The Gallows at Midnight

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  “Where’s that cunt? I’d like to return the favor,” I snap more forcefully than intended.

  Maria Johanson is a cowardice whore that belongs in the seventh circle of hell.

  “She’s dead.” Blake takes my hands in his.

  “Really? Who killed her?”

  “Morris.”

  “No fucking way?”

  Blake chuckles. “Yeah. Who would’ve thought he had it in him? Put a bullet between her eyes. Kid’s a good shot.”

  I lean forward and press my lips to his. Thankfully, while in the restroom, I brushed my teeth and washed my face. A shower is definitely in order. He cups my face and gently teases my lips open with his tongue. Since coming back, everything is on a seesaw. One extreme to the next and back in the blink of an eye. It makes my head spin.

  “I’ll give you two some time alone. Lily, seriously, take it easy for another week or so.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I mutter, keeping my lips on Blake’s.

  He presses his forehead against mine and sighs. “What do you need, baby?”

  “A shower.”

  “Alright. I’ll run the water for you.”

  He strolls into the bathroom and the hiss of water bouncing off the shower walls echoes into the bedroom. I strip out of my bra and shorts and lean against the door frame. Blake clasps the edge of the sink, his head bowed and shoulders tense.

  He doesn’t move as I stop behind him, but his body shivers as I run my hand around his side and up to his chest, pressing my front to his back. He clasps my hand and brings it to his lips.

  “Join me.”

  “Lily, you need to take it easy.”

  “I will. I know for a fact you can be very gentle when you want to be.”

  Twisting around, his lips find mine, and my hands tangle in his hair. It seems like forever since I’ve been with him. Three weeks in a medically induced coma is a long time to be out of the loop.

  He leans back against the sink, his eyes full of need, and I lift the hem of his shirt. My fingers skim his abs and chest as I pull it over his head. Gently, I kiss his chest, flicking my tongue against his skin. He tastes heavenly.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers in a husky tone, his voice full of promise.

  Everything south of my navel clenches in anticipation. “Come on.”

  He shimmies out of his pants and we step into the shower. The warm water relaxes my muscles, the steam clearing my lungs. Standing under the stream of water, letting it soak my hair and skin is like shedding a part of myself.

  This is nice.

  Blake’s hands skim my backside, moving around my hips and up my stomach. Pulling me against him, his lips tease my shoulder and neck, my body responding like a puppet to his touch. He gently pinches my nipples and I moan, grinding my ass against his erection.

  His right hand cups my throat, holding me still, while his other one massages my sex. My nerves are alight with desire and I squirm under his touch.

  “Hold still, baby,” he smiles against my neck, slipping two fingers inside me.

  I moan as he moves them in and out, slow and methodical, pressing against my clit with his thumb each time. I run my nails down his arm, moaning, my hips moving in time with his sensual assault. He stays at a steady rhythm and the pressure builds in my groin, my legs stiffening.

  He nips my earlobe and I come, calling out his name, my knees giving out.

  He wraps his arms around me, holding me upright as I simper, shaking with aftershocks. Turning me gently, he presses my body against the cold wall, trapping me with his hips. His tongue moves across my skin, tickling and teasing from my neck to my breasts, my stomach and back.

  Hitching my leg around his hip, I moan as Blake fills me, swiveling his hips to hit my sweet spot. My back arches and he slowly pulls out and sinks into me again.

  “Lily,” he says, his breath tickling my ear.

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t want to wait to marry you anymore.” He pulls out and sinks into me . . . again.

  My body tenses, the pressure building for a second time. It’s hard to form a coherent thought like this, lost in him.

  “Blake,” I moan.

  “When, Lily?” He swivels his hips, tormenting me, sharp pangs of pleasure gripping my body.

  “Whenever you want. Whatever you want.”

  His mouth finds mine and he moves in and out of me settling into a slow, even rhythm. His muscles flex under my hands as my desire climbs. He trails his tongue along my jaw and nips my earlobe, sending me over the edge.

