On the Edge Part 9

aYes!a aIf you kiss me, I promise to be quiet for a very long time.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) The thought of him bending down and kissing her zinged through her brain, and she clenched her hands together under the table, grimly determined to hide it. aYou have no sense at all, do you?a aYouare quite easy to rile up.a He leaned back. aYour brother is right. You donat date.a In her mind she picked up the chair and hit him over the head with it. aWhat are you doing here?a aI thought I might have a word with your employer,a Declan said. aAmy mentioned that he decided not to pay you.a Amy shouldnat listen to other peopleas phone calls. aYouall do no such thing. How did you find me?a aI followed you. You walk quickly, but Iam used to marching.a aYou canat be out here. This is the Broken!a aIam aware of that,a he said. aCrossing into it felt like my guts were being ripped out.a aYou couldave died.a He shrugged. aI doubt it. It hurt, but the pain pa.s.sed.a She once saw a caravan master from the Weird try to cross into the Broken. Head gotten upset over the prices and decided head go and get the Broken goods for himself, cutting out the Edger middlemen. Two steps into the nine-foot-wide boundary he went into convulsions. The Edgers let him hurt for about a minute or two and then came to get him. He didnat complain about the prices anymore after that. Declanas crossing mustave been agony. She didnat quite know what to make of it.

aWhere did you get the clothes?a aLeanne gave them to me. She insisted, actually. She said my appearance might cause a, how did she put it, afainting epidemic.a a Dear G.o.d.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Behind Declan the door swung open, and Brad Dillon sauntered into the Burger King. aWell, lookit here.

Rose Drayton and her f.a.ggot boyfriend. We meet again.a Bradas voice rang through the Burger King, and Rose found herself the focal point of ten stares. At the counter Juniper went white with fury.

Rose glared. First, Declan, now Brad. She just couldnat catch a break.

Brad slouched in the aisle, hand in the pockets of his jeans.

aWait. Youare not the same guy, are you? You get around, Rose.a Declan glanced at him and looked back to her. aWho is he?a an.o.body,a Rose ground out, looking at Brad. aAre you following me now?a aI saw your friend from across the street and couldnat help myself.a Theyad had run-ins before, but head never followed up like this. For one, she knew where to find hima"he still lived in his trailer in the Edge, where she was the strongest. For another, she never rose to the bait. But now head met William, decided he was easy pickings, and wandered over to hara.s.s him. Except Declan wasnat William.

ap.i.s.s off, Brad!a Latoya called from her table.

aShut the f.u.c.k up, Mophead, before I come over there and make you swallow your teeth.a Declanas green eyes fixed on Rose. Brad couldnat see his face, but she could. It was merciless and so iced over it was nearly cruel. aThis is Brad?a Rose was too mad to answer.

aDo you want to keep talking to him?a Declan asked.

aNo.a The blueblood rose. aExcuse me for a moment.a He nodded to Brad. aLetas go chat.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Brad pulled his hands out of his pockets. aIam always up for a chat.a They left the Burger King, heading to the left, Declan moving in unhurried strides and Brad ambling to the right of him. Rose stared after them, stunned. Now what?

At the counter Juniper waved her thin arms. aRose, drive-through window! Come on!a Rose jumped up and ran behind the counter, following Juniper to the back, Latoya at her heels. She ducked between the fryer and the wall and ran into a patch of freshly mopped tile.

aCareful, wet, wet!a Juniper yelled.

Roseas feet slid on the floor. She crashed into some boxes and scrambled to the window. The two men stood in back, past the drive-through lane. Juniper flipped the switch, and Rose heard Declanas voice, distorted by static.

aYou want to talk, nowas a good time,a Declan said.

aFua"a The punch was so quick, Rose barely saw it. Brad stumbled back, clutching at his gut, shook his head, and lunged at Declan. aSonovaa"a Declanas fist caught him in the left side with a solid crunch.

Brad stumbled to the side, wincing.

aOuch,a Latoya squeaked.

