Ring of Fire by Taylor Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

have to worry about Melanie, Nate. I’ve put the fear of God in her and so has Sarah. She won’t have sex until she’s fifty and that’ll be with a dildo.”
    He barked out an ugly laugh. “Hope at least for her sake it’s a rabbit and has a vibrator. Christ, imagine that. A daughter of mine a virgin at the ripe old age of fifty. And then, there’s my youngest daughter, Francine. She’s like that niece of yours, Nate. My Francine and your Norma are too smart. Both too damn smart for their own good. No girl needs to be that brainy. All she needs is to be smart enough to recognize an asshole like me and keep her fucking legs closed. That’s what I’m teaching my girls.”
    Jeb was thoughtful for a moment. “But as far as women go, I’m like you, Nate. I like my pussies young and supple. I know you’re hangin’ on tight to that little dark-haired lassie of yours. An Irish Catholic girl, right? God help you, Nate. She is a beauty even if she is dark-haired. But, Jesus, just make she don’t have any Jew blood in her.”
    Jeb’s gaze turned more sinister if possible. “I’ve been thinkin about you and her, Nate. Erin’s her name, right? Be sure you keep an eye on her. I hear she’s worth a lot of money. And hell, she’s a firefighter, right? Like your cousin, Connor? Damn, Nate, that’s gotta make you a little nervous. You know how dangerous fires can be. Not only for the people inside but for the heroes who come to save them.”
    When Nate didn’t respond, Jeb sprawled back in his chair. Any semblance of the confident cheerful man who’d met them little more than an hour ago was long gone. In his place was a mean drunk. Becoming meaner and drunker by the minute.
    Jeb rambled on as though going down a hateful checklist of libelous utterings. “But those two sons of mine are takin’ after their Pa. Both twins got their heads shaved two years ago much to their mama’s dismay. Now they got tats from one end of their asses to the other. I’ve never been one for all that ink. Hell, you want people to know that you’re tough? Kill a few assholes. The word’ll spread. Show ‘em, I say. You don’t need to write it all over your damn body. But those idiot kids think ‘1488’ inked on their chest makes ‘em a scary dude.”
    Sam tugged thoughtfully on the stylishly cropped beard on his chin. “Hmm, I thought only the racist punks in L.A. did that. I didn’t know it was hot stuff in Northern Minnesota, the land of Germans and Swedes.”
    He sighed, then continued. “Ah, yes, those good old 14 words. Does anybody think ‘88’ old Hitler himself actually said those words? I never can remember exactly what they are, can you, Jeb? Some damn thing about securing our future and keeping the world safe for little white boys and girls or some inane idiocy like that.”
    Sam laughed and shook his head with a rueful smile. “Often makes me wonder if all those black dudes wanting to imitate the skinheads know what those crazy words stand for.”
    Jeb slammed his bottle down on the table and glared at Sam.
    “You got a regular sense of humor, don’t cha, Stud? Get that from your daddy? Yeah, I heard tell of your daddy. What did they call him before he slunk his way into becoming the Chief Justice of the most liberal fuckingstatesoo-preme court in the country?”
    At Nate’s involuntary frown, Jeb went on as if he’d achieved a major victory. “You didn’t know that, Nate? That Stud’s daddy had a nickname? They called him Samuel the Slammer Carter. Apparently there wasn’t a kid, nigger or white, that got hauled up before him that Stud’s black pappy didn’t throw in the slammer. Hell, he never even waited for the three strikes to take effect.”
    Sam gave a nonchalant shrug. “What can I say? Yes, my father was known for his overzealousness in some arenas. I can see why that would bother you, Jeb. Occasionally those young people actually get straight in prison. Less fodder for your cannons.”
    Jeb