Chaotic (L.O.R.D.S. #7) — Chapter no 14

FOURTEEN

EV ERETT

y legs are still fuck ing shaking, and my thong is soaked.M Fuck.

I got off with nothing more than his fin gers and tongue. Most men can’t even do that with their dicks.

I wobble in my heels up the stone steps and into the house. The large open space is quiet. My heels clap on the floor as I make my way down the hallway to the study.

Opening the double doors, I enter to see my dad and his new pro‐ tégé already present. I hold in a sigh when a set of green eyes meet mine.

“Eve.” My dad stands and greets me with a kiss on each cheek.

He’s the kind of father every child deserves. I might not have his

DNA, but this man saved me.

Twenty years old I must be dead. It’s the only reason I feel warm and wrapped in some thing soft. Maybe it’s a hallucination. Either way, it’s heaven compared to the hell I’ve lived in.

“Everett?” a man’s voice calls out to me. “Everett? Can you hear me?”

My right eye is forced open, and a bright light shines into it—back and forth. I look ahead while it blinds what little sight I have.

“Everett?” The man to my right touches my shoulder, and I cower in the large bed. He sighs heavily, sitting in a chair close by my side.

“Everett, my name is William, but you can call me Bill. Bill Marks. I’m here to help you, Eve. May I call you Eve?”

I blink rapidly, wondering why I can only see with my right eye and look to the man who wears a white doctor’s coat on my left.

“This is Doctor Gavin. He’s going to take care of you. Get you feel‐ ing better,” the man, Bill, informs me.

I say nothing. I’m not even sure I could talk if I wanted to. My body is heavy, and my mind is foggy. Where am I? Why is it so bright? And my chest…it hurts. Like a tugging pain with each breath I take.

“Is she blind in her left eye?” Bill asks the doctor at my silence.

“She had a hyphema. I drained it and am keeping it covered with an eye patch between adminis tering drops.”

“What causes that?” Bill wonders.

“Blunt force trauma to the head or direct hit to the eye. I’m opti‐ mistic that she’ll re gain her sight shortly.”

Something itches my face, and I go to lift my right hand to scratch it, but I can’t move. The lack of move ment causes me to panic, and I yank on my arms.

“Whoa. It’s okay, Eve. You’re okay,” the man by the name of Bill rushes out, getting to his feet next to my bed.

My chest tightens as the panic rises, and I can’t breathe. A rapid beeping sound starts ringing in my ears.

“Do some thing,” Bill barks at the doc tor.

Suddenly my body is freezing, and I shiver before it re laxes back into the bed. I hate drugs. “Nooo,” I manage to croak out through my cracked lips.

“Here you go. It’s fresh and warm.” Bill places a new blan ket over me, and my heavy eye blinks. “I prom ise, Eve. It’s okay. We’re here to help you. The re straints are for your safety.”

Help me? Re strained for my safety? That’s what my father told me after I tried to commit suicide the first time. Did I try again? I can’t re member how I got here. Or where hereis. Where is my father?

Did he send these two guys to punish me?

My head lolls to the side before blackness takes me under, but I don’t get to enjoy it for long before the voices pull me back to the surface.

“Vagi nal tear ing was evident. There’s scarring, implying it’s hap‐ pened more than once but also very re cently. She’s extremely dehy‐ drated and malnourished. The feeding tube and IV will help im‐ mensely. I will need to call in a plastic surgeon. I could fix her nose from the septum pierc ing, but with it being on her face, I’d like to get her the best.”

“I agree,” Bill says. “But I wasn’t aware that a pierc ing can alter a nose.”

“Not usually, but in extreme cases such as Eve’s, it can and has. I believe that the pierc ing was more of a punishment then an aes‐ thetic preference,” the doctor goes on. “Her blood work has come back, and there were drugs in her system.”

“What kind of drugs?” Bill snaps.

“Sedatives and GHB along with GBL, methamphetamine, and mephedrone. Those are highly addictive. She also tested positive for

poppers.”

