"My friends call me Ben, strangers call me Mr. Siegel and those I don't like call me Bugsy, but not to my face." ~ Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel
I woke up late the next morning naked and cuddled next to the twins. I was pleasantly sore from the exertion of last night and I had the pleasant flavor of one of them lingering on my lips. Full disclosure, I didn't feel like a big stud like you might think. The first thing I thought as I opened my eyes and recalled everything that had transpired was wonderr; How did I end up like this?
Don't get me wrong, I had a ton of fun. Melanie and Miltia were patient with me being an awkward virgin through the whole experience, they were kind and they pulled out this adventurous side of me that enjoyed every minute of it. I'm glad I passed that particular milestone with them, it was memorable and while I certainly wasn't a pro in the sack they were nothing but encouraging and made it a night I'll never forget. I won't kiss and tell, but I felt like one hell of a big shot when we finally fell asleep in their bed. It was an amazing time.
But lying in their bed with Melanie's head upon my shoulder and Miltia's arm around me I could only really think about what direction my life was taking. I felt lost where I was. It wasn't so long ago that I was in Beacon trying to become a huntsmen, I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, and I certainly never went back to a girl's apartment. The Jaune I had been became someone I turned into once a week for ten to twenty minutes as I reported to Ozpin. I was thinking about my short life like Beacon less and less. I thought less and less about my team and my friends with every passing day. I had new friends, I had a new life, and the scary part was that I was liking it. I was really starting to enjoy this business.
I walked down the street of Little Mistral with envelopes of cash stuffed in my jacket and was starting to spend almost every night in a bar or a nightclub where I never needed to wait in line or get the bartender's attention for a drink. I liked hanging out with Toshi and I was even starting to feel like a part of the neighborhood. And that scared me. I was making friends I was planning on betraying, and right now I was lying in bed next to two beautiful girls I might one day turn on. I cannot begin to explain the guilt I was starting to feel over that.
I hadn't thought any of that when it happened. I was caught up in the night and in my own lust. Like so many nights hanging out and doing Clan business I had completely forgotten that my job here was to report their criminal actions and get closer to the dust robberies. I was somewhat comforted that I knew Melanie and Miltia didn't harbor any kind of romantic feeling towards me. This was just a bit of fun for them, they had other friends male and female that they fooled around in bed with. I wasn't anything special. It was just sex. But that only helped to dull my feelings of guilt.
I had always imagined criminals as monsters. Just evil people that Spruce Willis shot up in his movies and got the leading girl without a second thought to blowing them away. But my experience was nothing like that. The business was dirty sure, but Junior's clan was as much a part of this neighborhood as the noodle stands and the nightclubs. They weren't some kind of invaders that came here and strong armed everyone. In Little Mistral Junior was the law. The Clan was a product of Mountain Glenn and the Kingdom's failure. Was I just going to help Ozpin sweep up a side effect of their failure to protect their own people?
Miltia stirred and stretched on the bed next to me and Melanie gave a pleasant groan. "Hey you awake big guy?" She asked me with a cute little yawn while she rubbed the sand from her eyes.
"I'm great," I told Melanie, touching her comfortingly and sitting up in the bed I stared at the white tiger tattooed on the small of her back. Miltia had a matching tattoo, only her tiger was orange. The tattoos marked them both as Clan enforcers. "I'm just a little worn from last night."
She grinned at that and reached over to her nightstand for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She handed me a smoke and lit her own before tossing the pack to her sister. Miltia leaned close and lit my smoke off the cherry of her own cigarette. I took that first sweet drag and tried to bury my awkwardness as I wondered what exactly was going to happen next.
I just sat there for a moment smoking between the two of them rethinking the erotic details of last night and getting my bearings. "Who's hungry?" I asked them, trying to break the ice and address my own hunger that nagged at me. "You got anything to eat around here?"
"You read my mind," Miltia said stretching herself with a cute little moan, "I'm starving."
"We could order something," Melanie suggested to me. "We don't really keep much in our fridge except for leftovers and drinks, the kitchen was fully stocked when we moved in though."
"What's time is it?" Miltia asked her sister. "We could order a pizza."
"You don't cook?" I asked them, personally finding the idea of ordering a pizza for breakfast a little unappetizing.
"Not our thing," Miltia told me with a shrug, "we never really bothering to learn to use much besides a microwave."
"It's almost noon," Melanie said, checking her phone before raising it up to snap a picture of us.
