Stone Cold - Ashby Crime Family

“Excuse me.” She jumped up abruptly and, realizing her mistake, stopped with a smile. “Anxiety and hunger is not a good mix. Be back soon.” She was gone before Maisie could do that girl thing and follow her.

“I should go after her.”

“Just give her a minute.” Virgil put one of his big meaty hands on top of Maisie’s and just like that, his presence seemed to calm her. “Shit’s tough for her right now.”

“And I’m her friend,” she insisted. “If she needs someone now, it’s me.”

That was true, but Bonnie wouldn’t be able to see it that way, not yet. “Just be there for her when she reaches out to you. That’s all you can do.”

Maisie nodded. “It’s just…she’s so depressed lately, and that’s not the girl I’ve known for the last five years. Bonnie is a lot of things, but down in the dumps isn’t one of them.” I didn’t want to be the one to tell her it wasn’t depression; it was a whole lot worse.

Thankfully, the waitress showed up and took our order before Maisie started asking questions I wouldn’t answer. Bonnie still hadn’t come back from the bathroom, so I ordered for her.

“Land & Sea Spaghetti for our fourth guest.”

“She’s going to kill you,” Maisie said, a gleeful glint in her eyes.

“You don’t have to look so happy about it. I thought you liked me.”

“I do. I like Bonnie too, and I like how you two fluster each other. It’s adorable.”

Virgil laughed and scowled at me.

“It’s not adorable,” I grumbled. “It’s not anything. I’m not looking for anything right now and your friend isn’t in the position to start anything.” With anyone.”

“You mean because of Wyatt?”

I sat up and stared at her and then looked to Virgil. “Not Wyatt. The pills.” Did she really not know?

Maisie’s blue eyes turned to Virgil with a big fat question in them. I was grateful—and concerned—to see Colby downstairs in the restaurant and headed my way. “Babe, what is he—”

Maisie’s question faded under the loud pounding pulse of my beating heart. I stood when Colby stopped at our table.

“What’s up?”

I felt Virgil at my side in an instant.

“That fucker you told me to keep an eye on? Squeaker? Showed up fifteen minutes ago, and I had eyes on him until about five minutes ago.”

Shit. “Bonnie.” I took off, Virgil and Colby right behind me.

“Bonnie? What about Bonnie?” Maisie’s voice was further away but she followed, surprising no one but Colby. “What about Bonnie, cute bartender?”

“Cute?” Virgil growled behind me, and I smacked his chest.

“Not the time.” I glared at him and put a finger to my lips when we stopped outside the ladies bathroom door to listen.

“I told you I wanted my money the next time I saw you, Red.” The voice no doubt belonged to Squeaker and the threat was just as clear.

“That was just hours ago,” Bonnie insisted breathlessly.

Squeaker laughed. “That’s just your bad luck. Or my good luck,” he said, his laugh dark and purposeful. “You could just smile and take this cock like a good little whore. We both might enjoy it more. But either way Bonnie, I will enjoy it.”

“Get your hands off me!”

I smirked at the fight she still had left. It meant she wasn’t too far gone to be pulled back. My gaze slid to Virgil, who already had his piece in his hand. He nodded to my hip, and I smiled, snapping the button on my sheath and pulling out my favorite copper knife. “I’ll go in first.”

“Right behind you,” I told him, my game face on. I was worried as shit about Bonnie because the kids The Crusaders took on were crazier than the rest. Quicker to anger, quicker to kill.

Virgil pushed the door open quietly, surprising me, but I followed his lead, crouching low and walking slow while that fucker continued to talk shit. Colby had his hands full keeping Maisie out of harm’s way.

“Get on your knees. Right now, bitch.”

“No,” she spat out through sniffles. She was fucking crying.

“Now, I said. Money or knees.”

Virgil made the left turn quickly, smoothly and took one big step to put him on the other side of the stall where Squeaker had Bonnie trapped. He nodded for me to handle it. I froze, but only for a second. I stood behind Squeaker, laughing and threatening Bonnie, pushing on her shoulders with one hand and wielding a knife in the other. Her eyes were dark and wide, filled with fear.

I stepped in behind Squeaker, surprising both him and Bonnie when I slid my right hand around him, gripping his forehead the way Virgil had taught me and pulling back until he was off balance. “What the…who the fuck?”

I smiled as he struggled against my hold.

“It’s me, asshole. Your worst fucking nightmare.”

“This your pimp, junkie whore? Think he’s gonna save you? Well fucking think aga—” Before he could say another word, I slid my left hand around him, stabbed the tip of the blade to his neck and pulled it across until I felt the warmth of his blood spurt over my hands.