A Different Shade of Violet? (4 page)

“I really love you, you know that woman?” he says and leans in kissing me right on the lips quickly.

I laugh and swat at his face to get him off me. “Rack off, you buffoon,” I say and he smiles wiping the left over tears from his cheeks and kissing my forehead quickly, and then he runs out of my office and down toward Star’s room.

Even though everything is so fucked up that I can’t think straight, I know life after Hudson is still going to be miserable, but with the way my staff have treated me today, I’m starting to feel like maybe I’m not as utterly alone as I’d originally thought.

I’ve been back at work for a week now and things are finally starting to settle and feel like some semblance of normal. I still think about Hudson every second of every day, and the pain of being without him is still as unbearable as it ever was, but somehow my workers are pulling me through it. I’m spending as much time here as possible, because the alternative of going home to the ever-present absence of my boys and the continual feeling of betrayal toward Hudson for being there, just does my head in. So I’m sleeping here, and I only go home to change. I’m used to sleeping on the sofa now, so whether it’s the sofa at home or the sofa at work doesn’t make any difference to me.

It’s getting toward the end of Papi and Star’s shift and I want them to spend as much time together as possible before Papi’s court hearing. I know what it’s like to lose the one you love, and I feel nothing but the utmost sympathy for Star. I know she’s hurting right now and I’ve offered to give them both time off to spend together, but they both wanted to keep working up until Papi’s court date, and who am I to tell them what to do?

I get up from my office chair and walk toward the reception area to see Angel’s on the phone so I head down to the kitchen instead. I need a break. The bookkeeping is doing my head in. I just need a moment where numbers aren’t involved and coffee always helps with that. So does vodka, but I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime in the last four weeks. I think it’s time to lay off for a while before my liver disowns me. I walk into the kitchen and I notice Papi and Star in an embrace. I smile while I watch them looking at each other lovingly. It’s wonderful that they’ve found each other, especially in their line of work. It’s always hard to find a partner that understands, but I guess if you both do the same thing then it’d be much easier to be okay with it. Unlike Hudson, who’s completely against everything Cupiditas stands for and I don’t blame him. It’s not a favourable profession to work in for most people, but someone’s gotta do it.

They notice me as I walk in and Papi looks at me and smiles.

“Hey Boss, we’re pretty much done for the day. You mind if we slip out ten minutes early?” Papi asks while he looks down at Star and smiles brightly at her.

I chuckle to myself. Anyone can see how in love they are.

“Sure, just remember to take your entourage with you when you go,” I say walking over to the coffee machine.

“Thanks Boss, you know we appreciate being able to spend as much time as possible together before Papi’s court case. And don’t worry, the cops follow us everywhere we go, so when we leave they will too,” Star says and I nod.

“Well, have fun kids and be safe, okay?” I say sounding more like a mother than a Boss.

“Sure thing,” Papi replies and leans down kissing Star quickly, then they walk out hand in hand.

It’s cute the way they look at each other. It makes me happy to see them happy, but at the same time it makes me miserable to know I won’t have that with Hudson again. I shake my head to rid my thoughts and make myself a coffee. Once it’s ready, I head back toward the reception desk and notice Angel is no longer on the phone. I walk up behind her and she obviously observes me in the computer monitor.

“Hey Boss.”

“Hey Angel, how’s it all looking for today?” I ask and take a sip of my tasty hot beverage.

“Not too shabby, Boss. Profits are up from last week. Looks like people are finally starting to find their way back here. It’s only taken a bloody month,” she berates and shakes her head, just as I hear a loud noise coming from the front of Cupiditas. I look out the window and notice six bikers pull up right out the front. My body tenses instantly because I know that Star and Papi have left with their entourage, so there’s no police backup here to keep these dicks in check. And I can’t help but wonder why they’re here anyway? I guess it’s lucky there're no clients in right now and most of the staff are out on call.

“Boss,” Angel says with an air of fear to her voice.

“It’s okay, Angel, they may not even be coming in here,” I suggest knowing full well that they probably are.

They kick their stands down and all get off their bikes. They’re huge men and I can’t help but feel a little threatened. But to be honest I don’t really care what they want because I don’t really care about anything anymore. They make their way through the front door and strut in walking straight up to Angel and me.

“Well, well, what do we have here then?” the monster of a man asks. He is huge, must be over six foot tall. He’s as wide as a bear and his long beard points down in a triangular shape and it reaches halfway down his broad chest. I can’t help but notice he’s wearing a cut off vest, which is exactly the same as the one Hudson had in this walk-in robe. I haven’t seen the back, but I’m pretty sure he’s a Rebel Dog and when I look at the front his patch reads President. I immediately tense up and take a deep breath.

“A bunch of hairy bikers by the look of it,” I reply and he chuckles and shakes his head while he looks at the other five members with him. They all smirk and it uneases me slightly.

“Well, looks more like we have a bunch of mouthy whores to me. Bitches who better watch what they say,” he replies while the other bikers all grin and start moving closer to me. I stand up tall and stare the lead guy right in the eyes.

“There're no whores here, thank you. I only employ top end escorts, but I guess you guys think all women are whores, especially your old ladies, right?” I ask and he glares and grunts.

“Listen smart mouth, you better watch yourself. Wouldn’t want your pretty face to get damaged like that shining little Star now would you?” he teases and my body reacts before my brain tells me to stop. I lunge forward and grab the biker by the collar and push him hard.

