Ballistic Kiss (Sandman Slim 11)

We leave and Kas slams the door behind us.

Candy slowly shakes her head.

“I’ve never seen him like this.”

“I have. Those first few months after I took his head. This is my fault.”

“Don’t say that. He sent you to Hell. He shot you.”

“But I’m still walking around and have a life. I took his head but kept him alive out of nothing more than spite. He has every right to hate me and there’s nothing I can do to fix that or him.”

“At least you tried. Now leave him to me and Alessa.”

“Let me know if he gets worse. I’ll drag his ass to Allegra whether he likes it or not.”

Candy crosses her arms.

“See, that’s exactly the kind of thing you can’t do. What did you say the other night, about how you know everything about monsters but nothing about people? Well, if you want to help people, kidnapping them is a bad start.”

“You’re right. But if he gets to be too much to handle, call me. Maybe I can talk him into staying at the flying saucer house. Then he can yell at me and leave you two alone for a while.”

Alessa comes over and stands behind Candy.

“Hi, Stark.”

“Hi, Alessa.”

“I heard you in there. Didn’t turn out so well, did it?”

“You stopping by to rub it in?”

“No. To tell you it was a lot more than I expected from you. Like you meant what you were saying.”

“You think I’m incapable of helping people?”

She gives me a wan smile.

“Most of what I’ve seen you do is kill people and get Candy and me in trouble. This was something new.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“I do. As far as assholes go, you’re not the biggest one I ever met.”

“That I’ll take as a compliment.”

She heads back to the stairs that lead to the upstairs apartment.

“You should come to our gig on Friday.”

“Thanks. Maybe I will.”

When she’s halfway up the stairs she shouts, “And bring back those movies. We have paying customers, you know.”

“I won’t forget.”

Candy smiles at me.

“I consider that a breakthrough.”