“Oh, stop. I was a teenager when all that shit happened,” Selene says in her defense.
“D.H. is a client of Mr. Armstrong,” Cori whispers.
“The lawyer you work for?” I ask.
“The one and the same,” Cori says. “I don’t know what his business is with that old man, but I saw his name on a contract a few weeks back. It clicked when I noticed it on the club paperwork. It’s buried so deep, though, and that must be for a reason.”
“What kind of contract?” Curious, I lean in to hear more.
“I’m not sure. The old geezer came back, and I had to pretend I didn’t see anything. They have completely taken over this town. They have Ms. Hazel on the take, and Mr. Armstrong, too. No one is safe.”
My eyes widen at her words. I don’t know why, but a shiver runs down my spine. I lived in a major city for ten years, and I never got close to any criminals. I come home, and hooligans have taken over the small, quiet town I grew up in.
Cori gestures for us to come closer. “D.H., or whatever the hell his name is, is an old, shriveled-up prune of a man. Mr.Armstrong cleared out the office last week, but I had heard him on the phone that morning, and I knew he was talking to D.H. Then he said, ‘I’ll see you at two.’ Minutes later, he sent an email telling everyone we had to be out of the office by one, and not to come back the rest of the day because they were going to check the building for mold, which is bullshit. I pretended to leave but returned on foot and hid behind the emergency exit at the back of the building. A luxury SUV arrived a little before two, and the old man came out. I snapped a picture.”
Cori pulls out her phone and shows us a profile shot of a man with a humpback and a long nose.
“Why does his nose look like a little dick?” We cackle at Selene’s question. “That’s definitely not that guy,” Selene sighs. “This dude is older than Methuselah.”
“Well, whoever this mystery man is, he isn’t the one stalking us. He’s the least of our problems.”
“Stalkingyou,” Cori reminds me.
“Great. That makes me feel so much better.”
“My dad says they are turning this town into Nineveh,” Selene whispers.
“What the fuck is Nineveh?” I ask, and Cori giggles.
“Some town in the bible,” Selene says.
“Yeah? Where is it?”
“North of Sodom, east of Gomorrah,” Cori says with a laugh.
Selene purses her lips, but she soon laughs along with us.
“Forget them,” Selene says. She puts her hand on top of mine, and I look away from the duo. “I’m sick of that guy, though.” I know she’s talking about Rip.
“Me too,” I finally say. “One thing for sure is that I’m through being scared of him.” I pick up my glass and raise it. My girls do the same, and we clink. Ever since he told me that he doesn’t hurt women, I’ve been less scared.
“To us,” I announce.
“To us,” Selene and Cori agree at once.
Despite my bout of confidence, I feel his eyes on me, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of looking his way. He’s taken enough of my energy.
Chapter 9
Rip
Dax never talks much, unless he’s flirting with a woman, but he knows all. He’s a quiet kind of shrewd. He doesn’t make a move until the time is right, and the time is always right because he makes sure that it is.
He raises an eyebrow from across the table, but I ignore him. I’m already annoyed at myself for going back on my earlier decision. I decided that this little obsession, or whatever you want to call it, was over. I did my part. I saved her oblivious ass, scared her several times, and I am finished with it.
But the moment I heard that insipid one talking to her mother at the gas station, I knew I’d end up here tonight. And I hate myself for it. The one I came here for ignores me, and that pisses me off.
The server arrives, and she’s an older woman who greets us with a friendly smile. Unlike most people in this town, she doesn’t quiver. I order sparkling water, and Dax orders bourbon.
