Page 33 of Stoker's Serenity

“Fuck, yeah! Beer was running low!” Pyro called out.

“Where’s Pat?” I asked and he called out, “Right here!” as he crested the steps and jogged down our way.

The easy-up was coming down, the bonfire was already going, and the sun was in that state of more than half-set, the light growing dim, but still there for the hardcore beach bums to get in that last round of Ultimate Frisbee or whatever else fuckin’ game they were playing.

Linny and Serenity yipped and put their hands out as they were sprayed with sand from an errantly booted soccer ball.

“Sorry!”

A tourist type – as in a dude not from Ft. Royal ? came running up to grab it. Linny picked it up and held it out to him.

“Hey.” He straightened, his eyes fixed on Serenity. “I know you,” he said, and she wouldn’t look at him.

“No, I don’t think you do,” she said and everything about her had gotten stiff. Linny started this way just behind her and said tartly over her shoulder at the dude, “You got your ball, now go back to your friends.”

I started walking, a bunch of my brothers straightening up.

“Yeah, it isyou!” the guy called, and then looked back over his shoulder at his friend and shouted something truly bizarre. “Hey, guys! It’s Murder Whore!”

“Seriously?” Linny cried. “Fuck off!”

Serenity had frozen, her shoulders collapsing under the weight of what this fucking little cockbite had called her. I went to her as some of the guys started shifting, silent thunder over the fact one of ours was clearly hurt by what the dude had said rolling through our mini-party camp.

“Serenity?” I asked, but she brushed past me and went straight for her beach bag. She sniffed and Linny started coming our way, exchanging barbs with the dude who was walking away.

“I don’t want to ruin your party,” Serenity said, and her voice was hollow – gutted.

“What the fuck did that guy call you?” Radar demanded.

“Nothing, it was nothing,” she said, but it was definitely something. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks and she was shaking, her hands convulsing, trembling so bad she almost couldn’t get them to work.

“Oh, babe. Don’t listen to that asshole, don’t let him ruin –”

“I just want to go home, Lin!” Serenity’s voice was high and tight, and I exchanged a look with Marlin who jerked a nod and went for Faith.

“Pyro! Atlas! Go pay our new friend with the soccer ball a visit, would you?” Cutter asked ? but he wasn’t asking.

“Talk to me,” I whispered, putting myself into Serenity’s path.

“I can’t,” she said and she sniffed again. Linny was grabbing her shit and throwing it together.

“You can tell me anything, babe.” I put my hands gently on her shoulders and she hugged herself, trying so hard not to sob and failing.

“Linny?”

“Right here, we’re out of here,” Linny said, and she took my girl from me.

“Call her in a couple of days, yeah?” she asked and raised her blonde eyebrows, looking at me pointedly.

“Yeah,” I grunted, but to hell with that. I was going home, throwing some shit in my bag, and taking my truck. I’d be getting to the bottom of this, but give her a couple of hours, the drive home, to calm down.

I watched them rush up the stairs and into Serenity’s car. She got behind the wheel and her tires screeched in protest at how fast she backed up. She stopped for a second, her shoulders rising and falling as she tried to hold it together. Linny said something to her from the passenger seat and she snapped at her friend and peeled out.

Marlin came over and handed me a wadded-up tissue.

“Shit, she gone?”

“Yeah, not for long,” I said and he nodded.

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