Chapter 6

What was sitting on the couch was scrawny, buck-toothed, beady eyed and chinless. Since rats don't wear clothes, I realized it had to be human. After a second I sort of recognized Eddy Ray, Carly's boyfriend. Rats don't carry shotguns either and this Eddie Ray had one pointed directly at all three of us.

If it had just been me, I would have dodged out of the doorway. But shotguns are indiscriminate. We were all close enough together that if Eddy Ray fired, Carly and or Jody would undoubtedly be hit. Jody must have realized it too. Reluctantly we stepped through the door and into our townhouse.

A shadow moved behind us and closed the door. A big shadow. I got a better look as he came over to stand by Eddie Ray. He was must have weighed 400 pounds, with prison tattoos up and down his bare arms. His dark hair was stringy, and his sleeveless jean jacket was filthy. Even without the shotgun he looked more dangerous than Eddy Ray.

"That's Turk. Met him in Texas.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here Eddy Ray?" Jody demanded.

"I came to claim what's mine. Ain't nobody going to take my wife away from me."

"She's not your wife," Jody pointed out.

"Shut up bitch! If it weren't for you and your goddamn stuck up ways she'd still be home with me where she belonged."

"So you think you're going to take her back to Kentucky?" Jody didn't quite sneer.

Eddy Ray smiled. The yellow buck teeth and lack of chin made him look more like a rat than ever. "Naw. We're gonna do some traveling. This one's a real good dancer. Ever seen her dance?" the last was aimed at me. "Get her to shake those tits and she'd be a real money maker."

"I don't want to," Carly protested.

"Shut the fuck up bitch!" Eddy Ray screamed. "You'll do as you're fucking told and you'll fucking like it! You hear me?"

Carly didn't say anything.

"You hear me you dumb cunt?" Eddie Ray yelled again.

"Yes, Eddy Ray," Carly said miserably, "I hear you."

Apparently satisfied, Eddy Ray settled back on the couch. "Now then," he said, "We're gonna wait here until it's dark and its cooled down some. Then we're gonna take my wife and your car and head out." He smiled again, ratlike. "Maybe we'll take you with us so you can't talk. And Turk and me can have some fun along the way."

Turk made a huh-huh-huh sound I took for laughter. He grabbed the bulging crotch of his greasy jeans.

"Meanwhile, where's the beer?"

"We don't have any beer," Jody told him. "Nor alcohol of any kind."

"Shit. Well, make us some coffee then."

"I'll do it," Jody said, motioning Carly to stay behind.

"Go with her Turk," Eddy Ray commanded.

Turk smiled and moved toward Jody. She froze him with a look and a more subdued Turk followed my wife into the kitchen.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity Jody came back with the coffee pot and cups. She poured out a cup and handed it to Eddy Ray, who loaded it with milk and sugar and insisted Carly have some as well. Neither Jody nor I wanted any.

I don't know how long we sat there in silence while Eddy Ray drank his coffee and gloried in his power over the three of us. Turk made that huh-huh-huh laugh at occasional, inappropriate moments. But for the rest it was pained, strained silence. Once Jody had to go out to the kitchen to get more milk and sugar for Eddy Ray. Other than that no one moved.

Finally Eddie Ray set down his cup and heaved himself up off the couch.

"Shit. Damn coffee goes right through me. Turk, keep an eye on them."

"Gimme the shotgun," the giant said.

"Bullshit. You don't need no shotgun to handle them. Just stay with 'em till I get back." With that he was into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was closed, Turk gestured to Carly.

"Get over here."

Reflexively I started at him, but he stopped me with a cold, dead look. "Not you, pansy. The little blonde piece."

Slowly, hesitantly, Carly moved to the big man. I bit my tongue, dreading what I was going to have to watch.

"Turn around bitch," Turk commanded, "and get closer." He stepped up behind Carly until his prominent erection was wedged against her ass.

"I ain't had nothing like you since I got out of stir, bitch," he said as he stuck his hand down Carly's blouse and hefted one of her big, milk-swollen tits. "I bet you like it rough, don't you?" Carly flinched but he grabbed her arm with his other hand and continued to maul her breasts. "You'd better, cause that's how you're going to get it."

I hoped, desperately hoped, Eddie Ray would come out of the bathroom and break this up. If he didn't I was going to try to take the guy down myself.

"Jody," Carly said haltingly. "Is he a bad man?"

My wife glared at the thug with his hand down her pregnant sister's blouse. "Yes Carly," she spat. "He's a very bad man."

Turk kind of chuckled and kept squeezing Carly's tit, but Carly's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Good!" Then she twisted in Turk's grip and kneed him in the nuts so hard it lifted him up off the floor.

The big man didn't say anything. His eyes got big, his face got green, he vomited and he went down like a felled oak tree. He twitched once, vomited again, and lay still.

"Cousin Matthew taught me how to do that," Carly said proudly. "But he made me promise only to do it to bad men who were touching me."

Just then Eddy Ray came barging out of the bathroom shotgun in hand. "What the fuck is going on here?" he demanded.

"He's a bad man and he put his hands on me," Carly said firmly.