Page 42 of Hallow’s Eve
Goliath jumped the bar. As I stepped back, amazed that the big guy was so nimble, he put up his fists. I dodged his first blow and went over the bar in the other direction. I grabbed the hand cuffs, I’d seen hanging. Memphis was one kinky bitch, so I was sure they were hers. Kingpin whipped around to watch me. When he spotted the shackles, he laughed. He knew my plans.
Goliath came at me, not leaping the counter but reaching over it to grab me. His meaty fingers touched my arm, but he couldn’t catch me. I put one bracelet on his big wrist and hopped back over the bar. Behind him now, I jumped on his massive back. Wrapping my arm around his fat neck, I put him in a choke hold, seized his other arm and cuffed his hands behind him, easy. My knee in his back, I got him on the ground, face first.
Goliath complained, “Fucking pig.”
I bent down and whispered in his ear, “I’m not a cop anymore. I’m an outlaw. I can kill low lives like you anytime and no one can stop me.”
My fist back, I planned to beat him to a bloody pulp, but Kingpin stopped me. “Fuck, brother.” He clapped his hands. “I’m impressed. Go on and get out of here. Goliath, get up and get out of those cuffs.”
As they searched for Memphis and her keys, I left to go find Eve.
On my way to Cottontown, I wondered why Eve left without telling me. I started to worry that she regretted our time together. That was unfortunate because she’d have to come live with me. She’d have to get my property patch etched into her perfect skin this week. We didn’t have time for her to have any misgivings. I didn’t look forward to fighting about it if it came to that. Regardless, I thought of how I would restrain her in case I couldn’t reason with her. My dick got hard just thinking about it. I wondered how Eve would do in the basement at Royal Road.
Riding up to her house, I parked beside her porch. I found the door open and Eve sitting at her kitchen table on the phone. I started to ask her why she left. She held up her finger to quiet me.
“Okay, I’m coming to get him. Thanks for holding him.” She got off the phone.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“My Gran’s dog, Killer. I have to go over and fetch him from old man Jennings’s farm.” Eve stood up and grabbed her car keys.
I followed her out the door, wanting to talk about why she left. She seemed solely focused on the dog. I stopped her. “Is that why you left? A dog?”
“Amongst other reasons, yes. I’ve got to move my things to Donette’s place before the new owners get here.”
“Eve, you’ll have to come live with me. I mean, I want you to, too.”
“Hallow, I don’t even know if my dad is alive or if you had him killed.” Her words stung.
“What? I wouldn’t do that,” I barked.
“Sure. I’m sure you bikers didn’t tell someone my dad was in town,” Eve hissed.
As we argued walking down the porch, I noticed a car stopping by Eve’s mailbox. I hadn’t thought anything of it. It was broad daylight, after all. But suddenly, a man with a rifle appeared out of nowhere. On instinct, I rushed him, snatched his gun by the barrel and had it against his forehead in no time.
“What the actual fuck, man?” I asked him, Eve at my back.
Before he could answer, four others came up to the steps and joined him, three of them pointing guns at Eve and me. One man was dressed to the nines, wearing a full suit. The one lady looked mighty familiar.
“Viv?” Eve addressed her.
“From Bootsies?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She winked at me. Viv waved her gun. “Let’s go on inside shall we.” They backed us through the door to the kitchen, but I never let go of the rifle. Eve clung to my back. Viv spoke to the man in a suit. “This is the girl.”
He nodded, stuck his hands in his pockets, turned and walked out.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Viv laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know, detective?”
“She killed Grady,” Eve announced.
Viv admitted to it. “Yes.”
“I thought you questioned her?” Eve complained.
“I did.” She’d been one of the Playboy Bunny bartenders I questioned. I’d tried to question them, but they’d been evasive. When I figured they were only coming on to me, I left them to join Eve. I asked Viv, “What’s this about?”
