Hot Property: A Joe Hunter Short Story Read online

  ‘I need it all.’

  ‘Please?’

  ‘You said you couldn’t afford to have no able man come looking for revenge. Can I?’

  Jerrod swiped Bobbie’s knife across Tattoo’s throat.

  The blade bit so deep it opened him up almost to the vertebrae. Jerrod wasn’t taking chances.

  ‘Try holding your breath, fucker.’

  He kicked tattoo into the bayou.

  It wasn’t deep, but it was enough to flood over the top of Tattoo.

  All Jerrod could see was where his bound hands twitched and his heels kicked feebly at the water, churning up bubbles.

  He sure could drink that Corona now.

  But he waited.

  Only when tattoo was still and the mud at the bed of the bayou claimed him did he turn away and walk back towards the bar.

  One of the old men – the one who’d offered the wink earlier – slow clapped him every step. The other old man neither clapped, smiled nor nothing else. Just watched Jerrod as he approached. Then he turned and went inside the bar, obviously seeking out his favourite corner.

  ‘Did you call the cops?’ Jerrod looked at the bartender.

  The man was fearful, but Jerrod dipped his head. ‘You had to. I get that. And it’s OK. I need to speak with them about the murder of my wife and baby any way.’

  The bartender nodded. He indicated the bar. ‘It’ll be a while til they get their lazy asses out here. Come inside. As I recall you spilled your drink. Let me buy you a fresh one.’

  Jerrod walked for the door. Yeah, he guessed once the cops got here it’d be a while until he would have himself another beer.

  End.

  The Able Man was originally published in Death Toll 2: Hard Targets

  Also by Matt Hilton

  Joe Hunter:

  Dead Men’s Dust

  Judgement and Wrath

  Slash and Burn

  Cut and Run

  Blood and Ashes

  Dead Men’s Harvest

  No Going Back

  Rules of Honour

  The Lawless Kind

  The Devil’s Anvil

  No Safe Place

  Six of the Best (E-book)

  Dead Fall (E-book)

  Red Stripes (E-book)

  Instant Justice (E-book)

  Tess and Po:

  Blood Tracks

  Painted Skins

  Novels:

  Dominion

  Darkest Hour

  Mark Darrow and the Stealer of Souls

  Preternatural

  The Shadows Call

  Tempus: The Phoenix Man