Page 155 of Antihero

It could’ve gone either direction but it went the wrong way, Blanca gently tugging his hand from her face and stepping away. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this. To meet your friends and all that. I’m sorry. I mean, it’s cool, but I thought it was just us hanging out with your sister. I think I should get going.”

He eased toward her again, not wanting her to scare. “But my friends are on their way. Right now. They really wanted to meet you. You don’t want to disappoint them, do you?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure they’re, like, supercool, but—”

“We got the whole evening planned. You really want to ruin it? For all of us?”

She set the gift bag down on the desk. The computer monitor was set up there. She looked at the screen. It said, CLICK TO START LIVESTREAMING.

He watched her read the screen. Her jaw shifted forward.

When her head snapped up, her eyes were different. “I don’t … I’m sorry, I don’t get it.”

He loved how they apologized all the time whether it made sense or not, whether they did anything wrong or not.

“Oh that.” He waved it off. “That’s just if we want to play around later.”

She was standing there stiff and frozen the way they got. Sometimes you could just move them right to the futon like a broken-down robot, a life-size doll, and they didn’t say anything at all. Her throat was jumping around like she was trying to breathe or talk but couldn’t get her body to obey.

“You’re old enough to play big-kid games, aren’t you, li’l girl? You’re definitely sexy enough.”

Now a hushed whisper: “I think I should go.”

“You’re all the way here already. And you’ll dig my friends. Promise.”

He reached for her and she jerked back a step. Her heel pinched the white sheet where it draped to the floor, pulling it free.

Her eyes went wide. Wide and scared and quite pretty. She stared at what had been hiding beneath the sheet.

A wooden pillory with holes for the head and wrists. The top was lifted slightly on its hinge like the stick of a movie clapper board. The post had been shortened, though, so even a smaller girl like Blanca would have to bend over to get put into it. That way even once they were locked in, you had easy access to them from behind.

She turned those wide, wild eyes to him.

He smiled, traced the strips of his chinstrap beard with a thumb and fingertip, pinched it off at the bottom. “Don’t worry about it. That’s not something we have to do. That’s just for show.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m gonna go.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She was breathing deeply. Her nostrils widened. Lips swollen with emotion, face flushed, perspiration sparkling at her temple. She looked so hot. It was amazing how some chicks looked turned on when they were scared. Maybe it was the same thing for them.

Some fire came up in her, a faint accent creeping in: “You know what? Fuck this. I don’t want this. I didn’t ask for this. Let me go.”

He pretended to contemplate, tapping a finger on his chin.

Then said, “No.”

She deked and then broke left, darting around him. She made it to the door, throwing the bolt, yanking it open. It didn’t swing more than a few inches before it met his palm backed by his full weight, slamming shut once more.

He was standing over her now, breathing down, her face by his armpit. She was so much smaller. She turned her gaze up and he saw the depth of fear in her brown eyes. Docile at last. They both knew now that she had to do whatever he wanted.

He gave her his best smile.

“No means no,” he said, and shot the dead bolt home.

57The X Always Held

Walking his third surveillance route past the burrito joint, Evan stared again at Taswell Kinley at a high-top table inside. It was a busy street, pedestrians herd-deep on the sidewalk, the kid coming visible only in the gaps between them.