Smoke'n'Booze

XIII

Chibs POV

The following days Erin kept more to herself. She answered when she was spoken to, she smiled when someone made a joke, it almost looked like she is the Erin everyone knows. But I could see through the surface. Her eyes weren't shining as brightly as they used to, she wasn't happy like she was before. Erin tried to act normal, but it made me worry even more.
When the girls and the prospect went out for grocery shopping, I made my way to Hank. I wanted to know who Valentine was and what his secrets were.

I opened the door to Hanks apartment, to what I had the key to. "Hank? It's Chibs. Where are you?" No answer. He had to be here, he called me earlier that he's waiting for me. Confused I made my way through his living room. Hank was a tidy person, I had to give him that. "Hank?" I got to the kitchen and took in the chaos around me. "Jesus! HANK?", I yelled now fully concerned. I yanked out my gun from it's holster and made my way over the chaos. It looked like there had been a fight or something. A soft moan came from the laundry room next to the kitchen. Carefully I made my way over there and yanked the door open, the gun directed to the person behind the door.

Hank layed on the floor, blood all over his face, a laceration on his forehead. He held up his hands to shield himself for whoever came to hurt him some more. "Jesus. Hank! It's ma, Chibs!" Hank looked up through his swollen eyes and recognized me. I crouched down next to him, looking for further injuries. He was bruised pretty badly, but except that he was whole. "Who did this?" Hank swallowed and just said one word. "Valentine."
I yanked out my burner phone. "Aye, Ryan, Chibs here. Get the girls to Redwoody. NOW." Not waiting for an answer I disconnected the call and called Tig. "We have a situation. Come to Hanks with the Towtruck. Hank needs a ride and he is not able to drive for himself."
I put my burner away and helped Hank into a sitting position. "So. Now tell ma, what happened?" Hank sighed exhausted. "After I called you, I went to back to the kitchen. There was a knock on my door and I thought it was my neighbor again, she usually comes by twice a week for a coffee. But it were two guys. They told me something about apartment rental service. I have never seen them before, so I didn't knew them if they are connected to my rental or not. They had official papers and such. Of course I let them in and went to the kitchen with them. I questioned for what exactly they showed up and they started grinning. They warned me about digging further into Valentine's businesses and before I could do something one held me and the other guy started throwing punches." "Dammit... I guess ya ha found something then?" Hank nodded. Yeah, but they took my laptop and all of my equipment." Suddenly he smiled. "Thank god I am a little neurotic... I have a backup on my external hard disk. It is under the stove, I placed it there this morning." Quickly I got up and went back to his kitchen. "There ya are... I got it!"
A sudden knock on the door let me jump up again. "Be quiet...", I whispered to Hank and I took my gun and aimed it at the apartment door. "Who's there?" "Calm your tits, it's me, Tiggy." With a sigh I opened the door. "Good. Ya're here fast." "Was just two blocks away, what happened? Hanks bike is fine..." I shoved Tig inside and closed the door. "Kitchen." Tig cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, just followed me. "Hank, it's Tig." Hank still sitting on the floor let out a shaky breath. "What the fuck? Ah come on....", Tig said when he saw Hank, full of his own blood. Both of us helped Hank up. "Uhm, can somebody of you get to my neighbor? She's... I kinda like her and I don't want her to be harmed, ya know?" I looked at him and nodded. "Aye... I get her. She can ride with ya guys." Tig helped Hank to put some stuff including his external hard disk into a bag pack and guided him to the towtruck. I went to the apartment next door to Tigs and knocked there. A small blonde girl in her twenties opened the door. "Yes?" "Hi I am a friend of Hanks... uhm... he wants you to come with us?" Blondie's eyes widened. "Did something happen to him?" "Uhm... he waits downstairs for ya... he should tell ya himself... listen, lass, we don't have much time... could you get a bag with overnight clothes... we kinda are in a hurry..." "Yeah, of course. Good lord... thank god, he told me if a son is at my door asking for something, I  have to do it... because if you guys show up, shit is running downhill..." she said while quickly shoving some stuff in a bag. Impressed by Hanks foresight I nodded. "Yeah it kinda is... by the way I am Chibs." "Mary.", she answered and came back to the door all packed up. "Alright. Ready to go." She locked the door and followed me downstairs. I led her to the towtruck and the minute she saw Hank sitting inside she jumped in and checked his wound. She wasn't even freaked out. "Hey lass, this isn't the first guy ya've  seen bleeding is it?" "Nope. Been in Iraq for two years." I nodded at her knowingly. "Ok see ya guys at Redwoody."

