"D, you look like shit," AJ mumbled plainly toward his best friend as he shuffled into Howie's living room, flopping down on the couch opposite of his best friend. He immediately turned onto his back, fishing in his sweat pants pocket for his cigarettes and lighter, needing a morning refresher. His entire body somewhat ached from the after effects of a liquored night, but it rolled quickly from AJ's shoulders. Many nights, he partied harder than he ever did with Howie at Devil's Playground. It was like a walk in the park for AJ, but Howie looked miserably haggard. But, he hadn't partied at all that night. The only excitement he had endured was with 'Fallen Angel,' which caused AJ's dark brows to furl with annoyance.
"What the fuck in your problem, Dorough?"
"Do you really need to swear all the time?" Howie raised an achy eyebrow, holding back a groan as he ran a hand through his curls.
"Hell yes," AJ mumbled with the cigarette flopping between his lips as he tried to light it. "So, again, what the fuck is your problem? You hardly drank last night. Did you let yourself blue ball instead of going to the bathroom like I told you?"
"You drive me crazy. You know that, right?"
"I wouldn't be living life if I didn't," AJ shrugged, lighting up and taking a deep inhale of smoke before letting it out in a long stream. "What's your problem?"
"My problem is you smoking in my house," Howie scowled, wrinkling his nose at the foul smelling aroma of burning tobacco.
"My heart bleeds for you," AJ promised, reached to tap his ashes into the empty Pepsi can on Howie's coffee table. Only, when he leaned, he noticed the familiar black leather cowboy hat off to the side of Howie. He grimaced, "You kept the hat? Isn't that a little obsessive?"
"This coming from you who has how many hats stuffed in a single walk-in closet?" Howie fired back with annoyance.
"My hats aren't from some stripper I have an emotional hard-on for who doesn't even know my first name--"
"Yes, she does and I know her first name. Just lay off, will you? I went to the strip club, wasn't that enough?"
"No! You corrupted the strip club!"
"How did I do that?!"
"You got emotionally attached to that stripper. One fucking lap dance for your near-virgin ass and you lose complete control. You dreamed about her last night, didn't you? You've been thinking about her since we fucking left, huh? Admit it, D! That's why you look like such complete shit," AJ fired with contempt, flicking his cigarette butt into the middle of Howie's glass coffee table.
"Pick that up."
"Hell--"
"Pick that nasty thing up and put it into the soda can."
"Answer my questions first, Mr. Anal."
"What does it matter what I was feeling? I'm not like you, I don't do random flings. Now pick up that damn cigarette butt right now."
"It matters because you didn't just meet this chick at Tabu for a few drinks. You got an eight hundred dollar lap dance from a gorgeous woman who probably looked into your eyes and just saw dollar signs. She's not like you, D. She doesn't give two shits what you thought or how you felt. All she knew was that I was tipping big if she gave you a boner the size of Florida--"
"Fuck you and I'm going back tonight," Howie interrupted with a deep frown.
"Excuse me?" AJ choked, actually laughing at the absurdity of the statement.
"One, fuck you. Two, I'm going back tonight. You have a problem with it?"
"You are such an asshole, D," AJ laughed harder, shaking his head in disbelief as he stood. "I guarantee after she got you hot and heavy, she walked right back into the VIP room for some more private sessions with some of the big wigs of Devil's Playground. You're going to get your heart torn to pieces because you're finally starting to think with your dick and you can't tell the difference."
"At least I act like a human being. All you do is act like this robot that drinks and has sex to escape from reality--"
"You're giving me shit for my lifestyle when you're trying to catch a bitch that's the same damn way as me? How fucking ironic is that!" AJ exploded as Howie's front door opened and closed.
"She's not a bitch! Not all of them are like the whores you fuck every night with no damn condom, all drunk on Jack Daniels!"
"She's not the Virgin Mary, Howie!"
"You can't treat women like trash--"
"And where has it gotten you, Howie? A few dozen broken hearts and the thought of staring down the barrel of a gun?"
