Page 16 of Vigilante
“I’m on my way. I’ll meet you at yours, don’t go anywhere.”
“Wait, Max, I?—”
I don’t let her finish, ending the call and shoving my phone in the back pocket of my black jeans. I rush over to my backpack and snatch the black coat from the back of the wooden chair.
“Sorry, but where the fuck are you going?” Rocco calls from behind me.
“I’ll be back.” I groan. I’m pissed, not because she called me, not because I have to leave here without finishing this cunt off, but because the overwhelming need to hold her in my arms is scaring the fucking shit out of me. I barely know anything about this woman, and I’m ready to beat the shit out of some guy for her.
“You have got to be shitting me!” Rocco bellows, “You’re leaving here for a piece of ass?”
I turn around, and the look on my face is enough to make him back off. Holding up his hands, he takes a step back in surrender. Glancing at my watch, I see it’s 6 p.m. “Give me a couple of hours, stay here,” I point, “watch him.”
“Where the fuck is he going to go?”
“Just…look, I’ll be back at ten.”
“I’ve never seen you like?—”
“I’m not interested.” I brush past him, shucking on my coat and throwing my backpack over my right shoulder. Fishing the keys to my Mercedes out of the pocket of my black coat, I press the button, unlocking the car before I slide inside and slam the door shut.
I knew this would happen.
But not a single part of me hates that I’ll be with her soon enough.
I lock the car as I jump out of it, jog across the road to Deja Brew, and walk inside. The bright smile of the teenage boy standing behind the counter does nothing to quell my frustration.
“Hello sir, welcome to Dej?—”
“Can I speak to Ned?”
“Y-yeah, sure.” He turns to the back room in search of him. After waiting a few moments, he finally emerges with Ned hot on his heels. “This is the manager.”
“Yes, how can I help you, sir?” He presses his hands to the counter, and before I have a chance to second guess my actions, both my hands fist into the gray-toned white shirt he’s wearing and I drag him over the counter. His body flails and knocks off the cake stand and the tip jar. Coins scatter to the floor as I hang him halfway over the wood.
The few people in the coffee shop remain stock still, and the three workers gawk at us both. “Do you know what pisses me off, Ned?”
“N-no…”
What a fucking pussy.
“When you fire someone, then ask to date them…knowing she’s working two jobs, and you won’t even give her a little…leeway?”
“Listen, I-I?—”
“Shut up!” I shout. “You’re gonna call her.”
“She’s been late s-six times…I c-can’t keep letting her?—”
I chuckle then, but none of this is funny. I’m doing something I really shouldn’t be, and if the cops get called on me, my whole plan goes to fucking shit, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
“Call her!” I bellow.
Frantically, Ned reaches for his phone, going into the contacts list and scrolling until he finds Julia’s name. “What do you want me to say?”
“You’re going to tell her you made a mistake, that you’re sorry…and that she can take the week off to rest. Put the fucking call on speaker, too, while you’re fucking at it!”
He calls her, pressing the button so I can hear the call. “What, Ned?”
