by Bo Reid
“Plus, they’re going to leave after they’re done doing whatever it is they’re here to do,” Ty says, “they’re not going to stay here.”
“Maybe I could finally leave too,” I say, and Ty stops, his fork halfway to his mouth and looks up at me.
“You would leave?” he asks, and I shrug. I don’t know that I would leave, but if Morana does what I think she’s going to do, there won’t be much of a town left for me to stay in.
I watch as Ty puts his fork down and pushes his half-empty plate away from him, throwing up a hand to signal the waitress for the check.
“Well, I hope she’s able to give you whatever it is you’re looking for,” he says as he stands from our booth, tosses some money on the table, and walks out.
I didn’t think he would be too happy with the idea of me leaving here, but I didn’t know he would take it that bad either.
Chapter 12: Misarrhcu
Morana
“Why can’t we go in and take them out? It’s not like we wouldn’t be doing this town a service,” I whine.
Not stabbing people is making me a whiny bitch.
“I just think there is a better way to do things; we can be subtle,” Talin says, and I fight to not roll my eyes at him. “We can just talk to people. Remember, I’m from here; I know people.”
“What about you,” I nod to Aether, “you think I need to be subtle?”
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugs, “As long as you get my mom back, you can burn this place to the ground with everyone still in it.”
Well, that makes for an exciting turn of events. I want to start hitting all the properties owned by Shay. Maybe kill a few people, you know, to send a message. Just get this over with, and fucking go home.
But apparently, we should be subtle; cue eye roll, it’s quite disheartening really.
I don’t understand why I have to wait around just watching them. The cops are already dirty, so worst-case scenario we have to put a few of them to ground too. It doesn’t sound like such an evil plan, after all. In case you didn’t know it, dirty cops are only a good thing when it’s your payroll they’re on.
I have Emma working on a list of law enforcement officers still working in Calliope who were on the force when Talin’s dad was killed. I plan on paying them each a little visit before we leave here. Just to, you know, chat, with my knife against their throats. It might be good enough for him just to know his dad wasn’t dirty, but that’s not good enough for me. In case you didn’t get it, I enjoy a little vengeance with a side of my revenge.
Hunter and I are sitting at a small coffee shop on Main Street, watching Matthew Shay have a little law enforcement meet and greet. I can only imagine how that chat is going. I bet it has something to do with me.
Oh, I hope it does. It’s always fun when you get to see realization hit. When they realize I’m the last person they ever want to see, but my sights are already set on them, and I never miss my mark.
Kesden Shay breaks away from the group, shaking his head and making his way towards the coffee shop. Hunter tracks his every step and moves closer to my side. When Kesden enters the space, he scans his surroundings, and when his eyes land on me, I smile and wave as if we’re old friends.
A small smirk pulls at his lips before he moves to stand in line. I go back to watching his father, pulling up the list of possible dirty cops from Emma.
“Black. Cause you don’t seem like a caramel frap kind of girl,” Kesden says, setting a mug of coffee in front of me. “Sorry, man, they were fresh out of whatever it is you drink.” He smirks at Hunter, who rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m sure they were.”
I look into the mug of coffee in front of me, studying it. “Were they fresh out of arsenic too? Or did you manage to get that in there?” I quip. Kesden takes the seat across from me. Hunter wraps his arm around my shoulder, slightly tugging me into his side.
Oh goodie, a pissing match. I’ll get my ruler so we can measure dicks while we’re at it.
Kesden leans back in his chair and runs his hand along the scruff of his jaw. Instead of answering me, he reaches over and grabs the mug. He puts it to his lips and takes a sip before placing it back down in front of me.
“Guess they were fresh out of poisons,” he winks, and Hunter groans, rolling his eyes.
“Dude, is this the best you’ve got?” Hunter asks, eyeing Kesden, who doesn’t bother to look at him, keeping his eyes locked on mine.
“Naw, man, I’m just getting started,” he stands and knocks his knuckles on the table. “Hold on to her tight, ’cause she’ll be mine before the week is over,” he says with a cocky smirk.
“Hmm, why would I trade three dicks for just one, talk about a downgrade,” I say, sipping on my coffee that Hunter had already gotten me — because I do, in fact, like cream and sugar; not everything has to be as black as my soul. Unless we’re talking about my wardrobe, in that case, the only color I like is the subtle hint of blood glistening in the sunshine.
“If you upgraded to a real dick, you wouldn’t need three to satisfy you,” he says, winking, and Hunter laughs. The deep rumble vibrating through me, making me wet in all the right places.
Hunter is not insecure in the least about what he’s packing in his pants. If I was a dude and I was hung like any of my guys, I wouldn’t be insecure either. I’m certainly not complaining.
Kesden turns and makes his way out of the coffee shop.
“Something you want to tell me, Pretty Girl?” Hunter whispers in my ear then moves to suck on the sensitive skin on my neck as a small shiver runs down my body.
“Nothing important,” I manage to say without sounding like a total hussy.
“Nothing, huh?” he mumbles against my neck, and I pull away before I let him bend me over the table and spank me like the naughty girl I am.
