by Nora Flite
“How strong are you?” Kite asked, staring at me from the hall.
Twisting his way, I blinked. “I guess it depends. What do you need me to do?”
Nodding his head, he motioned for me to follow. He had on faded jeans, a tight shirt stretching over his back muscles. Pacing behind him, I studied how his shoulder blades flowed. They reminded me of a big cat on safari.
Kite stopped in the loading dock, pointing down at a staircase. “I never arranged the kegs that came in the other day. It's hard with one person, care to help?”
Flexing an arm, I pulled my sleeve higher. “I think I can manage that.” Kite rolled his eyes, but the edge of his smile was fantastic. Working like this, with him, made everything feel so... normal. Close to normal, at least.
Following him into the basement, I gazed over the walls of huge containers. There was a wine cellar built into one side, the glass panel blinking with its temperature. The floor was solid under me, which was good, because standing among all the giant barrels was making me sway.
This was where Culver's body had been kept.
“Here,” Kite said, breaking into my thoughts. He slapped the top of a keg that sat in the center of the floor. There were eight of them gathered. “Together, this will be a cinch.”
Shaking myself free of the morbid images, I grabbed one side of the keg and grunted. “You guys have a lot of stuff,” I said, helping him set the heavy object on the far side of the basement. Clearly there was a system here. “What is all of this?”
“Jacob orders everything, I don't have a clue.” Shrugging, he loosened the neck of his shirt. Pulling it over his head, he revealed the tight, dark grey tank-top underneath. His shoulders gleamed, corded muscles swollen from his pumping blood.
My heart took a leap down into my gut, giving up on life. I'd seen this man naked, and still, a peek at his hard edges had me buzzing. Focus and stop being a horny teen, I reprimanded myself. Gripping a container, I rolled it until Kite came to help. “Jacob really does everything, doesn't he?” I asked.
“He's always been more organized. Even as kids, he made the plans.”
The metal felt good in my fingers. Nice and cold when up against my heating mood. “I never asked, when did you two meet?” Kite glanced at me, his nose scrunched like I'd asked him something too personal. I pressed on, undeterred. “You're clearly good friends, so if you knew each other as kids...”
Palming his neck, he sighed. “It's been a long time. Guess I was nine when we met.”
Nine. They had known each other for that long? “That's amazing.” The more I thought about it, the softer my smile became. Kite would have been as old as my sister Cece when he met Jacob. I felt a strange flicker of envy. “You guys might as well be brothers,” I chuckled, glancing up at him under my eyelashes.
Embarrassment crossed his features. He looked away, grabbing another bulging metal keg. “Might as well be,” he agreed seriously.
The air around us was uncomfortable. I blamed myself, I'd been prying into his life. But, the two of them knew so much about me... and I knew almost nothing about them.
No, I told myself, eyeing Kite from the corner of one eye. I know what counts. These men are skilled killers. Why did I need to learn anything beyond that?
Why did I even care?
Kite straightened abruptly, digging into his pocket. “Hello?” he asked, pushing the phone to his ear eagerly. He blinked, then smiled brighter than he had in a while. “Sure. One second.” Clicking the device off, he buried it away and glanced at me. “Hang tight, I'll be right back.”
Assuming it was work related—bar work, not hitman—I nodded. “Okay. I'll make sure no kegs run away while you're gone.”
He said nothing, just jumping up the stairs two at a time with amazing speed and grace. I won't lie, I watched him until he had vanished. Kite was beautiful, in the way that a stalking panther or a volcano about to erupt was beautiful.
Sitting on the edge of a barrel, I crossed my legs. The basement wasn't exactly creepy, they'd made it feel rustic with orange lights and all the wood beams. But, frankly, I couldn't sit down there alone and not start squinting at shadows. At least one man's body had been down here, melting away in acid and his own juices.
Kite had promised me I would never end up that way. If that was all I could assure, then fine. It was still something. Most people don't get the luxury of guaranteeing what happens to their body. I was positive my end would come at the hard tip of a bullet.
