Prologue

Twist and Shout

I returned to my table and my lady, giving a brief apology for my actions. She seemed not to be overly perturbed, which was good. I had run a little near blade's edge speaking and giving obvious attention to two other attractive ladies. Tonight, however, this one must recieve my full attention. Pastor oughtn't to be the only one spending the night in good company.

Sherri was very pleasant, too. She relaxed easily in my presence, and her attraction to me was apparent enough that I waited some time before suggesting another round of drinks. She was, I imagined, the fairly typical 'good girl'. Single (shockingly), one to stay home on a Friday night with a book, or (heaven forbid) catch up on some work. Very intelligent lady, and even though I could tell she was taken with me, she had her wits about her. She wore the dress almost like she belonged in it; and she moved with class. She had the balance that drew me well; subtly and irresistibly sexy, but the furthest thing one could get from trashy. Juana had that same balance. In fact, she was the finest example I had ever seen. Perhaps that was why I was never quite able to get her out of my head.

I cursed myself for allowing my thoughts to be distracted. Sherri was asking me about myself now. She did have a sense of fair play. I had placed her in the spotlight, she had enjoyed her time, and then shifted it to me. She seemed the type to be able to handle it, so I went a little deeper with her than I would with most, explaining details of the legitimate businesses I was in. She listened with interest, and suffered the talk of business much longer than the average woman may have. Eventually, though, she went through more personal questions. I told her I enjoyed fencing, pistol shooting, that I'm a bit of a gambler, and I enjoy cocktails immensely.

Again, my mind kept drifting to Juana. I couldn't help just a little jealousy toward Pastor. I held absolutely no hard feelings for the man whatsoever, but I knew that he would be well-pleased tonight. Of my own future, I was less certain. Juana was...sensational, if I could describe it in one word. My eyes would glance her way once every so often.

An idea struck me, and I grinned inside. I would be playing with fire, but she'd proved time and again that she had difficulty resisting me. She would have her night with Pastor, and well she should. She'd need him. But if I caught her at the right moment, I'd help her remember just what she had had before I was forced to make my mistake with her.

T&S

“Stunning appearance, a beautiful voice.” Joshua smiled a slow smile that said more than anything that I wouldn't be alone tonight. “A woman to die for.”

"Hopefully," I say with a return smile, "that won't be necessary."

I find that I'm looking forward to escaping this place with Joshua later. Now that Deuce has arrived it seems more cramped than before, not as relaxing. It would have been easier, maybe, if his escort had been the flashy, obvious type instead of a woman of obvious intelligence, beauty, and class.

Deuce always found women he didn't deserve.

I forced him from my mind again, aware that I had tensed up and Joshua was easily sitting close enough to notice and to wonder why.

By now all the liquid I had consumed was having an effect and I excused myself, rising and looping the nose-breaker bag over my shoulder, to the ladies' room.

I was glad to see, once I was washing my hands and critically inspecting myself in the mirror, that my light make-up was holding up well. I combed my hair into a neat, shining curtain, powdered my nose, and slicked on a little of the faint lipstain.

With that I hesitated before exiting, taking a few deep breaths. I had that feeling that I'd had many times before of jumping in over my head but I wasn't sure what exactly was giving me that feeling. Joshua? The fact that Deuce was here? The upcoming audition? New Avarus itself?

My habitual view on life came back, though, and I pulled the ladies' room door open, exiting with one thought.

Just jump in.

Twist and Shout

I had noticed the instant Juana had moved, and I waited quite patiently, attempting to time my little plan as well as I could. It would be no good if I left after her too quickly. Not that Sherri noticed. Nor would she. Still. For appearance sake, I waited to excuse myself. My obvious destination was the men's room, though it wasn't my goal. I stepped in and waited, listening for the sound of her shoes on the tile in the room next door. As I listened, a scrawled on a scrouch of paper with a pen.

