AN: I'd like to say a quick thank you to shadow182angel for the inspiration for the last scene, I was stuck at the basic idea of it, and she was all "how about…" So without further ado...

Ch6 - Hos Before Bros

I jerked awake, and was sweating and panting, looking around my room having wild eyes. The church was being eerily quiet, and I clenched my eyes shut, forcing my demons away. It was not working much, of course, but I always was trying anyway. I shook my head, checking my phone to be seeing what time it was.

Two in morning. I sighed. I had only been asleep for about two hours. But I would not be getting back to sleep, not after nightmare like that one. It was always being same place, but different memories of that place. Those guards had been sick in head, horrible men, and despite having killed them all, I could never be forgetting what they had been doing to me and others, men and women alike.

Two in morning. Which was meaning I was having time to be reflecting on what I was even doing with the Saints, not being my idea of fun, personal reflection. Julius and Troy had saved me from gang battle, and I had been even doing good in community, just as Julius was envisioning for his Saints. But more troublesome was what was awakening inside me again. Something I was thinking broken, dead, or maybe it was just being dormant this whole time. The battle, the kill, I was remembering how good it was feeling, the power, and it was frightening me a little how quickly I was falling back into the routine of death. It was being so easy to be killing again, and I was not really feeling bad for any of them. Most of them deserved to be dying aside from few police officers that were getting in my way.

I shivered, rubbing my arms. Fuck it, it was being two in morning but maybe Lin would be up. If she was not, I would be trying Johnny. Surely he'd be up, though probably being in Aisha's bedroom. Maybe I would not be messaging him after all.

'Are you being up?' I texted her. I was not expecting a response immediately, but it was close. My phone was beeping before I could be setting it down to be waiting.

'Hey, babe. How are you?' she asked. I was hearing her voice while reading it.

I smiled, thumbs tapping out a response. 'Was having bad dream but am being better now. What are you doing? Did I wake you?'

My phone beeped again. 'Rollerz party. I swear these guys have one damned near every night it seems.'

'Oh right Johnny was telling me about it earlier. You are having fun? Always being invited?' I texted back. Tough, attractive, likes cars, bad ass at racing, I am knowing she was invited to every last one.

'I wish you were here with me instead of these assholes,' was being her response.

I was smiling again, thumbs dancing over screen. 'If I am keeping you from making appearances…'

Lin's response came quickly. 'Id MUCH rather be talking to you.'

I bit my lower lip, feeling my cheeks coloring as I was typing. 'Can we be hanging out soon?'

My phone was beeping shortly. 'You bet your ass. Id leave tonight if I could. I want to see you…'

I smiled softly. 'I am wanting to be seeing you, too. When can I?'

'Well I need to sleep eventually, how about tomorrow afternoon? I'm free until the evening.'

I sighed, being a little disappointed, but if it was best I could be doing then okay. 'Sure, I will be ready.'

'Shit, gotta go. Ttyl.'

And that was being that. Grunting, I got to my feet, determined to be stretching and exercising my leg so I was being back in tip top shape as soon as possible. I was growing tired of limping and hurting all the time.

#

My phone was ringing, jerking me out of sleep. Apparently I had dozed off after exercising, but it was still being early, dim light filtering through window, and I was picking it up quickly after seeing it was Julius calling.

"Da Julius?" I asked, and was sounding groggy. "What is being up?"

'I got an old buddy in Harrowgate that could use some help, playa,' Julius told me. 'Name's Will, why don'choo go find him and give him a hand with his problem?'

"Consider it being done," I said, and Julius was hanging up.

It was being short walk to where I was finding this Will person. My leg was feeling better, not amazing, but I was looking less like disgruntled pimp when I was walking around, at least.

Will was being heavyset african american, and was wearing purple suit of all things, smoking from cigar and holding some gold goblet that was appearing to be empty. The jacket was open, revealing maroon shirt and gold chains, and he was having close trimmed beard, almost stubble.

