Page 61 of The Slayer
Chuito looked to Jules, but the door opened before she had to answer. Clay walked out into the open air and took a deep breath, as if praying for patience.
“You okay, buddy?” Wyatt asked, but his voice was choked as if he was trying to swallow down the mirth. “Something upset ya?”
“I think I’m gonna walk my trailer-trash ass to the store and buy ice,” Clay growled.
Wyatt burst out laughing. “It’s like, two miles to the store. You gonna walk? You can’t afford a car? Do you need me to loan ya money for the ice?”
Clay glared at them.
“Clay, don’t leave.” Jules was laughing with her brother. “Come on. Wyatt’s an asshole. You know he’s an asshole.”
“I—” Clay pointed back to the Cellar. “That’s my haven. Y’all let him in my haven.”
“It’s okay. It’s for Alaine,” Jules said soothingly. “You should’ve heard what he said to Chuito. He’s still here.”
Clay frowned at Chuito. “What did he say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Chuito winced. “It was bad.”
“So bad,” Jules agreed and doubled over. “So bad.”
“He gives rednecks a bad name.” Wyatt laughed too.
“You give rednecks a bad name!” Chuito assured Wyatt and then pointed to the Cellar. “That man. Ay Dios mio. How did she come from him?”
“Her mama was good.” Wyatt sat down on the cement. “Holy shit. I’m gonna hide out here with y’all till he leaves.”
“We’ll just sit our sinner asses right here.” Jules sat next to Wyatt, putting the box of cards in her lap and resting her head on her knees. “Just tell me when he’s gone so you don’t have to arrest me for assault.”
“Is that an option?” Chuito asked as he sat down next to Jules. “Arresting her for assault? ’Cause I’d like to file a complaint.”
“You’d have to stand in line, buddy.” Clay sat down in front of them, giving them a harsh look. “Who invited that asshole?”
Chuito saw Jules smile as she kept her forehead pressed against her knees and said, “The world may never know.”
Then Terry burst out of the doors, and all of them cracked up.
“Join our sinners’ party.” Wyatt waved him over. “Come sit.”
Terry sat down on the cement next to Clay and looked at Wyatt. “You know why I hate him.”
“I know; it’s okay,” Wyatt said and then gestured to everyone sitting there. “If he’s right, and you’re really going to hell, then you’re in good company, Terry.”
Chapter Seventeen
“So many leftovers.” Alaine mused as she looked in Chuito’s fridge that was packed as full as hers was next door. “We will never eat all this.”
“We can freeze some. We should freeze it now.” Chuito hung up his jacket and then pulled off his tie, draping it over the hanger. He hooked it to the chair at the kitchen table rather than go back to his room. “But fuck it. I’m tired and lazy.”
“I’m a bad influence on you.” Alaine shut the fridge and turned back to watch Chuito undo the top three buttons to the black dress shirt he’d worn under his suit. She admired the way he looked, with the tanned, muscular line between his pectoral muscles exposed, and said, “You didn’t dance with me tonight.”
“That was by design.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “You really want your father to see you dance with me?”
“He was there for half an hour,” Alaine complained. “You could have danced with me when he left.”
“After hearing that the devil had me, I decided not to.”
“Did he say that?” Alaine could physically feel herself pale as she stared at Chuito. He shrugged rather than answer and then pulled his phone out of his pocket, paging through it as if dismissing her, and she pressed, “Chu.”
