Up In Flames (Club Chrome 3)

Bronx sobered quickly. “What’s going on? Must be pretty serious if you’re coming to me.”

“You remember Ashley?”

“Of course I do. That was a bad deal. Why bring up bad memories?”

“Because her kid sister just showed up on my doorstep needing my help.”

Bronx sucked in a surprised breath. “Are you shitting me? I thought you lost track of her.”

“I did. Or rather I stopped looking. But she found me last night. She was in bad shape, All drugged up and looking like she’d been dragged behind a bus. She’s running from her drug dealer ex-boyfriend. But I think there’s more to the story. I offered her a lot of cash and she didn’t take it.”

“Definitely more to the story,” Bronx agreed. “And she won’t tell you?”

“She thinks she’s protecting me by keeping me in the dark. She thinks this guy is meaner and more dangerous than me.”

“She obviously doesn’t know you very well.”

“Yeah, guess not.”

“Did she give you a name?”

“Benton Algiers.”

Bronx tossed the name around in his head for a few minutes and then said, “I got nothing. I can ask around though. There’s bound to be someone who knows him.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I plan to do the same. Apparently he looks like a clean-cut, college type but he’s running a dirty game. According to Angel, he’s cooking up bad batches of drugs. Have you heard anything on the street?”

Bronx nodded slowly. “Actually, yes. Do you remember Billy Bonsue?”

“Yeah, he’s that skinny kid with the messed up face who’s kicking it with Crystal.”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Well Crystal overdosed the other day. Out of the blue. Billy said she got her hands on some new shit, couldn’t get enough of it. Had a weird name too.” Bronx paused a minute to search his memory. He snapped his fingers as he remembered. “Frazil. That’s what it was called. You think that’s what your girl’s messed up with?”

“She’s not my girl,” he growled. “And it’s possible. The problem is even if I ask her she won’t tell me.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find out on our own then.”

Pyro nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.” He should’ve been satisfied but there was more on his mind, even though he didn’t have a clue as to how to bring it up without sounding like a whiny bitch to his own ears. As luck would have it, Bronx took care of that dilemma and just asked point blank.

“What else is eating you?”

“It’s personal,” he admitted grumpily.

“It always is. Tell me what’s going on. What’s really going on.”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, rubbing his forehead as if he could rub away the images that gave him no peace. “Do you ever get the feeling that no matter what you do you’ll always be this side of wrong?”

“I used to. Not anymore.”

“Well, then you’re lucky.”

Bronx leaned forward. “Listen man, you’ve been through some bad shit. Losing Ashley the way you did— and your kid— hell, it would fuck with anyone’s head but that was a long time ago. You have to move on.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

“I never said it was easy. I just said it was time.”

“I want to do what’s right for Angel. I fucked up her life and then ran away. Now she needs my help and I want to help. But… Jesus, I didn’t expect her to show up on my doorstep looking like she does.”

Bronx did a double take. “What are you saying?”

Frustration laced Pyro’s tone as he said, “I don’t fucking know. My head is all tangled up and I can’t think straight. I’m afraid that I’m going to screw things up even worse.”

“You’re talking in circles, man. What the hell’s going on in your head?”

How was he supposed to admit that he even though he wanted to help Angel, he also wanted to fuck her? His cheeks flamed with pure mortification at his own weakness and he couldn’t manage the words. Not even to his best friend who knew all his secrets and his private shame. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out.”

“You’re fucking attracted to her,” Bronx figured out. When Pyro looked at him sharply, Bronx knew he had the right of it. He shook his head in commiseration. “I told you that damn celibacy was going to bite you in the ass. Go get yourself some pussy and let go of some of that tension. The last thing you want to do is mess around with the kid.”

“That’s the problem — she’s not a kid anymore,” he grumbled. “And she’s not even my type but damn, I can’t think of anything else.”

Bronx took him by the shoulders and forced him to look at him. “Get. A. Fucking. Woman. Hell, there’s plenty who would give their right eye teeth to go a few rounds with you. Here’s what you do…go to the clubhouse, get yourself a few drinks and then pick one of those ready pussies, just dripping with the need to fuck. You need a few names?”

Pyro shook off his friend’s hands and growled, “I don’t need names. What are you, a pimp?”

“Well, you need something before you explode and do something you regret.”

Pyro knew Bronx was right. Maybe he just needed to let off some steam and then he could think clearly again. It wasn’t Angel that he wanted — he just wanted some pussy. Any pussy would do. Celibacy wasn’t in the cards for him.

At least not while Angel was stuck within the same four walls as him.

“You might have a point,” he told Bronx grudgingly. “Because I’m starting to sweat just thinking about being in the same room with her and that’s just crazy. I’ve never felt this whacked out over a woman.”

“Yea

h, that’s how I felt about Dee,” Bronx mused and Pyro’s gut tightened dangerously. That was a scary thought. Bronx laughed at Pyro’s sudden expression of fear and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not saying you’re going to fall in love with Angel — holy fuck that would be epically bad — I’m just saying, I know how it feels to be out of control when you’re used to being the one in the driver seat. Look, I’m fairly certain, you’re just operating on zero sleep, not enough food, and the worst case of blue balls ever. So…yeah, easily fixed.”

He nodded, relieved. “Yeah, you’re right. Easily fixed.”

“Go get some pussy, man. It’s time.” Excellent advice. He knew he could count on Bronx to put things into perspective. Bronx added, “In the meantime, keep it cool, and I’ll start asking around about that Frazil shit and if anyone knows your boy. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Anything for you. You know that,” Bronx said gravely, all sense of jocularity fading from his voice. “I owe you everything.”

“We’re even, Bronx.”

“Not even close.”

Pyro didn’t argue. They’d both done shit for each other that was deep and illegal and neither regretted a single action. That was just how it was.

-5-

Angel didn't know where Pyro had gone but he’d been gone for hours and Angel was about to go stir crazy. There wasn't even a TV in this dump. What was she supposed to do walk around in circles until he decided to return? Fuck that. If her daughter's life weren’t hanging in the balance she would've split hours ago. The good news was the effects of the drug were slowly losing their grip on her body and mind. Benton had kept her doped up for so long she didn't remember how it felt to be clearheaded. Of course, that was a double edge sword. Being able to think clearly also enabled her to remember just how fucked up her situation was and how her stupidity might very well get her daughter killed.