"Holy shit..." Kevin Richardson, the eldest of the band mates, cursed softly in surprise as he stood in the threshold of Howie's living room. The five men had scheduled to meet at Howie's house for an informal meeting, which would most likely end up as quality time before the hard work of launching a new album erupted. Only, Kevin never expected to run into such chaos as he held a box of fresh donuts and a jug of coffee. Howie was an easygoing guy, so it had made it easy for him to create a lasting friendship with AJ. Not once had Howie ever really raised his voice to AJ, because that had been reserved as Kevin's job. Yet, there Kevin stood, shocked as Brian and Nick somewhat ducked behind him as if it were Armageddon.
"Thank God, Kev! Talk some since into this idiot!" AJ boomed with relief. "Took him to a strip club last night thinking it'd get his mind off of his current girlfriend screw-up and now he wants to seriously consider dating the most popular strippers in the joint!"
"I never said I wanted to date her! If it was you, you would have fucked her without a single thought--"
"Whoa, wait a damn minute!" Kevin interrupted, glancing at both men. "You took Howie to a strip club?"
"Yeah!" Nick fired behind Kevin with annoyance. "What happened to calling Nick, too, damnit?!"
"Nick, hush!" Kevin held up a hand and continued. "Howie, what's wrong with you? Going to a strip club to get over Corrine?"
"Nothing is wrong with me," Howie sighed with a fixed frown. "AJ wouldn't stop bitching till I went to the Devil's Playground--"
"God, J hooked you up with Fallen Angel didn't he?" Nick hissed, obviously unable to keep his mouth shut to appease Kevin's temper. He leaned against the eldest man as if he had just exploded in orgasmic at the thought of the mystery woman. "God, she's a walking hard-on! I think I wasted my whole pay check on her--"
"And I shelled out eight hundred for Howie to get a good lap dance. Only, he can't seem to understand the business end of a strip club. She's paid to act like you’re the hottest man on Earth. She's paid to make you cream your pants. Yet, this asshole thinks he can go back tonight, give her back her cowboy hat, and take her out for a romantic stroll on the beach!" AJ interrupted, motioning toward Kevin to let Howie have Hell. "He's been dreaming about this chick all fucking night. It's ridiculous."
"Fuck you, AJ--"
"Hey, he's got a good point, Howie! Why would you want to get acquainted with a stripper? None of them want relationships anyway, and if they do it's for your money," Kevin replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Thank you!" AJ breathed.
"Where do any of you get off telling me what to do? AJ's the one who parties every night and shows up to recording sessions with a fucking hangover!"
"Oh shit..." Brian murmured, bowing his head at the tension Howie had just created. AJ had always been a wild child when he was compared to the other four in the tight knit band of friends. But, slowly, he had been straying farther and farther from their sides. His excessive exuberance for life hadn't caused any real trauma to the group yet, but he was walking a dangerous line. Kevin just asked that the others keep a close eye on him, knowing they couldn't do anything for him until he wanted to do something for himself.
"And it's my fucking life to do whatever the Hell I want with, don't forget that," AJ snarled, snatching his package of cigarettes and lighter. His bloodshot eyes seemed to darken to pitch black as he stepped over the coffee table. "I'm taking a fucking smoke break..."
"Damnit," Kevin cursed, moving in attempts to catch AJ outside.
"The girl's really got you twisted, huh, D?" Brian guessed as Nick tromped into the kitchen for something to eat. Brian would have stayed silent, but the tension was unbearable. He shifted a somewhat crooked smile to his older friend, seating himself on the couch.
"Don't start, Bri... just don't," Howie tugged on his dark curls in frustration.
"I'm being serious. Do you really like her?"
"Damnit, Bri..."
Brian shrugged, "I'm probably the only one that's going to be objective about this... Kev's too overprotective and... Well, we both know how good Nick and AJ are these days..."
"I just..." Howie trailed off.
"C'mon, D, talk to me."
"It's not that I'm trying to get over Corrine... I knew that was over a long time ago... I'm just, I'm so tired of these superficial women... They don't care about me, they don't care about anything. I just want someone to love... And, yeah, she's beautiful... But she actually cared to talk to me when she was dancing. She asked me my name and told me to relax. I don't care what AJ said, she cared about me... And there's something about her eyes... She's so innocent and I know that's contradictory given her career, but she's... I don't know..."
