Page 110 of Bourbon & Blood

“Either we can do that for you, or you can do it yourself. Either way, it don’t matter. You ain’t makin’ it to sunrise alive.”

“You do it yourself, it’s guaranteed to be quick and easy,” I said. “You leave it to me, you’re going to die slow,” I said. I stared at him hard, making eye contact, letting the darkness in my soul match what was in my eyes, making it known the truth of my words.

He picked up the pearl handled shiny showpiece out of its red velvet-lined case. I leveled my piece right between his eyes and kept my trigger finger at the ready. I would end him before he could aim it at me, and I made sure he fuckin’ knew it.

He glared at me and Hex, but in the end, he did the right thing, putting the gun in his mouth and suck startin’ it. Right before he had the chance to pull the trigger, Hex, ever one with a flair for the dramatic, gave him a wink and said, “Maya sends her regards.” The blowback and spray up behind him was impressive.

I lowered my gun and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“Heh.” Hex huffed the laugh a few seconds later and I looked at him. “I didn’t think he had it in him,” he said and I looked back at the ruin of the politician in front of us.

I cocked my head as something thicker than blood dropped from one of the shelves and splatted on the rug behind him.

“Me either,” I declared, thinkin’ now he looked right and proper; the rot of his insides now on the outside for all to see.

“C’mon, I’ll buy you a drink,” Hex said and I nodded, putting my gun up.

“Make it a bourbon,” I said and we turned to go.

We slipped out the way we’d come in and disappeared into the night. Slicker ‘n owl shit. No mistakes, no trace left behind. Smooth. Just the way I liked it.

“What you doing?” I asked, when we were back to the bikes and he was dicking around on his phone.

“Checkin’ with Louie to find out where he and your lady are at,” he said. “Figured you might want to be back in her presence sooner rather ‘n later.”

I nodded. “You’d be right ‘bout that,” I said.

He looked over at me and said, “You’re good together. I’m happy to see it,” he said and I raised an eyebrow at him. He laughed and shook his head.

“No worries,” he said. “It ain’t doin’ nothin’ to your badass reputation. You’re still the scariest motherfucker in New Orleans.”

I smirked at that, and nodded, thumbing the switch to bring my bike to life.

He jerked his head, and I fell in beside him. He had a bead on where my woman was at, and I trusted him to take me to her.

She was laughing when we walked into the place, something Louie said was funny – no doubt. She caught sight of me, and she lit up even more, which made something tight in my chest loosen up. She immediately moved over and patted the seat beside her, her expression becoming careful and guarded.

I slid into the booth and kissed her quick, murmuring in her ear, “Talk about it later, but it’s done.”

She leaned back and nodded. Something washed over her, her hand gripping mine under the table and a certain energy thrumming through her. When she sat back in her seat, I realized it was relief and it made me put my arm around her as Hex popped off with something or other in response to somethin’ Louie said, making the younger brother and my girl laugh again; the kid’s ears turning bright red.

“Sometimes you’re too easy, boy,” I said but a smile was on my face.

“You wanted a bourbon, yeah?” Hex asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded, and he tugged on Louie’s cut.

“C’mon, junior,” Hex said. “Let’s go grab our table a round and let these two lovebirds have a moment.”

Hex didn’t need to tell Louie twice and when I looked at my woman, her fair skin tinged pink across her nose and cheeks, I had to ask her, “What’d you get up to today?”

She smiled and said, “Painting in Jackson Square.”

“Aw yeah?” I asked and she nodded.

“I think I captured the Cathedral quite nicely.”

“I’m sure you did, cher. I’m sure you did.”

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