  “Fuck me,” I hiss, coming hard around him as he finds his release, cradling me against his chest.

  †††

  An hour later, I slide under the cool sheets of our bed, finally back in our original room, together, the way it should be. He stands next to the bed and holds out two white pills and a glass of water.

  “What’s this?”

  “Pain meds. Dr. Monroe says you should take them.”

  Taking a deep breath, I shake my head. “No. I’ll be fine. I feel much better than I should.”

  “Lily, for once, can you just do what you’re told?”

  His tone is not to be argued with. I swallow the pills and down the glass of water, smiling as I hand it back to him. He grins, sliding into bed next to me. Gently, he pulls me over and I lay my head on his chest, stroking my finger across his skin.

  He hums, low in his throat and a giggle escapes my lips.

  “I’ve missed hearing you laugh, baby.”

  “I’ve missed you.” I nuzzle his chest as he kisses my hair.

  “Go to sleep. I’ve got a surprise for you tomorrow.”

  “I still don’t like surprises, Blake.”

  His laugh rumbles in my ear. “I know. That’s why I plan them.”

  Closing my eyes, exhaustion takes over and I drift off to the sound of his heartbeat.

  14

  ~Lily~

  Two hours in the bathroom and it’s like I’m a new person. Shaved, nails clipped, and my hair brushed and in a braid. The next time someone tries to put me to sleep for three weeks, I’m stabbing them in the throat. I may not be girly, but fuck, looking like a homeless person isn’t my thing.

  The house is quiet . . . too quiet as I make my way to the kitchen. Blake sits at the island toying with some kind of silk scarf.

  “Afternoon, baby,” he purrs, rising and moving toward me.

  “Hi,” I say hesitantly.

  “Ready for your surprise?”

  My eyebrows shoot up as I glance at the scarf in his hands. “What’s that for?”

  A slow, cat-ate-the-canary smile creeps onto his lips. “Why, to blindfold you, my dear. It’s called a surprise for a reason.”

  My stomach heaves. I’ve made great strides to get over my past, but things like this still send off terrible warning bells in my head. Blake would never physically hurt me, not on purpose anyway, but still.

  “Blake, I . . .”

  “Lily, I’m walking you out back. Please humor me this once.”

  My shoulders slump, my lip pushing out into a pout as I turn my back to him. He chuckles, securing the silk wrap over my eyes.

  “Don’t pout. We don’t have time to make love right now, and you doing that turns me on,” he whispers, his lips brushing my ear.

  Shivers run down my spine at the sensuality in his tone. He takes my hands and leads me through the room. A light breeze caresses my face as he guides me down the porch steps. The earth is cool and crisp beneath my bare feet.

  We walk for a few minutes before stopping. Blake moves behind me and kisses my shoulder, untying the wrap and letting it fall from my eyes. Sorina and Samuel sit on a large blanket right on the edge of the pond with several picnic baskets in the center.

  “Hi, Mom,” she says, jumping up to hug me.

  “Hi, sweetheart.”

  She takes my hand and pulls me down on the blanket. Blake sits behind me, his legs on either side of mine. I lean against
him and tilt my head back, the warmth of the sun penetrating to my bones.

  “Good surprise?”

  “Wonderful surprise, Blake.”

  He kisses my cheek and wraps his arms around my chest. Sorina and Samuel chat quietly while Blake and I sit content with each other, the serenity of the light trickling off the pond. Crickets chirp in the distance, mixing with the echoing bird whistles. This might be the most peaceful moment I’ve ever had . . . ever.

  “So, Uncle Vlad thinks you’re ready to start training with new stuff, right?”

  “Yeah. I got the upper hand on him twice yesterday. That was a first, but he says I’m doing really well.”

  “That’s great, Sam. Maybe you’ll be as good as my mom one day,” Sorina says with a hint of amusement in her voice.

  “No one’s as good as your mother,” Blake mumbles.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Samuel says.