"Someone who probably needs to be loved as much as you do?" Brian guessed.
"Yeah... exactly," Howie nodded in conformation, looking down at his hands.
"Then go and talk to her tonight, you never know... she might be the one God wants you to save and love."
"You don't think it's idiotic?" Howie sighed, not knowing if his heart could stand another break without killing his soul.
"Nah, you just have to be careful," Brian answered with a lopsided grin, reaching for the cowboy hat. "Besides, it's good manners to return a lost item."
"How are you feeling?" Grace questioned Kitra as she made the normal series of turns to get to their evening jobs at the Devil's Playground. She glanced sideways to catch Kitra watching the streets anxiously for any signs of her obviously furious pimp. Both girls had numbed considerably given last night's events. After arriving at their apartment, Grace had rinsed off the blood and taken care of her injuries while Kitra watched the TV for any reporting of a local homicide. Nothing came about, so both girls consider themselves safe. That is, until they neared Devil's Playground. Evan ran his girls all around the streets surrounding the Devil's Playground, because it was an easier score. So, if he was looking to carve some blood for the misfortunes Grace caused the previous evening, there would be no chance of hiding.
"Not good... this is all my fault, now you're in trouble along with me," Kitra sighed, cupping her bruised cheek.
"You could have called off," Grace answered vaguely, not really allowing Kitra to take blame for her decisions. Kitra may have always had a way of causing trouble, but Grace loved her endlessly. She'd never blame Kitra for what happened last night. After all, she had whole heartedly attacked that man without a fiber of remorse and she would have done it again. Her life was about survival.
"I know, I know," Kitra had to turn away from the window. If Evan found her, there was nothing they could do. The man was ruthless when it came to power and money, making him the most feared pimp in Florida.
"Then why come?"
"You, of course."
"Kit..."
"You’re not Super-Woman, Racie."
"Yet I always seem to be saving your ass while in my uncomfortable G-string," Gracie teased, attempting to cause a smile on her older friend's face.
"They're not that uncomfortable," Kitra laughed a little.
"True, but... About what I said last night..." Grace trailed as she pulled into the dimly lit parking lot of Devil's Playground. "This wasn't your fault, Kit. He had no fucking right to... Look, I did what I did because I wanted to. And I'd do it again. I just don't want you thinking that you don't contribute anything to our lives. Without you, I'd be lost..."
"I'd be lost without you, too," Kitra whispered, squeezing Grace's hand. "You know... I would probably be dead if I hadn't met you."
"I know," Grace promised as she killed the engine, smiling toward Kitra as the older woman affectionately kissed her cheek. "Us against the world like always, right?"
"Always and forever. But we won't let the world win," Kitra nodded with a smile as well, both of them opening the doors.
"Or at least give'em Hell before we go down in flames," Grace agreed, reaching in the back seat to withdraw her duffle bag for tonight's costume. She then moved to shut her car door when she bumped straight into a muscular chest, causing her to cringe when she felt the coolness of a gun barrel poking against her abdomen. "And the monkeys come out to play..."
"Oh, shit," Kitra moaned fearfully as another figure pressed a gun into her lower back.
"Can't you stay out of trouble, Kitty?" the chunky goon questioned, poking her hard with the gun to move her toward Grace. "Boss is raving about the job you did on his favorite client.
"He knows that raping ain't my thing," Kitra retorted softly as she stood by Grace.
"Can't rape for what’s already paid for," the other goon snarled, grabbing a fistful of Grace's hair. He yanked her head backward so her neck was somewhat extended, pressing the gun toward the soft flesh of her throat as he urged her across the street. "Boss requested a private meeting with you two."
"Come on, Tony, just let Racie go to work. It's my fault what happened with the John," Kitra tried to compromise, yelping as the man behind her did the same and they reached a hidden portion of a different alley.
"Boss insisted that we get little Gracie, too. He wants to make her an offer she better not resist."
