by Hamel, B. B.
“Lots of businesses here,” Fox points out. “And Dean has a hand in all of them.”
“I need something,” I ask, starting to feel desperation shove its way through.
Fox watches me carefully, lips pursed before nodding thoughtfully. “There’s a house. This young woman’s father talked about it a few times, actually.”
I glance at Allie and back to Fox. “Where is it?”
“Edge of town, south side. It’ll be in that old neighborhood, Pine Breeze, I think it’s called. The house itself apparently looks abandoned from the outside…. But it’s not.”
I nod slowly. “I know that neighborhood.”
“That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know what you’ll find.”
“That’s more than enough.” I slide my stool back. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me,” Fox says, looking at his glass again. “Just repay me one day.”
I go very still. “I’m not killing anymore,” I say softly.
Fox smiles to himself. “No, no killing. But one day I might want something from you and I hope you’ll be willing to help.”
I stare at the old man for a long moment before nodding. “We’ll see.”
“Good luck, Rowan. And good luck, Allie.”
I turn away from Fox, take Allie by the arm, and lead her away from the bar. We exit and get into the truck as fast as we can and we’re on the road just moments later.
I let out a breath like I’ve been holding it this whole time. Allie stares at me.
“What now?” she asks.
“Now we’ve got a lead,” I say. “Whether it pans out or not…”
She’s quiet for a second. “I didn’t like him.”
“I didn’t either.”
“Creepy.”
“Yeah. Very creepy.”
She shivers a little bit and I take her hand. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I clear my throat. “If there are drugs at that house, we’ll find them and we’ll use them against Fish.”
“How?”
I grin at her. “Still trust me?”
“I still trust you.”
“Good.” I glance down at her breasts and I feel that hunger rise up inside of me. “Now I’d better get you back to the motel before I do something stupid.”
“Like what?” she asks.
“You’ll see.” I hit the gas and hurry back to the room.
11
Allie
I’m worried on the drive back to the motel. I wish we were going to his cabin but I know we can’t do that anymore.
I keep seeing that man’s horrifying grin as he comes closer to me. I keep feeling his hand on my wrist, bending it back, knocking the knife away. I was so powerless and pathetic and weak and I wish I could go back in time. I’d do something, anything. I’d fight him, at least.
But he held a gun to my head. I can’t be too upset about that. Anyone would’ve listened to him and gone along with what he wanted. Nobody’s brave enough to test a gun held to their head.
I just hate feeling powerless. I’m so tired of feeling powerless and pathetic. I’ve felt like that for so long because of my father, but he’s gone now.
Rowan parks the truck and kills the engine. He looks at me and I can see that glint in his eyes. I follow his gaze as it tracks down my chest and I know what he’s thinking. I can feel it too, beating through my blood, making my pussy turn wet between my legs.
“Even after all this, you still distract me,” he growls as he leans across the cab.
“You should keep your eyes to yourself,” I say playfully.
He growls with a little grin on his lips and grabs my hair, pulling me toward him. We kiss hard and quick, his tongue grazing along mine. I love his taste and the way he takes what he needs even if it’s wrong or messed up. I love how free he is and I crave more of it.
He gets out of the truck and I follow him, hurrying to keep up. My heart’s beating fast and I know what’s waiting for me up in that room.
He unlocks the door and flings it open, turning back to me. He pulls me against him and kisses me again. We stumble back into the room and the door slams shut behind us as I stumble up against the bed and tumble down on it, my hair spilling out around me.
He growls and unbuckles his belt. “Even when shit’s going wrong, you still look delicious,” he says. “Even when everything’s fucked, I still want a taste of you.” He takes his belt off and doubles it over, smacking his hand with it.
“What are you going to do with that?” I ask him, biting my lip.
He bends down and kneels in front of me. I watch him take my jeans off followed by my panties. He’s not wasting any time when he dips his fingers between my legs and teases my already soaked pussy.
He lets out a soft little grunt. “Look at you,” he says as I purr my pleasure. “You’re already dripping. You knew this was coming, didn’t you?”
“I keep thinking about it.”
“I bet you do. You keep thinking about my big cock between your legs.”
“I keep thinking about riding it,” I moan.
I feel his tongue between my legs then, lapping me up like a starving man. He licks every inch of me, licks from bottom to top. He sucks and teases my clit and I gasp, rolling my hips, arching my back.
He reaches up and rips the top of my Henley open. Two buttons pop off, rolling onto the floor. He pulls it wide and palms my breasts, kissing my chest before pulling the Henley up and off. It hits the floor with the rest of my clothes, quickly followed by my bra.
I’m naked under his hands so fast I barely even realize it. I can’t believe how comfortable I feel being naked around him. I guess it helps when his hands are all over my skin, his lips kissing mine, his palms and fingers teasing my breasts and pussy.
I moan into his kiss before he grabs my hips and rolls me over. I gasp when he spanks my ass with his belt.
“Rowan,” I moan.
He chuckles, a dark thing. He spreads my ass open and licks me top to bottom, making me moan again. The pain from the belt slowly ebbs as his tongue works its magic. He sinks his fingers deep inside my pussy.