"What was that for?" I asked her as she looked at the picture on her scroll it had all three of us naken and in bed together.
"I'm sending you a commemorative picture," Melanie answered me with a teasing smirk, "I thought you might want a memento for popping your cherry."
"You're not going to let me live that down aren't you?" I asked her with an exaggerated sigh.
"Nope," Miltia said to me in a singsong voice, "besides you did just fine for your first time."
"Thanks, it was certainly memorable," I told them honestly.
Melanie winked at me, "we'll do it again sometime, invite us along the next time you have some enemies that need to have their heads busted. And that time we really will try nyotaimori."
I smiled at her, not really sure if she was joking about eating body sushi or not and the thought about food reminded me about my own hunger, "I noticed a bodega downstairs," I suggested trying to bring the focus back to breakfast.
"The owner doesn't like us and refuses to serve us," Miltia cut in before I could finish my idea.
"He hates us," Melanie corrected, "I broke his son's wrist when he touched me," she explained to me with a proud little smirk.
"Well he doesn't know me," I continued, "I could get something and make you breakfast, as a thank you for a wonderful night."
The twins looked at one another, "I could do for a home cooked meal Melanie," Miltia said to her sister with a shrug.
"So could I Miltia," she agreed with a little nod, "It's been awhile since anybody cooked for us."
"Alright," I said, "how about eggs, bacon and toast?" I said thinking of the easy meals I knew how to cook for my younger siblings growing up.
"Sounds like a plan, but you should probably shower first," Miltia said looking me up and down.
I nodded still feeling the unwashed sweat on my skin from last night. "Alright, how about I hop in and then the two of you can wash up while I cook breakfast?" I suggested getting up and snubbing out my cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand a little embarrassed by my nakedness.
Melanie giggled at me. "Oh? And here I thought you might want some help washing your back."
I tried to deflect her suggestion with a nervous chuckle while I tried to move to the bathroom but Miltia and Melanie followed me in all the same with sinful smirks.
I showered with a bit of company and dressed myself in the clothes I wore yesterday before going downstairs and getting some eggs and bacon and coming back up to cook. I realized then that I had missed my weekly phone call to Ozpin hours ago, I reminded myself to try calling later tonight and explain what happened to me. I wasn't going to tell him about the sex, that was my business.
I got back up to the kitchen and made use of their hardly ever used stove and pans making a few sausage and cheese omelettes along with some toast and bacon strips. The girls watched tv in their bathrobes while I cooked, commenting that the humble meal smelled quite good to them. When I finally brought the plates in they almost inhaled the omelettes.
"This is really good!" Melanie commented after swallowing a fork full of eggs sausage and cheese.
"It's just a simple omelette," I said bashfully as I ate my own. "My mother taught me to make them."
"Do you cook a lot?" Miltia asked me as she grabbed her mug of coffee.
"I used to help my mom out in the kitchen and cook for my younger siblings, I haven't done much coming to Vale," I explained to them.
"We should bring him here to cook for us more often Miltia," Melanie suggested with a hungry grin.
"We totally should Melanie," Miltia agreed with her sister.
I wondered what my mother would have to say if she could see me using those cooking skills now. I let their comments pass me by as I ate knowing that any protests would be willfully ignored by the two of them. Besides it was flattering to listen to the two of them compliment my cooking, even if they were suggesting rather lewd ways to get more of it.
"Are you free Tuesday night?" Miltia asked me before biting into a piece of toast.
"I got no plans," I explained to her, a little pleased that the conversation had shifted. "Toshi and I usually just hit up a bar after checking up on our sales."
"Great!" Melanie said happily, picking up a crispy piece of bacon. "Then you can pick us up at eight."
"What's happening at eight on Tuesday?" I asked them, a little pleased to be getting roped into another date.
"It's Junior's birthday," Melanie explained to me.
"Oh… I had no idea," I said to them a little surprised that I was being invited to such an event.
"That's alright, Junior isn't really the type to go all out for his birthday, he's a business before pleasure type of person so we took the opportunity to book his favorite DJ for the occasions, he should draw a crowd if nothing else."
"Should I bring a gift?" I asked, having almost no idea what I could get Junior. What do you get a guy who owns nightclubs and runs a multimillion lien crime syndicate?
Melani shrugged, "if you want, again Junior isn't big on birthdays so I doubt he'd even mind if you showed up empty handed."