  I open my eyes and sit up. Samuel has a five o’clock shadow and, for the first time, doesn’t resemble a young kid. His biceps are thicker, more defined, and the muscles in his legs flex as he shifts to grab one of the picnic baskets.

  “You took what I said seriously?”

  “Of course,” he says confused. “I want to be an asset here, and if something happens, I need to be able to protect Sorina. Only being able to use guns won’t cut it.”

  “True. Well,” I say, getting to my feet and stepping off the blanket. “Let’s see what you’ve learned.”

  His eyes dart from Sorina to Blake. “Ma’am . . . the doctor said—”

  “Yeah, I know what the doc said and what my fiancé said. Now, get up off your ass and come over here. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

  Hesitantly, he gets to his feet and moves about two feet in front of me. His hands tremble at his sides.

  “Samuel, are you nervous because I’m injured?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t be. At my worst, I’m still better than most. Show me what you got.”

  Without warning, he swings with a right hook and I barely duck under it. Spinning around him, he twists and misses me with a kick by inches. He’s quicker than I expected. My fists flash out in rapid succession, aiming for his face and ribs in alternation until he underestimates a swing and I land a jab on his right side.

  He clutches his side and stumbles back with a gasp. “Shit, you hit harder than I thought you would.”

  I raise my eyebrow and dart forward, sweeping my right leg toward his feet. He jumps over my foot as I spin completely around and lands a right hook into my cheek. I curl up on one knee, holding the side of my face. A moment later, his hand presses onto my shoulder gently.

  “I— I’m sor— “

  I reach up and grab his wrist, spinning into a standing position and kick his leg out. He falls to his knees as I grab his hair and yank back, fully exposing his neck.

  “If you were an enemy, I’d have already slit your throat. Don’t ever underestimate your opponent. If they fall down, make sure they stay down.”

  I let go of his hair and he stands, turning to face me, his face devoid of color.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Other than that, you did wonderfully. That speed will be your advantage. Keep training though. The more you know, the more likely you are to live another year.”

  I strut over to Blake and sink down between his legs, again, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through my back.

  “That’s what you get for showing off,” he chuckles.

  Samuel sits down, smiling, his leg barely touching Sorina’s knee.

  “Once she’s fully healed, have her spar with Uncle Dresden. I hear that’s a real show,” she says giggling.

  “She and Rhett are pretty fun too,” Blake laughs.

  I can’t help but chuckle, remembering the display we gave the day I met Blake. That memory seems like it’s from ages ago.

  “Now that your mom has put me in my place, can we eat?”

  We all laugh, the sun glistening off the grass and water. This is a glimpse into my future and it’s the most hopeful thing I’ve experienced in a long time.

  †††

  I’ve no idea how Teresa does it, but her salad and sandwiches taste like a gourmet meal. The sun sinks lower into the sky, bathing the clouds in orange and pink. I lie on my stomach in the center of the blanket with Blake sitting next to me, his hand resting on my backside.

  “How you feeling, baby?”

  “Fantastic, actually. Today’s been wonderful. Probably the most normal thing I’ve done. Except for that one day you and I watched movies.”

  He chuckles. “That was a fun day. Your lips felt wonderful on mine.”

  I tilt my head, smirking, and he plants a kiss on my lips. My body hums from the contact.

  He sits back up and taps me on the nose with his index finger. “Behave.”

  “Ha. Do I ever?”

  “Not usually.”

  Sorina and Samuel walk along the tree line, hand-in-hand, chatting and laughing. She really likes him. It’s obvious, the way she stares at him and smiles like a schoolgirl when he’s around. Part of me thinks I should stop them, separate them. But, Sorina’s had little to enjoy for the last four years of her life. It may not be the best parenting, but as long as they aren’t sleeping together, I don’t think letting them flirt and be together will hurt anything.

  “Are you okay with whatever is going on between them?”