They sounded in a decisive exit, and I made my own. In two steps I had crossed the distance between us. I laid a gentle but insistent hand on her arm. She certainly could have pulled away, had she wanted to. Instead she stopped, and I felt her tense and seethe. She was not impressed with me, that much was clear. I braced myself as I tugged her gently against me, and dipped my head to breathe across her slender neck. I could smell her beautiful essence, and memories flooded back.

"I doubt you'll care. And I know you're busy. But I'd like a chance to explain myself." I whispered. I moved my hand gently down her arm, and it brushed her hip slightly. I reached her hand, and tucked the paper into it.

"Call or text with a place I can meet you. That is if you're..." I lifted my head slightly to brush her earlobe with my lips. "...interested." I put a purposeful slur into my voice. Again, I braced myself, ready for an elbow, or a smack. I released her and stepped back, letting her do as she would.

T&S

I froze when he stopped me, his hand on my arm. Some small sense of fairness caused me to listen as he spoke, a shiver sliding over my skin as he grazed my earlobe with his lips.

All the memories came rushing back at once. His touch, his voice, Mexico, Barcelona, nights of pleasure…

…abandonment, police, questions, bribes.

Even as my fingers clutched the paper I struck him with my other hand, the slap connecting solidly.

He didn’t look surprised. I, however, realized I was shaking.

In the small space that had seemed to close in around us I silently slipped the paper into my bag,

“I' el ll lo considera, quizá. Usted no merece nada,” I hissed. I knew it was true and so did he.

But as I turned away, looking to see Joshua, I thought I might do as Deuce asked. Curiosity can bring out the worst in me.

Twist and Shout

Her hand lashed my face, as I suspected it might. She didn't especially hold back, and it stung, but I retained my composure, simply smiling back at her. Her eyes blazed with that fire I knew well. With pleasure, I noticed the look in her eyes was quite similar to another look she gave me once. One that had been the beginning of something far less painful, but no less dangerous.

"Un pensamiento es todo pregunto, Gatita." I flipped my cane into my other hand, and returned briefly to the men's room, to place some cold water on the red marks her hand had left on my face. I then returned, cool as a cucumber, as the saying goes, to my date. Juana knew now, and unless she decided to do the unthinkable, change her ways, and stay with Joshua for more than a night or two, I would be getting a call before very long. Perhaps I thought too highly of myself; but I preferred to think that I was simply an expert in my field. I couldn't help a low chuckle at that.

I took my seat with my date once more, wondering just when the music might start. The building up of comfortability was well over, and a dance would be the perfect thing to escalate things a little.

T&S

Taking out my golden pocket watch, I made a mental note of the time and date. Potential love interest slaps one of the more powerful men in the city. I really do need to pick out my female companions with more care. Now don’t take me wrong, I’ve dealt with plenty of wronged woman myself, but the slap Juana gave William Law spoke of two things; love and hate. I nearly pitied the man.

Nearly. William Law wasn’t a man you pitied.

Even as she looks over to me, I see a small slip of the crumbled paper disappear in her hand. Interesting. Whatever he had to tell her, it wasn´t the last she had seen from him. Not that I could blame the man behind the corporate giant; she was a elusive woman. Pleasant company, as well. For me at least. But some men like pain, and I’m not one to deny them their fetishes.

Mocking William Law. Watch it Joshua. You may just tumble into the rabbit hole.

Shaking my head, I downed what I had decided would be the last drink, well, alcoholic drink anyhow, of the night. Perhaps. Who knew. The brief encounter of the third kind had surprised me, but I had to regain myself. People with money didn’t intimidate me. Nor did people with brains. In this case, it had been the combination of the two that had caught me un aware. But I would do right to remember that I was not without resources myself. Should it come top trouble, he would find him evenly matched.

An insurance. Nothing more or less. A rope around my middle. If I had my way, we could both benefit from our mutual arrival in town. But all of that would have to wait. Juana had come over and sat down in her spot, yet I couldn’t help but to notice her hand wasn’t as steady as it had been.

