Free This is the End (Book 2): Not Dead Yet by Lisa Biesiada

times and almost had it down to a science.
    I pulled a smoke from my bag and hiked my skirt up a bit as we got within hearing range from the guys.  “Any you guys got a light?”  I smiled helplessly and let my voice lilt up.  Sarah had already sneaked down the side alley that led around to the always dark parking lot in back, where I would lure our target.
    “Sure, beautiful.” Bachelor Number One said, pulling a lighter from his pocket and lighting the end for me.
    I took a deep drag and smiled gratefully. “Thanks.” I tilted my head coyly and batted my eyes, sizing him up.  He wasn’t huge, but could likely take me without much problem.  Lucky for me the red rims in his eyes told me all about how much he’d had to drink; he shouldn’t be too hard for the 2 of us.
    “I’m Delilah.  And you are?” I asked running my hand lightly down his sleeve.
    He stepped away from his buddies whose attention was riveted to a small group of girls giggling a few feet away. “Mike.  Damn, your eyes are beautiful.  I bet your boyfriend tells you that all the time, right?” He winked at me and moved in closer.
    I giggled just enough to know a slight blush crept into my cheeks, making me seem even shyer. Then I looked up at him, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, flicking my tongue out just enough to moisten my bottom lip. “Say, Mike, um, I think my car battery died, would you mind coming to take a look at it for me please?”
    Mike’s chest puffed up like a rooster and I could just about smell the pride of being able to rescue a helpless girl wafting from him.
    He offered me his arm, “Lead the way, beautiful.”
    Smiling up at him, I took his arm and led him around the side of the bar, away from his friends and the lights from the street.  I could feel him trying to fight the alcohol enough to come up with something clever to say, but I knew he wouldn’t have time as we reached the end of the alley where Sarah was waiting.
    We’d done this enough times to college kids passing through that neither of us ever worried about being ID’d. 
    I stopped and faked being lost for a moment.  “Damn, I thought the parking lot was back here somewhere…” I looked up at him sheepishly.
    He smiled and pulled me closer.  “Well, at least we’re alone now.” He started to run a fingertip across my collarbone when I caught sight of Sarah sneaking up behind him.
    “Make one move and you’ll regret it,” she said, pressing a blade into his back.
    “What the-“ Spinning, he caught her off guard and I watched in horror as Sarah panicked and drove her blade into his side.  His eyes got big and scared, but before he could yell again, I reached back and punched him as hard as I could, aiming up and out into his nose, watching as blood started to spray everywhere.  He went down hard and we didn’t waste any time grabbing his wallet from his pocket and running for all we were worth back down the alley.  We didn’t stop until we were 7 blocks up, then cut across back onto Main Street.
    I stopped to catch my breath and turned accusing eyes on her. “What the fuck, Sarah! You didn’t have to stab him!”
    She looked at me and pulled the wallet from her pocket and shrugged.  “It’s his own fault for scaring me.” I watched her pull a wad of bills out, count it, hand me half and throw the wallet into the bushes that were bordering the auto body shop we had stopped in front of.
    Shoving her take in her pocket, she smiled at me, winked and kissed my cheek before shoving her hands in her jacket pocket and starting back down Main. “See you next time, Ang.”
    I stood there for a moment, watching her leave.  Sarah was the kind of person who never gave a fuck about anyone but herself and one of these days she was going to get us both killed.  I shoved the cash in my bra and started back towards Forty’s house.  “What the fuck am I doing here?” I muttered to myself, hiking my bag higher up my shoulder as I