Six

"You... you remember me?" I asked in surprise, still sobbing. "No one has called me that in... a long time. I didn't think anyone remembered me," I whispered the last. "I hoped no one would."

"I remember you," he scowled, pulling away. "You walked by my place every day when the bus let you off. I'm the one who burned that fucking trailer down with that piece of shit still in it. Passed out piss drink, I poured alcohol on him, then lit a cigarette and tossed it on him as I walked out."

I stared up at him in shock. "You did that?" I asked in shock. "You killed him?"

"I'd fucking do it again," he snarled.

"Thank you," I whispered. "I... thought it was an accident. He passed out with a cigarette and..."

"Everyone thought that, they were meant to think that. He wasn't the first piece of shit I've killed and he won't be the last."

"You... did that for me? Because you knew what he was doing?"

"Everyone knew what he was doing," he grated. "He had it comin' and no one cared when he was gone. Once your mom passed, probably from what he did to her, there was no reason for him to still be living."

"Thank you," I whispered again, falling back and curling onto my side, hugging the pillow.

"Jesus fuck! I can't fucking kill you if you're all fucking broken and shit!"

"You don't have to kill me," I whispered. "I'm already dead."

"Like most the other assholes in this fucking town. Fuck. Here, put this on," he demanded, tossing me a t-shirt. "Move the fuck over."

I pulled the shirt on and moved over to the wall as he climbed into the bed next to me.

"Fuck. You can come the fuck over here if you fucking need to. Just don't fucking wake me up or anything. I'll fucking kill you tomorrow when you aren't so god damned fucked up."

"Ok," I answered, feeling lost as I turned and hugged his arm close, pressing my face against it and letting tears fall. After an hour of shaking and crying quietly, I finally settled down. "Corin?" I asked in the barest of whispers in case he was asleep.

"What?" he demanded.

"Did you kill him for me? Or just because he was a piece of shit."

"Both."

"Did you really know who I was?"

"Yes. You never fucking looked up, always looking down at your fucking feet, but I was always out in the garage working on cars and bikes. Every fucking day. You were this lost, sad little thing, and then you grew. Then you were a sad, lost little woman. Tits, ass, cute face. Still hiding under your hair as you walked and never coming out of that shitty trailer once you went in. Week before school was out, I was going to talk to you, call you over once you got off the bus. You never did. You'd left, had your diploma sent to you wherever you'd gone off to."

"Mrs Jeanette had a friend up in Jackson. He needed a secretary and she got me the job. Him and his wife even let me live in their guest room for a few months. They were nice. I liked my job, stayed there for a long time. After a couple years, I tried dating, but... I couldn't get past my hangups. Not until David. Umm... Rich. His real name was Richard... he'd lied to me. Married me, moved me away from my job, kept me in an apartment. He was gentle with me and slow, soft spoken. He said he wanted to help me heal. Instead he shattered my world. Not just when he died, but when I found out he'd lied and he had a wife and kids and I was just some... side piece his wife called me. A homewrecking whore who was the reason her husband and her kids father had died. He was coming to see me. I killed him, it was my fault."

"Bullshit, it was his fucking fault. He was a lying cheating piece of shit and he did it to himself."

I let out a sad sigh, then lifted his arm and moved closer to him, laying on his shoulder and hugging him. "Thank you," I whispered again.

"Go to sleep," he grumped, pulling me close with his arm.

"Ok. Corin? I don't want to drive to the city and stay alone while I sell Grams house. Can I stay here and sleep next to you?"

"I'm going to fucking kill you, remember?"

"Ok, but after?"

He snorted and I could feel him shaking his head. "Go to sleep, Six."

I snuggled into him, closing my eyes. He smelled like oil and gas and mechanical things. Like a garage for fixing cars. He also had a vague smell of soap, but it was faint. The car smell was stronger.

I woke in the morning and laid still, staring out the little crack in the small window curtain. The trailer park. It was such a familiar sight, it hadn't really changed at all. Right down to the huge trash pile behind the brown and white trailer where everyone dumped their trash that wouldn't burn. The rest of the trash went to the giant silo that had been cut down to 5' for trash that could be burned. Once a year, a farmer came around and gathered up most of the ash to put on his fields. I never asked why, I didn't really care why. It was just something that was known. Every spring after the snow melted, he came for the ash.