"Like I'd let that dog fuck me," Grace spat as she was thrown into an abandoned house at the back of the alleyway. She tripped hard and landed on a mattress, sneezing as dust flew into her face. Cringing at the smell of stagnant urine along with other bodily fluids, she hurriedly pushed herself off the mattress just in time to come face to face with Evan. He was a tall man, his muscular body layered in dozens of tattoos. His gold teeth glittered brightly within the dim lighting of the room as his dark black eyes blazed viciously. And the lustful glaze churning against his beady eyes caused Grace to gag softly. "Nice to see you again, Evan..."
"That's a greeting I could get used to... only you would have to be naked so I can see your fine-ass body," Evan replied, running his tongue over his lips and teeth.
"Pay the cover charge at Devil's Playground and half of your wish could come true," Grace stated sweetly as the goon named Tony forced Kitra to sit sharply against a splintered crate.
"Why should I have to pay? If anything... you owe me."
"Excuse me? How--"
"Do you realize how much money I fucking lost last night because you two bitches?" Evan interrupted, balling his right hand into a fist.
"That cheap ass bastard was going to stiff me!" Kitra protested from her seat when she realized that his right fist would probably be aimed toward Grace.
"That's not what he told me when I found his ass knocked out and beaten to a fucking pulp from your little friend Gracie. Now shut your mouth, woman," Evan snapped his fingers and Tony whacked Kitra upside the head.
"Who the Hell do you think you are?" Grace instantly fired as she watched Kitra bow forward from the sharp blow to her temple. The feisty attitude flared in Grace as her dark emerald eyes burned with disgust. She attempted to lunge at the repulsive man when the second goon yanked her backward in a choke hold. "Get the Hell off me! I'm not your fucking property!"
"No, but you're going to be my fucking property until you pay me back what I lost last night," Evan replied, making her look into his sickening eyes.
"Bullshit," Grace seethed, her voice hoarse as the man behind her continued to constrict her air. She attempted to dig her nails sharply into his thick skin, but he was unfazed, leaving her vulnerable to whatever Evan planned.
"You want to fucking bet, Gracie? You may act all tough, but you know I can cause plenty of damage if I don't get my way."
"Just add it to my bill, Evan," Kitra pleaded weakly as heavy tears started to fall from her blurry eyes. She feared Evan more than any man on Earth, but she couldn't watch Grace get hurt for something she had done. Far too many times had Grace risked everything just to save Kitra from a foolish mistake.
"Oh, believe me, you're going to get what's coming to you," Evan promised, turning to Kitra. He walked over and grasped her locks, pulling hard. "But I don't know if you're good enough to be one of my whores anymore, Kitty. You're so dried up, all the John's tell me it's like sticking their dicks in sandpaper."
"I'm the best you have, Evan," Kitra whispered as he pulled her into a standing position. She closed her watery eyes as he fully assessed her body with his hands, probing every intimate animal as if he were checking out a prized horse. She couldn't remember how many times he had done this in front of his clients, just another humiliating notch to add to her belt of life. She tried to think of better things when she was tortured underneath his hands or lying underneath a smelly, sweaty john. But the fear icing through her veins made it hard to concentrate without breaking into a sob.
"Don't you start crying like a fucking baby, Kitty. You know the routine," Evan replied as he finished by squeezing her ample breasts hard enough to bring pain and she whimpered.
"The Johns like me," Kitra murmured, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Like I said, you're getting dried up. The John's are getting tired of your ugly face--"
"Maybe they're just getting tired of you stiffing them all their hard earned money like you do the girls who are just trying to scrape by in life?" Grace exploded from behind, causing Kitra to cringe as Evan actually started to laugh heartily, sauntering back toward Grace to play with her like a mouse on a string, knowing it killed Kitra.
"You see that, Kitty? That Firecracker is what all my men are looking for. They go over to Devil's Playground just to see her shake that firm little ass. She's fresh and feisty. Everything a man wants when he's trying to break in a new pet. They like that fight and to know that she's their slave. And when they heard that she threw tricks for me before... Naturally, they were offering triple what they usually pay for your skank ass. This little Honey Pot is going to make me rich... But of course, I'll have to test drive her first..."
"You're not going to touch her!" Kitra tried to stand up and fight Evan.
"Little late for the attitude, Kitra," Evan snarled as he nodded toward Tony. The cumbersome man yanked Kitra backward, pinning her sharply toward the wall so she had full view of what Evan planned with Grace.
