Page 23 of Gunner

“Anything illegal on you two?” the first one asks. I smirk. Like I’d tell him.

“Not a single thing, Officer. We wouldn’t travel like that,” I tell him with a smirk in place.

“Step off your bike,” he orders as I inhale nicotine into my lungs. I don’t know these guys. We aren’t friendly with them so I do what I’m told, flicking my cigarette to the ground. I don’t need a charge down here, so I climb off my bike as Locke does the same. The assholes shove on us a little just to throw their weight around as they pat us down. I don’t have shit, but my gun and that motherfucker isn’t legally mine. I smirk when he grabs ahold of it and pulls it from the back of my jeans.

“What’s this?”

“You’re the smart one here,” I remind him with a laugh.

“No time to be funny. You’re going to jail.”

“Kinda figured that,” I add. I glance over at Locke and smirk. At least it was me and not the others. The shipment got away, and that’s what I wanted.

“You have anything to say about this?” he asks as he calls in for backup.

“Not much.”

“Where are you heading with this?”

“Nowhere you’d be interested in,” I tell him. I see the fist before I actually feel it. He balled up and punched me, knowing he could get away with it.

“Get the fuck off him!” Locke yells as the asshole puts me in cuffs and proceeds to beat my ass. He shoves me to the ground and then kicks me in the ribs.

“That the best you got?” I ask the motherfucker. I will remember this asshole, and I’ll make sure he pays later for this. Another kick, and I hear the backup coming. I see the lights flashing as they get closer.

“You motherfucker!” Locke growls.

“Shut up before you end up like your friend.”

The other cop warns him. Asshole yanks me to my feet as the other officers approach.

“What happened to him?” The first one asks, nodding toward my face.

“He resisted.”

“Yeah, but your mom didn’t,” I tell him with a laugh. He starts back toward me when the other one stops him and shoves him back a step. Locke laughs, and just like that … we’re going to jail.

Chapter 10

Natasa

It’s been a week. He left a week ago and hasn’t come back. I’ve snuck across the hall and into his bed almost every night because I couldn’t sleep. Then Kiki told me they were arrested and that their lawyers were working on things. I thought about leaving, but I told him I wouldn’t.

“Why are you here?” Jane, one of the club girls asks me. She’s asked me this every day for the last week, and I give her the same answer.

“Why are you?”

“Don’t get smart with me. You’re not a club girl. I would know.”

“How do you know they just didn’t tell you?” About that time, Whip walks over and throws his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side.

“What’s the issue?”

“Who is she?” Jane asks him.

“Thought you already met Nat.”

“I mean, who is she to the club?” Whip looks down at me under his arm before looking back to Jane.

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