“I’ve got to get rid of her, she’s a fuckin’ drama queen,” Scribe mumbles and I don’t even try to stop the chuckle I’m having.
After Scribe locks the door, we follow him through to a small kitchen at the back of the shop. He makes us each a coffee before taking a seat at the small four-seater table. “So, what can I do for you?”
Coin places his mug of coffee on the table and looks at Scribe. “We’ve heard the shop is going up for sale. Now, we don’t know what your plans are for the place, or the price Lulu is asking, but we could be interested if things are right for us.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I don’t have enough to buy the place from Lulu. She’s asking more than it’s worth in my opinion. She is asking the price she thinks it will get if I stay. Which is for a working tattoo shop. If I leave it will diminish the price as it will just be a shop, without an artist or clients. I have a third of the cost, but that’s it.” Scribe looks from one of us to the other, and I stay relaxed back in my seat, allowing Coin to continue being the lead.
“We are interested in purchasing, but only if you would be on board with us. Staying to run the place, be the artist, manager, and we would take over the accounts, any renovations you think need doing. We can look for more artists or only one, depending on what you think is needed. But we also would like you to consider becoming a brother,” Coin drops that in so smoothly that you wouldn’t know it is a life-changing question.
“I have considered leaving town, moving on, but you know I like it here. The people around here have been kind to me since I opened the shop. Lulu had nothing in this place. It was an empty carcass, and if she haggles with you tell her all the counters and furniture will leave with me because I purchased them. They do not belong to the building.”
“Interesting…you see, that makes a difference to the asking price on the place too, because from what I have heard Lulu is selling this place as a going concern. That means all the innards of the place will be sold with it. But if they are yours, then she can’t do that. Very interesting. Think about becoming a brother, you’ll be what we class as a working prospect. You earn your full patch by working here. Nothing different for you, basically. But the financials we can decide depending on you being a part owner or not. Let’s get together when you have had a few days to think about it. Then we’ll arrange a meeting with Pres if you are interested.”
Nodding, Scribe taps his knuckles on the table. “Arrange a meeting. Let me know when. Early mornings are best for me, but I can rearrange appointments if necessary. Let’s speak about this quickly before Lulu gets wind.”
“Okay, I’ll contact you soon.” Both Coin and I leave the building, and I have only given Scribe a nod or two the entire time I’ve been inside. My enforcer patch may have made him nervous, but he never showed it.
Back at the clubhouse I’m about to ask Jo for something to eat when all hell breaks loose. One of the prospects on the gate is bellowing for someone to come and see a body that’s been dumped.
Running to the front gate, I walk through as it’s opened and bend down to a body so badly beaten you cannot tell if it’s male or female at first glance.
Prospect Jet, stutters with nerves, “I..it was a black van. It stopped for seconds, Finger. The side door opened, and they threw the body out then tore away before I could do anything.”
“Jet, nothing you could have done. Whoever this is was dead before they brought them here,” I squeeze his shoulder to give him a modicum of assurance. “It’s a woman, but I don’t know who it is.”
Pres walks up with Cap, Hot Rod and Rides. “I don’t recognize the woman, Pres.”
“Let’s take her to Scalpel and get the Sheriff here,” Rides snarls.
“I’m not sure the Sheriff needs to see this, Rides,” Hot Rod comments, and then he stiffens. “Look, isn’t that the same tattoo that Violet has on her wrist?”
Looking closely at the tattoo, I have to agree it is the same small swallow that Violet has on her wrist. “Get Violet into the medical room, and then she can see if this is someone she knows.” I pick the body up and carry it to medical, where I’m more than happy to lay the body down and leave it with Scalpel.
Violet is brought into the room, and as soon as she sees the tattoo she wails, and I mean the grief coming from this woman is nothing I’ve ever heard before. I have to step out, rubbing my sternum, because this rips you apart.
Cilla walks over, pats my arm, then walks into medical before anyone can stop her. But Pres pushes his way past everyone, and we can all see he wants to know what Cilla is going to say or do.
Now, I’ve basically claimed Cilla, although she doesn’t know that yet, so I push my way into the room and close the door behind me. Pres is standing next to Scalpel who has said the obvious. Violet’s sister was beaten to death, and they did it in such a way that it took a long time for her to die.
Cilla is looking behind the body and nodding at the invisible person. Is it Violet’s sister? When she nods as though she is listening and understanding the room stills. Even Violet quiets from the sobbing she has been doing.
Turning to look at Violet, Cilla speaks quietly, calmly, but firmly, “Violet, your sister Primrose said you need to get away from here. Make a new life and stop what you are doing to yourself.”
Violet steps forward. “How do you know my sister's name?”
Cilla scoffs lightly, “Well, she told me obviously, but don’t deflect. She is worried about you. You need to get away from here. Go back to Minnesota and create a better life. She’s been telling you for years to stop playing at life. She wants you to take her body home, bury her next to your parents, then find a decent job and make a life for yourself.”
Violet is crying, but it is a soft cry. Tears are tracking down her cheeks, but they are not the soul-destroying sobs she had been doing a few minutes earlier.
Tracker is looking at Cilla closely, and he swallows deeply before he speaks. “Cilla, does Primrose know where we can find this asshole and stop what he’s doing?”
Cilla looks at Tracker before turning back to the invisible woman. I wish we could see her because it would make this much easier if we could see what the hell was going on. Nodding again, Cilla turns to Tracker. “You need to get Violet and Primrose out of here, and then we'll talk about what’s coming.”
Cilla leaves the room, and I grab hold of her, kiss her forehead and whisper for only her to hear, “That was kind, Cilla. If you can give Violet any peace before she leaves that would be great.”
“I have every intention of speaking to her privately, Finger…”
“No, I told you to call me Mason. I’m not Finger to you, do you understand?” I ask, but know she isn’t fully understanding what is happening, but she will when I get the time to sit down with her.