Silverbow (10 page)

Greyden was called away and Murphy turned to stare at me. I rolled my eyes and slipped off my stool. He wouldn’t be able to follow me, it would look suspicious. I leaned over the bar and kissed Greyden goodbye and made my exit. Fuck Murphy. I wondered how I could show such distaste for someone I wanted so badly. Love Hate relationships; got to love them. I let the door slam behind me and took my time heading towards my truck, certain he would not follow. My face tensed when I heard the door open and close behind me and quick footsteps in my direction. I turned on heel to face him.

“Murph…” I started but fell silent when Mrs. Yates came face to face with me. I braced myself; sure she was ready to fight. “Can I help you with something,” I asked coolly. I was ready to be slapped and instead she took a long deep breath and then burst into tears.

“Where is my husband,” she cried softly with her face hidden away in her hands. Her shoulders shook and she let out a loud sob. I placed a hand on her shoulder and smirked.

“I’m not buying it. You can stop now.” She stopped and lifted her head to look around and rolled her eyes.

“I can’t get shit for sympathy from you,” she bitched and shrugged her shoulders.

“Why do you want it? You are sleeping around behind your husband’s back! And he was my Pop’s best friend. What do you expect,” I asked and backed up to open the tailgate of my truck and take a seat.

“You’ve seen him. You know exactly why I do it. I have needs and Mr. Whiskey Dick can’t get the job done,” she spouted defensively.

“Buy a fucking dildo. Get the man some help,” I replied.

“Its not the same and he is too far gone for any help that I could get him around here.”

“Wrong,” I said butting in. “I just dropped him off and severed all of his supply ties. He is going to be forced to sober up. I need him sober.”

“You think he will. He will find a way to get hammered. Why do you need him sober anyways,” she asked arching a brow at me.

“I want to talk to him about the guys who killed your son and my dad. I want the details of the beating afterwards. I have a feeling that if one showed his face here in town recently the others may follow.”

“I thought about that too,” she admitted and kicked at something on the ground.

“You think,” I asked with mocking shock and she flashed a sarcastic smile.

“I was there for it all. The beating, that is. There were four of them and about twelve of us. They strung them up and started asking them questions. When they wouldn’t talk they slit their faces and beat them mercilessly. I noticed they all had the same tattoo on the side of their necks. It looked like a huge paw print of some sort. After the guys showed they would rather die than talk, the crew slit them from here to here,” she said pointing from her lower abdomen up to her chin. They didn’t seem to bleed like we expected them to. Not quickly. So they were left there to hang and drain. We went back two days later and they were gone. The ropes had been slashed and there were no bodies to be found.”

I sat quietly thinking it all over. How could anyone survive an attack like that? Well, as of right now I only knew that one of them did survive. I sat puzzled and shook my head.

“Yeah so you know how surprised I was when one of them walked in my store. Thing is…I have a confession. I knew one of them. I had sort of had a run in with one of them here the week before the shooting. He said his name was Darius. We only had a one night fling.”

“You fucked him?!”

“You know me,” she said and shrugged. She had to hate herself after the shootings. I could now see why she was in self destruct mode. I sighed heavily and made note of the name Darius. I didn’t ask her for more information. This bitch never did much talking before she spread her legs. I was sure she didn’t ask him anything that would matter now.

“I need to leave,” I said and hopped off the bed of my truck as an idea struck me. “Thanks for talking to me about all of this. Maybe once Yates is cleaned up he will be a better man for you,” I said but didn’t promise. She simply nodded and headed for her own car. I climbed into the cab and before I knew it, I was fifteen miles past my own house and heading into the desert with my Smith and Wesson in my lap.

There was a place about twenty miles out where some of the rough and tough liked to gather with bonfires, huge trucks and fights. Normally I would avoid a place like this but tonight I was on edge and felt like if there was a good place to find the worse kind of men, it would be there. I eyed the trailer parks that littered the desert along the way. There were very few houses in this town, I was happy mine was one of them. Most of the trailers were from the early sixties and falling apart at the seams. Nothing wrong with a mobile home; their owners just didn’t take care of them.

As I approached the wide open range, I could see about seven barrels set ablaze. More than likely this was where the Young brother’s had brought the body to cremate it. What was scary was that no one would have questioned their actions. Lucky for me I would know most of the people out there and wouldn’t seem as out of place as a total stranger. I parked on the outskirts and grabbed a half empty vodka bottle from under the seat. I thought if I appeared a little boozed up I would seem like more of a good time. People will talk a little more when they think you will forget.

I tucked my 9 mm in my jeans against my back and pulled on my leather jacket that lay in the seat next to me. Pocketing my keys, my boots sailed over the sands with a mission and finally I was at the outer most ring of hell. My eyes slid to the dancing flames of the closest burning barrel. I stood with the open vodka bottle at my side and my long bangs falling in my eyes. I stood still and listened for several minutes; remaining unnoticed. From the left came talk of illegal firearms coming in next week and to the right I could hear one man threatening another for cheating in a race for pink slips. No one ever played fair out here so I wondered why anyone would put pink slips on the line. Drunk fucks.

I cast my eyes away from the fire as I heard engines roar and watched as too ridiculously lifted trucks kicked up sand and lurched forward heading towards rocky terrain and a finish line several yards beyond it. The trucks jolted all over the place as their tires hit the rocks and climbed them like ungraceful beings. I turned away without seeing who won and headed for a rickety looking set of bleachers. I didn’t know if I could trust sitting on them without the structure collapsing so I took at seat on the bottom bench. After watching several groups of raised voices I had managed a count of twenty-six heads. I knew twenty of them and one spotted me.