Thirty minutes later we all gathered at the studio. Erin ran to me. "What happened? Ryan didn't say shit!" I hugged her. "Yar all safe here? Good. Erin, this is Mary, she's Hanks neighbor. Would ya take care of her? I will explain in a few, I just ha ta talk ta ma boys." "Of course." She said when she saw Hank and Blondie walking into the studio. Erin hissed when she saw Hanks face. "Are you alright, Filip?", she asked me quietly but deeply concerned. "Aye, love. Nothing happened ta ma." She leaned in and crushed her lips against mine. "Go, do your business, I take care of the girls." "Yar the best, love." I smiled at her and waved at the guys, to follow me to the table.

We all took our seats and I brought down the gavel. "Valentine's men came by earlier and threatened Hank. Brother tell them." Hank took down the ice pack he was handed when we came here and nodded. He told the others everything he told me. "I tried to free myself from that assholes grip, but I couldn't do much against two.", he finished a little pissed of himself. "We all have been there brother.", Tig said. "I got the backup on my hard disk. If you could get me another laptop or something I can show you what I found out about Valentine." Quinn stood up and went outside, to the girls. "Tell us all you know.", Happy said. "Well we already know he's not just a business man. This is just a cover up for everything he does. He has a lot of construction sides. I digged up a lot of stuff, but that is probably just the tip of the iceberg. He is big in drugs, dogfights and smuggling people into the states. He is a big fish guys."
Quinn came back with one of Laylas laptops and handed it to Hank. Hank started to work and shortly after he showed us a map of downtown. A whole of three blocks were already under Valentine's name.

Erin's property was in the middle of it and I didn't like it at all.

Erin's POV

When the guys filled in the meeting room I made my way over to the blonde girl, standing in the middle of the studio a little lost. "Hi, you must be Mary, right?", I said approaching the small blonde. "Yes, that's me." "I am Erin. I am Chibs old lady, and welcome to Redwoody productions." Mary laughed. "Shit. This is a pornstudio...", she said when she let her eyes wander. "Yes indeed... but today there are no shooting sessions, so don't be bothered by the interior. Let me introduce you to the girls."
I guided her to the bar, when Layla and Venus came out of the kitchen. "Uh who's that Momma?" I smiled at Venus nickname for me. "This is Mary, ladies. Mary these two are Venus and Layla. Layla is our chief producer in here. Filip told me you're Hanks neighbor, Mary?" "Yeah... a little more than that, but yeah." "Oh I know the phrase a little more too well. Want something to drink, darlin?" "A cup of coffee?" "Sure thing Mary.", Layla said smiling at her.
"Do you know anything what happened?", Layla asked a few minutes later, when she placed a cup of coffee in front of everyone. Mary shook her head no. "I didn't hear or see anything, not until your man Chibs showed up at my door."

Suddenly Quinn showed up. "Layla, would you be so kind and lend us a laptop of yours?", he asked friendly. "Yah sure. Take the blue one in the office, I barely work with that anyway." Quinn thanked her, went to the office to get that laptop and he went back to the meeting room with it.
"I wonder what this is all about...", Layla said. "I have a guess... I bet it has something to do with Valentine..." I said and got up, leaving the girls at the bar. "Tell me when they are done, I am going upstairs, I need to think a little bit." Layla and the other two girls nodded but looked at me worried.

Without any further explanation I went upstairs to Chibs rooms.

Maybe it was time to call Valentine and end this fucking ruckus.