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“You fucking bikers think you run this shit. Well, you don’t.”

“Actually we run this business. This legitimate fucking business that helps pay the salary of bloated pigs like you.” I wanted him to give me a reason. This fucker would be worth the jail time.

Just then I heard the sound of high heels clacking against the wooden floor, but the sound came from the rear of the building.

“Ah, there you are.” Tanya breezed in, her normally bone straight hair was curled into a bun at her neck but that was the only concession she’d made to the late hour, looking crisp in a red dress and matching jacket. “So what’s going on here, Officer?”

The uniformed officer slid a wary gaze to Dodds, unsure what to say or do, which said everything I needed to know about who’d started this shit.

Luckily my high priced mouthpiece stepped in before I knocked his teeth out. “Tsk, tsk Detective. You were very naughty, being a bad boy and attempting to operate outside your jurisdiction. What a pity since we filed the formal complaint yesterday.”

Tanya tapped her chin, deep in fake thought while her black nails, tipped with diamonds, were on full display.

“Sounds like retaliation. Maybe even malicious prosecution.”

That’s why we always paid Tanya. Always. She relished taking down assholes like Dodds. Just like I expected, Dodds stepped forward but the move wasn’t well thought out because he now had to look up at Tanya.

“Your madame here failed to get a minor’s identification,” he insisted.

Tanya smiled that predatory smile of a woman before she rips a man’s nuts off and shoved them down his throat.

“Is that the story you want to go with? Both of you?” she asked again and looked to the uniform who was now visibly swe

ating.

“That’s what happened,” Dodds insisted with more force than certainty.

Tanya turned to Katrina with a sympathetic smile. “It’s up to you Kat. Do you want to spend a night downtown and make a shit load of taxpayer money for wrongful arrest or do you want to sleep in your big comfy bed tonight?”

Katrina blinked and looked to me for guidance. “It’s up to you, sweetheart,” I said.

She nodded and swiped her tears. “I’d prefer to sleep in my own bed,” she answered quietly.

“Excellent choice, Katrina. Why choose one when you can have both?”

She winked and turned back to the cops.

“This is the alleged underage customer you’re speaking of, I assume?” She handed him a large print out of the Nevada license with a triumphant smile. “See, everyone’s ID gets scanned before they walk through the front doors. Including one Melvin Duane Dodds. Such an unfortunate name,” she said and held an identical photo with his license up for inspection.

“Give me that!” He took a step forward and to her credit, Tanya didn’t budge as she let the photo fall to the floor. “I can arrest you for attempting to blackmail an officer.”

“You can try, Melvin, but we both know you’d lose and I’d own your crappy little bungalow and fifteen year old car. Those handcuffs on Kat right there constitute kidnapping since you have no legal authority in this town. In fact, I’ll get my paralegals to start on the lawsuit right now.”

Dodds stood there, nostrils flaring and face turning a hilarious shade of pink as he flooded with embarrassment. But the man wasn’t as dumb as he looked and knew when to cut his losses. “This isn’t over.”

“Oh, not by a long shot, Melvin. We’re just getting started,” Tanya promised. “And don’t forget to take your handcuffs or I’ll be forced, as an officer of the court, to speak to your superior officer about this.” How she managed to sound sweet as apple pie while issuing a threat I’d never know, but it was damned impressive.

“I have every right to investigate a crime,” he grumbled as he yanked the cuffs from Katrina’s wrists.

“We both know that’s not true. So either you’re here as a paying customer or a crooked cop.”

“Bitch,” he grumbled and walked away to the sound of Tanya’s raucous laughter.

“God that was fun!” She turned to Stitch with a hungry glare. “Can you get me the footage from the moment the cops hit the property until about,” she looked down at her watch, “five seconds ago.”

“Sure thing, sweetness.”

She tried to look perturbed by his words but even Tanya wasn’t that good an actress. “You boys,” she said instead before turning to me. “Never a dull moment with the Reckless Bastards, eh?”