A Very Tidy Death by Bonnie Hardy

Author:Bonnie Hardy [Hardy, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: On the Other Hand Books

24

Bruce “The Tool” Ward

Bruce "The Tool" Ward

* * *

Serenity thinks she can get away with starting ahead of time. Pretty sneaky, checking in early and then emptying the trash beforehand. Every minute of cleaning matters. Maybe I've underestimated ol’ Cleanliness is Next to Godliness. She’s no slouch and a bit underhanded.

Realizing that his mind was racing, he pulled himself up short. Whenever he felt as if his emotions were running past his logic, he adjusted by shoving out his chest and flexing his sizable biceps. He did this to counteract any tendency of weakness when he felt less than confident. Don't forget. The Tool knows how to be strong.

The one thing he was keenly aware of, his real weakness if it could be called that, was that he made a habit of talking to himself in the third person. Not aloud, that would be crazy, but in his own head. He couldn't remember when he'd started doing that. Maybe in his childhood, when his dad lost his temper and smacked him across the head. Making him feel small and weak. Even thinking of his father brought back that sense of inadequacy. The Tool knows how to be strong. That was his motto, though inside he felt more like a puppy who only wanted to please.

That's how The Tool rolls, he'd also tell himself whenever he felt remotely vulnerable, which wasn't often. But this time even the inner pep talk didn't make him feel less uneasy. So he flexed his biceps again.

As soon as Bruce arrived he'd caught sight of Serenity's old minivan. Annoyed that she'd gotten ahead of him, he hid in a shadow behind the corner of his cabin. As luck would have it the back door of Somewhere Over the Rainbow opened, revealing Serenity and her overflowing trash can.

Yuck. It stinks even from here.

He knew not to reveal himself until Serenity actually broke the competition rule. Once she'd opened the trash can he stepped around the side of the cabin. But it wasn't until she turned it upside down that he called out. That look of surprise of her face. Nailed it.

But his triumph at catching her didn't last long. She'd twisted the power dynamic so that he now felt surprised. What did she mean when she said, "…to get even?"

I bet she's background checking all of us, the Wiz included. Or maybe Maddie told her about the last conference when they’d hooked up. Bruce knew that tidbit was bad enough. But there was something worse that he didn't like thinking about.

I was just a kid. Not even eighteen. It was just a frat prank. Nothing really happened.

After the one night, which The Tool spent in jail, the cops couldn't find any proof. It was Bruce then. Just plain Bruce. None of the charges stuck. Plus it wasn't even my idea. Greg dropped the drug in her beer, not me. The Tool just happened to be there. A case of wrong place at the wrong time.

But if Serenity McFee has dug up an old arrest report, then The Tool might be in trouble.

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.