Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Ezra would have laughed if Dex was a character in an action movie⸺an over-the-top comic relief vigilante⸺but this was real life, and the light-hearted way he spoke about murder was horrendous.
Still, Ezra kept his cool and nodded, swallowing big gulps of the cocoa to give himself more courage. “How were they scum?”
Dex stuffed the whole donut in his mouth and only then chewed, holding up his finger to signal that he was getting to it. The pause gave Ezra a moment to notice the T-shirt Dex wore under his open hoodie. It was black but had a neon-colored print at the front, featuring a Stop sign, a hammer, and a watch. Did the charade stand for… ‘Stop, hammer time’?
How was this guy a member of a motorcycle club? The skills he’d showcased in that container must have been his ticket in.
Dex swallowed. “So. Those two guys stole drugs, which is bad enough, right? Like, a lot of money was involved, but then, when I tracked them down with Hammer, we found out that they wanted to smuggle them inside of puppies.”
Ros started choking so hard Dex leaned toward him and patted his back but went on as if nothing happened.
“Exactly. Sweet little innocent puppies with bellies full of pills. And it’s true, because they had already done it to one of them. We arrived in time to save the others, but this one needed to be taken to the vet and everything.” He rubbed Ros’s shoulder. “That’s the one I brought you guys that night. Is he doing okay?”
“Yeah, a friend of mine is adopting him,” Ros said, grabbing a donut.
Dex spread his arms. “So, like, what you saw, was kind of a misunderstanding, because I get it, it looked bad, but ultimately, it was about saving puppies, and you can’t say that’s such a terrible thing.”
Ezra very much doubted that whoever had the drugs stolen from them cared about saving puppies, but Dex sounded so honest in his disgust, it was easy to lean into his version of events. And while there was no point in questioning the moral side of the drug trade as a whole or why Dex was in any way involved, Ezra nodded, wanting him to feel heard. “Do you ever do this with just random people? Like… are you hitmen?”
To Ezra’s shock, Dex leaned forward and slid his fingers along his jaw. “Noo! Sweetie, we’re like… we get shit done, but we’re not psychos. I mean, technically, Hammer might be on that spectrum, but, like, he’s got me as his moral compass, you know?”
Excuse me?
Ezra recoiled, escaping the touch. “I did not need to know that. What about Frank?”
Because that was the whole point of this conversation.
“Frank is… I mean, he’s like a landlord. At the cemetery.” Dex glanced at Ros. “Do cemeteries have rent, or do you buy a spot?”
Ros shrugged, indicating he had no idea, so Dex continued.
“He deals with whatever comes his way, but also generally chooses who he works with. But it’s not like there’s a truck of corpses coming here every day. It’s an occasional kind of thing. He’s mostly out there working through the crap people bring him, or doing all the regular junkyard stuff. The plot is massive, so there’s always something for him to do. I’ve been telling him he needs to employ someone to help him out, but he says he doesn’t have time. But how is he supposed to make time if he doesn’t get help? Logic, man.” Dex poked his temple.
“I know, he’s never home,” Ezra muttered, suddenly annoyed. About being kept in the dark. About being left on his own all day. But most of all, he was angry with himself for not taking action earlier. “Can you get me cognac? Or red wine?” he asked, snapping his eyes at Dex.
Dex squinted at him. “Are you twenty-one—Ah, what the hell do I care? Sure.” He laughed and jumped off the table, grabbing one more donut.
Ros got up as well. “I’ll be going.”
Ezra’s hand shot to his wrist, because the last thing he wanted was to leave Ros with a bad impression. His life would never be what it used to, and he needed to change things. Maybe even have friends who didn’t want to just gossip. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Sure, you should come over to see the sculpture I’m working on.” Ros’s face lit up with a genuine smile. Something Ezra’s old friends never displayed.
Dex bit into his second donut. “I’ve seen it, and I still think it needs two dicks.”
Ros rolled his eyes and pushed Dex toward the door. Which was nice, because despite him technically being a safe person, Ezra still felt uneasy about being alone with Dex. “It doesn’t even need one dick.”
He watched them leave and sank deeper into the chair as his shoulders relaxed. It was time to break the impasse between him and Frank, whatever it took. He should have a few hours left to prepare, but he would take action.