Chapter 14

Hunter

I flicked my cigarette into the middle of the road and caught a disapproving look from some white haired woman across the way.

Fucking relax yourself, lady. Don’t want to work up a heart attack. I’m a bigger stain on this place than one goddamn butt on the road.

The room I was crashing in was a shit hole, but it did the trick. Denny had hooked me up after I got the job. It sat above one of the few bars in this goddamn town and he was in with the owner. Shit breakfast and shit beer were his two vices and that’s where he sank any money he made from the auto shop. Suited me just fine.

As I climbed the stairs I could hear the same shitty music blaring from the jukebox on the other side of the wall. These were barely people and I couldn’t fucking stand them. They did the same shit everyday with the same people and would until the day they checked out of their useless lives. How the fuck did they do it without sticking their head in the oven? I would be impressed if it wasn’t so pathetic.

I unlocked the door and walked into my one room palace.

Shower or whiskey, motherfucker?

As was usually the case in my life, whiskey won. I walked over to the cot that I was pretending was a bed, sat down, and grabbed the bottle of Jack from the table next to me. I unscrewed the cap and took a long pull. I could feel the booze warm my entire body as it poured down my throat and settled in my stomach. I needed that fucking drink.

I swung my legs up on the cot, rested my back against the wall as if it was a headboard, and felt the whole thing slide forward and fall to the ground.

Fuck you. Can’t even let me relax with a drink, you uncomfortable piece of shit.

I sat up on the side of the mattress, took another strong pull from the bottle, and stood back up, making my way across the room to the old and broken fridge holding nothing but stale, lukewarm air. Ripping the cord out of the wall, I kicked it on its side and it cracked the hardwood when it fell.

Who gives a fuck?

I pushed the toppled hunk of metal that was supposed to be a fridge across the room, stuck it in front of the cot, and pushed it all against the wall.

Now stay put and let me fucking drink.

Crashing down on the mattress with my hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle, I slid back up against the wall and nothing moved.

Much better, asshole.

I took a drink and rested the pint on my knee. I could feel everything settle, my stomach, my head, the air. Everything was still and calm.

Mr. Daniels, you make a fine product.

I grabbed my cigarettes and lit one up, watching the cherry grow as I breathed in. I looked out the window to my right and listened to the godawful music from the bar below echo through the floorboards. It was about as relaxing a life as I could imagine and I tried to enjoy it for what it was worth. No fucking people around me, save the yahoos drinking their paychecks away downstairs. No bullshit conversations. No pretending to be interested in whatever was happening around me.

Most importantly, no Kelly, fucking with my head and waving her tight little body in my face.

That girl had me through a loop. She’d made me forget what the fuck it was I was doing there. I wasn’t there to babysit, and sure as shit wasn’t there to rescue her from whatever boring existence she called a life. I was there to lay low for a couple weeks and then move on. I forgot that for a few hours and really fucked this whole thing up, but that was over. I was going to empty this bottle into me, pour myself into my ride, and find another place to wait out this storm.

Fucking girl. Fucking good little girl, got to me with her pretty eyes and sweet pussy.

What are you, some kind of rookie, Hunter? Fucking amateur hour today is what you were, letting some cute piece of ass take you over. Was it worth it?

I took a drag of my smoke and chased it with a swig from the pint. It was worth it, and I fucking knew it.

I didn’t want to admit it, but it was the goddamn truth. As I sat there staring at the busted up door and alternating between smoke and bottle, all I could think about was Kelly. The whiskey was doing nothing to calm my head or my cock. All it did was make me want to fly down the street, storm her door, and rip off that cute little outfit she was wearing. I wanted to see her face as she sat that tight pussy on my cock, watch her eyes widen as I bounced her up and down and made her perky tits jump.

Fucking hell. You’ve got to get out of town, pal. You’re fucking slipping.

Hell of a day.

As I put the nearly drained bottle down on the table next to me, the song ended downstairs and there was quiet.

What shit are we going to listen to next, boys?

I couldn’t hear anything and thought for a moment they were about to drink in silence, like real men. Then I heard a slow pounding start up, but it wasn’t a drum beat. It was the door outside swinging shut and the sound of footsteps climbing my stairs. Two sets.

No one knew I was here. No one needed to be here except me. No one was leaving here except me.

I slid open the drawer on my bedside table and had a decision to make. Pistol or steel?

I settled on steel. I figured if I was going to waste the two motherfuckers climbing my steps there was no need to frighten the civilians anymore than I already had. Make it quiet, make it quick. Stash the bodies in this shit heap of an apartment and be on my way. The last order of business for Hunter Donnelly in Stone Peak, Montana.

The footsteps stopped just outside my door and a fist pounded three times, slow and steady.

Shit, at least they had the courtesy to knock.

You’re kinder men than me, fellas. Fucking dumber, but kinder.

I let my hand holding the blade fall to my side as I made my way to the door. Looked like there was going to be some more bloodshed and sweat left on this town, but what could I do? Trouble finds trouble. That’s just the way it was.

Hell of a day.