Page 9 of After Midnight

“Wait. He has no experience?”

“Doesn’t look like it. Probably why he asked to volunteer, like he said.”

“And we just left him out there in the front to mind the store by himself?”

“You left him, and forcibly drug me with you. I was just fine being out there looking at him work.”

“Oh, Jeanette,” I sighed and rushed to open the door. Once it was open, the scene before me made my blood run cold. Three of Victor’s men had entered the café and were walking to the counter.

“How can I help you gentlemen?” Sex-on-a-stick asked as they settled in front of him.

“Ah, Dream. Just the one we were looking for,” the lead one stated and tapped on the glass counter. I recognized him from the start. His name was Payton Bruce, and he was solidly-built with tan skin and a pointed chin.

“Don’t do that,” Sex-on-a-stick said.

“Don’t do what?” Payton asked. His head flinched back slightly while he spoke.

“Don’t tap the glass like that. I just wiped it down, and we don’t need your fingerprints smudged on it.”

Payton laughed a deep belly laugh and looked at the men with him one by one. “You believe this guy?” He asked and pointed at Sex-on-a-stick. “So, you don’t like me tapping on the glass, huh?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Then you’re going tohatethis,” gibed Payton. He stepped back, and allowed the man on his right to fill his spot.

I didn’t know who he was, but he was big. He had to lower his head so he could enter through the entrance to Dreamy. He was built like a warrior and had olive skin. Warrior guy glared at Sex-on-a-stick, drew his fist back high over his head, and smashed down and through the glass counter in one blow, shattering the glass and sending fragments throughout the area. He removed his fist from the mess. It was covered in icing and rivulets of blood streamed from the open wounds. He licked both the blood and the icing off the back of his wrist, icing from the poor, unfortunate cake which was unlucky enough to be below his hand as it went through the glass.

“What are you doing?” I screamed and rushed through the doorway of the backroom. I would have confronted Warrior guy myself, except a strong arm snatched me by the waist. Sex-on-a-stick positioned me behind him and placed himself between the three men, the counter and me. “You can’t come in here and do that! I’m calling the police!” I yelled from behind him.

“No, no, no,” Payton said with a snicker. “You don’t want to do that. You call the cops, and unfortunately, something bad might happen before they get here.”

Payton jutted his chin towards the second man with him, and a half-smile formed on his face. This guy was tall, and large with brown skin and the frightening feel of a club bouncer about him. Club guy strutted over to the nearest to him pedestal table for my guests, interlocked his fingers and slammed down hard, blasting through the smooth marble top in an explosion of human strength and hard mineral.

“No, stop!” I screamed, but my cries seemed to delight Club guy, as he bounced from one foot to the other and shook his head and shoulders like a boxer preparing to fight in a ring.

“Dream? Dream,” Payton called.

I leaned from behind Sex-on-a-stick till I could see him. My heart was in my shoes and my eyes were overflowing wells. I clenched my jaws and balled my fingers as I glared at him.

“We’re not about to waste tax payer money, after all,” gibed Payton. The smile he had on his face was insufferable. “So, if they’re going to come out, we’re going to make it worth their time.”

“Time, huh?” Sex-on-a-stick asked.

Payton furrowed his brow. “Huh?”

Sex-on-a-stick lowered his head, and looked at the ground. “You three idiots are a complete waste of time.”

“What?” Payton scoffed. “My guy, are you just stupid or— “

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Sex-on-a-stick interrupted. “You three are going to apologize for bringing this nonsense into Miss Moore’s store. Then you’re going to give her whatever money you all have on you to cover her repairs. Then you’re going to give hermoremoney to cover her for the mental suffering you just caused, for no reason I might add, and then you’re going to get your asses out of here. And you’re going to do all this before I count to three, or I’m going to beat the shit out of you. All of you.”

“Okay, so you’re just stupid,” Payton said and shook his head. He pointed at the two men with him. “Monroe. Ted. Let’s teach this little bastard some respect.”

“Three.”

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