by Linzi Baxter
“Not an answer. I need to know why there is a body in our yard where I want to put in a pool.”
“Umm, I took him out?”
“Clearly. Why?”
She let out an aggravated sigh. “He’s friends with Lily’s husband.”
“Still not a good reason. You said you wanted to get out of the assassin business.” I waved my hand at the body. “Seems like you’re back in.”
“I am out of the assassin business.” She pointed at the body. “He followed me home. I told him to leave, or I would kill him.”
If I knew my wife, she might have let him leave, but from what I heard had happened to Lily, she hadn’t planned on letting Lily’s husband live for long. I’d had CJ pull up Lily’s police and medical records. She’d had numerous trips to the emergency room for broken bones, and those were just the ones she went in for. How many times had she stayed home and dealt with the damage on her own? I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts.
I had never understood how a man could raise his hand to the woman he loved. I wanted to spend my days worshipping Kat and making sure she had everything she ever wanted.
“Kitty Kat, you need to use your skills to send these men to jail. I know you knew they were following you. You should have called me immediately or called the cops to have them arrested. Promise me there will be no more dead bodies.”
Kat bit down on her lip.
“Is there another body back there?”
She stomped her feet in place. “No, he got away. Lily’s husband, Greg, escaped. I didn’t mean to kill this guy, but when I threw the garden gnome at his head… well, this is what happened.”
I couldn’t hold in my laughter. My five-foot-three Kitty Kat had killed an overgrown thug with a garden gnome. At least she hadn't hunted this guy down herself. She was attacked at our house, which lead me back to the idea of sending her to a safe house. Maybe Zane would side with me, and we could send Sophie along for company. That way they wouldn’t argue about it if they were together.
“No!” she yelled.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
Kat went back to tugging the body across the yard. With each tug at the man's feet, she grunted, using all her strength to move him. The sun had gone down, and the porch light was the only light in the backyard.
She dropped the feet of the dead body and gave me her full attention. “You were plotting a way to get me into a safe house. Not gonna happen.” When I opened my mouth, she cut me off. “Even if you put Sophie in there with me. We’ll escape and go after not only Juan but you as well for putting us in there.”
One thing about our relationship was that we could read each other, and she guessed my thoughts. I let it go for the moment, but the thought of losing my wife again left an ugly taste in my mouth.
“Fine. No safe house.” Her face lit with joy. “As long as you don’t remove the trackers and you stop killing people.”
“Bu—”
I cut her off. “Did you have your phone on you?”
Kat reached down, grabbed the body, and continued to drag it. I knew I should help her, but it was cute seeing her try to move it.
“Answer the question.”
She dropped the feet again and put her hands on her hips. Her red hair was hanging down in her face. “Yes!”
I grabbed her and brought her into my arms. “No safe house as long as you call the cops next time you are being followed. No more taking on the bad guy. Now, you want to explain what you had planned to do with the body?”
For some reason, I was worried about her answer. She knew exactly where she was heading. I didn’t want to know what was at the end of the trail.
She rubbed her body against mine, trying to distract me. I didn’t think she would answer me at first, but she said, “I found that if I can get a dead body in the storm drain over there”—she pointed to the back of the property, toward a gate that led to a retention pond for collecting the runoff from the neighboring lots—“the alligators come and eat them. They wait for the bodies I bring them.”
As if shocked at herself, she reached up and put a hand over her mouth, but a hand over her mouth didn’t take the words back.
“Kitty Kat, how many bodies have you dumped down there?”
She winced. “How many is too many?”
How to answer? A normal person would have said one. But knowing my wife, it was more than one already. I took a few calming breaths before giving my answer.
“Five. Five is way too many.”
“Okay. Less than five.”
Her words came out way too quickly. I figured she had fed the alligators more than five bodies. We would never get rid of them. The only option was to move, because the alligators sure as hell would never leave us alone if she kept them fed.
“It’s more, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
I tried to pry her away from my body so I could see her eyes. “You want to tell me who you’ve been killing? I thought you said you only killed this man because he followed you home.”
“That’s why I killed him.” She pointed to the man lying at our feet.
I gritted my teeth and held back what I wanted to say. “Tell me about the others.”
“Fine. One of the girls at the shelter was brutally raped many times by a gang. She escaped to the facility and has been in hiding. She’s scared to be touched. The story she told me broke my heart.”
Kat had no sense of how dangerous her actions were. Taking on a gang of men was too much. She had a family to think about. She needed to rely on me and stop taking on the world by herself.
“You tracked these people down and took them out alone? When did you find time to do that?”
“I had help finding out about their motorcycle bar and routine. They left the bar every day at noon. I set up my sniper rifle and took them out on my lunch break. I have to tell you, I love the size of the Navigator we got.”
“You can’t spend your lunch break killing people. You are no longer an assassin!” I paced back and forth, trying to deal with my anger. “I didn’t buy you a big SUV so you could haul around dead bodies. The SUV is supposed to be large and safe.”