"Evan--"
"So, Little Gracie, are you taking my offer?" Evan growled, stepping forward to run his tongue along the side of her neck to her cheek. "It's a rewarding experience. I'll keep you in draped in the finest ice. You'll be in Heaven, Baby. Treat me right and I'll treat you like a Goddess..."
"No," Grace whispered forcefully, her eyelids drooping slightly from the lack of oxygen.
"Give her more slack, she's going to pass out," Evan ordered the goon, who did so. He turned back to Grace with raised eyebrows. "No, huh? There are ways for me to change your mind."
"You still don't understand... So, let me rephrase... No way in Hell..."
"I'm not stopping until you say yes," Evan leaned in and bit her earlobe hard enough to draw blood.
"Then you're going to have to kill me," Grace winced, biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction as she listened to Kitra sob softly off to the side, pleading for Tony to let them go.
"Not until you pay me back for that last john and much more. Making you live and suffer is so much better than killing you," Evan whined nastily.
"You're a little late for that."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" AJ questioned as he hurried to keep up with Howie's pace, watching the older man fumble with the black leather cowboy hat. The heated discussion earlier in the day had died like most others, AJ and Howie coming to a nonverbal understanding with one another. There was no animosity between them now, most of it having dissipated on their drive to the Devil's Playground. And, it wasn't that AJ was being hateful to Howie during the previous hours of the day, but he honestly worried about his friend. Howie had such a golden heart and he lived life by following that heart. It was just inevitable that he was going to get hurt again and AJ feared what might happen if Howie put his heart on the line one more time.
"I got to give the hat back, don't I?" Howie quipped, trying to fix the hat so it looked like Grace had never perched it atop his head the night before.
"I guess so..." AJ trailed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You slept with that thing last night, didn't you?"
"Come on, give me more credit than that--"
"Then what did you do last night?" AJ prompted.
"I slept in my bed. Alone. Without the damn hat. Alright?"
"Maybe when you return the hat you won't have to sleep in bed alone for tonight..." AJ murmured, suddenly grinning wickedly as he slapped his hands against Howie's shoulders. "That is a fucking brilliant idea, D! Free sex for returning the hat! God, you dog!"
"That wasn't my plan!" Howie exclaimed as AJ began to laugh.
"Then maybe she can get me a hook-up with that sweet little piece of ass waitress! Did I mention how much I love you?!" AJ continued to cackle, jumping on Howie's back to press a furious kiss to his rough cheek.
"Too many times," Howie groaned, wiping his cheek as AJ stayed on his back. "Are we going to walk in like this?"
"Like what?"
"You on my back, dumbass!"
"Y'know, did anyone ever tell you that you swear too much?" AJ prompted after he slid off Howie's back. He was about to continue with his snide comments when his thin body crashed heavily into a burly man. He went flying backward in shock as Howie stopped, actually jumping off the sidewalk so the other two men could pass.
"What where the fuck your going, dipshit," the man hissed.
"Damn bitch is just lucky I didn't rip up her pretty little face like I did with her friend... Gotta save that little angel..." the man in between the two burly men hissed to himself, wiping heavy coats of blood away from his hands with a fresh handkerchief before tossing it at Howie's feet. "Little Gracie is going to be mine whether she likes it or not."
"Holy... did you see the blood on his hands?" AJ whispered after the three men walked away, saying nothing more to himself or Howie.
"He said Gracie..." Howie murmured with a cold confusion sweeping over his tensed body. He stared down at the saturated crimson piece of cloth, unable to push the man's muttering away from his mind. How many women in this world were named Grace? How many women in this world were named Grace and were spoken of next to the Devil's Playground where they worked?
"What does that have to do with anything?" AJ scoffed, pulling Howie toward the entrance of Devil's Playground. He didn't even want to think of where the blood had come from. It was better just to leave well enough alone. He didn't need those men coming after his hide. But the look in Howie's dark brown eyes caused AJ to curse. "Just leave it alone, D."
"Two women could be dying somewhere, Aje. You're going to let that ride on your conscience for the rest of your life?" Howie fired back.
"If it keeps my ass alive? Yes!"
