Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
I don’t even know how much they have here, but it’s a damn good hit. Folded and crumpled-up bills fill almost half the bag. I grab it, but before I go back to the living room I scan the kitchen area with my light. An unopened bottle of Grey Goose is on a counter near the rear door. I pick it up and bring it and the bag back to the living room. Then I set the bag next to my pack and the bottle of vodka on the coffee table.
I push the boys one by one with my foot so they roll over onto their sides, facing me. I rip the tape off Younger and Older, sit back on the wooden chair, grab the bottle, and open it.
“You lied to me, said you didn’t have any more alcohol.”
“No, sir, you were drinking somethin’ different, so we figure…” Younger says.
“I’m kidding. Just shut the fuck up.”
I down at least a three-shot swig of vodka.
I need to get more information, but doing so will alert Jasper and the rest of his crew. So the best thing is to let these two mopes think all this is about is hitting them for their stash. When I’m a bit more clearheaded I’ll figure out how to get the cops here, maybe help out Grandma along the way.
“Who is your supplier?”
“I—” Younger begins.
“Shut the fuck up!” his brother says. “You already said too much.”
I give big brother a swift, hard kick with the toe of my shoe. He hmmphs a release of air.
“You shut the fuck up,” I warn him.
“I ain’t gonna tell ya who it is, so do what you gotta do,” Younger says, suddenly getting brave. “They’ll come for you hard, and they’ll find you.”
“You don’t know who you messin’ with,” Older begins. “We gots people lookin’ out for us. People who’ll find you.”
“You do, now?” I say with a smile, but I believe him.
“Yeah, we do.”
They’re not gonna talk. I got enough, and they’re gonna have to pay for what I got. I need to get the fuck outta here.
How the fuck can they treat their grandma like that, anyway, fucking shitting in a bucket, withering away in her own waste?
Down some more vodka. Bottle’s almost half empty. I need another bump. I empty two of their little zips onto the back of my hand and snort it up. One is worth shit. Two almost gets me there, but not quite. I empty another one and whiff that up, too.
Younger and Older are watching, both of them breathing heavy. Such little fucks, thinking they’re players, going out clubbing, and all the while their grandma is upstairs stewing in her own feces.
They deserve so much worse.