by Mary Abshire
A knock on the door woke him. He sat up and looked at Emily. She rolled from her side onto her arms behind her back. Before she could get up, he sprang to his feet and headed to the door. The person knocked again. He twisted, placing his backside to the door, and then tugged on the handle.
“About fucking time,” said a man as he strode into the room carrying a case similar to the one Nancy stole from Emily.
The man was a little shorter than Andrew and much leaner. He wore a long skirt and a shawl covered his head.
“Troy?” Emily asked.
He stopped near the television and lowered the cover from his head. “Turn on the fucking light.”
“We can’t. We’re tied up,” Andrew said as he moved closer.
“Please don’t tell me I sped all the way here to find you in the middle of some kinky sex game,” Troy said.
“Will you turn on the fucking light please?” Emily said, anger hastening her words.
“Okay, calm down,” Troy said as he strode toward the nightstand.
He switched on the light. His black skirt matched the color of the thin scarf now covering his shoulders and his white sleeveless blouse. He had dark skin, a shaved head, and high cheekbones that gave him a more feminine look. Bright, colorful makeup above his small eyes made them stand out. But it was his red aura that encouraged Andrew to stare at him. Andrew recalled the guard in heaven warning him about such people.
“Get a knife,” she said.
He shifted his gaze to Andrew, standing near the television. “Oh, my.”
“Hi,” Andrew said, not knowing what else to say.
“Knife,” Emily said.
Troy set the square bag on the mattress. He lifted his skirt and revealed his tall, heeled boots. He withdrew a pocketknife from the inside of one.
“Never leave home without this baby,” he said as he let his skirt fell back into place. There was a soft click before the blade shot out. Emily twisted as he reached to set her wrists free. After a small snap, she was able to move her arms.
“Finally,” she said, relieved.
Troy held the knife up and walked toward Andrew. “Let me guess, you need help too.”
“Yes, please,” Andrew said.
Troy stopped in front of him, holding the blade near his chest. “What’s your name?”
“Andrew.”
“Andy what?”
“Andrew.”
“Andrew? That’s not a name.”
Pressing his lips tight together, Andrew looked at Emily. She came to stand by Troy as she rubbed her wrists.
“He doesn’t like being called Andy,” she said.
“So… What is it, Andy?” Troy pointed the tip of the blade at his heart.
The man was dangerous, that much Andrew had surmised based on his aura and the little bit Emily had shared about him. Yet, he didn’t fear Troy. At the moment, Troy irritated him.
He clenched his jaw. “My name is Andrew Webster.”
“And how did you come to meet Emily, Andrew Webster?” Troy asked.
“She found me lying naked in the middle of a road in Indiana,” Andrew said.
Troy arched one of his thin brows and then looked at Emily.
“It’s true. Cut him loose, please,” she said. “I’ll fill you in with details later.”
“Hmm … this just keeps getting stranger.” Troy tilted the knife to the side. “Turn around.”
Andrew twisted and within seconds, the strap holding his arms broke.
“Now, will one of you kindly tell me what the fuck is going on?” Troy asked as he lowered the blade into the handle.
Emily sat on the edge of the bed. “Some drug addicts named Carl and Nancy gave us a ride here. I knew it was strange how they were asking so many questions. While we went to the bar, they came and stole a few of my belongings. They have my ID, laptop, and all the money I withdrew before I left Chicago.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Troy said.
“I wish,” she said. “I have to get everything back. I think the front desk woman tipped them off when we were coming back to the room.”
Troy pushed aside the clothes on the bed across from her before he sat. Andrew took a seat next to Emily. His wrists had a red ring around them similar to hers.
“They knocked her out with their guns,” Andrew said. “She’s lucky they didn’t shoot her.”
“What the fuck, Em?” Troy asked, anger rich in his tone. He widened his eyes as if he were scolding her with his gaze.
“I didn’t want them to leave with all my stuff, so I tried to scare them. I would’ve fought them if they hadn’t had weapons. You know me,” she said in defense.
“Unfucking believable,” Troy said, shaking his head. “And what happened to him?”
“He started a fight to protect me at the bar,” she said.
“There were two men looking for trouble. We were slightly drunk, so one of them got a shot at me,” Andrew added.
“I hit one of them with a beer bottle,” she added.
“Good for you,” Troy said to her. He shifted to Andrew. “And you for protecting her.”
“Yeah, but if he goes to the police…” Emily said.
“Fuck,” Troy said.
“Maybe I should replace my middle name with that,” she said.
“Not a bad idea,” Troy mumbled.
“I need you to help me get my stuff back. They took my ID, my gun, and all my money. That woman at the front desk might know something. If not, Henry from the auto shop will. Carl said he went to school with Henry. Please, just help me get my things.”
“Fine, but you two are a fucking mess. And you stink.” He wrinkled his nose at her.
“Yeah, well, I’d like to clean up,” she said.
Troy stood. “Do that. Andrew and I will take a walk down the hall and see what we can find out from the butch at the front desk.”
Andrew rose next to Emily. She reached to hug Troy, but he lifted his palms and backed away.
“Don’t come near me with your stench. You can hug me later,” Troy said.
