Chapter 4

“You’d think it’d be uncomfortable,” said Asa, wiggling a little where he sat, “But I rather like it up there.”

“Do you now,” she said, not appearing amused. Asa grinned.

“Going to come over here and get it?”

She laughed.

“No way in hell.” She gestured with the pistol. “Now, you can either bend over nice and slow, drop your drawers, and dig it out yourself, or I can just shoot you and cut it from your body. How much do you want to live?”

“More than not at all,” said Asa, standing slowly.

“Don’t I get a say?” asked Levi, watching Asa turn around, one hand still visibly in the air as he worked at his belt buckle with the other. He was torn between wanting to watch Asa strip and not wanting to be shot.

“Sure. You can go dig it out for him. Hands against the wall, Eberhardt.” The steam pistol followed Levi as he stood, and the woman ran her tongue across her lips. “Hope you enjoy strange men probing you as much as you enjoy shoving things up your ass.”