I scarfed down the rest of the breakfast and checked the time. "I need to head out," I told them standing up and gulping down the rest of my coffee, "I'm already late for today's collections."
"If O-Ushi gets mad you can just explain that we were kidnapped you," Miltia said to me, "we'll owe her another favor."
"I was already planning on it," I said opening the Rickshaw Cab Co app and ordering a cab to take me back to my apartment so I could change my clothes and use my new car. "I'll see you Tuesday at eight," I promised, actually a little excited to have a future date planned with them.
I still had many lingering feelings of guilt towards all of this, but I was already in good with Mel and Mil, the twins were close personal enforcers for Junior himself so giving them the cold shoulder would have been unwise and possibly dangerous. Snubbing two girls who were in a business that was accustomed to violence couldn't have been a smart play. But honestly I just liked the two of them, they were fun to hang with. They were confident and sexy and they somehow brought out a side of me I liked. Maybe I was just being selfish for going along with whatever we had, but I did and I can't say that I regret it.
I took one of O-Ushi's cabs back to my little apartment and called Ozpin to report on how my week went. I told him about raiding the 24k Dragon's chop shop and pretended that I had just been too hung over to pick up the scroll. I can't help but wonder what he would have said if I told him the truth.
The next several days went by more or less how I expected. I did my collections, I helped Toshi out with our dvd pirating business and I occasionally was asked to provide extra security against the 24k Dragons.
Whatever message O-Ushi was hoping to send to the Dragons by smashing up their shop didn't exactly work. Instead the punks took it as an invitation to throw off the kid gloves and ramp up their attacks.
One of the businesses that paid for our protection had a few of the thugs come in and threaten to burn the place down. They almost tried but thankfully one of O-Ushi's guys was already there and they ran off the minute he pulled a gun out and threatened them.
Other places weren't so lucky. The cafe Toshi and I pirated DVDs out of had a brick thrown in through the window, it hit a barista and to keep good faith and keep the place in our protection O-Ushi paid for the damages and the hospital bills of that barista.
In a strange way Junior's Clan was a lot like a neighborhood watch, if anyone in Little Mistral saw trouble they called their local wiseguys to take care of it. People here trusted their local gangsters more than their local cops. Living above Hana's laundromat pretty much meant that I was always on the clock looking out for her and her business.
One night I woke to find her knocking on my door frantically and she sent me downstairs in my boxers where four of the fucking punks were smashing the place up and tagging it with graffiti. I managed to scare them off easy just by waving my gun at them. And then I stayed up trying to help her clean up the place.
"Has anything like this happened to you before?" I asked Hana as I scrubbed up a bit of graffiti they left on the floor.
She shook her head as she swept up some broken glass. "Not in a very long time, stuff like this used to happen before the Kuroi Kuma clan took power, before "Papa" Xiong," she sighed, "it's disgraceful, some of these young men used to play with my own children."
"Wow, that has to sting," I said, trying to imagine what she could possibly feel about all of this.
"These fools have forgotten where they came from," she explained to me, "and it has led them to turn against their own people."
I could only wonder how long it would be before someone got killed over this. So far things had been rough and brutal and nobody had gotten killed. But between O-Ushi getting shot and the time they pulled guns on the twins I just knew that it was only a matter of time before somebody was dead in the streets. I had no doubt that the 24k Dragons would lose if it came to that, but I knew that these Atlesians I had yet to see were the real threat waiting in the shadows for a reason to strike.
But it wasn't like I was in any position to do anything serious about it. I was just a lowly associate with no real say in Clan politics. And it wasn't like I had any answers to this dilemma anyhow, I understood why Junior was trying to hold onto whatever peace he could, turning the other cheek to the 24k Dragons seemed preferable to letting the Atlesians do something much much worse. But how long the Clan would choose to endure this was anyone's guess, but even I could see that this wouldn't last forever.
The days passed normally enough till the night of Junior's birthday. I got him a bottle of his favorite single malt whiskey, Glengoolie 16 year. It was the same stuff I sipped on in his office the night I saved O-Ushi so I figured it would be good if nothing else. Thankfully the twins were happy to tell me Junior's favorite brand when I texted them for gift ideas.
I picked Melanie and Miltia up in my new car more than happy to let them slide in the single passenger seat as before. "Wow!" I said looking at the two of them dressed in red and white silk cocktail dresses as they opened the door of their apartment.
"Like what you see?" Melanie asked, striking a pose.