"Don't you ever think of anyone besides yourself?!"
"You don't fuck with shit downtown, D--"
"Look, you do what you want. I'm going to look for those women he hurt," Howie turned and began walking away.
"Howie!" AJ whined in disbelief. "Don't!"
"Either you're with me or you're not," Howie glanced back at AJ. "What's it going to be?"
"You don't know what you're dealing with here--"
"I don't care. I can't just sit back and think life is great when there are two women somewhere laying in a pool of their own fucking blood, dying."
"What about your little stripper toy waiting inside?!" AJ tempted.
"He said Gracie. How many women around here have that kind of name? He hurt her and I'll bet the friend is your little 'sweet piece of ass waitress'."
"You... I... Er..." AJ growled with disbelief as he started to walk with Howie toward the avenue where the men had appeared from. "Fuck me to high Heaven!"
"This is the right thing to do," Howie replied, looking around for any signs of the ill-fated women.
"The right thing to do is going to get you killed one of these days," AJ scowled with contempt as he followed behind Howie. They traveled deep into the alleyway just to find a dead end. AJ sighed with relief where there were no signs, until he noticed Howie pushing against an old door that gave way with little effort. He cursed heavily under his breath as he hurried to follow Howie, not wanting to be left alone in the deserted alleyway. That is, until he tripped over a solid mass and fell face first beside exactly who Howie had been looking for. AJ immediately gagged in disbelief, hurriedly scurrying away from the badly beaten woman. She was beyond recognition with the heavy bruising and swelling against her face, blood coating her forehead from a heavy hit to her temple. But, AJ recognized her immediately by the exotic ruby jewelry. "Damnit! D!"
"Shit, shit, shit! I told you it was them!" Howie cursed, bending down to Grace's limp body. He watched her for a moment and sighed with relief as he saw her chest rise and fall slowly. "We've got to get them to the hospital."
"Just call 9-1-1!" AJ screeched as he watched Howie bend over the tattered stripper. Her face remained perfectly beautiful, but the rest of her nude body lay in tatters. Bruising and swelling could be seen along every inch of her body with several light cuts to her most sensitive parts. Heavy bleeding was found around her thighs and pelvis, causing AJ to cringe as Howie bent to gingerly bring her to his arms. Her right arm cocked to an odd angle as she grimaced at the shift in movement. AJ felt his stomach flip with disgust. "Damnit, D, stop touching her!"
"The Stranger..." Grace whispered, gagging as pain washed over her body with stiff, heavy throbs of agony. She was slightly incoherent as her emerald eyes fluttered, only recognizing the sweet smell of Howie's cologne.
"Hey, remember me? You're okay, I'm going to get you and your friend to the hospital," Howie promised, not knowing the full extent of her injuries.
"...Howie..." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. Despite the excruciating pain raging in her body, no tears were shed from her beautiful eyes. She just lay as still as possible, used to the feeling. It was almost as if a cold numbness washed over her as blood continued to seep from her most serious wounds.
”Just hang in there, everything is going to be okay," he reassured her, but was more so telling it to himself as her blood seeped into his clothes. He looked up at AJ, who was standing there doing nothing. "Help me, man!"
"I told you not to touch them!" AJ hissed, not knowing what to do.
"I'm not going to let them die. If you're that much of a coward, just help me bring them to the car."
"You don't know what kind of shit they have!" AJ screeched as Howie gingerly wrapped his jean jacket around Grace's delicate body. His jaw stood agape as Howie wrapped his arms around the now unconscious Grace, lifting her into his arms. "They're obviously fucking hookers, D. Do you know how many guys they score with on a single night?! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to touch shit?!"
"My mother taught me to help people when they need it and that's what I'm doing. If you're not going to do anything, then just get out of my way," Howie stood up, cradling Grace like a child.
"You..." AJ couldn't even find the words to muster his outrage as Howie kicked the broken door hard, shattering it sharply to the dirty ground. And, the worst part was, Howie didn't care. Glancing down at the woman AJ had hoped to take home tonight, he cursed loudly with disgust. Peeling off his expensive jacket, he tossed it toward the woman as a barrier for him. He then leaned to pick her up, practically running after Howie, cursing all the way.
