Szot, JC - The South Window (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (21 page)

“You could’ve had him all to yourself.” Allie sucked the briny blood from her cheek and spit at her. Rust-colored saliva landed on Tess’s white shorts, bleeding into the fabric.

“You’re nothing but a whore.” Tess’s teeth gritted around her words.

Allie made the mistake of taking her eyes off of her, glancing down to remove pieces of a molar from her mouth. The pressure of cold steel jabbed at Allie’s temple, the butt of a small pistol pressing into her head.

“Don’t tempt me, Allie.” Tess nudged the gun into her head with every syllable of her speech.

“You want to shoot me over a man?” Allie laughed nervously, trying to look up at her. “That would be just like you, wouldn’t it, Tess?”

“You couldn’t stand the fact that he wanted me, could you?” Tess’s breath tunneled into her ear, a hot thermal wind.

“I think it’s the other way around,” Allie stated dryly. She was trying to face her, not wanting to appear weak over her armed position. “You could’ve had him, but you always need an audience, don’t you? You’re an attention-seeking slut.” Allie would use Tess’s swing club secret as her ammunition. “You can’t be satisfied with a man making love to just you. You need more—an audience, more partners, applause, perhaps.” Allie smirked at her. “You push things on people.”

Tess’s face hardened. Allie saw lines she’d never seen before, looking like paths of dried, cracked dirt.

“What do you know about satisfying people, you snobby bitch.” Tess’s fist came around again. Allie blocked it, gripping her wrist, twisting her flesh. The gun came at her again, pressing into her nostril. Allie’s bowels shifted, her insides cramping together. Her bodily fluids wanted to seep out of her. Allie glared at her over the enlarged look of the pistol pressed into her face.

“I had what Marty wanted. I didn’t put any contingencies on him. I didn’t need the swing club to entice him.” Allie stared back into Tess’s eyes, two simmering pools of brown shit. “I didn’t need to slither around on his workbench like a fish out of water. You cheapen everything. You’re a fucking, low-life pig,” Allie screamed, her voice raw and hoarse.

Tess wound her fingers into her hair, yanking Allie’s head back. She moved the gun around the side of Allie’s face. The click in the chamber punctured her temple like an ice pick. Every statement Allie made brought death closer. Tess had a provoking finger on the trigger, but Tess would know all before she decided to end this.

“Wait till I tell Dan,” she sneered.

Allie called her bluff. “He already knows,” Allie yelled. The sharpness of her voice tumbled through the empty house.

Tess’s face fell. Allie now had her off balance, right where she needed her to be.

Chapter 26

“Dan’s coming home in a week and we’re taking a trip. We’ll be working it all out,” Allie said smugly. She became fearless, unfazed in provoking Tess any further.

“He wanted me first,” Tess whined, like a jilted schoolgirl.

“Who the fuck cares,” Allie snapped in her face, spittle flying from her lips. “You’re a pervert. Hey, when does your first porn flick come out?” Allie reached, grabbing at Tess’s breast, twisting her raised nipple. The gun jammed into Allie’s face again, its steel clanking against her front teeth, the taste making her mouth twinge. A pool of saliva formed on Allie’s tongue.

“You know nothing. You’re a liar,” Tess screamed, her face flushed, rage spewing from her pores.

“Yeah, that’s what you think,” Allie scoffed. Tess was beaten down, looking haggard. Her beautiful looks had suddenly slipped away. “Who are the guys with the fancy car? I saw all the equipment they unloaded from their trunk. I’m not stupid.” Allie laughed. Gun or no gun, Allie would continue to egg her on, relishing her newly acquired upper hand, her antagonism pushing Tess to the edge.

“Do we get to see the movie or not, you slimy, good-for-nothing animal!” Allie yelled, laughing at her. “You’re pathetic.” Her voice rose, needing all to hear.

“You know what, Allie? Now you’ve left me no choice.” Tess reached into her pocket and pulled out a prescription bottle, trying to juggle the gun while dumping a fistful of pills into her palm. Allie knew that this drug was one of the three she’d seen on Tess’s nightstand.

“Why don’t you come right over here and sit down at your little table?” She yanked Allie’s arm, pulling her over to her drawing table. While turning to sit down, Allie saw Marty at the foot of the stairs, a rifle resting over his shoulder. Marty raised his fingers to his lips, silencing her.

All the adrenaline that was surging through her slowed. A wave of serenity took over. Allie’s pulse slowed, her muscles turning into loose dough.
He must have heard us. He’s here to help me. I’ll be okay.
The darkness at the end of this deadly tunnel now shined brightly for her.

“We’re going to write Danny boy a little note explaining your fling with Marty.” Tess grabbed a pen out of her drawer, thrusting it into Allie’s hand.

“I told you, he already knows,” Allie barked at her.

“You’re a liar, bitch. Shut the fuck up.” Tess grabbed her ear and twisted it, Allie’s earring digging into the lobe. Allie knew Marty was right downstairs. She would comply with whatever short-lived, cheap thrill Tess was craving.

“What would you like me to write?” Allie glanced up at Tess, her eyes glaring with a hatred she’d never seen.

“I want you to describe what it was like to have him, taste him, him being inside of you. After all, we want Dan to have the full effect, don’t we?” Tess snickered in a sick, deranged tone. She started walking backwards into the bathroom, the gun aimed at Allie’s face. “You can describe how you sucked his cock first, how’s that?”

