Chapter 6

It was the middle of June. I was on the roof of my apartment. Ten months had just skated by. I didn't think about Joe everyday. Maybe every other day, but it definitely was getting better. June in Scottsdale, Arizona is hot. Not just "oh it's a little warm outside, but more of a scream when your feet fry on the sidewalk hot.

I think I had it figured out. In the summer, you need to be up early, finish everything you need to do outside by noon, or you could burst into flames. That's how I'm living now. Everything done by noon. You can't go outside until after eight PM. That's the way it is. Oh, I see other people moving around the city in the daytime, just not me. Not in June. Today was my day off. We kept the office open during the weekends, but unless there was a huge crowd of convicts who needed bail, you could manage the office on any given Wednesday alone. Today was Vinnie's turn to watch the office. I had a plan. I had my lounge chair set up on the roof of the office, my iPod, my water mister, my ear-buds. Plus an ice chest with beer, water, and plenty of ice. Because I was listening (sort of) to Kyle, I had some grapes with my meatball sub.

I was going to get a tan. I bought a new bikini just for this and I was attempting not to burn in all the wrong places. There are lots of wrong places to burn. Between your thighs is not a good place. Under your boobs, not good. The top of your foot, also not a great place, and your butt. Very painful. Of course, your bikini line. That's the worst. As I was adjusting myself, I put down my beer, and the bottle exploded. I froze mid adjust. I knew exactly what was happening. My life caught up with me. Everything came back into focus. Oh Shit.

I needed to move my backside off the chair. I grabbed my bag and flipped the lounge chair over, hiding behind it. It was only plastic and I knew instantly that this chair had absolutely no intention of keeping me safe. Unless something revolutionary happened after I graduated, plastic does not stop bullets. Realizing this did nothing for my pounding heart. The stairs leading back downstairs to the apartment and office were about forty feet from where I was. I could still hear the music from the iPod. I pulled the ear-buds out of my ears. Having theme music is okay, but "Enter the Sandman" might not be the right choice when trying to stay alive. I ran for it. Gun shots came in two different directions, hitting the ground around me. The shots ricocheted off the ground hitting the sand from the roof and spitting it back at me. I kept my head down and focused on the stairs. My iPod dropped and exploded as a bullet hit. I barreled down the stairs, keeping myself in the shadow between the roof and the apartment below. I needed a weapon. My gun was in the apartment. I crept down the stairs, slowly. I tried to remember what Kyle had taught me about using my body as a weapon, but my brain was failing to remember anything past "Oh crap!"

I cautiously opened the apartment door and stood against the wall. Cautiously, I crept inside. The apartment was calm and quiet. I pulled the shades down and found my gun. I grabbed my clothes. I pulled on my skirt and shirt in the hallway, away from any windows. My chucks were next to the front door. I laced them up quickly, trying to keep my breathing under control and watching all points of entry. I knew that If anyone was in the building, they would be either in the hallway or downstairs in the office. I checked my Sig for bullets, and put another clip in my bag. My Kevlar vest was in Vinnie's office. Vinnie, I thought. Where was he? Dead? He had to have heard shots. Maybe he had already dialed 911. My phone was still on the roof. I opened the door and crept into the stairwell. My gun was drawn and my finger was slightly away from the trigger. The stairway was empty. I put my back to the wall and stepped down, making sure I could see below and above. I checked Vinnie's office first, it was empty. I put the vest over my shirt. I wondered why they didn't make body suits with this stuff for situations like these. Oh wait, most people were not in these situations.

I looked around. Surprised at what was in front of me. The front office looked terrible. Cabinets were knocked over. The computer lie broken on the floor, files were dumped. The front door was leaning askew. My guess is that it had been kicked in. The entire office had been destroyed as if someone were searching for something.

I didn't see any signs of blood, drag marks, or bullet holes in the main office. Maybe Vinnie got away. I felt relieved. I was hoping he went to the house. I picked up the phone in his office. It was dead. Not good. I picked up the keys for the Jeep and crept out the door, staying as close to the building as possible. It was parked in the back of the office. Only twenty clicks from the back door. The back of the office had a thin alley, with a washed out black top surface and a gutter through the middle. It faced the back of neighboring businesses, with large dumpsters every fifty feet. I looked closely at the rooftops and trash dumpsters. This would be where most shooters would hide. I searched for movement, but I didn't see anything. As I palmed the key to the Jeep, I promised myself that I would get a car with auto locks next time. I ran for it and jumped in. A bullet hit one of the headlights, as I tore out of the parking lot. I screamed like a little girl. The Jeep was my baby. It had survived "Me" for almost a year; I had begun to get very attached. I truly hoped Vinnie was at the house. I couldn't think of a good explanation to give the Plum side of the family if I lost him.

