Page 43 of Small Town Beast 2: Saverin's Duet

“Nobody hurt a hair on her head. Hiram acted rashly; I never asked him to go after your girl, but I do take responsibility for what happened.”

“You killed that old man. He was a veteran. He did nothing. He wasn’t involved in your politics. You son of a bitch.” Saverin’s green eyes were huge and insane. “He fought for our country! Y’all gunned him down on his own property, you kidnapped my girl, and you think I’ll come here and make nice? Where the hell is Roman?”

What old man?Hiram hadn’t mentioned a casualty in taking the prisoner. Absalom’s back teeth clenched. That was just bad optics, and the man had been aveteran?

Perhaps the man had family; Absalom would look into it. Recompense might be paid...Smooth it over… Such was the price for aligning himself with Hiram and his mob. And the rub was that he hadn’t even needed them. Roman had chosen peaceful surrender, so what good were the Snatch Hill guns?

“Roman is gone,” Absalom told Saverin. “Mind your tongue, Bailey.”

“Green Tree scum!” roared Saverin. With his long hair loose the last surviving Bailey looked like a wild animal. His hand was rigid at his hip where his Kimber 1911 jutted from its holster.“Bring my woman out. She’s not involved with the clans. She’s got a kid. You go too far!”

But Absalom shook his head. Hand over a piece of valuable leverage on a snap? No; Bailey had to understand how things worked around here now. “How about you come to the gathering up here tonight,” he suggested. “Starts at six. It’ll be a show of good faith. You come, have a couple drinks, talk to some people. Then you go home with your girl, no harm done. I think that’s more than fair considering the restraint I’ve showed you. Over and over.” His blue eyes narrowed.

Saverin trembled with rage. “Restraint is me not gutting you where you stand.”

“That,” said Absalom, “Is the last time you threaten me.”

“You want me to bend the knee,” Saverin heaved. “I won’t do it. Not on your life.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I want Tanya walking down that hill in five minutes. Or I swear on my name— ”

“And what’s that worth?” wondered Absalom, suppressing the urge to take the arrogant Bailey by the throat. “Land? A forest of timber? Some barrels of whiskey? Millions of dollars, maybe? You Baileys always ran ahead of us, right along with the McCalls. But nothing’s fixed in this world. I learned that long ago.” He met Saverin’s outraged stare unblinking and continued, “Last night, Saverin, you shot a man dead in self defense. That was what the Sheriff’s Deputy wrote in his report. But maybe the Deputy, in reviewing the facts, determined it was in truth a crime of passion. Murder in the first degree. One phonecall, that’s all it would take. And what would happen to your girl? I’m busy. Can’t watch her all the time. Hiram’s got his eyes on her…Neither of us want that.”

“You’re theassistantDeputy,” said Saverin, eyes wide. “By God, I should just shoot you!”

Crash Walker spoke now for the first time. “Absalom,” he said in his slow, deep voice. “In a hard rain, all birds seek shelter somewhere.”

“The eagle flies above the clouds,” said Absalom.

Crash shook his head.

“I hope to see you both tonight,” Absalom said. He nodded to the men and cast a quick glance over the old woman with mild curiosity. She hadn’t said a word. Privately he noted the old woman’s resemblance to their prisoner, Saverin’s girlfriend. Her older sister, maybe? That was interesting. Out loud he said, “We want what’s best for the family, and Florin. The clans united, not divided by old hatred.”

“Keep those Snatch Hill animals away from Tanya. That’s all I’m going to tell you, boy.” Then Saverin stared over Absalom’s shoulders at the house. Absalom knew what he was thinking. He’d thought the same when Hiram threatened Lorrie.

If it was her, I’d burn it all down.

When Absalom re-entered the house,the first thing he saw was his wife and Hiram in a corner with their heads together. Dinah must have come up while he was talking to Saverin. Rage flooded Absalom at the reminder of the fruitless pact he’d been forced to make with the Snatch Hills. He was grateful for a peaceful takeover, but he’d had to violate Lorrie by marrying another woman, all to get the Snatch Hills on his side for the purpose of their guns. And for nothing.

He tried to see Duke in Dinah’s face, as people had so often seen in his own. She looked like any other woman from her stock. She looked like Hiram, and Hiram looked like a Snatch Hill.Twins. My half brother and sister, allegedly. She’s my fucking sister, and they knew. They want to humiliate me. And she’s pregnant…they’ll think it’s mine.

But he had to keep up the show. When his wife caught him staring she turned pale as ginseng. He walked up to her and kissed her cheek. She smelled like cigarettes. “I need to talk to you,” she whispered urgently.

She took his hand in her fat clammy one and lured him to another corner, leaving Hiram to wander off. But not before Absalom caught the sly look on his face.

“We need to stop this, Absalom,” Dinah burst out as soon as they were alone. “This marriage is a joke!”

“I couldn’t agree more," he said, and watched her sag with relief. Unable to stop himself he added, “Married the wrong brother, did you?”

Dinah’s white face turned green. “H-how did you know?” She stammered. “Hiram told everybody not to tell. And everybody’s too scared of you to snitch.”

“Fear ain’t the only thing that motivates people.”A lesson you Snatch Hills had better learn quick.

“Hiram forced me into this mess and he knew I loved somebody else,” Dinah choked. “He just did it to spite you, and to hurt me.”

“You seemed happy enough on our wedding day.”

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