And spanks my ass with his belt again.
I gasp as pleasure and pain mix. He does it again and again. He’s not hitting me with the belt too hard, but hard enough to make it sting as his fingers slide deeper and faster. I groan, confused and loving every minute of it.
He licks me again, tonguing my ass up and down. I clench the bedspread when he slaps my ass one more time. I’m going to have a welt there, I just know it, but I don’t have time to think before he turns me onto my back and kisses me.
I can taste myself on his tongue. I reach forward and unbutton his jeans. He pulls them off, kicking them aside, followed by his boxer briefs. I sit up and take his massive cock in my hands, stroking him up and down and staring into his eyes.
“Look at you, pretty girl,” he whispers. “So fucking sexy. You’re ready to taste me whenever I want, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I whisper, half moan.
“I know it,” he says. “I know what you need, and you need this.”
He pushes me onto my back and pulls me to the edge of the bed. He spreads my legs wide and slowly sinks his cock deep inside my tight little pussy.
I gasp as he glides inside. I’m so wet he sinks in easily, like he’s not enormous and stretching me to pieces. I moan and roll my hips as he starts to fuck me, palming my breasts. He leans forward and kisses me as he grinds his big cock deep inside my tight little cunt.
I moan into his kiss. God, he feels amazing. I feel like I’m being stretched apart and it’s like heaven. I love the way his muscles flex, so hard and strong. I love the taste of him, the feel of him, the way he fucks me however he wants. I love the way he makes me feel.
He thrusts faster, making my breasts bounce. He growls and I can feel his eyes taking in my body. I love the way he looks at me like I’m the most be
autiful thing he’s ever seen in his life.
“You’re a goddamn prize,” he whispers in my ear. “You’re a perfect fucking prize.”
“You think you won me?” I whisper back.
“No. I think I took you and now I’m going to keep you.”
I moan as he fucks me harder. He rips into me, taking me like an animal. I gasp and dig my fingernails into his back but that doesn’t slow him down at all. He growls and tears into me, deep rough thrusts riding hard and fast between my legs, his enormous cock rock hard and stretching me wide.
He grunts and pulls back. He drags me on top of him and makes me ride his cock. I love sinking back down along his shaft. I love feeling him slowly fill me up. I love the way he looks at me, right into my eyes as I rock my hips and ride his huge dick up and down, tits bouncing.
He palms my breasts and sucks my nipples as I ride him faster. I’m so ripe right now and I know I’m getting close. I groan into his ear and ride him faster, faster, sweat starting to roll down my skin from the hard work. This is what I need, what I dream of, what I live for.
He growls and slaps my ass, right where he hit me with the belt. I moan in pleasure and pain as I bear down on him and ride him faster. His thick cock is spreading me wide but I don’t stop, breasts bouncing, skin on fire with pleasure and pain.
“Come on, girl,” he whispers, spanking me again. “You think you know what it means to hurt?”
“Fuck, Rowan,” I moan back.
“You have no clue. Ride that big fucking cock. Ride it like your life depends on it. I want to feel how bad you want me sunk deep inside that tight little cunt of yours.”
I moan and gasp his name as I ride back and push hard with my legs. I’m riding him rough and deep using my back and ass, and god, it feels so good. I feel so alive, my body on fire with pleasure and pain as he slaps my round ass again.
He growls and rips me off him. He pushes me forward, on his knees behind me, pushing me down onto the bed. He grabs my wrists and holds them behind my back as he fucks me deep from behind, his cock rocking into my pussy.
I let him take me. I let him fuck me rough and hard and deep and all I need or want is to moan his name over and over again. “Rowan,” I pant. “Oh, god, Rowan. Fuck me, you asshole. Fuck me.”
He rips into my pussy, growling and groaning. We’re sweating and fucking and god, I’m so close I can taste it.
“Come for me, you bad fucking girl,” he gasps, slapping my ass. He releases my wrists and pulls my hair. “Come on my big fat cock. Show me how bad you need it.”
I gasp and moan his name and slide back. I feel him reach around my hip to rub a finger along my clit and that’s all I need.
I come in a burst of pleasure. It explodes through me like lightning. I can barely breathe as it overtakes me and my body goes into spasms.
He’s relentless as he fucks me through it. He’s an animal taking what he wants and my pussy is his meal. I can’t move or do anything but come, over and over again, and he doesn’t stop for one second.
Until I feel him fill me up. I feel his cum before I hear him groan in that way he does. Rowan fucks me and comes inside of me and I’m his, every inch of me is his, his, his.
When we’re finished, we collapse onto the bed together. I curl up against him, breathing heavy and sweating and feeling so alive.
“That’s right,” he whispers, kissing me softly. “We’ll be okay.”
He holds me and I believe him. I know he’s right. I know everything is going to be fine, just so long as I keep him close.
I stay in his arms and I don’t want to go anywhere.
12
Rowan
The truck rolls slowly into the Pine Breeze neighborhood and I feel my stomach do turns.
