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Authors: Audrey Cole
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Hal.
He looks at me in surprise then glances around the room, looking further surprised to have such an audience.
“You girls don’t need to hear this. Get back to work.”
“What are the symptoms, Hal?” I demand, taking a step toward him instead of back as the other women do. “We’ve been drinking this trash. We need to know.”
He looks to Mickey who shrugs and looks away. Finally he turns back to me with a sigh.
“Dizziness. Headache.”
“Confusion? Vomiting?” I ask hotly.
He nods. “And blindness.”
I hear gasps all around the room and I know I just got a head count on who’s been drinking the gin.
“It’s what killed Alice.” I whisper.
Hal nods again. “Yeah, Tommy thinks so.”
“Why though? Why didn’t more of us get sick?”
“We’ve been watering it down.” Reggie says quietly. His face is white as a sheet, his eyes downcast. “No one has been drinking it straight. Tommy wanted it to last, to turn a profit, so when people asked for it they got it watered down. Except for…”
“Except for Alice.” I say quietly, getting it.
He nods, looking up at me with pained, wet eyes. “I had just started. I didn’t know. No one had told me to water down the gin yet. When Alice asked for it straight up, I—“ He takes a shuddering breath. “I killed her, didn’t I?”
“No. The Tremblays killed her.” Mickey says darkly. He looks to Hal. “Is Tommy takin’ care of this? When is it happening?”
“Not yet. He’s coming back tonight but first he’s meetin’ up with someone. He’s bringing home reinforcements. The New York gangs have got a stake in this too. They’ve got a lot of sick and two dead. They’re just as angry if not angrier.”
“Who’s comin’ down with him?”
Hal grins slightly but it’s not pleasant. It’s dark and vengeful. Merry in an evil way.
“Fuckin’ Birdie.”
Please enjoy the following excerpt
f rom the next episode in the
Swan Song series, # 3 Vodka Rocks.
Excerpt
I hold on to him for a long while afterwards. I’m unable to trust my own legs to stand and honestly, I just want to be close to him. I need to breathe in his mysterious scent for a few moments longer so I can think of it tonight when I go to sleep. So I can lie down and rest easy pretending he’s there beside me.
“Drew,” I whisper. I have to stop and swallow, composing myself. “Drew, I—“
The doorknob turns sharply. I jump with a start when there’s the bang of a body against it then the spinning of the knob again.
“What the fuck?” comes a muffled exclamation from the outside.
It’s Mickey. Not as bad as Tommy, but not good either.
I turn to Drew in a hurry. I’m sure panic is written all over my face but he looks utterly calm and composed. He shakes his head at me sharply and I stand up straight, pulling myself together. When he strides to the door to open it, easy as anything, I wonder why he’s not an actor.
“Birdie.” I hear Mickey say in surprise. “What are you doing in the boss’ office?”
“Hiding.” Drew drawls, sounding bored.
He turns from the door and leads Mickey lazily into the room. Mickey surveys the dark space sharply but his eyes go saucer wide when they land on me.
“Adrian?”
“Mickey.”
“What are you doin’ in here with him?”
“Playing pinochle.” I deadpan. “What does it look like we’re doing?”
He looks between us slowly. “If I were to wager a guess—“
“I wouldn’t.” Drew says quietly. Deadly.
Mickey licks his lips, avoiding Drew’s eyes. “It don’t look good, Aid.”
He glances quickly at Drew who watches him with vacant eyes.
“We darted in from the hall when the alarm sounded, Mick.” I tell him patiently, taking a casual seat on the arm of the leather lounge chair Drew vacated. I’m grateful for the opportunity. My knees are still quivering. “We did exactly what we’re supposed to.”
“Tommy wouldn’t like it.”
“Would Tommy rather she was in
He looks at me in surprise then glances around the room, looking further surprised to have such an audience.
“You girls don’t need to hear this. Get back to work.”
“What are the symptoms, Hal?” I demand, taking a step toward him instead of back as the other women do. “We’ve been drinking this trash. We need to know.”
He looks to Mickey who shrugs and looks away. Finally he turns back to me with a sigh.
“Dizziness. Headache.”
“Confusion? Vomiting?” I ask hotly.
He nods. “And blindness.”
I hear gasps all around the room and I know I just got a head count on who’s been drinking the gin.
“It’s what killed Alice.” I whisper.
Hal nods again. “Yeah, Tommy thinks so.”
“Why though? Why didn’t more of us get sick?”
“We’ve been watering it down.” Reggie says quietly. His face is white as a sheet, his eyes downcast. “No one has been drinking it straight. Tommy wanted it to last, to turn a profit, so when people asked for it they got it watered down. Except for…”
“Except for Alice.” I say quietly, getting it.
He nods, looking up at me with pained, wet eyes. “I had just started. I didn’t know. No one had told me to water down the gin yet. When Alice asked for it straight up, I—“ He takes a shuddering breath. “I killed her, didn’t I?”
“No. The Tremblays killed her.” Mickey says darkly. He looks to Hal. “Is Tommy takin’ care of this? When is it happening?”
“Not yet. He’s coming back tonight but first he’s meetin’ up with someone. He’s bringing home reinforcements. The New York gangs have got a stake in this too. They’ve got a lot of sick and two dead. They’re just as angry if not angrier.”
“Who’s comin’ down with him?”
Hal grins slightly but it’s not pleasant. It’s dark and vengeful. Merry in an evil way.
“Fuckin’ Birdie.”
Please enjoy the following excerpt
f rom the next episode in the
Swan Song series, # 3 Vodka Rocks.
Excerpt
I hold on to him for a long while afterwards. I’m unable to trust my own legs to stand and honestly, I just want to be close to him. I need to breathe in his mysterious scent for a few moments longer so I can think of it tonight when I go to sleep. So I can lie down and rest easy pretending he’s there beside me.
“Drew,” I whisper. I have to stop and swallow, composing myself. “Drew, I—“
The doorknob turns sharply. I jump with a start when there’s the bang of a body against it then the spinning of the knob again.
“What the fuck?” comes a muffled exclamation from the outside.
It’s Mickey. Not as bad as Tommy, but not good either.
I turn to Drew in a hurry. I’m sure panic is written all over my face but he looks utterly calm and composed. He shakes his head at me sharply and I stand up straight, pulling myself together. When he strides to the door to open it, easy as anything, I wonder why he’s not an actor.
“Birdie.” I hear Mickey say in surprise. “What are you doing in the boss’ office?”
“Hiding.” Drew drawls, sounding bored.
He turns from the door and leads Mickey lazily into the room. Mickey surveys the dark space sharply but his eyes go saucer wide when they land on me.
“Adrian?”
“Mickey.”
“What are you doin’ in here with him?”
“Playing pinochle.” I deadpan. “What does it look like we’re doing?”
He looks between us slowly. “If I were to wager a guess—“
“I wouldn’t.” Drew says quietly. Deadly.
Mickey licks his lips, avoiding Drew’s eyes. “It don’t look good, Aid.”
He glances quickly at Drew who watches him with vacant eyes.
“We darted in from the hall when the alarm sounded, Mick.” I tell him patiently, taking a casual seat on the arm of the leather lounge chair Drew vacated. I’m grateful for the opportunity. My knees are still quivering. “We did exactly what we’re supposed to.”
“Tommy wouldn’t like it.”
“Would Tommy rather she was in
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