the door. Storm opened it and walked out into the evening sun. Taylor followed on her heels and pressed his shades on while standing with one hand in his coat pocket. Matty stood behind Storm and closed the door. They all paused on the porch.
"I'm sorry Storm. I just…I sorta freaked out when they called me and told me you'd been shot, that you passed out. I was outta line. I know that. But I still can't agree with you and Dad doin what you're doin."
"I know Matty. It wasn't my favorite of Dad's ideas either you know? The bad scar on my ribs, you know the one?"
"Yeah."
"I got that in a drug deal gone bad. I didn't want to get back into it any more then you want me in it. But you know Dad. When he gets an idea in his head there's no talking to him."
"Does he know?" Taylor asked.
"About me gettin shot?" Storm questioned. Taylor nodded. "Hell no he doesn't know. But it's not like he'd get out if he did. He'd just pull me off the job and I won't have that. I fought too hard to get here. You been shot over shit too Tay, it's just part of the job."
"Don't have to like it when it's over you Storm."
"Too true." Matty added, not knowing his sister had ever been shot before and not very happy to have found out.
"Yeah, but whataya gonna do?" Storm asked with a typical careless shrug and headed to her car. "Let's go home guys. I gotta call Dad and start the research on where Carter coulda hid my sister and mom. Dad's gonna have kittens when he finds out that Mom's still alive."
"You'll be lucky if he doesn't fly in on the first plane he can catch." Matty sighed.
"I got that on lock. He won't be leaving New York any time soon. Not when I point out the feds will really have a field day with me, you, Taylor and him and his entourage all together in a state we don't currently reside in."
"Good one sis." Matty smiled a small, tight smile and got in his car. Taylor followed suit and they left together.
"I can't believe she'd just walk out on us!" Brian worried as the team looked on in the aftermath of Storm's departure.
"Well, you as much as told her you didn't want her in your life." Vince tossed out, arms crossed.
"What, you on her side Coyote?" Letty asked.
"I don't take sides when both sides are right. I like to be on the winning team and in this case there isn't one. Why should she help you again Brian? She took a bullet over it already and she has her own worries. Then you go and harass her. I can't believe you were gonna sell her out to the FBI!" Vince finally lost his cool. "You used her to find Stacey the first time, to beat up Verone and take him out but then you were going to sell her up the river. I can't blame her for walking out."
"I shoulda did what? Let the FBI take Stacey away from me instead? I did what I had to do." Brian defended himself.
"There's that whole hypocritical thing again. It's fine for you to do what you had to do. You told us all you weren't a cop anymore but you sure didn't tell us you were working for them again. But it was just what you had to do. Storm is in an organization you don't walk away from. So really doing what she's told is just doing what she has to do too. But even though it had the potential to get her into trouble with her boss she was still helping you with your sister."
"Jesus this is just such a mess."
"I don't know how we're gonna get Stacey back without Storm." Leon mused. "I mean, will the FBI help if you tell them what you did find out about Storm." Vince shot Leon a dirty look. "Listen Dawg, right now it's gotta be about getting Stacey back in one piece. It's pretty clear Storm can take carea her own self."
"What I know about Storm isn't worth squat because I didn't get it on tape." Brian sighed.
Vince looked out the front door and saw Matty and Taylor drive off together in Matty's car, leaving Storm to drive by herself. He watched her slide into her car and just sit, staring off into nothing. On impulse he made up his mind. He walked out the door and shut it firmly before any of his team could say anything and walked down the driveway to the passenger side of the big black car. He opened the door and leaned over into the vehicle.
"You want some company?"
"You sure you want to go against your friends and still talk to me? I can't believe they let you come out here after I decided not to help them find Stacey."
"They don't run my life, much as Dom likes to try by times. I just can't believe you aren't going to find Stacey." Vince slid into the car and shut the door.
"I never said that."
"Yes you did." Vince's brow wrinkled in confusion.
"No. I said I wasn't going to help them find her. I never said I wasn't going to find her on my own." Storm raised an eyebrow. Vince chuckled.
"But you did say you were going to shift the focus to your own sister."
"I have this theory they're where ever he's taken Stacey. But the thing is I think I'm gonna have to call my father on this one and that's not gonna be good. Not good at all." Storm rested her still aching forehead on the steering wheel. "This is so messed up. All I ever wanted was to work for my dad. Now here I am living the dream. But it's not such a dream anymore. My mom and sister might not be dead. Carter has a second chance to beat up Stacey. It's all falling to pieces around me but I can't let it get to me because Storm's the tough one. People wouldn't know what to do if I fell apart. But I feel like I just want to fly to pieces."
