Give me a cigarette- he said.
A cigarette?
A cigarette. Right now. I need one, and I won’t take no for an answer.
She said- I’ve only got three left, and they need to last me until tonight.
Come on- he said. If I don’t get some nicotine in me, there’s going to be some real trouble.
She could tell by the steely look in his eyes that he wasn’t lying, and she’d heard from people that he wasn’t the kind of guy you messed with.
She said- Fine, but you’ll owe me one.
He took the cigarette from her and lit it. As he blew out that first lungful of blue-gray smoke, he grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her close to him.
He said- I owe you nothing. It came out in a low growl, and she was scared for the first time in her adult life.