Now she said she understood. Said she'd double it for his ass on a stick. I said twenty up front and she said sure. Said let her up. I did. Her neck was red and blue from the cord. Her eyes were more bloodshot than mine own get when I'm drinking. I felt a little bad for her I admit. I asked her where my money was and she said in that lovely voice of hers follow me. Which I did. She still hadn't dressed.

I said where we going and she said the safe. It's downstairs she said. Wagging her ass in front of me walking down a flight of steps. Teary eyed and breathing funny. I knew that safe would be trouble. Folks keep guns in safes. Not just money. Sometimes not even money. I thought to myself if she tries anything I'm punch her right in that pretty mouth. Leans over the safe of course. Clever little bitch. Starts stacking the cash by her feet. Me standing over her. I could see her asshole twitching. I swear to god I could. It tipped me off. She was nervy. Something was coming. After the last stack was out and I'd counted twenty big I knew she'd make a play. And she did, just not like I figured she would. She stayed on her knees. Turned her head with that face hidden mostly by her red hair. Arched her back and made that creamy ass of hers sky high. She winked. Now I tell you. Man to men. It took me a might of control to steer clear of that. A might. There was more to it, had to be. I knowed she was a whore, the type of girl who really didn't get to know a person, but I'd just tried to end her. I was feeling like I really hadn't pushed the correct buttons, even for her. I'd never had no trouble getting ladies, in fact at times I wish it were harder cause I would have saved myself a hell of a bunch of trouble. If you know what I mean. Maybe she was some sick kind of bitch, wrong in the head and all. Even if, that's right, even if, I kicked her hard as I could in the ass. Knelt down and took the gun from the bottom of the safe. Yeah, I was real pleased with that.

Now it's when things are looking up for me that I tend, if you rake through my history, to fuck them up the most. I was up thirty thousand and I hadn't lifted a finger, not really. I was playing the right angles, and I was concerned as to whether it could last. I was well aware of my proclivity for fouling up situations. I'd lost more than that amount in just over two hours on at least three separate occasions. Poker typically, some horse action too. There were times when I looked certain to ride off into the sunset yet found myself stuck in the mud at midnight cursing every available bastard I could. I deemed needing some thinking time then. I was determined you see. I told her to get me a drink. She asked if she could get dressed first and said no damnit get me that drink. I wasn't running a church group. You look good cold, makes those big breast ends gather up blood and point just like fingers. Told her to hurry and to get herself one too. Which she did. A thorough four fingers of vodka. Taken in a gulp. Crazy ass broad. She bought me over bourbon and I sipped at it some and played with the gun in my hands rolling it around like I imagine a cowboy would have. She was just sitting all huddled on the couch, shivering every now and then, her eyes gazing downward. I walked about. Watching her close. Seeing that waist slip into those hips. Those thighs run into them calves. Those ribs lift and return with every breath. Nice place I said. She didn't respond. I said it again. She mumbled a thank you. She was riling me. Being so inconsiderate and the like. Sore about me making her stay naked, about her dumbass plan goin to hell. Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe it was me, being so strung up with making a decision. So tied in my mind and aiming so hard at clarity. I felt I was being a swell guy not touching her and all she was doing was playing like that weren't the case. There was a moment when I almost did her. Almost put a bullet in that pretty little skull. That fine red mist wafted over my vision. It took me. I was gonna have her face down then blow her brains out as I ended. I lost reality momentarily. I saw it through my two eyes yet never stopped seeing what was clear ahead of me. One hand full of rusty bright hair and the otheren pushin that gun hard as I could into the very same scalp that hair was shooting from. I saw it clear as light from a torch in your eyes, every wonderful portion of it, every rumble and squelch. Yessir, the glory of it. The undeniable truth in it. It was a bum play though. Put a murder wrap directly on me. Skin and semen and the rest and they got all that stuff on me already. From a while back. From recent times. Why risk more joint years over her, I didn't need it and no one ever had, hell though why not, she was probably worth it, with a damn fine ass like hers, those legs like forever, and I'd got away with worse than before. Much worse. I toppled it in time. Slammed on the brakes. No I was gonna kill him when he got home. Do it in a flash. Then extort her for as much as possible. Inclusive of her pouting ass. She could put the whole deal down to a robbery; explain it to the cops as such, just like a scared little rabbit with her teeth chattering and eyes wide and wet. I'd sort out a story for her. Then I'd arrange a meet with her at a later date. One where she was explicitly on the menu without choice. If she didn't want it or like I didn't care, hell all the better. I told her I'd kill her prissy ass now if so. First. Make her husband's look like a suicide committed after he'd ended her. It's easy enough to do, and she had enough of the street in her to know it was absolutely possible and that I was no damn pretender. She agreed then, with tight thinking seconds in between each nod, I could see her brain ticking over in the black dots of her eyes; it only took us a minute. And the hatred I was gauging in her made her all the more sexy, Yessir, she was a hard one to avoid, very much so, all that bristling making it all the more wonderful. Hell, it was beginning to be a whole lot of fun. I told her to get me another, she could have one herself if she liked. She did it both, and did it well, ice and a fair servin, then told me her boy might not be back for hours, might not even be back. Sometimes he don't come back for days she said. I told her to shut up and have a drink, I know it I said, I been watching your sweet little ass for days now, I know he ain't been home for a couple too and I know most likely he'll be back tonight, he does that, so get yourself comfortable and keep them bourbons coming when I ask it of you, otherwise, as previously stated you're likely to become a victim rather than a participant. She was kept quiet then. I gazed upon her like I would the shining moon. She gave that same glow to things about her as a full version of it would have. That same gleam. She was dead quiet for about an hour. Thinking I guess. I know I was. Thinking. She was quiet but I put her to use, with them bourbons. Must have had maybe four more, real thorough slugs. I was in fine form though and felt the liquor only furthered my swerve. I got to expounding though. Hell I couldn't take the silence no longer. Nor heed her feeling toward me. Her brooding naked slurs just coming at me from those green eyes, just shooting at me like arrows from the ends of those breasts. Like a great swarm from the stark little fire burning between her legs. I stared as she did. Hating each other. Yes I spoke, my father was the same, he gave sermons, when drinking, righteous choice words dripping from his tongue, not like these though, not of the same ilk, nor importance, nor God, and anyway, I shut that old fucker up a long time ago.