I heard Ant running toward our location in the backyard, and a groan escaped my throat. I didn’t have time to scoop him up before he saw the body lying at our feet.
“Mommy, is that a dead body?” Ant picked up a stick and poked the body. Our son would probably have nightmares. I knew I sure as hell would. My wife had taken out a biker gang on her lunch break, for heaven’s sake.
I reached down and pulled Ant into my arms then moved so he couldn’t see the body any longer. “You were supposed to be watching cartoons.”
“I saw you and Mommy in the backyard, and I wanted to play.”
I leaned over and kissed Kat on the forehead before passing our son over to her. “How about you take our son back inside while I take care of this?”
“Thank you for helping.”
“I will always be there for you, Kitty Kat. But this?” I pointed to the dead body. “You need to stop.”
Kat was heading toward the porch when she replied over her shoulder. “Next time I have an issue, I will call you before taking care of it myself. But if I don’t have a choice, I will take out the enemy.”
“Go inside,” I growled.
Once she and Ant had disappeared into the house, I reached for my phone and dialed Zane. He would give me shit about this for a long time, but Kat’s plan to feed the body to the alligators wouldn’t be an option.
The phone rang a couple times before he answered. Without a greeting, I got straight to the point. “Zane, do you know a good cleanup crew around here?”
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yes. My wife doesn’t like how the women at the shelter have been treated. She took someone out. Two of them followed her home, and instead of calling the cops, she led them into a trap and took one of them out.”
“Stop. Laughing. I have a dead body I need to get rid of.”
“Someone will be there within the hour.” He barely got the words out because he was still laughing so loud.
But I knew how to get back at him. Kat hadn’t done all the research on her own. She’d had help.
“Who do you think helped my wife with the other five bodies she put in the drainage tunnel, Zane? She fucking fed the dead bodies to alligators! How am I going to get rid of alligators when she keeps feeding them?”
The laughter stopped quickly when he figured out his fiancée had put herself in harm’s way. “I’ll have a talk with Soph.”
Feeling vindicated, I clicked the phone off and dragged the dead body to the side of the house. The cleanup crew would deal with it. I wanted to spend the night with my wife and kid.
From the porch, I could see Ant and Kat at the table, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have them back in my life. Even if my wife liked to kill people.
5
Kat
I took another bite of the Hawaiian pizza. The conversation around the table felt so normal. It didn’t feel like Ant and I had been away from Antonio for years.
The sound of car doors being slammed had me reaching for the gun I no longer carried. Tomorrow, I would start carrying again. I had little doubt Greg would come for me a second time. Greg wanted his wife, and I stood between him and the woman he wanted.
When Antonio didn’t move to see who was at the front, I stood up from the espresso wood chair.
“Sit, Kitty Kat.”
“I'm going to see who's here.” He had to have heard the car door slam and the men's voices in our yard.
Antonio reached over and ruffled Ant’s hair before he answered. “It’s a cleanup crew.”
The poor alligators weren’t going to get a feast. They enjoyed the treats I had brought them. It wasn’t fair to cut off their food supply.
Ant looked up at his dad. “Daddy, what’s a cleanup crew?”
My dear husband leveled a glare in my direction. He didn’t want to tell our son that the body in the backyard that had lain in the purple tulips was a dead body and not a man that fell asleep. A wheelbarrow would be a nice addition to the garden supplies. If I could get the dead body in a wheelbarrow, I wouldn’t leave drag marks across the backyard and destroy the pretty flowers the housekeeper Judy had planted.
It had taken time to get used to a housekeeper. Judy was in her late fifties and had worked for Antonio for ten years. She cleaned the house and prepared meals for us to pull out of the fridge and cook during the week. Ant adored her, mostly because she baked him fresh cookies.
Life in Antonio’s house had taken me a while to get used to. Ant and I had moved from apartment to apartment. My old job had required me to be on the move, so we never stayed in the same place very long.
“They are here to clean up the back flower gardens.”
Ant pondered my answer for a second before he responded. “You mean the dead guy?”
Across the table, Antonio spit out his sip of beer. “That man was asleep. There was no dead body in the backyard.” His deep, rich voice carried through the dining room.
If I hadn’t killed the guy with my own hands, I might’ve believed the words that came out of Antonio’s mouth. Over the years, I hadn’t always had a sitter to take care of Ant. He’d seen more than anyone his age should. He also knew we weren’t supposed to talk about the dead bodies.
“Daddy, you're silly. I saw Mommy pulling the body. She was going to feed our pet alligator.”
I loved my son to death, but he was getting me in trouble. Antonio let out a sigh and gave me a look that had me squirming in my seat. The conversation wasn’t over. I could tell by his look that Antonio planned to talk about it later, in private.
It was hard to hold back the laugh. I slid out of my chair, hoping to get out of the room before either of them said another word. I made it two steps across the white marble floor before Antonio told me to sit. The thought that I should ignore him crossed my mind.