Easing up, I went to the bathroom in the teeny little restroom, then found a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring. Going out front, I saw the remnants of my clothes all over the floor. Had he been serious about raping me and killing me? Corin was probably capable of that much anger, but I had assumed he was messing with me. Gathering up the scraps, I threw them in the trash, then looked through his fridge and cupboards for food to see if there was anything to make. There was nothing to be had unless I wanted to make jiffy cornbread with no butter or milk and put catsup on it.

I sighed, then went out to his truck. My purse was in it and my wallet. His keys were in the truck so I drove up to the Caseys and got some donuts and milk before driving back.

Corin was on his porch in only his jeans, phone in hand when I pulled up. He flipped the phone shut and stormed to the truck, yanking the door open. "What the FUCK?" he snarled, yanking me out of the truck.

"I got donuts and milk," I told him, prying his hand off my arm. He let me go with a look of confusion as I grabbed the bag and went inside with it. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got a variety," I told him when he came in with his hands on his hips.

"You don't get to drive my truck," he yelled.

"I didn't know where my car was," I shrugged. "I guess you assumed I couldn't drive a stick? Here, I only like plain glazed, the rest are for you. Do you have any clean glasses for the milk?"

"What the fuck is your deal?" he demanded, going to the kitchen and grabbing two cups from the drainer.

"I'm hungry. Thought you might be too and there's nothing to eat here."

"You are seriously fucking off your nut!"

"Here," I offered, holding out the bag to him as I sat down and poured the milk. "So, I saw my clothes all cut up, were you really serious about raping me and all that?"

He looked at me incredulously, then snatched the bag up and grabbed a donut. "Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with you? Like... names and shit. Besides anxiety and panic smacks."

I glanced at him, then looked away. "After we eat, can we go get my car? I can get some groceries. Or just go to a hotel I guess if I'm bothering you. I... I don't relate to people easily, or get along with most people and I can come off as bitchy because I have no filter and speak before I think. Sometimes I start talking and can't stop, giving out too much information, but I can't stop talking, because then what I've already said won't make sense. Thanks for letting me be close last night, for not making me be by myself. It's always hard to be alone after a big attack when I don't know what happened. So were you? Going to rape me? Or were you just messing with me?"

"Not was. I am. I'm going to rape you, then kill you."

"Oh. Can we go get my car first?"

"You still think I'm fucking kidding," he breathed incredulously. "Listen to me, cunt. I'm not your fucking friend. I'm going to fucking fuck you in every goddamn hole until I get sick of you, then dump you in a shallow grave."

"I don't think you will," I shrugged. "Not after what you did to my dad for doing worse to me. Where is my car? Is it at the bar? You said I was at the bar, is it there? If you don't want to take me, I can walk. It's not that far."

"You think I'm just going to let you waltz out of here and drive off?"

"I don't know how to waltz."

He snorted a laugh, shaking his head. "You are something else."

"You ate the cream filled long john first, is that your favorite?" I asked him.

He sat back, his head cocked as if he was trying to figure me out. "Yeah," he finally told me.

"I'll go grocery shopping here in a while. What do you like to eat?"

"I cook at my mom's house, so I can make her food and eat with her."

"Aww! That's so sweet of you! See, I knew you were a good guy just pretending to be mean. Do I get to meet her? Your mom? I can cook for everyone, especially if she has a bigger kitchen."

"Jesus," he breathed, leaning back and closing his eyes. "You are so fucking clueless. Shit. Hurry the fuck up, let's go get your fucking car then go to my moms house to make her breakfast."

"Does she like donuts? I can get more donuts?"

"No, she likes eggs and toast," he grumped, going back to pull his shirt on. "C'mon," he growled, heading out to his truck.

I followed him, looking around as he pulled out. "I like your airstream, it's cool as hell. Too cool for this place. How long have you had it?"

"About fifteen years."

"I don't remember you having it?"

"Took me a while to get it moved here from where it was."

"Wow, people are at the bar this early?"

"What else is there to do in this place but drown their misery?" he asked.

"Ok, I'm going to change in their bathroom, then go to your mom's place to cook? Will you wait on the porch for me so I don't feel weird going in? I won't be far behind, it'll take me a few seconds to change. I'm not one of those girls that says five minutes and mean 30."

"You remember where my mom lives?"