Brad whipped about. aIalla"a Declan rammed his fist into Bradas solar plexus. Brad bent over. Spit dripped from his mouth in a long sticky strand. He clenched and vomited a gush of foamy liquid onto the asphalt.

aEww. In my G.o.dd.a.m.n parking lot, too.a Juniper skewed her face.

aThat last one hurt a bit,a Declan said. aTake it easy. You have time.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Brad made some hoa.r.s.e noises and stumbled a few steps, still bent over. About ten seconds later, he finally straightened and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

aReady?a Declan asked.

Brad raised his fists. aMotherfua"a The punch took him off his feet. He curled on the ground, cradling his gut.

Declan leaned over him. aDone?a Brad nodded, his face twisted.

aOkay. Anytime you want to speak to Rose, you let me know and weall do this again. Understand?a Brad nodded again.

Declan rose and headed to the entrance.

Rose ran back in a mad dash, sliding on the slick floor. By the time Declan reached the door, she was barring the doorway. aLetas go out for some fresh air.a aAs you wish.a Brad chose that moment to stagger out from behind the Burger King, holding a cell phone to his ear. At the sight of them, his eyes went wide and he ducked behind the building.

A moment of vicious satisfaction claimed her, but Rose had no time to savor it. She grabbed Declanas arm and pulled him down the narrow sidewalk, away from Brad before he saw him and decided to finish what he started. aWhat are you doing?a aWalking with you.a aYou canat just come in and destroy my life!a She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. He was trying to help, and head done a lot for her. aIave known Brad for years. He has done people a lot of favors, the kind one doesnat forget. What happened between us happened long ago, and he was punished for it already. You just started a new war. Heall be gunning to get at me now.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aHeas most welcome to try it,a Declan said with a grim finality that promised painful things in Bradas future.

aYou just donat understand. Just like with Amyas roof.a aWhat about Amyas roof?a Itas not that he was stupid. Quite the opposite: Declan was probably one of the smartest men shead ever met.

He simply had no idea how life worked in a small Edger town. It probably made no sense to someone not born here.

She stopped and met his gaze. aDeclan, I appreciate what youare trying to do, but I donat need you to fight my battles. It would be wonderful if life was simple and your beating up Brad solved all my problems, but in reality, it will only bring me more trouble. Thank you, but please go away.a Declanas eyes studied her. aVery well, my lady.a He turned and walked off.

Rose watched him go and headed back to the restaurant.

Bradas humiliation would come back to haunt her.

She knew it would, but it was so worth it. She recalled him crawling on the asphalt and practically skipped.

Latoya thrust the Burger Kingas door open. aYour new boyfriend is a psycho killer!a aNo, he isnat. And heas not mya"a aIam telling you heas a Navy SEAL or something. Or one of the commando ranger guys. You know the kind who survive in the woods by eating bugs and take down the whole camp of terrorists with a handgun and a small rock.a Rose shook her head.

aAnd heas a looker, too,a Teresa added. aJust like the other guy.a Latoyaas eyes lit up. aWhat other guy?a EMERSONaS voice ricocheted from the walls of his small office, filling Roseas head with ringing. aYou think Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) you can just miss the morning, and I wonat know about it?a Rose held her temper in check and faced Emerson. A slight man of average height, he was balding and doeeyed.

Emerson came from an old local family. His grandfather sold insurance, his father had expanded the business, his younger brother still ran it, but Emerson had failed to make his mark. He was arrogant, condescending, and lost his temper easily, which made him a terrible salesman. When people bought insurance, they wanted to be rea.s.sured, and the only thing Emerson rea.s.sured them of was his own inflated ego.

He had called in a snarling rage about two hours after they left Burger King and demanded Latoya bring her back to his office at the end of the shift. Apparently so he could cause permanent damage to her hearing.

aWhat do you have to say for yourself?a aThere was some trouble at Amy Haireas house . . .a aI donat give a f.u.c.k.a He stared at her for a long moment, his nostrils flaring. aIam not paying you for this week.a aEmerson!a aWhat? Are you going to tell me itas illegal and I canat do it?

Well, guess what. I just did.a Rose clenched her teeth. Emerson was always an a.s.s, but this was going too far. aI havenat missed a day of work in two years!a Emerson laughed. aYou know what, I changed my mind.

