Hollowed: Return to Sleepy Hollow, the Complete Duology

by Candace Wondrak

  His thick length was coated in my saliva, which made it easy for him to pump it in and out of me. Bones picked up his speed, his hips rocking a bit faster. It didn’t take him long to find his release; he let out a deep-throated moan as he came, his thrusts jerking his cock deep into my mouth and down my throat. His cum shot out, warm and salty, and I had no choice but to swallow.

  I didn’t mind, though. This was all about Bones, after all, not me. This was my I can’t lose you, Bones, because you mean so much to me blow job, and I’d gladly do it again and again if I had to.

  Bones pulled out of me, allowing my jaw some much-needed relief. He took a few steps back, stumbling a bit, as he let out a sigh. “Damn, Kat, maybe I should get possessed more often.” He grinned a sloppy smile, and I found myself grinning back, in spite of myself.

  “You—” I stopped myself from swearing at him as I got to my feet and wiped the corners of my mouth. “Don’t make jokes about that, Bones. Near-death experiences aren’t…”

  “Fodder for jokes?” he offered. “If we don’t joke about it, then it gets too serious.” The blue in his eyes twinkled as he reached for me, cupping my cheek. “But that was amazing.” When his gaze fell, I knew what he was thinking. “You should let me take a whirl at it.”

  At me. A whirl at me, now that he was satisfied.

  My body wanted him to take a whirl at it, I couldn’t deny it. My core ached for its own release, even though I knew I probably couldn’t get his dick in me for another few days while the wounds on him were still fresh. Bones was very good with his fingers, but at the same time, there was something I wanted to talk to him about, sooner rather than later.

  “Maybe later,” I said, carefully setting a hand on his chest. “For now, get dressed. I need to talk to you about…” It felt a little silly to try to prolong it, so I finished after a moment, “Wash.”

  Bones sent me a look I couldn’t decipher as he went to the toilet, where the bag with his clothes sat. He pulled out clean, fresh clothes but was in no hurry to put them on. “And what about Wash?” One of his blonde brows cocked, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew exactly what I was trying to say.

  Crane had told me he and Bones had spoken of it, but I didn’t think…I mean, I guess I didn’t really think they did. You’d think they’d be jealous, or whatever. Then again, in Sleepy Hollow, jealousy might get you dead. Having Wash as a part of our group was practical.

  Not that being practical was any way to make decisions—and not that this was about practicality by any means. I had feelings for the Horseman. I wanted to climb him like a tree, and I couldn’t do that in good conscience without talking to both Crane and Bones. Crane was done, checked off the list, and Bones…he’d be checked off, soon enough.

  But judging from the look Bones gave me as he slipped on his boxer briefs, he already knew where this talk was going.

  “You already know, don’t you?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, as if I could puff myself up and look tough. As the woman who went blind and cried tears of blood, looking tough was not my forte. Although I did have a thick scar lining my arm now, thank you spirit who possessed my dad’s corpse.

  He shrugged his shoulders; the action pulled some of the bandages covering his shallower wounds taut. “Maybe, but I want you to say it anyways,” Bones said, tugging up some clean jeans next. His abdomen was still bare, still on proud display.

  Now was not the time to ogle him, even though he was very ogle-worthy.

  “I have feelings for Wash,” I stated, realizing coming out and saying it like that was probably not the best way to go about it, not after getting on my knees and giving him a blow job. Feeling like I had to explain more, I added, “I’m connected to him the same way I’m connected to you and Crane. I can’t fight it, Bones, but if you’re not okay with it, I’ll—I’ll do my best.” My best would be nowhere near good enough, but I’d try if I had to.

  Bones took out a plain t-shirt, pulling it over his chest, wincing as the sleeve touched the cut on his left arm. “So if I said I wasn’t okay with it, you’d let it go?” He still wore no shoes or socks, but by the look on his face, he wasn’t going to. He stepped closer to me, tilting his head, dimples on his cheeks.

  “I—” I didn’t know quite what to say to that.

