Page 45 of When The Noise Stops

"One beer and we're gone."

Her eyes landed on the pool table. She jerked her head at Ronny.

Ronny nodded toward the open table.

"Who got time for a game? I got money."

A regular named Peck grinned like he'd been waiting all year to take money off strangers. He glanced at me first, then looked back at them and saw easy prey.

I saw his calculation.

I sighed. I should have kept everybody riding north.

The boys spread out to say hello. A woman behind the bar named Dot poured me a scotch before I asked.

"Grizz. You brought girls."

"They followed."

"Mm." Dot looked at Lila.

"You keep looking at that one," she nodded.

"She's pretty."

"She is."

I blinked, and Ronny had a stick. Lila was on a stool laughing at Peck's jokes. Fake laugh. I watched them start the game. First one, Ronny missed a lot. Second, she almost won and acted shocked. Peck put more money on the rail. His cousin put more on top of that.

It was obvious Peck and his cousin were being hustled.

Ronny ran the table. Lila said, sweet enough to rot a tooth, "Double or nothing. She's not that good. Y'all let her get in her head."

They doubled.

Stupid motherfuckers.

I looked at Lila.

She winked.

Smiled.

Fuck.

Ronny was, in fact, that good. I watched it unfold and got steadily more pissed. Peck stayed stupid.

When he lost, cash went into Lila's bra. Peck's face went red.

"You came into Rattler's to steal," he said.

Lila didn't drop the smile.

"You set the number, baby."

Peck's cousin looked at Ronny and said something I didn't catch.

Tiny did.