"Sure, if she lives in the same place. Blue trailer with the white trim?"

"Yeah."

"See you there!" I called with a smile, then went and got into my trunk, pulling out clothes and going into the bar.

When I came out, his truck was gone and I got in my car, then turned to get on the highway, my heart still racing. Holy shit! I still couldn't believe that had all worked. What a freaking nightmare. For once in my life, I was glad to have a panic attack and it took me a minute to remember what happened. Faking that long was killing me, especially as terrified as I was. I couldn't get out of there and to the highway fast enough!

As soon as I was to the next town, I pulled off and found the police station to tell them everything. They seemed completely unsurprised when I told them who it was, sighing.

"Jim! We have to bring in Corin again!" he yelled to the back room.

A man came out with a 'sheriff' badge and he looked at me and sighed. "Least she aint all busted up. Let's go then. Girl, you sit there and fill that out till we get back."

"He's at his moms!" I told them as they left.

Was this normal? To be left at a police station by myself? I could walk off with anything! I sighed and started filling out my statement.

I was not expecting them to actually bring Corin back there and cuff him to a chair as he glared at me with murder in his eyes. Why hadn't they taken him to a place with a cell?!?

"That your statement?" 'Jim' asked, picking up the paper.

"Yes."

"So, he dragged you off from the bar, cut up your clothes, made threats, but didn't do anything? Just slept by you all night? Oh, and pissed on your car door handle."

"He hurt me! He shoved me over the bed of his truck and hurt me, and dragged me around by my hair and hurt me."

"Liar!" Corin hissed. "You came home with me, I have witnesses. You were all up on my dick. We got back to my place and you begged me to cut your clothes off and fuck you, but I saw you were too drunk and never touched you! You woke up all upset and crying rape, even though I never layed a hand on you except to put my tshirt on you!"

"Do you have bruises?" Jeff asked with a sigh.

"I... don't know. I'll look," I told him, then went back to the bathroom. Of course there were none.

Jeff gave me a flat look. "You have anyone to corroborate your story, ma'am?"

"Even his friend told him to stop! He was threatening to kill me!"

I already talked to his friend on the phone, he said you were flirting and hangin on Corin and even rubbin' on him through his jeans with your hand. Beggin' him to take you back to his place. Corin says you asked to stay there? You had no place to go and he told you no. That's when you started actin' all upset and sayin' you were goin' to make him sorry."

"That is NOT what happened! You obviously know him and know his temper!"

"I sure enough do, but it's his word against yours and he has a witness. And you aint got a mark on you and you already said he didn't rape you so there's no DNA. So what is it you want me to do, ma'am? As far as I can tell, he let you sleep over, never laid a hand on you, then drove you to your car and let you leave. That sounds very suspect to me, and I don't mean him. You can see how this is lookin' cain't ya?"

"It's NOT like that! He was pissed off because I slighted him after he asked me out, he pissed on my car handle and when I yelled at him for it, he hurt me and threatened me! And he told me he's the one who killed my father!"

"For fucks sake, girl! That wasn't in your report or statement, are you making shit up as you go? This all fucking stinks to high heaven, you comin in and tryin' to sweet talk a local boy into lettin you stay with him. He says no and you all used to gettin' your way, decide to teach him a lesson! Now I ask you, girl, what is it you're running from that has you hidin' in a place like Wentzville, tryin' to tuck yourself into a locals bed and be kept by him?"

"She said she was a rich man's side piece and when he died, the wife found out about her," Corin spoke up. "It was her fault he died and she had to take off before the wife could bring up charges."

"Jesus," Jim whispered, grimacing.

"That is NOT what happened!" I wailed, heartbroken. "I didn't know he was married! And it WASN'T my fault, he was in a car accident!"

"Because of you," Corin snarled. "You said so yourself."

I let out a wordless scream of rage. He was going to get away with everything!

"Fuck all this. Rick, let'm go, take'm home. Ma'am you sit tight while I check for warrants and run your name. Fucking useless bitch," he muttered, but it was loud enough for me to hear.

Corin sneered at me as Rick uncuffed him and looked back at me as he walked out. His look was malevolent and full of dark promises.

It took two hours before I was allowed to leave, Jim treating me like shit the entire time. I was horrified and angry and embarrassed and just all around heartbroken. Why was nothing going right for me at all?

