Page 39 of Look at Her and Die

Searcy looked at it, then back at me, then back at the phone again.

I got a worried feeling in my belly.

“What is your wife showing her?” I asked warily.

Cutter looked up from his contemplation of the food on Chevy’s plate, likely trying to decide if he’d lose a hand if he reached for a piece of sausage, and said, “Probably that picture we took of you at our wedding party.”

I groaned.

That’d been the one and only time I’d been well and truly drunk since I’d gotten home from the Navy.

I’d just wanted a damn day off. Was that so much to ask?

But no, these asswipes had to take photos of me on the couch where they’d all decorated my upper body and face with Sharpie.

I knew that it was all in good fun, but fuck.

Was it too hard to just want a day off?

None of those fuckers knew what it was like to put in work, day in and day out, only to find out that you’re barely holding your head above water.

I didn’t even know why I was fighting so hard.

Dad had done it and what had he accomplished?

Dying before the age of sixty.

And he hadn’t gotten to enjoy life.

He hadn’t gotten to go on those vacations he’d always talked about.

He’d lost so much, and I was headed in the same fucking direction.

I scrubbed at my face. “I’m headed back to the ranch to get everything else ready. Cutter, can you show them the way out?”

“Sure will,” he said. “You gonna finish those fries?”

“No.” I pushed the plate toward him.

I got up and headed toward the bar that separated the diners from the back of the building.

Milena patted Searcy on the arm and walked toward me, a smile on her face.

I didn’t return that smile and moved past her while reaching for my wallet.

I pulled out a hundred and fifty bucks and handed it over. “I’m paying for everyone at the table. I don’t know how much it is, but this should cover it.”

Searcy took the money and said, “Was the food bad?”

“The food was fine,” I said. “Thanks.”

She frowned at me, but I didn’t stay to talk.

I headed out the door to my bike.

Taking off, I headed back to the ranch and did what I said I was going to do.

Got ready for a long ass day.

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