stomped her side. Wads of blood made her choke back her cry, a whimper seeping out instead as she hacked between kicks. She hunched over, pulling a knife from her belt. The next leg that neared got a blade to the calf.
Howls stopped the beating, and Sasha hobbled to her feet. Two men sprawled to the floor, one gasping while holding his balls as the other screamed about the knife buried deep in his leg. The last man lunged toward Sasha, his fist high. She snatched a beer bottle off the bar and knocked the guy upside the head, dropping him to his back.
“Huh!” Sasha shrugged, guzzling the bottle in her hand. Her arm dropped, and the glass slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor.
“Sorry, Jack,” she said to the stunned man behind the bar. He flinched when she reached for her pocket. Slowly, Sasha pulled out a handful of cash. “For the mess.” She laid a crumpled ball of hundreds on the bar and turned toward the front door. The room took a quick spin, blurring in shades of red. Her brain said walk and the legs followed, a neat little surprise. After ripping her blade from the man’s leg, she staggered out the door.
***
Sasha parked beside the garage, and her mother rose from her bottom step.
“Jesus fucking Christ, seriously,” Sasha mumbled. She rolled from the cab, her groan quickly turning into a wince. Her trembling hand left her achy side, and she stood almost straight, attempting a stroll toward the stairs.
“Jack called,” Ellen said as Dez walked from the shadows. “Are you for real? Look at you, a fucking disgrace.”
“What’s he doing here?” Sasha glared at Dez, who stared back with only concern in his eyes.
“He was here when Jack called. You stabbed a man?”
Ellen stomped forward, whacking Sasha upside the head. “You know Dez went down for much less. You’re in deep shit. Those assholes are on their way to the hospital. Questions, cops.”
Another wallop hit Sasha’s head, and she cowered down.
“You stupid little bitch,” Ellen yelled.
“Enough,” Sasha shouted, her hands up. “I’ll fix it.” She pushed past her mother, limping up the stairs.
Once inside her room, the urge to collapse into a corner came on strong. She shed her bloodstained jacket, crying out from the splinters of pain that accompanied every movement. She clutched the phone with her shaky fingers and dialed. As she fumbled with the receiver, she heard a man’s voice on the line.
“Hello?” Sasha said. After flipping the phone the right way, she finally heard the voice clearly. “Jack.”
“Sasha! You’re in deep shit, girl. I told you, you had enough.”
“Listen. If you go to the hospital and get those guys to leave me out of this, I’ll give them each three grand. And I’ll give you five for your trouble.”
“Really?” Jack asked, his voice making the phone vibrate against Sasha’s ear.
“Swear to fucking God, but you gotta convince them all to take the deal.”
“Shit, yeah. I’ll call you back.”
The line went dead, and Sasha moaned while hanging up the phone.
“You okay?”
Sasha jumped at the sound of Dez’s voice, relaxing with a huff.
“Beat it,” she grumbled, slumping to the floor.
“Let me see that.” Dez knelt beside Sasha, swatting her hands from her side to lift her shirt. “Oh fuck!”
A groan carried Sasha forward, and she peered down at the fringe of a giant purple mark. She sagged back, snickering through the ache. “That ain’t shit. When less than half your body’s a bruise, it’s been a good day.”
“What the fuck, Sasha? You trying to prove something to me?”
“Not everything is about you.” Sasha used the last of her strength to shove Dez, but he barely moved from her side. “I just wanted a regular drink, like a normal person, and these motherfuckers fuck with me. Now I’m getting all kinds of shit about it. This is bullshit.”
Dez dropped to his ass, scooching so close their hips touched. “Did you really take out
Howls stopped the beating, and Sasha hobbled to her feet. Two men sprawled to the floor, one gasping while holding his balls as the other screamed about the knife buried deep in his leg. The last man lunged toward Sasha, his fist high. She snatched a beer bottle off the bar and knocked the guy upside the head, dropping him to his back.
“Huh!” Sasha shrugged, guzzling the bottle in her hand. Her arm dropped, and the glass slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor.
“Sorry, Jack,” she said to the stunned man behind the bar. He flinched when she reached for her pocket. Slowly, Sasha pulled out a handful of cash. “For the mess.” She laid a crumpled ball of hundreds on the bar and turned toward the front door. The room took a quick spin, blurring in shades of red. Her brain said walk and the legs followed, a neat little surprise. After ripping her blade from the man’s leg, she staggered out the door.
***
Sasha parked beside the garage, and her mother rose from her bottom step.
“Jesus fucking Christ, seriously,” Sasha mumbled. She rolled from the cab, her groan quickly turning into a wince. Her trembling hand left her achy side, and she stood almost straight, attempting a stroll toward the stairs.
“Jack called,” Ellen said as Dez walked from the shadows. “Are you for real? Look at you, a fucking disgrace.”
“What’s he doing here?” Sasha glared at Dez, who stared back with only concern in his eyes.
“He was here when Jack called. You stabbed a man?”
Ellen stomped forward, whacking Sasha upside the head. “You know Dez went down for much less. You’re in deep shit. Those assholes are on their way to the hospital. Questions, cops.”
Another wallop hit Sasha’s head, and she cowered down.
“You stupid little bitch,” Ellen yelled.
“Enough,” Sasha shouted, her hands up. “I’ll fix it.” She pushed past her mother, limping up the stairs.
Once inside her room, the urge to collapse into a corner came on strong. She shed her bloodstained jacket, crying out from the splinters of pain that accompanied every movement. She clutched the phone with her shaky fingers and dialed. As she fumbled with the receiver, she heard a man’s voice on the line.
“Hello?” Sasha said. After flipping the phone the right way, she finally heard the voice clearly. “Jack.”
“Sasha! You’re in deep shit, girl. I told you, you had enough.”
“Listen. If you go to the hospital and get those guys to leave me out of this, I’ll give them each three grand. And I’ll give you five for your trouble.”
“Really?” Jack asked, his voice making the phone vibrate against Sasha’s ear.
“Swear to fucking God, but you gotta convince them all to take the deal.”
“Shit, yeah. I’ll call you back.”
The line went dead, and Sasha moaned while hanging up the phone.
“You okay?”
Sasha jumped at the sound of Dez’s voice, relaxing with a huff.
“Beat it,” she grumbled, slumping to the floor.
“Let me see that.” Dez knelt beside Sasha, swatting her hands from her side to lift her shirt. “Oh fuck!”
A groan carried Sasha forward, and she peered down at the fringe of a giant purple mark. She sagged back, snickering through the ache. “That ain’t shit. When less than half your body’s a bruise, it’s been a good day.”
“What the fuck, Sasha? You trying to prove something to me?”
“Not everything is about you.” Sasha used the last of her strength to shove Dez, but he barely moved from her side. “I just wanted a regular drink, like a normal person, and these motherfuckers fuck with me. Now I’m getting all kinds of shit about it. This is bullshit.”
Dez dropped to his ass, scooching so close their hips touched. “Did you really take out
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