Wrong Place To Fall In Love
probably saw every disreputable type come in there, so why not? What better way to
as more right
the regulars. The customers cut a broad swath: truckers, lots of blue collar workers, and a h
e a damn about tips; I was there to e
en wide when
d I was half-dead from staking out
e most incredibly attractive
s, clean-cut face with incredible cheekbones, six foot one, body like
cold exterior made him off-p
aaaaa
llywoodian style. (Not Hollywood; Hollywoodian. It's a thing, go look it up. And l
He had piercing blue eyes, dark brown hair, suntanned skin, broad shoulders, a muscular frame, and a face that could have
tly. The barest hint of swagger, but nothing ostentatious. The way a man would walk into a
the beginning of the shift, because they didn't have a trace of oil or grime on them – yet. The 30-something dude was dressed in navy pants and a navy shirt, like he was management
re. His eyes crinkled in a friendly manner as he smiled, and he e
to seeing pretty boys all the time in LA. It took me a
rders. The blond Viking was still cold and aloof, but the brown-haired guy was courteous, if not exactly talkative. Once t
The leader (that's how I thought of the older guy, and that's how the younger guy treated him)
ckly turned away like I was back in 7th grade and the popular boy had caught m
t any Midnight Riders club members to spy on, and any oth
ho was currently irr
he drawled, "gimme
uman species. This particular Neanderthal was an overweight trucker with greasy hair and a nose redder than Rudolph's, probably from rotgut whiskey. He smelle
fee pot off the burner. "My name'
ith his mouth open. "Where's a g
life, he was inquiring where he coul
n't know
me like something cold and slimy. "I'm
'd give a dog licking its
hat you see," he said, some of his over
th this coffee pot, I wanted
filling his cup. I was about to move on whe
a good time,
aga is a martial art invented for the Israeli army and Mossad (Israel's equivalent of the CIA), and it was designed to be fast and lethal. The
t on the PI job – but
e able to overcome his gorilla-like grip. But when I put my arm against my body and used my upper torso as leverage, I was able to break against his fingers – w
nd spun. Came out of his grasp like a newl
I said, and
ntly bruis
up on the other side of the counter. "Think you
d me the See You
douse him with 150 degre
nidas was al
as soon as I turned around, he
is presence was overpowering. Like the Grim Re
riend. Time t
that
powerful. Autho
ice of
as
mpt. He was a good hundred pounds heavier, if an inch
an, silent. A pin drop would have
the blond mechanic
and without looking
ough he focused on the trucker like a Secret Service ag
loud. My voice was calm, though adre
idn't take his eyes off the trucker. "But nobo
nk anybody's ever called me a lady unless they were twelve years
– was like, Don't call me 'lady
half was l
trucker. Without looking, he pulled a fat wad of bills wrapped in a rubber ba
as ice. "You're all pai
cker spat. "I'll leave wh
king said, and put one h
did
ared his arm b
y and punched the trucker
ay his eyes bugged out, it seemed like h
n't the end
easy hair, spun him around, and SLAMMED his hea
BAM
cap came off in
oor. As a final send-off, Leonidas kicked the trucker right in the ass and sent him sprawling onto the
around and headed inside to raucous applause from
oval but tacitly letting them know Show's over. Everybody t
napkins out of the dispenser, and wiped his hands l
coolly. "But I cou
t the corner of his eyes – the slight smirk i
idn't make m
ve," he said, not mock
iding his two twenties tow
ily, and turned to the door. By now th
ch," I calle
ssholes," he said, throwing me o
a
skipped
his right-hand
e trucker scrabbled away from them across
aaaay more turned on
id at my elbow. "When life goes handin'
. "What the hell
ps up like a white knight, don't
's Jack Polla
shook her head as she walk
and looked back at Vera.
who just stepped up fo
S
her voice. "So he's probably the
ot and one-story building filled with mechanic's bays. All around the parking lot was a chain-lin
coffed. "That g
at guy's the head of the Midnight Riders motor
y s
ck
ping hand – had put me in exactly
as figure out how to