Kiss Me, Curse Me - By Kate Shay Page 0,4
we have?” She slipped her hand across Ed’s very broad shoulder and took a little look-see, making sure not to reveal her scanty, black garb. “Oh . . . it’s you.”
Ed frowned at her happy tone, but Betty dug in a nail and he let it drop.
“I need help,” said Ahanu.
“Don’t we all?” Betty teased.
“No . . . not like that. Please come down. It’s bad.”
“I don’t know your name, but I have a very good customer with me right now, as you can plainly see.”
Ed grinned, and she snuggled into him a bit tighter, placing her smooth hand on his strong chest.
“She’s hurt.”
“Who’s hurt? Wait . . . oh, I know . . . Blondie Locks. I’ll be down, just a minute.”
Fed up now, Ed attempted to protest by grabbing Betty by her waist. She whispered something in his ear, and he let her go with a satisfied smirk.
Ahanu snuck back in and knelt beside Coreen, who was waiting very patiently on the worn mattress. Betty entered and walked past them both in the dark.
“Psssst, over here.”
Now covered by a black silk robe, Betty stood before them tsk-ing at them. “What? What is so bad that you had to drag me away from what I was doing? He won’t wait long you know, so let’s hurry up here.”
“She’s bleeding badly.”
Betty knelt down next to him.
The smell of her was unusual, like some exotic perfume. Ahanu avoided eye contact, as it seemed her eyes were as black as her robe, and instead presented Coreen’s injured leg.
“She needs stitches. Bring her upstairs, and I’ll call in my guy, okay? You owe me for this,” Betty said. “I’ll help you, but my tabs run high, and I always collect.”
“Fine,” said Ahanu. The deal with the Devil had been made, but he didn’t care.
Her room was pink, overly floral, and decorated with simple white furniture. It was godawful, and Ahanu tried not to look at the surroundings or the sex devices.
“What? What is it honey?” Betty asked, seeing Ahanu’s disgust. “Hey . . . you came here. No judging. They don’t care anyways. I don’t know why you would. Open your eyes and see what it is. This is my place. I’m helping you.”
Ahanu laid his girl upon the heathen bed and took her hand while Betty shuffled some things out of sight.
***
His discomfort amused Betty, but she didn’t want to be rude. She examined the Indian’s every move. His skin was richly tanned and smooth; his lovely shoulders slouched in worry, all leading down to that waist and a firm hind. He moved like a predator, slow with intent, though the intent wasn’t for her. It was a crying shame. Betty held her breath, biting a finger at the thought of all the things she could possibly do with the young piece of meat before her. In her mind, she undid his ponytail and ripped off his proud animal-hide shirt, moved on down to his jeans. This imaginative bliss was rudely interrupted by an urgent knock.
“Come in,” Betty called in irritation.
“You sent for me, and I am here at your service. Whatever can I do for you on this hot misery of a night?” The man removed his dark-brown leather hat and bowed.
Betty smiled at Doc. He was old—so old in fact that his skin sagged away from his body, age spots so large they practically made him a new ethnicity. She wondered how he was even still alive.
***
“I can’t find her.”
Hank was frantic and out of breath as he stood on the doorstep of the freshly painted white house.
Coreen’s father, Patty, noticed the filthy white shoe in Hank’s hand. He held his arms close to him and bent over, as if he’d been punched in the gut. Sweat began to run from his thinning, grey hair down his tanned, round face.
“I saw her off in the distance, way ahead, going toward the river. I ran, but when I got there I only found this.”
“Christ,” said Patty. “I knew this was coming. I could feel this coming. I don’t know why. I’ve been worrying about her, but I kept telling myself to ignore it, that she’s fine. Now she’s gone and snuck off.”
Hank nodded, recalling his earlier conversation with the man. Watch her, he’d said. Keep an eye on her. He swallowed hard feeling the guilt. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She was bound to get loose one of these days. Come on. We’re going back out there,” Patty said.
“I only left her just