I nodded approvingly.
"See Melanie, I told you they'd be a hit," Miltia bragged.
"I suppose you were right Miltia, as always," Melanie relented to her twin and took hold of my arm to walk out.
We drove to the club and like before the street and sidewalk was crowded with people trying to get in so I decided to go down the street to park behind the club. But as I passed the sidewalk outside the club I did a double take at the crowd outside. I had spotted a strangely familiar pair of rabbit ears sticking up over everyone's heads, with a stylish brown haired girl in a beret sitting next to her faunus friend.
"Something wrong?" Miltia asked, noticing me staring.
"No," I told them looking away and focusing back on the road. I parked the car and the twins suggested we go in through the back so we entered in through the kitchen and straight up the stairs into the VIP section.
When we got in there were some decorations set up and a pile of gifts on the table. Junior was observing the show through a window that overlooked the club, his head was nodding along to the beat the DJ put down and wore a little smirk as he did so. "Enjoying the party?" both twins asked him as they released my arm.
"Hey girls!" Junior greeted opening his arms to the twins in greeting and giving them each a friendly pat on their shoulders. "Thanks for setting this up, this is perfect," he said motioning to the packed club outside, "how did you book this guy?"
"We had a talk with his manager," Melanie said vaguely.
Junior raised an eyebrow at the two of them.
"Not like that!" Miltia laughed, "we helped him with a few problems and he moved his schedule around," she explained, "he's even open to booking gigs in the future."
Junior smiled, "Good! Now go get a couple drinks and enjoy yourselves." He ordered them before looking over to me and stepping close.
"Happy birthday," I said to him, handing over the bottle of single malt with the little ribbon on it.
"My favorite," Junior observed looking at the bottle before looking back up at me, "thanks."
"It's good stuff," I told him, "I can see why you like it so much."
He set the bottle down on a table where other gifts waited for him. "O-Ushi tells me that you've been adapting well to the life," he said to me, "I heard you've been stepping up against the 24k Dragons."
I chucked and scratched the back of my head awkwardly, "well I'm just trying to fit in," I told him.
"Melanie and Miltia seem to think well of you too," he went on, "they wouldn't have invited you here if they didn't."
"Oh well… I mean they're great," I told him. I felt suddenly like I was a guy having a talk with my date's father, it was weird.
"You don't have to tell me that," he said, taking me by the shoulder and leading me to the bar, "and they tell me you're quite the gentleman."
"Really?" I asked him as he signaled for the bartender to bring us a couple of drinks.
"Surprised?" he asked me, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm more surprised that I was worth mentioning," I admitted to him. I was just another boy-toy to them after all and I doubt that they gossiped with Junior about their friends with benefits.
Junior laughed at me, "Worth mentioning?" he said, "Kid, the last two months I've been hearing plenty about you and the work you've done," he explained to me as the bartender set out a couple of martinis for us.
I could practically hear Ozpin's praise as I reported to him that the clan's head honcho was apparently talking about me. Progress was progress after all.
"I didn't know my services were so noteworthy. I thought my contributions to the business would be beneath your notice," I explained to him, "I mean Mel and Mil said they'd tell you about the time we handled those Dragons dealing drugs down the street, but I figured that'd be a footnote in your day."
Junior chuckled a little before taking his first sip, "Kid listen to me because I have some wisdom for you. Believe it or not being at the top doesn't put you above what happens in the street, if anything it's the opposite. In this business shit rolls uphill, a problem in the streets quickly becomes my problem."
"I never thought about it like that," I said, taking my drink and having my first sip.
"Few do," he said, giving my shoulder a rough pat with his massive hand, "enjoy yourself kid, and keep up the good work."
I rejoined the twins and we looked out over the club with our drinks. "Have a good talk with Junior?" Miltia asked me as we watched the dancers on the floor moving it up.
"Yeah," I said to them as I scanned the crowd and saw the familiar set of rabbit ears. Sure enough I recognized my former upperclassmen Velvet Scarlatina and Coco Adel sitting at one of the tables talking about something over a couple of drinks, probably just soft drinks I thought. I had gotten so used to drinking despite being underage that I actually found it kind of funny.
"He wanted to thank me for my good work," I explained to them, "and he gave me some advice."
Melanie chuckled, "That's Junior for you," she said to me, turning back to the rest of the room, "he's always concerned with morale."