"Even tough people have weaknesses." Vince said and tentatively started to rub Storm's back reassuringly.
"But when we show them the whole world sorta panics. Like if it's bad enough for Storm to be afraid it must be really bad. So I have to keep it all inside. It's just that this is a lot to deal with and not show any reactions. It's starting to crack me. Then I find out I lost like 18 hours because ya'll drugged me into a stupor and I still have a killer headache."
"We can hope that Carter contacts you and we have a way to trace it back to him."
"We can hope." Storm looked up and it was clear there were tears in her eyes. Tears she refused to cry. "You sure you wanna be in this car with me? Once you leave with me there's no goin back. They're always gonna wonder which side you playin."
"I'm more scareda what Taylor will do if I show up with you."
"Who says we're gonna see Taylor?"
"You said you were all going home up in the house."
"Yeah, I did. But that's the best way to lose Matty and Taylor for awhile. Just tell them you'll meet them at home and then don't show up." Storm smiled slyly. "I've had to do it before to ditch them. I'm pretty good at it now."
"So what are you gonna do?"
"I'ma work a while. My dad owns a few night clubs and halls around L.A. and I'ma go check up on them. It's my job and I've been blowing it off for a while now. Time to take a break from all this and just do some run of the mill shit."
"How you gonna do that when Stacey and your family are out there somewhere?"
"Vince, to find out where Carter would lay low in L.A., I gotta call my dad and he's gonna hit the roof. If we can put that off to tomorrow morning it's only a good thing. I don't think Carter's gonna make a move till he contacts us and he has my cell number. The guys are at the house if he calls there. It's on lock and I need a few drinks and loud music with some routine work, shit that goes down according to plan. I really need it."
"I can see that. Let's go."
"I'm only gonna ask you once more. You sure you wanna go here with your friends?"
"I'm sure. Brian'll be seeing the error of what he said soon enough."
"Hey, I don't care playa, he'll just get in my way anyway. I got all I need right here." Storm patted her waist where her glock was concealed. She put the car into gear and backed down the drive. She hit play on the stereo and started it blasting out Not Falling, a song she felt could almost have been written for her.
I...I stand, (for nothing) not crawling,
(but myself), not falling down
I...I bleed, (for no one), the demons,
(but myself) that drag me down
I...I stand, (for nothing) not crawling,
(the center), not falling down
(of calms within the eye)
I...I'll bleed, (for no one), the demons,
(but myself) that pull me down
(for me and no one else)
"I can't believe Vince left with her." Letty snarled.
"He likes her." Dom sighed. Letty shot him a dirty look and looked like she had more to say. "I don't know why!" He tried to convince Letty so she wouldn't go off at him for something he couldn't control. "I talked to him about it and got told to butt out and mind my own business ok. But I'm just sayin he left with her cause he likes her."
"How are we gonna find Stacey without Storm? I never once believed that she wouldn't help us at least find Stacey before she went off on me." Brian looked lost.
"We were pretty hard on her." Mia offered.
"She's a drug dealing mobster! Hello!" Letty said sarcastically.
"She's someone we need if we want to have a hope in hell of tracking Verone." Brian said as he sat down heavily onto the couch. "What did I do?" He asked the room in general as he hung his head down onto his hands.
"Just what you thought you had to do for Stacey's safety. You were right in a lot of ways Brian. What she's into could mean trouble in the future for Stacey and all of us." Mia went to Brian to reassure him, kneading his shoulders.
"Her future safety is irrelevant if we don't get her back now, and I don't see us doing that without Storm's help." Brian mumbled into his hands.
"Are you willing to take it back and say you'll let her see Stacey to get her help now?" Dom asked.
"I don't know what I should do. How much does Vince like her anyway? Is she likely to be around whether we like it or not anyway?"
"I really don't know." Dom answered. "I just think maybe we have to do what we have to do for now to have her back on our side. We can rethink that once we have Stacey back."
"We can't tell her it's ok for her to be around Stacey then take it back Dom. She's not the kind of person you play like that on." Brian retorted.
"But we could deal with it when it came up if we had Stacey home safe." Mia seemed to agree with Dom.
"I think we should sleep on it. It's getting late now anyway. We can decide in the morning." Dom put an end to the conversation and the team all broke up to go to their own rooms to try and get some sleep.
"So, your dad owns this place?" Vince questioned as they pulled up to a 'gentlemen's club', which was a polite way of putting strip club.
"Yeah." Storm answered with a smirk in Vince's direction.
"And he sends you to check up on the place?"
