“Here you go,” she says, as she sets it on top of the counter.
“Thanks.”
I finish my water and am about to leave when Rena offers me lunch, which I accept as my stomach is already growling. I sit down on one of the stools and am surprised at the sturdiness, but I can feel the iron bar supporting the seat poking me in the ass, something I can deal with for now.
Terrance comes back as Rena leaves to make the food. He goes behind the bar, pours himself a shot of Tequila, forgetting about the one that was already poured for him. He spots it just as he is about to take a swig and slides the shot glass over to me, gesturing for me to pick it up, which I do.
We drink the Tequila in unison.
Terrance has no reaction to the liquid; however I feel a fire going down my throat and into my stomach. I begin to cough as my eyes tear up. Terrance quietly chuckles to himself while I grope for my water to squelch the inferno. Rena reappears with a plate loaded down with sandwiches just as I get my coughing under control. She places the plate on the counter and refills my water.
“Terrance must like you. He doesn’t share his Tequila with just anyone.”
I give a half smile as I reach for a sandwich and begin to eat, downing two of the ham and cheese concoctions. I’d have more, but my stomach is so full of water I can’t eat another bite.
The front door bursts open, causing me to jump and instinctively reach for the gun.
The young man almost fills the entire frame. He’s wearing a sleeveless brown shirt, dirt-stained jeans, and brown leather boots with a matching holster strapped over his right shoulder, crossing his chest and down over to his hip. He enters the room as if he owns the place, slamming the door behind him to further emphasize his presence.
“Rena,” he shouts, as he walks over to the bar.
He carries himself like an alpha male, only he can’t be much older than me. His brown hair hangs loose around his ears at the front, but dusts his shirt collar at the back.
“Quin, I’ve told you time and time again not to do that,” Rena reprimands him.
“I can’t help it,” he grins, plopping down on the stool next to mine. “Where’s Terrance? I have goods for him.”
“He’s in the backroom,” Rena says, nodding towards the back door.
Quin scopes out the room just like I had when I first entered. I feel his eyes settle on me and stay.
“Why does she get food and I don’t?” Quin says in a pouty voice.
“I hate when you’re in one of these moods.” Rena slides the plate over to him, but he doesn’t pick up a sandwich.
“Who is she?” Quin demands, still staring at me.
“You can ask her yourself, but if she’s smart she’ll continue to ignore you.”
I crack a smile then ask Rena where the bathroom is since the water has finally moved from my stomach to my bladder. She points to the back door and tells me that it’s down the hall between the storeroom and bedroom. I take Devlan’s package with me, not trusting Quin, who continues to watch as I make my way through the door.
The hallway is in worse shape than the bar area.
Parts of the floor have been eaten away by some kind of animal; planks have been placed along joists to make a path to travel down. Terrance is busy rearranging boxes in the storeroom as I pass by, noticing that many of the boxes have the same strange red and black decal. I find the bathroom and use it quickly because it smells of decay, mildew, and vomit. As I go back, Quin is standing in front of the door, barring me from going any further.
“I’ve never seen you around here before,” he begins, “and I know everyone who lives in the Wasteland.”
“Apparently you don’t,” I reply, shoving him out of my way. “Rena, do you have something I can carry this in? I rode my bike here,” I ask as I walk to the bar, placing the package on the counter.
“Sure just give me a second,” she says, laughing as she goes past Quin and down the hall.
“So, where do you live?” he inquires after regaining his composure.
“Around.”
He takes hold of my arm, spins me around, and grabs my face with his other hand forcing me to look up at him, my feet rising a few inches off the floor.
“Be careful, little girl, people have a way of disappearing around here.”
I feel the anger in his eyes bore into me, the heat from his flesh burns.
“You should watch who you threaten.”
I grab his fingers squeezing my face and bend them back until he relinquishes. He loosens his grip, but holds tightly onto my arm, so I plant my boot into his left knee, smiling as I hear the crack and he crumples to the floor.
My anger can be quite dangerous, but sometimes it comes in handy.
“Here you go,” Rena says nonchalantly. She is holding out a black leather satchel to me, Devlan’s package inside. “Come again, hon’.” She gives me a big hug and waves to me as I exit the house, the satchel strung across my chest.
I wonder how long Rena had been standing there watching Quin and I tussle.
I feel a grin spread across my face as I exit the door, walk down the porch, and head to the back.
A laugh catches in my throat as I replay the image of
