Page 237 of Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout)
“No, Santy Claus did,” Duncan said, rolling his eyes.
“Did it ever occur to you that Tina is hiding the flash drive? Maybe she took it to cut you out of the deal.”
Both Tina and Duncan were now looking at me. I didn’t know if I’d made things better or worse, but at least the gun was pointing at the floor. I dropped to my knees and attacked the knot on Waylay’s wrist.
“Don’t listen to her,” Tina said seeming to come back to life. “She’s just doing what she used to do with our parents. Trying to manipulate you.”
“I hate that shit,” he said, raising the gun once again. “Now where was I? Five?”
“Nine?” I suggested weakly.
“You have to go to the bathroom,” Tina announced to me.
“What?”
She gave me a hard look. “You have to go to the bathroom,” she said again before turning back to Duncan. “She got her period. You don’t want to shoot her and get period all over the place, do you, Dunc?”
“Gross. Don’t tell me that woman shit,” he complained, looking like he was about to vomit.
“I’ll take her to the bathroom, and we’ll get the kid to talk about where she stashed the drive,” she said with a pointed look in Waylay’s direction. “Then I’ll run out and get you some of that fried chicken that you like.”
Tina was definitely up to something. She had that crafty look on her face. And I definitely hadn’t gotten my period. The Honky Tonk Code Red was two weeks out.
“That’s more like it,” Duncan said, satisfied that his woman was back in line. “Wasn’t really gonna shoot you, T.”
“I know you’re under a lot of stress, baby,” Tina said as she dragged me across the room toward a door marked RES OOM. “Take a break. Drink a beer. We’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder.
She shoved me through the door into a bathroom that needed to be hosed down with a truckload of bleach.
“Take your clothes off,” she said when the door swung shut.
“What? Tina, we can’t leave Waylay alone with him. He’s insane.”
“I’m gettin’ that. Now take off your goddamn clothes,” she said, dropping her pants.
“You’ve lost your mind. This isn’t just another bad decision with horrible consequences. You’ve gone off the deep end, haven’t you?”
“For fuck’s sake. I’m not trying to have incestual relations with you. This ain’t a porno. We’re trading places. He’s not gonna let you walk out of here and get help. But he’ll let me leave.” She stripped her shirt off over her head and threw it in my direction. It hit me in the face.
“Then leave and call the police,” I hissed.
“I’m not leavin’ Way with that stupid motherfucker.”
“You already abandoned her once!”
“I left her with you, smarty-pants. Knew you’d take care of her until I got my score.”
I knew I shouldn’t really take that as a compliment, but it was about as close as Tina got to giving them.
“He’s fondling that Beretta like it’s his dick and he’s got a loaded PPK under the pizza box,” she continued. “You know how to work one? Are you willing to shoot a man in the fucking balls and risk prison?”
“No and yes. If it gets Waylay out of here alive.”
“Well, I’m yes and yes. Pretty damn good shot too. So gimmie your damn skirt. And you go call the cops.”
“Can’t you just send Knox or Nash a text and tell them where we are?”
“Phone’s in the car,” she said, dragging my skirt up her hips. “Dunc’s paranoid about being tracked by the government. Won’t let a cell phone near him here.”
