 Sully walked in front, which was preferable since he had the gun. So far Colt hadn’t seen a sign of Theo having a weapon. Theo gripped Colt’s arm as they followed Sully through the woods. Another five minutes of walking, and Colt was beginning to think he recognized the area after all. Wishful thinking. They turned down a wide path, and Colt was sure he’d been here before—not that long ago. I’ve been here with Mal. Wishful thinking. That’s all it was. Colt had never been here. Not with Mal, not alone, not with anyone. Mal will make sure someone looks for me. Then why did this path and these woods look so familiar? Because you’re grasping at straws. Trying to be somewhere you know and feel safe. They rounded another bend in the path, and Colt had to bite his lower lip to keep from whooping for joy. Not wishful thinking! Sully and Theo, ever the morons, had brought Colt to the hunting shack on Mal’s property. Colt really had recognized the area. Sully shoved the door open and stepped aside so Theo could drag Colt through. “Son of a bitch,” Theo griped. “Where’d my still go?” Colt choked down the words he almost blurted. They both stared at him, and he coughed, then spit on the floor. Assholes almost blew yourselves up. Too bad you didn’t. “What’s your problem?” Sully sneered and kicked the back of Colt’s knees, dropping him to the floor. “I’m queasy, and this place stinks. It’s full of mold and bugs,” Colt whimpered. Sully took his gun out and crouched in front of Colt. He rested his elbows on his knees, the gun held loosely between his legs. “Now you’re going to tell us what sort of gig you have, and then you’ll cut us in. I saw you on TV saying you’re the spokesman for Kensington’s.” Colt watched how Sully waved the gun in circles as he talked. “I work for them. It’s a job. Mr. Kensington doesn’t have time to go out and schmooze the public, so I do it. I get a paycheck. One of the stubs is in my wallet.” “Either way they’ll pay big to have him back,” Theo said. Colt’s phone alarm chimed. “What the hell is that?” Sully snapped. “Man, quit waving that gun around,” Colt blurted out. “Part of my job is to put promotional messages on Twitter. I set the alarm so I don’t forget.” He twisted to the side. “Untie my hands, and I’ll show you.” “You think we’re stupid?” Theo backhanded Colt, knocking him over. “Where’s the phone?” Colt winced and whispered, “Back pocket.” Theo reached between Colt’s legs, grabbed his crotch, and flipped Colt on his stomach, giving his balls a hard squeeze as he did so. Colt tried not to wince, but he couldn’t help it. Theo dug in Colt’s pockets and took out his wallet and phone. Colt rolled to his side and struggled to sit up. He bit his lip to stop any noise from escaping his mouth and watched as Theo took the cash from Colt’s wallet, then threw it in a corner. Theo winked and smirked. “Still too good to enjoy my hands on you.” “Gimme.” Sully waved his fingers at the phone. Theo tossed it to him. Sully poked at the phone a few times before demanding, “What’s the passcode?” Colt sighed. “It’s got a fingerprint thing. Untie me, and I’ll help you use that phone to contact Mr. Kensington. He’s going to want me back, but he’s no dummy. You’ll have to give him proof I’m alive. If I make my regular announcements on Twitter, they’ll know I’m okay.” Colt may not have been very good at physical confrontation, and he was next to useless in a fight, but what he could do was convince people to see things his way if he had to. Fortunately he hadn’t had to use his gift for an actual con in some time. He liked his life here in Tennessee with Mal. He wasn’t going to let these shitheads drive him away or prevent him from fixing things between him and Mal. “Go ahead and untie him,” Sully said with a contemptuous twist of his lips. “He can’t fight his way out of a paper bag.” Theo produced a switchblade and cut the ropes binding Colt’s wrists. Colt brought his arms in front and rubbed his wrists and fingers for a second, then held out his hand. Sully laid the phone in his palm. Colt unlocked the phone and activated the Twitter app. He typed a message while Sully hung over his shoulder. “What is that? There’s nothing in there about booze,” Sully growled. “It’s a contest. Whoever guesses the answer gets a free case. People log in every day for the next clues and to get discounts if they’re not winners,” Colt said. “If I keep sending messages, they’ll know I’m okay. After you get your payout, you tell them where I am, and they’ll come for me. By then you’ll be long gone.” “How do we know he’s telling the truth?” Theo asked. Whiskey and Moonshine is available in eBook, paperback, Kindle Unlimited, audio and through your local library digital catalog.     
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