Cole Logan silenced him again with a head butt.

“Stand up, you sonofabitch!”

Booker shook his head to remove the spots from his vision. “Logan, what the fuck is the matter with you?” He looked back toward the store. Manny lay supine across the front step, moaning in pain and gagging on a mouthful of Ding Dong.

Beyond Manny, Elray was still chunking rocks.

Cole kicked Booker in the ribs. “I said stand up!”

Booker made it to his feet on wobbly legs. “What the fuck is this all about?”

“You killed my friends, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe this will help remind you!” Cole pulled a switchblade from his back pocket and flipped it open.

Booker wiped blood from a swelling lip and smiled. “Bring it on, Logan. I’ll kick your ass right here.”

Cole started for him, the knife clutched firmly in front of him. They were almost within arm’s reach of each other when Booker heard a squeal of tires. A red Honda appeared from around the corner, swerved into the parking lot, and skidded to a stop right between them.

A girl emerged from the driver-side door and stepped in front of Cole, shoving her hands into his chest.

“Cole, don’t do this!”

Cole couldn’t believe it. “Jesus, Savannah, what are you doing here?”

“I’m not going to let you do this.”

“Get out of my way!”

“No.”

“Damnit, move!”

“What are you going to do, Cole, stab me, too? I’m not moving. This isn’t going to fix anything.”

Booker clapped his hands. “This is priceless. Cole Logan …
saved by a cold bitch in a hot car. Gotta say, that kind of fight in a woman gets me horny. Send her my way when you’re done with her, Logan, will you?”

Savannah spun on her heels. “Bite me, Flamont.”

Booker laughed. “Just tell me where, honey.”

She came back to Cole. “Put it away, Cole.”

Cole alternated glances between Booker and Savannah, the knife trembling at his side. He folded the blade into the handle and slipped it into his back pocket.

Booker came around to the front of the car and hiked a foot onto the hood. “Now let’s us just have a little chat, see if we can’t figure out what this is all about.”

Savannah moved to Cole’s side.

Cole kept his eyes on Booker. In the background he saw that the man working the store register had yet to look over his newspaper. He also saw Booker’s friend bent double, chocolate oozing out of his mouth in ropy streams. Cole had disabled him with a kick to the gut as he’d simultaneously taken his first swing at Booker.

“Now why would you go assaulting me and my friend while we were just sitting here having our breakfast?”