Page 79 of River Wild

And it looks like that feeling of dislike goes both ways.

“Come on; let’s get you back to your friends,” River says to me, ignoring Brad.

“Carrie doesn’t want to go anywhere. Do you, Carrie? We were having a nice conversation before you showed up.”

I open my mouth to speak, but River beats me to it.

“No, you were hitting on her, like you do with anything that has a pulse. Come on, Red.”

“Red? Well, hold up now. This just got really interesting. Are you actually friends with the one-pump chump?” Brad says, lips twitching.

“You still filming people having sex without their knowledge?” River fires back at him.

What?

Brad laughs. “You never could take a joke.”

“The only joke here is you.”

“Well, now, that’s just not nice. And I think it’s only fair that the lovely Carrie here knows who she’s spending her time with.”

“Shut the fuck up, Brad,” River snaps.

And that just makes Brad smile wider. An evil gleam in his eyes.

If I’m not mistaken, I’m guessing I already know what Brad is going to say.

I move and stand beside River.

“I already know who I’m spending my time with,” I tell Brad.

“I’m not sure you do, sugar. You know, aside from being able to get it up long enough to satisfy a woman, he comes from bad blood. Do you know his mama murdered a cop in cold blood? Shot a good man to death in her kitchen while he stood there and watched her do it.”

River freezes beside me.

“I don’t think that’s any of my business or yours.” God knows how I manage to keep my voice steady.

“That’s where you’re wrong, sugar, because that man his mama murdered was my uncle. An honest, good, law-abiding man who deserved better than to be shot dead by some cheap whore who’d tricked him into marriage and taking on her fucked up kid.”

I can feel River practically vibrating with rage next to me.

Brad is smirking like he’s happy with the bomb he just dropped.

“Are you done?” I say quietly to Brad.

“I’ve not even started, sugar.”

River turns so abruptly; his arm knocks into mine.

“River!” I call to him as I watch him stride away from us, heading for the mass of trees that leads into the woods at the back of our houses.

I look back at Brad with unconcealed disgust.

He stares back at me. “You’re a fool if you’re spending time with him,” he says in a repugnant tone. “It won’t be long before he snaps, just like his mama did, and whoever is in his way will end up like my uncle did.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”