I drove through town at breakneck Jeep speed, which is close to about sixty. I took Camel back to Sixty-Eighth, and jumped the curb getting into the driveway of the house. I wanted cover, so I hit the garage door opener and found myself staring at Joyce Barnhardt's fricken' Hummer! My heart almost stopped in my chest. Son of a bitch! I did some deep breathing to stop from freaking out. I jumped out of the truck and headed for the garage, accidentally on purpose keying her truck as I ran by. I hit the button to close the garage behind me, and raced into house. I stopped short. I came in at the wrong moment. Joyce was on another of my tables, this time doing the nasty with my cousin! I gagged.

I was married for about 8 months to a cheating dog turd lawyer named Dickie Orr. I decided I wanted a divorce after finding the one and only Joyce Barnhardt, (my nemesis), on the kitchen table with Dickie. He was barking like a dog. Joyce and I have never been friends. She humiliated me constantly all though school, and again with my husband. She tries to be a bounty hunter sometimes, and gets her kicks from doing lewd sexual acts with animals. At least that was the rumor.

This must be one of those animals, and one of those times. I was horrified. I just stood there, mouth open, waiting patiently for my brain to catch up with my eyeballs. I was unable to process the scene in front of me. Joyce turned, saw me and smiled.

"Jesus Christ, Stephanie! Go away! Can't you see we are a little busy here?" Joyce was completely nude and humping away on top of my cousin. Vinnie was under her, leaning back and moaning. I started having visions of the last time this happened. I felt my blood pressure rise, my cheeks flush. "Geez." She said to Vinnie, who was clearly not even aware of the problem, and still moaning like a sick dog. "You would think she would have grown some manners already!"

Vinnie turned his head and saw me standing there. His eyes got wide. "Oh Shit." He said, then he closed his eyes again, trying to concentrate in the task at hand. His first priority was getting his rocks off, no matter who came in the door.

Joyce laughed. "Look. Stephanie is having flashbacks, what a loser!"

That was it! I snapped back from stupifed. It was possible I was holding on to a bit of anger from when this happened before. All I could see was red. She was going down. I pulled her naked, sweaty body off Vinnie by her hair with such force, Vinnie squealed. Yuck. He actually squealed! If I live a million years; I never wanted to hear my cousin squeal.

"What the hell!" Joyce screamed. "You bitch! Let me go, you fuckin' cunt!"

That was all she had to say. I tore her hair extensions out of her scalp as she fell to the floor, and I punched her in the face with all my might. She was out cold. I went for her again, wanting to get a few good kicks in while she was down, but someone pulled me off. I was rabid, freaking out. Arms flailing, trying to get back to the deconstruction of Joyce. I had no idea who had the balls to grab me, but I kicked them hard from behind, just as Kyle had taught me. I heard a grunt, and a "ohff" then they were down too. I turned to find Tank, down on one knee, holding himself. He was trying not to throw-up. I just stood there stunned into silence. I had no idea what to say. Vinnie was still on the table, taking deep breaths. He was trying to quickly get clothes so his little thing wasn't exposed to my wrath. There was only so much adrenaline a girl could hold onto. My brain kicked back in as I stood there. I tried to help Tank up.

"I am so sorry". I moved a chair over so he could sit down. His face was purple, his eyes were watering. I sat down next to him. I was so surprised to see him I didn't know what to do, or what to think.

I found an ice pack for him. His color was more bright red than purple now. Vinnie was dressed and ogling Joyce's naked body. I hadn't bothered to cover her up yet, so I found a dirty towel and threw it over her just so Vinnie would stop. I stood with my back to the corner of the room, mostly to assess the damage I caused, but also so no one would shoot at me again.

I cleared my throat, trying to find my voice. "Vinnie, what the hell happened?" I screamed. "You were supposed to be at the office, working. It was my day off, remember? "

He stared at me like he had seen me for the first time. "I left for an early lunch. I yelled up to you to keep an eye on everything. I was taking a nooner, for Christ's sake. I thought you heard me. What's the big friggin' deal? No one had come in all day, the place was a ghost town. You came in here like a wild woman."

I suppose my ear-buds could be to blame for that. I had them turned up a few notches above blow my eardrums out. I pointed to the creature that had passed out on the floor.

"What the hell is Joyce doing in Scottsdale?"

"Joyce lives in Scottsdale, Stephanie. She has lived out here for almost a year and a half. I knew you'd be pissed, so I was being careful. So what? Sue me. I was having a good time."

The thought of Joyce being in Scottsdale before we even came out here was incredible. How did I miss that? She has bright red hair, she's an eyesore! I never even suspected she was here. No prickly arm hairs, no squishy stomach, no feelings of dread. I had been out, around Scottsdale; never did I think I may have seen anyone that looked like her. It had just slipped by me. How was that possible? Was I walking around with blinders on?

Vinnie interrupted my thoughts. "Are you going to tell me why you ruined my nooner here? What was so fricken' important that you freaked out like a little girl on us? Who's watching the office? I hope you locked up!"

My eyes narrowed and my face felt hot. I'm Italian, mostly. I got angry fast. I balled up my fists. I wanted to cream him into juice. I tried to be a little rational. I already made two grown people fall down today.

