Chapter 27

Alice's eyes traveled over the people.

“You want a beer?” Jackson asked in a raised voice. The music was quite loud making it difficult to communicate in a regular voice.

Alice nodded at him. Jackson climbed out of the booth and walked toward the bar. Alice liked to look at the people and watch what they were doing. She never could understand how people think. Her eyes stopped at a bunch of young girls in their early twenties, dressed in short skirts and high heels. The crop tops they had on made sure to cling as tightly as possible around their boobs which made them almost pop out.

Jackson came back and caught her staring into the distance with a troubled expression. His eyes followed hers and spotted the young girls. He shook his head as he chuckled then slid the beer to Alana. He clicked his beer against the rim of her bottle before sitting down.

“Cheers,”

Alice raised her beer towards him and then took a sip. She placed hit down and motioned with her chin toward the girls.

“Are they regulars?”

Jackson gazed at them, then scrunched his nose in disgust. Alice noticed his expression and stared at him with curiosity.

“What?” Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I for one, thought you would like that type of girl?”

“No, what is there too like? I have high standards for my women. Thank you.”

Alice raised her eyebrow in question at him.

“What don’t you believe me?”

Alice shrugged her shoulders and averted her eyes while taking another sip of her beer.

“Whatever,” Jackson commented,

After the third beer, Alana told Jackson that she had enough and wanted to head home.

As Alice and Jackson walked toward the door, she noticed a girl that looked familiar sitting alone in a booth.

She stopped causing Jackson to almost bump into her.

"What’s wrong?” He asked as he walked next to her.

“I think I know that girl or have seen her before. What is she doing in a bar like this?” Alice asked more to herself than to those around her, but it was loud enough for Jackson to hear. He gazed in the direction she was looking.

“Oh, yeah you are right. Her brother would get a heart attack when he finds out that she is here.” Alice turned and looked at him baffled.

“You know who that is?” Alice asked.

“Yes, that is Maisie. Kevin Rodriguez’s sister.”

Alice slowly turned her head to Jackson. That is Kevin’s sister?”

“Yip.”

“What is she doing in a place like this?”

Jackson shrugged his shoulders, “Are we going to go now?” He asked,

Alice noticed a guy approaching Maisie.

“Hey, there sweet tits. Come with me,” he said as he grabbed her hand.

The guy had a beer belly, his shirt was tugged in and barely covered it. His long greyish beard was un neatly kept in, and to top that off, his greasy black hair was tied at the back of his head. He looked to be in his middle forties.

Maisie moved back in her seat as she jerked her hand out of his grip.

“Get away from me! My boyfriend will be back any second.” Maisie tried to sound brave, but her tone betrayed her, and her words came out as a stutter.

“Come now. I promise to show you a good time.” He reached for her again but suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder that flung him around.

“She said no!” Alice said as she took her hand off his shoulder. She pulled her face in one of disgust while wiping her hand on her pants.

“Fuck off Lady. Go get yourself someone else. This one is mine.”

“Oh. - But what if I want this one…”

“Alice!” Alice heard Jackson calling her back from behind.

Jackson stopped next to Alice and looked at her while ignoring the guy. “Really! You were the one that wanted to leave, but now you want to stay. What do you want to do now? Leave or stay?”

“Stay!” Alice said curtly while her eyes never left the scum bag.

“Okay, I’ll go get myself a beer and wait by the bar” Jackson looked at the guy, “A word of advice. Don’t piss her off any further or your dead,” Jackson turned and walked toward the bar.

The guy snickered at Jackson’s words. He looked Alice up and down then spit a spitball sideways out of his mouth onto the ground.

“Listen here bitch. I’ll fuck her until I'm done and if she is still alive, I will give her to you to do whatever you want with,” He looked at her distastefully then turned toward Maisie.

Alice grabbed the guy by his ponytail which caused him to fall backward.

“FUCK!” He screamed out as he was caught off guard. “You, fucking…” He turned around while Alice was still holding onto his ponytail. Alice sucker punched him in the nose before he could make any attempt to tackle her. The sound of cracked bones echoed around them.

Jackson gritted his teeth in pain, “Oh, that’s got to hurt.”

Alice released her grip on his hair when he fell to his knees in front of her. She glared down at him in disdain. Her head jerked toward Maisie who was staring horrified at the scene that was playing out in front of her.

“Go home. Your boyfriend is a piece of shit for bringing you to a place like this. I will deal with him once I am done with this one here.”

Maisie looked shocked at her. Maisie did not want to come to this bar but, Luca said he had to meet up with a friend. She knew her brother would flip if he ever found out that she was here, and truth be told she would not blame him. As she looked at the girl in front of her, she remembered the other guy calling her Alice… wait - could this be her brothers Alice? It must be her.’

She watched in awe as Alice grab the guy by the hair and pulled him outside.

“Aaah shit… Why did she have to take him outside.” Jackson said disappointed. The guy next to Jackson raised an eyebrow, “You don’t sound worried. Are you not going to help your friend?”

Jackson glanced at the guy and then burst out laughing. “You don't know who that is do you?”

The guy looked at Jackson as if he went crazy,

Jackson thought the guy was joking but when he saw the puzzled look still lingering on his face, he knew this guy genuinely do not know Alice. He recollected himself and turned to face the bar.

“She doesn’t need my help.”