CHAPTER TWO-BOBBY 'MAULER' MERCER

Viola walked down the cold, dark alley, rubbing her arms to keep her warm and singing to comfort herself. She had just come back from her shift at the coffee shop, and was trying to hurry home before it got dark out. Her thoughts drifted, and she didn't here the heavy footsteps behind her.

"Hey, baby, where to so fast?"

"Aww, don't speed up, we're just talkin!"

"Don't be scared, honey, I don't bite!" the voices hollered. She glanced over her shoulder quickly, blinking her blonde hair out of her eyes and walking faster. A smack sounded, and her bottom smarted sharply. She blinked away tears, and laughter barked out. She was running now, trying to stay away, and the men were following her, barking and laughing. She screamed as a gun shot banged in the crisp air, and a car screeched to a stop in front of her. She almost fainted. It was Bobby Mercer.

"Get in!" he snarled, and fired another three shots out. He pulled quickly out of the parking lot as a bullet shattered his back window. "Shit," he muttered, then glanced at Viola. "Hey. You okay?" he asked. Viola nodded. "I know your place. I'll take you there." She looked at him, startled.

"How do you now where I live?" He snorted.

"Boosted your bro's stereo system three years ago. Climbed into your sister's room a month back." He glanced at her. "Wanna know more?" he snickered as she wagged her head frantically. "I thought not." 'Now I know who sis keeps sighing over,' she thought with a smile. 'Bobby Mercer…no wonder she said dad wouldn't approve…'

Viola watched Bobby as he drove, the moon highlighting his features. Creamy white skin, dark hair, those threatening, dark black eyes. His features were fine and chiseled, like a Greek statue, but you'd never know it. Viola squinted, making out a barbed-wire tattoo circling his wrist. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he pulled up to her driveway. He took out the keys and slipped them in his pocket, looking at her unabashedly. She blushed deep red, and he snickered at her.

"What?" she demanded of him.

"Nothing," Bobby said with a shrug. "Just looking." He reached over to brush a crumb off of Viola's skirt and she flinched away. He looked at her and laughed coldly, the way he did everything. "Easy, girl," he said soothingly. "I'm just flickin away that crumb on your skirt…there." But he did not remove his hand. It moved upward to her hip, as did his eyes until they met hers. He leaned in close and touched his lips to hers. Viola panicked, clutching his hand tightly as it glided upward again. He snickered, and kissed her again, and she responded this time, leaning in. It was a kiss that reflected the Bobby 'Mauler' Mercer she know. Frightening, icy cold, rushing, raging. When his tongue touched hers she trembled in fright and jerked away.

"What?" With a sigh, he leaned back and looked out the window and spoke to her lazily, and, as she fancied, with a touch of threat. "I see," he groaned. "What have they told you about me?" She shrugged, then blurted it out.

"That you are the worst of the Mercers by far, and would kill a friend as soon as greet him. That you used to deal drugs and buy alcohol for high-school kids. That," she blushed here, "that you almost got caught for raping a girl half your age a month ago." Bobby exhaled through his nose, and swore. He tilted her jaw up to meet his eyes. 'Black as night,' Viola thought firmly, rubbing her arms under the harsh light of the street lamp. 'Bobby 'Mauler' Mercer. Describes him perfect.'

"They're right. I won't deny it. Murder. Drugs. Beer." he sighed and put the key back in the ignition, and Viola thought she heard a touch of regret under his dark facade. "I was trippin. I know she was only thirteen. I wouldn't have, otherwise. At least not if she refused..." He looked at her closely.

"I know you're scared of me, Viola," he whispered. "Hell, I'm scared of me sometimes, too. But you're Jacky's girl, the ass-head. I got your back…" he sighed, and brushed her lips with his. "…even though that's not what's got my attention." Before she knew it, he had walked over to her side and given her a hand out of the car.

"Thanks," she mumbled, avoiding his dark gaze and flinching as he placed a hand in the small of her back as he walked her up the stairs.

He paused, then walked away from her idly and got in the car, slamming shut the door as he passed it.

"Later, bitch," he called to her, and revved the engine before taking off in the night.

"Bye," whispered Viola softly, and walked inside. 'Murder. Drugs. Beer. Rape. My man's brother. Rotten to the core,' she repeated in her mind over and over again. 'Just keep saying that, girl, and you won't fall in love with the bad boy…'

er knee as she thumped clumsily off the bed.

"H-Hello, this is Viola speaking," she answered.

"Yo, V, this is Angel," came the other voice.

"Hey, Angel, is-is everything all right!" she asked hurriedly as she heard a yell in the background.

"Not really. We're all at Jeremiah's, you know the place?"

"Yeah," Viola nodded, even though Angel couldn't see her, and poured herself a glass of water. "Why?"

"Can you get out here in the next five minutes?"

"Angel-Angel, you're creeping me out, what's going on?" she asked worriedly.pocket and stepped over to Bobby and knelt by his side.

"V, what are you doing?" asked Angel slowly. "Viola!"

"Baby, don't!" cried Jacky, but she ignored them all. She wrapped her arms around Bobby's muscled, bruised, and battered body to the lock behind him and fumbled with the key. She felt his heavy breathing on her neck as the lock clicked, and his hands came slowly free to wrap around her slender frame. She stood stiffly, and he released her as he stood.

"Still afraid to look in the eyes of a convict?" he sneered. Viola nodded, blushing. He shrugged. "Thank you," he whispered. Viola was surprised to looking in his eyes, and saw there one of gratefulness and fear. "Thank you." He brushed her cheek with his lips, sending warm shivers down her spine as he grabbed shirt, jacket, gun, and car keys, leaping out of the house and into his car, screeching away into the night. Viola turned and looked at Jacky, who was flicking his eyes back and forth between Viola and Bobby. She shrugged, and he nodded in return.

"I'm glad for him," Jacky whispered. "He needs a girl like you," and he left for the kitchen after giving Viola a quick hug. Angel stepped forward.

"Come on," he said. "You want me to walk you home?" She said no, along with her thanks to the offer, and went home alone.