“What the fuck are those?”

“It’s known as Liq uid Gold Rush in Aus tralia. A chemical that can enhance sexual desire and make orgasming more intense. My guess is that she was forced to inhale it. Within seconds, it sends a rush of blood to your head, causing your mus cles to re lax. For a man, it can kill an erection, so I’m assum ing they use it on the dolls for training.”

“Christ.” Bill sighs. “What else did you find?”

“She also has a few bruised ribs. A collapsed lung. That’s why she needed the chest tube. Her MRI and X-rays show an old fracture to her right wrist—I’d say six months ago—that didn’t heal properly.”

“I’m guessing that was due to lack of treatment. What do you sug‐ gest?” Bill asks.

“Surgery. I go in, break the bone, and re set it.”

“And that will correct it?”

“Yes.”

“Any organs missing?” Bill wonders. “I know organs are worth a lot on the black market. I’m not a doctor, but I’m aware there’re several we can live with out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were taking those too.”

“All I can find from my testing is that she’s had a hysterectomy,”

Gavin re sponds.

“In teresting. I won der why. She’s so young.”

“I’ll put in a call to my brother and see if he can find any informa‐ tion that we don’t already know,” Gavin states.

“What about STDs? I’m as sum ing her status pre vents her from con‐ tracting them.”

“You’re correct.” He sighs. “But hones tly…”

“What?” Bill growls impatiently.

“I can’t say for sure that she’s had intercourse with a man re cently.”

He huffs, sounding frustrated. “Meaning?”

“By the sizes of tears and trauma, both vaginally and anally, I’d say there were…instruments used. She hadn’t been sold to anyone yet.

So I’m assum ing they trained her in other ways…”

They’re silent for a long mo ment, or maybe I black out again, but then I hear Bill say, “Do the surgery on her wrist. To day. Whatever she needs, make sure she gets it. I want her back on her feet and feeling good ASAP.”

Gavin clears his throat. “There’s more than just the surgery to cor‐ rect some bro ken bones and much-needed time for re covery.”

“Meaning?”

“Medication. Therapy. The poor girl has been se verely abused. Sex‐ u ally and mentally. Her body and brain have been manipu lated…al‐ tered. She may never be more than a shell of herself again. She’s also most likely been kept drugged around the clock. It’s amazing she’s not dead from an overdose due to her size and the amount that was in her sys tem. Even if she wakes up and wants to fight to survive, there is still a long road to re covery. There can still be complications from with drawals. Suicidal tendencies. She’s al ready tried twice—”

“I’ll get her the best therapist there is. Do your job and make her feel better physically. Then we’ll get her the help she needs men‐ tally.”

“Glad you could finally join us,” the other Lord states, taking a drink of his scotch, pulling me out of that memory.

My usual fuck-you attitude is actu ally gone right now, re placed with doubt and shame for letting Kashton get me off. Again. I should have made him drug me. At least then I would have wo ken up naked and hog-tied. And when heplayed with me, I wouldn’t have had a say. That’s what my body is used to. Be ing used. To give it up willingly makes me ashamed of myself.

The Lord frowns, noticing. “What’s wrong with you?” His green eyes look me up and down, reading my body language.

I sit in a chair and cross my legs. This dress is shorter than I thought, and I take a quick look to make sure the bruises and bite marks Kash gave me aren’t no ticeable. “Nothing.”

“Well, I’m about to fuck your mood up.” He makes it sound like it’s a challenge.

“You can try.” I take the glass of whiskey that Bill is holding out to me and take a sip.Don’t throw it up.

“The police ran your prints. They’re going to question you.”

I frown. They already did, but I ask. “Why?”

Bill shakes his head. “She’s not in the system.”

Right. Be cause I’m a no one. Never have been and never will be.

“They find it suspicious that you found the woman in the cemetery.”

His green eyes meet mine. “You should have burned her body and buried her ashes.”

