Page 12 of Corrupted

"What do you want?" a female voice came from behind the door.

"Just some information," Damon said as though not even slightly concerned she might be about to blow his brains out. "We're willing to pay for it."

"Information about what?" The gun didn't move.

"Just the whereabouts of a couple of people," Mina said.

"We have cash," I said.

The gun dropped and the door opened to reveal a woman in her mid thirties, with bright pink hair. "Why didn't you say so? Come in." She stepped back to let us enter the cottage.

Like her, the cottage was brightly coloured, with an array of mismatched furniture, rainbow coloured rugs and cushions everywhere. On one wall hung a huge painting of what looked like a cow skull on a bright blue background. On another wall was a similar one with a purple background.

"She must really have a thing for dead cows," I said in Mina's ear.

She choked back a laugh and gave me a pointed look that suggested she prefer I didn't make fun of our hostess's decor. And that I shouldn't say anything that might end with one of us shot.

Damon gave me a similar look before turning back and saying, "You're Martina?"

"That's what they call me," she agreed. "You're Damon Rivello and Gianni Covino. And…" She looked at Mina.

"Yes we are," Damon said before Mina could introduce herself. "We're looking for people named Jase and Hammer. They both used to work for a man named Kurt Lasalle."

The moment Damon said his name, Martina looked disgusted. If we were outside, she probably would have spat on the ground.

"If you're friends of Kurt…"

"We're not," I said quickly. Ewww. We had better taste than that.

"Far from it. If you happen to know where he is, we'd appreciate that too. Obviously we'd pay for it."

"Obviously," she agreed. "I have no idea where that son of a motherfucking prick is. If I did, he'd be running for the hills. Backstabbing, two-faced piece of crap he is."

"I see you've met him," I said. "That's a very accurate description."

"I heard some disturbing as fuck rumours about him." She sat down on the middle of a bright orange couch, which happened to be the only place in the room to sit. "Something about keeping a woman chained in a basement?"

I squeezed Mina's hand, but glanced at Damon, deliberately not looking at her. I could tell what he was thinking. Caleb and the twins’ gossip had started to spread already. Quicker than I thought it would.

"We heard something to that effect," Damon said. "It seems as though Jase and Hammer had a hand in that too. Which is another reason why we'd like to get our hands on them."

"What's the main reason?" She squinted and looked at us with suspicious, hazel eyes.

"The usual," I said. "Double-crossing the men they're supposed to be working for. And, believe it or not, Jase might have knocked up my sister and run."

Martina again looked like she was going to spit. "Cowardly piece of shit. I hate men like that. Did you know one hundred percent of babies are caused by cum? That only comes from one place. Men need to take responsibility for where they nut." She shook a finger at me and Damon.

I held up my hands to either side. "I would never get a girl pregnant and run." The first bit, yes, not the second. Like she said, every baby was caused by a man ejaculating. I'd always take responsibility for it, if it happened.

"She looks like she knows how to hunt you down." Martina looked over to Mina and nodded approvingly.

Mina smiled. "That I do," she agreed. "But like he said, he wouldn't run." She glanced over to Damon meaningfully.

He sighed. "Neither would I. Can we get back to the reason we're here? I realise it's not much to go on, but if you know anyone by those names, and where they might be, we'd be grateful."

"How grateful?" She held out her hand, palm up.

I pulled out my wallet and peeled out a pile of hundred dollar notes. I handed half of them to her and kept the other half. "Very grateful."