We continued on with our drinks and mingled with the other wiseguys that were coming in. Tonen and O-Ushi came in and they even introduced me to a couple of the other underbosses within the clan and I began to realize just how much I had been talked about.
"So this the white kid you've been bragging about O-Ushi!?" This one woman Iwa said looking me up and giving me a playful punch to the shoulder. "You better be paying him well or I'm going to steal him from you."
"I like my kneecaps too much to take your money," I casually joked to her, ribbing O-Ushi a little.
Everyone laughed and we continued on trading stories with one another and casually talked among one another. After getting acquainted with most of the guests and finishing my first drink Melani and Miltia took my hand and started leading me out so we could hit the dance floor.
When we left the VIP room and got onto the main floor of the club I took a look over and saw Velvet sitting alone and watching the DJ. She was moving her head to the beat and her large rabbit ears flopped a bit with the movement. But I saw that something was wrong. Her rhythm was slightly off and she seemed rather vacant slouched in her chair and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was drunk.
We got to the floor and started dancing together. I saw that Coco had also taken to the floor with some pretty redhead clearly enjoying herself as the two of them moved together without a care in the world. But as much as I tried enjoying my dance with the twins I couldn't help but glance over to Velvet sitting all alone.
"Bunny girls huh?" Melanie asked me.
"Huh?" I said looking away from Velvet who almost looked drowsy in her seat and back to the girls I was dancing with.
"You keep staring at that faunus girl with the bunny ears," Milita explained cutting in.
"Yeah, you got a faunus fettish?" Melanie said, "I mean… she's certainly cute. I wonder if she has a little cotton-tail in her pants? You want us to find out Jaune?"
I blushed, "no it's not that," I stammered to them, "It's just…"
I looked back to the table and suddenly she was gone. I didn't really know Velvet well from my short time at Beacon but I got the feeling she wouldn't just ditch her teammate in a club like this. And even if she had been drinking she shouldn't have appeared so drunk, not unless she had been pounding them back. "Something's wrong," I said to the two of them and disengaged to head off the dance floor. They watched as I rushed away.
Part of me was trying to tell myself that I was paranoid, that maybe she had just gone to the bathroom. But I had a bad feeling in my gut and I listened to it. I stepped off the floor and moved around the club trying to spot her. There was a line for the women's room that she wasn't standing in so I moved and spotted her ears going right for the exit.
I moved across the club and shuffled through a crowd of people and went into the cool night where I saw her being led away by some guy with a hideous leopard print shirt with his arm draped over her leading her away.
"Hey!" I shouted at him as they turned down an alley. I broke into a sprint and rounded the alley to see him looking back at me. Before he could even make a move I closed the distance and clocked him across the jaw.
He went stumbling down to the ground and Velvet went with him. I took her hand and pulled her away. "Are you alright?" I asked her, giving the jerk on the ground a kick to the face.
Velvet mumbled something incoherently as she wobbled on her feet confirming my suspicions that she wasn't in her right mind. This guy was over twice her age and I'm sure that Coco wouldn't let her friend leave with a guy wearing an ugly shirt like that.
"Jaune what the fuck is going on!" I heard Melanie cry from behind me and I turned to see Miltia and a bouncer following close behind seeing me holding Velvet by her arm and the guy on the ground groaning in pain.
"This fucker attacked me!" The shithead protested trying to make himself seem as innocent as possible here.
"He drugged her," I explained to Melanie letting Velvet's unintelligible words make my point for me. Just a few incoherent mumbles from the poor girl made my point.
My word and Velvet's confused stupor was all that needed to be said for them to believe me. "Motherfucker!" Melanie said, giving the guy a kick right to the face and sending him down with a bleeding nose. "Get him inside now before I kill him!" Melanie growed to the bouncer, "take him in the back and wait for us, we'll be there soon to teach him some fucking manners."
I nodded as I watched the tall bouncer lift him up like a sack of potatoes and go down the alley towards the rear entrance with this guy kicking and screaming. I turned to Miltia and Melanie, "I'm going to find her friend," I told them handing Velvet's arm over to Milta who didn't seem quite as scary save for the murderous glare she was giving the guy as the bouncer dragged him away.
"We'll look after her," Melanie promised as I moved back into the club and made a beeline for the dance floor.
Coco was still dancing it up with the pretty redhead and I hated the fact that I was probably going to ruin her night. But I gathered what courage I could and moved to her and gave her a tap on the shoulder.