  He gave me a lopsided smile, and somehow I got caught between the vanity and him again. This time I knew he wasn’t going to let me get away. “And if I said I was okay with it, what then? Would we get a California king and all sleep on the same bed together?”

  Okay, now he was just teasing me.

  I huffed, “Bones—”

  He lifted a finger, pressing it against my lips, stopping me from saying anything else. “Did you already talk to Crane?”

  I nodded against his finger.

  “The way Wash watches you, we knew it was only a matter of time before one of you bent. I thought it would be him first, not going to lie,” Bones spoke, his voice dropping to a whisper. With his finger against my lips, his other hand snaked between us, finding the button on my pants and undoing them with an adept, fluid movement.

  “I—” I spoke against his finger, but he instantly shushed me.

  “I know,” Bones murmured. “I love you, Kat, and I want what’s best for you. Wash can protect you when Crane and I can’t. He’s been good, since crossing over. No murders, no hauntings…” His hand slipped between my panties and my skin, warming up an area that was already burning up. “Only some minor property damage.”

  The TV. Was he ever going to let that go? Yes, it was hilarious at the time, Wash freaking out about the people on the television and summoning his otherworldly ax, tossing it at the flat screen as if it was the enemy of all enemies. But eventually it had to fade away. The running joke could only be the running joke for so long.

  “He’s changed for you, which means he’s not that bad of a guy,” Bones went on, his fingers dipping between my legs, curving along with my body. “It’s okay, Kat, but right now—” A finger dipped inside of me, easily gliding in with how wet I was from giving him the blow job. “—all of this—” He brought some of my slickness to the nub at the apex of my pleasure, making me tremble and bite back a moan, for his other hand still was hushing me. “—is mine, and I’m going to take care of you like you did me. No arguments.”

  Well, when he talked to me like that, using the same tone of voice he used when talking dirty to me, how the hell could I refuse him? Plus, he was fine with Wash. Didn’t know why I worried otherwise, but with my luck, I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much. Sleepy Hollow had taught me better than that.

  Bones started rubbing my clit, knowing exactly how I liked it. I threw my head back, my eyes closing of their own accord. Heat burned inside of me, and I knew now it was too late to go back. Bones damn well better give me my release now, the tease.

  Through cracked eyelids, I saw Bones watching me. I writhed against his hand, and every time his fingers teased the opening of my entrance, I had to stifle a whine. He was going slow, purposefully.

  “Tell me this is all for me,” Bones commanded.

  What the hell was I supposed to do? Deny I wasn’t wet for him? Impossible.

  “It’s all for you,” I whispered, hardly sounding like myself. When Bones touched me like this, I became a voracious, hungry animal, only sated when he helped me experience the height of my pleasure. My life had become full of orgasms and spirits…not exactly a combination you’d expect.

  The orgasms? Hell yeah. The spirits? I’d rather do without those.

  “Damn right,” Bones murmured, slipping two fingers inside of me, his thumb still hard at work on my nub. His two fingers filled me up, pumping in and out of me. I was nowhere near as full as I would’ve been if it would’ve been a different appendage inside of me, but it still felt amazing.

  My hips began to work with his movements, and I felt myself tiptoeing the line almost instantly. My orgasm was so close, so quickly—God, I was hot for this
man.

  I couldn’t hold it back; I didn’t want to. When I felt myself losing it, I cried out. Pleasure coursed through me, touching every nerve, every part of my body like a dominating tidal wave, molten bliss given to me by one of the men I loved. My eyes shut, and I breathed hard, panting. It was a good thing Bones’s hand was under me, otherwise I might’ve given in to my legs, which felt like goo.

  Once my orgasm had ripped through me, Bones withdrew his hand from me, slipping it out of my panties. His gaze met mine, and though he wasn’t smiling, I saw the dimples on his cheeks, which meant he was trying to hold his smile back. As he worked to zip my pants and button them together, I spoke three words that meant the world.

  “I love you.”

