Free Where The Devil Won't Go: A Lucas Peyroux Novel by E.J. Findorff

real.”
    “Who was her manager?”
    “Now, what the fuck you want to know that
for?” He leaned forward, exposing his weapon.
    “How’d you get her alligator pendant?”
She pointed.
    He fingered it. “I helped her with some
fast cash a long time ago.”
    “Or maybe you took it after you killed
her.”
    His amusement waned. “Sounds like you
investigatin’ shorty’s murder.”
    “She’s my sister. If you didn’t kill her,
then give up her pimp.”
    Titus mildly chuckled and fell back into
the couch. His eyes molested her again. “Now, I can’t give that info away for
free.”
    “So predictable. Is that what it’s going
to take?”
    “Listen here. If I’m going to take that
kind of heat, there’s a price.”
    Cozy sized him up. He was small, maybe
140 pounds, but cute in a boy-band kind of way. He probably grew up in the
projects having to establish his street-cred every day, which would make him
cocky and aggressive. Should she go down this road? It was possible that the
name of Haley’s pimp was written somewhere in the apartment, but not likely.
She doubted that Haley would admit to prostitution.
    “I just found out my sister is dead and
you want me to fuck you?”
    “I like that. You fuck me. That’s rich,
girl.”
    She smirked back at him. “I ain’t nothin’
if not real.”
    Titus tilted his head with a grin. “A
man’s gotta take it where he can gets it. We each want something here.”
    “What you got on you?”
    “On me? Gun? Drugs? Dick? Can you be more
specific?”
    “Weed, Titus. What say you and me relax a
little?”
    “That’s good. I don’t do anything
stronger than weed. See these teeth?”
    “Braces?”
    “Damn, right… My clean eyeballs… My
liver, although you can’t see that… I’m not messing with this pretty package.
I’d be happy to smoke what Haley liked if you get me a beer out the fridge.”
    “She’s got Coors Light.”
    “Now, we’re talking. I gots some powerful
weed that’ll knock you on your ass.”
    “Good, I’m going to need it.”
    She walked on stiff legs to the
refrigerator and pulled out two Coors Lights. Not even one day in New Orleans
and she was already in over her head. Cozy stared him down as her feet slid
forward, the bottlenecks numbing her fingers. Handing him the beer might as
well be signing a contract. She braced herself to do the unimaginable. But,
Haley deserved to be avenged.
    “She was one of Molly’s girls,” Titus
said as she took the beer.
    Cozy grabbed a pen and wrote it down real
quick. “Molly. Where can I find her?”
    He laughed while drinking. “Oh, she’s
around the Quarter.”
    “I’m surprised you told me before we do
it. What if I back out?”
    He put the empty beer down and exposed
his gums in a wide, gummy smile. “Oh, ain’t no backing
out now.”
    #
    Cozy had talked Titus into having a
second beer, but that empty bottle now sat next to the first one on the cheap
coffee table next to his gun. His hands made a show of grabbing at his belt
buckle, which flopped to his hips once undone. “Get yourself undressed, girl.”
    “I don’t feel that good. That
pizza…”
    “Power through it.” Titus stood and let
his jeans drop. His shirt came off, revealing ribs and stringy muscle under
several dark tats.
    She shifted her weight while undoing her shorts.
Her skin felt dirty just standing that close to him. Her stomach flopped and she
fell onto the sofa with her arms around her torso. “Seriously. I think I’m
going to be sick.”
    “Fuck you are.” Titus back-handed her and she almost flipped over the arm of the couch. “The time is now, bitch.”
    Cozy appeared frightened on the outside,
but Titus would never know the rage she felt on the inside. She shook the pain
away to formulate a plan. She pushed down her shorts as Titus allowed his
underwear to fall, his large dick wagging like an elephant’s trunk. She felt
the blood run down her chin as Titus came near.

 

Chapter 12
    Cozy stirred to the