Wrong Ways Down by Stacia Kane Read Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t very well dump her on her porch so he could come back and see Chess. Wouldn’t be right. Amy didn’t deserve that. 
    But Chess ain’t needed to know that, neither. “Aye. I come by, iffen I can.”
    He walked into the hall, fast to remind himself he couldn’t kiss her goodbye, and heard the door close behind him.

C HAPTER F IVE

    H E FELT LIKE shit. And Amy’s cheeriness weren’t helping, especially since he couldn’t figure out why he felt so shitty. Just tense, he guessed, with all that were happening. Slick and Clapper Sue and the idea that Slobag’s men were on the move into Bump’s territory …  Coursen, they always were, it seemed like, but still. Them tryna sell on the border streets were one thing. Them heading that far in and trying selling there, that were another. That seemed like part of some plan.
    Could be part of the same plan. Could be Slobag’s men killed Slick. Could be Slobag’s men attacked Sue. He ain’t wanted to think that one, but it were possible.
    Fuck, it’d been a long-ass day. He ought should have cancelled with Amy. He just weren’t up for hanging out with her and listening to her chatter on TV shows or them she worked with or whatany else. Usually it ain’t bothered him—he liked Amy, true thing, she were a cool dame—but tonight … no, just not up for it.
    Had he lied to Chess, by not giving her a full answer to her question? Or, no, he ain’t lied , but … maybe he’d done the wrong thing, brushing over it all. Maybe he’d hurt her, not telling her. Maybe she’d thought it meant he didn’t trust her.
    Fuck, he hated this shit.
    “Terrible, is you listening to me?” Amy set her hand on his chest. “You ain’t sayin much, you ain’t.”
    “Aye, sorry.” Shit, what had she been saying? “Just got a lot on, aye? Some shit happening, is all.”
    Her bright pink mouth twisted down. “Oughta just cancel with me, aye, iffen you ain’t gonna pay attention. Wanting chatter with you.”
    “Sorry,” he said again. “You was sayin on you work, aye? What happen?”
    “Two dudes coming on, telling me be a ghost around. Say a ghost kill Bump’s man on the other night. Be true? It a ghost?”
    Her brown eyes were wide; she looked scared, and he hated that his first thought was to be annoyed instead of wanting to make her feel better like he should. With effort he kept his voice casual. “Naw, ain’t true. Don’t know where them dumb fuckin rumors starting, but ain’t true. Ain’t a ghost.”
    Amy worked at a secondhand store up Sixtieth, old furniture and appliances and whatany. Fuck. Now she got people just coming in offen the streets, chattering on ghosts?
    “Then why they—”
    He shrugged. “Somebody tryin stir shit up, is all.”
    Amy glanced around. “Slobag?”
    “Maybe.” Probably. But until he were certain he ain’t wanted to say, and he were trying real fucking hard not to get mad thinking of it. Why the fuck all this shit starting up now? “Don’t need to be worryin on it, aye? No ghost.”
    She nodded, but he could see the question starting behind her eyes, could see her wondering did he wish it were a ghost so’s he could call Chess, or was he saying weren’t a ghost causen he were already working with Chess. 
    He cut that off with, “Want me getting you a beer?”
    “Aye.” She leaned back on the seat and folded her pale arms over her chest in a way that let him know she caught on that he were trying to change the subject. She wore a skimpy little pink dress, with thin straps and a short skirt. How she ain’t froze in that outside he didn’t know, but he couldn’t deny he ain’t minded at all when she looked mostly undressed.
    Which kinda made him feel worse, causen they’d hang out there an hour or so, and then they’d go back to his and get that dress off her, and despite the fact that they never made any promises or aught like that—and he weren’t the only dude she saw, neither—he couldn’t help thinking he