Going Nowhere

Chapter 21 - Kitty-cat

                  

When Elsa had stopped hyperventilating, Pentagon informed her that he could wait until she was ready.

"No need to start a family immediately," he said jovially. "We'll wait a few days, and then we decide."

"You should go away," Elsa said hoarsely.

"No," he said jovially. "I don't think I should."

During the hyperventilation, it had become clear to us all that he was a super affable guy. Between pressing a big, brown paper bag into the hands of a distraught Elsa and throwing equally distraught bikers across the bar, Pentagon had informed us that he preferred to be called Pen. Or whatever we felt like calling him as long as it wasn't his actual name.

I promptly informed him that my name was Hibiscus but that I preferred to be called Kitty, which made him lean over the bar and kiss my cheek. Jackson disapproved and slapped Pen in the head, but his hand got stuck in the masses of black hair, so he only got a sweet, happy chuckle in return and then they spent five minutes untangling the mess.

Once Elsa was breathing normally, things calmed down. A couple of the biker brethren disliked how Pen was hovering over Elsa, but he just smiled at them, and their angry words somehow morphed into them buying him beers. Jackson also got Pen a beer, and they sat down to talk for a while, which made Elsa's nostrils flare. I gave her a Jaeger which calmed her down again.

Rafael informed me that he had to leave because his cousin, Jesus, was in jail and needed someone to post bail but that he'd enlisted Joel and Elsa to ensure my safety.

"Jesus... as in...?" I prompted.

"Jesús Hernandez, babe."

Okay, goody. Hernandez was pretty much not Christ, which would have been very very unsettling.

"What did he do to end up in prison?"

"Jaywalked."

His eyes were warm with happiness, and I could tell he wanted to share how in the hell someone could jaywalk badly enough to get himself into a situation where bail needed to be posted, but his phone beeped.

"Gotta go, sweetie," he murmured, moved my hand to his mouth, kissed it gently, and left.

The biker babe who had questioned the fairness of me getting all the hot guys started sobbing.

"That was so romantic," she sniffled.

A tear leaked out of her eye, and she wiped it off with the back of her hand, which was stupid. She'd clearly forgotten the brass knuckles, and one of the spikes tore a long, angry cut across her cheek.

I ignored a scowling Jackson and got busy handing out antiseptic wipes, band-aids, and Jaegers.

When Silenus and I had closed the bar, Joel and Elsa waited for me outside. Elsa still seemed stunned, so I pulled the paper bag out of her hands and put it over my head, thinking that a bit of silly goofiness would snap her out of her stupor.

"Wheeeere is Elsa," I drawled, and heard her giggle.

I moved around with my arms stretched out and tried to catch Elsa, or Joel if I was lucky, and we were laughing.

Then they both suddenly went silent.

"Hey," I snapped. "Where are you?"

"Here," a deep voice said ominously.

Without warning, I was unceremoniously pushed into a car, the door slammed shut, and I heard the lock snap. Then we were moving. I was about to remove the stupid bag from my head when I felt the cold metal of something I suspected might be a pistol on my arm and froze.