Yep. One sentence was all it took to fuck up my al ready bad mood.

I slam the drink down on Bill’s desk, making him flinch. “She had a family.” I don’t know if she was a mother, a sister, or wife, but she was some one’s daughter. “She deserved some thing…more.” That’s the problem with the Lords. Nothing is sa cred. A living soul is noth‐ ing more than an inconve nience. Something to be thrown away and never thought of again. They don’t value life.

He gives a dark chuckle. “Now that family is seeking justice.”

“Good.” I give him a smile.

His eyes narrow on mine. “They think you did it.”

I snort. “They can think whatever they want. I didn’t kill that poor woman.” And why the hell would the killer call the police? That doesn’t make any sense.

He buries his head in his hands. I wonder when the last time he slept was. He looks tired. Adam and I go way back. It’s not a love- hate friend ship, just a mutual hatred for one another. He’s like the big brother I never wanted.

“You don’t understand. The pub lic is ramming these bodies down the authorities’ throats. It’s all over the fuck ing news, just like it was years ago. Random people are picking it up on social media just to get views, and it’s working. The authorities will pin it on some one to get the families off their backs.”

“So you’re saying I’m going to be the fall guy?” I shake my head.

“Even the police can’t twist a story that much.”

“They can do whatever the fuck they want,” Adam snaps before lower ing his voice. “I’ve been there. They can make the innocent look guilty, and once you’re locked away, you won’t have a fuck ing voice to argue your side. The media alone will make sure you are painted as the villain they want you to be.”

“What do you suggest?” Bill asks him, and I roll my eyes.

This Lord is his new favorite toy. Bill hangs on his every word. But even I know it’s for his own gain. I am very thankful for Bill, but at the end of the day, he’s just another Lord who is out for himself and world dom ination. No amount of money or power will ever be enough for them.

“I sug gest you get the hell out of town and hide.”

“No. That makes me look guilty as fuck,” I argue. “I’m not going anywhere.” He’s only suggesting that because he’s hid ing. Has been for four years now. That’s how we met. I’m not calling him a coward, but I refuse to live that life. I’m al ready a nobody. I don’t need to

hide. No one knows I exist.

“Eve—”

“No.” I get to my feet, interrupting Bill. “I’m not going to run. I did nothing wrong.” Not to the woman anyway. If I believed in an after‐ life, then I’d one day have to answer for everything I’ve done, but I helped that woman in the only way I could. I re turned her to her family, where she belonged. “Let them take me inagain and ask me as many ques tions as they want. I’ll—”

“The Lords will fuck you over,” Adam shouts. He throws his glass against the wall, and it shatters. He steps into me, and I brace my‐ self to knock his fuck ing lights out if he places his hands on me.

“The police start hang ing out around the cathedral and your house, the Lords will see that, and they will throw you under the bus so fast to keep the police from sniffing around.”

“You make it sound like she has no choice.” Bill sighs.

He looks over at Bill for a quick second. “There’s another option…”

Adam’s eyes meet mine when he speaks again. “Carnage…”

“Fuck no.” I shake my head, giving a rough laugh. “I’m not going near there.” The thought alone makes me break out in hives.

“I can make a call. My broth ers can pro tect you.”

I give a manic laugh. “They don’t give two shits about me.” At least they won’t when they find out who I re ally am. “The answer is no.”

Shoving my fin ger into Adam’s chest, I add, “The only way I go to Carnage is if someone drags me against my will.”

Bill stands, button ing his suit jacket, and looks at me. “We don’t have to make a de cision right now.”

“Time isn’t on her side,” Adam growls at him. “I’d say maybe three weeks. A month at the most.” He looks at me. “When they come for you—and they will—they will al ready have everything they need to set you up to take the fall. There will be nothing left to argue on their end.”

I ignore him and look at my dad. “This isn’t awe situation. This is me…my life, and I say no.” With that, I turn and exit the study, slamming the doors shut on my way out.

