Page 28 of Ransom
"You writing this down, Ransom?"
"Notebook's on the counter, Ranger."
"Then go pick it up."
"In a minute."
Something cold went up the back of my neck. I didn't move my hands. I couldn't. They were red to the wrists and the elbows of the apron, and the closest clean surface was the man standing six inches off my left shoulder.
"He ate a fucking Billy burrito," Ransom said.
"Come again?"
"At Rattlesnake Rex's. Bonney Ranch and Billy the Kid Dinner Theater. It's the challenge burrito on the menu. They put your picture on the wall if you finish the whole thing." He looked down at Castillo's stomach, at the tray, at the hand I had resting on the edge of the table because I had nowhere clean to put it. "Most people can't."
"Judge Castillo could."
"Looks that way."
"Write the name," I said. "Rex Rawlins. R-A-W-L-I-N-S."
He didn't move.
"Ransom."
"I know how to spell Rawlins."
"Then go get the notebook."
He didn't go get the notebook.
He turned his head. He was a quarter-inch from my ear when he did it, and his breath landed on the side of my neck before he spoke.
"Don't make me regret not killing you yesterday."
I turned my head.
He was right there. Hat off, somewhere, I hadn't seen him take it off. Two days of stubble dotted his jaw, and his lips were pale and chapped.
What came out was, "I am up to my armpits in dead judge, Ransom. Do not look at me like you want to fuck me."
"Would you let me?" he asked, deadpan.
"Ransom…"
"Bet you would." He smirked, and the expression was mean. "Bet if I got my dick out right now, you'd forget all about the judge."
"Maybe. If I wasn't fucking wearing him."
He looked back down at the body like he'd forgotten it was there, then he looked around the room, eyes landing on the sink on the other side.
"Don't," I said, because if he started giving me orders, I wasn't entirely convinced I'd be able to resist, and there was a county sheriff somewhere nearby.
"Why not?"
I covered the open stomach with an absorbent towel and yanked off my gloves, stepping out of Ransom's reach. "'Cause you're gonna buy me dinner first."
He blinked rapidly. "You serious?"