  Bones couldn’t hold back his smile anymore. “And you know I love you, now and forever, Kat.” He leaned down, placing a kiss on my forehead, which was still hot after our recent excursions. His words made me all tingly inside, and I let out a content sigh.

  I left Bones in the bathroom, quite happy with myself as I skipped down the stairs. Crane and Wash sat in the living room, the two men silent, though they didn’t stay that way for long. When Crane noticed me, he asked, “I thought you were washing that off?”

  I glanced down at the writing on my arm. “Oh,” I said. “Right. I forgot.”

  Crane let out a sound of disbelief as he sipped his tea. “Oh, I’m certain you forgot, busy with other activities.” As he not-so-slyly put it, Wash simply turned his black stare to me, and I felt myself heating up all over again for a different reason.

  Crane and Bones were okay with me being with Wash, and with how Wash was in Bones’s bedroom, it was obvious he was more than ready to be with me, too.

  Damn. It was a good thing this was the twenty-first century and a woman didn’t have to choose.

  Chapter Twelve

  Crane ordered pizza. We sat in the living room, me, Bones, and Wash on the couch, while Crane sat on the sofa adjacent to it. The new TV was on, and we were all watching the news, waiting for one particular news story. Being nestled between Bones and Wash was something I never dreamed of, but it felt like home.

  These guys, they were all home. All mine, and my greedy little vagina’s.

  “Here it is,” Bones spoke, leaning forward. Crane was doing the same. I was reclining back, stuffing my face full of pizza, because I was starving after today. He reached for the remote, turning up the volume a bit, as if it wasn’t loud enough.

  Hint: it was.

  A pretty newscaster stood outside of Sleepy Hollow’s nursing home, her blonde hair done up in pretty ringlet curls. She wore just the barest hint of makeup, although I knew that meant she probably wore more than it looked like; that was the beauty of makeup. To look flawless on TV, to look natural, you had to cake it on. It’s a delicate art, one I never got the swing of.

  “This morning there was a mass panic at Tarry Suites for the Elderly,” the newscaster went on. “One man, George Roony, was seen on camera walking out the door in the early hours of the day, before most of the nurse shifts began. Just as the police were about to comb the nearby area for him, one of the custodians found Mr. Roony back in his bed.”

  The image of the newscaster cut to the custodian who found George Roony’s body. He gave a long speech about how he was cleaning Roony’s room, because he knew Roony would come back. Wash was transfixed in the TV, at the changing pictures on it. He still didn’t understand the science behind it, and I didn’t know if he ever would. There were a lot of things in this world he didn’t understand.

  Holding a slice of pizza in one hand, I gently touched Wash’s back with my other, causing him to flick his dark gaze to me, but only for a moment. He was as eager to hear the news story as Bones and Crane were.

  The TV was back on the pretty newscaster. “No one knows exactly how George Roony returned to his room, but when he was found, he was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead by the EMTs, who arrived at the scene a few minutes later. A sad ending to this story.” The reporters at the news desk at the station asked about possible foul play, to which she answered, “The EMTs suggested a heart attack, possibly from the shock of leaving the home he’d known for the last eight years. Police do not suspect any foul play.” She went on to say it was just an unfortunate, sad story for George Roony.

  Of course, everyone in this house knew the truth, which made it sadder. That old man, George Roony, lost his life, because of me. Because of Katrina and her scheming ways.

  “Well,” Crane spoke, breaking the silence of the room, “at least we know they’re not looking into it.” He didn’t sound happy, but then again, which one of us could be happy, when an old man was dead, purely because of me? Who’s to say that man wouldn’t have lived a few more years? He could’ve died tomorrow of natural causes, or in five years from now—either way, he deserved more than to get possessed and his soul eaten by that white-haired spirit.

  One good thing to come of this day: that knife-toothed, white-haired spirit was no more. She’d never stalk anyone again; Wash’s ax made sure of that. Depending on which blade he used to attack, a spirit could either be disbursed and sent away…or ended for good. One edge shimmered in blue, the other was a bit redder—the side that had cauterized Mike’s wound, when Wash was still headless.

