Page 24 of Killer Honeymoon

“Who you calling elderly?” Frank demanded to know.

“Frank, what’s going on?” Sawyer asked calmly.

“I caught these little thieves stealing gas cans from my shed,” Frank replied.

“We were gonna put it back, you crazy bastard,” Evan yelled.

“I suggest you stop calling Frank names,” Royce said, stepping closer to the younger man. “Maybe you should file a police report, Frank.”

Clint laughed. “Like we’re afraid of cops who roll up to the scene on a golf cart.” A second point for the prick. Damn it.

Royce was on the verge of telling him he was a cop, but that was a can of worms they didn’t need to open. They had no jurisdiction here nor were they armed.

“And you have a ton of gas cans in your shed,” Evan pointed out. “You weren’t going to miss a single can.”

“I thought you guys planned to refill the can and return it to the shed,” Sawyer said.

Ignoring him, Evan said, “Why do you need so many cans? You planning to build a bomb?”

“I need the gas for my generator,” Frank groused. “We’re going to get one hell of a storm in a few days.”

“Maybe we should be the ones to file a report. You were threatening me,” Evan said.

“With a water hose,” the blonde lady called. She looked at Royce with a smirk. “And yes, he would probably melt.”

“Nice one, Jen,” the brunette said. “Can we just get going, please? This is stupid.”

“Shut up, Chrissy,” Evan and Clint said at the same time.

Chrissy fumed and flipped her long dark hair but didn’t say anything else.

“Look, let’s just settle this like adults,” Sawyer said. “Give Frank his gas can back and walk away.”

“He already poured it into the golf cart,” Frank said.

“Okay,” Sawyer said, “Give the man a twenty-dollar bill for his gas and the trouble you’ve caused.”

“Why don’t you parade across the street and piss off,” Evan said.

“Christ, you really are an idiot,” Clint said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash, extending it to Frank, who accepted the money with his free hand and shoved it into his pocket. Clint didn’t apologize to Frank, but it was a step in the right direction.

Evan wasn’t finished with his show of bravado. “Come at me again, old man, and you’ll regret it.”

“Knock it off, Ev,” Clint said. He hooked his hand around his friend’s bicep but kept his green eyes trained on Sawyer and Royce. Something in their demeanor must’ve tipped him off that they weren’t people to mess with.

Evan was too stupid to read the signs, and he shrugged his friend’s hand away. “Get off me,” he said and stomped to the golf cart with Clint a few steps behind him. Evan flung the empty gas can into Frank’s yard, then climbed behind the wheel. “Are you coming or not?” he yelled at the women.

Royce leaned into Sawyer. “Bet he yells that during sex too.”

Sawyer laughed, earning a glare from the hostile homophobe.

Clint climbed into the passenger seat again, leaving the girls to ride illegally on the back. They’d seen how wonderfully it worked out for them the previous day. The ladies rolled their eyes and took their seats. They were barely in place before Evan reversed out of the driveway and sped off.

“I cannot stand that little fucker,” Frank said once they drove off.

“How’d they get into your shed?” Sawyer asked. “You used to keep that thing locked up tighter than Fort Knox.”

“Still do,” the older man said, “but I let my guard down while doing yard work. When I was mowing the side yard, they thought it would be okay to help themselves to my stash. I’m concerned now that they know how much I have. I wouldn’t put it past them to pour the gas out to spite me.”