Smoke On The Water | 18+

Chapter 3

Word Count: 1,919

I march right downstairs to Colter's office, and close the door quietly behind me. I don't want to alert Meredith. Or anyone at all, for that matter. What I plan to do will be loud enough.

He sits behind his desk with his feet up, reading the newspaper and smoking a thick cigar. He doesn't spare me a single glance.

"I'm done, Colt." I tell him sternly, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You're done, huh, Eve?" He asks me, the corner of his lips upturned in a sickening grin. I nod my head once at him.

"You're done when I say you're done, baby." He says softly, as if he were speaking to his lover, and not the highly paid prostitute he's been paid to keep in line. As if he didn't just kill Harry in a jealous rage right in front of me.

He begins to undo his belt, and I'm filled with ugly, boiling hot rage.

This man thinks he can whoop me with his belt, like I'm a child. I've seen it happen to a few other girls, but I never expected to be on the receiving end, myself.

I waste no time removing my stolen revolver from my waistband, and aim it directly at the crease between his brows. His eyes widen, and I know behind that blank stare, he's thinking of a million ways to make me suffer.

"We could'a settled this properly. As old friends, even. But you've forced my hand once again, darlin'. And this, I cannot forgive.. or forget." Colter tells me seriously, his brow furrowing deeper.

"I wasn't countin' on it." I reply, my index finger applying pressure to the trigger of the revolver in my shaky hands. The thing explodes in my grip with a puff of gunsmoke and fire from the end of the long barrel, and a dark red spot right between his eyes begins to pour crimson fluid.

I don't know how long I'm stood there in shock, but it seems like eternity. The back of his head is on the wall behind him, and his body has slumped to the side unnaturally.

I begin to hear heavy footsteps rapidly approaching, and it breaks me out of whatever trance I've entered. It could be 1 of 2 things, but neither are good.

It could either be Meredith and the other members of her security team, or it could be the laws. They're more of bouncers for the lounge area since they frequent it so often, but they're laws nonetheless, and I have an idea of what either of those options would do to me should they find out what I've just done.

I tuck the revolver back in the waist of my skirt and untuck my shirt to cover the outline of it. I snatch the box of loose bullets that Colt was using as a paperweight, and I dump it down my brassiere.

I then open the window, but right as I begin to climb through, multiple people burst into the room. Meredith is the first face I see, and her skin immediately drains to a ghoulish white color once she sees Colter slumped over in his chair- blood pooling around his feet and imbedded into the plaster behind him.

The other members of the security team are there, too.

Shit, at least it's not the laws.

I waste no time jumping from the window- only a few feet to the ground- and twist my ankle as soon as I hit the ground.

I cry out in pain, but otherwise begin to run for my life.

Meredith will have to wait. I don't have enough bullets for even her measley ass security team, let alone the gull to take them all on at once.

"Nah, let her go! Let the Injuns get to 'er!" I hear Meridith shout at her men.

"We gonna get you, little girl! You can run, but you can't hide for long!" I hear Meredith scream from behind me. I cannot allow this to slow me down- I keep running towards the pines.