She gave him a warm smile. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Oh, you’ll be thanking me,” Troy said before he looked at Andrew. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“No,” Andrew said.
“Fuck. Well, you’ll just have to pretend you do,” Troy said as he passed Andrew. He unzipped the front of his bag. From inside he withdrew a small gun. He handed it to Andrew. “Point, but don’t shoot. And act serious.”
The small black piece fit in his hand. He stared at the weapon as he wondered where to hide it.
“It won’t bite you,” Troy said. “Stick it in your pocket.”
“Can it misfire?”
Troy rolled his eyes. “I’m dealing with an amateur.”
“Be nice,” Emily said as she shuffled through the clothes on the mattress.
“Fine,” Troy said. “No, it won’t shoot your pecker off, so stuff it in your pants and let’s go.” He strode toward the exit.
Andrew lifted his shirt and carefully wedged the gun into his pocket. He felt uneasy with the weapon so close to his groin. If something happened to his most valuable possession, he didn’t know what he’d do. Life and death would have no meaning.
Holding clothes in her hands, Emily approached him. “Relax and do what he says. You’ll be fine.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said.
“Coming, Andrew?” Troy called out.
Andrew met Troy near the door. The thin young man stepped out first. His skirt swished softly over his boots.
“Follow my lead and don’t talk,” Troy said as they walked down the hall.
“Got it.”
“Why are you with Emily?” he asked.
The quick change of subject surprised him. He also found it amazing how calm and collected Troy acted. Andrew had a gut feeling Troy was like a venomous snake, sneaky and prepared to attack at any second. That made the
feminine man very dangerous.
“She’s helping me.”
“With what?”
“Something I have to do,” Andrew said.
“Fill me in later. Now, what has she told you about herself?”
“Everything,” Andrew said. “She has a good heart.”
“Exactly. Don’t fuck with her or I’ll kill you myself.”
Troy’s strong words left little room for doubt. The fact he had a red glow around him convinced Andrew plenty. Emily had said they’d grown up together. Andrew had to believe the man would do anything to protect her. True friendship to the end, he thought.
Troy paused as they came upon the vending area. He tilted his head as he glanced inside. A snack machine stood next to one with drinks. The icemaker was across from both. Troy continued forward and Andrew kept in stride.
After they rounded the corner, Andrew’s pulse accelerated. The front desk appeared to be abandoned. As they approached it, he was able to see the woman sitting behind the counter. The woman he’d seen earlier was sitting in a chair.
“Can I help you?” she asked, eyeing Troy and Andrew suspiciously.
“I put money in the vending machine and the damn chips got stuck. The pop machine doesn’t seem to be working either. Can you help me please?” Troy asked.
“I’m not supposed to leave my desk,” she said.
“This will just take a minute. I promise, sugar. I tried to get this big guy to move the snack one, but the damn bag won’t budge,” Troy said. “I think the pop machine is turned off, but I can’t tell for sure.”
“I’m not sure I can help you,” she said as she rose.
“Can you at least take a look? Maybe the drink one should be turned on,” Troy said.
Her gazed bounce between Troy and Andrew.
“I can’t reach the outlet, but it does look like one of the machines is unplugged,” Andrew said.
“Real fast,” she said as she walked around the counter.
Troy followed her down the hall. Before they turned the corner, he withdrew his knife from his boot. Andrew stayed close behind him as they headed for the vending area.
“If I can’t get them to work I’ll have to call someone out,” she said, entering the small room.
“That’s fine,” Troy said.
She stopped at the snack machine and faced the glass. Troy shoved her shoulder, pushing her against the wall. She probably weighed at least fifty pounds more than he did, but he managed to force her back with ease. He held her by her throat while his blade swished out. He slammed it into the wall near her head.
“You’re going to tell me where Carl and Nancy live or I’m going to slice you into pieces,” Troy said, standing inches from her face. “Do you understand?”
She was breathing heavily and shifting her gaze from Troy to Andrew.
“Don’t look at him, bitch. Look at me,” Troy said.
Andrew withdrew the gun from his pocket. He pointed it at her head, but he knew he couldn’t pull the trigger. He couldn’t kill anyone other than a demon. Struggling to breathe, she closed her eyes and whimpered.
“Tell me where the fuck I can find them,” Troy said.
She gave a jerky nod. “Hobart Road. 7220. Brick house. Green shutters.”
“Very good,” Troy said.
He yanked the knife from the wall and removed his hand from her throat. Andrew kept the gun aimed at her head. She opened her eyes. Not even a second later, Troy shoved his fist into her stomach. He stepped back as she expelled a burst of air and doubled over. He gripped her hair and pulled her up.
“If you call the police or even attempt to contact Carl or Nancy or any one of their friends, I will come back and cut your eyes out. Then, I will cut out your tongue and feed it to you. If that’s not enough to kill you, I’ll gut you like a fish,” Troy said with evil intent in his eyes.
The woman paled as she tried to gather air.
“Do I have your word you will not contact anyone?” Troy asked.
She gave a small nod.
“I don’t hear you,” he said as he brought the tip of the blade under her eye.
“Yes. Yes,” she said, breathy.