Storming out to my car, I start it up and squeal my tires. I drive, not sure where I’m go ing or what I’m doing.

Why the fuck should I have to hide?

What do you know about Dollhouse? Kash ton’s words come to mind.

I know things about that place that would give grown men night‐ mares. I know adults and kids of all ages are run in and out of there.

They do not discriminate against race, age, or gender. Everyone has a price. Some are worth more than oth ers, but it’s all about their check, nonetheless.

I made them money. My body was sold to the highest bidder be‐ cause that’s all I was good for. A hole to fuck. Bill saved me from that. But he can only save me from so much.

Carnage is not the answer. It is the problem.

I’ve come too far to allow some one to make me feel helpless… though I was naked and cuffed just an hour ago.

Kashton is going to be a problem. He’s made that very clear. My only thing is, do I let him in? He’ll want some thing in re turn. I don’t doubt Adam. The cops can pin whatever they want on whoever they want to take the fall, and the Lords won’t have my back.

Does that mean Kashton is my only hope?Fuck, I hope not.

What choice do I have? Life in jail or life on the run?

I refuse to run. Look at what happened to Ashtyn. I know more about her than her husband does. It’s easy to watch when no one sees you there. I know everyone’s se crets. But that makes me won‐ der…who knows mine?

Have I paid enough attention to my surroundings, or have I gotten too comfortable thinking I don’t exist?

No. I’m jump ing the gun. I just need to sit back and look at it from all an gles. There’s al ways another way. Placing my life in Kashton’s hands is like willingly walk ing into the lion’s den.

That sour taste burns my throat, and I pull my car over, slamming on my brakes. I open my driver’s side door just in time to vomit onto the gravel. Once I’m done, I sit back in my seat and wipe my chin with my hand.

I could go to the police on my own. Speak to them again before they reach out to me. In nocent people don’t volunteer to give infor‐ mation, right?

They probably wouldn’t see it that way. Bill is an attorney, and he was hang ing on Adam’s every word. Which tells me Bill thinks I have

no chance of fighting this.

I’m fucked.

KASHTON Senior year at Bar rington I groan, rolling onto my back. There’s some thing cold and hard un‐ derneath me. My heavy eyes open, and it takes a few seconds for

y y y p my vision to fo cus on nothing but darkness. Then my memory starts to re turn.

Alarms sounding at Carnage woke me up…our fathers dead… Ashtyn broke my nose and kneed me in the balls…then she shot Saint…a woman ar rived at Carnage…her minions threw Haidyn and me into the arena…we fought eight prisoners who were all on adren‐ aline…I collapsed afterward… I grunt and instantly re gret it. That’s why I’m so sore.

Sitting up, I run a bloody hand down my face. “Fuck.” My tongue is swollen. I must have bitten it, because the taste of blood still lingers.

“What the…” I trail off when a light shines from my left.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

I look over to see the fuck ing bitch standing on the other side of the prison door.

My chest rises when I take a deep breath. “Who the fuck are you and why are you here?” I demand.

She laughs, and the ir ritating sound makes my skin crawl. “I’m here to teach you all a les son.”

“Fucking bitch.” I get to my feet but stumble back into the wall, my legs are wobbly and feet unsteady. Placing my head in my hands, I grip my hair.Fuck, did she drug me? Or am I just that weak from the fight?

Her laughter grows. “I bet when you woke up this morn ing you didn’t think you’d be the only Spade brother left.”

My head snaps up and my pulse quickens. “No—”

“Funny how one annoying cunt can ruin everything.”

Ashtyn? She must be talking about Ashtyn. Be cause she’s the rea‐ son all this is happening. What the fuck is she into that she would shoot Saint? All we’ve done is pro tect her. Saint has done things to her that I don’t agree with, but she’s not my wife.

Pushing myself off the wall, I drag my left leg as I hobble to the door. I wrap my hands around the bars. “I’m going to kill you, you fuck ing bitch.”