And... I was still fine with it. I had to be.
A footstep scuffed the stairs. Twisting, I expected to see Kite. Pale blue eyes rested on me, a swimmer's body cloaked in a three piece suit. He stood there, the light from above glinting off his back and the darkness of the basement hardening his features.
His smile scraped over my body—over my rapidly thumping heart.
Jacob was back.
One polished shoe slid over the cement, aiming at me. He was locked on and I was conscious of my hands, my lips, and every muscle from neck to toes. Four days, now. Four days since he'd kissed me. That was how I'd begun measuring time.
His mouth opened, his shadow fell across me. I forgot how breathing worked. I swear, I was sure he was going to press those wicked lips to mine right there in the basement. I didn't know how I would feel about that. My brain had decided to melt like ice cream and run down into my lower belly.
But no. He didn't kiss me. “Marina,” he said, and hearing my name was a shot of adrenalin. “I need you to look at something.”
I swallowed over my numb tongue. “Hello to you, too, stranger.”
Chuckling, Jacob focused on my eyes and never blinked. How was that possible? “Sorry. You're right, I should have greeted you first before requesting something. But...” Reaching down, he went to take my hand. God help me, I sat there and let him. “I might have something for you that's even better than a hello.”
I had an idea about what was better. None of my thoughts were appropriate to voice. Jacob led me off the barrel, his fingers holding mine a fraction longer than needed. Over his shoulder, I spotted Kite on the stairs. He was staring at me—at us—and guilt washed into me like cold water. What the hell was I thinking? Maybe Kite and I weren't official, but we'd already kissed and fucked—twice!—and Jacob was... well. Like a brother to him.
Unless I wanted to end up seeing these guys strangling each other, I needed to stop getting so woozy around the two of them. Or maybe just settle on Kite. Fuck, I shouldn't have given into either of them! Was I so greedy that I wasn't satisfied with what I already had?
“Come on,” Kite said cheerfully, not betraying any of the dark curiosity that had been burning in his eyes. “Bring her up and show her.”
Turning, Jacob adjusted his silver vest and rich, emerald green tie. “He's right. Let's go, Marina.”
With neither of them watching me, I rubbed my cheeks furiously and shook my arms out. I needed to expel this ridiculous hunger out of my body. Jacob was back, and that had to mean something. I prayed for good news.
I topped the last basement step, breaking into the main bar area. Kite and Jacob stood at a table, far in a corner as if there was anyone else inside. There wasn't. “Did you find him?” I blurted, approaching them.
They were hunched together, watching me expectantly. My blood was pumping, then boiling, when Jacob handed me a large envelope. “Look at that, and you can tell us.”
Fuck, I was shivering. Opening the package was a challenge. Flicking the top back, I gripped the sheet of paper inside and slid it into the light. I didn't know if I was going to vomit or cheer or just start laughing insanely.
The black and white photo was old. It had been printed recently, crisp and unmarked. It was a single face, close up and zoomed in. Blurry, but I didn't need detail. One look at those eyes, and I knew. Even with a filling replacing his once upon a time gap-tooth, I fucking knew.
In my hands, I crushed down on the paper and tore the edges. “Tell me where
he is.”
“I take that to mean it's the man we want,” Jacob said calmly.
I shot my glare at him, knew I was speaking too fast—too anxious. “Where is he, Jacob. Tell me where he is and what the fuck his name is.” God, it was him. It was really him. In my hands, I held the mugshot of a monster.
“Take a breath and chill out,” Kite said. He reached for me, tried to grab my shoulders and soothe me.
I shoved him away, lips pulled back over my snarling teeth. “No! You got this photo, you must know his name! I paid you, right? Do your part and tell me!” In my mind, all I could see were her eyes. Wet, wide eyes that fixed on me and saw me. A little girl who realized I couldn't save her. How could I have? I was six years old, what was I going to do?
But she'd watched me. Cece had known I was there in that closet.
She'd known I was a coward.