I shrug. “He just wants something shiny and new to play with.” I turn and go back to looking over the list Emma sent me.
“I know the feeling,” Hunter says, biting his lower lip while eyeing the place between my thighs he is so fond of.
"What, you want something new to play with too?" I ask, forcing the hint of irritation into my voice.
Hunter moves his hand, running it up my thigh and managing to cup my pussy, "nope, I'm perfectly happy with my current toy."
“An oldie but a goodie?” I ask and raise an eyebrow.
“The best,” he whispers before kissing my lips softly. “Just be careful, we don’t know the extent of his involvement in what his father is into.”
“Maybe we should find out.”
Chapter 13: Gajog
Morana
“And where do you think you’re going?” I hear Ranger’s gruff, sleepy whisper as I’m just about to slip out of the motel room door.
“Uhh, nature walk?” I say, but it sounds more like a question.
“It’s snowing,” he deadpans.
“I like walking in the snow, it’s romantic,” I state with as much conviction as I can muster.
“Then I’ll come with you. You know, since you want romance and all that,” I hear him climb off the bed, careful not to wake the others. I would argue, but what’s the point, he’ll just wake up his reinforcements, and I don’t need them all butting in right now.
Walking over, he grabs my hand and the keys to the rented SUV. We slip outside into the darkness and climb into the car. Ranger starts up the engine and pulls out of the parking lot before turning the headlights on.
“So, where are we taking this romantic getaway to?” he asks, and a small smile pulls at my lips. It might not be a romantic getaway, but I’m pretty sure Ranger would do just about anything to get time alone with me — including murder. Good thing too, considering it is my favorite pastime, and blood-red is the most romantic color.
I lean over and punch the address into the GPS system. Ranger looks over and follows the directions without questioning it. When we pull into a small subdiv
ision, he parks down the street from our final destination, killing the engine.
“Questions, torture, or outright murder?” he asks, turning to look at me.
“And they say chivalry is dead,” I gush, placing my hand to my chest and batting my eyelashes at him.
“Murder it is then.”
“You’re just too good to me.”
We climb out of the truck and disappear into the tree line. Ranger follows close behind me, but when we reach the house I want, he waits in the shadows of the fence line. The perfect place to keep an eye on me while I slip into the house.
As much as I want to torture the resident of this home and slit his throat, that might be a little too obvious. I need to be able to deny any involvement in this crime without it taking too much effort. You know, it just doesn’t look good when new people come into town, and residents start turning up dead. Since I have to be subtle and all, I might as well try my hand at hiding the bloodstains.
Truly it’s times like these that I really miss Sanorah; no one even questioned the knives or the bloodstains; having to actually make an effort to hide your crimes is so dull and monotonous.
I pull on a pair of gloves before I slip through the back door using the spare that is placed under the cute welcome mat. I really do appreciate it when these guys make breaking and entering easy.
The house is silent as I slip into the kitchen. Climbing onto the counter, I reach for the smoke detector and remove the battery. This is when Ranger would have come in handy, being a fucking giant; he wouldn’t need a boost. I slip my hand behind the stove and unhook the gas line, smelling it as it starts to leak into the house.
As I make my way towards the back door, I make sure there are no other alarms, and thank goodness this tiny farmhouse isn’t up to code. I slip through the back door, locking it and replacing the key under the mat before strolling over to meet Ranger.
When I step into the shadows, two strong arms come around my waist, pulling me against Ranger's chest. A small giggle escapes me as he pushes me against the fence.
“Best sound ever,” he whispers against my lips before crashing his mouth to mine.
We don’t stay long in the shadows before making our way back to the SUV. Ranger reaches over and holds my hand as we drive around Calliope at three in the morning, pretending to be two teenagers just out breaking curfew.
“So, want to tell me what that was about?” he finally asks, reaching over and turning down the radio.
“Surprised it took you this long to ask,” I look over at him and study the profile of his face. “I’m pretty sure he is the one that pulled the trigger on Talin’s dad.”
Ranger turns to look at me before pulling off the small main road into an empty parking lot. “How sure is pretty sure?” he asks.
I shrug. “I mean he was definitely involved, but I guess short of him confirming it was him, we’ll never know. I didn’t think you guys would appreciate a bloodbath, at least not yet.”
“Explain.”
Groaning, I lean my head back against the seat; this is why I wasn’t going to take any of them with me. I hate having to explain my murder logic.
“I’ve been having Emma run checks on all the law enforcement and first responders in the area. In-depth on those around twenty years ago. She has been checking their financials for dirty money; they’re really not too smart up here. So, she highlighted some things, and that guy got the biggest cash payouts, purchased the most shit, and took the most lavish vacations out of the whole department right after Talin’s dad was killed. I know how payouts work; our guys are just smarter about their money,” I explain and watch as Ranger thinks over the information before agreeing.
“Okay, so who else is on that list?”
“Well, there are a few names from around that time still working in the department, so we should assume they’re dirty. But most current employees are new, been hired over the last ten years, and we’re not going to be able to figure out who is dirty without a little more digging. Emma is on it.”