  “Yeah,” Bones agreed, running a hand through his blonde hair. “Although I still hate that he died because of me.”

  “He didn’t die because of you,” I spoke, my mouth full of pizza. Once I swallowed, once my words would be more intelligible, I said, “He died because of me. Everything is because of me, not you. Katrina probably hates you because you remind her of the man she was stuck with.” I paused. “I bet it’s why she went after you first and not Crane.”

  “Great,” Bones muttered, moving to set his plate on the coffee table before us. “Lucky me, I guess.” He let out a sigh. “I forgot she was still alive, for a while there.”

  Me too, although that was just because it was easier to forget, as temporary as that forgetfulness was. “After dinner I can see if I can find a spell to figure out where she is in Sleepy Hollow, try to beat her to the next punch—”

  “No,” Crane cut in. “No more spells for you today. You might have power, but you’re still untrained. If you overdo it, it could kill you.” His words made a weight appear in my gut.

  Oh, well that was just great, wasn’t it? A spell could kill me. Add that to the list of things I didn’t know and now did. Jeez, I should start a fucking notebook at this rate.

  Bones turned his head to me, shooting me a sly smile. “Well, I for one am glad she did the spell today. Without it, I don’t think I’d be here.”

  I set my plate on my lap, still having one piece to eat—because apparently I ate slow—and reached for him, hugging him as softly as I could. “And we’d miss you too much, even Crane.” Crane tossed me a dour look, but I shrugged it off. “What? It’s true. Crane cares for you, too. You two have a bromance going on,” I informed them, grinning in spite of myself.

  “We do not” Bones spoke the moment Crane asked “What’s a bromance?”

  All I could do was laugh and say “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” Crane only grew more pensive, which made me laugh even more. These guys were ridiculous all around.

  As I finished my last piece, Bones reclined in the corner of the couch, staring past me, right at Wash. His blue gaze lingered on the Horseman for far too long; I should’ve known what he was going to say. “So, Wash, I heard you’ve been trying to steal our girl.” He glanced to Crane, who simply looked on. “By talking, no less. I mean, how dare you.”

  I was the only one in the room who cracked up at that. I shot a quick look at Wash, who stared at Bones with a pensive, thoughtful expression. “He’s kidding,” I said, not wanting Wash to freak out.

  “Am I?” Bones asked, mostly to himself.

  “Yes,” I hissed. I would’ve elbowed him on the side, but I didn’t want to hurt him, so I settled for glar
ing.

  “Fine, fine. I’m joking,” Bones relented. “But I do wonder what kind of game a guy has who’s been stuck in the otherworld for…how long was it? A few centuries? The game has changed since you’ve been around the block.” When I glared at him, he added, “Not that you’re a game, because you’re not.”

  “Stop picking on him,” I scolded Bones, freezing. Who would’ve ever thought I’d scold Bones for picking on the Headless Horseman? Hell, who would’ve ever thought we’d be here, lounging around Crane’s living room, with a Katrina Van Tassel on the loose, caught in a reverse harem relationship like this?

  Not like I was going to complain, because no way.

  I changed tactics, “He just might have more game than you. I mean, have you looked at him?”

  Crane muttered from his sofa, extending his long, almost lanky legs, “Seems a tad harsh there, I think. We can’t all be beefy brutes—”

  Bones shot him a mock glare. “Who you calling a beefy brute? Keep talking, and I might have to put a stop to this bromance we got going on.”

  “I wasn’t—” Crane started, sounding exasperated and utterly confused, typical of Crane when you talked about something he wasn’t knowledgeable about. Bromances were, apparently, one of those things.

  I stopped them both by laughing and saying, “Shut up, you guys. You’re going to scare Wash away.” I meant it as a joke, but the Horseman stunned me by grabbing a hand—just the fingertips, the way someone from an older time took the hand of a woman. His hand was warm and rough on mine, and I did not pull away, even though both Crane and Bones watched with interest…probably to gauge what kind of competition they had when it came to Wash.

  No competition, because they were all mine and I was theirs, but the cute bickering was kind of fun.