Carolina Moon

away, wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, though she could smell his evening beer on his breath.
    “Heard it was Sherry Bellows. She’s the one who runs around town with that big shaggy dog. Wears little shorts and low-cut tops. Sort of advertising the wares.”
    He took a cigarette out of the pack he had rolled in the sleeve of his T-shirt. He thought the effect made him look like James Dean. “Sold her some annuals a couple weeks back. She was mighty friendly, if you catch my meaning.”
    “Tell me, Billy, do you practice being disgusting or is it just a gift?”
    It took him a minute, but his smile went sour as old milk as he struck a match and puffed the cigarette to life. “Aren’t you Miss High and Mighty all of a sudden.”
    “Nothing sudden about it. I’ve always been high and mighty. Isn’t that right, Tory?”
    “I’ve never known you to be otherwise. It’s a bit like a birthmark.”
    “Exactly.” Delighted, Faith slapped a hand on Tory’s thigh. She took out a cigarette of her own. “We Lavelles,” she began, lighting it and blowing smoke, coolly, into Billy’s face, “are destined to be superior. It’s just stamped on our DNA.”
    “You weren’t so superior that night behind Grogan’s when I had your tits in my hands.”
    “Oh.” Faith smiled, blew more smoke. “Was that you?”
    “Ever since you grew tits you’ve been a slut. You better watch yourself.” He glanced deliberately at Sherry’s door. “Sluts end up getting just what they ask for.”
    “I remember you now,” Tory said quietly. “You used to tie firecrackers to cats’ tails and light them, and then you’d go home and masturbate. Is that still how you spend your leisure time?”
    He jerked back. There was no smile on his face now, and fear had replaced the sneer in his eyes. “We don’t need you around here. We don’t need your kind.”
    He might have left it at that, he was frightened enough to, but Bee decided his pant leg was more interesting than her bone. Billy sent her flying with the back of his hand.
    With a cry of outrage, Faith scrambled to her feet to scoop up the whining dog. “You yellow-bellied, beer-soaked, half-peckered asshole. No wonder your wife’s shopping for a new man. You can’t get it up with your own fist.”
    He started to lunge at Faith. Tory didn’t know how it happened, and it seemed to be happening to someone else. But her fist popped out of her lap and connected with his eye. The force and shock of the blow knocked him on his ass. Dimly she heard shouts and squeals and running feet, but as Billy leaped up so did she.
    All of her rage rolled into one hot ball inside her. She could already taste the blood.
    “Fucking bitch.”
    When he charged she planted her feet. She wanted violence. Welcomed it. Even as he swung back, he went sprawling.
    “Try me,” Cade suggested, and hauled him to his feet. “Stay out of it,” he snapped, as people rushed up to interfere. “Come on, Billy. Let’s see how you handle me instead of a woman half your size.”
    “You’ve had this coming for years.” The sneer was back. He crouched, burning with the need to restore himself in front of the town, desperate to pound his bunched fists into the haughty face of one of the Lavelles. “When I’m done with you, I’m going to have some fun with your whore sister and your cunt.”
    He came in hard. Cade simply sidestepped. It only took two blows, an uppercut that snapped Billy’s head back and a fast, vicious jab to the gut.
    Cade bent down and, pressing his thumb on Billy’s windpipe, whispered in his ear, “If you ever touch my sister or my woman, if you ever speak to them, ever look at them, I’ll wrap your balls around your throat and choke you with them.”
    He dropped Billy’s head back to the ground and walked toward Tory without a backward glance. “This isn’t the place for you now.”
    She couldn’t find her voice. She’d never seen fury burst, then retreat so easily. Almost elegantly, she thought. He’d battered a man to the ground without breaking a sweat and now he was speaking to her gently. And his eyes were cold as winter.
    “Come on away with me now.”
    “I have to stay.”
    “No, you don’t.”
    “Sorry to say, she does.” Carl D. walked up, turned his gaze down at Billy, rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. “Have some trouble out here?”
    “Billy Clampett made insulting remarks.” Instantly soft tears swam into Faith’s eyes and turned them