Youare fired.a aFired? What for?a aFor absenteeism. You want to complain? You go right ahead. Who the f.u.c.k will listen to you? Youare an illegal, and I can do whatever the h.e.l.l I want with you.a Her face grew hot. He opened his mouth to rant some more, saw the look in her eyes, and clamped his jaw Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) shut.

aYou do whatever lets you sleep at night, Emerson,a she said evenly. aBut donat ever come to the Edge when I can find out about it.a She turned, left the office, and kept walking through the hallway to the outside. Latoya was nowhere in sight, frightened off by Emersonas hysterics. Such was the Edge way: every family for themselves. Friend or not, Latoya wasnat about to let her own job go down in flames.

Rose paused on the curb, staring at Emersonas red Honda SUV with a vanity plate that read BOSSMAN.

Bossman. What a joke.

She was numb. It hadnat hit her yet, she decided. It would eventually, and then shead probably hide and cry somewhere.

Rose shouldered her bag and started walking.

TEN.

TWO hours later, Rose sank onto the porch steps, her phone next to her. Her feet ached. She used the time it took her to cover four miles from the Clean-n-Bright office to her house to search for a new job. She had exhausted every lead and called in every favor. n.o.body was hiring. n.o.body expected to hire anytime soon.

Rose experienced her first pang of fear. She had no way to provide for the children.

She had always worked. Ever since Dad left and even before that, she had always provided for them. They werenat rich, but the kids never went hungry. What could she do now? She had no reserve. What little jewelry Mom had was long gonea"it went into the truck.

First, the transmission went, then the m.u.f.fler, then the belts . . . There was always something wrong with it, something requiring another injection of cash.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) The junk in the attic would bring them nothing. She had tried to sell it before, at a swap meet and at a yard sale, but hardly anyone bought a thing. Shead made a total of seven dollars and twelve cents.

There was a spot in town in front of a small fried chicken joint, where a truck stopped every morning to pick up laborers. They were paid cash. She drove past them on her way to work: men, mostly Latino, chatting in Spanish. Before she had this job, she even tried waiting with them, but the truck driver explained to her that they didnat want women. They wanted men, who could clear away the brush and do construction.

The only reason Emerson had hired her in the first place was because he and her father had been buddies when they were young. But now with Dad gone . . .

She still had the doubloon. By now the news of her firing would have spread, and Max Taylor would know she was desperate. Head charge her an arm and a leg to convert the doubloon into cash. Her chances might be better with Peter at Parallel Universe. He charged a steeper fee, but he never haggled and never tried to pull a fast one. The doubloon would bring in enough money for a couple of weeks. Shead just have to borrow the money for gas, drive out there, and hope she could work it out with one of them.

And then what?

Maybe she could just leave. Take the kids, use what money she made off Declanas gold, and just go. The Edge was narrow but long: it wrapped the junction of the two worlds like a ribbon. There were other settlements, bigger than East Laporte. There had to be jobs there. But at least here she had the house.

Anywhere else, shead have to pay rent . . .

The sound of approaching footsteps tore her from her thoughts. A long-legged, lanky man strode down the Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) path. The sun played on his reddish hair. She wouldave known that red anywhere. Rob Simoen. His father had hired Brad to kidnap her all those years ago, so she could marry Rob and make a brood of powerful babies for the Simoens.

Rob came up and stopped at the ward stones. He had a bit of power. He flashed green, which wasnat too shabby for an Edger. He was older than she by three years and well off. He was also a first-rate a.s.shole.

aHi, Rose,a he said.

She just looked at him.

aI heard youave lost your job.a Well, that was fast. aCame to gloat?a He smiled. aYeah, a bit. Did you hear? We at Simoen Chevrolet just got ourselves a new cleaning crew. Our offices will be all clean and bright.a Rose blinked as the picture snapped together in her head.

aYour dad paid off Emerson to fire me.a aSomething like that.a She frowned. aItas been four years. Why do you even care what I do?a aWord is, you got a boyfriend, whoas good with his fists.

