Riders - Horizons (III) (4 page)

I lay there broken. Completely crushed to
pieces.

A cold emptiness invaded my whole body as he
stood looking down at me with such contempt.

Did he think I was easy,
was that it? Was this how he treated all girls
―l
ike trash
―as s
omething to be used and
discarded?

“Get dressed, Tiffany.
We're done.”

I rolled up with a gasping sob, wrenching
itself from my heart, tears stinging my eyes, as he threw me my
clothes.

“Why are you behaving like
this? I thought you liked me?”

“I thought you liked me
too. For what I am, not who I am.”

“I won't pretend to know
what you're talking about. Why have you used me? Why,
Josh?”

“You give it out, you get
it back. That's life.” His tone was cruel and hard.

“I don't understand. I've
never given anything out. You bastard!”

“Come on. We both know the
game's up. Take it on the chin, sweetheart.” He turned on his heels
with a parting comment. “I'll see you around.. No hard feelings,
okay?”

No hard feelings?
What?

And he left me there.

I cried like my heart would break. I was
humiliated, angry, hurt, used and cast off like the condom lying on
the floor, next to me.

And I had no idea what I'd done.

Well fuck him,
goddamit!
Fuck him to hell.

He was the nastiest type of player
imaginable.

What a bastard!

But I tried to hold onto a shred of pride as
I left. I held my head high and made my way to my bike trying not
to break down, holding back the fresh flood of tears that had
formed and were threatening to fall.

He'd thrown us away.

Like we meant nothing.

Like I meant nothing.

JOSHUA

It was almost ten days later, before I saw
her again. I'd avoided coming to town on her shift. But tonight, I
bit the bullet. I wasn't hiding from her.

She was in the bar and
serving customers. My heart lurched.

So goddamn pretty, I wanna eat her.

I swore she got more beautiful every time I
saw her. She was all pink lips, huge eyes and eyelashes to die for.
She looked a little pale and drawn, but other than that, she was
her usual much too beautiful self.

She scowled at me, then deliberately blanked
me from her field of vision.

Kicker went for the drinks and I slid into a
booth opposite Pete. I sat with my back to her so I didn't pine
after that far too beautiful face, those sweet lips and those soft
and slender curves. I had a hard on whenever she entered my
thoughts. I couldn't shake her loose no matter what I tried. Her
voice was like a song echoing in my head. It kept playing and
playing.

The passing of a week had changed my
feelings a little. Or maybe a helluva lot.

Despite it all, I still wanted her. With a
strength of feeling that shocked the fuck out of me. I'd felt a
real shit using her the way I had. I should have just confronted
her. Having sex with her like that, almost as a form of punishment,
was a despicable thing to do. I had to have a last taste. A really
long and in depth taste of the girl who'd hooked me so fast and
hard with her lies. And it had been a mind blowing hot taste which
kept replaying in my memory.

That kind of behavior wasn't me. That wasn't
what I was about. I wasn't vindictive by nature. But I felt let
down. She'd hurt me. She'd used me more than I'd used her.

Who liked being used for their potential
wealth factor? It didn't make a guy feel good at all.

But the way she'd reacted, not guiltily or
angrily, but so naturally upset, told me she had feelings for me,
no matter her initial motive.

And I'd killed those feelings stone
dead.

I sipped my beer, in a world of my own.

Thinking.

I forgot myself for a while.

Where I was... who I was with...

I was back there, in the barn, drowning in
her arms and melting into her luscious sweet smelling body. I was
hard as iron imagining that point where she flushed with heat,
coming hard and fast. I broke out in a sweat, wanting it again, so
bad that I ached inside.

That was sheer heaven on earth.

I'd told the guys I wasn't seeing her any
more. We had a lot of different values, we weren't compatible at
all, I'd said, vaguely. They'd both given me an odd look, not
believing a word I'd said and confused at my sudden u-turn where
she was concerned. Tactfully, no one pushed me on it.

