Blood Red

“Who’s doing the Catholics?”

“Me. We’re supposed to look at the faiths from an outsider’s perspective and I’m a Methodist.” Ben never once took his eyes off Tom as he spoke.

“Cool. Thanks, Ben.”

“No problem. Anything else, guys?”

Maggie flashed him a quick smile and shook her head. Tom spoke before she could. “Yeah, Ben. Is that why you two keep meeting at the Silver Dollar Diner?”

Ben looked at Pardue carefully and shook his head. “No. That’s just been because neither of us ever sleeps and they make good omelets there.”

“That’s cool.” Tom smiled and moved closer to Maggie, putting his apish arm around her shoulders and hugging her to his side. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t making moves on my girl, Ben.” He was smiling as he spoke, but it wasn’t a smile that had anything to say about humor.

Ben shrugged and kept staring at Pardue. “Always best to know when you’re out of your league, Tom.”

Monkey Boy laughed and Maggie expelled a soft breath of relief.

Ben nodded and went back into his apartment.

When he was gone, Tom looked back over at her and nodded too, satisfied with the explanation. “Just making sure we still understand each other, Maggie.”

“Never do that again.” She slipped away from his thuggish arm around her shoulder and added a few layers of permafrost to her voice.

“Do what?” He put on his best look of wide-eyed innocence. It wasn’t a pretty thing to see.

“Never check up on me again and never bother one of my friends again with this sort of shit, or we’re done doing business together.”

“You’re wrong about that, Maggie.” He was still smiling, and he was still sounding just as amiable as ever, but Maggie knew the danger signs well enough.

She just didn’t care much right then. “Excuse me?”

“You’re wrong.” He shrugged his shoulders and leaned in close enough that she could see something green, like spinach, wedged between two of his teeth. “I own you. I was just testing the waters today, baby. I find out you’ve been doing business on the side or giving away pussy for free, and I’ll make sure you know it, too.”

Shit, he was getting all possessive again and she hated when he started that.

“Go get sober, Tom. Before you say something you’ll regret later.”

“Maybe you should come home and get me sober.”

“I have a paper to work on.”

“Shit’s only gonna hold water for a few more months, Maggie. Then maybe I’ll have to see about you moving in with me.”

“That’s not gonna happen and you know it.”

“We’ll see.”

Tom went on his way and Maggie watched him go, suddenly cold inside and goose-fleshed. Tom wanted her to move in? She hoped that was just the coke talking, because that wasn’t going to happen. She’d find a way to work her own deals before that would ever happen.

Thinking about the money she’d gotten from Jason helped. It wasn’t exactly retirement money, but it put her a lot closer to her goals than she’d expected to be.

Ben’s front door opened. He looked at her with a tentative smile.

“You okay, Maggie?”

“Yeah, Ben. Thanks. You saved my ass.”

“Anytime.” He stepped back into his apartment and waved. “Have a good night, Maggie.”

“You too, Ben.” She smiled for him and resisted the urge to ask him out to the diner. She could have used a friend just then. But as Monkey Boy had just reminded her, friends were a luxury she could hardly afford.

III

Brian sat in his patrol car and waited. He’d been waiting for a long while now, hoping to hear back from the bastard that had ruined his life.

He wanted to have a long, long talk with the motherfucker.

His accounts were still screwed up. He still had no money, no credit history, and a very serious problem if he wanted to keep his house and everything else in his life.

Angie was making his life a living hell. She’d called him seven times during the day, wanting to know why the bank was still calling, wanting to know who he’d really talked to on the phone, wanting to know a dozen different things that he couldn’t answer if he didn’t want a divorce. And he did not want to lose her. Just because he needed a little action on the side didn’t mean he wanted to lose his wife.

She was important to him.

So he was fucked, unless he could figure out what to do about the man who’d taken everything from him. He just had no idea where to start looking.

The little Mazda Miata ripped past him in the darkness, swerving erratically around the bend in the road. He caught a glimpse of long brown hair and turned on his flashers. This could be fun.

The car pulled off the road, narrowly missing a tree near the edge. A quick license plate check told him what he already knew: the owner was a college student and had a record. The night was looking better already.

He pulled over behind the sporty two-seater and moved to the driver’s side window. The girl inside was already terrified. She had long brown hair, dark brown eyes and a mouth made for pleasing men.

“Did I do something wrong, officer?”

“I need to see your license and registration, please.”

“What was I doing wrong?” She had the audacity to sound offended.