by JA Huss
I throw the covers off me, put my clothes back on from yesterday, and then head downstairs to the kitchen. It’s still dark outside, but I can feel the dawn creeping up over the horizon when I look out the eastern windows.
There’s a light on in the kitchen and the sounds of someone doing dishes.
We forgot to clean up our mess last night. We never even finished our waffle. I walk into the kitchen expecting to see the maid, and then stop dead when it’s Vincent placing the dishes in the sink.
He looks at me and smiles. I can’t manage one myself.
“Someone got hungry last night.” He shoots me a good-natured grin and I stop in my tracks.
“What?”
“This,” he says, pointing to the mess. “If I knew you were a cook, I’d have asked for something special already.’
“What?” I can’t breathe.
“Are you OK, Harper?” He turns to look at me for a moment. “I’m sorry I never showed for dinner. I just didn’t feel well and ended up going to bed early. But it’s OK,” he says, fanning his hand at the flour and eggs that were left out on the counter. “This is your home too. So help yourself if you get hungry. You don’t have to wait for me to feed you.”
I can’t breathe.
“So what did you do last night?” He turns the water on and lets it run in the bowl that’s still half full of unused batter. “Besides make a mess in the kitchen?” He smiles at me over his shoulder.
“What time did you go to bed?”
“I was so sick. It must’ve been the seafood I had at lunch yesterday. It’s a good thing I didn’t bring you along or we’d both have been sick last night.”
Is he joking?
“You look tired, baby. You should go back to bed. People won’t be arriving until tonight.”
“What?” Oh my God, it’s like I’m in an alternate universe.
“Harper,” he laughs. “What’s gotten into you? The party is tomorrow, baby. Nick said he’ll be here tonight. That should make you happy.”
“Nick is gonna be here.” I do a little jump and clap my hands, the weirdness forgotten for a moment. “I can’t wait!”
“That’s better.” And then he walks over and kisses me on the lips like we’re a married couple and we meet in the kitchen every morning before he goes to work so we can talk about our upcoming day.
The weird is back. But Vincent is already walking away. “Be good, Harp.”
And then I’m alone.
I walk quickly back to my room and shut the door as I try to fit the pieces of this puzzle together. Did I imagine last night? No! Surely not. The mess was right there in the kitchen.
Did he forget? Was he so sick that he forgot I sucked his dick in the hallway?
But then the bathroom door creaks as someone pushes it open. “I thought he’d never fucking leave,” the deep voice rumbles and makes my whole body tingle. “I told you. I’m gonna fuck that pretty little pussy and take your ass too.”
I’m too stunned to move, but the man in my room isn’t. He walks towards me like he owns the entire world and stops when he’s close enough to force me to look up to see him properly.
“I told you I’d come back.”
James did say that.
But this isn’t James. I can see the difference in his eyes.
This is Tet.
Coming For You - Part Three
Chapter Eighty - Sasha
I don’t think it’s possible to bite my fingernails down any closer to the quick, but my mouth doesn’t seem to notice as we pull into the Cabazon parking lot, home to Interstate 10’s larger-than-life resident reptiles.
I was just here a few days ago and it seems like my life is moving in circles.
“That’s them,” I tell Merc. “In the red truck.”
Merc mutters under his breath. “Fuck.” He turns into the parking lot and two men exit the red truck and start walking to the underbelly of the brontosaurus.
“Park close, so I can hear. Like right up next to it.”
Merc does not park close. Instead he drives past the two men and stares them down. Then he pulls into a spot a good hundred feet from where they are meeting.
“Merc.”
“Shut up,” he barks at me. “Sit your ass in this truck and do not move, do you hear me?”
“I’m the one who knows them.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I’m the one who’s doing business. Little girls do not cut deals with international street gangs. I don’t care how fucking tough you think you are, Cherlin, you’re still Zero to me. So shut your mouth and do not even think about getting out.”
I cross my arms over my chest and huff out some air. “It was my idea.”
“Yeah, well, an idea doesn’t keep you alive when you’re double-dealing with scumbags like these guys. And when I tell them what we’re offering, they are gonna jump on it, Smurf. So this is your last chance to call it off. Because once we have a deal, there’s no turning back. People will die tomorrow. You got that?” He waits for me to answer, but I don’t. I just swallow it down. “Do you understand that?” he asks again, this time grabbing my arm and squeezing tight.
“I get it, OK? But what other choice do we have? We need firepower. We need boots on the ground. We need them to kill if we want to have any chance at all of getting Harper and Nick back.”
“Look, Sasha, just because you said you want Nick and Harper to get out alive doesn’t mean they will. These guys know who they are. They know who their father is. They know their connections. So they might just double-cross us and kill everyone. Including you and me. Or maybe, and this is far more likely, they will take us all prisoner. And then we’ll all get to experience what James went through down in Honduras twelve years ago. So I’m gonna ask you one more time. Do you really want to give James up to save your boyfriend? Because they want him, Cherlin. They want him bad.”