Allie heard the water running. Tess filled the cup from the vanity then walked over to her, shoving the glass at Allie’s lips. A pile of pills stuck to Tess’s sweaty palm.

“I figure these will help you loosen up a bit, that way you won’t leave out any of the good parts. We could even turn this into a suicide note,” Tess sneered. “We’ll just write and tell Danny boy that the guilt was just too much for you to take, how’s that? Hold out your hand for mommy,” Tess instructed in a snide tone.

Tess placed four pills in her hand, white gel capsules. Allie kicked herself for not looking more carefully at the bottles while she and Marty were in her room, unsure now of what she was about to consume.

“What are these?” Allie asked, her voice losing its courageous tone.

“Swallow the damn pills, you fucking bitch.” Tess’s raised voice rang in her ears.

“Drop the gun, Tess. Drop it now.”

Tess’s head whirled around, her eyes wide in shock, her hair stuck to her sweaty cheek.

Marty swung his rifle like a bayonet. Tess struggled to keep the gun in her grasp. Allie sat frozen in the chair, her mind reeling ahead, thinking that her house was about to turn into a murder scene with police, yellow crime scene tape, and screaming news headlines.

“Fuck you, Marty!” Tess lunged toward him.

Marty whacked Tess in the side of the face. Losing her footing, she fell to the floor, her gun sliding across the glossy floorboards. Allie dove for the gun, scooping it up, entwining her fingers around the warmed trigger. She held the gun with both hands, her body shaking. Marty turned quickly to ensure she’d gotten the gun. Tess attempted to get up. A thin stream of blood dripped down the side of her face. Marty placed his boot on her chest, shoving her back down to the floor.

“Don’t you fucking move, you wretched piece of trash,” he huffed, sweat dripping from his brow.

“You raped me!” Tess screamed, sounding like a spoiled brat.

“That’s a crock of shit. You loved every minute of it,” Marty bellowed. “You’d allow yourself to be fucked by a farm animal if the opportunity presented itself.” Marty stood over her, the butt of his rifle right at the tip of Tess’s nose, as if to return the favor.

“This is the deal, Tess. If you don’t take the bait, I call the cops, so listen up.” Marty glanced back at Allie again. She gripped her fingers around the gun.
If Dan could see this now
.

“We both know that you’re into some pretty racy shit—”

“Fuck you, farm boy!” Tess yelled.

“Shut the hell up. I know you’re downloading pornography in your house, not to mention filming it. But the star of the show would be that white, powdery stuff.” Marty glared at her, sprawled out on the floor below him, his sweaty hair hanging over his eyes.

“You have no proof,” Tess bit back, laughing.

“That’s where you’re mistaken,” Marty laughed. “For a lady, you sure are a pig. One call and you could be looking at some time, you fool.”

The room grew quiet. Tess lay motionless, her pills scattered across the floor like confetti. Allie’s body was bathed in sweat, the gun slipping in her grasp.

“You get your cheap, whorish ass up, go home, and don’t ever come near this property again, because if you do, I’m calling the police.” Marty raised the gun slightly.

Tess sat up, her face empty and defeated. She looked at Marty, her jaw clenched in defiance.

“I’m telling you, Tess, one fucking move and you’re done. Think about all those lesbians in jail who would just love to eat you for lunch. Would you like that?” Marty threw his head back, howling in laughter.

“Let me up!” Her eyes were blazing.

“My pleasure. Now get out of this house before we have to fumigate.” Marty stepped back, motioning with the rifle. Tess rose to her feet. Marty waved the rifle in her face.

“We want the panties back, too, you crazy bitch. Hand them over. We know you have them,” he demanded.

“Who said you could go snooping through my house?” Tess shouted.

“You gave me the keys, asshole,” Allie mumbled from across the room.

“The panties, where are they?” Marty held his hand out.

Tess reached into her pocket and pulled out Allie’s panties. “Who should I give these to, you or her?” She glared at Allie over Marty’s shoulder.

“Don’t even look at her.” Marty raised the rifle, pointing it right between her eyes.

Tess wavered then handed the crumpled ball of blue, incriminating fabric over to Marty. “What’re you, her keeper now? A sugar daddy?”

Tess’s voice irritated her like hives spreading over her skin.

“Get out, Tess. Don’t forget about all those lapping tongues over at the women’s correctional facility.” Marty pointed the rifle at the door.

“You’re a freak.” Tess moved cautiously toward the threshold.

“No one is as sick as you, honey.” Marty laughed.

Marty followed Tess down the stairs. Allie trailed behind them, her body stiff and sore. She watched Marty walk Tess to the edge of the property, waiting for her to cross the street. Marty made sure Tess rounded the corner and walked behind her house and stayed there.

Chapter 27

The side of Allie’s face throbbed. She ran her tongue over her fractured tooth, the jagged edge sharp. She couldn’t wait for Dan to come home so they could just disappear.

Allie watched Marty walk back down the driveway, rifle still in hand. He had saved her life. His boots clambered up the stairs. He let himself in, locking the door behind him. He put the safety on before setting the rifle down on the island. He began making coffee, functioning as if he were in his own environment.

Marty set a glass of water in front of Allie with two aspirins, reading her exhaustion like a cheap gossip column. He pulled the mugs from the cabinet. The coffee pot gurgled, its brewing process almost complete.

Allie swallowed the aspirins. The cool water penetrated into her tooth. Laser shots of pain stabbed into her jaw. Marty placed a steaming cup in front of her, the aroma therapeutic. Fear of her tooth coming into contact with the hot liquid spoiled its appeal.