To the End: Year Four (Hannaford Prep Book 4)

by J Bree

  I could stab the dick for that alone.

  * * *

  Ash decides that Saturday mornings are his time to spend alone with me, kicking everyone else out of my room and settling me into his lap to eat breakfast in front of the TV. He always comes with a giant mug of coffee for me so I don’t really ask questions.

  Avery is in the shower washing her hair, something that usually takes at least forty-five minutes, and so Ash is taking advantage of the time by feeding me French toast and kissing down my neck, grunting when I squirm and grind against his very interested dick.

  Fuck, I’m addicted to him.

  I’m glancing at the clock and doing quick math to figure out if we have time to get off before Avery catches us when the front door unlocks and the other two stalk in. I don’t really look away from the shitty cartoons, I’m not worried that they’re walking in on us, but when Ash grabs my hips to stop me from moving I frown and turn to them. Harley looks thunderous, fucking enraged, and I slide out of Ash’s lap.

  “What? Fuck, what now?” I say, and Blaise grabs the remote to fumble around the channels until he lands on a news station.

  Senator Ayres is dead.

  I sit and soak in the report, my hands shaking. Ash takes the plate from me and sets it down on the coffee table where my rage won’t break the damn thing. The reporter is standing in front of a large, luxury looking office building and she’s surrounded by flashing lights and uniform officers.

  “Senator Ayres’ murder is said to be gang related, with reports of gang activity across the state only getting worse. When interviewed, Senator Ayres’ widower, Hannah Ayres, pleaded with her daughter Viola to come home. Reports say the teenager dropped out of school to run away with an older lover. Police have not yet confirmed if there is any connection between the young girl’s disappearance and her father’s murder.”

  The image shifts to the crime scene and, sweet lord fuck, the Jackal has lost his damn mind.

  Written in blood across the wallpaper in the senator's office is a message. For the Coyote, the Crow, and, probably most of all, for me.

  The Jackal sends his regards.

  Well, fuck.

  “I have other news.” says Avery.

  She comes to sit down next to me dressed in her workout gear. I wrench my eyes away from the TV and give her a side look.

  "Lauren's dad is owned by Senior. I know that we already knew that but the list of things that man has done that Senior can hold over his head… it's a lot. More extensive than I thought. We need to do what we can to stay out of that man's way."

  Harley scoffs and snags a piece of French toast off of my plate. "It's not like we didn't already know that. One of us just needs to go down the hall and put the fear of fucking god in that girl."

  Ash’s fingers drift back to my thighs, tracing his little patterns there, something he does when he's thinking. For once I don't have to fight a shiver; I'm too busy hating myself. The TV flicks through other scenes in Mounts Bay, of the unrest and riots starting up everywhere. I frown at the screen as I see a familiar building, it’s on fire and hard to see but something is so damn familiar.

  My phone buzzes and I grab it answering without even bothering to look, I know at this point it’s going to be Illi. I’m hoping he has a lead or a plan or something. We need to retaliate, the Jackal can’t be left unanswered.

  “Have you seen it?” His voice is all fucked up. I lurch forward, my spine snapping straight. Harley’s eyes snap to mine and Ash’s fingers still on my leg. I try to ignore them both and find my voice but there’s something so fucking raw about Illi that I struggle.

  My brain fills it in for me as the pictures on the screen change. The building is burning but everyone in it are already dead. Bullets in their brains. It’s Illi’s safe house.

  Odie.

  “Kid. She’s in that fucking building. She’s... fuck. FUCK!”

  I can’t breathe.

  I can’t move or think of fucking breathe. Ash jumps off of the couch and starts yelling at Blaise to grab his keys because they’re heading out and Harley snarls at Avery when she tells them they can’t.

  That there’s no point.

  I can’t breathe.

  Harley’s phone rings in his pocket and that triggers something in the back of my mind. Who would be calling him?

  “I’m fucking busy.” He snaps and then his entire body freezes, his eyes snapping to mine. I stare at him and I fucking pray. He stays silent for a second and the whole room goes quiet, then he says, “How?”

