I tested the door, and it opened easily. Instantly cringing at the sight before me, I pressed through, shutting the door behind me.
“Fuck, now it’s going to get good. Jesus, Red, you are fucking perfect.” I met his eyes dead on as he fisted the red hair of who I assumed was my sister as she sucked his cock. With one hand, he led her, and with the other, he held a Glock to her temple. Body tense and ready to strike, I was about to reach for my gun when I heard a whimper in the corner of the room. I turned to see Amber cowering in a chair, eyes wide as she looked between Laz and me.
“Remember the first time you did this, Red?” He snickered as he pulled his cock out of his victim’s mouth and spilled over her chin. “Damn, I needed that. Thank you, baby.”
“Never pictured you as one to hold a woman at gunpoint to get off,” I said, taking him in. Laz was still beautiful despite apparent years of abusing his body. He had grown taller, more muscular, and had a wall of tattoos on his etched chest. Most of them looked to be angels and demons. His hair was a little longer than I remembered, but his eyes were the same true blue.
“Long time, baby,” he said with a wicked grin as he zipped his fly. “How you been?”
“Amber, my car is parked out front. Why don’t you go get in it. Me and Laz will have a chat.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, who would want to miss the reunion?” he said, pulling the girl who still had yet to clean him off of her chin to her feet. “And don’t worry, Red, Lucy here is the one who gets off on sucking cock at gunpoint.”
Lucy!
She turned to me, an empty shell, a meth addict, and a far cry from the proud, rich girl I’d known since I was a kid. Meth had apparently claimed her, too. Jesus, didn’t anyone ever leave this place?
“Tell me what you want straight out. I’ll give it to you and be on my way.”
“I want you to suffer,” he said heatedly as he wiped Lucy’s mouth with a towel. She looked zombified as she strolled over to where her discarded dress lay on the floor and slipped it on. Without a word, she left the room.
“So, Harvard, huh? Here I was trying to rub dimes together to make millions when I could have married my winning lottery ticket.”
“So it’s money you want,” I said quickly. “I have plenty. How much to buy you out of my life?”
If I didn’t know better, I would say he looked hurt.
“After all the time we spent together as kids, I don’t mean anything to you, do I?”
“No,” I said, glancing at Amber. She was shaking and gray and looked eerily like me. If we weren’t years apart, we could have passed for twins, except her eyes were brown, mine were green.
“Laz, I’ve been in the car thirteen hours. Trust me, I’ve suffered. Tell me how to end this,” I pleaded as he gave me a wary look, wiped his chest, and then pulled on a T-shirt.
I walked over to my sister and grabbed her hand. She looked at me with soulless eyes. “You made her smoke!”
“Fuck no. She put the pipe to her mouth herself. I simply lit it for her like a gentlemen.”
I pulled my gun without a second thought as Laz grinned at me.
“Ah, so here we are full circle. How is that temper of yours helping you in the workforce? Are your employees dodging bullets?”
“I got the fuck out of here to make something of myself. You could have done the same.” I gripped Amber’s arm, pulling her from the chair and moved toward the door.
“The party is just getting started. Don’t leave yet,” he said, arms out and palms up. For the first time since I entered the room, I felt a pang of fear. This was too easy.
“What’s waiting for me outside the door, Laz?”
>
He winked and plucked a cigarette from the dresser next to him.
“You were high and you hit me. You deserved that bullet. This can’t be about a bruise I gave you eleven fucking years ago!”
He flicked his Zippo, and I saw the deep pockmarks on his face for the first time illuminated by the light of the fire. He blew out smoke and tapped his temple. “Smart woman. Okay, I’ll give you a fighting chance. I’ve set up a type of obstacle course for you. If you can make it out of Dyer tonight with your sister in tow, I’ll list my demands, and we’ll conduct our business then I’ll be on my way.”
“And if I fail?”
“This isn’t the type of course you want to fail, Red.”