Actions have consequences, Rose. You see, Brad works for us. Odd jobs, mostly. We like to look after our people.a aHow nice of you.a Shead known Bradas beating would come to haunt her, but shead no idea it would be this fast. They hit her where it hurt the most. Magic clung to her.

Too bad Rob was too smart to start something.

aGetting Brad beat up wasnat a good move.a aI didnat get him beat up. Brad managed that all by his lonesome. So what does he do for you anyway? Brad isnat much good aside from his fists . . .a Rose didnat even try to keep her mouth from curving. aYou use him Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) as enforcer, donat you? To collect and repo your cars. I saw him calling on his cell right after he got his a.s.s handed to him. Was that to you? Tell me, was his voice slurring a little? Because the last I saw him, your precious enforcer was curled up on the pavement in his own vomit, looking for his mommy. He mustave jumped on that phone the second he could talk.a She laughed. aOh, that didnat look good for your dad, did it?a The sugary expression slid from Robas face. aNever you mind. Letas talk about you. How exactly are you going to feed those b.a.s.t.a.r.d brothers of yours?a aNone of your business.a aYou know . . .a Rob frowned, pretending to be immersed in thought. aIave always fancied you.a Declan emerged from the brush and started toward Rob in a very determined fashion. He must have followed her this entire time. She wouldnat put it past him.

He probably thought this was his chance to get into her good gracesa"his Icy Lordship, all poised for the rescue. She glanced at his face, and alarm shot through her. She always thought that seeing murder in someoneas eyes was a figure of speech, but when she looked at Declan, she saw it crystal clear.

She crossed her arms and looked above Robas head at Declan. aItas a bad idea.a Declan kept coming. He didnat walk, he stalked, huge and lethal and very angry.

aOh no,a Rob said. aItas a great idea. Iall make you a deal: you suck me off, and Iall see about getting you your old job back.a Oh, you sad, slimy b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

Muscles played along Declanas jaw. He would kill Rob if he got his hands on him.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aIf you do this, Iall never speak to you again,a she promised him.

Declan halted for a moment.

aOh, I like it when you get mad,a Rob said. aThe way I look at it, my dad promised you to me four years ago, but I never got to have you. Like a Christmas present I never got to unwrap. I figure, Iam long overdue.a She had seconds to get rid of Rob. Rose faked a sigh. aYouare right, Rob. I do need a job, and n.o.body seems to be hiring. I guess Iave been chased into a corner.a aIam glad you see it my way.a Declan resumed his march.

Rose smiled. aThe thing about being in the corner is that now Iave got nothing to lose. And I have this powerful urge, Rob. A very powerful urge to hurt somebody.a It took him a second. aYouare getting ahead of yourself there, b.i.t.c.h.a aI think Iall start with you,a she said. aYou know, when I flashed Brad, he p.i.s.sed all over himself. I think Iad like to see you wet your pants, Rob. And then I think Iall go over to your family home and see if your daddy wets his pants as good as you do.a aYou wouldnat dare.a aWhat do I have to lose, you dimwit?a She laughed and began to rise from the steps.

Robas mouth hung open. He turned and saw Declan, looming in his path. Rob went white as a sheet.

Rose resorted to the last weapon in her a.r.s.enal. aDeclan, please donat hurt him.a Declan leaned an inch toward Rob. His voice was a low snarl.

aRun.a Rob dashed down the path. He was never a good runner, but he cleared the stretch to the road at record speed.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aYou shouldnat have stopped me.a Declan stared after him.

He looked like he was about to change his mind.

No matter how fast Rob ran, Declan would catch him.

aI couldave hurt Rob. First, I couldave shot him.a She reached into her tote and showed him her gun.

aSecond, I couldave fried him with my flash. I didnat hurt him. I couldave, but I didnat.a His eyes narrowed. aWhy? Do you have feelings for him?a aNo! At least not the kind of feelings youare asking about.a aThen why?a aItas kind of complicated. Iall explain it if you promise not to go off hunting Rob.a He mulled it over. aVery well.a His tone made it plain that he was doing her a favor.

