She needed a little reassurance. "I'm not a serial killer or rapist. Promise. Just a soldier down on his luck and looking for work." He lifted one shoulder in a little shrug. "I'll help you get to the C-Bar if you'll give me a ride."
She lifted a perfectly sculpted brow and seemed to consider for a moment. "Okay. But if you step out of line I'll gut you."
Great. An American slut with a knife she thought she could use. Well, it was what it was. He'd deal.
A rough shuffling sound approaching from the right drew his immediate attention. The stench hit him immediately. Guy smelled like he'd rolled in a week old carcass like a dog would. And he looked like that might be a possibility too. Hair that might have been light colored hung in greasy mats to his shoulders and his visible skin was stained gray with filth, dirt clearly embedded in lines and creases and packed into large pores.
"'Scuse me, mister. You's headin' to the C-Bar? Wonderin' if I might get a ride." The man's breath could be bottled as paint stripper and his visible teeth were broken, decayed, and crusted with all sorts of nastiness. Some part of his emaciated form stayed in perpetual motion. Tweaker.
The girl might be an American slut, but she didn't need to be around anything like that either. "Nah, I don't think so, man." As soon as Ezekiel got the refusal out, the man turned to the slut.
"Please ma'am. I ain't had no work in months an' my ol' lady jus' had another baby. I got no other way to feed 'em."
Ezekiel saw the exact moment she gave in. Her face softened with compassion and pity. The tweaker saw it too. The glance he gave Ezekiel was filthy with triumph.
"I don't see what the harm could be. Hopefully they'll have work for all of us." She shrugged and gathered her coat and handbag. "My truck's in the side lot. If you're both ready we can go ahead and go."
The tweaker pasted himself to the slut's luscious rear and followed her to the parking lot. Ezekiel pulled his coat on and shouldered his duffle bag, At the back of the woman's pickup truck, the tweaker was clearly making her uncomfortable, crowding way too close and making no secret of leering at her tits and ass. Served her right.
Except the look she shot Ezekiel was full of fear. She was in over her head and had no idea how to get out. Her kindness had put her in a dangerous situation. Ezekiel had no idea why since it was totally out of character for him, but he found himself saving her ass.
"Why don't you get the truck started, miss."
She gave a grateful nod and slid away from the tweaker, wasting no time in climbing into the cab of the truck.
The nasty bastard grinned at Ezekiel. "That's one fine piece of ass and I'm gonna have a go at it. You stay outa my way and you can have what's left." He drew one side of his greasy coat back to display the handle of a cheap hunting knife that had seen far better days. "Get in my way and you'll grow a new mouth."
Ezekiel shook his head, deciding how best to handle the situation. He'd prefer to leave the tweaker right there, but you never knew what kind of idea someone like that might get. Guy might even think he was bad enough to come searching for Ezekiel. He'd rather not have to look over his shoulder for something like that at this point of his game. Better to get him outside town and cut his throat and toss him over a hill somewhere.
"Whatever, man. I know a spot a little way out of town, perfect for it. I'll give her directions there instead of the C Bar. But you gotta ride in the back. You've already spooked her. If you get in front, she'll be suspicious and end up taking us both to the Sheriff's office."
The tweaker nodded, eagerness lighting his weird eyes. "Good. I'll get in back then. How long to the place?"
Ezekiel shrugged. "Not sure with the road slick. Fifteen minutes maybe." He started for the passenger door. The slut probably wouldn't allow him to drive, of course. "Get in. See you there."
The tweaker clambered into the truck bed with surprising agility, considering his condition, and took a position up near the cab where a big toolbox that spanned the width of the bed would block some wind.
Ezekiel swung into the warm cab and nodded to the slut. "You realize he was planning to rape you? Now he thinks I'm going to help him."
"What?" she gasped as she put the truck in gear.
"That poor old guy, so down on his luck you fell for his story, is planning to rape and kill you." Ezekiel watched anger flush her face. "He even generously offered me his leftovers."
"And you let him get in the truck?" She glared at him. "What were you thinking?"
"That I'd wait until a few miles out of town to cut his throat and roll him over a hill."
"You're insane! You can't do that!"