|
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Deal. And, by the way, I know we always haven t gotten along, but I m glad you re with Izzy.
You make her happy.
When haven t we gotten along? I m fucking with him because I know exactly what he s talking
about.
When you dated Laney. It pissed the shit out of me. How would you like it if I dated Iz?
Got it. I settle back in my seat as we trade cityscape for countryside outside the window.
Yeah, that must have sucked for you. Hell, I knew it did. But, for the record, she asked me to do it.
She thought it would drive you insane. Worked, didn t it?
Sure did. He nods toward the black highway. We drive a good forty-five minutes before
pulling into a rundown strip mall with nothing but a pawnshop and liquor store. A nail salon is
boarded up at the far end. So, this is where he s holed up. He runs the place with his nephew. I
called and said I was interested in a few things spoke to him myself. He said he d be here until ten
if I wanted to stop by and chat.
Good work. I crack my knuckles. I think it s time to have that chat. We get out of the car and
head inside. It s dark, smells like piss with the faint scent of an artificial deodorizer that s long since
expired.
Two men huddle over an array of colorful bottles both tall with the same dull scowl on their
face, but the one on the left is old as dirt, so I assume it s him. His eyes slice right through me, dark
and barren much like his soul I m guessing.
You Chuck Dupree? I cut right to the chase.
The one and only. He tilts his head as if I were boring him to tears.
You remember a girl by the name of Izzy Sawyer?
Elizabeth? His brows arch straight into his forehead because this son of a bitch just figured
out which direction this is headed in.
I lunge for him, pulling him across the counter until his boozed-up breath is raining down on my
face. He s thick and heavy, and I want to gouge out his sorry eyes when I think of where he put those
crooked hands.
She s the one. Consider this a gift from her. I pull him over and start pummeling my fist into
him hard and fast. My knuckles dig into his flesh into his jawbone until I feel it pop beneath me. He
lets out grunt after grunt without putting any real effort into fighting back. Before I know it, the nephew
and Ryder are getting into it. Ryder goes flying out the door, and I catch a pair of dirty Levis stomping
over through my peripheral vision.
I pull back just in time to see a bright blue vase hovering over my head.
Shit.
This is going to hurt.
My eyes feel as though they ve been glued shut. My head feels as if it s wrapped in bricks, and
my mouth won t open on command. All I manage to do is get a few weak moans out.
Holt? A familiar voice shrills over me in a panic. Holt, baby, come back to me. Come on,
cowboy we ve got a hell of a lot of rodeos to get to.
A dull laugh rattles through me.
Izzy. I try to open my eyes, but my lids won t crack.
You can do it! Her sweet voice strings out the words like a song. I m right here. Just smile or
look at me. I just need to know that you re okay that you re going to be able to give me some more
of those sweet whiskey kisses.
Iz. I manage to push the words out of the iron trap that my mouth has become. My eyelids split,
and the world warbles in and out like a blur.
Holt! Oh my, gosh, I love you! I love you so much, please wake up for me.
I take a deep breath and force my eyes open, then I see her. Her hair is pulled back. She looks
frightened and happy all at once. The room comes into focus, unfamiliar with a small TV up near the
ceiling.
It all comes back to me, the drive down to the country, the pawnshop, the man with the vase.
Crap. At least I made it out alive mostly.
Ryder? I try to sit up, and my head explodes as if an anvil just fell on it.
He s fine. Izzy leans in and blesses me with her cool, soft lips. You ll be fine, too. The
doctor says it s nothing more than a concussion. Be thankful.
My neck knots up and I wince. Do you know what happened?
You sent good old Chuck a thank you note from me. He was going to press charges, but Laney
and I had a little talk with him. I wouldn t be surprised if he wrote you a thank you note right back.
She gives a little wink. Thank you for that. But please, don t ever go vigilante on me again.
You were worth it. Sorry I didn t kill him.
Don t be. I m over it. I filed a formal complaint with the police so they know what went on,
and, if possible, he ll be added to the predatory watch list. Laney said she ll come with me to speak
to a lawyer and see what options I might have. He apologized through tears until we left.
He should have done it sooner.
I didn t need his apology. Thanks to you, I ve moved on. But I need you alive and well to do
that, so no more mortal combat. Deal?
Deal.
Izzy climbs into the bed next to me, and we hold each other like that all night long.
We did it.
Izzy and I crawled through hell and came out the other side. We re survivors, and we did what
we know best survived.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkwiatpolny.htw.pl
|
|
| Cytat |
Dobre pomysły nie mają przeszłości, mają tylko przyszłość. Robert Mallet
De minimis - o najmniejszych rzeczach.
Dobroć jest ważniejsza niż mądrość, a uznanie tej prawdy to pierwszy krok do mądrości. Theodore Isaac Rubin
Dobro to tylko to, co szlachetne, zło to tylko to, co haniebne.
Dla człowieka nie tylko świat otaczający jest zagadką; jest on nią sam dla siebie. I z obu tajemnic bardziej dręczącą wydaje się ta druga. Antoni Kępiński (1918-1972)
|
|
