Free Shallow Creek by Alistair McIntyre Page A

inside the bar watching them and he’d never have known; he didn’t recognize most of these thugs at all from his previous life in Shallow Creek.
    One other thing bugged him as he pull ed into Michelle’s neighborhood, and it wasn’t just the close proximity of her neighborhood to Taryn’s.
    “Did that guy call you Jasper?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
    Michelle turned away from the window.
    “What?”
    Now Brendan glanced her way as he navigated towards the houses.
    “Sounded like the guy called you Jasper as he was pulling on you.”
    “Must’ve heard wrong.”
    “I know what I heard,” he said.
    “And I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.  Are you implying this is my fault?”
    “No,” he said.  “Damn, chill out.  It was just weird.”
    “Weird that maybe the other guy’s name was Jasper?” she said, obviously pissed.  “After what you did to those other guys, you don’t think they both just wanted to get away?”
    He tried to steer the subject elsewhere.  “Why mess with you anyway?”  She glared at him, not offering any explanations.  “Think about it, what could you do?  All five should’ve attacked me, but instead they went for you.”
    She popped her purse open and revealed a snub-nosed .38.  When Brendan didn’t respond, she smiled, but not kindly.
    “Guess I’m not a helpless damsel in distress.”
    “Why didn’t you pull it then?” Brendan stopped the truck in the street.  He had no idea which house was hers.
    “ Shut up, Brendan.”  Alcohol and anger was a volatile mixture.  She thrashed at the door handle, trying to get out.  Eventually she took a deep breath and composed herself before successfully unlocking the door and exiting.  Brendan got out and met her in front of the truck to give her the keys.
    She snatched them from his hand and stormed off down the street.
    “You want me to come in and make sure it’s all clear?” he yelled.
    “ Keep the hell away from me.”
    He waited in the street until she walked up to a double wide on the left and let herself in.  He’d just saved her life, maybe, and that didn’t even warrant a wave as she disappeared from view.
    R ealizing that Michelle had picked him up from his parents’ house earlier, Brendan sighed dejectedly and started the long walk home.

Chapter 1 7
     
    Brendan winced as he reached for the handle to the beer cooler.  Fighting those guys the night before hadn’t felt that strenuous, but he’d managed to aggravate every injury from getting his ass kicked a few days ago.  He’d woken up this morning feeling like one big bruise, so he made the gas station the first stop of the day to get his favorite remedy: Shiner Bock.  His dad only drank Coors Light, which might as well have been flavored water as far as Brendan was concerned.
    The frigid air escaping from the open cooler was a welcome relief from the heat outside.  Even at this time of year, the thermometer in his truck exceeded ninety degrees Fahrenheit without much trouble.  The dry heat was an improvement over the humidity in a city like Houston, but it was still unpleasant.
    He grabbed a six-pack, but then returned it and grabbed twelve instead.  As the door swung close, someone called out behind him, “Hey, stranger.”
    When he turned, he expected to see Michelle again, but the friendly tone should’ve been the first hint that it wasn’t her.  The woman smiling at him as she approached resembled Michelle very closely, but Brendan quickly realized it was her younger sister.
    “Howdy, Kim. ” He tried not to be too obvious about taking her all in.  Her father, Mr. Prost, had been a complete ass-wipe, but damn, he could make some pretty daughters.
    As Kim got a good look at Brendan, her smile turned to concern.
    “Oh my gosh, what happened to your face?”
    “Michelle didn’t tell you about my little run-in with your cousin, Scott?”  And why hadn’t Michelle told him that Kim still lived in