"Don't think for a minute Vinnie, that I would have been okay with Joyce Fucken' Barnhardt being here!" I tried to lower my voice, but It kept cracking and turning up a notch as I spoke, until I was screaming. "You knew she was in Scottsdale. This was planned! You know how I feel. You were hiding her, you little duck fucker. I was on the roof, thinking you were working. Someone starts shooting at me. They ransacked the office! I had no idea where you were. I was worried about you. I was actually hoping no one kidnapped you again! To make it that much worse, I walk in and find Joyce screwing you on my table!"

Vinnie's mouth dropped "Shit! This only happens when you're around, Stephanie. The office was ransacked? You left it? Did you even bother to call 911? This is your fault, it's always your fault. I can't believe this!"

"My Fault!? Don't even go there, Vinnie." I could feel the hair on my head start to sizzle.

"It always happens to you Stephanie, and now…."

Vinnie Stopped. He saw my eyes turn to fire. He took a deep breath.

"Whatever, Stephanie".

I hated "Whatever" remarks. They were okay when I used them, but they really hit a nerve coming from someone else.

"So let me get this straight. I leave for two seconds, and someone is shooting up the place and trashing the office? I can't leave you alone and go out for a nooner, for crying out loud. What did they take? Did you call the Police? Is the office locked? You know someone else will go in there and start shopping."

I couldn't believe it. He was turning this around, I really thought it was all behind me. This was not my fault. I took a deep breath and tried to be rational.

"I thought I was going to die. I grabbed the vest; I took the Jeep. I came here, to find you doing a goat and pony show with Joyce."

I looked over at Tank.

"And you? What are you doing here?"

Tank is not a man of many words, especially when he has been kicked hard in the nads.

"You're going to have to ask Ranger, I am just a messenger."

"Great, okay, sure." This was unbelievable. It had almost been a year. A year. I could have been proud of a year! I was thinking of ordering a cake. Now, no cake. No nothing. How had I missed the Joyce and Vinnie show for this long? I had felt like I had finally proven that I didn't need protecting. Then in ONE day, boom. Everyone and everything that I thought was put on a shelf came rolling back into my life.

"I hate to ask, but can someone get me some more ice?" Tank pleaded. "I think I may have broken something here." Vinnie and I looked over at Tank. He looked swollen. Tank was in a lot of pain.

We piled into Joyce's Hummer and took him to the hospital, leaving Joyce still sleeping it off on the kitchen floor. I called Ranger from Vinnie's phone and left a message about what happened. It was short and not very sweet. More or less I said, " We are taking Tank to the hospital. I kicked him."

Why was Tank here? I had a bad feeling about all of this. I dropped Vinnie off with Tank. I thought it only polite that I bring Joyce her truck back. When I got to the house, she was up sitting on a stool with ice on her eye where I hit her. I walked in cautiously.

She glanced at me with her one good eye. "Sheesh. You got a great right hand. You knocked me flat with one punch."

"You called me a cunt. I can't be responsible for what happens after a remark like that."

"You know, Stephanie. I did sleep with Dickie because I hated you. I actually am sorry about it."

"I'm not." I said. "I'm glad that you did. I would have been miserable with him, you actually did me a favor."

She took her keys and left.

Vinnie called to let me know that Tank would be okay. "He just needs to stay away from people who kick him in the nuts for a while." He said.

A taxi dropped Tank and Vinnie off at the house. Tank limped in, looked at me and smiled. "Damn,girl. You have been practicing." He shook his head. "I can't believe you tagged me. I should have been more careful. It has been a while since I was around you."

"Where did Joyce go?" Vinnie said, looking around. "Did you kill her?"

The thought had run through my mind on several occasions. I was thinking Joyce and I had come to a bit of an understanding. I think I had made my peace with that monster.

"She said she had to get back home, but that she would call you later with" instructions".

I watched Vinnie's eyes when I said that. They sparkled. I think he even started to sweat. I didn't want to know. I never wanted to know. The vision of the two of them together on the table will forever be branded in my brain. That was enough for me.

Tank sat at the kitchen table, still trying to get comfortable in his pants. He had a bottle of inflammatory pills and some pain killers. Poor Tank. I was back to ruining Rangers men. "I am really sorry about the kick thing. Not a good idea to get behind a girl when she is punching the shit out of someone she hates."

"I'll remember that. Ranger sent me here to pick you up. He asked me to give you these." Tank stood up, and took an envelope out of his back pocket. "He said that things were starting to happen, and it wasn't safe in Scottsdale anymore. "

Anymore? I didn't know I was in Scottsdale to be safe.

"We are supposed to be on the 7pm flight outta here."

I looked in the envelope, two tickets to fly to New Mexico. "What is in New Mexico?"

Tank took a deep breath and blew it out. " Look. I know he didn't ask you before hand, but I would really appreciate it if you just come with me, so I don't have to go limping back without you. Think of it as a favor to me." He smiled. Kind of a little annoyed smile, but there it was.

With people trying to shoot at me again, and Vinnie being out here with Joyce, I didn't see why I shouldn't take off. Maybe when I get back, Vinnie will have come to his senses.