?What time is the Gala tonight?? Kyle?s eyes darted to the rearview mirror and studied Deke check his watch. Every move that his friend made seemed deliberate.
?Seven.? Was the answer given from the back. ?Stop here.?
Kyle pulled the car over in front of the sporting goods store and glanced in the mirror again. ?You taking up hockey again, Deke??
?No, just need to pick something up. Circle the block, I?ll be back in ten.?
Deke walked into the store and past the rows of excerbikes, weight machines, sneakers, sunglasses and clothing to where they kept the protective gear for the more physical sports.
?Can I help you?? She asked as he walked past where she was stocking sandals, obviously her boss was hoping for an early Spring and Summer Season. She was attractive, blonde, perky, but he didn?t have the time or inclination to find out more.
?Bats?? Deke asked as he glanced around.
?Baseball or Softball??
?Whichever one is wooden, heavy and the longer of the two.? He didn?t care about batting practice, he only knew that wooden was better for his needs.
She nodded and asked him to follow her a few rows down. His thoughts turned to Cait, and what he was about to do. They?d been out, had a good time, yet he wondered what she?d think of his life, and how he went about handling a few things. If he stopped doing them now, his enemies...no, King?s enemies would find it as a sign of weakness and move in to take him out. If he didn?t collect, those in his debt would think they could shuck their responsibilities. He worked things out in his mind and what brought him back to the store was her clearing her throat softly.
?Here you are. Youth bats are here, and further down are the adult bats, with the thirty-four inch length.? She eyed Deacon warily as he smiled and moved past her.
He chose a nice black bat, even giving a few practice swings in the store.
?You don?t swing a bat at someone if you want to send a message, kid.? Louie watched Deke as he swung the bat around, no where near any sort of pro with it. He reached out and took the bat from the boy?s hands and wrapped one of his own meaty, thick fingered hands around both ends. ?You take it like this, and bash them in the balls or in that solar thing, under their ribcage in the front there.? He pointed at his own chest, right below the sternum. ?Sock to the jewels with this, I promise you have his attention.? Louie smiled, and again Deke found himself staring at the man?s front gold teeth. ?Only time you swing a bat, is when da bastard?s down and you want to split his damn skull.?
?Louis,? King called to the man after he opened his office door. ?That will be enough lessons for my son today, get in here.?
Louie?s hand came out and ruffled Deke?s hair. ?Remember what I told ya, Kid. See ya later.?
Deke always liked the man, and his was the last funeral he ever shed a tear.
The black bat was put aside for the old, natural wood ?Slugger.
?This is the one, I?ll take it.? Deacon said as he walked back to where the girl stood watching him.
?You okay, Sir? You sort of blanked out or something there.? She took the bat and walked toward a register. Deke followed.
?Yeah, I?m fine. I was trying to remember what my coach said about bats, he was a fascinating man.?
?He?s dead??
?Yeah, died a long time ago.?
?Sorry to hear that,? She faked sincerity well. ?So, you must have a new coach then.?
?Yeah, some woman in the office decided that we needed a coed softball team. She?s not as inspiring as my old coach.?
The girl eyed him again, as if not quite believing his story. ?We have a softball team here too. Maybe I?ll see you on the field.?
?Count on it.? Deke smiled and took the bat from her after paying for it. ?Thanks again.?
He stepped out of the store and walked back to the car. The night?s wind was cold, and it ripped at the sack in his hands, as if it knew the ill use the new purchase was about to be in. Kyle stepped out as Deke approached and opened the door.
?A bat??
?You?ve got to stop doing that Kyle, I?m not King.?
?Asking about your bat?? Kyle was clueless at times.
?Getting my door,? Deke slid into the car and tossed the bat into the seat beside him. ?I know how to open a damn door.?
?Yeah, but you slam them. I hate slammed doors.? Kyle pressed the door closed to cut off Deke?s reply with a smug grin. He took his victories wherever and whenever he could get them.
?Where to??
?Stewart?s.?
?Robert Stewart?s??
?Seriously, you ask me then question me??
?Okay, fine.?
The car was smooth in its acceleration away. Kyle had rattled off the stats and numbers over breakfast, but cars were never Deacon?s thing. He liked them, and he liked fast cars, but the horsepower ratings, quarter mile times, and other numbers were wasted on him. He knew get in, press the button to start, drive. If something didn?t happen in that sequence, the car went to the shop.
Deke cleared his mind, thinking on the task at hand. He hadn?t seen Robert in a few years. The man?s name was on a list of people that owed him, and being the sort of man that Robert was, it would send a message to those others that owed.
Robert ran a small, but ruthless street gang. King used to hire them to take care of things he didn?t want to be implicated in. Robert stayed in power due to his size, and intimidating manner. His voice was deep, even when shouting orders. If someone crossed him, they were publicly executed in front of his other street rats. Respect and fear kept his men in line.
