Spark in the Dark

Chapter 42

Her ringing phone woke Shawn up sometime later that night. She rolled over in bed and grabbed it off her nightstand. Squinting against the brightness of the screen, she saw Juice's name on her caller ID.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Did I wake you?" Juice asked.

"Yeah... what time is it?"

"It's a little after 1:30." Juice answered making Shawn groan. "C'mon. I've kept you up way later than this."

"That's different. I was still up. Now, you're waking me up," she reasoned. "You in Indian Hills already?"

"No. Still driving."

"Uh... isn't my dad sitting next to you right now?"

"Yeah, but he's asleep."

"Are you sure? He fakes it if he thinks he can catch you doing something."

"How do you know that?"

"I used to sneak out of the house."

"Of course you did," Juice said, amused. "He's definitely asleep. He popped a pill and has been snoring for the last hour."

"He popped a pill?"

"Yeah, he, uh, got bit in the ass by the guard dog at Unser's trucking."

"The doberman Unser has there? How the hell did that happen?"

"He told me to drug some meat to feed to it. I guess that didn't work so well."

"What kind of drugs did you use?"

There was a pause. "Crank."

There was an even longer pause. "You fed crystal to a killer doberman?"

"Holy shit, you sound just like Tig."

"So, did you two bond?" Shawn asked sarcastically.

"I tried, but he threatened to dunk his balls in my mouth."

"Was this before or after he got bit?"

"Before."

"Oh, I was going to say if it was after you sort of deserved it."

"Right," Juice said and looked over at Tig to check again that he was asleep. "So, you in bed?"

"Yes. You woke me up, remember?"

"What are you wearing?"

"A chastity belt."

"Sounds sexy."

Shawn laughed. "Sure it does."

"If you think that would stop me if I was there, you're wrong."

"If you were here, what would you be doing?"

"Well, first off all I'd have to take that off you, right? Then I'd-"

"Hey!" Shawn heard her father's voice through the phone.

"Jesus, man. I thought you were asleep," Juice said, his voice sounding startled.

"I was until you're big mouth woke me up," Tig complained. "I don't know who you're talking dirty to over there, but I don't need to hear that shit."

"Sorry," Juice told him. Shawn waited a moment to see if Tig would say anything else, but Juice spoke instead. "I gotta go."

Shawn laughed. "Yea, I think you do."

"I'll call you when I can."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye." Juice hung up and put his phone down. He glanced at Tig, hoping he would just go right back to sleep.

"So, who was that?" Tig asked, and Juice shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Just some chick I started banging recently. No big deal," Juice lied. Even though he knew he was lying, he still felt guilty talking about Shawn like that.

Tig chuckled. "Nice. What's her name?"

"Uh..."

"What? You gotta think about it?"

"Sarah. Her name is Sarah," Juice said the first female name that came to mind.

"How's the sex?" Tig asked. Juice looked at him. "You wanted to have a conversation, right? So, let's talk."

"It's good."

"C'mon. That's all you're going to say?"

"I don't know. It's great. Really great."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"Can't we talk about something else?" Juice asked. "I'm don't really want to have this conversation with you, man."

Tig snorted. "Pussy. I'm going back to sleep then. Try to keep it in your pants this time."

"It's been in my pants this whole time-"

"Shh!" Tig shushed him harshly. He was already leaning back up against the side of the truck with his eyes closed.

Juice suddenly had the urge to tell Tig that Shawn had called him daddy, but since it was just the two of them, he decided against it. If Tig ditched his body out here, no one would ever find him.