Christie
came up to the table, her warm smile shaking me
out of my dark moodiness. Christie was a pretty girl. She kept
trying and trying to win me round. But I wasn't interested in her.
There was only one girl I was interested in, and jointly, we'd
blown it.

“Hi Josh.”

“Hey, you're looking good,
girl. How've you been?” I forced myself to respond
pleasantly.

“Oh you know... Missing
you, like always.”

Guiltily, I gave her a hug, and told her not
to waste her time missing me. I wasn't worth it. But I knew this
would only make her come on to me more. And that would hurt Tiffany
more... but I couldn't seem to stop myself.

My eye strayed to Mickey as he wandered
about picking up some empty bottles and glasses. His hair looked
clean, and he was neater and smarter than I'd seen in a long
time.

So far he'd been behaving himself. Playing
the game my way. My spies were out and set to inform me if anything
shady was going on. I'd hoped a few weeks dry of the vice cycle
would break his habit. It seemed to be working. He was self
respecting at least. That was a start. I'd feel pleased about it
all if it wasn't for the other, much bigger issue lying unresolved
in the background.

At that moment, my cellphone rang.

I answered.

“Hello?”

“Ah, Joshua, Sheriff
Jackson here. Things are moving on with your unlawful cattle
slaughter. We have the ballistics report back from the lab, and we
now have a search warrant. The deputy and I plan to move forward
with our inquiries shortly.”

Welcome news indeed. I was looking forward
to this no end. The motherfucker was about to pay his dues.

“That's good to hear. I'm
in Riders right now. The subject is here and waiting.”

“We won't be approaching
Mickey Green during working hours. That's all I can
reveal.”

I caught Mickey's eye. Little did he know
the shit was about to hit him in the face after his shift. “Okay.
Let me know how it goes.”

“Sure will. Speak soon.”
The Sheriff hung up.

Kicker picked up on the thread. “The sting
going down is it? Raiders at Riders?”

I gave him a look and
spoke quietly, leaning across the table to get my
'for crissakes, be subtle'
meaning across. Kicker was definitely not subtle. He was the
type to tap Mickey on the shoulder and tell him “They're hot on
your tail, pal.”

“Later. After closing, I
guess. Hopefully he won't be expecting anything.”

“We don't know it's Mickey
for sure. It may well be Lucky. Or someone else,” Pete pointed
out.

Lucky had skipped town,
whereabouts unknown. On his return, my father had summoned me to
his office. I had a lecture on who should have fired him. But he
was accepting of the fact that Lucky wasn't much liked, and was
well known to the Sheriff for the wrong reasons.
Not a great loss, anyway,
he'd remarked. It was one of our better
disagreements.

“As we don't know where
Lucky is, or the name of someone else, we have to start somewhere.
My bet's on Mickey. I took a sip of my beer and sat back in my seat
watching him. Quite sure of my instincts. “Yep. Definitely him. I
feel it in here.” I pressed my gut with my fingertips.

I chilled for a minute, thinking of the
consequences, if I was right. Then I suddenly remembered something.
“Where's Col? I've hardly seen him for the last two days. And his
phone's permanently off. I know he's off rota, but he's ignored two
messages I've sent. That's unlike him.”

I noticed Pete and Kicker give each other a
look. My stomach churned with concern. “What's up? Is there a
problem with Col?”

“No he's fine, really...”
Kicker began. “But it's a delicate subject.”

“Oh, spit it out will
ya?”

“Okay, as you're ordering
me to, as my superior, I will. Col has been seeing Tiff's Mom. He
told us not to tell you. He wasn't sure how you'd take
it.”

“You are kidding me,
right?
”

“No, he fixed her truck up
for her and she cooked him dinner, to say thank you. And she's been
cooking him dinner the last three nights. And tonight they're going
out to dinner. On a real date. How about that?”

