9 I’ll Break Your Face

Veronica was on her fourth shot of whiskey as the bartender across from her uncorked a bottle for another customer. "They don't know what they're losing, Tim", she raised the glass to gulp down its contents at once. "They don't know how hard it is to find a staff as dedicated as me", she laughed as the man returned to fill her glass. "You're such a good guy, you keep refilling my-", she paused to burp, "My glass!", she slapped the table and he chuckled at the sight of her.

"So, what do you plan on doing? Have you started looking for another job?". He asked wanting to hear her drunken answers since there was a saying that a man's true intentions often showed when he was drunk.

"Me?!", she slapped both hands on the table spilling half the contents from her glass onto the wooden table. She laughed. "No no, I could never find another one in this abominable city". She laughed lowly just thinking about it. "I won't start looking now that I have everything I want, I'm my own man from now on!". She hiccuped.

"Yeah...that makes no sense". Tim shook his head before moving to the other edge of the long table to serve someone else.

"Hey, pretty lady", the man beside her who'd just downed his glass decided to speak up first.

"Pretty? You've got good eyes", she hiccuped once more while pointing at him. "Do I know you?".

There was a smirk lined across his lips as he took off his cap. "No". He answered with amusement in his voice. He reached out for her hand. "But I won't mind getting to you".

Veronica pulled away. "Go away fat guy, you're not even as cute as Fabian", she picked up her shot glass before gulping the hot liquid down her throat.

The man beside her didn't know who exactly Fabian was but he felt somewhat insulted. "Come on, I'll show you a good time". He grabbed her wrist. "You'll have fun with me, I promise".

"Let go of me!", she protested.

"Let's talk outside", he pulled her arm.

Veronica immediately grabbed the bottle beside her and slammed it into the side of his head.

The man stuttered as blood streamed down his face from where the bottle shattered and Veronica returned to her senses, realizing what she'd just done.

"Fuck! You're dead, bitch!", his eyes scanned around as all eyes had turned to them and he moved to pick up a wooden stool. He was a bit woozy and instead of hitting her head flung the stool against her stomach making her back collide with the counter.

"Urghhh!", Veronica choked, struggling to get back up while clenching her stomach for air and coughing.

The man came forward and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her off the counter before flinging her against a table.

The group of three who'd been drinking at that table protested and mumbled before leaving silently since their drinks were sent flying too.

"Big Billy, calm down. She didn't mean it", Tim tried to stop the bald man whose beard hair covered most of his face.

"Mind your business, Tim, she started it!", Big Billy yelled in rage as he raised his wooden baseball bat resting on the counter over his shoulder preparing to smash the brunette into a bloody pulp. A few customers gasped loudly and took steps back but most simply watched as the brunette on the floor struggled to sit up.

Tim jumped over the counter, stretching both arms out to stop the oversized man before he could murder someone.

"Get out of the way unless I'll bash your head in first".

The innocent bartender felt sweat drops trickle down the side of his face as he looked back at Veronica whom he barely knew. "Just don't do it in my shop, take it outside", he moved aside feeling the guilt weigh over his shoulders.

This man was a popular hoodlum who'd spent about a decade in jail over various acts of violence. He just got out about a month ago and had been causing chaos all around town. 'She was stupid to have done that', he tried to justify his actions in his head since they both couldn't take the fall for her mistake.

Billy gripped Veronica by the hair before dragging her towards the entrance with his bat over his other shoulder.

The other customers watched as they left traces of blood on the floor before leaving.

"Someone call an ambulance", Tim called out but no one wanted their faces to be known as the person who called an ambulance for Big Billy's victims.

Outside was already dark as he dragged her towards the alley beside the shop.

A dark car stopped across to watch the scene play out, wondering why he kept seeing the same woman.

After tapping his feet a couple of times, he cursed before pushing his door open and rushing across the road and into the alley where they both disappeared.

Big Billy looked down at the woman who was barely visible under the moonlight before spitting on her. "You should be thankful I even noticed you", he said before kicking her in the side, sending her crashing onto the wall.

Veronica cried out in pain, feeling the pain in her ribs. "Now be a good girl and don't struggle unless I'll fucking break your face!". He dropped his bat and let it roll behind him before leaning down to pin both her arms down.

Jason picked up the bat and in what seemed like a moment and forcefully slammed it against the bald man's head which audibly cracked against the wall before his body slid down, landing on Veronica.

He died on the spot.

Jason kicked the body aside before quickly picking up the woman with an arm and flinging her over his shoulder.

He took quick steps away from the scene with the bat that held his fingerprints before opening his car and placing her into the passenger seat from the driver's side. In less than ten seconds, he zoomed off as the customers from the bar began to troop out.

He drove for a while before speaking as her breathing grew raggedy, "Are you conscious or not?".

When she didn't answer, he turned the lights on before twisting his neck to face her.

Her eyes were wide open staring off into the empty space ahead with a red face and her breathing was sluggish. "My...ribs", she coughed out blood.