""What's goin' on, girl?" he asked as I was limping up, tossing his cigar into the goblet and pointing at me. "Julius called and said you might be stoppin' by. You lookin' for a lil sumthin' sumthin'? 'Cuz if so I can let Peggy over there give you a ride."

We looked over to be seeing a very fat woman in little clothing moving her body lewdly, and it was all I could be doing to not be vomiting on his wingtips. I was cringing, waving her off.

Will chuckled. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Look girl, I gotta be honest. I'm tryin' ta get a bidness started here, but right now the only ho I got is so fugly blind mutha fuckas turn her down."

Peggy flipped him off, sauntering away, and Will was waving hand at her dismissively.

"Now if you could bring me back some o' 'dem fine bitches that are turnin' tricks for other pimps," Will went on, forming an hour glass in air with his hands. "I'd be able to start seein' some real money."

I frowned. I was not going to be kidnapping woman for this asshole. My estimation of this Will bag of shit was already being low, but now it was damned near, how you are saying? Rock bottom.

"Now, I ain't askin' for somethin' for nuthin'," Will added quickly, making a warding gesture at me. Apparently he had been seeing something crossing my face, something dark, surely, for was how I was feeling. "I mean, you help me out an' I'll cut you in on what the bitches make. And I'll spread the word that the Saints are the real deal!"

It was only taking me a moment to be deciding what to be doing. I was not about to be helping some pimp steal hos for his own business. Fuck that, if Julius was thinking I was being down for this, he was in for rude surprise.

I kneed this Will asshole in the balls as hard as I was able to, doubling him over, and then pulled my VICE 9 and was cracking him over the head with it. He fell to ground, goblet scattering, and was groaning and cradling himself, making little mewling sounds as I was walking away.

"Mudak," I growled, and was spotting purple Hammerhead at curb. Smirking, I made my way to it, and was hearing Will call to me.

"That's my ride, you bitch! Stay the fuck away from it!"

I frowned, turning around and was stalking back to this limp dick asshole, jacking the slide of my VICE 9 and pointing it as his face.

"Y-you, you can take it," he stammered, fishing his keys out and handing them over.

"Where are girls?" I asked him, shoving my pistol against his cheek. "And I will not be asking again, comrade."

"Just down the road!" he insisted.

I grinned, and was snatching keys from him and walking back to his car. Well, my car, now. But I was going to be fucking it up pretty badly in the next hour or so, most likely.

"Julius gonna hear about this, girl!" he yelled as I started the car.

Damn right Julius would be hearing about it, I'd be making sure of it.

#

The Hammerhead's big v8 was rumbling at idle, vibrating the car. Lin would not be approving, I am not thinking, but what the hell, it was being free car. Julius might try to be making me be giving it back anyway, but it was going to be pile of scrap metal when I was done anyway. I was watching a pimp with two girls, and he was seeming to be urging them to work tricks even at this late morning hour. The bag of shit in his gaudy peacock suit slapped one of them, and I was feeling my hands gripping the wheel tighter, lip curling into snarl.

One girl approached a John, and then the other was, and poor little pimp man was standing all alone. I mashed on the gas pedal, rear tires shrieking as they spun loose, the back end of the muscle car sliding sideways until it caught and I was lunging forward. It was all I could be doing to be driving the damned things straight, it was nothing like driving Lin's Voxel! All being same, I hit that selfish pig of man and was crushing him against wall, blood spraying across hood and windshield. Somehow bumper was holding after impact, was being heavy duty car this Hammerhead.

I flicked the wipers on to be spraying window, calling to the girls. "Be getting in, I am here to be keeping you safe from this!"

Eyes wide, the girls, one hispanic and the other a black woman, scurried over and got into back seat, the black one whimpering thanks as she was closing door.

I worked the gear stalk into reverse, tires squealing as we roared backwards, and then I was shoving it into first and racing down the street again. A Hollywood convertible, bright neon pink, slid in from side street, ramming into side of us.