“Get the fuck out,” I yell as he takes a step back and laughs hard.

“You’ll get that one for free, but touch me again and you’ll look lovely in a nice shade of black and blue,” he says making me angrier.

“Fuck you! Get out or I’ll call the police,” I say standing my ground.

He moves back, right in my face. “It’s not nice for ladies to swear, but you’re not a lady now are you? You’re a filthy, fucking whore.”

I lean up and slap him hard across his face.
Not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
He grabs my hand and pulls it up around my back so high that a pain rips through my shoulder.

“I told you, you only get one for free. Now you
will
pay. Get to it boys,” he says and the other bikers laugh and start to rush around the reception area smashing things, all the while the arsehole has me in an arm lock. I look at Angel and she’s looking back at me with wide eyes, fear gripping her body. She leans toward the phone and I shake my head. The last thing I want is for her to get hurt. One of the bikers notices and rushes over to the desk and pulls the phone from the wall and then grabs her coffee mug and smashes it into the screen of her computer. Angel and I both jump while he laughs and rushes off to trash some more of my business. I struggle in the president’s grip and he holds my arm tighter.

“So, little whore, you run this place? That’s good to know. You know where my drugs are then? The four duffle bags that are being stored here… where are they?” he whispers in my ear as the men start to move down the hall. My heart is racing and I’m breathing quickly while I start to hear screaming from down the hall and the noise of the bikers trashing Cupiditas. I try to struggle free again and he pulls my arm up even higher behind my back making me yelp out in pain.

“I like hearing you whimper you little whore,” he whispers in my ear, so I turn my head and I spit in his face. His nostrils flare and eyes bulge out of his face while he spins me around grabbing my hair, then pushes me hard into the desk pinning me to it with his weight. He smells like stale body odour and it’s making my stomach churn, but there’s no way I can get out of this grip.

“Say something stupid once more you little whore and I will shove that stapler so far up your cunt you’ll be pissing staples for a year,” he says while he starts to undo my jeans. Fear creeps up on me while he has me pinned to the desk.

“Stop it,” Angel yells out.

“Angel shut up,” I yell back as the president stops what he’s doing and looks up at Angel.

“You’re a pretty little thing, Angel was it?” he asks finally unpinning me from the desk. I straighten myself and do up my jeans. I can’t help but notice my hands are shaking slightly.

“Hey, you have a beef, take it out on me, not my staff.”

Thor comes rushing out with the employees that are still here and stares at me. “Boss, you okay?” he asks and then turns his attention to the burly biker.

I nod and then he looks at Angel and she nods as one of the other bikers comes up behind Thor and kicks him behind his knees forcing him fall to the floor. He moans in pain while Angel screams.

“Enough! What the fuck do you want?” I yell and the president glares back at me.

“It’s simple darlin’, we want what is ours,” he says and walks right up to me, there’s not a hair’s breath between us. I stand tall and stare right back at him because he needs to know he can’t just push us around.

“Your drugs aren’t here, the cops took them away,” I snarl in his face.

He exhales forcefully and shakes his head. “Wrong answer, sweetheart.”

“There’s nothing here, Mad Dog,” one of the younger bikers calls out as they all start to congregate back in the reception area. Everyone is cowering, but I’m standing tall letting them know that I won’t tolerate this kind of bullshit.

“Well, that is a shame. Looks like you better find us our drugs, you fucking whore, or you’ll be in a whole world of hurt.”

I curl my lip up in disgust. “Find your own drugs. I’m not helping you for a second, you spineless pig.”

He laughs and then raises his hand and slaps me across my face with the back of his hand so hard that I fall to the ground. It stings like a bitch and I’m pretty sure I can taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth as I look back up at him, holding my cheek.

“We’ll be back, and lose the attitude! Shit like that will end up with you in a ditch,” Mad Dog castigates and then he whistles and all the other bikers follow him out of the building.

“Boss, are you okay?” Rosie asks as she rushes across to me and Angel rushes over to Thor. Just as I go to answer, I hear a smash and turn to see them throwing bricks at our windows.

“For fuck’s sake,” I yell as I scurry up from the floor and rush toward the now broken windows just as they drive off loudly on their motorbikes.

“Fuck off, you fucking coward arseholes, and don’t you ever come back here you fucking pieces of shit or I’ll gut you myself,” I yell even though they are halfway down the street and there’s no way they can hear me. Still it makes me feel better.

“Boss?” Rosie questions as she grabs my arm and I flinch as I turn toward her. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s just me.” She tucks some of my now messy hair behind my ear. “You’re bleeding Boss, are you okay?” I look at her and try to calm my breathing. I wipe my lip and see a line of red blood. I roll my shoulder trying to ease the ache from when he had my arm pinned behind my back.

“I’m okay. Are you all, okay? Thor?” I ask looking back at my employees in the reception area all looking shocked and terrified.

“I’m okay, Boss,” Thor replies as Angel helps him to his feet.

“What are we going to do, Boss?” Rosie asks as she plays with my hair trying to get it back to normal.

I shake my head as I really have no idea what I can do. They have completely trashed the place and there are things broken everywhere. I can only just imagine what they’ve done to the other rooms.

“This is fucking bullshit,” I say under my breath as everyone starts to pick things up off the floor. “Leave everything where it is. I think the only thing I can do is call the cops. What do you guys think?” I ask and they all nod.