“It’sGauge,” Igrunted.
Iheard her mumble something before the sound of alock turning sounded and she opened the door acrack. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she snapped.
Iscowled down at her. “Nice, Jolie, real nice.”
“Oh fuck you, Gauge,” she whisper-shouted, and started to push the door closed until Istuck my boot in the gap. “Move or you lose it.”
Iraised an eyebrow. “What’sgoin’ on in there?”
“Iwas fucking my boss,” she replied calmly. Too calmly. Though Icouldn’tdeny that she did look sweaty and out of breath. “Now, if you don’tmind.” She tried to push the door closed again, but Ikept my foot in place, slamming my hand on the door.
“Pretty sure the fuck who owns this crack den isn’tthe right type of guy for you, Jolie. Or should Isay Jade?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Oh fuck you, Gauge!”
“You’ve already used that line,” Ichuckled, enjoying how irritated Imade her.
Her red lips pinched in, her eyes narrowing. “Go the fuck to hell, you fucking piece of shit,” she said. “Have Iused that one before?”
Iwhistled. “Damn, Jolie, you really know how to hurt someone'sfeelings.”
“You? Have feelings? Please, my dead aunt Betty has more feelings than you and she was aroyal cunt!” She glanced down at my boot blocking the doorway, and she must have known full well that Icould have pushed the door wide open at any time Iwanted, but for some reason Ihadn’t.
“You kiss your mom with that dirty mouth of yours?” Ibit out.
“You get to kiss anyone with that mouth of yours?” she retorted, her dark kohled eyes narrowed into slits.
We stood there in silence, neither of us backing down. There was no way Iwas leaving without seeing inside that room, even if it was to satisfy my own curiosity as to what she was hiding. Because you didn'tgo to so much trouble to hide your extra life unless you knew that extra life was aseriously messed-up one.
“Open up, Jolie,” Isaid, my words slow and deliberate.
She opened her mouth to no doubt snap something nasty at me, but then at the last second she seemed to have achange of heart. Her closed-up features opened up, and the harsh set of her jaw and the tightness around her eyes eased. She swallowed once and took adeep breath.
“Fine, but just remember you came here all on your own. Ididn'task you to come. And Isure as shit didn’task for your help.”
Ipushed on the door, her automatic response of fighting against me kicking in before she finally gave in and stepped back. Walking into the room, Ididn’tsee anything unusual at first, barring the rolled-up rug on the ground and the desk that was pushed against the back wall, its contents scattered over the floor.
Iturned to her. “What big-dicked daddy have you been climbing on? Because there ain’tshit in this room.”
Her walls went back up. “Yep, nothing here so time to move along.” She walked back to the door. “And when you see Dom next, tell him we don’tneed his help anymore. This family is done with him.I’mdone with him.” She sounded almost pained at the last part, but the moment was fleeting.
Iscanned the room again, really taking it in, this timereallynoticing shit that my beer-fueled brain hadn’tseen the first time around.
“What the…” Iasked as Iwalked toward the rolled-up carpet. Ipushed it with my foot, letting it unroll until abloody face stared back at me with blinking eyes. “Fuck…” Iturned to her, hoping she was going to give me an explanation of some sort. “Jolie? What the fuck have you done?”
She was defensive and frightened all rolled into one. She swallowed before speaking. “Well, Ithought he was dead…and Iwas trying to get rid of him…of his body, but then he woke up, and then”—she shrugged, her words catching—“Iwas trying to work up the courage to…” Her words trailed off as she made acutting motion across her throat.
“Jesus fuck, Jolie,” Imuttered, looking away from her when she shrugged again. She didn’tseem overly bothered about what she had been trying to do, but Iwas assuming that it was all bravado because no way in hell should she have been so calm about killing someone.
The guy on the floor slurred incoherently, and Iturned back to him. He was already halfway to Hades by the looks of it. Whatever had happened had already fucked up his brain big time. Iwas basically doing him afavor.
Ipulled out my gun, aimed it at his temple, and fired once, putting the poor fuck out of his misery. Then Iturned back to Jolie, watching as her expression softened and then hardened again.
“It’sdone,” Isaid, simply.
She nodded, her mouth opening as she took adeep breath. “Thanks.”
“It’swhat Ido,” Ireplied coldly, expecting her to flinch back from my words, but instead she continued to stare at me with her empty, wide-eyed expression.
“Now what?” she asked.
My gaze narrowed but Irefused to comment on her nonchalance. If this bitch was crazy enough to think shit like this was okay, then Iwas nonchalant enough to not give ashit.
“Now we get rid of him before anyone sees us.”