"Well, he knows I'm not hitting on the dancers at least." Storm grinned. "Or I'm not as far as he knows. You comin in?"
"I don't know." Vince mused as he sat back in the seat. He didn't know if going into a strip club with a girl he actually really liked was a good idea. Would she think he was a pervert?
"Ah come on. Free drinkies." Storm cajoled, laughing.
"Ok, you got me." Vince got out of the car and Storm surprised him by taking his arm and walking in with him. This dating a girl with unconventional views might just be cool. He'd never met a chick ok with going into strip bars before.
They walked past security, around the gates and straight into the club. It was a nice club, classy, but still a strip joint.
"You want a beer?" Storm questioned Vince as they walked in.
"Sure." They walked up to the bar and Storm ordered a Corona for Vince and a neat vodka for herself. Storm watched Vince covertly as he sipped his beer and Vince was busy watching her as she tossed back her shot in one gulp. "You keep that up you'll need me to drive you home again."
"Not if I stick to the vodka. I need to switch it up south of the border to get loaded. Why, you want me to so you can take me home again?" Storm grinned and cocked an eyebrow. Vince looked up at her to gauge her seriousness.
"Maybe." He grinned playfully.
"Well, we got a few more stops to make so I'll play it safe for now, cool?"
"Of course."
"I'm gonna go back to the office for a quick second. You be ok here?"
"Sure."
"I'm pretty sure you'll be kept entertained." Storm winked as the music changed tempo and a beautiful girl with waist length black walked out onto the stage.
"I'll be just fine with my beer." Vince made a show of not looking at the stage.
"Suuurrrreeee." Storm drawled as she walked away toward the back office. She walked in and closed the door behind her. She found the club manager, Tony, looking at some books. He looked up when he heard her close the door and smiled.
"Storm!"
"Hey Tony."
"What're you doin here? I thought you were too busy to make it in this visit."
"I was but I need some info so I'm starting to put the runners out ya know?"
"Sure, shoot."
"Carter Verone is in L.A. and he has my mom and sister, not to mention Tabitha's friend Stacey. I need to find out where he's hiding. I fucked him up bad so he had to have gotten medical attention someplace. I need you guys to start to ask around, on the low. I don't want him to know I'm doin it but I need to know where he's got my famiglia, capisca?"
"You got it Storm. I'll see what I can find out. Who's the guy your with?" Tony asked with a sly look. "He looks like someone the old man would approve of strangely enough."
"He is but he's just a friend." Storm did not appreciate being reminded her dad would approve of Vince just based on his heritage alone. She was use to her dad not approving of her boyfriends; truth told she kind of liked it that way.
"Ok. Here's what you came for." Tony handed over a stack of cash.
"Thanks." The man stood up and he and Storm kissed each other's cheeks before she left the office, hiding the money in her pocket. She walked back up to the bar and slid onto a stool beside Vince. "I'll have another." She nodded to the bartender, who knowing her well enough simply filled a shot glass full of clear liquor and slid it down the bar to her. She tossed it back. "Ready to hit the next spot, or are you enjoying the scenery?"
"I'm always enjoying the scenery when you're around, but we can head out. What's up next?"
"A far less refined club."
"Sounds interesting." Vince stood up and Storm followed suit. They went out to the car and headed to the next spot, which ended up being a seedy dive. Storm again talked to the manager to put her message out and got her father's money. She had a few more drinks but she stuck to that which would not get her drunk. Vince was looking a bit tipsy, but far from drunk.
At the last club, the classiest one they owned, Storm hit paydirt. As she was talking to the manager about her situation he scratched his head.
"Carter Verone you say?"
"Yeah, the idiot that was stealing off my father."
"A Latin guy who called himself Carter got treated by a doctor friend of mine. He didn't give his last name and this guy doesn't ask if the right presidents are present at the time of consulting you know?"
"Yeah, can you hook me up with the name of this doctor or at least go see him yourself and try to find out what you can?"
"Anything for you Storm. Say hi to your father for me."
"I will, keep me informed. My cell number is the same as always."
"I'll do that." The manager handed over a very large wad of money and Storm left the office. She walked up to a side bar, not the main one where Vince was sitting and ordered a few shots of Tequila. She was feeling dangerous.
"You sure on this Storm?" The female bartender asked before she filled the glasses. "You never drink this gut rot."
"I do tonight." Storm smiled smugly.
"Got anything to do with the hunk you walked in with?" The bartender, Lindsey, was a friend of Storm's. They hung out sometimes when Storm was in L.A.
"Maybe." Storm's face momentarily showed the strain of the last 48 hours. "Among other things."