I leant into her, brushing her hand with my own, blocking the sight of Law, still standing, with my body. I kept my face close to hers, careful not to touch as it might pop the bubble of... something that surrounded her. “Juana, I don’t know what transpired between the two of you, but I’m blind nor stupid. What ever trouble you have with that man, know you don’t have to handle it alone.” I retract one of my hands and take a business card out of my back pocket.

Joshua Phillip Pastor
Security Advisor

Underneath the heading was the number of my cell, as well as an email address. All printed in Scarlet on broken white. Very classy, if I may say so. First impressions matter, but people remember you by your business card. “Now I was hoping I could give this to you later, possibly after I bought you a lovely dinner to celebrate a wonderful performance.” I give her a charming smile, hoping dearly that she takes the advice for what it is. Or seems to be.

No need for her knowing that I have an interest in her now that goes beyond herself. As beautiful as she is.

T&S

Whether they mean to or not, Juana and Mr. Law are giving myself and Joshua quite the show. I knew where the suave blond was headed as soon as I noticed him leave the bar, timing it perfectly so that to anyone else watching his running into Juana might seem little more than a coincidence.

But whatever else I may be, I’m not a fool, and by the looks of things neither is William Law’s date; it’s quite clear he has unfinished business with Juana, and the stinging slap she just delivered suggests she has unfinished business with him, whether she likes it or not.

I feel almost sorry for the girl at the bar, but obviously she’s willing to put with a lot for the sake of William Law. Somehow I doubt he’s worth it.

Juana is shaking slightly as she returns to her seat. Love and hate are strange thing, bringing out the most extreme of emotions in us, and usually always intertwined. I used to shake with hatred for Alan, but I loved him too. You can’t hate what you cannot also love.

I see Joshua lean into Juana, and immediately wish I was nowhere in the vicinity. I doubt he’s coming on to her after witnessing her little tête-à-tête with William Law, at least not overtly, but it’s still uncomfortable to be sat nearby.

Noticing their glasses are empty, I polish off my white wine spritzer and get to my feet with casual grace.

“Next round’s on me,” I offer with a smile. “What would you like?”

No more alcohol for me, I remind myself, but somehow I think Juana might want something to calm her.

T&S

As I sit down with Joshua once more it’s obvious that the little scene didn’t escape his attention. If Deuce managed to scare Joshua away I’ll call him all right. I’ll call him and track him down then I’ll…

Joshua’s face blots out both my view of Deuce and my thoughts of mayhem. His hands grazing mine gently, are soothing.

“Juana, I don’t know what transpired between the two of you, but I’m blind nor stupid. What ever trouble you have with that man, know you don’t have to handle it alone.”

Like a magic trick he puts a business card into my hands. White and scarlet, his name and numbers prominently displayed.

“Now I was hoping I could give this to you later, possibly after I bought you a lovely dinner to celebrate a wonderful performance.”

I search his face, wondering if he’s just downgraded our contact to business only. His body language is cautious but his face is aligned with mine.

“Next round’s on me,” Lucia is on her feet, smiling slightly, counteracting some of the drama. “What would you like?”

“Cosmopolitan, please,” my no-alcohol-before-singing idea is out the window. I could use something to steady my nerves or my voice will be all over the place anyway.

As the small bombshell moves away, I turn back to Joshua and before he can move away or anything bad can happen I press my lips to his in a brief but decided kiss.

“Thank you,” I tell him as our lips part, the fingers of one hand curling around the card, the other stroking his knuckles in a light caress. “Though I hope that your plans haven’t entirely been ruined.”

T&S

She always struck me as a woman to take initiative, but the kiss came a pleasant surprise. And although I’m well pleased with the unexpected show of... I would say affection, but it is a dangerous word... I do wonder what she is trying to prove, and more importantly, to whom. I would hate to serve is nothing more than a distraction from a man like William Law.

Would I?

Yes, of course I would. This is not some woman you pay off in the morning. But my point is, I remind myself, that there are many ways this could turn out. My interest in here was obvious to me, which left her interest in me, which could range from getting back at an ex to a true interest in my person. Or my money. But Juana didn’t strike me as that type of lady.