Rose did her best to disguise letting out a breath and sat in the gra.s.s on her side of the ward line. He sat cross-legged and looked at her. He was still wearing the jeans and the sweatshirt. The jeans hid most of his boots, and from his feet up to his neck, he shouldave looked like a man from the Broken. Shouldave but didnat. He held himself like a man who never rode in a crowded bus. His shoulders were too wide, his posture too forceful, and if he were to step into one of the busy malls of the Broken, people would probably trip over themselves to give him his s.p.a.ce.

His hair added to the effect, but his eyes and his face were worst of all. Even when he was calm, like now, his eyes made you catch your breath. They were the eyes of a n.o.ble from the Weird, who expected to be obeyed and would enforce his orders without a momentas hesitation. Instead of looking like a native of the Broken, Declan ended up looking like a blueblood who had dressed up in otherworldly garb for Halloween.

And she had to explain the complex rules of the Edge to him.

How would she ever find the words?

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aIn the Broken, when a man a.s.saults a woman, the police are called,a she said. aThey review the evidence, and if there is enough of it, the man is taken into custody, charged with a crime, tried, and if found guilty, put away into a prison. What happens in the Weird?a aIn Adrianglia, a similar process,a Declan said. aSheriffs examine the evidence and take the guilty party into custody. If they fail to apprehend him, they call the headhunters, and if they fail, they call the Marshal.

Someone like me.a She would definitely prefer the headhunters. It sounded ominous, but not as bad as he. aItas your job to apprehend criminals?a aOnly some. You have to do something remarkable to gain my attention. Please continue.a aDo you know what happens in the Edge?a aI expect youall enlighten me,a he said.

aNothing.a She checked his face to see if it sank in, but it might have been a mask for all the good it did her.

aIn the Edge, there are no police, no marshals, sheriffs, or any kind of protection. There is no impartial third party. Instead, the entire community of East Laporte sits there and watches to see what will happen.

Because there are so few of us, everyone knows everybody else and everything we do has consequences.a She took a deep breath. aIf a woman gets a.s.saulted, itas between her family and the family of her attacker.

They might come to an agreement of some sort on rest.i.tution or punishment. Or they might spend the next few decades lying in wait with their guns trying to splatter each othersa brains all over the local greenery.

n.o.body likes a feud. Feuds are messy: many families are related, and when a feud flares, all of East Laporte can go up in flames. Innocent people get hurt, and the trade suffers. A lot of us make a good chunk of our Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) money from trading with the caravans from the Weird and then selling what we bartered in the Broken. If the caravans know thereas a feud, theyall skip the town and visit someone else.a He nodded.

aWe try not to feud. We try to be reasonable. That means that punishment has to fit the crime. Letas say a man tried to kidnap me. I would be within my rights to kill him, and Iave done it before.a Declan gave her a probing look. aYouave killed a person?a aTwice. But only in self-defense. My father and grandfather did some killing to protect me, too. n.o.body can get mad about that. Sure, relatives of people whom we killed hate us and will take pains to ruin my life if they get a chance, but public opinion is on my side. I was attacked, and anybody in my place would defend themselves. Thatas reasonable, right?a aFor the sake of argument, I suppose so.a aNow letas take Brad. I was only a kid. I thought I loved him.

I came to him in the most difficult time of my life, hoping that he would be my shelter. My rock in the storm. And he tried to knock me out with a club and sell me to Robas dad. I hate him. I hate him so much that when heas near, my hands curl into fists and I donat even know it. When you beat him b.l.o.o.d.y today, it was glorious.a The hard line of his mouth relaxed slightly. aGlorious?a he said.

She nodded. aIall cherish the memory of him rolling around in his own puke for the rest of my life. But it cost me my job.a aIave heard,a he said. aIt wasnat my intent to make you lose your employment.a Rose waved her hand. aNo need to be so modest. You planned it all out brilliantlya"getting me fired, cutting Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) off my only source of income, all the while positioning yourself as my hero and savior.a Declanas eyebrows came together. aThat is brilliant. I wish I wouldave thought of it. Alas, I was simply being charitable to a fellow human being. Brad needed to talk. All I could do was lend him a willing ear.a Declan the Good Samaritan. She grinned. aYou also generously lent him your fist.a aWell, you didnat expect me to slap him with an open hand.