Page 139 of My UnTrue Love
“It’ll be okay.” Bill kissed her forehead. “I’m right behind you.”
Firming his jaw, he tossed his wife over the railing. If Luke somehow screwed this up and Clem got hurt, Bill would die right along with her. The woman glued all his broken pieces together.
For the longest second of Bill’s life, Clementine went freefalling towards the unforgiving ground. Then, she was caught in Luke’s arms and securely held against his chest. The boy snatched her from the air, not letting go. Clem’s hands grabbed hold of his neck, safe and sound.
Relief flooded Bill. “Good work! Now, I’m…”
Beneath his feet, the balcony gave an ominous shift to the left. He barely kept his balance, as everything tipped sideways.
Luke and Clem shouted in alarm.
“Fuck!”Luke bellowed.
“Noooo!”She screamed.
“Shit.” Bill leapt off the walkway, just as the supports gave.
He threw himself forward, so he wouldn’t get crushed in the avalanche of flames and wood. The power of his coyote’s jump propelled him most of the way towards the half-filled pool in the courtyard. He was partially-transformed when he landed, his animal-body absorbing the brunt of the impact. But he wasn’t dead.
He lay on the cement for a beat, breathing hard.
“Bill!” Clem struggled to get free of Luke.
Luke wasn’t letting her go. He scrambled away from the fire, still holding Clem tight against his body. Guarding her, just like he’d promised. Whatever reservations Bill had about trusting his little brother, vanished just that fast.
“I’m alright!” Bill called to his frantic wife. Getting to his feet, he took stock and realized that miraculously, nothing was broken. Not even his guitar.
Sometimes it was damn lucky to be a coyote. He’d escaped with barely a scratch, and all his valuables were safe. Bill counted that as a win. Now, he just had to get them away from the inferno. Inside the apartments, furniture and fixtures were burning. It would only get worse…
“I knew the fire wouldn’t be enough to close this show.” Johnny announced suddenly. “I knew that I’d get my big finale.”
Bill’s attention swiveled towards the swampy pool. The Yellow Roses’ battered lead singer was sitting on one of the rattydeck chairs. There was a bottle of some God-awful hipster beer in his hand.
Bill’s head canted to one side. “Howdy, John.” He said mildly.
“You absolute asshole!” Clementine shouted at her former friend. “Look what you’ve done! You’ve destroyed people’s homes!”
“It was an ugly building anyway.” Johnny shrugged like he was relaxing by a campfire. His voice sounded raspy. Luke’s attack must’ve really done a number on it. Bill could grow to love that boy.
Clem had never been so furious in all the time Bill had known her. “You’ve lost what’s left of your mind, Johnny! I hope you go to prison forever! I never want to see you again!”
Bill had already promised her that she wouldn’t ever see Johnny again. He prided himself on honesty, so he didn’t appreciate that the absolute asshole had made him lie to his mate.
“You hurt my wife.” His coyote let out a ravenous snarl, belying his human-side’s even tone. “You know I’m gonna kill you for that.”
“All great artists die young.” Johnny assured him, sounding much too confident. “Their lives are all the more memorable, because of the loss of potential. So much music left unplayed. It adds to their legacy.”
“No one’s gonna remember you, John.” Bill started forward, intent on slaughtering the dickhead once and for all.
“Oh, I wouldn’t.” Johnny surged to his feet, his eyes crazed with zealotry and illicit magic. From a holster at hiswaist, he pulled out a revolver. “You think I’m not prepared for this? You think I’ll let you be on the TV showI’msupposed to be on? You think I’ll let you become more famous than me?”
“You think a gun’s going to stop a coyote?” Bill countered.
“It’ll slow you down. That’s all I need. See, I took a trip up to the railroad and borrowed some of the shit they used to clear rocks.” Johnny opened up his fashionable fringed coat. “Tomorrow,I’llbe the one with all the killer headlines.”
There were red sticks of dynamite strapped to his chest. Enough to wipe out everyone in the apartment complex. And the long fuses were already burning.
Bill’s stomach sank. Aw hell… He knew enough about explosives to understand that they only had moments before detonation.