She just smiles at me. “Prom ises. Prom ises.”

“Haidyn?” I call out into the hallway, hoping he re sponds. I just need to know he’s not dead. “HAIDYN?” And Saint? Ashtyn shot him.

y Did he not survive surgery? If he’s dead, I’ll make it my life’s mission to hunt Ashtyn down and kill her with my bare hands. I will gladly watch the life drain out of her eyes with no re morse.

Fucking bitch.

“Hai-dyn?” My voice cracks, and I start to cough.

The woman reaches through the bars and pushes some thing up against my sweat-covered chest, and it knocks me on my back.

“Christ,” I say through gritted teeth. Every mus cle in my body is tight. Did she tase me?

“Get used to this room, Kashton. It’s your home until I say oth er‐ wise.”

A bright light turns on, and I place my hands over my face to shield my eyes. “Goddammit.” I scramble to the nearest wall and push my back against it.

Opening my eyes, I hold up my hand like a visor and blink rapidly

in order to get my vision to adjust.

I wish I was blind.

My hand falls to my side, and I swallow the knot in my throat when I take in my home. I’m not surprised to see that I’m in the basement of Carnage, locked in a cell. That was a given.

What does surprise me is that all the walls and floor are covered in tallies. This is my punishment. A re minder that I’m all alone.

I don’t know how long I was in there. At least a couple of weeks.

The light never turned off, and the silence was deafening. All I had was my imagination, and that’s never a good thing.

Isabella let me believe Saint and Haidyn were both dead. Adam had left us. I had no one.

I convinced myself I was going insane when I could see Eve in there with me. My mind al ways wandered back to her and that night on theIsabella. But it ended differently.

She didn’t run from me. I wasn’t a Lord, and she wasn’t a woman who’d almost been raped by one. We were husband and wife, and theIsabella was our home. We stayed out in the middle of the ocean where no one could harm us. The world didn’t even know we

existed.

It was perfect.

Just when I’d get to the good part, one of Isabella’s guards would come to feed me. I re fused for a while, but then re membered I didn’t want to die.

I needed to stay healthy. I was the only Spade brother left. It was up to me to catch Ashtyn and make her pay for what she caused.

What she cost me. My family.

The only people I ever cared about. A life for a life. And that bitch owed me several.

You don’t know hell until you don’t know what day or time it is.

Time moves slowly when all you have are your thoughts. There was no mattress or toilet in that cell with me. It got to the point where I thought I imag ined Eve altogether. That she was a part of my imagi‐ nation and never existed. But she does. I’ve found my way to her, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it stays that way.

I’ve given her two days to herself since I got her off in the office at the cathedral. There’s nothing scarier than your own thoughts. I want to be on her mind twenty-four seven. Always looking over her shoulder for me. I want her confused and constantly wondering if I’m there.

A knock comes on my bedroom door. Opening it, I find Jessie standing in the hallway. “Come in, man.” I hold it so he can enter.

“You had some packages arrive, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Smiling, I grab everything and exit my room. Walk ing across the hallway, I begin to open the door but stop myself and knock instead.

It cracks open just a bit and blue eyes meet mine. “Kashton?” She frowns as she hides her body behind the door. Her wet hair tells me she just got out of the shower. She’s either naked or only has a

towel on. “Haidyn isn’t in here.”

“I’m here to see you.” I smile at her.

“Oh, okay. Can you give me a minute?”

“Of course.”

She closes the door, and I stand silently in the hallway while she gets dressed. After a few short minutes, she fully opens the door, now dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt. Her wet hair is up in some kind of clip. Charlotte gestures for me to enter.

“What can I do for you?” she wonders.

I hold out the boxes to her. “I brought you some gifts.”

Placing them on the bed, she picks up the one on the top. She tries to open it, but it’s taped. “Here.” I re move my pocketknife, slap it open, and take the box from her. I cut the tape across the top and both sides before handing it back.