The first look she gave me was one of annoyance but after she took a moment to look me over a flash of recognition met her eyes. "Jaune… Jaune Arc?" She asked over the loud booming music. I was honestly surprised that she even knew my name. I hadn't talked to her in my entire time at Beacon.
"Sorry to interrupt you," I told her leaning in so she could hear me, "but there's been an incident with Velvet."
"What?" She said a little too loudly, looking horrified, "is she alright?"
I moved her out over the dance floor before I began explaining the situation to her. "She's safe," I said hoping that piece of news would at least ease her a little bit, "someone drugged her and tried to take her away, she's out of sorts."
"Fuck!" Coco cursed, "Where is she?"
"She's outside, I have a couple of friends looking after her at the moment," I explained to her, "I can call you a cab."
She nodded to me and took in a deep breath as we stepped outside. "Where's the son of bitch that did this?" was her next question.
"In the back," I explained to her as I used O-Ushi's app to call a cab for the two of them, "he's being taken care of by the bouncers."
"I want to see him," she growled to me clearly furious.
"That's not necessary," I assured her, stopping after I put in the order into the app, "trust me he's getting everything he deserves, right now Velvet needs you."
I watched her hard gaze soften and she released a sigh. "Fine… just make sure that he doesn't get away with this."
"I will," I promised her knowing that right now Junior's boys were probably making him regret a lot of things at the very moment. Calling the badges to take him away would have probably been a mercy.
We stepped into the alleyway where both Melani and Miltia were waiting with Velvet who was currently sitting down with her back against the wall of the building. "This her friend?" Melanie asked me, dropping her half smoked cigarette and crushing it with her shoe.
"Yeah," I told them with a nod, "Thanks for watching her, I called them a cab."
Miltia nodded to me and snubbed out her own cigarette, "we'll be inside Jaune, when you're ready."
I took a deep breath of the cool night air and reached into my jacket for my cigarette case and lit one as I waited with them. Coco sat down next to Velvet who seemed to be unconscious at the moment.
"What are you doing here Jaune?" Coco asked me as she held onto Velvet protectively.
"It's a nightclub, I'm doing what people usually do in places like this," I said shrugging my shoulders, "drinks, dancing, girls, you get it."
She chuckled a little, "No I mean… What happened to you? Why aren't you at Beacon anymore?"
"I'm surprised you even noticed," I said to her taking a puff off my cigarette, "this is the first time we're even talking."
"Hey I watched the initiation the same as everyone," she explained to me, "plus the partner of a world class fighter is a little hard to ignore."
I chuckled seeing her logic, "How is Pyrrha?" I asked her genuinely wanting to know how she and the rest of my team was faring without me. I figured not having a fraud like me on their team was probably a plus for the three of them.
"I'm not exactly on talking terms with her," she answered me, "But I heard she got hurt, some asshole played a prank on her with some rapier wasps and she had an allergic reaction."
"Fuck," I said, shocked to hear that, "is she alright?"
"She's fine now," Coco assured me, "and I heard the guys responsible for it got expelled. But don't change the question on me Jaune, why aren't you in Beacon anymore?"
I sighed and took a long drag off my cigarette, "I wasn't huntsman material so I left and found a job," I lied to her.
"It must be a nice job if that suit is any indication," she said to me looking me up and down.
"It was a gift from my supervisor," I explained to her.
"Really, your supervisor? What kind of job is it?" she asked me.
I took a drag off my cigarette to think about it just a little bit, "I work for the club owner," I said figuring that it was true enough, "I'm like… an assistant, and since I work here they want me to dress nice."
She gave me a dubious look. She clearly wasn't buying it, it's not like the bouncers and bartenders wore anything this nice. But thankfully she just shrugged and dropped the subject. "You wear those threads well," she complimented to me, "I hope this new job works out for you."
"Me too," I told her with a smirk, "It wasn't what I expected, but it's working out for me. And it comes with more than a few perks."
"Like those two girls?" Coco asked me, jabbing me playfully with her elbow.
I chuckled bashfully, "no comment."
She raised an amused eyebrow at me, "You got their scroll numbers?" she asked with a predatory grin. "Care to help an old classmate out?"
"Get them yourself," I told her with a laugh.
"You know I could take it from you," she said to me.
I threw down my finished cigarette and stomped it out. "Well are you?" I asked her.
"Maybe later," she said, taking out her own scroll, "but beating you up for a couple of phone numbers would be a poor way to thank you. How about you give me your digits instead."
