Page 86 of Kings Don't Break

“Where did you go the other night? You didn’t get back ’til after two a.m…”

“Nowhere.”

“Were you at the saloon?”

“You were asleep when I left.”

“Years of living with a man who put his hands on me meant I never slept soundly,” she says. “I wake easily. Which means I woke up when you snuck out. Where did you go?”

“It doesn’t matter, Kori.”

“Why do you have bruises on your knuckles?”

…’cuz I was beating the shit out of your garbage of an ex-husband…

“Why are you bringing this up now?”

“Because I don’t want you going out in the middle of the night getting in trouble. Come inside with me. I want you.”

The breathiness of her words do something to me. It’s the sexiest fucking sound in the world next to her moans.

How did Stricklin’s dumb ass ever stop appreciating this woman?

It’s become life’s greatest mystery to me.

“I’ll be back. Get some sleep. Promise me.”

Disappointment trickles into her expression. I kiss her again, more aggressively this time, and then unlock the passenger door.

“Go on,” I say. “Get inside. It’s fucking freezing out.”

I make sure Korine disappears inside the trailer. I wait ’til I see her silhouette in the window pass by, telling me she’s gone to the back half where the bedroom and bathroom are. Only when I’m confident she’s inside and getting ready to turn in do I move from my truck to my bike. I put on my gear and then I’m out.

No more than half an hour later, I’m with Ozzie at another bar called the Zapote located out in the middle of nowhere. A couple miles outside Pulsboro but before other places like Portales and Wheaton. We’re seated in a booth waiting on the Barreras to turn up.

Ozzie glances around the rowdy bar blasting Spanish music and then takes a long sip from his Palma beer bottle. “Miguel and his crew sure picked a different location for this deal.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Cash, take a look around you. We’re the Whitest guys in this place.”

“So… what?”

“So, you forget this bar used to be associated with the Madrigals?”

“Used to,” I say. “That was before we took ’em out. The Barreras run what they used to.”

“I guess. But maybe next time let’s not go to our old enemies hang out spot?”

“This is a one time thing. Our last meet up was a bust.”

It’s another few minutes before Miguel and his guys turn up.

We go out back to meet them behind the loud bar blaring with music.

“I’m surprised Mace didn’t come,” Miguel says. The back alley shadows fall over us, almost cloaking us from view. “He tends to prefer being involved for our deals.”

“I’m heading it up. You got the order we requested?”