Page 8 of Scarred Souls

HOPE

After our awkward interaction, Grim gave me no more trouble and kept to himself. I went about my closing-up routine of locking down the shutters and stacking chairs on tables, but whenever I glanced Grim’s way, his attention was either on his phone or the soccer game on the TV in the corner.

As I was restocking the beer refrigerator, booming laughter came from the street-side door. I turned in time to see four guys enter. One stayed at the door while the other three headed for the bar, straight toward me.

Their look screamed gangster wannabe, from the exaggerated swagger in their step to the fresh scorpion neck tattoos labeling them as Pacific Coast Cartel.

Could my night get any worse?

But if these clowns were with the cartel, they were as green as they came. For starters, they were young. Barely out of their teens. Their special-edition Nikes and shiny wristwatches made me think they’d used their first paychecks to splurge on a new gangbanger wardrobe. But the biggest giveaway of their inexperience was that they hadn’t immediately identified the biggest threat in the room.

Grim.

When my eyes darted to him, he was paying no attention to the new arrivals and still watching the soccer match.

“Disculpen,” I called out. “Estamos cerrados. Ustedes tienen que irse.” Excuse me. We’re closed. You have to go. I wished I’d flipped the door sign to Closed when I’d had the chance.

The three wannabes ignored me and slouched into barstools. Only the one on the right who hadn’t taken off his dark-tinted shades had the sense to cast a fleeting glance at Grim.

I’d seen their type come in here before. Cocky and full of testosterone and misplaced bravado courtesy of their association with the cartel. They liked to stir up trouble by threatening local businesses and trying to recruit kids with promises of cash and notoriety. That shit didn’t fly in Playa de la Palmera. We were a united front when it came to keeping the cartel out of our village.

All the same, these guys were a problem, and if I didn’t get rid of them now, they were likely to want to drink here all night and leave without paying the bill.

Not on my shift.

“You’ll make an exception for us,” said the one in the middle with a buzz cut.

Not a question. A demand.

Buzz wore a grin like he knew a secret while running his thumb and forefinger over the pathetic scruff on his chin. Between his lips, he shifted a toothpick around with his tongue.

“I’m afraid I’m all out of favors tonight.” I started stacking empty bottles into a crate. With any luck, they’d go if I ignored them.

“Come on,” said the wannabe who still hadn’t taken off his shades. He leaned back in his seat and propped his hands behind his head. “Don’t be like that. We’re just thirsty is all.”

“There’s a gas station in the next town,” I said without making eye contact.

“Bitch,” spat the third guy, a jacked-up meathead.

I froze at the insult and glared at him.

I wanted to ask if his bad temper was due to his obvious steroid-abuse problem or because he had a complex about the nose that was far too big for his face.

Big Nose met my glare with one of his own. “Show some fucking respect. Don’t you know who we are?” He pulled aside the collar of his shirt, pointing to the black scorpion on his neck.

There was one thing I knew about assholes like this: if you showed fear, they’d eat it up and come hunting for more. But I’d dealt with far scarier and more powerful men than these thugs, so I wouldn’t let them intimidate me.

“Yeah.” I chuckled, mostly to myself, because if this punk had any idea how much I knew about whom he worked for, he’d probably shit his pants. “I think I know who you are. Nice tattoo, by the way. Did you get that yesterday, or did you draw it on with a Sharpie just before you got here?”

Big Nose rose from his barstool so fast it screeched across the tiled floor. He was all bluster, though, given how quickly he backed down when Buzz placed a steadying palm on his chest.

“There’s no need for that.” Buzz pulled the toothpick from his mouth and pointed it at my face. “It looks like someone already messed her up pretty bad.”

“Didn’t you learn your lesson?” Shades added.

Pigs, the lot of them.

My eyes again shifted to Grim. He continued ignoring my exchange with the wannabes. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me. I’d been kind of rude to him earlier, so it was no surprise he didn’t want to burden himself with what was fast becoming a shit show.

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