He let go of her and stepped back. Andrew lowered the gun.
“I have a friend watching from close by too. I’m not here alone to help my friends. So don’t tempt me, bitch,” Troy said sternly.
“I won’t,” she said, voice shaky as if she were on the edge of crying.
“Then get the fuck back to your desk,” he said as he stepped aside, closer to Andrew.
She took slow steps as she straightened. He followed her a few steps into the hall and then watched her walk the rest of the way.
“Will she talk?” Andrew asked softly after she turned the corner.
Troy scoffed. “She’s scared shitless. She won’t say a word to anyone.”
“Have you killed anyone before?”
“Honey, I don’t know you well enough to answer that. Now, come on.”
Although Troy’s methods were violent, they had a powerful impact. Since he had a red aura, Andrew believed he had killed before. Troy had the skills to do so and vehemence behind his words. Andrew wasn’t an aggressive person, but he understood there were situations that called for a strong approach. If he hung around Troy long enough, Andrew believed he could learn quite a bit from the young man. Any knowledge he could pick up would definitely help him deal with the demons he had to face and also protect Emily. Now, he just needed to find a way to talk Troy into teaching him how to kill.
Chapter Twelve
Emily hurried to stuff her clothes into her bags. Her wet hair dripped on her shoulders and the towel wrapped under her arms kept trying to come loose. She’d rushed to wash her hair and body in the shower, knowing the men wouldn’t be gone for too long. The hot water had felt good on her skin and had tempted her to stay under the spray longer. She promised herself she would another time.
Her stomach growled again as she zipped up one bag. She was hungry, but she didn’t have any money to buy any food. If she weren’t so exhausted, she’d ask Troy to order a pizza. But lethargy weighed heavier than an elephant on her back. The small nap she’d taken earlier was enough for her to crave more rest. The increased stress could’ve been another reason why she felt so tired.
She finished clearing the bed and set both bags on the floor. A knock at the door scared her and she jumped.
“Your favorite brother is back,” Troy said.
Clutching the loose towel, she headed to let him in. After she twisted the handle and opened the door, she darted into the nearby restroom. She promptly closed the door as Troy and Andrew strode into the room.
She dropped the cloth on the floor and hurried to finish dressing. She’d already donned a pair of clean underwear. The t-shirt and shorts she’d gathered earlier waited for her on the counter. She slid both on and then headed to meet the men.
Andrew sat on the bed near the window, facing the mattress where her clothes had been scattered. In his right hand he had the gun Troy let him borrow. Troy stood at the end of Andrew’s bed, staring down at his bag lying flat open. His laptop was on one side and phone on the other along with bigger knife in a sheath. She’d seen it before.
“How did it go?” She looked from Andrew to Troy.
“Peachy. I’ve got an address and I’m quite certain she won’t tip anyone off,” Troy said as he slid his scarf from his shoulders. He dropped it over his belongings. “Now, have a seat. We need to talk.”
In her experience, his pleasantry was a sign of restrained anger. She couldn’t blame him for being pissed at her. She took a seat on the bed and faced Andrew. He rubbed his non-swollen eye.
“You okay?” she asked Andrew as Troy came to sit by him.
“Tired.”
She could relate. They’d had a long day and night. He really needed to put ice on his face.
Troy crossed his legs and held his palm out in front of Andrew. “Gun please.”
<
br /> Andrew placed the weapon into his hand. Troy slid the safety off.
“What are you doing?” Emily asked.
Troy removed the small clip and examined it. The chamber looked loaded. He shoved it back into the gun. Elbow on his knee, he pointed the weapon toward Andrew’s head. “I think I’m entitled to some answers now.”
“Troy—”
“I want to know why you’re helping him and why you told him everything about your situation,” Troy said before she could get any further words out.
Her heart pumped faster, fueled by a touch of fear. Troy would do anything protect her. That was his way since they were kids. If he thought for a second Andrew would hurt her, Troy wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Andrew was a complete stranger to him. She was surprised he hadn’t threatened to cut off Andrew’s balls yet. Then again, she couldn’t be certain what he’d told Andrew while they were alone.
“I can explain,” Andrew said.
“No,” Emily and Troy said at the same time.
“She will explain,” Troy said. “And start with you found him naked on the road.” He gave her a sly grin.
“I was taking the back roads to Indy and found him lying naked on the road. There were no clothes nearby. No cars. Nothing. The nearest house was miles away.”
“Butt naked?”
She nodded. “He had no scars or tattoos either. He got up and said he needed help. I couldn’t just leave him there.”
“Yes, you could have,” Troy said.
“I’m not heartless,” she said.
“That’s always been your problem,” Troy said.
“Yeah, well, he’s been kind and well mannered.”
“So are dogs after obedience training,” Troy said flatly.
“He needed help. I’m being nice.”
“Another one of your weaknesses,” Troy said. “What was his reason for being in the middle of the road naked?”
She took a deep breath. Troy had an open mind, but she didn’t know how accepting he would be with Andrew’s story.
“He said he had died in 1989 with his parents in a car crash. He was sent from heaven to kill a demon and he needed help to get find it,” she said.