  “For now,” Blake says, his tone guarded. “I find out he’s sleeping with my daughter, though, and I’ll kill him.”

  I can’t help but laugh. It’s new, seeing Blake in the father role. We didn’t have much time with Sorina before all hell broke loose. I’ve no doubt he’s an amazing father to her. Since Maria’s claims of pregnancy, I can’t help but wonder if a child of his own is something he thinks about.

  “Does it bother you that she’s all we’ll ever have?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Sighing, I swivel my feet and sit up, keeping my eyes down. “Does it bother you that we can’t have our own kids?”

  He cups my face and forces me to look at him. “Hey, what’s all this about? Have I ever brought that up?”

  “No, but—”

  “Lily, kids were never a factor in me loving you or wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. Sorina is a blessing, yes. But it’s you I want. Even if we could have kids. They’d all grow up and leave eventually. Sorina will too. When that happens, I’ll still have you, which is all I need.”

  Tears prick my eyes and I press my lips to his. He tilts his head and our tongues meet, deepening the kiss. His hands tangle in my hair as I shift to straddle him.

  Sorina’s screams echo through the air. Blake stands, taking me with him. My blood goes from warm with lust to cold with fear, the color draining from my face. We both stop abruptly as we round the corner. Sorina stands a few feet from Samuel and he’s holding something thin and long in his hands, away from his body.

  Blake moves to Sorina and I stop next to Samuel, taking in the snake thrashing in his hands. He’s gripped it behind the head and toward the tail, effectively holding it in place. Looking closer, the last rays of sun bounce off the shiny black skin.

  My heart stops.

  “Sorina go get the rest of the team, quickly. Samuel, give me that snake, carefully. That thing bites either of us and we’ll be dead before we can get to a hospital.”

  Very slowly, we transition the snake to my hands. Samuel moves to stand next to Blake as muffled voices resound through the air.

  “Lily, what’s wrong,” Jameson asks as they halt next to me.

  I turn, careful to keep hold of the snake.

  “Oh, fuck,” he hisses. “Where the hell did you get that?”

  “It fell out of a tree onto Sorina’s shoulders,” Samuel says confused. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a snake.”

  “No, it’s not just a snake,” Vlad says drawing his knife from his boot. “It’s
a black mamba.”

  “So?” Hyde’s voice is strained.

  I fight to control the panic rising inside me. “Black Mambas are a resident of Africa, not here. Someone put it here. There’s no way this thing was just living in these woods.”

  Sorina’s hand flies to cover her mouth.

  This is either a huge coincidence, or we are more fucked than we know.

  15

  ~Lily~

  “What’s it going to take for us to catch a fucking break?” Dresden’s anger is at a whole new level. “We need to search the woods, Lily.”

  “We can’t. There aren’t enough of us. The house would be vulnerable and out there, they’d be able to pick us off.”

  He growls, pacing back and forth on the porch. It’s the first time the team has been alone since we got here. Everyone’s emotions are running in overdrive and we’re accomplishing nothing.

  “So, what do we do, just sit around and wait?” Samuel asks.

  “No. Dresden and I need to look into the rings we’ve taken out over the last year. Only a few people were left alive by Interpol request. We need to find out what happened to them.” I run my hands through my hair and sigh. “But we all need to chill the fuck out. We’re running on emotions and if we don’t get back to the team we were before this case, we’ll get everyone killed.”

  “She’s right,” Vlad says, reaching out to take Sammi’s hand. “We all have something to lose, but we’ll lose it quicker if we don’t focus.”

  Sammi stares into his face, her eyes and features full of affection.

  Well, that’s an odd pairing.

  “So, what do we do, Viper?” Samuel takes a hesitant step forward.

  “One person on patrol, every night, starting tonight. I’ll take tonight. Full weapons when you’re on duty. Tiger,” I looked sternly at Samuel. “I want you to cover both Blake and Sorina tonight while I’m outside.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Tiger?” Vlad tilts his head to the side an amused smile on his lips.