When I finally left, I drove to the city and got a hotel room, falling into bed to cry and be angry at the world.

I didn't leave the room for two days and only came out because I was hungry and needed to eat.

Corin was parked in the space behind my car, sitting and watching me as I walked out of my room. I froze, but he only sat in his truck and watched me with a smirk as he got on his phone.

I considered going back to my room, to order doordash, but decided I was in public. There was nothing he could do while I was in public. I drove down two blocks to an Arby's and watched in my mirror, but he didn't follow me. When I got back, he was still there, but he kept smirking, then pulled out, leaving.

What the hell was that? Had he broken into my room and done something?

I unlocked and opened the door carefully, but nothing seemed to be out of place at all. Sitting down warily, I ate, then got back into bed and turned on the TV.

Two hours later, there was banging on my door.

"Police! Open up!"

Confused, I got up and opened the door and Jim and Rick were there.

"Hands up! Lace your fingers behind your head and turn around. Get on your knees!" he yelled, then cuffed me and read me my rights.

"What is this?" I asked, terrified.

"You are under arrest for arson and insurance fraud."

I shook my head. "What are you talking about? Arson? Where?"

"The house you own in Wentzville that you came to sell, but was wrecked."

"That... that isn't true! I haven't been back there since I saw you both last! I've been in my hotel! The whole time!"

"We'll check your story, but four witnesses put you on the scene and lighting the fire."

"This is Corin! He's trying to set me up! He was here earlier today, outside my hotel room when I went to eat!"

"According to all the witnesses, him included, he was in Wentzville at his friends house and they all watched you pull up, go in the old house with a bag that looked like it had starter fluid in it, then come out and throw a cigarette in the house. It went up in seconds. They all saw you, all of them."

"They are friends of his and they are lying!" I cried, horrified. "Ask the clerk! I haven't left! Check my credit card receipts! I was at Arby's getting food! I saw him on the phone, that's what he was doing! Telling them to do it while I was away from the hotel!"

"How about you be quiet," Jim growled. "I'm tired of your voice already, gold digging whore."

I let out another wordless scream, then felt it coming on. My heart started beating too fast, I was too upset! A blood vessel would burst in my head and I would have an aneurism. I was going to die cuffed in the back of a police car. I couldn't breathe! My lungs weren't working right, there was not enough air back here and I was being suffocated! It was all sealed up and they were going to let me die because they hated me!

Pain in my shoulders made me cry out and look around in a daze. Jim and Rick were dragging me onto the little police station. "Are you fucking resisting?" Jim demanded. "Do I need to taze you?"

"Need... need my meds," I panted, trying to focus.

"Bullshit! Anyway, they're way back there and you're here," Rick laughed. "Boss, looks to me like she might be hiding something? I'm requesting a full cavity search."

"I do believe you're right. This is good training for you, Rick, go on ahead. After, I'll do it too, just to be sure. Maybe shine my mag light up a bit too."

Rick was chuckling as he shoved me over a desk and shoved my yoga pants down along with my underwear. "Don't," I whispered, shaking my head in terror. "Please!"

"Ain't got no lube, boss," Rick spoke up.

"Spit on her cunt, she don't deserve a nice entrance anyhow."

Rick leaned close and spit on my pussy and I whimpered, still shaking my head. They were going to rape me and kill me.

Fingers touched me and I cried out. He wasn't even using gloves, this wasn't even a pretense at being real. Shoving two fingers in roughly, I squealed in shock as he began thrusting quickly.

"Go in real deep!" Jim told him. "Might need three fingers in there to be sure."

Rick laughed as he pulled his fingers out, then worked a third in as I mewled and tried to shift away. "Fucking whore is getting wet for me!" Rick breathed. "Fucking hot and wet!"

"Oh, look at that. You are a fucking whore, aren't you? Work'm in there good, Rick. Go for four and see if she likes that better."

I whimpered again, shaking my head, then squeezed my eyes shut when he pulled his fingers out. When he shoved four in, I let out a shrill cry as he rammed in hard, curling his fingers and shoving in all the way up to his thumb joint.

"Fuuuck, look at how stretched she is! I want to fist her."

"Soon. Check her ass now."

I cried out in horror as both of them spit on my ass and Rick shoved two fingers in. "Nonononono, please!" I wailed as he started fucking my ass with his fingers.