“Thank you,” she mumbles awkwardly and begins to open it while I cut the other two open for her.

I watch her eyes light up when she drops the box to her feet. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been wanting one of these.” She gives me a bright smile.

The sound of the door unlocking has me looking up before Haidyn enters. He comes to a stop when his eyes meet mine. They narrow on me. “What are you doing in here?”

I frown at the accusation in his tone. Does he not trust me with his wife? He made me her guardian.

“Look what Kashton got us.” She holds it up for him to see.

Walk ing over to her, he frowns, looking it over. “What is it?”

“It’s a backpack,” I inform him.

“A cat carrier backpack,” she corrects me. “It’s for Muffin.” She beams, hand ing it over to him. “We can take her for walks. She’ll love it.”

His eyes go to mine, and he looks very unpleased about his fu ture out door adventures with the hairy pussy. I can see him wearing it while Charlotte takes pictures of them bird-watching out in the woods.

“Oh, don’t think I forgot about you, big guy.” I hand him the second box. When he makes no attempt to open it, she rips it from his hands and does the job.

She laughs. “It’s perfect.” Then she holds it up to his chest and reads the T-shirt out loud. “I love her Muffin.”

“Get it?” I wig gle my eye brows. “It could mean—”

“I get it,” he interrupts, not amused in the slightest.

Just then, the cat jumps up on the bed and meows. Charlotte picks her up. “Want to go for a walk?” She kisses the cat and smiles over at her husband.

Haidyn looks like he wants to deny her, but after a sec ond, he nods. “I have an hour.”

Charlotte holds Muffin out to him, and he takes her with out hesita‐ tion before she rises up on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. “Let me change.” Spinning around, she practically skips off to the bath room.

I clap my hands.My work is done. “Have fun,” I sing, exiting his room. Just as the door goes to shut, he rips it open and spins me around.

“What the fuck are you doing, Kash?” he demands, setting the cat down on the floor.

“I can’t give your wife gifts?” I cross my arms over my chest.

His face tightens. He knows I’m buttering her up for selfish rea‐ sons. Charlotte might not know Eve, but she knows of her, and I want all the girl talk she’ll offer—teatime, girls’ night, spa days.

Whatever it’ll fuck ing take. Even if that means spoiling the damn cat that I hate. But I can’t just come right out and ask Charlotte a mil‐ lion questions about Everett. I’m a patient man. I’ve waited this long to find Eve. I’ll take the time to get the information I want. Charlotte acted like she didn’t know who she was, but some thing tells me there’s more there. I can’t not try. Even if it ends up being a dead end.

Sighing, I say, “I wasn’t the nicest person to Charlotte.” He al ready knows this, but I’ve never apolo gized for it. To her or to him. “I just want her to know that I’m here for her.”

He eyes me skeptically as Muffin meows, curling herself around his ankle.

“I’m ready,” Charlotte calls out from behind him, exiting the bath‐ room.

I give him a big smile and look over his shoulder at her. “You guys have fun. I want to see lots of pictures of Muffin’s adventure.” With that, I turn and enter my room, hold ing in my laughter. Oh, he’s go‐ ing to make me pay for that one.

I grab my cell and my Zippo before making my way down to the basement to see what Saint is up to.

He’s standing over the pits while a guy is locked inside just as I hear the ele vator ding behind me. I turn to see Sin and a very preg‐

nant Elli walking into the basement hand in hand.

Sin looks disappointed to see me. We haven’t spoken since he was here last time to tell us that Bill had mar ried his mother and that Eve is Bill’s daughter.

“What’s up, man?” Saint gives him a hand shake hug. “How did the appointment go?” he asks Elli, pulling away from Sin.

I hate that Saint is more aware of Elli’s pregnancy than me. I didn’t even know she had a checkup with Devin today. But I think she and Ashtyn have gotten close, so I shouldn’t be all that surprised.