“Son…” Antonio began. He looked up at the ceiling and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What you sa—”
“It’s okay, Dad. I know not to talk about it to anyone other than Mom. Mom says she’s going to quit killing bad men.” His little lip trembled. “But then who will feed the alligators? Will they starve?”
“No, buddy. They will eat other animals.” I said.
“Okay.” He seemed satisfied with my answer. “Can I go play with my army men now?”
I nodded, and he leaped out of his booster seat and sprinted down the hall. I didn’t have time to tell him to slow down before he was gone. I grabbed the plates off the table to clean up the dinner mess.
“Leave it, Kitty Kat. Come here.”
I expected to see disappointment in my husband’s eyes. Instead, his pupils dilated, and he shifted in his seat. When I was within arm’s reach, he pulled me down onto his lap. His erection pressed against me. I shifted in his lap and rubbed against his length.
“Stop,” he growled. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me the way I am.” I leaned in and brushed my lips across his. They tasted of beer.
“I can’t help but be turned on by you taking that man out. But we can’t have our son seeing things like that.” The hint of disappointment in his voice was enough for me to stop being selfish. I needed to make the right decisions according to the law, not according to what I wanted. He was right—our son should not have seen the dead body in the backyard or have known I’d fed bodies to the alligators.
“I promise I will ask for help. No more killing.” Well, unless it was Juan. Antonio didn’t need to know I still planned on taking my uncle out.
I had straddled Antonio in the dining room chair. He used his two large hands to cup my ass and stand. It took me by surprise, and I let out a loud squeal.
Antonio carried me back to our room. His muscular arms flexed with each step he took. A tattoo of an eagle peaked out from the bottom of his black T-shirt. He was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on, and most days, I couldn’t believe he was mine.
He glanced in Ant’s room on the way by. Ant had his army and cop figurines spread across the floor. He wouldn’t bother us until it was time for bed. Just in case, we would lock the door to make sure our little man saw nothing that would scare him.
I could feel Antonio’s heartbeat against my rib cage. He was as excited as I was to get naked. The adrenaline from earlier still ran through my veins. I couldn’t wait to see Antonio strip out of his clothes and run my hands along his six-pack.
When we entered our room, he sat me on the bed, locked the door, and turned on Ant’s one-way speaker so we could hear if he needed us.
He pulled me back up and touched his lips to mine. Every time he pulled me in for a kiss, my legs went weak and the world faded away. His tongue swiped across my mouth and demanded entrance. He caressed my cheek with his thumb as we devoured each other.
I was lost in the kiss when Antonio pulled back. I groaned at the loss of his touch. My body wanted me to climb Antonio and demand he hurry up. We had time for romance later. I needed to feel Antonio inside me.
“I want you now.”
Antonio grinned down at me. “I want to go slow and kiss every inch of your body.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “We can go slow later.”
He laid me down on the bed. “Kitty Kat, you need to learn patience.” After a beat, he asked, “Are you comfortable?”
“Yes,” I grumbled. There was no point in arguing with him.
“Good, because I have you right where I want you.”
“But I want to ride you. Can we do missionary later?”
Antonio leaned down, nipped my ear, and whispered, “I’m in charge right now. Lie back and feel.” He licked the soft skin behind my ear, causing a tingle to course through my body. Antonio’s tongue was pure magic and lit my body on fire. It was hard to hold my composure when he whispered in my ear. Each day my body yearned for him more.
The words caught in my mouth as Antonio slid his hands under my shirt and cupped my full breasts. When Antonio lifted his gaze, I could see his eyes were heavy with lust and need. When he lifted my shirt over my head, he didn’t break eye contact.
After I had come in from outside earlier, I’d showered and hadn’t put a bra back on. Antonio groaned when he took my shirt off and my boobs were displayed. He lowered his head to my breasts and wrapped his warm mouth around one nipple. He used his free hand to cup my other breast.
“Antonio, please.”
I shifted under him, trying to push my pelvis up for friction. “More. I need more.” His touch left my body in flames.
“More of this?” he asked before pinching my other nipple. He released my nipple and gazed up at me. A ruthless smile spread across his face. He knew what his touch did to me.
“Touch me.”
“You want me to touch you here?”
“Antonio…” His name was almost inaudible as he reached his hand down my yoga pants.
“Nothing better than hearing you say my name. You’re all worked up, Kitty Kat, and I haven’t put my lips on this pretty pussy yet.”
It took everything in me not to yell out in frustration. Antonio sat up, and at the loss of the connection, I whined. He reached down and pulled his T-shirt over his body. His abs flexed with the movement. I yearned to run my tongue over his golden-brown skin. The three bullet-wound scars on his chest brought a moment of sadness. It was a reminder of the time we had lost.
Antonio crawled back onto the bed and worked my yoga pants down my legs. His hands skimmed over my skin, and it caused my body to ignite. When my pants were off and on the floor, Antonio threw each of my legs over his shoulders. Before he settled between my knees, he gave the tattoo on my hip a kiss. It was the name “Antonio” written inside a heart.
