Page 6 of Smoke

She definitely still is. But I don’t want to think about her like that right now. Once I start, I won’t want to stop. And it ain’t good for her and I to go down that road. “Yeah, whatever you guys want.”

Omen slides a finger over the barrel of his gun, seductively. “I’m gonna enjoy lighting that live wire up.”

The anger and tension has been building around us for so long, it’s about to explode like dynamite in her face. Poor Cherry has no idea what’s coming.

I nod and hold up my glass of whiskey. “Cheers to finally getting payback, boys.”

Not again.

“No, no, no!” I hiss. “Fuck!” The tap on the keg makes a whooshing sound just as an ice-cold burst of dark beer sprays in my face. All the other taps work fine, but this one gives me problems every single time I change the keg out.

I grunt in frustration as I lick the bitter stout from my lips. I grab the closest rag and dab at my clothes, but it’s no use. I’m soaked. Ugh. Disgusting. I hate everything about beer—the taste, the smell, the texture. And now I’m covered in it.

I can’t even run upstairs to shower and change because Hawk could walk in any second. If he shows up and the front door is locked, he will lose his shit. And with all these robberies, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna shower with the door unlocked. Fuck my life.

I try not to gag as I wring out the bottom of my white tank top in the sink. The brown stains will never come out at this point. Another piece of clothing just became a casualty of bar life. I don’t regret my decision to buy Level Up, I just wish that I could afford to hire some actual help.

Doing everything by myself was fun at first, but five years later, it’s exhausting. Plus, I barely have time to have a life outside of these walls. I literally live here.

The buzz of my phone sends my heart racing. I curse under my breath before sneaking a glance at the screen. “Fuck,” I mutter aloud. It’s another text from the unknown number. But I know exactly who it is. One more fucking thing I don’t have time for right now.

I click on the message and read it in full, my stomach churning with anxiety.

Hey, Cherry. I wonder how Father Eli will feel when he finds out his little girl is a stone-cold killer. You think he’ll give up the cloth? Or maybe he’ll just off himself in shame.

What do you want, Kane?

My blood runs cold. He’s been threatening me for months. Ever since I rejected him. For years, we had an on and off again situationship. When we were young, his whole bad boy image was sexy, and messing around with him was a great way to piss off Hawk. But I’m not a teenager anymore. I’m a grown woman, and a business owner with bills and a mortgage.

While Kane’s still working the county fairs and markets just for enough chump change to score some blow. I’m done fucking around with him. I’ve been done.

The thing is, he’s not having it. And he’s using my past against me. He held his cards close all these years, never letting me know that he knew. Until he wanted more. And I had the audacity to refuse him.

You know what I want, Cherry. But you always gotta play so hard to get. Send me another pic of those perfect tits of yours, and I’ll hold off on going to church this week. But I want to see you pinching those nipples this time. Pinch them fucking hard for me, until they almost bleed.

If it keeps him quiet, I’ll do it. What worries me is that the rest of his brain cells will kick in, and he’ll start demanding more.

Fine. I’m closing up the bar. I’ll send you a pic before I go to bed.

I still don’t know for sure if he has any proof. But just him knowing about it is enough.

I’ll be waiting. Don’t forget, or I’ll post the other ones you sent on the church’s messenger board.

Fucking vile piece of shit. I shudder thinking about him. The way I sucked his dick twice that night after the murder house. He was the perfect alibi. I let him cum on my tits after the first time. He made me swallow on the second.

For now, I just need to keep him quiet. Even if zero proof exists, I don’t need him placing even a hair of doubt in anyone’s head.

Relax. You’ll get your pound of flesh.

I flip my phone over so I don’t have to look at the screen anymore.

It was an open and shut case. There were no weapons, no prints, and no motive. They classified it as a break-in gone bad, even though nothing was stolen, and closed it down. The parents sold the house and never spent another summer in Crimson Valley ever again.

But the local police have always been itching to reopen it. Their egos were beyond bruised. Especially after they lost the civil suit for negligence. Sherrif deputies traipsed all over the house before forensics arrived. Not that they would’ve found anything anyway. Hawk and his crew don’t miss. But still. If they get even the tiniest sliver of hope in solving it after all these years, they’ll take it.

So I send Kane the nude photos he asks for, all while wondering when he’s going to work up the nerve to demand that I fuck him again. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it I guess. I let out a deep sigh and go back to cleaning the bar.

After mopping up all the beer I spilled, I manage to get the tap on tight without further incident. I also make a note to order a new one when I can. I’m tired of fighting with it every weekend. Besides, I’m running out of cute T-shirts to wear.