Besides the nights I spend in bed with Tiernan and not some random stranger that’s still stumbling through this broken world with a hunger for pussy and no fight left in him to survive.
Those are the easy marks.
The ones I can usually roll for whatever cash they have, take any provisions that might help us best, then spend a few days with my brother instead of a stranger.
“Having a good day?” the young girl asks me, her tone as bright as her smile.
I set the items down on the counter, give her a tight smile, then turn my eyes toward the world outside of the pharmacy window.
How doesn’t she see it? Is she being willfully blind?
In the distance, I can see another dust storm picking up, which means it’ll more than likely bring another wave of death with it.
But I’ve never been afraid of dying; the only thing I’ve ever worried about is losing my little brother.
“Be careful out there,” I say to her in a quiet tone as I pick up the small plastic bag she’s packed and slide her some money.
“Hm?” she asks as she punches some buttons on the old till then glances over her shoulder.
With a shake of her head, she hands me my change, wishes me a good day, then quickly makes her way down the length of the counter.
I know she’s going to start shuttering the small building up to save what they have. I know that everyone else in here is going to hunker down and hope that when the mammoth cloud of death passes them by, they’ll all still be alive.
Me?
I reach into the bag, pull out one of the lollipops I lifted, peel back the wrapper, and pop it into my mouth as I walk out of the sliding doors I entered through.
I just want to get back to Tiernan sooner rather than later.
CHAPTER1
TIERAN
"You have X?"
Nodding, she appraises me, undressing me with a ravenous stare. "Looking for some action?" Her gluttonous gaze brings flashbacks of younger days.
"I got you." Giving her a smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes, I turn around and lead the way.
As I walk with my head down, I can hear the clicking of her shoes following me. Five-inch black gaudy stilettos click-clacking sounds like a disjointed horse. She has a pink leather mini skirt, with a black lace bustier.
The smirk on my face almost gives it away. Women are so easy. They will follow you wherever you go, no matter the destination, or the danger. With all the bullshit going on in the World right now, you would think people would be smarter. Dangle the proverbial carrot in front of them, and they would follow.
It almost pisses me off when I really put thought in it. This girl was the same age as Hensley and me. She tries to act tough, tried to make it seem like I should treat her as an equal. Equal to what? The dirt on my fucking shoes?
If she bothered to look into my eyes, she would know that the killer will be looking back at her, daring her to look back. Hensley always says the eyes are the pathway to the soul. Well, our souls are tarnished. God help any fucked-up person who looks into ours.
"How much further is your crib?" When she enunciates it, it comes out like ahissbecause of her lack of teeth in the front of her mouth.
Charmaine almost creamed her jeans when I first approached her. Her junkie boyfriend was the dealer that works this block. You need to know a certain protocol before you buy your drugs. Coming to her first was a no-no, which is why I chose to do it.
"This building here." I took her to the old, abandoned building. She seems happy to be making this deal for her old man. In her mind, she is going to earn brownie points by selling all of her stash, and she gets an extra bonus by fucking a real man, one whose dick still gets hard.
I am happy she takes the bait. Said bait being my ass.
She thinks she is going to get some strange. Turning the corner of the rusted-out brick building, we walk through the front door where the glass has been shattered. The gaping hole makes it unnecessary to open it.
She trips as she steps through, giggling when I catch her.