Page 74 of Sling’s Awakening

We all take a seat and wait in silence. It isn’t long before we hear the water shut off and the bathroom door open.

I look over at Mountain and shake my head when I see the same stupid grin on his face.

This time it’s Bomber shaking his head.

I lean back against the backrest of the couch as I hear footsteps at the top of the stairs. A white towel comes into view before the rest of him as he descends. He’s looking at his feet so he doesn’t see us right away. When he hits the last step he finally looks up, his eyes going wide as he freezes.

“Who the fuck are you?” he asks. He’s trying to sound tough, but I can hear the fear in his voice.

His hand shakily holds on to the knot in the towel that’s wrapped around his waist.

“What’s your name?” I ask, not moving.

“Brad. I’m not asking again. Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my house?”

“Well, Brad.” I slap my knees as I lean forward. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be asking questions, but I’ll throw you a bone because I’m in a giving mood.”

Bomber snorts beside me, already knowing where this is heading.

Brad’s face contorts into a mix of anger and confusion. “You’re in my house, bro. I sure as hell am in the position to be making demands.”

“I’m not your fucking bro,” I tell him, my voice hardening. “I’m here because yesterday, Brad, you thought it was a smart idea to take my girl into a room and demand to see her tits for my legal name.” The anger falls off his face as he pales. “You knew who I was. So why did you think it was an even better idea to tell her that if she got on her knees for you, you’d tell her my brother’s name as well?”

Brad visibly swallows as he stays silent. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to figure out how to talk his way out of this one.

“Lucky for you, my girl is smarter than you and didn’t do the second one. That’s the only reason your grave isn’t dug. But she did the first one, didn’t she?”

Tension is clogging the air in the room, fueling my anticipation of what’s coming.

Brad’s mouth opens and closes as he tries to figure out what to say.

“Answer me,” I order, my anger rising.

“She did it so fast I could barely see, I swear,” Brad rushes out, his hands moving in the air in a stop motion.

I grit my teeth. “But you saw.”

“It was like two seconds. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re right. It won’t happen again,” I tell him as I stand up.

Brad’s eyes widen. “I’m a cop. I’ll report everything as soon as you leave, and you’ll be right back in jail.”

Mountain and Bomber’s laughs fill the room, making Brad jump.

I snicker.

He forgot they were there.

“You won’t be reporting shit because if you do that, my girl will be filing charges against you.”

Brad takes a step back as I move toward him. His back hits the stair railing, making his towel fall down.

Mountain covers his mouth with his fist as he gags. “Bomber was right. All fucking chode.”

“Jesus Christ, man. Cover up. No one wants to see that shit,” Bomber adds as he dramatically covers his eyes.

Brad quickly bends down, picking up the towel before wrapping it around him.