“Shit!” Kite hissed, gripping me under my arms when I fell. I didn't remember falling, but the edges of my vision were a black sinkhole. He was warm against me, my cheek on his bare shoulder until he settled me into the booth. Someone went to take the photo from my fingers; I dug in, a death grip. They stopped trying.
“Breathe,” Jacob instructed. He bent over me, his familiar scent filling my head. I was dizzy, though the humiliation of nearly fainting grounded me. Sitting up, I put the photo between my knees so I could grab the glass of water Kite handed me. I wasn't giving the picture up. It was the closest thing to proof—physical proof—that my memory of that murderer was real.
The two men sat across from me, their eyes wary and unsure. Wiping my mouth, I put the glass on the table as steadily as possible. It still trembled, which I hated. “I'm fine. Stop looking at me like that.”
“You nearly fainted, you're not fine,” Jacob said.
My attention swayed to him, sticking on his subtle frown like glue. I wanted to watch him for a reaction. “Of course I nearly fainted. You found the man I'm after. Tell me who he is, Jacob.”
His inhale made his tie ripple upwards. He was dressed like he was ready for a fancy party. His composure was infuriating. “I only have the photo. I don't know his name.”
I thought I was going to pass out again. I reached for the glass, stopped when I saw how my arm vibrated. I didn't want them to see me so unstable. “How?” I asked, begging my voice to become crisp and accusing. “I don't get how you could get a photo and not his name?”
“I met with a man who had heard of your murderer. He knew about Frankie and the insurance bullying.” Jacob sat next to me, his arm on the cushion over my head. “All he could give me was a printed photo, but trust me, Marina... with this we can find out who he is.”
Looking him in the eye, those soft, baby-blue centers that didn't fit who Jacob was, I tried to see into his head. Was he lying? I couldn't say. Not knowing was awful, but... holding the envelope, the photo of the man I was after, started giving me new strength. “It took four days to get this photo?” I asked cautiously.
Jacob didn't move a muscle. “Yes.”
Glancing at Kite, I spotted how he was standing there with his hands deep in his pockets. He looked at me, forced a small smile.
I swear, they knew something I didn't, but...
“Alright,” I said, finally able to drink the water without spilling it. It was soothing on my throat. I drank until it was nearly empty, breathing out in a rush. “Thank you for finding his picture, Jacob. I mean that.” His gentle smile dug at my defenses. I kept my tone casual. “You must have gone through a lot to get this. Four days is a long time.”
The edges of his eyebrows dipped. “Indeed, it is.”
Fuck. What did that mean and why was he looking at me like that? His eyes flashed, a finger rubbing the indent of his lower lip. He was taunting me. I had to resist reaching up, my own lips buzzing with the memory of his rough kiss.
Kite stepped in, putting a new glass in front of me. This one was darker, he offered a similar drink to Jacob. “Let's celebrate,” he said, beaming proudly. His knuckles stood out against the amber liquid, catching the low lights. The letters of his tattoo were engraved like forgotten names on old gravestones. “Step one is complete, we have a lead on this guy.”
“You're right,” Jacob agreed. Both of them sat on either side of me in the booth, sandwiching me. I had no where to go, my skull throbbing with their combined voices and scents.
When the glasses were raised, I shook myself and smiled. Yes, this is worth celebrating. We were some perverse version of the Three Musketeers, our glasses raised to clink together in unison.
Something warm touched me on my left. Glancing down, I spotted Jacob's leg against my thigh. Before I could think of how to react, Kite put his hand on my shoulder. Goosebumps ran outward. My flesh was a security system, warning me I was under attack from all angles. What the hell were these two men thinking?
Strangling my glass, I chugged it back and emptied it in one go. “Well!” I coughed, tears burning from the harsh alcohol—I thought it was whiskey. “Uh, now that we have a photo of him, what do we do next?”
Pushing his empty glass aside, Kite leaned across me, speaking to Jacob. “While you were gone, we finished the move out process.”
He nodded, one blue eye rolling my way, then back to his friend. “So everything is packed up?”
“She has a new bag of stuff at my place, but otherwise, yeah.”
