When the Devil Came Down to Texas

Chapter Nine

Chapter 9 //

Mae let out a wolf-whistle that had Casey running up the steps like there was a pack of rabid dogs on his heels. He burst into the room, frantically looking back in forth searching for anything that might try to hurt her. Alex laughed a little at his expression, but it quickly turned to a strong kind of I-want-this, and then to a quite sigh of what-if-I-can't-have-this. He clasped her forearms in his palms and looked her over for any sign of damage. A fierce expression coated his thick brows. Alex could feel the protectiveness rolling off him in tidal waves. She wishes someone would make her their shore to come back to. Even if they went away for a little while.

"Case- you know I adore you- but I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading to the shops. I saw this flower store the other day- do you know who opened it? Lizzett! Your old high school sweetheart." Casey's eyes open wide. He lets go of her arms and begins to back away like Mae is the rabid dog he had just been running from. And Alex would believe it from the ravenous look in her eyes.

"Mae I-,"

"I just can't believe your Mama wanted y'all to get married! And at eight-teen! Do you know how many times I've heard about the time she walked in on y'all about sex and laughed because you—YOU—couldn't figure out how condoms worked." She glances over to her husband. "Thank the good Lord you didn't get married. But I swear, honey, if that bird-when's your mama making more pie again, by the way?- tells be one more time about your football years I'm going to lose it." She turns to look at Alex. Alex nods, a silent agreement passes between the two women.

"I can figure out where to hide a body. I watch enough Criminal Minds get real creative. I just saw an episode last week where the killer chopped the victim up and sold the pieces to people with limb fetishes." Casey's jaw drops open at Alex's promise. She snickers. Mae quickly high fives her partner in crime. The past four months has solidified their friendship. Alex's fear from Tommy had been molded into a wrath to all men- sans Casey and Mr. Jamie. Whether this is healthy or not Alex chose not to consider.

It was better than fear.

Wrath boiled beneath her skin and shone like a beacon on a foggy night. Her heart pounded and glimmered like a lighthouse. If Tommy ever stumbled across her in Fredericksburg, he wouldn't be able to coat her flesh in flora colored bruises. Now the only stains on her skin were from the berry bushels at Mrs. Jamie's home, now her permanent-until-otherwise-noted residence.

Even with her wrath coated molecules humming in her body she still woke up at night, when she couldn't see the moon through the window, coated in her fear-scented sweat. She could smell his honey-dew cologne as it suffocated her. His phantom fingers around her wrist. She had to take deep breaths that made her lungs burn. And then she'd get up, go down the stairs and check the lock on the back door. She'd pull out some flour and oranges for cinnamon rolls.

When the rolls were places in the oven she'd walk over to the shelves in the living room of the bed and breakfast and pull a book of the shelf while waiting for the timer to go off and for the sun to rise. This became a morning routine.

Right now she was reading Frankenstein. She though it seemed rather fitting since she was just a woman patched up by good intentions and gallons of ice cream covered peach pie pieces. Right now, she looks at her beat up green ballet flats and jean covered ankles. Sweat was beginning to soak through the thighs of her skin-tight jeans. Her top bellowed out from her body.

She wiped sweat from her brow and picked up a glass of ice tea. Mae and Casey's sweet bickering mixed with terms of endearment followed her inside. She laughed to herself and though about how happy she was, even with the rose colored rage floating along her blood steam.