Page 15 of Filthy Liar

That can’t cost that much… can it?

Parking my car, I open the door and shift my legs to the side, standing straight. As I move toward the building, I look around for any hiring signs but don’t see them. Sinking my teeth into the corner of my bottom lip, I continue walking and head straight for customer service.

“Excuse me?” I call out.

There is a man with his back to me, and he slowly turns around. He looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place him. Opening my mouth, I start to ask him if I can speak to the manager, but words fail me because he begins talking instead.

“Dillion, is that you? Albert’s little sister?”

My spine stiffens. Not one person has noticed me here, not that I thought they would. This is where my brother lived, not me. I was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Pineville wasn’t ever on my radar. It still isn’t, but I have to admit there is an appeal here. It’s small and quiet. It’s safe. Except I can’t imagine why the hell my brother had a house here, and I have absolutely no idea who this guy is.

“It’s me,” I say, although I don’t even try to guess who this guy is. “I was wondering if you were hiring?”

He blinks a few times. Then he clears his throat. “I’m sorry, but I can’t hire you.”

I stare at him. I don’t know what to say. I have no damn clue. I open my mouth to ask him why, but then I snap it closed. If he knows my brother, then he knows where I come from. And he knows that I come from evil. I won’t pretend that it’s anything other than that. You can candy-coat it all you want. But what my brother, father, and grandfather stood for was evil.

CHAPTER

SIX

DILLION

As I leavethe grocery store, I can’t help but wonder who else knows who I am. What if the girls at the bakery know? Shaking my head, I decide they wouldn’t be so nice to me if they did.

Glancing at the clock on my dash, I close my eyes slowly before I open them again. It’s only noon. I have three more hours before I have to be at Sal’s Bar. I don’t want to go home and sit in that house by myself.

I’m hungry, and I’m tired.

But most importantly, I need to be around people. The only people I have enjoyed being close to so far are the women at the bakery.

I’m supposed to meet the girls tonight, although I have no idea where or what time. Maybe I shouldn’t see them. It’s too much. I don’t think they really want me to go. They were just being nice.

I talk myself out of going. I should stay home and think about my future. My life. And figure out if this is where I want to stay. I don’t go to the bakery. Instead, I head to the coffee shop. I knowa few of the girls working there, and I can hang out. They’ll let me stay until my interview.

Maybe it’s not an interview.

Maybe it’s more of a meeting. I don’t know. He claims he’s going to size me up, and I have no idea what that means.

At this point, I don’t care.

None of it matters.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay here.

My family has fucked me over yet again.

What’s new, though? I should have known that my brother’s home wouldn’t be safe from his filth, from his reach. It’s spread far and wide, just like my father and grandfather. So fucking far and wide.

Looking down at my phone, I decide to sell the house. Secret lover and hot biker or not, I think this isn’t the place for me. I don’t want to live somewhere I’m tainted. I’m going to pack up and move somewhere else.

Maybe out west.

Maybe the beach.

Somewhere where I’m just a face in the crowd. A stranger. Not who I am here in Pineville. Not who I am in Shreveport. Not who I am in general. I don’t want to be myself. Not anymore. I want to be someone else.

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