Page 32 of Fighting a Riot

Yak shrugged. “Just seems odd for them to attack and not take Punc’s wallet or his fuckin’ phone. Also seems strange to me that they know where to hide and shit.”

Blood’s brown eyes shifted between Yak and Turk. “You’re thinking it might be someone inside the club.”

Yak nodded. “I don’t want to think that, but it’s what my gut says.”

Blood nodded. “Right. Keep your eyes open, and bring it up at church tomorrow.”

Turk shook his head. “It’s probably just the fuckin’ Devil Lancers tryin’ to fuck with business. They scare off our dancers, we’re left with no talent on the stage and no business each night.”

“Then why not attack Punc and Shayla together? Why wait until he’s alone?” Yak asked.

“Don’t argue with each other about this shit. Either one of you might be right, or you could both be wrong and it’s some third fucked-up reason. Don’t be late tomorrow.”

Yak nodded. “You’re right. It’s bugs the fuck out of me finding another damn person passed out around here.”

Turk glared at him from across the room. “Punc was the first, wasn’t he?”

Yak kept quiet, and his expression stayed neutral.

“Wasn’t he? Answer me goddammit!” Turk thundered.

Turk was the most even-keeled brother of them all, so Yak gave in. “I found Nora passed out in one of the rooms. She wandered in there after it’d been cleaned and shut down.”

“That’s the chick you brought back who had a tiara in her hair,” Punc muttered.

Yak glared at him.

“What? She was cute as fuck.”

“That doesn’t sound related to this shit,” Blood said.

“Sure you’re right, but something seemed weird about finding her conked out in a VIP room. I thought she might have been roofied, but she woke up remembering going into the room, so that’s out.”

Blood groaned. “You shoulda called someone the moment you found her.”

“Shouldn’t have been thinking with his dick is more like it,” Turk muttered.

Yak took two steps toward Turk, but Blood stepped between them and stiff-armed Yak. “Let it go, man. I’m just saying we could have checked her glass or some shit.”

“She didn’t have a glass in there. By the time I found her, the glasses were washed, I’m sure.”

“Whatever. We gotta find out who’s fuckin’ with the dancers. A chick passed out in here isn’t the concern right now.”

Chapter 6

Dragon-Headed Pirate Ship

Nora

Mid-morning on Wednesday, my cell rang and I answered, since it was a local number.

“Yo! What time do you want me to pick you up for your appointment?” Trixie asked. Her voice was so loud on my cell phone, I glanced at the screen to make sure it wasn’t on speaker.

“Um… you don’t have to—”

“That is the last time you tell me I don’t have to do something, Nora. You mentioned it was a lunchtime appointment. Want me to pick up food on my way? I can grab tacos. We can live a little and eat them on a Wednesday because they cure everything that ails us. You strike me as a strict Taco Tuesday chick.”

I shook my head and smiled. “I’m not, really. Thanks for the offer, but I’m good. If you want to swing by my office at a quarter to noon, that’d be great.”

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