“Well. Shall we go see if there’s any of his piece of shit, kid-diddling, friends still kicking around your new house? We can take my car and come back for yours later. I’ve got a couple pipes and a pistol in the trunk anyhow. Should be more than enough.”
“Nah, pal. I’ll grab Denny’s truck from the shop. He won’t be using it tonight and if there are any fucks sitting in the place, maybe they’ll think the fat bastard is just cruising the property for parts. You follow me out in your machine and keep an eye out for any action. I’ve got a blade and pistol. I’m set. Feel free to jump in if the mood strikes you.”
“Don’t you fucking think I won’t.”
I grabbed the gun from the drawer and the steel from where I had dropped it after I almost sawed Dennis’s idiot head off earlier.
Deacon pulled another bottle of whiskey from the box.
“One for the road sounds about right, hey Hunter?”
“Deacon, I can do this shit on my own. Why don’t you take that bottle, get in your ride, and get the fuck out of here? There’s no point in sticking around.”
“Listen, asshole. I didn’t drive all the way here from Boston to get fucking drunk with you like we’ve done a thousand times and then take off. Like I said, you’re in the shit and, whether you or I like it, that means I’m in the shit too. We’re going to ride, we’re going to murder, and then I’m going to get the fuck out of here. But right now, we’re going to take care of this shit, together. You hear me? Together. One last time.”
It felt good to hear him say that. It was nice to know someone else in the world had your back, even if I did live my life as a lone wolf. If I was in his shoes, I would be doing the same thing. Not because I had to, but because I fucking wanted to.
“All right, you stupid motherfucker. One last time. Meet me around the corner at the shop and then follow me out. You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”
“Yeah, well look who’s talking. White knight psychopath motherfucker.”
He walked past me and down the stairs as I shut the door behind me and locked up.
You remember the key to your shithole apartment, but not the key to your fucking ride. Asshole.
I started down the stairs and felt my blood begin to rise.
Chapter 21
Kelly
“WELL, LITTLE LADY, THAT WAS a fine meal,” Grace said as she leaned back in her chair. “My compliments to the chef.”
“The chef was you, Grace. No one beats your homemade sauce. All I did was heat everything up.”
Grace leaned forward and rested her arms on the table.
“Oh yes, I’m aware. I just wanted to bask in all my greatness for a moment. But the sauce would be nothing without some pasta to go with it. Thank you for eating with me, sweetie. Always nice to have your company.”
I could feel the satisfaction of a home cooked meal in my stomach. Looking after myself and Lucas on a waitress’s paycheck didn’t always mean I ate the best. Generally, when Grace came over, or when we went to her place, that was about as good as my eating got. Grace knew this but never talked down to me about it. She knew I was proud. Every week Elle sent me checks from California but I’d never cashed a single one of them. It was nice to know she had my back, but I didn’t want to take her money. Grace didn’t know about that, but knew I was doing the best I could with what I had. She just tried to make sure we ate together at least a few times a week.
“Well, you sit and relax. Let me clean this place up a bit. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Goodness, no. If I had coffee now, I would be up all night staring at the ceiling. I think it’s best I let this meal rock me right to sleep. Let me give you a hand with those dishes though, Kelly dear. Then I’ll be on my way.”
Grace slid her chair out and stood up. When she started to walk toward me she kicked something and it slid across the floor.
“Oh dear, I think you dropped your keys on the floor.”
I looked over to the key rack hanging by the back door. My house keys were hanging there.
“I think they must be yours, Grace. Mine are hanging by the door.”
I kept stacking the dishes and started to run the water.
“Well, silly me then. Let me put them back in my purse and then we’ll tackle this mound of dishes.”
Grace walked over to where her purse was sitting on the hallway table and then called back to me.
“Kelly, my keys are in my purse. Someone else must have left these here. You have any visitors drop by?”
I let a plate sink through the water and rested my hands on the counter. There was only one person those keys could belong to, other than Grace and me, and he was the last person I wanted to see right now. I ached for him, but I needed for him to stay away. I lost all control when he was around, and I couldn’t handle being without him. I was stuck between a rock, and a hard place. Literally. A very hard place. I shivered at the thought.
No, no, no. Why won’t you leave, Hunter? Why won’t you just leave me alone?
Grace walked back into the kitchen holding the keys.