"What for?" I asked her.
"I owe you one for tonight," she said as I entered my number into her scroll, "you helped my friend out so I think I owe you at least one favor."
"I didn't do this for a favor," I told her handing the scroll back, "I would have done this for a complete stranger, hell before tonight you and Velvet were practically strangers to me."
"Well no good deed goes unrewarded in my book," she said to me watching as the cab pulled up and we helped Velvet get up and quietly walk over to get in,
"T-thank you," the fanus girl slurred to me and I just nodded to her as Coco buckled her in.
"Take them to the Bullhead station," I said to the cab driver handing him a wad of cash, "make sure they get their safety and soundly," I instructed, "and take it easy on the turns, the girl there isn't feeling well."
The driver nodded to me and I said my final goodbye to Coco and watched the cab drive off. When I got back inside to the club I moved back and was called over to a back room behind the kitchen where the scumbag I had caught was currently locked away in a walk in freezer.
"We found these on him," Miltia explained to me, showing a bag of pills as well as a knife and what I suspected was a vial of coke.
"We thought you should have the honor of teaching him some manners," Melanie told me motioning to the door, "just save a little for me Jaune, you can't have all the fun."
I took a breath and removed my jacket before opening the door to a mostly empty room with only a few boxes stacked in the corner. The guy glared at me as I stepped and clenched his fists. "You're gonna be fucking sorry for this cocksucker!" He shouted, taking a swing at me. I let his fist connect with my aura and listened as he screamed in pain and cradled his hand. Then I gave him a right hook and sent him to the ground.
I don't consider myself to be a violent man. But I won't deny that smacking around this asshole felt good, really good. I just tried to imagine what kind of twisted evil Velvet could have endured and it guided my fist. I thought about the fact that he had probably done this kind of thing to other women and it helped me put power into my kicks. And the fact that he kept cursing me and telling me that I was going to regret this only fueled my anger and fury at him. I am not a cruel person, but watching him spit out his bloody teeth was undeniably satisfying. Had this been any other guy I might have taken it easy on him, or at least felt guilty for taking justice into my own hands like this. But that night I didn't have much mercy. That night I was more than happy to let my first teach him a lesson.
I was panting after maybe a good twenty minutes of roughing him up. "Your turn!" I told Melanie, tagging her in after my fists were sore and a little bruised from beating the shit out of him.
"Junior will be here soon," Miltia told me handing over a towel so I could clean the blood off my hands and face.
"What's gonna happen to him?" I asked her knowing full well that the Clan never handled their business by calling the police. I looked over the few possessions the bouncers had confiscated from him and saw a matchbook with the title Caboose on it with an old fashioned train caboose on it along with an address.
"Junior will decide that," Miltia explained coldly, "but he doesn't have a lot of tolerance for scum like this, this fucker will be lucky if he leaves with his ball let alone his life."
"Fuck!" We heard Melanie curse on the other end of the door and we threw it open to find her staring at the guy who was panting on the ground. His hideous leopard print shirt was torn up and I looked to see that his chest was marked by numerous crude tattoos.
I was getting used to seeing plenty of clan members sporting ink. They usually had arm or even body sleeves that were beautiful works of art depicting everything from old Mistrali samurai to tigers and great mythical beasts. But these tattoos were not elegant or pretty, they were just simple black lines across the body.
"Fuck," Miltia said mirroring her sister as she knelt down to look at the marking even closer.
"What is it?" I asked her having no idea what these ugly tattoos could mean.
"These are Atlesian prison tats," Melanie said pointing at one tattoo over his heart of a skull wearing a crown. "See that crown? It means this asshole is a made man for the Atlesians, and it means he killed someone in prison to become one."
"How do you know it was in prison?" I asked them.
"Because that's the only place Atesians get made," Miltia said, "but that's not the problem… if he's a made member then no one is supposed to even raise a hand to him without consequences."
As my mind began processing that I heard the guy laugh despite his broken nose and teeth. "That's right," he hissed coughing up a mouthful of blood, "I doubt you Clan bitches will get more than than a slap on the wrist," he hissed looking right at me, "but you blondie are gonna have your head on a silver fucking platter!"
I froze hearing that, I was the first person to touch him and even though Melanie and Miltia had raised their hands to him they were Clan members and doubtlessly Junior would protect them. But me? I was just an associate, I wasn't even Mistrali.
