Page 69 of My UnTrue Love
“Let’s just calm down.” Clem held up her palms in a conciliatory gesture. “Bill has never even raised his voice to me, let alone his fist. I promise you, Luke. He’s not like that.”
“He’s tricking you!” Luke bellowed. “He’s going to ruin your whole life. And then he’ll get you pregnant, to try and trap you, and ruin the kid’s life, too.”
“Is that what happened to you and your mom?” Clementine asked, already knowing the answer.
Thiswas why the boy was concerned about coyotes having mates. Because his father had been abusive. Too many people struggled to forge healthy relationships, and the discord affected their children. Thank God Bill was so well-adjusted, given the turmoil with his own parents.
Luke stood there for a beat, clenching and unclenching his fists. He looked like he was seeing some other place and time in his head.
Clem rose and moved towards him, evading Bill’s hand when he tried to hold her safely back. Luke wasn’t a threat, except to himself. He might have a full-on meltdown without support. Even with no magical connection between them, she could still feel the chaos of his emotions like a storm in the air.
“Sweetie-pie, it’s going to be okay. Bill and I are nothing like your parents. He would never hurt me. Not every coyote is mean, remember?”
“You don’t know the shit I know.” Luke whispered. “If you did, you wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Well, tell me, then.Trustme.”
His mouth opened. Closed. “I can’t do this.” He swallowed, then went stalking off into the crowd.
Artists were always temperamental, but something about Luke’s distress cut at her heart. He was exactly like his music. Lonely and tempestuous and longing to be heard. He just needed to believe that someone wanted to listen.
Clem chased after him, unable to stop herself. “Luke!”
Bill tried to follow, but wasn’t as small as her. It was harder for him to work through the crowd. “Clem, wait. Don’t…”
“I’ll be right back!” She assured him loudly. All her instincts were telling her that she had to pull the boy out of the darkness, or he’d stay hidden forever. She caught up with Luke by the door. “Stop!” She wanted to touch his arm, but she knew he wouldn’t like it. “What’s really happening here? Talk to me.”
He glowered down at her. Angry, because it was always easier to feel anger than pain. “Why should I? You don’t want to hear what I say, so why should I talk?”
“Idohear you. It’s why I want to help.”
“I didn’t ask for your help! And I’m not gonna be dragged into your fucking doomed romance with the ‘amazing’ Bill. I warned you and you ignored me, so what happens next is all on your head.” This time he ran fast enough that she couldn’t follow him.
“Luke, don’t do this.”
“Just stay away from me!”
Clem sighed and let him go off into the twilight. For now. He needed some space. She’d try again later, when he’d calmed down. There was no way she’d just give up, when he…
“Well, if it ain’t the coyote fucker.” A new voice taunted.
Clementine turned to face the guy, trying to place him. It was one of Bill’s coworkers from the railroad. Stew Slewfoot. She recognized the scraggy beard.
“I saw ya with that cub. Seems like you gotta taste for those animals.” Stew spat out the insults, his eyes red-rimmed and angry. “Ol’ Bill couldn’t keep ya satisfied in the sack, huh?”
Clementine stifled a sigh. “Yes, I’m sleeping with both of them.” She snapped, accustomed to dealing with creeps in bars. It was part of the music business. “And I’m sleeping with everyone else in here, too.” She flicked a hand around the saloon. “…Exceptyou, obviously, because you’re a weird bigot who smells.”
Stew’s nostrils flared, as if he had no idea how to respond to that. The man clearly wasn’t the quickest wit. Clem wasn’t sure if that was because of his inebriated state or general stupidity. It didn’t much matter.
“Leave me alone.” Clementine said firmly.
While she was still working on assertiveness in the rest of her life, drunken assholes she could handle. Ordinarily, she might be a littlelessassertive, actually, but Stew hated Bill. Screw him.
Stew didn’t take the hint. “What are the coyotes paying you? No Good woman would be with their kind, unless she was getting paid. Whoring’s illegal in Red River Valley.” He seized hold of her arm. “Dirty tramps like you are…”
Someone grabbed Stew’s wrist and twisted it backwards. Likeallthe way backwards, so bones popped and jabbed through his skin.
Bill had finally caught up with her.