“I told you. He’s not gonna get caught. James will never get caught. They want One too, so they’ll be happy to get him. James will get away, I know it. He’s so much smarter. So much more lethal. If anyone can pull us through this plan, it’s James.”
“Not James, kid. Tet. I don’t know why the fuck you can’t see him for what he is. A messed-up dude with questionable loyalties.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re the same guy. So if Tet can do it, then James can too.”
Merc draws in a long breath of air and then opens his door, leaving the truck running. “OK. Be right back.” He holds out his palm and I scribble the address down on the back of a map I found in the glove box. I marked the Santa Barbara community on there as best I could on the front too. Just to make sure they get it right. Drug dealers, ya know? Not the brightest of the bunch.
Merc takes the map and pushes the door closed so it doesn’t slam. Then he walks off into the sun, his shades down and his dark hair blowing a bit in the hot wind.
I hold my breath as he approaches the two men standing underneath the giant dinosaur. They don’t shake hands and I see that as a bad sign. But then I see heads nodding, so that eases me a bit.
I bite my fingers again. Geez. I can’t take the tension. I’m really not cut out for this hardcore dealing. I’m not. I’m just a little kid. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m gonna get everyone killed with this idea.
But then the two men look at each other and smile. One even laughs and claps the other on the back. Merc hands them the map and they put their heads together to study it.
There’s more negotiation, then they all look over at me. My stomach flips. I swear, I almost open the door and puke.
This is it. This is where Merc tells them about Nick and Harper and asks for immunity. They already have the coordinates, so they’re the ones calling the shots. That was Merc’s idea. Give them the upper hand and let them make this decision on their own. That’s the only way it will work, he said. They have to want the deal. We can’t coerce them and expect co-operation.
My leg is going a mile a minute as they
hash things out. They look over at me several more times, and then there’s some heated discussion.
I can only imagine what they are saying.
They want Nick. They want Harper.
And it makes sense for them, right? They want the children of the man who sent them so much trouble and strife over the years down in Central America. They want to teach him a lesson and they are ready and willing to send the LA chapter of their gang if they think they have the chance.
And I know what Merc’s response will be.
You can have James. The kid who shot your leader twelve years ago. You can have his rescuer. The assassin who broke him out and mowed down the deformed man’s entire family—mostly women and children—to do it.
I know this part. And no one else does besides Merc, because I told him. Probably not even James knows this part. Because this was how One got in to the compound to find James. James only knows what happened after.
I know this because One is my mother’s brother. My uncle. The uncle who used to come to our house every New Year’s Eve until I was ten and get drunk with my father so they could talk about my mother. Share her memory.
He used to ruffle my hair and whisper, “You have a number, Sasha. Not a name, a number. You’re Zero. The one no one sees. The one no one expects. The one who will set it all right.”
Of course, back then I had no idea what he was talking about. I had no idea what he was really talking about until James told me the Company had my parents killed. He told me this right here, in this parking lot. As I was sitting on the toe of a giant brontosaurus.
She needs to hear this, he told Harper.
He wanted me to know what I was up against.
Suddenly the little group of men breaks up and Merc is walking back to the truck.
My stomach flips again as I try to read his expression, but I can’t, it’s no use. So I hold my breath until he gets back in the truck and says, “It’s done.”
I exhale.
“They took the bait.” He looks over at me. “Now what?”
This is the last part of the plan. The really dangerous part. The part that might get all of us killed. Because this gang might be notorious for their ruthless revenge killings, but the person I need to bring in next isn’t called Number One for nothing. “Next I call my uncle.”
Merc clenches his jaw, his eyes darting back and forth as he thinks this through. “You wanna know why they were laughing back there?” he asks.
No. “Yes.”
“They were laughing because they said if they see James, they’re not gonna kill him.”
“No?” I ask, hopeful.
Merc starts the truck and backs out of the space, then heads towards the exit. “Nope.” And then he looks me in the eye as he waits to turn left to get back on the Interstate. “They’re gonna douse him in gasoline, set him on fire, and then put it out.”
“What?”
“They’re gonna make sure he lives to feel the pain.”
Chapter Eighty-One - Harper
“I might not’ve been all there this past year or so,” Tet says, coming forward a few paces. “But Harper Tate, the minute I saw you on the beach, it started coming back. It took me a while, but I’m here now. I’m not the person they say I am.” He turns his head and then gives me a sidelong glance. “At least not when it comes to you.”
He steps forward a few more paces and I automatically put my hands up to ward him off. He grabs my wrists and hikes my hands above my head, walking me backwards until I hit the wall. I press myself flat, but he leans in and touches his lips to mine. “It would kill me, Harper Tate, if you were afraid of me.”
“That was you last night.”
“That was me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to give you a chance to choose. A chance to choose a safer life than the one I can provide. I’ve got money. I’ve got assets. But I can’t keep you safe, Harper. It would not be possible.”
I just stare at him. What is he saying? “So you don’t want me? You’re going to pull one of those selfish I’m-doing-this-for-your-own-good moves? Because if so, James Fenici, I’m gonna fight you over it. I swear to God, I will—”
He leans down and kisses me, laughing into my mouth. “I love you.”
