Page 4 of The Echo of Violence
“Sure. I’m bored now anyway.”
“It’s all about the chase for you. I swear to God, that’s why you’re still single,” Rex huffs.
“That’s not true. I’m single because there is nothing a man can give me that my BOB can’t, except for a headache and a cum shot.”
“The cum shot is the best part.” Rex laughs, making me shake my head as I reach down and grab the bar between Ronnie’s cuffs and yank him to his feet.
It’s taken me years and years to be able to do shit like that without losing my balance and falling flat on my face. Don’t get me wrong, I still fall, but I look a lot less like an epileptic chicken.
“How’s Tina?” I change the subject, not wanting to get into the pros and cons of fucking flesh over silicone.
“What’s wrong with Tina? What the fuck did you assholes do?” Ronnie turns and shoves me, which sends me to my ass. Like I said, I still fall. My balance is better, but it’s not that fucking good.
As soon as my ass hits the ground, I swing my leg out and trip him. He lands on his back, and I roll toward him and taser him in the dick, making the little bitch scream.
I spot Rex jogging toward me. When he’s close enough, he offers me his hand. Yanking me up, he glares down at Ronnie. “What did he do?”
“Shoved me over. I’m fine. You didn’t tell me how Tina is.”
“I don’t know. She was conscious and breathing on her own when they took her away.”
I nod. It’s the best we can hope for right now.
Rex pulls Ronnie to his feet, the muscles of his thick arms contracting as he shoves him forward.
“Walk, or I’ll put a bullet in your head. I don’t give a single fuck about you.”
“You guys are fucking psychos,” Ronnie cries.
Rex and I look at each other and grin.
“Thank you.”
We walk back to the motel in relative silence, Ronnie releasing the occasional whimper, but as we reach the front of the building and see the door to the motel room in splinters, Ronnie stops and looks at Rex.
“She’s okay?”
Rex nods. “This time. But we both know there’ll come a day when she won’t be.”
When he doesn’t say anything, I goad him a little. “I know you’re a dickhead, Ronnie. Everyone knows you’re a dickhead. But that girl—she means something to you. Now you can try to lie and say she doesn’t, but you can’t bullshit a bullshitter. Cut her loose, Ronnie. She’ll never get help when she has you around.”
“Fuck you, Jinx. You think you’re so superior to everyone. You have no fucking clue what it’s like on the streets.”
“Ronnie, you’re about as street as Sesame. You’re a wannabe, a has-been. I mean, who the fuck ever heard of a part-time thug?”
“Hey now, the thug life is not for everyone,” Rex teases.
“That’s true,” I agree, opening the back door of the SUV and holding it as Rex bashes Ronnie’s head off the door frame.
“Oops, my bad,” Rex apologizes before shoving Ronnie inside and climbing in beside him.
I close the door with a smile, walk around to the driver’s side, and haul myself in, adjusting the seat and mirror as Ronnie curses me, my mom, and my dog.
“Jesus, Ronnie, you sound more country than street.”
At least he shuts up after that, leaning his head against the window like a sulking teenager.
“On our way back, Nico.”