Jerry Langton Three-Book Biker Bundle by Jerry Langton Page B

years . . . I sold to them long before you guys . . . they’re small-time, not like you guys . . . it was the deal . . .”
    Bouchard grinned and shrugged. “Well, my friend, it’s not the deal anymore.”
    Jamie panicked. He tried to stand up, but the bikers held him down. Each grabbed one wrist and held his hands on the coffee table. The other biker, who had been behind the couch, emerged with a large claw hammer in his hands.
    Jamie screamed.
    â€œStick something in his mouth, Lou,” said Bouchard. The biker with the hammer wadded up one of Lennie’s T-shirts from the floor and shoved it in his mouth. He knew better than to spit it out. “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie, the reason you have that filthy old T-shirt in your mouth is because you have a nasty habit of interrupting, and I have something important to tell you.” He sat down. “I’m telling you because you are a popular, likeable guy,” he said. “You know everyone. You can get my message out to everybody in the business.”
    Jamie nodded.
    Bouchard smiled. “Here it is—if anyone deals with us, they can not deal with the Lawbreakers,” he paused to make sure Jamie understood. “And if you don’t deal with us, you will die.” Then he chuckled. “Pretty simple, eh?” he said. “You got it, eh? You’ ll tell everyone, eh?”
    Jamie nodded and smiled the best he could with the T-shirt in his mouth.
    â€œGood, that’ll save us so much unpleasantness,” Bouchard said. “Go ahead, Lou.”
    Lou took a swing at Jamie’s left pinkie, shattering it. He swung again, missing his fingers and hitting the table. Jamie was screaming through the T-shirt. Lou swung again, hitting Jamie’s left thumb, but it was just a glancing blow.
    Bouchard sighed. “I’ll be waiting in the car; come down when you’re done.”

    According to her parents’ strict standards, Kelli had been acting irresponsibly lately. They attributed her unprecedented lack of discipline to the fact that it was her senior year and that some of her friends were encouraging her to cut loose a little.
    But they were having none of it. Augie Johnson had seen a documentary on a TV newsmagazine about “tough love”—a concept in which parents use strict, zero-tolerance punishments to put their kids back on the right track. It hadn’t been getting the results he wanted, but he knew that if he stuck with it, it would.
    Kelli wondered why her parents had totally turned on her just because she missed one school assignment and a couple of curfews. Augie had explained “tough love” to her, but it sounded more like tough luck. All she got out of her parents these days were orders, criticism, and recrimination. Home was like a boot camp. She found herself staying away from it more and more often.
    She was reluctant to leave Lily’s, but knew she’d be in big trouble if she stayed any longer. Her parents had confiscated her bike because they had seen her riding it without a helmet, so she had to walk home. About halfway there, it started to rain—just enough to be annoying. When she finally made it to the front door, she found it locked. She rang and rang the doorbell, but there was no response. She could see the light on in her parents’ bedroom, so she knew they were home. She phoned them—no answer. She started pounding on the door and yelling.
    Augie’s plan was to make her freak out for about fifteen minutes, then let her in and give her a good talking to. He decided to intensify the experience a little by having his friend Harvey Giamatti—a drama teacher at another high school who sported a long beard and wild hair—hide in the hedges and approach her.
    Harvey emerged just as it was dawning on Kelli that she was in all likelihood, going to have to find someplace to sleep that night. Doing his best imitation of a deranged homeless man,