“You going to take them all out?” Rangers asks, and I smirk to myself.
“Depends on who pisses me off,” I shrug, and Ranger groans.
“Let me ask you something, Love.”
“Okay.”
“What happens if Matthew Shay wasn’t telling the truth when he said Talin’s dad wasn’t dirty? What if he was dirty?” he asks me.
“Someone still killed him, and even if he was dirty, it doesn’t mean these guys on the list are clean. They’re still dirty cops.”
“And you suddenly have a problem with dirty cops?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
I shrug. “Who me? Naw, I like my cops filthy, but only if they’re loyal to me. A dirty cop doesn’t do me any good if he isn’t on my side. I think we already learned that lesson in-depth a few years ago. Wouldn’t you say so?”
Ranger groans and runs his hand down his face. I lean over the center console and plant a kiss on his scruff-covered cheek. As I pull back, Ranger turns to me, clasping my chin in his hand and crashing his lips to mine. I feel his need as he works his mouth over mine.
Climbing over the center console, I settle into his lap. His hands move to grip my waist as he bites my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth before letting it go with a pop and running his tongue over it. He pulls back, and I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder.
“What was that for?” I whisper.
“I just don’t want to lose you,” he sighs and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to his chest.
“You won’t.”
“Morana, we’re in unfamiliar territory here.”
“Pretty sure murder is very familiar territory,” I say with a small chuckle trying to lighten the mood. Ranger doesn’t appreciate it.
I sit up and look into his eyes, worry, and concern cross over his features. Reaching up and cupping his face, I place a soft kiss on his lips.
“Talk to me,” I plead softly. “You might not want to lose me, but I can feel it when you pull away, when you put up your own walls, and Ranger, my fucking heart can’t take it.”
“You do tend to get a little reckless when our loyalty comes into question,” he says softly, probably thinking back to the time they walked out on me, and I went on a suicide mission.
“Not your loyalty, your love,” I whisper, looking down and wringing my hands together in my lap.
Ranger lightly grips my throat and tilts my face up to meet his fierce gaze, “don’t ever fucking question my love for you, that is one thing that never fucking waivers Morana, never. Do you understand me?” he growls.
“Yes,” I respond and lean forward to press a kiss to his lips again.
“We’re here to do something good, to help Talin and Aether. We don’t normally do that. I just don’t want you to get lost trying to be someone you’re not. You’re perfect, Love, and you’re better than you think you are, just do what feels right, okay?” he says, kissing my lips.
“Murder, chaos, destruction. That’s what I’m good at Ranger. I don’t know how to help any other way.”
“Then that’s how we help. You’re here for Talin; Aether is a side effect of that. But you are my priority: not your mother, not Aether, not even Talin. I need you to know that I will not hesitate to pull you out of here and drag your ass back home if I start to lose you,” he says, his voice filled with determination.
“Okay,” I agree.
Both his eyebrows rise in shock. “Okay? Just like that?” he says with a small laugh and a smile pulling at his face.
“Yeah.”
“That’s it; we’re going home.”
“What, why? I’m agreeing with you,” I say, pulling back and throwing my hands up. He just laughs, a deep rumble vibrating through me as his body shakes.
“Because you just agreed with me,” he manages to say between his laughter. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. When he finally stops laughing and wipes tears from his eyes, his hands settle
on my hips.
“You are the most argumentative little thing, and you never just agree,” leaning forward, he kisses my cheek, “I was looking forward to convincing you,” he whispers and grips my hips, grinding up into me.
I smile, and a small moan escapes my lips when he hits just the right spot. “I might need more convincing after all.”
Ranger starts to trail kisses along my jawbone and slips his fingers under my hoodie. As he moves his hands higher up my back, I hear a phone start to ring. He ignores it and continues his path down my neck, roaming his hands over my back and towards my bra. The phone stops ringing and instantly starts up again, but still, we ignore it, taking our time to just be here, just us — like two teenagers fooling around in a car, in an empty parking lot.
He groans, dropping his hands from my body when the phone starts up again, reaching over, he grabs it.
“Yeah,” he growls in a gruff tone and adjusts himself in his pants as I climb back into my seat.
“Out… Yeah, just out…Yeah, we’ll be right there,” he grumbles, and I hear the faint, exasperated tone of Hunter on the other end of the line. “Yeah, well, maybe I wanted to fuck her in the back seat of our rented car,” Ranger grits.
“Aww damn, and we only got to do it in the front seat,” I say loudly, so Hunter is sure to hear me.
Ranger’s lips curve up into a smile as he glances at me, gripping my hand and bringing it to his lips to plant a soft kiss along my knuckles.
“Yeah, such a shame, the backseat looked like a lot of fun, but these front ones lay flat. Did you know that, Hunter?” Ranger teases, “yeah, man, all the way flat, perfect angle for Morana to ride my thick cock as I pull her hair.”
I look at the clock on the dashboard that reads five forty-five in the morning. Ranger chuckles and hangs up the phone, then leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek.
