Cold sweat broke across Jay’s skin as he stood numbly and waited to be let go.
Ben moved back, smiling wide with his missing front tooth. His remaining teeth had a strong yellowish shade.
“How’s it going?”
Jay shook his head, finding his bearings. “Doing well. When did you get out?”
“A few weeks ago. Good behavior. Can you believe it?”
“No.”
Ben laughed, the sound coming from the depths of his guts. “Me neither.” He looked around. “Is this your place?”
“My brother’s. I work here.”
“Oh, sweet. I’m on my way out of this shitty city, man.Heading south for nicer weather and cheaper rent. Got a few of my boys going with me.”
Jay remembered that Ben had been a part of a biker gang before he got locked up for almost killing a guy in a fight.
“Cool,” he managed.
“You remember Bucky? Dude got stabbed to death in my last week there. That Latino gang had it in for him.”
Bucky. Another man Jay had been working hard to bury in the graveyard of his subconscious. “What a shame.” He cleared his throat. “Did you say you need fresh oil?” He walked toward the entrance door. “It’s outside.”
“Hold on, what’s the hurry? Let’s catch up.”
Jay sighed and turned around. “It’s late. I need to close up.”
Ben gave a crooked, yellowish grin. “Got plans, huh? Who you meeting?”
“No one.”
“Oh, come on. I bet it’s some hot chick.” His eyes traveled down. “Are you gonna make her howl with that pole?”
Bile climbed Jay’s throat. “I’m not meeting anyone.”
“Good, then you’re not in a hurry.” He grabbed a chair and slumped on it.
Jay’s pulse sped up. This man had no right being here, no right to even exist outside of Jay’s prison days. “You wanted oil for your bike. Let’s go outside so I can help you. On the house.”
Ben kept staring, his ugly smile unwavering.
“Ben, come on. Let’s go—”
“Pull it out.”
Jay sucked in a breath. He must have banged his headunderneath that old Ford and passed out, because there was no way that this was happening. “I’m not pulling anything out.”
Ben chuckled and crossed his legs, one hairy knee poking out through a tear in his jeans. “I’m having déjà vu. Do you remember how it ended when you said no to me that first time?”
A dark, buried memory resurfaced, hot as fire and sharp as a knife. “This ain’t prison.”
“True.” Ben spread his arms. “No guards.”
Jay exhaled, his fists clenched. He wondered if the universe had set this up to grant him a chance to settle an old score, but the universe wasn't known to do him any favors. “Listen closely. You’re gonna get your fat ass up from that poor chair, then walk out of here to whichever cave you crawled out of.”
“Is that so?”
