Page 49 of Love vs The Ooze Monster!
“No, I didn’t really…”
“Well,Inoticed it. The woman’s behavior was completely unacceptable.” Mabel realized she was talking too fast, but she couldn’t seem to slow down. “Not even I had planned toshootFrances, though. Perhaps talk to her about how your mine and not hers. Maybe a few threats to stay away from you. Possibly, some minor broken bones, because her flirting wascompletelyunacceptable. But…”
“You said I’m yours.” Boyd interrupted.
Mabel blinked, her mind buzzing. “What?”
“You said I’m yours.”
“Youaremine.”
He smiled, despite the fact they were in the middle of a crisis. “Of course I am.” He agreed. “I just like hearing you say it.”
“Can you focus, please? My landlady is a murderer!”
“That part I did notice.” He peered around the corner of the flower shop to pinpoint Mrs. Patten’s position. “Why is everyone in Nevermore County so damn crazy?”
“The subnaturals.” Mabel theorized. “I’m telling you, it’s really the only possible explanation for all the strange things that happen here. We should work on killing them next.”
“They’ll have to get in line.” He spared her a quick look. “Will it upset you, if I shoot an old lady?”
“Notthatold lady. Shoot her a lot. Do you have more bullets?”
“One. I’m carrying another gun.”
“Since when do you carry any gun, at all?”
“Since monsters.” Boyd crouched down and pulled a single-shot revolver from beneath the leg of his pants. “I upgraded from the knife, when everything went to hell.”
“Well, I amdeeplyimpressed with your foresight.”
“I offer a full-service partnership, in business and in marriage. It’s why a smart girl like you picked me for both.”
For no logical reason at all, Mabel felt herself calming down. His silly flirting centered her. He probably knew it would, which was why he was doing it. “I haven’t agreed to marry you yet, Mr. Cassiday.”
“You will, Miss Harrison. I’m already yours, after all.” He grinned at her and straightened up, again. “In the meantime, we have a new plan: First, we’ll kill your landlady. Then, we’ll kill the ooze monster.”
“Without the vinegar, I don’t think wecankill it. You said so yourself…” Mabel broke off, with a gasp. “Boyd!”
His head snapped around, blue eyes instantly finding the problem. Rico stood at the other end of the alley, a submachine gun in his hands.
Good Lord! Boyd was incredible at the physical side of their business, but not even he could handle all the enemies they’d suddenly amassed. In addition to the ooze monster, they were stuck in the middle of two armed lunatics.Physicallyin the middle of them. Mrs. Patten was headed their way from the front of the alley, while Rico was closing in from the other direction.
“Newnew plan.” Boyd modified in a quiet voice. “First, we’ll kill Rico.”
“His gun is way bigger than yours.” Mabel hissed back.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”
Rico prowled closer to them, an angry expression on his face. His usually immaculate white suit was coated in dirt. “Youdid this, Boyd.” He shouted. “If you’d just played ball, none of this would have…”
Boyd shot him.
Mabel so admired her soon-to-be fiancé’s efficiency. Rico liked to pontificate, and gloat, and endlessly share his own dubious wisdom. But Boyd was a man of action. He simply raised his single-shot revolver and pulled the trigger, cutting off Rico’s posturing. No hesitation or warning. It was so impressive.
The bullet grazed Rico’s shoulder, spraying blood in a mini-explosion. He screamed out in pain and fury.
Boyd frowned down at his weapon, obviously annoyed over the nonfatal wounding. “No wonder I never use this damn thing.”