“Mmmm. Miss Nasty has joined us. Bitch, what are you doing out here,” chimed a familiar voice. I smirked and turned to see Charlie approaching the bleachers. Tonight his tall sleek body was dressed in tight dark jeans and a perfectly tailored dress shirt with all the buttons left open to reveal his trim and toned torso. “How is my car coming along, baby?”

“It looks like it has been shot up right now. I had to cut a few rust patches out. Murphy is working on the guts right now,” I replied and crossed my legs as I leaned back on the bench behind us. I looked him over and smirked. “Smooth as a baby’s bottom,” I commented and he nodded.

“Yes, baby, they like it smooth,” he purred and glanced back over his shoulder at a group of rugged men that I would have never have guessed to be gay. “So is it that grease monkey that brings you out here,” he asked and arched a brow. “Trouble?”

“No, no. Well, maybe. But that’s not why I am out here.” My reply brought his hands to his mouth and is eyes widened.

“Miss Dakota, you hussy,” he shook his head. “I don’t blame you for wanting a bite of that man though. God damn he is some kind of dangerous. You know how I like them…” he winked at me and crossed his legs. “Greyden know anything about this,” he asked arching a brow. I shook my head and looked away. “It’s a damn shame that someone came up with monogamy. Your little secret is safe with me as long as you tell me all the details,” he smirked and placed a hand on my knee. “Girl, you know I love your skanky ass.”

I smiled at him and nodded. My eyes swept the grounds again and nothing seemed to catch my attention. Turning back to Charlie I noticed him staring at someone in a small circle about ten yards from us.

“Who is that,” I asked and tried to figure out which one he was eyeing.

“Bitch, don’t ask don’t tell. That’s a rule here,” he hissed playfully and I laughed.

“Your gay ass screams queen! No one has to ask you,” I quipped and he licked his lips.

“I just don’t like to out all of my lovers. Some of these men will gut a queer in a hot minute. Lucky for me, my gaydar is some top quality shit and I steer clear of them haters,” he said with the sass of ten gay men.  I laughed lightly and deserted the quest to guess which man was plugging him later tonight. “So why are you really here,” he finally asked coming full circle.

“I came to observe,” I offered and he rolled his eyes telling me it wasn’t enough for him. “Have you noticed any new strangers? Paw tattoos on their necks,” I asked quietly.

“Paws,” he asked himself and then shook his head at me. “I don’t think so. Then again, I’m not usually checking out a man’s neck. At least not that one,” he replied and placed a hand on his inner thigh suggestively. “I will keep an eye out for you though. I see everyone that walks through here,” he offered and I was happy to accept. We sat quietly for a few moments and then he sat on the edge of the bench about to stand. “Well, slut, I have to get back to work. This bitch has bills to pay.” I arched a brow at him and he smiled. “This ass aint free!”

I grinned as I watched him saunter off and rejoin the small collection of men close by. Hooker. My gaze lingered away and was captured by an increasing group in the distance. I could hear yelling and grunting. I was sure there was a fight going on. I witnessed a man swing his arm wide and smash his fist into the side of another man’s head. Ouch. People were holding cash over their heads as they watched and placed bets. I wouldn’t take part in any of that. I started to wonder how safe it was for me to be out here alone. The cool metal against my lower back made me feel a little safer and I remained seated.

After a few moments I felt someone approach from the side of the bleachers. It was familiar warmth but the breathing was wrong. Murphy wasn’t a heavy breather. I kept myself from turning to see who it was as they circled the bleachers and came into view. It wasn’t Murphy. This man was 5’7” with boots on and abnormally built. Can we say “steroids”? Dressed in jeans and a fitted long sleeved black shirt, I was sure he was proud of himself. Most of the men out here were tall and I was sure this man bulked up to feed his Napoleon complex. Platinum hair hung over his dark eyes in damp shag, looking like he was fresh out of the shower. He was handsome but there was something cheesy about him.

“Got a smoke,” he asked and I shook my head. His voice wasn’t nearly as low as Murphy’s but he was just as raspy. “Here alone,” he added and I shook my head again. I would say I was here with Charlie if needed to. Not that Charlie was a threat to anyone unless it was a bitch slapping contest. “Do you talk?” I wanted to roll my eyes him but refrained.

“When there is something important to be said,” I replied and collected my vodka bottle from the bench beside me and took a sip. His dark eyes watched the bottle rise and fall. He slid a little closer and leaned back on the bench with me.

“Fag hag?” I slowly turned to look at him and gave him a serious glance.

“Faggot?” I asked in return. He smiled and shook his head.

“Far from it, lady. I just noticed you talking to the pretty boy is all.” He nodded towards Charlie.

“A close friend. Whats it to you?”

“Just making small talk,” he added and looked away with a casual smile.

“You were better off with your mouth shut,” I informed him and he laughed.

“The people around here sure are friendly,” he commented and shook his head. I turned to look him over while he scanned the crowd and tried to see the other side of his neck but wasn’t able to. He was obviously new here. I tried to keep myself from getting anxious and looked back in the direction of the fight. Two men were now dragging the limp body of the fight’s loser to rest it on a rock. The beaten man rolled onto his side after a minute which brought me relief to see him alive still. I felt the stranger’s eyes on me and turned to meet them.