Vodka and Lemonade

Two Months Later

Once the heat surrounding Lou’s death cooled, I moved back into the apartment above House of Wolves. Meeri gave me the low-down about what had happened since I was away. Apparently, the cops had arrested most of Lou’s people. They came around, but Meeri told the truth when she told them that she hadn’t seen me in awhile. They still didn’t have a lead on who actually killed him, though. The trail had gone cold, and that’s all I cared about.

“Danni, move it! We gotta ton of people here!” Meeri yelled at me.

Grumbling, I got up from my spot on the break room couch and walked out into the club. “What can I get for you?” I asked with a smile.

“I need four shots of Jack,” the guy said without even looking at me. “Whoa, Danni?” he asked as I poured.

I looked up only to be met with Jimmy’s icy blue eyes. “Jimmy? what are you doing here?”

“I should ask you the same question. I thought I left you on Hollywood Blvd.”

“You did, but they couldn’t provide a roof over my head. Meeri could. What about you?” I asked as I poured his shots.

He shrugged. “The guys and I were bored, so we came up here.”

“That’ll be $10 even,” I said as I pushed the glasses toward him. “Come back up here later and we can talk more,” I smiled at him before going to the next customer. “Hi, Hun, what’ll you have?”

The slimeball in front of me looked me up and down. “Well, hello there. I’ll take an All American, if you can make it.”

I smiled “Of course, coming right up,” I said as I poured the ingredients.

“And a shot of Cuervo for you.”

I still smiled. “That’d be $15.”

“A bit expensive.”

“The bar can change its price according to the customer,” I recited.

Still smirking, he slid a ten and five over the counter. “What’s your name?” he asked as I downed the tequila.

I smiled and went to the next customer, an already drunk college student. “Hey, it’s my birthday!” he shouted.

“Happy birthday, what can I get you?”

“A four horsemen!” he giggled.

I raised my eye brows but poured the shot. “This one’s on me.” I said, sliding the shot glass to him.

An hour later, we hit a lull. Jimmy and the guys came over and sat at the bar.

“So, what have you been doing for the past few months?” Matt asked.

I shrugged. “Little bit of this and that. You know, odd jobs to get money. I started working here again about a week ago.”

“And your boss took you back, no questions asked?” Brian asked.

“Of course, Meeri’s got my back-”

“Danni! Get your ass over here!” Meeri yelled from the other side of the bar.

“I’ll be back,” I told the guys before walking over to her.

“This boy says he knows you,” Meeri said, jerking her thumb toward a cracked out black boy.

“I don’t know him,” I replied honestly.

“I-I gotta message,” he said, jumping at every sound.

“Marcus say he know what you did…and he comin’ after your white ass. He say he gonna finish what he started.”

“Well you tell Marcus that if he wants to intimidate me, he needs to send someone higher up on the food chain than a cracked out niggah. Got me?”

“Oooh, you gonna get canned, cracker,” he said as he slid off the bar stool.

“Yea, right. Tell him I better get my fucking money!” I yelled. “Fucking douchebag,” I grumbled as I walked back over to Jimmy and them.

“What was that about?” Zacky asked.

“Nothing.”

“When do you get off?” Jimmy asked.

I checked my watch. “Two hours.”

“Wanna go to that cheap 24 hour diner or something?”

“Yea, sounds great."

2 hours later

“Where are the other guys?” I asked Jimmy as I locked up the bar.

“They didn’t want to wait around anymore,” he shrugged.

“Oh, ok.” I don’t know why I was disappointed. I was only really connected to Zacky and Jimmy. Still, I guess it was good to have friends. I mean, that’s what the people at My Friend’s Place said: trust and friendship are our greatest allies. Whatever the hell that means.

“Cheer up, Buttercup, you got me all to yourself,” he grinned, hugging my shoulders.

“A spoon full of Jimmy makes the world go ‘round,” I said, reciting one of his crazy sayings as I slipped my arm around his tiny waist and my hand went into his back pocket.

“That’s my girl!” he cheered before giving me a funny look. “I’m still going to have my wallet by the end of this right?”

“Jimbo, my hand is in your left ass pocket. You keep your wallet in your right ass pocket.” I told him with a laugh.

“You are crazy perceptive, did you know that?”

“Yea, when it comes to cash and drugs, I’m like a-”

“Well, well, well, look what we got here, Boys,” a nasily voice said from behind us.

“What the hell do you want, Marcus?” I asked, letting go of Jimmy as I turned around.

“Why, Danni, I’m shocked. You should know me better than that,” Marcus sneered. “Who’s your new Sugar Daddy?”

“What makes you say I got one?” I shot back venomously, stepping in front of Jimmy.

“We all know you killed Lou. I wanna know who gave you the order.”

“Ain’t no one tell me to sock that bastard. I did it myself.”

Marcus let out a hollow laugh, causing his goons around him to snicker. There musta been about ten of ‘em. “Danni, we know you don’t have the balls for that.”

“Yea?”

“Yea. I’ll tell you what,” Marcus said as he pulled out a gun. “I’ll give you to the count of three. Tell me who it is, and I’ll spare your boy toy’s life. One…Two…”

I clenched my hands. “You fucker-”

I ran at him as two shots rang in the air.

I screamed in pain, but managed to jump on him and plunge my hidden dagger deep into his chest before I blacked out.