Take Down by James Swain

Author:James Swain [Swain, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Thriller
ISBN: 9781477822029
Amazon: 1501220845
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2015-02-09T11:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-FIVE

Mags stood outside her town house, cooling her jets. Frank had said noon, and it was now twelve fifteen. He could have called, but that would have been the polite thing to do.

The desert air was heating up, the air scorching hot. Sometimes, she toyed with the idea of skipping town and starting her life over in another city, but deep down, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Her contract with the gaming board was ironclad. In it, she’d admitted to her crimes and had agreed to work off her punishment by becoming a paid informant. If she ran away, she’d become a wanted felon, and the police would run her down at warp speed. Hanging on her kitchen wall was a calendar that she used to count off the days. In eleven months and twenty-six days she’d become a free woman. If she only lasted that long.

Twelve twenty came and went. Murphy’s Law said light up a cigarette when you want something to happen, so she fired up a Kool and took a few puffs. Sure enough, Frank pulled into her drive and his window came down.

“Get in, and get rid of that butt,” he said.

She ground out her cigarette and hopped in. Frank had cleaned up. His unruly hair had gel in it, and he was wearing a pretty blue necktie. A box of candy appeared on her lap.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said.

She undid the bow and popped the lid. Chocolate-covered strawberries. Considering he’d smacked her in the face, she’d been expecting a piece of jewelry. The candy made her feel cheap, and she placed it on the floor between her feet.

They drove in silence. The relationship was starting to feel like a bad marriage. Sleeping with Frank had been a good idea at the beginning of their arrangement. It had let her exert control over him and had given her the upper hand. Now that control was gone, and she felt apprehensive when they were together, never knowing what he might do.

Soon they were driving past a wasteland of strip malls on South Decatur. Frank pulled up in front of a breakfast joint called Mr. Mamas and parked.

“Sit in the back. I’ll be in after I make this call,” he said.

“You want something?” she asked, trying to act nice, when all she wanted to do was hurt him.

“Get me some coffee and a breakfast burrito,” he said. Any mention of food always perked him up. “Order yourself something as well; just don’t go overboard.”

She went in. The restaurant had black linoleum tables, a counter with stools, and tables filled with Mexican workers eating chicken-fried steak smothered in gravy. She took a table in back where a printed menu sat on the table. She decided on a Greek omelet and ordered from a waitress who gave her a sympathetic look. She glanced in the mirror behind the table and saw the puffiness around her jaw. It made her want to hurt Frank that much more.

Coffee came, and she sucked it down.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.