Free Here Comes the Night by Linda McDonald Page A

something worse the next time.
    The last time it happened his dad had been drunk enough to
belittle and shame him, but too drunk to administer the required whipping. When
his father had lunged for him, something snapped inside Tony. He had grabbed
his father’s belt away from him and, as the cops later described it, “cut the
old man to pieces with it,” with his mother screaming and crying at him from
the corner. It left him feeling disgusted and betrayed. He couldn’t remember
any tears from her during Tony’s years of daily beatings.
    At the age of fifteen, he had been sent up for fifteen years
for killing his dad, who’d never received so much as a misdemeanor for pounding
on his family every day of his rotten life.
    Tony stared up at Dell with hate-filled eyes. This fat cat
wouldn’t last two minutes in his shoes. Tony thought he might be able to get
out of the Porsche and go for his .38 before Dell could react. He was seriously
considering it when he heard Vivian scream from inside the motorhome.
    “Motherfucker,” she yelped and appeared at the door a second
later. She had Erika, half-naked and wild-eyed, by the arm. “Look at what she
did,” Vivian said, pointing to her naked torso, stained with vomit. “I’m going
to gag.” She turned back inside, and a second later dry heaves were heard.
    Dell took Erika’s wrist and pulled her out onto the porch.
He reached inside and threw her purse and clothes through the door at her. He
spoke inside to Vivian without taking his eyes off Tony. “It’s okay, hon.
They’re leaving.”
    By this time, Tony had jumped out of the car and was
indignant. “What’d you do to her?”
    Dell almost laughed. “Do you believe the balls on this guy?
You’re a piece of work.”
    “I’ll turn your perverted ass in,” Tony threatened, his hand
edging toward his gun at the back of his waistband.
    “You’re not thinking of going for that, are you?” Dell
asked. Tony slowly dropped his arm to his side in response.
    “Good,” Dell continued. “I don’t want to kill anybody
tonight, not even in self defense.”
    Erika, who was stumbling, pulled on the rest of her clothes
and grabbed Tony’s sleeve. “Let’s just go, Tony.”
    But he couldn’t let go of it. He stood there, trying to find
another angle, a different play.
    Dell stayed on guard, as though he knew how volatile the kid
was. “Just listen to your girlfriend. You don’t want to fuck with a lawyer.” He
motioned toward his weapon. “You’d have better luck taking on this nine mil,
buddy.”
    Tony was trembling with rage but had no comeback.
    Erika, now more sober, took a step back. “Let’s go. Now. Tony.”
    “It’s the smart thing to do,” Dell added, looking weary and
ready for the whole episode to be over.
    “I know that,” Tony spit back at him. “Maybe I don’t feel
like being smart.”
    This was too much for Erika. She started walking away. “I’m
gone.”
    Dell and Tony glared at one another for another moment. Then
Tony relented and backed away, not taking his eyes off Dell. “You’re gonna get
yours.”
    “That I am, kid,” Dell said, giving him something to walk
away with.
    “Someday,” Tony said, “you’ll get yours.”
    “I’m sure you’re right.”
    “Damn right I’m right.” And with that, Tony turned and ran
after Erika, who had almost disappeared from view in the darkness.
    He knew she could still hear him. “Erika, wait up.”
    “Go away.”
    “Come on,” he said hustling to catch up to her.
    “Come on? What just happened back there, huh?”
    “What do you mean?” Tony tried to figure how to play this.
    “I woke up half naked, Tony. And those people…” Erika broke
down and started crying.
    “You did look like you might be in a blackout or something.”
It was lame, he knew, but it was all he had.
    She stopped walking and turned to him. “And you left me with
them.”
    Even through the cloud of drunkenness hanging over her,
Erika stared at him with