Elli rubs her huge belly. “Everything looks good and we’re right on track.” Smiling, she places her hand back in Sin’s.

Easton’s phone beeps, and he digs into his pocket. Letting go of her hand once again, he reads over a text, and his face tightens.

“What’s wrong?” she asks nervously.

“It’s noth ing.” He waves off his wife’s concern.

“Sin?” She grabs his arm and pulls him to face her. She knows him well enough to question him.

“It was the Lords,” he tells her. “I have an assignment to morrow.”

“What?” Her wide eyes search his. “No.”

“It’ll be fine,” he assures her. “I will only be gone for the day.”

“Okay.” Elli nods to herself, trying to accept what he’s telling her.

She knows that she can’t keep him from the Lords. They call and you go running.

“Shit.” He sighs. “I forgot you have an appointment.”

“It’s fine,” she speaks. “I’ll reschedule.”

“No.” He frowns. “She was able to fit you in.”

“She can get me in another day.”

“No, Elli,” he tells his wife sternly. “You need to see her.”

Bow ing her head, she bites her lip.

“I can take you,” I offer.

Her head snaps up, eyes narrow ing on mine. “No.”

“That would be great.” Sin rubs her arm, and I bite back a smile that he’s allowing me to be alone with her. It must be re ally impor‐

tant for him to let me help.

“Sin—”

“It’s fine, Elli. I won’t let you miss it because of me.” Then he looks at me. “I’ll text you the time and address.” With that, he grabs her hand and leads her back to the ele vator, making Saint and me both

wonder what that was about.

Guess I’ll find out in the morning.

My girl has a job tonight. We’re once again at the run-down biker bar that sits in the same parking lot as the motel.

I didn’t even try to hide as I followed her on my bike. She checked into her room first, dropped off her bag of goodies, and then walked across the parking lot in her eight-inch heels. They’re ankle height with black chains that wrap around the back. In those, along with a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a top that shows off her perfectly sized tits and thin waist, my dick is so hard.

I’m going to fuck her tonight.

It’s been two days since she came on my face at the cathedral, but the time has come for my own cum to leak from her cunt.

I take a sip of my scotch as I watch her throw her head back and hear her laughter grow from where she sits at the bar. She’s talking to two different men—she sits in the center.

The one on the right keeps reach ing out and touching her thigh. I want to cut his hand off, but I know my girl can handle herself. She’s playing a part. I’ll step in if she needs me; right now, I’d just make a scene. I want to see what she plans on doing. How this is going to

play out.

“Would you like another one, sir?”

I look up at the waitress who stands at my booth. She’s got light- brown hair that she has pulled back to show off her petite face. She wears large black-rimmed glasses low on her nose that she’s con‐ stantly pushing up. Her out fit consists of flared jeans and a T-shirt that reads Help Your self across her chest. Which is ironic, consider‐ ing she’s a waitress. She looks young, barely old enough to legally be working here. She wears a silver necklace that has a wedding band hanging from it.

“Yes, please.” I pull out my wallet and drop a hundred.

She picks it up and walks over to the side of the bar to place my or‐ der. My eyes go back to Eve. The guy on her right is show ing her some thing on his phone. Probably his kids. Proud father who is

about to cheat on his loving wife.

People are so pre dictable.

“Here you go, sir.” The waitress sets down my new glass along with my change.

“Thank you,” I tell her, and she walks away with out another word.

Eve gets up and I lift my drink, taking a sip when she grabs her purse and the one guy’s hand.

Setting the glass down, I pocket my cell but re main where I’m at until they exit. I notice they both follow her, and I don’t like it. Two against one is never good odds.

I get up, leaving my full drink and change for the waitress. I slide on my jacket and step out side just as I see the door to her mo tel room close.

Reach ing into my jacket, I re move the pack of cigarettes and my Zippo. I’ll have a smoke while making my way across the parking lot to get my girl. I’ll give both those men a show before I slit their throats.