I was incredulous. After his terrible time
with his ex I didn't expect Col would ever want to date again. But
I supposed he was a guy. Guys had needs. The kind you couldn't
satisfy by being on your own forever.

“Well fuck me. The old
guy's got life in him yet.”

“Forty two is not that
old, Josh,” said Pete indignantly. At forty and still single
himself, he should know.

“Sorry, didn't mean it
like that. But Melinda and Col... shit... are they,
umm....?”

“Well he didn't come home
last night, so I guess he now knows Mrs Johnson's anatomy
intimately. Either that or he's dead from the waist down...
she's fucking hot.
”
Kicker fanned himself humorously.

“Yeah, Melinda Johnson is
a real babe. Much like her daughter.”

“Ah, I see... a little
fire's still burning in your heart for Tiffany, is it?”

“A fucking big fire. A
hell fire. But I'm trying to put it out. Right now actually. I have
my mental sprinklers on, but they ain't working too
well.”

Kicker smiled at me, then
his eyes flicked up to the bar. He had a quick drink of his beer.
“Shame. Real shame... what a sweet peach of an ass. Sweet
everything. Just goddamn fucking sweet as sucking a sugar cube. Not
as sweet as Cherry of course but I'm kinda biased.”

“Do you mind? Stop eye
fucking my ex girlfriend across the bar.”

“Hey, I'm just having some
fun, Just looking and thinking, that's all...” he
chuckled.

“Well don't,” I kicked him
under the table.

“Fuck it, that
hurt.”

“Good.”

“You got it bad man. That
was kick of true love. Hard and painful.”

“Fuck you.” But I smiled
at him.
True love?
That was kinda funny, considering...

“Obviously she's the one
you want to fuck, not me.” He nodded in the direction of the
bar.

Pete stretched and placed down his empty
bottle.

“If I were a few years
younger, I'd be in there like a shot. Ex Mrs Lyle or
not.”

“Well you're not and don't
you start as well. Is this a conspiracy? Why are you beating me
over the head with my fucked up love life?”

Kicker leaned forward across the table. His
voice quiet. His expression was serious and concerned.“You do admit
it's fucked up then? You've been moping over her like a lovesick
fool. Why? What really happened Josh.”

“Guys... just leave me
alone, okay?”

Angry with them and myself, I stood up and
left the bar. And I couldn't help take a look over my shoulder at
the girl I'd thrown away.

Her eye caught mine as she
stood drying a glass
―
h
er head was held high on her
beautiful neck
―
a
neck I wanted to bury my face in forever.

My heart skipped a long, long beat.

Goddamn her.

She was still my girl.

No matter what.

TIFFANY

I changed into my bike gear and picked up my
things, ready to leave. It was running ten minutes late as I
offered to do a stock take with Mickey.

I couldn't get over his change of manner. He
was pleasant and courteous and even, dare I say it... nice to me.
Mickey must have had a personality transplant or a serious life
crisis to have changed so much. Not that I was complaining.
Whatever his reasons, it was appreciated. It made for a much
lighter work environment. And I could definitely do with that,
going forward. I smiled at him as I left, walking toward the front
door. I wondered if he had a girlfriend? That might be the reason
he looked so clean and well dressed.

“Night sweetheart. Thanks
for your work today.”

“You're welcome Mickey.
See you tomorrow.”

“Okay babe, safe
journey.”

I walked out the door a little shakily. I'd
got through tonight, despite my state of shock. I tried to forget
the fact Joshua had appeared and knocked me for six, twenty times
over. I also tried to forget my other big problem. God knows how I
was going to handle that.

My mind flew back to him.
How good he looked. I harbored a strange mixture of loving hatred
for him. How I wanted that guy. My whole body and mind broke into a
fever in his presence. I felt torn between killing him, strangling
him with my bare hands and kissing every gorgeous inch. I must be
sick. Or obsessed. Or just plain fucking stupid. Maybe all
three.
God knows.