The dank smell of smoke rolls from the tinted windows of a satin black full-sized SUV as it bounces to a stop in front of The Cobra’s Apple. The back wheels are squatted and the bass rattles the back glass. The driver opens his door and quickly shuffles to the back door to open it. A short man in a full-brimmed round hat hops out and curses at the driver before holding out his hand for his lady.

Peach pumps clack the pavement first. Then tall tan legs and a gold sparkling dress. She clutches a small furball that is neither fully dog nor fully cat in appearance. A slender gold chain dangles from a ring around her bicep to a ring on her finger. She purses her pink lips as she looks past the onlookers waiting on either side of the sidewalk leading into the club.

Many wait in line outside the club for the lucky chance to get in. A man in a suit walks out of the club to greet Leo and Carmen. He abases himself with fumbling compliments toward the short man and the supermodel Carmen.

Two men step out of the truck behind Leo and Carmen. The SUV lifts back up to its full height and the shocks sigh.

Tyrese and Rex are giants in the underbelly of Terre Goth, literally, the twins are brutes. Each could tuck a grown bear in for hibernation with a punch—knuckles like ball ping hammers and ham hock forearms. The twins could wring the letters out of a hardcover book with their hands but couldn’t spell their name if it wasn’t tattooed across their chests.

“Grab Carmen’s purse,” Leo demands snapping his finger. His oversized rings make his pudgy fingers look shorter.

“Sorry, Leo.” Rex reaches back and grabs the powder pink bag from the back seat.

Leo’s pencil mustache twitches but he turns back toward the tall, polished wood doors leading into the club. He adjusts the collar on his manilla, pinstriped suit jacket and waits for Tyrese to open the door.

The club is loud the pulse of the music hits them in the chest as they step through the doors. It is dark inside with blinding flashes of light revealing the dancers inside. Leo storms in with Carmen waddling behind to keep up in her heels and overly tight dress.

Rex and Leo scan the room. They note the man at the bar and the bulge at his hip. They see the group of men with the tattooed eyebrows and the tall angry looking man at the bar swooning in his seat. For every two steps, Leo and Carmen make Rex and Leo take one.

Leo pushes through the crowd and the twins make the path wider in the boss's wake. Soon they reach the back of the bar, and a private booth awaits them. Leo holds out a hand in a gesture that tells Carmen to sit. She scoots into the large round booth seat and Leo slides in beside her. The twins stand at attention.

Ray sees them and grabs drinks from the bar on his way over. He has his own bodyguards, and they follow him over. They are wearing rectangular sunglasses despite the dark room. Ray plasters an overly delighted smile on his face as he sets down Leo and Carmen’s favorite drinks.

Carmen wiggles in her seat and pulls her drink to herself with both hands. She pulls on the straw with pink-painted lips. Leo sits back in his seat not touching his drink. “Where is my money, Ray?”

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Ray adjusts his tie and sits down in the booth. His guards stand facing the twins. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a banded bundle of bills and slides it across the table.

Leo looks at the money indignant for a moment the little round ball that is his chin quivers for a moment. He plucks up the stack of bills and flings it back into Ray’s chest. “What is this?” He demands.

Ray grabs the bills quickly as they burst from their banding. “I don’t have it all right now Leo.”

“Where is it? At your apartment? In your car?” Leo growls.

“No I mean I don’t have it right now.” Ray collects all the bills into a pile again and bands them again. “This is all I have.”

Leo grabs Carmen’s hand and pulls her up out of the booth, “Go fix your makeup doll face.”

She takes one more drink then grabs her purse from Rex and bounces off to the bathroom. Leo waves a dismissive hand and Rex follows behind her to wait outside the bathroom door. Tyrese stands still facing Ray’s bodyguards.

“I don’t think you appreciate all I have done for you Ray.” Leo spins with his hand palm up in a gesture to the high-class club. “I get you out of the Valley, I feed you from my table.” He grabs Ray by the collar. “I put money in your pockets, meat on those scrawny bones.”

The bodyguards behind Ray snatch out their pistols and point them at Tyrese and Leo. When Tyrese doesn’t flinch both guards focus their weapons on him.

Leo glances up at the guns and then back down at Ray. Ray shrugs an apology. “My guards don’t appreciate you manhandling me, Leo. Puts them on edge.”

“You better tell your men to put up their guns before Rex takes them and beats them with them,” Leo said loud enough for the bodyguards to hear.

“Tyrese boss.” Tyrese offers with a low voice.

“Tyrese then, I can’t tell them apart.” Leo laughs.

The two bodyguards look down at Ray and Ray shakes his head. “Tyrese might be big Leo, but he’s not bulletproof,” Ray shouts too loud as the music stops. Many of the dancers nearby turn to see them now. It is quiet for a few breaths then Leo grabs the glass mug that holds his drink and smashes it on Ray's face.

Tyrese feels a mule kick to the chest as he hears the gun go off before his face. He looks down at his chest to see blood soak his shirt. He looks back up at the wide eyes of the guard that shot him. “You shot me.” As he says it the realization sets in and a hot fury rises up from his stomach to his chest then the big man loses the little sense he has acquired to this point in his life.

Both guards start shooting, Leo starts dropping fists on Ray’s face, and Tyrese roars. He smacks the guns from the men's hands with a swipe of his ape-sized palm and proceeds to brutalize both offenders with primal rage. He doesn’t hear the screams as the bar clears out and clogs together at the doors. He doesn’t feel the blood draining out of his chest.

Broken furniture flies up around the big man as he drops his arms on the fallen men like a pile driver hammering a steel beam into the ground. Unsatisfied he picks up one of the men and flings him into the wall.

Rex barges in and smashes into another man pointing a gun at his brother from behind. Then the twins continue their bone-cracking punches until their adversaries are just lumps on the floor.

“Leo!” Carmen’s voice tears through the chaos. “You said we were just going out for drinks this time.” Carmen pouted from the doorway of the bathrooms.

Outside lightning flashes and a low growl of thunder rumbles past.