“What do you see now?” Pike asks, nudging my shoulder.
“You’re right. He was being…helpful. Kind. He wasn’t…” I trail off because I’m looking at him in a new light, as if really seeing him for the first time.
“Nine is a good man, by far the best man I know. I’d trust him with my life. I have trusted him with my life.”
I remember the bar. The fight. The alley. “Answer something for me, Pike. Does a good man beat the shit out of other men?”
Pike grins. “Fuck yeah, all the time. Especially when he’s got something worth fighting for.”
* * *
NINE
Pike and Lenny are laughing together when I get back with our drinks, and I want nothing more than to drag her away right this very second, but I have to be careful and wait this out even though everything in me is screaming to act and act now.
I’m so consumed by my thoughts that I almost miss the two men from Tico Ricci’s crew across the field. Different men from the alley, but all of Ricci’s men have the same look. They stand out among the partiers. First, there are no drinks in their hands. Second, while everyone else is either wearing shorts, barely anything, or leather cuts like the bikers, these guys are wearing tailored blazers over jeans, which they probably think is casual and makes them blend in, but it does anything but. If their slicked back hair wasn’t a neon sign saying they didn’t belong, then the stern looks on their faces amongst a sea of smiles sure as shit do.
Pike steps away from Lenny casually to stand beside me. He lifts his beer to his mouth. “Do you see ‘em, too?”
“Sure fuckin’ do.”
“This can’t be fucking good.”
“It’s not.” There’s only one reason Ricci’s crew is here tonight, and that reason has long brown hair and is wearing a skin-tight dress that hugs every single one of her sinful curves.
“What do you need me to do, man?” Pike asks, and I know what he’s thinking’ because it’s the same thing I’m thinking. There’s too many people here. I may not always do the right thing or give a shit if I what I am doing is in the vicinity of right, but collateral damage ain’t my gig.
“I’m gonna get Lenny the fuck outta here as fast and as unnoticeable as I can. I don’t need them shooting up an entire field full of innocent people.”
“Always concerned about others,” Pike says although I sense a shit-ton of sarcasm in his raspy voice.
I finish my beer and place my smoke inside, tossing it into the nearest trash can. “Maybe, I just don’t want any blood on my fucking plants,” I reply. “Do me a favor. Text Prep. Tell him I’ll be on the old road heading west and that I might need reinforcements. After we’re gone, try and distract them if you can. Give me some time.”
“I’m on it.” Pike has his phone to his ear and is walking away from the crowd to do what I asked because he’s a good fucking friend and that’s what good fucking friends do. After he hangs up, he heads to the other side of the field where the two men are searching the crowd and loudly announces, “Who’s ready for the wet t-shirt contest!”
The crowd gathers around him, creating a wall in front of the Ricci soldiers, blocking their view of this side of the field.
I approach Lenny whose brows are furrowed with frustration. Not at me. At her friend.
“But I don’t wanna go just yet,” Yuli whines to Lenny, obviously on the drunker side of tipsy.
“Okay, fine. Then, I’ll stay and wait for you,” Lenny agrees, but her eyes say she’s anything but happy about staying’. Which is good. Cause we’re not.
“Yay!” Yuli cheers, bouncing up and down on her knees.
I go over to Ray and whisper to her what’s going on. She answers only with a single nod, her smile never leaving her face. She’s a pro, and not to mention King’s wife, which makes her used to shit like this.
“Yuli!” Ray says, with exaggerated excitement. “Nine can drive Lenny home. He’s going that way anyway. And me and you gonna have some drinks! I have a babysitter, and this mama isn’t going home anytime soon!”
“Yuli, it’s okay. I’m going to stay,” Lenny says without looking at me.
“Lenny, don’t worry. Nine will be a perfect gentleman. I swear it.” Ray is a fucking expert at this shit and totally missed her calling at being a spy or some shit like that because she links arms with Yuli. “Don’t worry, Yuli, I’ll make sure the bikers don’t get too handsy with you,” she teases.
“Oh, hell no!” Yuli says, drawing out each letter of each word. “Don’t you dare keep those sexy bikers at arm’s length. Girl, I’ve been looking forward to handsy from those men my entire god damned young and beautiful life.” She raises her beer toward a group of bikers “Come to mama, my beautiful biker barbarians!” Yuli turns around and gives Lenny a quick tight hug. “You know I hate good-byes, but I promise I’ll text you from the plane tomorrow. I love you, my friend.”