punch the fucker in the mouth. Smug, he guessed were the word for it. And Terrible knew exactly what Archie were thinking as he looked at him: Big dumb ugly goon, I can lie to him easy and he ain’t know the difference.
Fine with him, Archie wanted to think that way. Causen one of two things was going to happen. Either Archie was going to learn Terrible weren’t so dumb by paying attention, or Archie was going to learn Terrible weren’t so dumb by getting his nose broken. And Terrible kinda hoped it was the second one.
Past Archie Terrible could see his apartment. Nicer than most. Looked like Archie even put money into the place. His suspicions rose. Archie coulda made that money on cons, easy, but why live in Downside if he making that kinda cash? Anybody had the money to have stuff like that furniture, that stereo and big-ass TV … anybody had that kind of money, they didn’t live in Downside.
Except him, aye, but he had a reason for living there.
Archie had lived in Downside long enough to know what to say when he opened the door, too. “I don’t want trouble with Bump.”
They all said that. Even when they’d gone and gotten themselves in trouble on purpose, they said it. “You answer me, you ain’t have trouble, dig?”
Archie nodded. He didn’t step back to let Terrible in. That didn’t matter. Terrible shoved him out of the way and walked in, scanning the place fast to make sure nobody were hiding in there.
He didn’t look back at Archie, though. Let Archie know he weren’t scared. He’d see Archie out the corner of his eye, iffen he tried to make a move.
The place was way too fucking nice for Downside. He had one a them big-ass wall units that held his TV and all, had glass doors on it. Couch and chair looked brand new.
Could have all been stolen. But still. “Nice place.”
He felt Archie hesitate behind him. Felt his surprise. Hadn’t expected him to talk first, had he? No, causen he was one of them assholes read books about business strategy or whatever, like dealing with people was nothing more than a set of ten rules. And none of those rules applied there anyway. Terrible had the “tactical advantage,” and he knew it, causen if Archie tried playing games with him he’d just beat him down. Made things real easy.
Especially since Archie looked like a dude afraid to get hurt. Being afraid to get hurt meant he lost. Always. The key to winning was knowing that kind of pain ain’t last, and knowing how to take it. Knowing how to make it work, how to get used to it. Learning to accept it. Welcome it. Get so you wanted it.
Terrible was good at all of that. Feeling it outside beat feeling it inside.
Archie still hadn’t said anything. Terrible glanced back at him, still standing there by the door. “Goin out?”
Archie blinked. “No. Um, why are you here? It’s awfully late, isn’t it?”
“You knowing a dude name of Gav?”
“Why?” The word came out real curious, like Archie couldn’t think of any reason in the whole fucking world why he might get asked on Gav. But he obviously could. Tension sat in every line of his body, even though he was trying hard not to let it show. Like that weren’t suspicious.
Terrible shrugged. “You name come up somebody knows he.”
He’d came there to see iffen Archie might have more knowledge on Gav. But he were real fast starting to wonder iffen Archie had some serious knowledge on Gav, like the kinda knowledge came from being involved. Something about him was off. Something wrong. Terrible’s instincts told him so, and instincts were what he had instead of smarts.
So he wandered around the room, checking things out. Couple of books. Only a couple, computer guides and business books—aye, he knew it. Guessing Archie weren’t as smart as he liked to think he was, he ain’t even read real books.
“Who said that?”
Terrible picked up one of the books, pretended to flip through it. “Been here long?”
“Two months or so.
Fine with him, Archie wanted to think that way. Causen one of two things was going to happen. Either Archie was going to learn Terrible weren’t so dumb by paying attention, or Archie was going to learn Terrible weren’t so dumb by getting his nose broken. And Terrible kinda hoped it was the second one.
Past Archie Terrible could see his apartment. Nicer than most. Looked like Archie even put money into the place. His suspicions rose. Archie coulda made that money on cons, easy, but why live in Downside if he making that kinda cash? Anybody had the money to have stuff like that furniture, that stereo and big-ass TV … anybody had that kind of money, they didn’t live in Downside.
Except him, aye, but he had a reason for living there.
Archie had lived in Downside long enough to know what to say when he opened the door, too. “I don’t want trouble with Bump.”
They all said that. Even when they’d gone and gotten themselves in trouble on purpose, they said it. “You answer me, you ain’t have trouble, dig?”
Archie nodded. He didn’t step back to let Terrible in. That didn’t matter. Terrible shoved him out of the way and walked in, scanning the place fast to make sure nobody were hiding in there.
He didn’t look back at Archie, though. Let Archie know he weren’t scared. He’d see Archie out the corner of his eye, iffen he tried to make a move.
The place was way too fucking nice for Downside. He had one a them big-ass wall units that held his TV and all, had glass doors on it. Couch and chair looked brand new.
Could have all been stolen. But still. “Nice place.”
He felt Archie hesitate behind him. Felt his surprise. Hadn’t expected him to talk first, had he? No, causen he was one of them assholes read books about business strategy or whatever, like dealing with people was nothing more than a set of ten rules. And none of those rules applied there anyway. Terrible had the “tactical advantage,” and he knew it, causen if Archie tried playing games with him he’d just beat him down. Made things real easy.
Especially since Archie looked like a dude afraid to get hurt. Being afraid to get hurt meant he lost. Always. The key to winning was knowing that kind of pain ain’t last, and knowing how to take it. Knowing how to make it work, how to get used to it. Learning to accept it. Welcome it. Get so you wanted it.
Terrible was good at all of that. Feeling it outside beat feeling it inside.
Archie still hadn’t said anything. Terrible glanced back at him, still standing there by the door. “Goin out?”
Archie blinked. “No. Um, why are you here? It’s awfully late, isn’t it?”
“You knowing a dude name of Gav?”
“Why?” The word came out real curious, like Archie couldn’t think of any reason in the whole fucking world why he might get asked on Gav. But he obviously could. Tension sat in every line of his body, even though he was trying hard not to let it show. Like that weren’t suspicious.
Terrible shrugged. “You name come up somebody knows he.”
He’d came there to see iffen Archie might have more knowledge on Gav. But he were real fast starting to wonder iffen Archie had some serious knowledge on Gav, like the kinda knowledge came from being involved. Something about him was off. Something wrong. Terrible’s instincts told him so, and instincts were what he had instead of smarts.
So he wandered around the room, checking things out. Couple of books. Only a couple, computer guides and business books—aye, he knew it. Guessing Archie weren’t as smart as he liked to think he was, he ain’t even read real books.
“Who said that?”
Terrible picked up one of the books, pretended to flip through it. “Been here long?”
“Two months or so.
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