I DO NOT OWN THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES.
Logan, West Virginia. 2 weeks later.
Coriolanus Snow was getting weary from the piss poor sleep he was getting for the past fortnight. Like many nights, he was comforting Lucy Gray Baird. He would run his fingers down her lovely hair to the sun kissed skin on her back as he waited for her to go back to sleep. The nightmares had been an every night occurrence ever since the attempt on Lucy Gray's virginity. She would wake up screaming and Coryo would immediately wrap his arms around his songbird and whisper sweet nothings in her ear until she eventually went back to sleep. More than once, her screaming would wake up the Howell family; causing Joshua, Ruth, and Esther to become quite concerned for her well being.
The only person who wasn't concerned for Lucy Gray was Samuel; who was more concerned for himself. Ever since Laurel's murder, the Howell boy had found Coryo giving him death glares. It made Samuel feel like the blonde was planning his death right down to the last gruesome detail. The worst part was that he couldn't tell his parents and sister why Lucy Grey looked and acted like she had been traumatized; nor could he tell them why Coryo was giving him the ultra cold shoulder. There was simply no way for him to explain what happened without incriminating himself in Lucy Gray's attempted rape and the covering up of Laurel's death. If the cops didn't throw his ass in jail, his old man would surely beat him within an inch of his life. Samuel was trapped in a cage of his own making and he; along with Coriolanus Snow, knew it. Thus, Samuel had to keep his mouth shut while the whole county was searching for Laurel, hoping to find the frat boy alive.
Eldridge Estate. Logan, West Virginia.
The secret struggle eventually came to a head when Coryo, Lucy Gray, and the Howell family went to the home of Enoch Eldridge for his yearly spring BBQ. The Eldridge estate turned out to be a sprawling one hundred acre ranch where Enoch bred the animals that he sold at his livery: cows, goats, chicken, pigs, and horses. As Coryo learned, it was one of the biggest events in Logan County and everyone in town who was able to always attended; mainly because no one wanted to piss off the Eldridge family.
"Not only does Enoch run the biggest livery in West Virginia, he also owns the best butchery in the state; got an award for it a couple years ago." Mrs. Howell said as the family, plus their guests, made their way to the big tents where the cooking was happening.
"And God help you if you piss him off because he'll raise the price of your meat so high, you'll have to eat veggies for a long ass time." Mr. Howell added with a smirk.
"He'll really charge you extra for meat if you rub him the wrong way?" Coryo asked in surprise, since he'd never had to deal with butchers back in the capital. It was Tigris who had always fetched meat to be eaten once a week by flirting with the meat manager at the local grocery store.
"It happened all the time at the Hob." Lucy Gray replied as if such petty price gouging was normal for people in the districts.
"I've seen him do it." the Howell Patriarch assured his house guests. "One time, Alan Cryer told Enoch to his face that his great grandma Jessamine was a slut. Enoch belted his ass and then quintupled his meat prices. That was last August and he still ain't lowered 'em yet."
"But she kind of was Dad, bouncing between Enoch's great grand daddy and Tolbert McCoy." Samuel said with a shrug as he revealed himself to be well versed in town folklore.
"Shut your mouth, boy." Joshua hissed as he cuffed his son in the back of the head. "If you want to play over 20 dollars for your beef, that's your business; don't make it mine." Samuel did as he was told as the smell of smoked meat filled the air, along with the sounds of fellowship. When Enoch laid eyes on the Howell family, he made a beeline for them.
"I was hoping you and your family would make it Joshua." Enoch said with a smile as he greeted his friend.
"Wouldn't miss it." Joshua replied as the men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before the family headed over to the grilling station to grab their grub.
"Coriolanus...mind if I have a word with ya?" Enoch inquired as Lucy Gray held his hand with concern.
"I'll meet you inside, would you save me a slice of brisket?" Coryo asked with a assuring smile.
"Only because you're handsome." Lucy Gray teased as she kissed his cheek before joining the Howells.
"I said that in exchange for getting you and your girls ID's, you was gonna owe me a favor; I'm cashing it in." Enoch declared as Coryo knew that this moment was eventually going to come.
"What do you need?" Snow inquired, hoping that he would have to shovel any animal shit because Enoch's lazy ass didn't want to do it.
"I don't just deal in livestock and meats, I also deal in politics for the GOP." Enoch said as Coryo remembered that the US was dominated politically by the Democratic and Republican (GOP) parties. "One of my main rivals is Amsterdam Becker over in Boone county, son of a bitch is a bleeding liberal and he's making life difficult for my friends. He needs to be sent a message; a hard one. I'd do it myself, but he's sort of kin to me and kin fighting or God forbid, kin killing, ain't a precedent that I wanna set."
"So what, you just want me to knock him around a bit?" Coryo asked.
"Yep, he needs to learn that the reign of the Jackass is coming to an end sooner than he thinks. Do that for me and we're square." Enoch answered as he spit in his hand and held it out for Coryo to reciprocate. The customs of these hillbillies never ceased to disgust Snow, but he owned a debt and it wouldn't be good for him to owe anyone anything. Thus, he spit on his hand and shook Enoch's, forcing a smile on his face.
"You got yourself a deal, Mr. Eldridge." he agreed as he focused on better places than where he now was.
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