Her touch is light, her voice intoxicating, and luckily I remember to smile while I formulate my answer. “I came here without any plans at all.” I turn the hand she was stroking palm up, gently gripping her fingers and bringing them to my mouth. The kiss is gentle, nowhere as decisive as the kiss she gave me, but in truth I have more to consider and far more lose by simply sitting here with her. “And any plans that include you seem like wonderful plans to me.” There, no going back now.

T&S

I make my way over to the bar, the high-heeled boots giving my walk a gentle sway. I remember how only a few months ago when I walked into a room I deliberately accentuated every swing of my hips, elegantly brushed my hair back, wore clothes designed to entice as much as to conceal. Every aspect of my persona back then was meant to seduce; it’s a surprising relief not to have to worry about the men in the room and whether or not their eyes are on me, to only have to be concerned with myself tonight.

I’m careful to give William Law and his date room, leaning casually a few feet away on the black marble counter as I wait for the bartender. The service is prompt though, and I only have to wait a few moments before he arrives.

“What can I get you?”

I order Juana’s Cosmopolitan first, then, remembering my decision not to have any more alcohol tonight, an orange juice for myself. I also take the liberty of ordering another whiskey for Joshua; although he didn’t ask for anything, he bought me a drink so now I can say we’re even. I don’t want to be in debt to anyone, even for a drink.

While the bartender fills the order, I glance over my shoulder at my companions and see Joshua pressing Juana’s hand to his lips. Quick work. Perhaps I’ll linger at the bar just a few extra minutes rather than rushing back to be the third wheel.

"I was considering buying but if I found the right property I would be happy to rent." The man says.

I nod my head and slid a business card across the table. “These are my fathers agents,”

"A few properties? Your father sounds quite the Entrepreneur…” he continues I study him thoughtfully. He is and he likes to put his nose in a good many places. My father is a very rich man. I like most of his employees get a wage. Now that I can no longer live with him. I’ll have to start using my money instead of allowing it to accumulate in the bank. If thinks get bad I may even have to start taking on a darker profession. The one I thought I left back in Japan. I simply nod again at the man.

Fitz starts a conversation with the man and I soon learn he is a police officer. It’s nothing to worry about. Keeping your mouth closed and staying a foot ahead of the game is always a priority of mine. It comes from living life with police officers constantly coming in and out of it.

They continue to outwit each other and a man approaches me with a helmet. With a quick signal I understand he’s one of mine and I follow him outside. I chose not to talk about the failed boost and instead study the two ninja’s parked near the old piece of rubbish with racing stripes.

I look the bikes up and down, show room condition and this years model, I’m very impressed. The bikes are stock standard nothing on them has been changed. Your general manual bike, rear wheel chain driven and bright red. Such a cheerful colour, on an bike that will forever impress me.

“Very nice,” I finally say to the man that’s brought them to me.

He nods, “straight off the showroom floor gifts from your father.”

“So you get one too? What‘s the special occasion?” I ask.

He shrugs, “I brought my own bike, with a generous raise for something special we‘ve been working on lately.”

“Oh? More special then usual what might that be?” I say.

He grins, “I‘ll show you later when you come by the warehouse. As you know your father likes to have his finger in a lot of different things. He‘s not confined to one area of work.”

I smile, much entertained. He’s right, father’s influence comes from the Yakuza. His father worked for them. Grandfather never got to far up the ladder. He died in debt. My father had been watching from the sidelines learning what not to do and what to do. If he wanted he probably could have started with the Yakuza, he chose instead to exact revenge on those men in his own special way. To show them he could make it as big as they had.

Sven's

"Kinda says something about the life expectancy of the average police officer, don't it? 66% chance you'll be swimming with cement shoes, Mr. Griffin. I can see why you're so determined to beat those odds."