"What's wrong?" Lindsey looked concerned.
"I got a rat to exterminate is all. I'll take care of it in due time. Nothin for you to sweat."
"I'll keep an ear out all the same."
"I'd appreciate you telling me if anything about a Carter Verone or my mom and sister is said in here. I got all the clubs on watch for it but you're more out here with the patrons then the managers."
"You got it Storm. You want a few more?" Lindsey cocked an eyebrow.
"You know it." Storm laughed, downed her liquor and sauntered up to Vince. "Hope you didn't get bored waitin on me."
"Just a bit. You done?"
"Yep, this is the last club. You wanna hang out here a bit or just leave?"
"Let's stick around awhile. You want a drink?"
"Yeah. Tequila."
"I don't know about that." Vince laughed as he looked up at Storm from his seated position. "You might need to have a clear head later."
"I'll be a'ight off one drink boy. Shesh, I'm no cheap drunk."
"Alright." Vince ordered for both of them.
An hour later they were both standing outside the long since closed club looking at the Cadillac.
"I don't think I should be driving." Vince hiccupped as he looked at the car.
"I'll drive." Storm said and walked up to the black boat.
"I don't know if I like the sound of that either."
"I'll be ok. Get in." She laughed and taking her good humor as a sign she really was fine Vince got in too. They made it back to Storm's house without incident.
"I shouldn'ta let you drive. You went up that one way the wrong way." Vince slurred.
"It was a shortcut. You need to hush. Taylor and Matty are home." Storm swayed a bit unsteadily and got the door of her house open as quiet as she could. "Be quiet." She reminded Vince again as they started up the stairs. He did ok but Storm tripped and fell up the stairs. She fought laughter but it came out anyway in little strange sounding murfs. Vince picked her up under her arms and set her on her feet.
"Shhhh. Quiet, remember?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot that part." She said in a stage whisper and then giggled. Vince chuckled as he walked her backwards toward her own door, thankful he remembered which room was hers. They walked in and Storm headed straight to her bathroom. She fully intended to try her hand at seduction again when she got done. Immerging into her mostly dark room she couldn't help but laugh at her own bad luck as she found Vince snoring in his shorts on his stomach on her bed. With a sigh she climbed in herself and fell right to sleep.
Vince woke up disorientated and wondered for a moment where he was. As that came back to him in a rush so did the knowledge someone was crying in the room. He got up and turned on a light, only to find Storm sitting in the corner of the room on the floor, curled into a ball with her arms around her legs, staring out at the room with glassy eyes, clearly not seeing anything at all. She was either still asleep or in a trance of some kind.
"Storm?" He asked softly, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn't respond so he went to her and picked her up by the arms.
"Get off me! No Carter. I said no! Get off me! Let me go! I don't want to! No! Leave me alone!" Storm cried. She was fighting like mad to get Vince off and from the terrified look on her face and what she was saying he could clearly tell she was reliving a bad experience that their own evil villain had participated in. He shook her gently, wanting to calm her before she tore her stitches.
"Wake up. It's me, Vince. Come on, wake up." She came to with a gasp and threw herself at Vince, who caught her and started to rub her back. "It's ok. I got you. What was that about Storm?"
"You don't want to know." Storm sobbed against his shoulder, hating to do it even though she knew in this case she couldn't stem the tide of her tears.
"I need to know."
"Carter's only sin against my family wasn't stealing our money. I was dating him, against my father's wishes, while I was in Miami with my mom and one night we had a fight. He wasn't taking no for an answer and he…well, he…" Storm trailed off but it was clear from the murderous rage on Vince's face he had filled in the blanks. "I'm scared he'll do the same to Stacey. I mean, it was no big deal to me afterward really." Storm tried to be brave, to hide the hurt behind her larger then life attitude. "And I made sure everyone would know what he'd done by carving a wonderful descriptive word for what he was into his abdomen but what if he does it to Stacey? She's not strong like me." Storm started to cry softly again.
"We'll get her back before he has the chance. In the morning you need to call your father." Storm only shook her head in agreement as she shivered in his arms. It was clear no matter how much she didn't want to let on, what Carter had done to her had affected her much more then she cared to let on to. It had been bad enough to give her nightmares some time after.
AN: Ok, I leave it to princess from here out! That ended up being longer then I thought it was gonna be. What will happen to Stacey? Will they get her back in time to save her from Carter? What will Taylor and Matty do in the morning when they find Vince and have to call Benny for backup? Who knows, hell, we don't even know what each other have planned, LOL. So tune in for the next update, read it all and review, ok? Sweet! Love, Tempest.