  Everyone turns to face him and Illi snarls from the speakerphone, “What the fuck is going on?!”

  Harley switches his phone to speakerphone and Diarmuid speaks, "I'm assuming you've seen the news, Wolfie."

  “Don’t fuck with me, O’Cronin. Why are you calling?” I say, and then I hear the best fucking sound on the planet.

  Odie starts cussing him out in colorful and vicious French. Illi obviously manages to catch this down his line and snarls, “WHERE IS SHE?”

  Diarmuid laughs. “I told the Wolf I’d prove my loyalty. I heard talk of one of your informants flipping and siding with the Jackal, I knew that would leave your girl open to his rage and I’ve been watching your safe house. You might need a new one. Oh, and you all owe me big time. She’s kicked me in the dick so many times I’ll be pissing blood for a fuckin’ month.”

  I lean back on the couch and squeeze my eyes shut, trying desperately not to cry but the adrenaline is riding me hard. Harley snarls at Diarmuid until he gives up his location to Illi and my old friend hangs up to find his girl. I sigh, resigned to what I have to do.

  Harley’s jaw clenches but when I raise an eyebrow at him he nods. I have no real choice here, we’ve strung him along for long enough and saving Odie is fucking huge. Avery sits down next to me and Blaise gives me a little relieved smile, I’m not sure he’s on board completely but it’s enough. I glance over to Ash and even he gives me a curt nod.

  “O’Cronin, you’re in. Get a tattoo, put the word out, and start paying your dues. I’ll call you when I need you.” I say, and Avery slips her hand into mine.

  Fuck, I hope I don’t regret this.

  Chapter Nine

  Ash sleeps like the dead.

  It’s good for nights like this, nights where I have to sneak out and take care of business, but when I’m dressed for business and ready to leave I look back over at him and all I feel is dread.

  How much more would I damage him, and us, if I leave without telling him?

  I blow out a breath and pray I’m not going soft. Well, not soft, I just hope I’m compromising on the shit that matters in a relationship without losing the edge that keeps me alive.

  I slide my hand around his neck and into his hair and give it a little tug as I kiss him sweetly on the lips. He groans a little, never happy to be woken, and I try my best to smoother the sound so Avery doesn’t wake up and turn this whole thing into a field trip.

  I wait until his eyes open before I speak. “I need to go take care of something. It’ll keep our family safe.”

  He swallows and frowns at me. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier? I’m coming with you.”

  I sigh and nod, motioning for him to hurry up. I don’t want to lose my window of opportunity. He pulls on jeans and a black tee, then one of Blaise’s black leather jackets to cover his gun and holster. I bite my lip at the sight of him in the leather; it’s completely un-fucking-fair that he can look so sinfully good in a suit and leathers. I wonder if I can convince him to wear leather pants for me? Hoo boy.

  We arm the security alarm and I shoot a text to Harley and Blaise to tell them we’re heading out.

  They’re not happy but we can’t leave Avery alone. She will always be our biggest target and to lose her would fucking break our family. When I say this to Ash, more as a random thought than anything else, he scoffs at me. “Don’t be dense, Mounty. There isn’t anyone in the family that wouldn’t break us to lose. I won’t choose
between the two of you. Not now, not ever.”

  I try not to blush and he scoffs at me again, opening the car door for me like a gentleman and then sliding in behind the wheel.

  Ash drives the Ferrari with such fucking passion, it’s obscene. He drives it like the polished steel and soft leather is in his blood. He’s not assured like Harley, or reckless like Blaise. He moves like he never wants to get out of the car. I love it and struggle not to tell him to pull over to let off some steam. Fuck, focus Lips!

  I keep my eyes firmly away from him and settle back into my seat for the drive to the Bay. I direct him to the right house in the slums. He sneers at the neighborhood and I sigh.

  “You didn’t have to come.” I say, and he shakes his head at me like I’m so freaking dumb.

  “You should have told me we were coming here. I would’ve brought the Cadillac instead.”

