The Darkside of the Bronx

Chapter 8

I woke up on Veronika's couch with a throbbing pain in my arm.  After the explosion I walked to Veronika's and had to explain everything to her. My apartment was on the news, they had to evacuate the whole building because the fire spread. I'm sure the police are going to be looking for me too. I never thought I'd be literally on the run but I guess this is where I am. Only time I have heard of people on the run is in action movies and history. Normally they'd be running from the law or a mob. Who the hell knows who these guys are and why they think I have seen them kill my boss. Now that I know they did kill Baron and i've seen their faces i'm even more of a target. I throw back two tylenol and chase it with the warm beer from lastnight. 

"I see you're awake Mrs.Bond" Veronika walks in laughing wearing her hair in a tight bun with a strand of hair around her face. Her office button up and black skirt could cause people to think she were a prostitute. 

"Ha, funny" I retort sarcastically. 

"Whats with the escort outfit?" I say pointing up and down at her attire. 

"It's not a hooker outfit! You shut it!" Veronika says in awe and gasps. 

"I have a date and it's dancing!" Veronika says and throws a carton of cigarettes at me. 

"Wait, a date at Ten in the morning?" I say quizzically taking a pack of smokes out of the carton. 

Veronika looks at me with her eyebrow up and hand on her hip. I ignore her as I'm trying to get a cigarette out of the pack in my hand. They're soft packs and I like box.

"You know what time it is? Have you looked around?" Veronika asks in the same stance as earlier.

I look around the room with my cigarette hanging from my mouth. It looked light out to me, even with the curtains covering the windows. 

"Uh, it looks light out?" I retort and stand up to head to the shower. I smell like death. 

"It's Six at night T!" Veronika says in a huff and stomps away. 

 ''What's up her ass'' I mumble under my breath and head to the shower. After the shower I throw on a ripped up tee, boots and a pair of ripped jeans. My makeup black and glittery. I didnt have much in my bag and I have to go to work tomorrow. Throwing my hair in a high pony and grab the gun that I borrowed from Al, sticking it in my waistband. Sometimes if people are after you, then you have to find out why. There's no reason I should be doing this but I need to figure out why these people are so keen on finding me and if they're the same people who left the necklace at my door. Who was the strange fucker in the alley that first night? 

"Alright girl! I'm going, behave! Don't blow my house up" Veronika says seriously and blows me a kiss walking out the door. 

I roll my eyes and flip her off. Waiting a few minutes before I walked out behind her. 

Sitting down at the bar, that I sometimes frequented with Veronika, her place being down the street. I asked the bartender for a gin and ate the bar nuts from the bowl he handed me. Looking around the bar, not very many people were here tonight on a Thursday. Knowing I had work tomorrow after the day off I took yesterday, I was a little worried. I had to show up to work and act like all was good. Sure the police would be around to ask questions but I'd just lie and say I got out and the stove was left on after making tea. They obviously have a record of noise complaints but it was already chopped up to my TV. Honestly, if they ask I'll tell them I was a little traumatized from the explosion but made it out safely. Playing innocent. 

"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" I'm interrupted by  a tall brunette, handsome man in a leather jacket, tshirt and jeans. His military boots caught my eye before he even did. Which means he rides a motorcycle. 

"Sure, gin"  I say and down the drink in my hand. 

"Nice to meet you, Jen. I'm Syler." He says as he waves down the bartender for a drink. 

"No doll, that's the drink I'm having, my name is Tally." I laugh as the bartender comes over to pour our drinks. He ordered me a fruity drink and I cringed at the sight but sipped on it anyway. 

"Oh, sorry. My mistake!" He then adds "What brings you to the bar on a weekday?" 

"Should be asking you the same, shouldn't I?" I say as I'm trying to stomach the sweetness of the pineapple beverage in front of me.

The drink tasted as if it had no alcohol in it whatsoever and it was like drinking slushy syrup. I slid the drink back away from me and ordered another gin for myself.

"Didn't like the drink?" He says watching me. 

"Too sweet" I say, drinking the gin and standing up. 

"Thanks for the drink. I better go home. Work tomorrow." I say as I shrug on my jacket and throw a few bills as a tip on the bar. 

"Want me to walk you?" He asks and starts to get up from his stool. 

I give him a look up and down. Not bad looking, he doesn't look like a Stalker but his vibes he's giving off are grade A stay the hell away. 

"Nah, you always ask creepyshit to a girl you just met?" I say raising my eyebrow about to walk away. 

 "No, no! I just thought that it being so late you wouldn't want to walk home alone." He says raising his hands defensively. 

"How do you know if I walked or drove?" I say as the sweetness of the pineapple drink I had only a few seconds ago comes up my throat. Something wasn't right about this guy and I wasn't staying to find out. I walked out of the bar and looked around me. Nothing but homeless people and a few passersby were walking up the sidewalks. The streetlights were illuminating the dark corners of the streets as I walked hastily back to Veronika's house. I was a few blocks away when a car drove slowly behind me. My head started to spin and my stomach dropped. "The drink" I mustered out before I started feeling as if the world were rotating at a speed I couldn't keep my balance to. I wobbled on clutching my stomach. I could puke any second. As the car pulled up I fell down and I was caught by the arms of a man. His face was distorted with the dizzy haze. He was saying something and that's when the lights went out.