"The average police officer doesn't frequent places like this does he. Well maybe he does but I find I'm a much better swimmer than them without the cement shoes. We're always working with odds. Did you know there’s 1 in 71 odds I'll commit suicide opposed to 1 in 140 that I'll get murdered? Interesting fact that of course my favourite statistic is somewhat bizarre something like 1 in 6000 that your kill yourself from shaving how many times do you think we shave in our lifetime? We've got to start pushing it at some point right?"

“These are my fathers agents,”

The lady slips over a card when I'm done with my strange talk and I accept it gratefully. Should prove useful. I pocket the card and go to thank her but she's already departing without a word to the people she's been socialising with. Clearly manners weren't her forte or maybe she was just burning them to keep them interested. Either way it was of little concern to me. I wonder how much longer I should stay here before I depart and investigate the housing market lead she had provided. If I got nothing else out of this visit at least I got that. That and 2 whiskeys to upset my ever complaining liver. It was getting off lightly recently that had accompanied my breakfast and been the beginning of a blur of a day that melded into a week of self pity. Good job I was past that now.

What a dull day just the way I like it, I thought with a smile as I let the sounds the car drown out Drakes dull voice. He hadn’t stopped talking since he picked me up from the station. The soft tapping of my fingers on the door let him know I was getting bored, definantly not something he wanted me to be. His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, there silvery depths showing a small hint of fear, at this I couldn’t help the small smile that reached my lips,

“How about you tell me where we’re headed now Drake?” I said softly watching the soft bobbing of his head as he nodded in agreement,

“I’m taking you to the Twist and Shout, but they’ll take your weapons off you as you go in”

His voice was soft as per normal, I smiled slightly nodding in understanding,

“Who will I have to speak to when I get in there?” Drake bit his bottom lip, although he was like a brother to me at times I had to question his intelligence level,
“A name please Drake” I pushed, he nodded and shut his eyes only momentarily,

“When you get there go up to one of the bars and say that your looking for a man named…”

He paused and looked up away from the road, instantly I lent forward and clipped him around the head,
“Eyes on Road Drake” my cold voice whispered before I lent back in the seat.

“Carnie”

Drake’s eyes lit up with a smile, seemingly pleased he remembered, I nodded from the back seat removing a stray piece of hair as I did so,
“How long till were there?” I asked quietly as the car began to slow,

“I’m pulling up now Wolf girl good luck”

I smiled at him pulling the door open and stepping out, my thick boots making little sound on the pavement,

“I’ll pick you up later” Drake called as I was stopped by the bouncers, quickly I removed my gun and knife and was permitted through the door.

I wasn’t intending on wasting anytime walking over to the bar I lent on it casually,
“A friend sent me in here looking for Carnie” I said quietly to the bartender standing there.

I didn't miss the slender, red-haired form that stepped to the bar, giving Sherri and I a wide berth. Sherri was proving to be a fine companion. She had missed the little exchange between myself and Juana, probably to my salvation. I had tight-rope walked on a blade when I approached her the first time. My obvious attempt at persuasion would be quite sure to end the evening in a bit of a mess.

But even though Sherri and I were performing marvelously together, I still felt a bit of questioning at my decision to bring a date at all. I was expecting mostly the wives of important men; with perhaps a few 'bunnies' flirting about; the type in whom I had little interest. But it rather seemed the female coningent here was much more enticing than I expected.

Still, for the sake of my evening, I didn't linger too long at the thought. Surely, for one evening, I could behave myself? I grinned inside.

I noted the drinks that Pixie (for that was her name until I heard otherwise) ordered. They were all wrong. The orange juice for herself was too simple; close to what she needed, but too simple. She needed...a mimosa. More specifically a strawberry mimosa. And Joshua needed to add some creativity to that whiskey. a Ballylickey Belt would do fine without muddling his taste for stength too much. And Juana...

Mmmm...probably not appropriate for her current mood. That almost called for tequila straight up. Almost. But if I were Joshua; Cafe Azteca would be hers. A good seductive drink with that bit of Latin flair.

I considered addressing Pixie with my concerns, but decided against it. I had taken quite enough risks for one evening.