  I snort at his shitty attitude and check through my stash of supplies. His eyes follow my every move, his eyebrow arching. “So it’s a hit? Not a little visit to warn the idiot of who he’s crossing?”

  I meet his eye as I say, “He knew who he was betraying. He knew the risks. I have to do this.”

  He grabs the back of my neck and hauls me forward until he can whisper against my lips, his thumb sliding over the pulse in my throat. “Show me how you work, Mounty. Show me how you keep us safe.”

  Ash is shockingly good at moving silently.

  I make a mental note to ask him where he picked it up, I’m assuming it’ll go back to his ‘training’ with Joey, but I can’t imagine that deranged psycho ever being any good at subtlety.

  I use my lock picking kit to get us through the front door. Ash watches my every move, from the angle I hold the two tools to the sound of the click when the lock finally releases, and I recognize the look on his face now. He’s soaking everything in and he’ll have the basics down now. Good. I’m sure that will come in handy later.

  We step into the house and notice two things immediately; there’s music on loud enough to drown out pretty much anything and the smell of drugs is heavy in the air. I feel a flutter panic start in my chest but I push the feeling down, roll my shoulders back, and force myself to be empty. I fucking hate the smell of that shit.

  I have to glance back over my shoulder to make sure Ash is following me. His feet are as silent as mine, and I'm seriously impressed. We move through the empty kitchen, and when we walk past the lounge we find a group of Mounties enjoying their high. Some of them are unconscious, some of them are fucking, and some of them are ranting at each other, at themselves, at the ceiling.

  Our mark isn’t in the room.

  We move past them, they don't even notice us, and we head up the stairs. The music playing downstairs is a low thrum, and it's easy to move without being detected. The first room we come to has a closed door but I can hear voices behind it. I motion for Ash to follow me. The next door slightly ajar and I move until I can see the bed. Lying across the bed, sprawled across it, is our mark. He’s out like a freaking light, flat on his back and snoring like a freight train.

  We walk into the room together and Ash shuts the door behind us silently. I do a quick check to make sure there's no one else in the room, no girlfriend hiding under the bed, and then I grab my device to make sure there's no extra eyes in the room. Once we are clear, I pull out my knife.

  Ash grabs my arm and holds up his gun. His silencer is already in place and I give him a tight smile. I do not understand why these boys keep attempting to stop me from being the one killing people, it makes no sense. I’m the Wolf of Mounts Bay, what does one more life matter when I've killed hundreds before?

  I'm not sure I can get my eyebrows to tell him that this has to be done by a knife. It's my signature kill, and we're not just here to take out a mark. We’re here to send a message.

  He watches me carefully and then re-holsters his gun. When I move towards the bed he stops me again and tries to take the knife from me. I roll my eyes at him and wave him away.

  I do a quick check of the window and find it open already, thank fuck. I quickly slip my hoodie and my yoga pants off and hand them to Ash as he watches me with pissy eyes.

  And then I slash the guys throat.

  If he hadn’t been laying on his back I would have stabbed him through the base of his neck. This is a much messier way to go, there's blood on the fucking ceiling, but I guess it sends the right sort of message.

  Ash watches with a blank sort of interest. He catalogues everything, from the gurgling sound the guy makes as he chokes on his blood, to the jerking his arms and legs are making as the life slowly slips out of him. I don't bother watching the scene, not the way he is, I just make sure the guy doesn't roll off the bed and bump around.

  The second he loses consciousness, not quite dead but safe to turn away from, I wipe my knife, tuck it back into my waist holster.

  I slip my clothing on over the gore I’m covered in and when I move to the window Ash grabs my arm to stop me. I glance at the door, worried that someone is about to walk through, but Ash snaps on a pair of gloves and coats his hands in the blood. He finds an empty patch of wall, and leaves his own message for the Jackal.

  No one touches the Wolf.

  * * *

  It shows just how much I trust Ash when I startle back into myself as we pull into the driveway at Avery’s Ranch. I hadn’t noticed we were heading here at all, too lost in my own head. Ash’s hands are still gripping the wheel with white knuckles but his face is less guarded. He parks and gets out without a word.

