Page 44 of Small Town Beast 2: Saverin's Duet

“I was drunk as a fish.”

“Yeah, I remember. You’re scared of him? Hiram?”

“I am.”

“But he’d never hurt you, of course,” said Absalom.

Dinah poked her tongue into her cheek and looked away. She tapped her feet on the floor. Absalom said nothing.

“He’s hurt me,” Dinah admitted. “He used to lock me in his bedroom and his friends would pay him to— they’d pay him…” She covered her mouth and shook her head.

“Alright,” said Absalom quietly. “No hard feelings over the wedding. You were forced into it.”

Dinah nodded bleakly.

“I’ll take care of him. But we need to make a deal.”

“What are you saying, then?” Dinah put up her chin. “What kind of deal?”

“You help me out to clear the air on our littlearrangement. Otherwise I can’t make you any promises at all.”

“And Hiram?”

Absalom smiled. “I’ll sort out Hiram.”

“I want an annulment,” said Dinah firmly. “I want to marry Gino and I don’t want nobody interfering.”

Who the hell is Gino?“Sure,” Absalom said. “Granted.” He put out his hand, and she shook it. But he still didn’t trust her. She was a Snatch Hill, after all.

Weave it together, he thought, moving purposefully through the house to the room that held their prisoner. After this next interview, he’d have to write that note to Shadrac’s Aunt Eileen.

Subdue the enemy without fighting.

Tanya was her name.Tanya Weaver. Saverin had good taste. She looked so much like Lorrie, though she was more cinnamon-colored than honey. Her hair was curlier than Lorrie’s, but if he took one of those ringlets and stretched it down, down, it might touch the tiny indent in her back. Absalom tore his gaze from the glass panel and rubbed his jaw.Enough.All day long these thoughts of Lorrie played like music in another room. He’d tune them out, but in short order he’d hear them again, whispering, urging.

Maybe I could go down to the cabin tonight. Later. Sneak away from this bullshit…Would take me an hour, maybe two…Need to make sure we’re still good. I could take her somewhere when this is all through…

He entertained the delusional thought a moment too long; Tanya was staring at him through the panel.

“Hello?”

Right. He went through the door and locked it. The girl tensed. For all her posturing he sensed her fear, and she had good reason to be afraid. Hiram and his thugs had handled her roughly. Her position as a hostage was a damned precarious one.

“It’s not my intention to hurt you,” he said, pulling up a chair.

“Well, good,” snapped Tanya. “I feel so much better now that you said that.” She paused and squinted at him. “You look familiar, mister.”

“We met last night.”

“You came to my house,” Tanya worked out slowly. “Hold up. You’re thedeputy?”

“Don’t worry; I’m not here to talk about that man your boyfriend murdered.”

“Saverin didn’tmurderhim,” Tanya said with obvious unease. “That was self-defense. Like he said in the statement.”

Absalom held up his hands; a peace offering. “From the man’s criminal record, and Saverin’s standing in town, I don’t doubt it, darlin’.”

Tanya glared at him. “So why am I here, exactly?”

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