Page 9 of Savage Keepsakes

I get off the highway and pull into the parking lot of a seedy bar.

Walking inside, the air is filled with the smell of stale alcohol and sweat from bygone years. Few people are here, even though it’s a weeknight.

I hunker down on a stool, turning my hat backwards. The worn bar top needs repair. Music plays in the background and the lights are dim. I’ve never been nervous about picking victims up.

“Heya, sweetheart,” a feminine voice says from beside me.

I glance at the middle-aged woman. Her hair is more grey than blonde. She sits on the stool next to mine, dressed in a hot-pink shirt that might be painted on. Her face is scrunched up like she hasn’t taken a shit in days.

“Hey,” I mutter.

When the bartender makes his way down to us, I order a beer, while she asks for a gin with a giggle. How it’s funny is beyond me. With a quick scan of the bar, I find that she’s my only option.

Swallowing my annoyance, I turn and face toward her.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Sylvia, and yours?” Her blue eyes are clouded with a stupor that only comes after several drinks.

“Miles,” I tell her.

“Do you like my shirt?” she asks. “I just got it. I have so many clothes, but it was a steal of a deal.”

I thinly smile, not really giving a shit.

“I sold a ton of clothes, because purging is important, but I just can’t stop myself from buying new things,” she yammers on. Sylvia is a headache in the making, and I know one beer isn’t going to make this any better.

“Cool.”

“My roommate moved out, only because I told her she’s messy. Can you believe that?”

I take a long pull from my beer, shaking my head.

She slurps her drink, droplets running over the glass edge as she holds it. “My boyfriend left, too. He said I need to grow up and take better care of myself, and that I’m sloppy and need to stop drinking. Likehe’sso perfect.”

Finishing my beer, a dull ache at the base of my skull forms. Her voice irritates my brain cells. “He’s an idiot,” I tell her.

“Wanna get out of here?” she asks, running her fingers down my thigh.

My lust differs from hers, but we’ll make a compromise. “Sure.” I throw a twenty on the bar.

We stand up, her swaying, and she wraps her arm around my lower back for balance. On our way out to the deserted parking lot, I look around while guiding her to my car.

Once she settles into the passenger seat and closes the door, the scent of sweat and cheap perfume takes over the space. Lowering the windows for some fresh air, Sylvia mumbles about her boyfriendagain. I turn up the stereo and metal reverberates through the car.

“A good drive with the air will help you sober up,” I tell her and she nods her head to the music.

Getting onto the highway, we drive for an hour until I reach my little podunk area. Driving to the back of the shop, I park and turn down the music.

“Where are we?” she asks.

“My house.”

“Uh. Okay.”

I slam the driver’s door and round the back of the vehicle. Reaching the passenger side, I swing open the metal frame and wait.

Sylvia has beautiful skin, and at her size, I think I’ll get a good haul. Anticipation zips through me.

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