I’m never nervous like this on a fucking hit. I glance over at Allie and I feel that twisting in my gut again. I almost let out a growl of frustration but I stifle it, shoving it aside.
I push everything aside. I refuse to think about Allie or my fears or what might go wrong. I have to stay focused on this right here and now.
She’s depending on me.
“You stay in the truck,” I say to her.
“Okay,” she answers immediately.
“I’m serious. I can’t have you sneaking in behind me.”
“I won’t.”
I glance at her. “That’s what you said last time.”
“I promise.”
I sigh. “I believe you,” I say, even though I don’t. I just don’t have another choice.
We roll slowly down the street. It’s an older neighborhood with a narrow lane. The houses are all more or less the same, single-story buildings with wide windows. Some of them have clearly been expanded with dormers and additions and all that, but mostly they’re exactly the same.
The neighborhood’s pretty diverse. Some houses are well kept and others are, well… not so much. As we get deeper in, more and more houses look like they don’t care much for basic home maintenance.
“Which one is it?” Allie whispers.
“I’m not sure,” I say, scanning the facades. “It could almost be any one of them.”
“He said it’s abandoned.”
“True, but look at these places.”
She lets out a little sigh. “Good point. Still, they don’t look empty. They have cars in their driveways.”
I grunt at that. “Okay. So we’re looking for one without cars.”
We roll onward, passing house after house. It’s after two in the morning and there’s nobody else around at all. I have my lights off and I’m navigating by the dim streetlights, but as we keep going, more and more of the lights are completely out. I pray that some stupid teenagers aren’t playing in the street right now or something.
We keep going and my eyes are peeled for a run-down house with no cars out front. As we turn a corner, I hear Allie take in a sharp breath.
“Rowan,” she says, nodding out her window.
I follow her gaze to her side of the street. Sure enough, sandwiched between two of the more kept houses on this stretch is a house with long messy grass, tape over the front door, boards in the window, and no cars parked anywhere near it.
I keep driving past it. I park a little ways down, far enough away that it’s not suspicious but close enough that I can run back to the truck if I need to. I turn to Allie and watch her carefully for a second while she cranes her neck to stare back at the house.
“This is going to be simple,” I say softly. “You just stay here. I’ll take some pictures and get out.”
She looks back at me. “Should I leave the engine running?”
I shake my head. “Too suspicious. Just keep the lights off and your head down. I’ll be back in a half hour, and if I’m not, head back to the room. Grab what you need and leave town.” I give her a long, poignant look that I hope she actually listens to. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she says.
I sigh and slip out from the driver’s door. I check to make sure my Glock is loaded and ready before slipping it back into the waistband of my dark jeans. Allie hands me the camera that was sitting on the floor at her feet.
I nod at her once and head off, the digital camera in my hands. It’s not an expensive thing and pretty slim but it’ll take decent enough pictures in a dark place.
I slip down the block and toward the house. It’s totally quiet and there are no lights on in either of the houses flanking my target. I move around toward the back, figuring there’s no way they come in and out the front.
Sure enough, the gate to the backyard is wide open and the back door seems intact but without tape. I walk over to it and try the knob, but it’s locked.
I sigh. Of course it’s locked.
I slip a lockpick set from my jeans and get to work. It takes me five minutes to pick the top bolt and the handle lock. When I’m done, I slip inside and shut the door quietly behind me.
I take a deep breath and instantly regret it. The smell of rotten foo
d instantly hits my nostrils along with another acidic taste I can’t instantly place. I resist my gag reflex and take a second to get my bearings.
I’m in a small kitchen. There’s a table on my right covered with glass vials, a scale, baggies, and other random detritus and trash. To my left are the kitchen counters and sink. The stovetop is full of pots and pans but each of them has a burnt and heavily used look, like they’re cooking something in them over and over. The sink is filled with dishes and that’s where the rotten smell is coming from.
I sigh a little and slip through the room. I pause to take a picture of the stuff on the table, making sure I get the scale and the baggies.
At least I know I’m in the right place.
I head through and into the next room. I think it was the living room at one point, but there’s no furniture at all. There’s a TV on the floor in the corner, but that’s the only nod toward actual humans using this space. Otherwise it’s full of boxes, trash, and more drug paraphernalia. There are pipes, needles, baggies, and even pill bottles scattered around. It looks like this place is used by junkies as much as by fucking dealers.
I pick my way through, taking pictures. I stop by one of the cardboard boxes and pry open the top. Inside are big plastic freezer bags full of what looks like quartz crystals.
“Oh, you fucking piece of shit,” I mutter to myself.
Fish is cooking and selling fucking meth.
What a piece of shit. I don’t know why this hits me so hard. I expected heroin or cocaine or even just a bunch of fucking weed, but meth just feels even more fucked up. I clench my jaw and take a few more pictures before moving on.
I head down a back hall and toward the bedrooms. The bathroom door straight ahead is ajar and it looks filthy. I steer clear of it and peek my head into the first room.
There’s a mattress and clothes on the floor along with empty fast food wrappers and plastic cups. I stare into the room for a second before I realize that there’s a person lying on the mattress, clearly fast asleep.