anybody. Ain’t that so, Deputy?”
Glenn grabbed Clete’s head and slammed his face into the bar.
Wade heard Clete’s nose crack like a boot stomping on dry twigs, but it may just have been his imagination filling in the blanks. It was a startling sight. He’d never seen his father hurt anyone before. But what was more surprising to Wade was how fast and naturally his father lashed out.
Like he’d done it before.
Like he was comfortable with it.
Wade shivered, but it wasn’t just from the cold.
His father yanked Clete’s head off the bar, letting the blood, snot, and drool drip from his face. Clete gurgled and moaned.
“I’d say you and Phyllis are even now.” Glenn let go of Clete and stepped back to regard the three others. “But there’s still the matter of all this damage.”
One of the three men stepped forward. He was twice the width of his two buddies. He had arms like tree trunks and a chest carved in granite. At least that’s how he looked to Wade.
“The only damage is gonna be to you.” The huge man picked up a beer bottle by the neck and broke the end off against the edge of a table. He advanced on Glenn, holding the jagged end toward him. “We’re gonna fuck you up bad for what you done to Clete.”
The others picked up bottles and smashed them too, backing up their buddy as he advanced on Wade’s father. Wade’s heart was pounding so strong that it was almost all he could hear. His hand gripped his father’s gun. He wouldn’t just stand by and watch his father get beaten to death. His bladder suddenly felt like it might burst, and his whole body was shaking. He wasn’t sure if it was the cold or the fear.
But for all the terror that Wade felt, his father seemed totally at ease.
Glenn didn’t move or stiffen up. He just sighed and rested one hand on the top of his nightstick.
“Maybe so, but I won’t go down easy. You’ll be hurt. And come morning, when you’re puking into your toilet and squinting through your one good eye at your teeth floating around in the vomit, you’ll still have to answer for what was done here tonight. Are you ready for that?”
Glenn said it all casually, betraying not the slightest hint of anxiety or fear, as if he were discussing how the fish were biting on the lake rather than his own imminent, savage beating.
The huge man looked Glenn in the eye. Glenn looked right back at him.
The only sound in the room was Clete, making a wet gurgle as he breathed, holding his smashed nose in place with his hand, blood seeping between his fingers.
After a long moment, the huge man seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon, and so did the others, their shoulders sagging and their heads becoming too heavy for their necks.
Glenn nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
Wade let go of the gun and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, his heart still thumping hard. He was astonished that he could sweat while still being so cold. The tension in his bladder was gone and he felt a new and different terror as he looked down to see if he’d wet himself. To his enormous relief, he hadn’t.
“You cashed your paychecks today,” Glenn said to the men. “I want to see what you’ve got left on the bar, right now.”
The men dug into their pockets and dumped crinkled bills and loose change on the bar, some of coins clattering onto the floor.
Glenn took a quick glance at the money. “That should cover the damage, Phyllis, don’t you think?”
She nodded vigorously. Wade thought she would have nodded whether it was enough money or not.
Glenn motioned to the door. “Good night, boys.”
The men shuffled to the door, Clete glaring at Glenn as he staggered past him.
Wade ducked under the window and flattened himself against the side of the building as they came out, piled into their pickups, and sped off, their tires kicking up dirt and gravel as they fishtailed onto the roadway. He peered over the edge of the windowsill and looked inside again.
His father
Glenn grabbed Clete’s head and slammed his face into the bar.
Wade heard Clete’s nose crack like a boot stomping on dry twigs, but it may just have been his imagination filling in the blanks. It was a startling sight. He’d never seen his father hurt anyone before. But what was more surprising to Wade was how fast and naturally his father lashed out.
Like he’d done it before.
Like he was comfortable with it.
Wade shivered, but it wasn’t just from the cold.
His father yanked Clete’s head off the bar, letting the blood, snot, and drool drip from his face. Clete gurgled and moaned.
“I’d say you and Phyllis are even now.” Glenn let go of Clete and stepped back to regard the three others. “But there’s still the matter of all this damage.”
One of the three men stepped forward. He was twice the width of his two buddies. He had arms like tree trunks and a chest carved in granite. At least that’s how he looked to Wade.
“The only damage is gonna be to you.” The huge man picked up a beer bottle by the neck and broke the end off against the edge of a table. He advanced on Glenn, holding the jagged end toward him. “We’re gonna fuck you up bad for what you done to Clete.”
The others picked up bottles and smashed them too, backing up their buddy as he advanced on Wade’s father. Wade’s heart was pounding so strong that it was almost all he could hear. His hand gripped his father’s gun. He wouldn’t just stand by and watch his father get beaten to death. His bladder suddenly felt like it might burst, and his whole body was shaking. He wasn’t sure if it was the cold or the fear.
But for all the terror that Wade felt, his father seemed totally at ease.
Glenn didn’t move or stiffen up. He just sighed and rested one hand on the top of his nightstick.
“Maybe so, but I won’t go down easy. You’ll be hurt. And come morning, when you’re puking into your toilet and squinting through your one good eye at your teeth floating around in the vomit, you’ll still have to answer for what was done here tonight. Are you ready for that?”
Glenn said it all casually, betraying not the slightest hint of anxiety or fear, as if he were discussing how the fish were biting on the lake rather than his own imminent, savage beating.
The huge man looked Glenn in the eye. Glenn looked right back at him.
The only sound in the room was Clete, making a wet gurgle as he breathed, holding his smashed nose in place with his hand, blood seeping between his fingers.
After a long moment, the huge man seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon, and so did the others, their shoulders sagging and their heads becoming too heavy for their necks.
Glenn nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
Wade let go of the gun and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, his heart still thumping hard. He was astonished that he could sweat while still being so cold. The tension in his bladder was gone and he felt a new and different terror as he looked down to see if he’d wet himself. To his enormous relief, he hadn’t.
“You cashed your paychecks today,” Glenn said to the men. “I want to see what you’ve got left on the bar, right now.”
The men dug into their pockets and dumped crinkled bills and loose change on the bar, some of coins clattering onto the floor.
Glenn took a quick glance at the money. “That should cover the damage, Phyllis, don’t you think?”
She nodded vigorously. Wade thought she would have nodded whether it was enough money or not.
Glenn motioned to the door. “Good night, boys.”
The men shuffled to the door, Clete glaring at Glenn as he staggered past him.
Wade ducked under the window and flattened himself against the side of the building as they came out, piled into their pickups, and sped off, their tires kicking up dirt and gravel as they fishtailed onto the roadway. He peered over the edge of the windowsill and looked inside again.
His father
Similar Books