?Seven.? Was the answer given from the back. ?Stop here.?
Kyle pulled the car over in front of the sporting goods store and glanced in the mirror again. ?You taking up hockey again, Deke??
?No, just need to pick something up. Circle the block, I?ll be back in ten.?
Deke walked into the store and past the rows of excerbikes, weight machines, sneakers, sunglasses and clothing to where they kept the protective gear for the more physical sports.
?Can I help you?? She asked as he walked past where she was stocking sandals, obviously her boss was hoping for an early Spring and Summer Season. She was attractive, blonde, perky, but he didn?t have the time or inclination to find out more.
?Bats?? Deke asked as he glanced around.
?Baseball or Softball??
?Whichever one is wooden, heavy and the longer of the two.? He didn?t care about batting practice, he only knew that wooden was better for his needs.
She nodded and asked him to follow her a few rows down. His thoughts turned to Cait, and what he was about to do. They?d been out, had a good time, yet he wondered what she?d think of his life, and how he went about handling a few things. If he stopped doing them now, his enemies...no, King?s enemies would find it as a sign of weakness and move in to take him out. If he didn?t collect, those in his debt would think they could shuck their responsibilities. He worked things out in his mind and what brought him back to the store was her clearing her throat softly.
?Here you are. Youth bats are here, and further down are the adult bats, with the thirty-four inch length.? She eyed Deacon warily as he smiled and moved past her.
He chose a nice black bat, even giving a few practice swings in the store.
?You don?t swing a bat at someone if you want to send a message, kid.? Louie watched Deke as he swung the bat around, no where near any sort of pro with it. He reached out and took the bat from the boy?s hands and wrapped one of his own meaty, thick fingered hands around both ends. ?You take it like this, and bash them in the balls or in that solar thing, under their ribcage in the front there.? He pointed at his own chest, right below the sternum. ?Sock to the jewels with this, I promise you have his attention.? Louie smiled, and again Deke found himself staring at the man?s front gold teeth. ?Only time you swing a bat, is when da bastard?s down and you want to split his damn skull.?
?Louis,? King called to the man after he opened his office door. ?That will be enough lessons for my son today, get in here.?
Louie?s hand came out and ruffled Deke?s hair. ?Remember what I told ya, Kid. See ya later.?
Deke always liked the man, and his was the last funeral he ever shed a tear.
The black bat was put aside for the old, natural wood ?Slugger.
?This is the one, I?ll take it.? Deacon said as he walked back to where the girl stood watching him.
?You okay, Sir? You sort of blanked out or something there.? She took the bat and walked toward a register. Deke followed.
?Yeah, I?m fine. I was trying to remember what my coach said about bats, he was a fascinating man.?
?He?s dead??
?Yeah, died a long time ago.?
?Sorry to hear that,? She faked sincerity well. ?So, you must have a new coach then.?
?Yeah, some woman in the office decided that we needed a coed softball team. She?s not as inspiring as my old coach.?
The girl eyed him again, as if not quite believing his story. ?We have a softball team here too. Maybe I?ll see you on the field.?
?Count on it.? Deke smiled and took the bat from her after paying for it. ?Thanks again.?
He stepped out of the store and walked back to the car. The night?s wind was cold, and it ripped at the sack in his hands, as if it knew the ill use the new purchase was about to be in. Kyle stepped out as Deke approached and opened the door.
?A bat??
?You?ve got to stop doing that Kyle, I?m not King.?
?Asking about your bat?? Kyle was clueless at times.
?Getting my door,? Deke slid into the car and tossed the bat into the seat beside him. ?I know how to open a damn door.?
?Yeah, but you slam them. I hate slammed doors.? Kyle pressed the door closed to cut off Deke?s reply with a smug grin. He took his victories wherever and whenever he could get them.
?Where to??
?Stewart?s.?
?Robert Stewart?s??
?Seriously, you ask me then question me??
?Okay, fine.?
The car was smooth in its acceleration away. Kyle had rattled off the stats and numbers over breakfast, but cars were never Deacon?s thing. He liked them, and he liked fast cars, but the horsepower ratings, quarter mile times, and other numbers were wasted on him. He knew get in, press the button to start, drive. If something didn?t happen in that sequence, the car went to the shop.
Deke cleared his mind, thinking on the task at hand. He hadn?t seen Robert in a few years. The man?s name was on a list of people that owed him, and being the sort of man that Robert was, it would send a message to those others that owed.
Robert ran a small, but ruthless street gang. King used to hire them to take care of things he didn?t want to be implicated in. Robert stayed in power due to his size, and intimidating manner. His voice was deep, even when shouting orders. If someone crossed him, they were publicly executed in front of his other street rats. Respect and fear kept his men in line.