Page 63 of Wrecking Ball
“And what’s it worth to me?” he says.
“Five grand,” Zoey answers. She’d already told me that this was how it would go down, so I’m not shocked.
“Five grand, huh?” he says as he twirls the cigarette in his fingers before putting it back in his mouth. “And what might you want with her?”
“None of your business,” Zoey retorts.
“Oh, it is my business if I tell you,” he replies with a shit eating grin on his face, cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth.
“Do you want the five K or not?” I say, not waiting for Zoey to answer him.
He looks at me, his eyes roaming up and down my body, but I just lift my chin a bit higher. He’s not going to intimidate me. I live with Nate, for fuck’s sake, and if he doesn’t scare me then this asshole won’t either.
“She came here a few weeks ago, looking for Percy, said she needed a word,” Jerry says as he holds his hand out for the money. Zoey slaps a wad of notes in his hand and his eyes light up. “She left with Percy that day and I haven’t seen her since.”
“Hmmm. Really?” Zoey questions, and I know she doesn’t believe that he knows nothing else.
He nods and takes one last puff before stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray. At least he didn’t use the floor this time.
“I haven’t seen Percy since either,” Jerry confirms, as if this concludes business.
“May I?” Zoey says as she points to his cigarette packet on the bar counter.
“Taken up the habit again, huh?” he replies as he gestures for her to take one. She leans across and scoops up the packet, removing one and popping it between her lips. I stare at her, puzzled. What the hell is she doing?
“One won’t hurt. Got a light?” she asks, and Jerry reaches into his pocket and places the lighter in her hand.
“Thanks.” She lights it up and hands him back the lighter, taking a puff and blowing the smoke out in front of her.
“Tastes good, huh?” Jerry asks, and Zoey smiles.
“You have no idea,” she says before she quickly moves and stubs the cigarette out on the back of his hand which is resting on the bar.
He squeals and clenches his teeth as his skin burns.
“Tell me where the fuck she is,” Zoey says, her teeth bared in his face as I stand here like a spare part. I see Jerry move his other hand, and I act before thinking, taking the gun out of the back of my jeans and placing it at the back of his head.
“I wouldn’t,” I warn him, and he drops his hand, letting it dangle beside him.
“You been training her up,” he comments, and Zoey smirks.
“Nah. She was one of us way before she came into the fold.” Her answer makes my chest feel like its swelling with pride. Funny, at the start of all this it would have made me feel sick, but not now. Now I own that fact that my husband is a badass, and that my sister-in-law is like a chip off the old block.
“Now, do you really want to tell us where she is?” Zoey says, and I nudge the gun, just reiterating the fact that I could blow his brains out any second now. I find it strange that not one person has batted an eyelid at this exchange, and the women keep dancing, prancing around on stage with their boobs on show and only a piece of fabric covering their modesty. Although, I’m sure that comes off too at some point. It’s not exactly a respectable place.
“Fuck,” he spits, sweat beading on his brow.
“Well?” she pushes and removes the cigarette from his hand, revealing a very nasty burn mark.
“She’s at The Lodge,” he says.
“With?” Zoey continues.
“Percy and three others.”
“Who?”
“Brock, and then two I don’t know.”