“I love you. Don’t leave me. Please.”
He pulls back just the slightest little bit and I look up into those beautiful emerald eyes. “I came back, didn’t I?”
I nod.
“I told you, Harper, you’re mine. And maybe I cheated a little bit to get you, but I meant that. I never want to let you go.”
He pauses. I feel a ‘but’ coming on.
“But I have a job to do here, lionfish. I have a job to do.”
“What job?”
He cups my face with his hands. They are cool. And reassuring. Like these hands can fix anything. “I know they tell you I’m crazy. And I am. But I’m patient, Harper. And I’m smart. I’ve outsmarted the most ruthless killers on this planet. I’ve outsmarted the highest government officials. I’ve outsmarted drug dealers, and kidnappers, and Admirals, and my mother. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“What are you doing?” I’m breathless listening to him. My heart is beating so fast I’m not sure I can stand up for much longer.
“Killing people, Harper. I’m killing people. Or at the very least… getting them all killed.”
“Who? What people?”
He leans down to kiss me again, his tongue probing for more attention. And then he whispers, “Everyone, Harp. I’m gonna kill everyone.”
“How?” My legs get weak but James cups my ass and lifts me up, pushing me against the wall.
“Sasha.” And then he laughs.
Chills run up my spine. “But you already killed Sasha.”
He nuzzles his mouth against my neck and laughs. “Please, Harper. A little faith. I’m a sick asshole, but I have never killed a little girl and I’m not gonna start now.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to.”
“That’s not fair, James. I’m not some helpless child. I’m lethal in my own right.”
“This isn’t your fight, lionfish. This one’s mine. So save your moves for something else.” And then he kisses my mouth and slaps my ass. “I got this. The only thing I want you to do is let me fuck you. Let me make this world safe for us. And let me keep you forever.”
I thread my hands through his hair and breathe him in. “My James.”
“My Harper. I want to marry you. I want to take you away. Somewhere safe, and quiet. Somewhere we can get to know each other for real. On our own time. Slowly.” He reaches up and brushes a stray strand of hair away from my eyes and tucks it behind my ear. “I want to make love to you under the stars. And sail around the world with you in a boat. I want you all to myself. I’m a stingy, greedy, killer. And I want you. I want to know you.”
“I want to know you too,” I say back, my words so soft they are just barely a whisper. “I’ve wanted you since the day we turned Six. I didn’t understand it, but the way you looked at me, I could feel the love. I could feel your attention.” My face begins to get hot and the tears begin to form. “I just want a simple life, James. I don’t need a fancy boat or a big house. I don’t need money. I just want you. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to fight the Company rules and traditions. I just want to run away with you and never look back. ”
He swipes a tear away. “I told you we can’t do that, lionfish. I told you they’ll never let us live. They will find us. I need to take them out.”
“It’s hopeless.”
“It’s not.” He reaches for me, placing his hand against my cheek. It’s cool and feels comforting. I’m warm from the tears and sadness. “I swear, it’s not hopeless. Sasha and I have a plan and it will all turn out fine.”
I turn my head to look at him and his mouth is there. A slight brush of his lips against mine. I open for him and his tongue
flicks in, searching for more contact. Caressing me.
He kisses me for real this time.
There’s no hesitation.
Only devouring.
He kisses me like he’s the wind. Like he’s the sea. Like he’s the desert.
He kisses me and he tastes like freedom.
Chapter Eighty-Two - James
Her sweet mouth might break me. Her soft fingers reach for my cock, squeezing it like she’s desperate. Her slim hips angle towards me as I press against her. I lift her shirt over her head and relish the blush that forms on her cheeks. Her breasts firm up, her nipples peaking as I look at them. She unbuttons her shorts and lets them fall down her hips until they hit the floor.
“Fuck,” is about all I can manage. This girl is perfection.
And then she reaches for the rumpled dress shirt of Vincent’s that I’m half wearing. She unbuttons it from the bottom up and then her fingertips brush against my shoulders as she slides the shirt down until that too drops to the floor.
She unbuckles my belt next, letting the two ends fall alongside my hips as she works the button and the zipper of my trousers. A hand reaches inside and wraps around my cock. I tilt my head back and close my eyes. “Put me in your mouth, Harper.”
I keep my eyes closed as I feel the soft heat of her breath when she comes closer. The first swipe of her tongue across my tip makes me moan. But when she opens her mouth and allows me to fill her up, pushing my cock to the back of her throat—I lose myself. Fuck.
I grab her head and pump into her. She gags and tries to pull back, but instead of letting her get away, I stop moving so she can recover and keep me in her mouth. “Shhh, my lionfish. Just relax.”
She gets it under control and flattens her tongue against my shaft, moaning. The fucking moaning kills me. Her vocal cords vibrate, sending the sensations right to the most sensitive part of my cock.
Her hand cups my balls, kneading them and caressing them, and I take that as her signal that she’s ready to proceed. I pump a few more times in her mouth, and then, just before I know she’s going to gag, I pull all the way out and squat down to give her a kiss. “I love you.”
