Confusion creased Greg’s brow, but he managed a small shake of his head.
Roxie chuckled. “Didn’t think so. I mean, whales are dumb animals, but even whales want to live, right?” Another chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’m just fucking with you. Don’t expect a real answer to that.”
She stepped away from Greg and aimed the.38 at Rob’s belly. “I want you on your knees too, Rob. Right next to the whale.”
Rob’s mouth came open. He just stared at her for a moment. Unable to speak. Unable even to form a single coherent thought. He searched her face for any hint of mirth, but there was nothing. He’d never seen a face so pretty look so hard. Her beauty was a mask. In that moment he could clearly see the ugliness lurking beneath. His eyes watered. Not so many hours ago he’d made love to this woman, had shared with her an experience more intense than he could ever hope to share with another human being. He couldn’t fathom how the woman he’d shared that with now apparently intended to kill him. Which made him an even bigger idiot than he’d begun to suspect. He knew what she was. Had known all along.
So this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Shouldn’t feel like a betrayal.
But it did. It did.
Oh God…
She thumbed back the.38’s hammer. “I’m not asking again, Robin. On your knees next to the whale. Right now.”
He sniffled and moved past her. She didn’t back away to give him more room, her smirk telling him she knew he lacked the courage to make a lunge for the gun. He dropped to his knees next to Greg and stared up at her. “Why?”
She pressed the gun’s barrel against his forehead. Her smug expression stung him. “Why do you think, Robin? To keep things interesting. I get bored easy. Besides, maybe you still have a chance.”
Rob’s heart beat a rapid, desperate rhythm against his chest wall. She was playing some kind of game here, indulging in another sadistic exercise, but he couldn’t figure out what the point was. Probably there wasn’t one. Not beyond drawing out the agony of anticipation anyway. He figured she’d meant to do this all along. Probably did this kind of thing all the time. Grabbed some guy and had a bit of fun with him. Maybe made him feel they had some kind of deeper connection, even in the face of so much insanity. And she would kill the poor fuck every time. He was just what he’d always been-the latest in a long line of marks and suckers.
She pushed the gun harder against his forehead. “Did you hear me, Robin? I said you still have a chance. What do you think of that?”
“I don’t believe it. You’re just fucking with me, like always.”
She smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, baby. I’m gonna play a quick little game. Loser gets to eat a bullet. Winner gets to walk away from here with me. Close your eyes, bitches.”
Rob closed his eyes. He knew the other man had done the same. There was no defying Roxie and they both knew it. Had no choice but to accept it. Rob began his own recitation of prayers. But he kept his mouth shut, kept it internal. He didn’t want Roxie to hear. He prayed for his uncle and other close relatives. He prayed for Lindsey and Charlene. Prayed for other close friends. But he didn’t bother asking God for forgiveness. He knew he didn’t deserve it.
The gun came away from his head.
What’s she doing?
The need to know was almost overpowering, but his fear of her was even greater. He kept his eyes shut, finished his prayers, and strove to keep his mind blank. He wanted to enter a meditative state. A gray, formless place. Retreat mentally and just let it happen.
“Eeny.”
He felt the gun barrel against his forehead again.
And Roxie giggled. “Meeny.”
The gun moved away from him. “Miny.”
It came back. “Moe.”
Away again. “My.”
Back. “Mother”
Away. “Told.”
And on it went, back and forth, until the barrel grazed his forehead again on the last syllable. “It.” Another giggle. “So, so sorry, Robin.”
Greg heaved a big breath next to him. “Oh, thank God. Thank you, God.”
Rob squeezed his eyes as tightly shut as he could get them and found he was willing to send out a last-ditch prayer or two after all. He tensed, waiting for the explosion that would blow his head apart and send blood and brain matter flying across the forest floor. He was shaking so hard he barely noticed when the gun barrel moved from his forehead.
But he did hear the boom of the gun.
He screamed and opened his eyes in time to see Greg’s body toppling toward him. He screamed again and scrambled out of the way. Greg hit the ground and didn’t move. He was dead, with a ragged hole in the center of his forehead and a much bigger one at the back of his head. Rob whined and scooted away from the body, twisting around to stare up at Roxie through eyes wide with terror. His heart felt close to bursting, it was beating so hard and fast. He tried to speak, but couldn’t catch his breath.
Roxie was smirking and shaking her head. “Oh, come on, Rob. It was just a game. I was never really gonna shoot you. You lost, remember?”
Rob stayed there on his knees for several more moments, panting hard and struggling not to hyperventilate. By the time he at last found his voice, the terror was surging inside him again. “I wish you had killed me. Oh fuck. Fuck. Holy fuck. I can’t take any more of this. I can’t. I swear.”
Roxie leaned toward him, holding out her free hand. “Oh, stop being such a pussy.” She fixed him with a steely, unyielding glare. “I’m not gonna kill you, Rob. Not unless you put me in a position where I have to, and I don’t think you’re gonna do that. Are you?”
Rob took her hand and let her haul him to his feet. He looked her in the eye and said, “You’re crazy. You are fucking crazy.”
She opened his hand and pressed the gun into it, forced his fingers to wrap around the butt. She smiled and moved his hand so that the gun barrel was pressed against her belly. “There. Now you’re the one with the power. You can kill me. Be done with me. Go on. What are you waiting for?”
Rob’s hand started to shake.
Tears spilled from his eyes.
Roxie wiped some of the tears away with the ball of a thumb. “It’s loaded, Rob. I’m not setting you up and this isn’t another game. You can kill me if you want. You really can.”
His shaking became more pronounced.
He let go of the gun and it hit the ground with a thud.
Roxie sighed. “It’s funny. I should feel relieved, but a little part of me is disappointed. Isn’t that funny?”
Rob swallowed thickly. “No. It’s not funny at all.”
“Sometimes I kind of want to die.”
Rob’s eyes filled with tears again. “Roxie…”
A small laugh. “Oh, relax. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”
Rob kept shaking. This was all too much. He needed a tall bottle of liquor and a fistful of pills. He needed to make this all go away for a while. But he knew he was a long way from even that brand of empty solace.
Roxie retrieved the gun and tucked it in a rear pocket. “Come on, baby.” She clasped hands with him and steered him back in the general direction of the road. “Time’s a-wastin’.”
Roxie had a few last things to attend to when they finally reached the road. She retrieved her overflowing tote bag from the Galaxie and stowed it in the Tercel. She switched out the Tercel’s plates with plates stolen from yet another car. Those things accomplished, they got in the Tercel and drove away from there.
Roxie was driving and that was fine with Rob.
He’d done enough of it for a while.
He glanced at the rearview mirror and caught a last glimpse of the Galaxie’s bright red finish before the road twisted and the deep woods swallowed the old car. He felt a pang at the loss of his grandfather’s treasured antique, but it was a numb pain. Too much had happened. Maybe there would be time for sentimentality later. Time to grieve that lost link with his family’s past.