it’s not one I plan to share with you. I’m going
home.”
She tried to move around him to reach the front of her
vehicle, happy she kept a spare set of keys stashed in the glove box since she’d
lost hers. Jimmy grabbed her arm.
“What was it?”
A really amazing alien man. “A bobcat with rabies.”
“Shit. I keep telling Avery he needs to pay someone to check
his property. It means it will spread. I’ll have crazy raccoons and squirrels
coming onto my property.”
“I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.” It would give her a
valid excuse to visit the cabin and “discover” the body. “Right now I want to
take a shower and sleep in a real bed.”
“You can use mine. I’ll even wash your back or anything else
you want.” He leered at her chest.
“In your dreams, dirtbag.” She jerked out of his hold. She
opened the driver’s door and climbed inside but Jimmy grabbed hold of the edge
of it, not allowing her to close it.
“You might not be such a bitch if you got laid. Face it,
Lynn, I’m probably the best of the bunch. Tim is better looking but he’s a mean
drunk. Craig can’t hold a job so you’d have to support his ass and we all know
he’s nailing Miller’s wife every chance he can. Everyone else is either too old
or way too young, unless you start trolling them right out of high school.
Plus, I can get you high for free. Let’s go in my house.”
“Get out of my way.”
He refused to let go of the door when she tried to close it.
He actually stepped forward, putting his body in the path of it. “You know you
want me. Just do it. Do me.” He licked his lips. “Come on, baby.”
Her temper flared. She was done. “You want me to touch you?”
“Yeah.” He grinned.
“Fine.”
She twisted on the seat and kicked out her foot, nailing him
in the crotch. He cried out and doubled over, stumbling back as he grabbed at
the front of his pants. Lynn leaned out, grabbed the handle, twisted her legs
back inside, and slammed the door. She locked it and leaned across the console,
opened the glove box and retrieved her spare keys.
“You bitch!” Jimmy hit her window. “I’ll get even with you.”
She shoved the key in the ignition and started the engine.
She flipped him off and put on her seat belt.
“I’m going to get you fired.” He tried to open her door but
it wouldn’t budge.
She figured he would call his uncle over that little stunt
but she was fed up with his threats. It was possible the Zorn ways had rubbed
off on her but she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. It felt good to hit the
creep. She threw the SUV in drive and slammed her foot down on the accelerator,
taking off.
She forgot about the metal gate at the end of the long
driveway. Jimmy probably wouldn’t show up to unlock it to let her out so she
just rammed it. The thin chain snapped and the chain-link gate popped open. She
drove out, merging onto the double-lane road that led into town.
Her little house was a welcome sight as she parked in front
of the garage and locked up the SUV. She had to use the hideaway key under the
planter to let herself in. After locking the door behind her, Lynn stopped, the
utter silence hitting her as she studied her mismatched hand-me-down furniture
and a few pieces she’d managed to buy on her own.
“Damn.” She put the keys on the table and checked her
answering machine. There were no messages. She walked into the kitchen and
opened her fridge, staring at the meager contents. She grabbed a soda, opened
it, and took a sip.
“My life sucks,” she muttered.
She entered her bedroom, rested the soda can on her dresser,
and began to strip. A shower would make her feel better. She stepped inside the
cramped bathroom and turned on the water, taking time to brush her teeth as she
waited for the old water heater to kick in. A few minutes later she tested the
temperature and cursed. It was barely lukewarm.
“Fantastic. It’s out again.”
She clenched her teeth and stepped under
Ian Hamilton
Kristi Jones
Eoin McNamee
Ciaran Nagle
Bryn Donovan
Zoey Parker
Saxon Andrew
Anne McCaffrey
Alex Carlsbad
Stacy McKitrick