"You're pretty stupid, aren't you?" I turned and saw Junior standing in the doorway and stepping right past me to pick the guy up off the ground. He looked at a chain tattooed onto his shoulder and scowled. "You come here to my fucking club to poach girls!?" He growled before delivering a punch into his stomach making him double over. "You come into my club so you can traffic flesh!" He yelled at him before smashing him into the wall and letting him drop.
"I'm one of Michail's boys!" The guy cried to him, "he's going to hear about this!"
"Oh I know he will!" Junior growled at him, "and what the fuck do you think he's gonna do when I tell him that you crossed the line? I could kill you right now for this, I should kill you. But what do you think is going to happen when I demand justice from Nicky?"
The guy spat blood onto Junior's shoes, "he wouldn't dare," he growled before Junior put his size thirteen shoe into his face.
"We'll see," Junior said to him, "but if you think I'm going to give up this gentleman for raising a hand to a sex trafficking piece of shit like you then you clearly have underestimated me and the lengths I will go for my people!"
We turned to leave and I noticed that O-Ushi, Tonen and Kaiu along with others had come to see the show. The door closed behind us all and Junior turned right to me.
"Jaune!?" he said looking right into my eyes.
"Y-yeah?" I replied feeling a little shaken after watching him beat that guy down. Drops of blood still speckled on his face.
Both of his hands reached out touching my face, I felt like he could have crushed my skull with his bare hands, he was so big and imposing. He gripped me tightly and pulled me in kissing the top of my head. "Excellent work!" He said, still holding my face in his hands. He grinned triumphantly at me. "I owe you for this!"
I was stunned and confused trying to process what he was saying. "W-what?" I stuttered.
"You caught one of Michail's boys crossing a very serious line tonight," Junior explained, keeping an arm around my shoulder as we walked back to the VIP room. "This is much worse than a street gang dealing their drugs on our turf, this is a serious offence."
I quietly processed just how such a violation could possibly be a good thing and was stumped but decided I could ask him once we had reached wherever he was taking me. We got back into the VIP room and Junior grabbed the bottle of whiskey I had gifted to him and proceeded to uncork it, "A glass for me and this gentleman right here," he said to the bartender, flashing me a grin and patting my shoulder with his massive hand. The bartender gave him two empty glasses and Junior filled them with the smokey amber drink practically shoving the glass in my hand and clinking them together as if to toast.
"So what?" I asked him, "What happens now? What happens to that guy?"
"I'm going to let him crawl back to his boss Michail" Junior explained to me, "He's the one that's been supplying the 24k Dragons with their drugs and making my life difficult. I'm going to demand justice for this, Michail should pay the price for this, it was his man after all."
"So that guy just goes free?" I asked him.
Junior smirked, "I doubt it," he said, "the Atlesians don't take failure well. I would have killed him with a bullet to the head but I doubt his superiors will be so merciful. Michail can punish his own guy however he wants, I want Michail to be held responsible for what has happened."
I shuddered to think what kind of punishment would make death seem merciful. "What can you demand from Michail?" I asked him wondering just how Junior planned to end up on top from tonight's incident.
"I can demand quite a lot for this," Junior explained to me. "I might even be able to demand that he cease his dealings with the 24k Dragons or at the very least try to pay for my appeasement. If Michail doesn't make this right then the Prince is going to have to get involved or risk war. The ball is in my court." He explained to me taking another sip of his Glengoolie.
"So letting this guy go means you have the right to demand a lot from his boss Michail?" I asked, trying to simplify it outloud. "And if he doesn't appease you then you have justification to strike back?"
"Now you're getting it," Junior told me. "You did a good thing tonight kid," he said, clapping me on the shoulder once more.
"I was just trying to help out a girl I saw in trouble," I explained to him, "I had no idea that guy was working for the Atleaisans."
Junior raised his glass to me, "you're a true gentleman kid."
We took our glasses from the bar and went back to mingle among the rest of the party guests. Junior was already calling for everyone to meet him later and discuss the latest development. My contribution tonight aside there was still some business that I was not allowed to listen in on.
The night went on. I drank and conversed with everyone until Junior went back with his underbosses to discuss business and the rest of the night's developments. The rest of the night went standard, I drank, I danced with Melanie and Miltia, and I even went back to their apartment again by the end of the night.
But for the rest of that night I wasn't called kid or even Jaune. That night I got a new name that has stuck with me ever since. That night everyone called me Gentleman.