  “Why are we here?” I say but I follow his lead and get out of the car.

  “I can’t take you back to Avery covered in blood and if we go back to my room I’ll have to share you.” He replies as he unlocks the front door and disarms the code. I get an immediate text from Avery asking what we’re doing at the ranch.

  Your brother insists on pretending that my work isn’t bloody and that you’ll break if you realize it is.

  I pocket my phone and head to my bathroom. I’ve left enough of my clothes that I can leave this set here. Yep, that’s right, I have so many clothes now I can leave them places. Avery has forced me to buy more because she cannot wrap her head around the fact that I only need two pairs of jeans.

  Ash follows me and then leans against the bathroom counter on his phone while I undress and get into the shower. His eyes keep flicking over to me, like he can’t help but watch as I scrub away the death from my skin, and once the blood is down the drain he sets his phone down and starts to strip.

  Hoo boy.

  There’s nothing quite like a naked Ash Beaumont. He smirks at me when he gets to his jeans, arrogant as ever, and I try my best not to drool at the sight of him. I think he’s brainwashed me into loving that giant dick of his, even if I am still a little gun-shy at actually having sex with him, because the second I see it I want it in my mouth. Clearly it’s written all over my face.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll let you swallow, Mounty.” He says as he steps in behind me. I shiver and try to turn around but his hands grip my hips and force me to stay still.

  His tone is haughty as he whispers into my ear, “I’m enjoying the view.”

  Then he slaps my ass and I clamp my teeth together to stop myself from moaning. He grabs the soap and starts to wash my back. Ok, he’s groping my ass and legs but he pretends to care about swiping the soap over my back as well for about a second. It’s like he’s drugging me with his soft touches, so unlike him but it feels amazing.

  I start to wonder if maybe I should get over myself and just have sex with him. Maybe his dick really is magic and I’ll crave the stretch just as much as I crave the taste of him.

  “Why are you mumbling about my magic dick?” He snarks at me and I snap my mouth shut. Ugh. His stupid hands!

  “Are you going to let me blow you or not? A girl has needs.” I snap back and he laughs at me, the utter dick.

  He bites my ear and then whispers, “I’ll never stop
you from swallowing my dick and I’ll kill anyone who tries.”

  I shiver, hello damage, and I shut the water off, soap be damned. “Liar. Your sister tries all the damn time.”

  He laughs at me again, far too happy for a recent accomplice to a murder. It doesn’t matter to me, I’ve killed so many it’s all the same.

  I wonder how many people he’s killed?

  Maybe not the best time to ask as he grabs a towel and wraps me up. I try not to look too desperate as I quickly dry myself and then head back to my giant bed but the snort Ash gives me says I fail. Fuck it, he knows how much I love him.

  Oh.

  Oh, fuck.

  I can’t think about that right now either. We don’t do mushy, not when we’re facing each other and the lights are on, and certainly not when we’re naked.

  He gives me a look. “Why do you suddenly look like you’re about to jump out of the window?”

  I swallow, and again, then I snap, “You’ll be the one to jump out of the window if I say it. Can we just do this?”

  He shakes his head at me, god do I feel dumb when he does that, and shoves me back onto the bed, covering my body with his and kissing me like he’s trying to crawl inside my skin. I’d let him. I’d let him do anything to me. Jesus. Ok, I need to figure this shit out.

  “There’s lube somewhere around here, right?” I break away to mumble and he bites the spot where my shoulder and my neck meet.

  “I stocked up after Harley put group sex on the table. Are you feeling brave now, Mounty?” He slowly works his way down my body, biting as he goes and my toes curl as I moan.

  “Fuck. Fuck, stop, I’m trying to think.” I croak, and he smirks at me.

  “I don’t want you to think. Tell me you’re being brave and I’ll let you have my cock.”

  He bites the inside of my thigh and I swear I see stars. Jesus fucking wept, how is that possible? He refuses to touch my pussy until I answer. When I can’t form the words he teases me by blowing air onto my clit in the most torturous imitation of a touch and I groan at him.