Page 132 of My UnTrue Love
Johnny shook his head in disgust. Tony was making it sound so much worse than it was. He’d always been jealous of Johnny’s talent, so he was probably relishing this opportunity to have a leg up on him.
“Johnny’s going away for a long, long time.” Hank muttered, jotting down notes in a little book. “The girls he assaulted. The attack on Clem. Breaking into Luke’s place. And now arson. I can count at least twenty felonies he’ll be facing.”
Twenty? Johnny winced. Even if he fled town, how was he going to outrun twenty felonies? What if they tried to send him to the Wicked, Ugly, and Bad Mental Health Treatment Center and Maximum Security Prison? He was born Good! He couldn’t survive in a place like that. They probably didn’t even have a worthwhile music program.
“Little turd.” Dinah gave a cough, her jaw set tight. “My whole business is going up in smoke, because of Johnny Jacobs’ small-dick syndrome.”
“We’ll rebuild The Kitchen.” Clementine promised. (She wasn’t eventryingto defend Johnny. Some “best friend” she was.) “All that matters is you’re safe, Dinah.”
Dinah sniffed, unconvinced. “Nothing’ll ever get the saloon back exactly how it was.” She seemed close to tears.
Excellent. They all deserved to suffer.
Johnny scratched his face. Hasten-2 dried out his skin. He needed his bespoke moisturizer, but the damn cops were watching his house. It was outrageous howhewas being treated like a criminal. Pecos Bill was the Bad guy and everybody knew it.
Fuck.
He couldn’t deal with prison. What was he going to do? Johnny didn’t see a way out.
“Dinah, didn’t you say some handsome coyote helped you construct The Kitchen?” Clem persisted.
In the light of the fire, her curls looked like molten gold. Johnny had never noticed how pretty her hair was before. Clem was so obviously supposed to be his. It wasn’t fair that she’d picked the coyote. It just wasn’t fair.
Her question got Dinah’s attention shifting. “I did.” She confirmed, in a slightly more optimistic voice. “That coyote could swing a hammer. …And some other things.”
“Well, maybe he remembers how he built The Kitchen the first time.” Clementine shrugged. “We can track him down and ask. Worst case scenario: You reconnect with a very good-looking man, who’s probably dying to have another shot with you.”
“He might not even recall me, after all these years.” Dinah patted her smoke-covered hair.
“He’ll remember you.” Bill interjected. “Coyotes have long memories for the pretty girls who catch our eye. You call him and he’ll come runnin’ back.”
“I just might do that, then.” Dinah preened. “Only so he can help me with my saloon construction, you understand. Not for any funny business.”
“Why, no one would suggest otherwise, you being such an upstanding lady and all.” Even as he reassured Dinah, Bill’s attention was scanning the darkness.
Johnny had the uneasy feeling that the coyote sensed he was nearby. He shifted farther into the alley, hoping that the smell of the fire blocked out whatever scent Bill might be able to detect. It was disgusting how much like a creature the guy was. What did Clem see in him?
That psycho, younger coyote stood next to Bill. “It coulda been Pa. If he thought it would wreck your big show, he’d burn down a bar, for sure.”
Well, there you had it! Somebodyelsehated Bill. It wasn’t just Johnny who saw through the bastard’s slow-talking, guitar-player act to the beast beneath.
“You promised me twenty-four hours before a massacre, Bill.” Hank called. “The law can handle this. Don’t go looking for trouble.”
Bill grunted. He was the only one in the crowd facing away from the fire, his attention on the surrounding buildings.
A sick sensation twisted Johnny’s insides. The coyote was hunting for him.
“Wantmeto look around?” The kid offered and took a step away from Bill, apparently ready to scout the area.
“No, Luke.” Bill grabbed hold of the boy, dragging him backwards. “I don’t want you tangling with Johnny or Hop.” The kid named Luke was taller than Bill, but Bill clearly posed the bigger danger. He positioned his body in front of the younger coyote. Icy eyes continued to scan the darkness.
Luke frowned. “I can handle them, while you watch over Clementine.”
“No.” Bill repeated, his voice inflexible. “You stay right here, where I can keep an eye on youandClem.”
The kid blinked, as if Bill’s protection stunned him. “Why do you care what happens to me? Don’t you look at me and hate me? Don’t you see me ashis?”
Bill tore his gaze away from searching for Johnny. “I see you as Clem’s.” He said mildly, his attention on Luke.