I didn't like how they were ignoring me. I also didn't like how light-headed I was getting from the pressure of the both of them forcing their warmth on me. Tapping the glass, pretending it was a gavel, I finally had them staring. “I said, what do we do next?”
Kite tilted his drink, frowning at the air inside. “The next step is more research. We need to find out where this guy is.”
“And who he is,” Jacob added flatly.
“Right.” Kite stared at his hands, focusing there. “Yeah, that too.”
Wriggling in place, I tried to subtly indicate I wanted them to let me up. Neither of them budged. “Fine. Let's go do some research. I can start showing this picture around.”
Jacob's chuckle was velvet and ice. “That's a great way to let him know someone is after him.”
Their cavalier attitude was getting under my skin. “You two know how badly I want to find this man. I've been sitting on my hands since the start, I want to take some action. To be proactive.”
“You weren't doing nothing,” Kite said with a shrug. “I took you shooting. That was something.”
“Yes,” I agreed, my thankful smile a little weak. “I appreciated it. And I'll need more lessons. But right now, I want to start looking for this man.” Gripping the envelope, I brought it up between us.
Jacob was too fast. The paper left my fingers, stolen by his. My mouth fell open, gawking at how he held it tightly and out of reach. “You really want to look for him, today, instead of doing something more relaxing?”
I couldn't take my stare off of that envelope. It was like Jacob had taken my limbs, my guts. My soul. I needed it back and I knew he realized it. “Yes.” I licked my dry lips. “I would rather look for him than relax.”
There was a sly edge to Jacob's grin. “Fine. Maybe I've heard where he'll be tonight.”
He offered the picture. I took it back, clutching it to my chest. He was so close to me, I noticed the freshness of his skin. He'd taken a shower before he came here. The edge of his collar was still damp. My tongue was wooden. I might see this monster in person... tonight? “Where?” I whispered.
“You said you didn't put everything in storage. Do you own any fancy dresses?”
Warily, I shook my chin side to side. “What? No, I don't own anything like that.”
Looking over my head, Jacob winked at Kite. “Then we're going to need to fix that.”
- Chapter Six -
Marina
I couldn't sit still. Even as the silver vehicle drove languidly down to the shopping center, I could do nothing but fidget in the heated seat. Jacob's ca
r was familiar to me, Kite had driven it the first night I'd met them. But Jacob himself had never been in it, not with me.
Now, he sat inches away, reclining comfortably like driving was second nature to him. Soft, classical music flowed from the speakers. Outside, the world was dreary and limp; chilly.
In our private little pocket, the air was wild fire.
I'd almost started to understand Kite. How to handle him, what to expect. It wasn't perfect, but it gave me some stability. With Jacob, nothing existed in my mind but dark whispers and deft fingers. A single salty, cruel kiss.
I didn't know either of them, not exactly...
But Jacob was mystery given form.
Digging my nails into the seat belt, I fought to find words. Why did he make me so nervous? Because the last time you were alone with him, he snatched you up and made you bleed. What was worse, was that I'd loved it.
Lost in thought, I tumbled around the reason we were driving at all. Jacob's plan had sounded insane when he proposed it, but it had been my fault it came up. I wanted to take action. He offered me the chance. “So,” I said, hating how hollow that single word sounded, “You really think he'll be at this thing tonight?”
Jacob turned us into the parking lot of a large shopping mall. “I can't say. It's just something I was told.”
“By who?” I asked, giving in to my anxiety.
He cut the engine. The sound died, no longer able to hide my nervous breathing. Fuck, I needed to get it together. Jacob didn't make it easy, not with how he faced me and reminded me how blue his god damn eyes were. “I don't know who,” he said carefully. “I didn't meet them face to face.”
Shaking my head, I wrinkled my eyebrows. “The internet told you our mystery man was going to be at some posh event tonight?”
His teeth were slow to show, but when they did, I couldn't help but think of deadly fangs. Even his laugh was jagged. “What are you fishing for, Marina? Are you trying to figure out if I know more than I'm telling you?”
