Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

Chapter 25 - Two Solid Blows

"Did you see Eyeball?" Ace asked as he reached over my bare chest to grab a cigarette from the side dresser.

"I think he hates me even more now. But what can I do?"

"I need to see him too."

"Why?"

Ace lit up his first smoke of the day and skillfully flicked the match over me and into the ashtray, also on the side dresser. "Still can't get hold of Ants. Either she's still pissed off with me or..."

"Or what?"

"Dunno," he shrugged. "She never stays mad at me for long. It's not like her to not return my calls."

"So... what's Eyeball got to do with it?"

"He usually picks up the coke. If I do it instead, maybe I can catch a word of what's goin' on. Eyeball said Sergio's back on the door, and he knows about me and Ants, so I could come straight out and ask him if she's there or what."

"Oh. Alright."

"You OK with that?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Sounds like something you need to do. When are you going?"

"This afternoon. Carl's boys are supposed to be collecting tonight, right?"

I nodded. "I'm a little nervous. It's a lot of money and I don't know what to expect."

"So come with me and we'll drop it to him instead."

"Yeah," I grinned. "That would work."

"Don't worry, baby. I'll protect you," he dug at me, and he smirked as he took a drag. Smart ass.

"Sure you will. Just like you stuck by my side last time you said you would. Diego almost ate me alive."

"But that was before." He put the cigarette to his lips again, but I snatched it off him and threw it in the ashtray. "Hey!"

I got up on my knees and threw a leg over to straddle his hips. "Before what?" I asked.

He grinned and his eyes wandered down my naked form, and I felt something stir underneath me.

"Before you stopped seeing me as a source of income?"

"Who said I ever stopped?" he laughed, and I slapped him on the arm with a chuckle.

"What then?" I asked, adding some sass as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

I felt the roughness of his hands glide up my back and then down my spine, making every inch of skin tingle as his fingers slid over my bare ass and down my thighs. "Oh, you know," he said. "When you started driving me fucking crazy."

"Ooh... good answer." I lifted up and sunk myself down on him, as if to reward him. But, truthfully, I was just really horny. I always was around him. One was never enough.

--2--

"Eyeball, get out here," Ace shouted across the room.

We had just walked into Irby's - which was near empty at this time of the afternoon - and found Eyeball and Charlie playing on the far pool table. Eyeball stared at us from under a heavy brow that I interpreted as anger, disappointment and resentment all rolled into one. Charlie took another shot, missed the pocket and cursed, and Eyeball lent down to have his shot. Defiance. Pure defiance.

"I said, get the fuck out here," Ace demanded.

"What do you want?" Eyeball shrugged.

"Goddammit..." Ace went for Eyeball and grabbed him hard by the arm and tried to drag him away from the game, but Eyeball shook himself from Ace's grip.