Is nothing like violent chase to get blood pumping, keeping you awake after poor night's sleep. I was narrowly avoiding ramming a blue pickup, fighting as I was to be keeping this car on road. As this was not being my car, I jerked wheel, slamming back into pimp asshole, and as luck would be having it, smashing him into a road crew and their cement mixer truck. The girls in back screamed, shrill and annoying.

Taking deep, settling breath, I slowed to normal traffic speeds. The chase was being over quickly, but my heart still was hammering in my chest, nerves being on edge.

"Girls in back?" I called, looking into rearview. "Can one of you be driving?"

Both were nodding.

"Okay, I am going to church on 3rd Street and will be leaving car with you, then. Is good?"

Of course, paying attention where one is going is having certain advantages, and I was slammed forward into steering wheel as we rear-ended a delivery truck. I groaned, and was already feeling where I would be getting knot on my head.

"Fuck and shit!" I cursed harshly. The driver was getting out and coming to my window, yelling and screaming loudly. I was shoving the Hammerhead into reverse and flooring it, engine thundering.

I backed up onto the hood of an Attrazione, smashing it's windshield. The girls were screaming again, and I was growing frustrated with my inability to be getting us the fuck out of there. Cutting wheel over, I put car into drive and floored it again, speeding down onto the road and spraying sparks behind us as rear slammed down to road. The delivery van's driver was diving to the side to be avoiding us, and I side-swiped a Raycaster on my way by, ripping off side mirror before finally getting us back onto the right side of road.

"Er, miss, I can drive us there if you want…" One of the girls said timidly.

"Otvali, suka," I grumbled darkly. Is how you are saying 'Piss off, bitch.'

#

The girls sped off from church in Will's car. I told them to be heading to Steelport or some other city, just so long as is being away from Stilwater. Grumbling, I limped towards the doors to the sanctuary, accident having not been doing my leg any good at all. I smiled faintly at seeing Lin's car, though, and was hoping she was not having to be waiting too long for me. As I was pushing doors open, I saw her talking to Julius and Troy. I went cold inside like Siberian tundra when I was seeing Julius, face falling and eyes becoming like ice.

"I'm workin' on it, Julius," Lin insisted, taking a drag from her cigarette and blowing it out before continuing. "But you gotta know, these Rollerz don't just immediately trust you like that. I know it's slow, and seems like just a lot of partying, but I'm gettin' there, okay?"

"Fine," Julius told her, and was then turning to me, brow furrowing into thundercloud.

"Fuck were you thinkin' girl?" Julius asked me angrily. "We gonna treat them girls better than any other gang, y'hear me?"

I flinched at his tone, but then was sticking my chin out defiantly, inhaling carefully and meeting his eyes. Julius was rarely being mad at any of us, but now he was seeming furious with me.

"Oh, you ain't got shit to say for yourself, bitch?" Julius growled. "You stole my friend's car, an' you beat him up in front of the only ho he has!"

Lin snickered, but a glare from Julius was silencing her. She was still smirking at him, dropping her cigarette and crushing it out.

I clenched my fist, wondering what I had been getting myself into with these men. These assholes. He was definitely being angry, never having called me bitch before. He was starting to be losing his cool, and I was being terrified of it. Not of him hurting me, but of his losing faith in me.

"You gonna hit me, too?" Julius spat, noticing my body language and stepping forward. "Come on then, let's do this! This nigga ain't scared o' your crazy ass!"

"Julius, relax," Troy urged.

I set my jaw, readying myself to be fighting if it was coming to that. It was hurting me, I was learning to be trusting Julius, but then I was noticing something in his eyes was betraying how he was truly feeling. He'd softened some at Troy's words. He was not wanting this, either, probably not even being mad at what I had done itself, but the defiance, and so I turned and was storming out instead, ignoring his yelling at my back.

"You're an asshole, Julius," Lin snarled, cutting him off, and I heard her following me, sounding as if she was jogging. "Hey, Ivana, wait up."

