the frying pan, then willed the vision away, because the answer to his question was plainer than a blackhead on a teenager’s nose: Yep, it’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt like a sumbitch.
He realized he was shaking, but he was powerless to quell his body’s involuntary reaction to possible death by dismemberment.
And what did it really matter?
Shit, he wasn’t supposed to show fear?
He could only hope they wouldn’t take their time snuffing him.
Better to die fast and relatively easy.
A litany of prayers started running through his head: Please, God, forgive me for my sins. I haven’t been such a bad guy. Sorry I knocked over my goldfish bowl that time I was stoned. I loved that fish, man. I didn’t mean to kill him. And I’m sorry about the porn. I know I watch a lot of it. I know it’s sinful. There’s just something about lesbian porn, ya know? But I’m sorry, I know it was wrong. The body is a temple. I shoulda been more respectful of the holy creation that is Woman. Ahh...oh, hell, I’m just sorry, sorry as can be, God.
Hank was scowling at him.
Will blinked. “Uh...was I saying any of that out loud?”
His girl giggled. “I like all-girl porn, too.”
Will’s face reddened. “Er...”
Hank made a noise of disgust. “Stop flirting with the dead-meat, Starlene.”
Starlene mimicked the noise he’d made. “I ain’t flirtin’ with the boy, Hank. I’m just havin’ some fun with him. I like messin’ with ‘em before you kill ‘em, you know that.”
Some of the tension drained out of Hank’s face. He nodded. “Yeah, I know you do, hon. You just get a little too into it sometimes, worries me.”
Her lower lip puffed out. “Baby, you know I only got eyes for you.” She spoke in a tone of mock-hurt. “Don’t you know how much I love you?”
Hank grinned. “Shit, yeah, I know that.”
He reached into a pocket of his leather pants, removed a long folding knife, and snapped open a gleaming blade. Will’s shaking worsened as the big man approached the sofa.
This is it , he thought.
He pictured the blade punching into his throat.
Pictured blood jetting out of the opening.
But Hank didn’t stab him.
He took hold of one of Starlene’s hands, folded the knife handle into it, and kissed the back of the hand. “You keep an eye on pizza face, baby. I gotta take me a shit.”
Starlene’s eyelids fluttered. “Baby, you’re so romantic.”
He smiled, then he kissed her on the mouth and was gone.
The room’s occupants remained silent until they heard a door close in another room.
The blond let out a big breath. “He’s outta control, Star.”
Will watched the good humor seep out of Starlene’s face. “I know, y’all.”
J-Dog said, “I hate to speak ill of ol’ Hank, but he’s scarin’ me. The way he killed Spike...” He shook his head. “That was plain uncalled for.”
Will wanted to say, “Oh, yeah? Unlike the guy with no head, eh?”
But he kept his mouth shut.
The blond said, “So whatta we do about it?”
Starlene sighed. “Dunno. I’m thinkin’.”
Well, this was an interesting development. Hank didn’t have his followers as cowed as they allowed him to believe. He was just a room away, and they were in here plotting his undoing. A flicker of hope flared to life inside him.
“Um...why...” He paused to clear his throat. “Sorry, I’m scared shitless. Why don’t you guys just ditch him?”
They seemed to roll their eyes as one.
Starlene said, “Because he wouldn’t rest until he’d tracked us down and killed us. He is absolutely unrelenting, a fucking human killing machine.”
Will’s eyes became narrow slits. “Say...what happened to the cornpone accent?”
She grunted. “An act. I want him to underestimate me.”
“I’ll be damned.”
The blond chuckled. “Her name ain’t Starlene, either.”
‘Starlene’ glared at her. “Too much information, Crystal.”
“Sorry.”
The muffled sound of a toilet flush emanated from the
He realized he was shaking, but he was powerless to quell his body’s involuntary reaction to possible death by dismemberment.
And what did it really matter?
Shit, he wasn’t supposed to show fear?
He could only hope they wouldn’t take their time snuffing him.
Better to die fast and relatively easy.
A litany of prayers started running through his head: Please, God, forgive me for my sins. I haven’t been such a bad guy. Sorry I knocked over my goldfish bowl that time I was stoned. I loved that fish, man. I didn’t mean to kill him. And I’m sorry about the porn. I know I watch a lot of it. I know it’s sinful. There’s just something about lesbian porn, ya know? But I’m sorry, I know it was wrong. The body is a temple. I shoulda been more respectful of the holy creation that is Woman. Ahh...oh, hell, I’m just sorry, sorry as can be, God.
Hank was scowling at him.
Will blinked. “Uh...was I saying any of that out loud?”
His girl giggled. “I like all-girl porn, too.”
Will’s face reddened. “Er...”
Hank made a noise of disgust. “Stop flirting with the dead-meat, Starlene.”
Starlene mimicked the noise he’d made. “I ain’t flirtin’ with the boy, Hank. I’m just havin’ some fun with him. I like messin’ with ‘em before you kill ‘em, you know that.”
Some of the tension drained out of Hank’s face. He nodded. “Yeah, I know you do, hon. You just get a little too into it sometimes, worries me.”
Her lower lip puffed out. “Baby, you know I only got eyes for you.” She spoke in a tone of mock-hurt. “Don’t you know how much I love you?”
Hank grinned. “Shit, yeah, I know that.”
He reached into a pocket of his leather pants, removed a long folding knife, and snapped open a gleaming blade. Will’s shaking worsened as the big man approached the sofa.
This is it , he thought.
He pictured the blade punching into his throat.
Pictured blood jetting out of the opening.
But Hank didn’t stab him.
He took hold of one of Starlene’s hands, folded the knife handle into it, and kissed the back of the hand. “You keep an eye on pizza face, baby. I gotta take me a shit.”
Starlene’s eyelids fluttered. “Baby, you’re so romantic.”
He smiled, then he kissed her on the mouth and was gone.
The room’s occupants remained silent until they heard a door close in another room.
The blond let out a big breath. “He’s outta control, Star.”
Will watched the good humor seep out of Starlene’s face. “I know, y’all.”
J-Dog said, “I hate to speak ill of ol’ Hank, but he’s scarin’ me. The way he killed Spike...” He shook his head. “That was plain uncalled for.”
Will wanted to say, “Oh, yeah? Unlike the guy with no head, eh?”
But he kept his mouth shut.
The blond said, “So whatta we do about it?”
Starlene sighed. “Dunno. I’m thinkin’.”
Well, this was an interesting development. Hank didn’t have his followers as cowed as they allowed him to believe. He was just a room away, and they were in here plotting his undoing. A flicker of hope flared to life inside him.
“Um...why...” He paused to clear his throat. “Sorry, I’m scared shitless. Why don’t you guys just ditch him?”
They seemed to roll their eyes as one.
Starlene said, “Because he wouldn’t rest until he’d tracked us down and killed us. He is absolutely unrelenting, a fucking human killing machine.”
Will’s eyes became narrow slits. “Say...what happened to the cornpone accent?”
She grunted. “An act. I want him to underestimate me.”
“I’ll be damned.”
The blond chuckled. “Her name ain’t Starlene, either.”
‘Starlene’ glared at her. “Too much information, Crystal.”
“Sorry.”
The muffled sound of a toilet flush emanated from the
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