find my keys and go into my apartment.
Melanie is on the phone ordering a Chinese takeout.
‘Fuck! What happened to you?’
‘One of the customers from the club. Remember that creep I told you about?’
‘That pervert Simon?’
I nod. ‘He took pictures of me with his mobile camera.’
‘What a nasty piece of work?’
I go to the mirror. My nose is bleeding copiously and one side of my face is starting to swell badly.
I hold my head tilted upwards while Melanie applies ice packs that she uses on her feet on my face. ‘It’ll be a bit smelly but you’ll survive,’ she tells me. Then she picks up her phone. ‘I’ve got to tell Brianna. Ban him and warn the other girls. You need to make a police report.’
‘No police. But yes, warn Brianna.’
She comes to sit beside me, her forehead creased with concern. ‘Why no police, Jewel?’
‘I’ve got history. Minor things, but I can’t go to the police.’
‘OK. No problems. No police.’
‘Thanks, Mel.’
Literally a minute after Melanie ends her call, my mobile goes.
‘Jake,’ I say, with a frown.
‘Wow! Brianna was fast,’ Melanie comments.
‘Are you all right?’ Jake barks urgently into my ear.
‘Yeah, minor bruises.’
‘Are you sure it was him?’
‘Yeah, I got a good look at him.’
‘Right. I’ll be there soon. I got something to take care of first. And, Lily…’
‘Yeah?’
‘Don’t go anywhere until I get there, OK?’
‘OK.’
FIFTEEN
Jake
I ring on the little cunt’s bell and wait, nausea clawing at my guts. He put his filthy hands on my woman.
His disembodied voice comes through the intercom. ‘Yeah?’
‘You hurt one of my employees this evening. I’d like to come up and talk to you about it. Discuss some compensation.’ Jesus, I sound calm.
‘What? You’ve got the wrong guy, mate. I’ve been in all day.’ He does offended and indignant very well.
‘Or if you prefer I can go to the police and let them sort it out. You decide.’ I do rational and threatening very well.
For a moment there is silence and I think the coward is going to take his chances with the police, but then the buzzer sounds. First mistake, Motherfucker. I push open the door and run up two flights of stairs to his door. I lean the baseball bat against the wall next to his door, ring his bell, and affect a relaxed pose. He looks at me through the spy hole, then takes his time about opening the door. But he does.
‘I’m telling you, you’ve got the wrong guy,’ he says strongly.
I shove him hard and he flies backwards and lands sprawled in his corridor. His eyes widen with terror as he sees me casually retrieve the baseball bat from its place. I come in and kick the door closed. Shame. He has cream carpets.
He starts moving backwards. ‘It wasn’t me. You’re making a big mistake,’ he whimpers like a fucking pussy.
I throw him a ball gag. He doesn’t catch it. It bounces off his body and falls on the floor. ‘Put it on.’
‘I’m not going to put it on. I’m innocent. I want the police here. Now.’ His voice trembles with fear.
I lift the baseball bat and strike him in the gut. He doubles over in agony, staggers back two steps and drops to his knees clutching his stomach. Then he starts blubbering like a fucking two-year-old brat!
‘Not so big and strong now, eh?’
‘You got the wrong guy,’ he sobs.
‘Yeah? Put the gag on or I’ll crush your skull with one blow. A beating or a quick death. Choose.’
He is struggling to breathe through the pain. He takes wet-sounding breaths. The ones people take when they are dying. It sounds like a rattle. But he is not dying. Not by a long shot. Oh no. Death would be too easy. I watch him put the gag on with shaking hands. Cowards never fail to fascinate me. Fucking idiot! Why would you put something on that is meant to silence you?
A savage growl tears from my throat. The rage in the sound surprises me. I thought I was through with all that years ago. I
Melanie is on the phone ordering a Chinese takeout.
‘Fuck! What happened to you?’
‘One of the customers from the club. Remember that creep I told you about?’
‘That pervert Simon?’
I nod. ‘He took pictures of me with his mobile camera.’
‘What a nasty piece of work?’
I go to the mirror. My nose is bleeding copiously and one side of my face is starting to swell badly.
I hold my head tilted upwards while Melanie applies ice packs that she uses on her feet on my face. ‘It’ll be a bit smelly but you’ll survive,’ she tells me. Then she picks up her phone. ‘I’ve got to tell Brianna. Ban him and warn the other girls. You need to make a police report.’
‘No police. But yes, warn Brianna.’
She comes to sit beside me, her forehead creased with concern. ‘Why no police, Jewel?’
‘I’ve got history. Minor things, but I can’t go to the police.’
‘OK. No problems. No police.’
‘Thanks, Mel.’
Literally a minute after Melanie ends her call, my mobile goes.
‘Jake,’ I say, with a frown.
‘Wow! Brianna was fast,’ Melanie comments.
‘Are you all right?’ Jake barks urgently into my ear.
‘Yeah, minor bruises.’
‘Are you sure it was him?’
‘Yeah, I got a good look at him.’
‘Right. I’ll be there soon. I got something to take care of first. And, Lily…’
‘Yeah?’
‘Don’t go anywhere until I get there, OK?’
‘OK.’
FIFTEEN
Jake
I ring on the little cunt’s bell and wait, nausea clawing at my guts. He put his filthy hands on my woman.
His disembodied voice comes through the intercom. ‘Yeah?’
‘You hurt one of my employees this evening. I’d like to come up and talk to you about it. Discuss some compensation.’ Jesus, I sound calm.
‘What? You’ve got the wrong guy, mate. I’ve been in all day.’ He does offended and indignant very well.
‘Or if you prefer I can go to the police and let them sort it out. You decide.’ I do rational and threatening very well.
For a moment there is silence and I think the coward is going to take his chances with the police, but then the buzzer sounds. First mistake, Motherfucker. I push open the door and run up two flights of stairs to his door. I lean the baseball bat against the wall next to his door, ring his bell, and affect a relaxed pose. He looks at me through the spy hole, then takes his time about opening the door. But he does.
‘I’m telling you, you’ve got the wrong guy,’ he says strongly.
I shove him hard and he flies backwards and lands sprawled in his corridor. His eyes widen with terror as he sees me casually retrieve the baseball bat from its place. I come in and kick the door closed. Shame. He has cream carpets.
He starts moving backwards. ‘It wasn’t me. You’re making a big mistake,’ he whimpers like a fucking pussy.
I throw him a ball gag. He doesn’t catch it. It bounces off his body and falls on the floor. ‘Put it on.’
‘I’m not going to put it on. I’m innocent. I want the police here. Now.’ His voice trembles with fear.
I lift the baseball bat and strike him in the gut. He doubles over in agony, staggers back two steps and drops to his knees clutching his stomach. Then he starts blubbering like a fucking two-year-old brat!
‘Not so big and strong now, eh?’
‘You got the wrong guy,’ he sobs.
‘Yeah? Put the gag on or I’ll crush your skull with one blow. A beating or a quick death. Choose.’
He is struggling to breathe through the pain. He takes wet-sounding breaths. The ones people take when they are dying. It sounds like a rattle. But he is not dying. Not by a long shot. Oh no. Death would be too easy. I watch him put the gag on with shaking hands. Cowards never fail to fascinate me. Fucking idiot! Why would you put something on that is meant to silence you?
A savage growl tears from my throat. The rage in the sound surprises me. I thought I was through with all that years ago. I
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