I made to be slamming door behind me, but Lin was catching it and shutting it lightly.

"Hey, will you stop already?" she asked gently, and I forced myself to be turning around. "Better," she was adding smugly.

"Look, fuck him," she said to me, and was biting off the words. "I think what you did took real balls, honey. He'll get over it, trust me."

I nodded. I was really hoping so, Saints were all I was having in this place, without them I was just another poor immigrant girl without home or family.

"He is saying all these words about bettering things," I spat, still being angry. "Driving out the other gangs, protecting the Row! I am doing that and he is being pissed?"

"He's just mad you went against him," Lin was advising. "He was ranting at Troy when I walked in, but like I said, he'll get over it, trust me. I speak from experience. Deep down Julius is a good guy."

I was nodding again, sincerely hoping she was being right.

"Come on, let's go get some Freckle Bitch's," Lin said, and was grinning slightly at me. "After that I'm gonna teach you how to hot wire a car. It's time you get some wheels, my baby can't take much more of your abuse."

#

"Twist off the two red wires," Lin told me. "And be careful, don't electrocute yourself. I kinda like you."

"Okay," I was replying with smirk, twisting the two red wires together. My legs were sticking out of Nelson we had been settling on, body twisted under dash. I blew straight lock of hair from my face.

"Now, find the brown wire and strip it, touching it to the red."

"Where in hell is brown?" I said lowly, mostly to myself. There was lot of wires under here, and I was not seeing brown.

"Keep looking, honey," Lin chuckled. "It's probably about to reach out and bite you."

Lin goosed my hip when she was saying the word 'bite' and I was jumping, little yelp escaping my mouth before my head was bumping into underside of dash.

"Damn it!" I cried, playfully brandishing my knife in her direction. Lin, of course, was laughing, finding my suffering so amusing. "I am not finding brown wire and you fucking with me is not helping!"

"Oh, my God, Ivana," Lin drawled incredulously, slapping my leg in friendly manner. "Move over you colorblind bat, I'll find it for you."

Lin slid in under dash alongside me, and I was being very conscious of our bodies pressing together. As our faces were meeting, she smirked, digging through the wiring harness. I was biting my lower lip, too distracted by her presence being this close to be looking for stupid wire anymore. Her hair was smelling like lilacs, soft and delicate, little tendrils tickling my nose and cheeks.

"Found it," Lin sang lowly, voice holding an edge that made my whole body tingle. I was feeling her squirm against me, and she was being pressed even closer to me, now. "Right where it should be, now hand me your knife."

Lin's fingers lingered when she took the knife, slowly sliding teasingly away, and something low in my body was tightening. She was chuckling to herself as she was cutting the brown wire and stripping it. I craned my neck to be seeing what she was doing, and then suddenly she was being there, our noses and lips just shy of touching. My heart was starting to be fluttering in my chest, breath coming quickly, shallow.

"All better," she purred. Our eyes were meeting, and I was seeing intensity, heat, to hers I had not been seeing before. We were staying that way for several moments, and I was thinking it was very… hot down here. I was feeling her move ever so slightly, neck tilting just a little towards me as her eyes were slipping closed. I moistened my lips in anticipation of her kiss, parting them faintly and was closing my eyes, breath catching in my throat and stomach tightening delightfully.

Someone picked right then to be calling, her phone going off in her pocket. It was blaring some garish sound of loud guitars and screaming, and we both laughed faintly, relaxing as the tension was draining from us. She pressed her forehead to mine for a moment, eyes glittering, then was slithering out to the street.

I sighed.

"Rollerz ring tone, I have to take this, sorry, sweetie," she explained, flipping her cell open. "Touch the wires together and start the car."

I started the Nelson and was climbing up into driver's seat, laughing softly again, feeling giddy and oddly happy. It had been so close, the barest touching of flesh before we were being interrupted. But she'd tried to be kissing me, and now I was plotting when we would be alone again so I could be one doing trying.