by S. E. Smith
He unlocked the door, opened it, and slid inside. It was a long way back to Yachats and the weather was going to make it a bitch of a drive. He reached out to pull the door shut.
He jumped when a hand stopped him. The sarcastic retort on his lips died when Austin’s face filled the narrow gap. His eyes widened in shock and his body recoiled when he heard a couple of loud pops, and an intense wave of fire burned through his side.
“Wh—why?” he mouthed.
“We can’t have you spoiling our fun, now can we?” Austin said.
Hannibal was vaguely aware of Austin pushing against his shoulder. It didn’t take much to knock him sideways. Blood pooled in his mouth. The bullets had ripped through his lungs. A small amount dribbled out onto the stained cloth of his bench seat.
The cold outside was nothing compared to the cold that was sweeping over his body now. Each breath he tried to pull in became more difficult. Hannibal finally realized he was drowning in his own blood. With his last bit of strength, he pressed his thumb down on the alarm button located on the key fob.
His eyes glazed over and the key fob fell to the floorboard of his truck. The horn and lights of his truck lit the foggy parking lot like a lighthouse beacon. He weakly reached out with a bloody finger and touched a piece of paper that was taped to his dash.
His finger slid down, leaving a red-stained smear. He was barely conscious as he shuddered one last time before he felt nothing at all. His unseeing eyes were locked on the single name taped to his dash under the radio—Ashure Waves.
Tonya breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the turnoff for the driveway of Mike’s house. Her shoulders ached from the tense drive through winding roads with virtually zero visibility. She still didn’t know how Ashure had seen the deer crossing the road up ahead of them in time for her to avoid it.
She slid the gearshift into park and softly groaned when she reached for the key. Ashure reached over and turned off the ignition. She gave him an exhausted smile and laid the side of her head on the steering wheel.
“You should have let me drive,” he tenderly admonished.
She barely nodded her head. “You can tell me I’m too stupid to live after you help me out of the car. I think my muscles have frozen,” she tiredly teased.
“Ah, my little stubborn love, you are breaking my heart,” he said, caressing her cheek.
“A successful diversion from an ‘I-told-you-so lecture’, then,” she muttered, barely able to keep her eyes open.
She wondered if she could just stay in the car all night. It wouldn’t be the first time. Her body literally felt like it was made of wet, limp noodles.
A soft moan slipped from her when her car door opened and the icy moisture from the fog swirled inside the warm interior. Fortunately, the cold air helped to clear enough of the fog from her brain so that she had the energy to sit back and release her seat belt. She leaned into Ashure’s body when he bent over and slid his arm around her waist.
He kept her steady as they walked up the short walkway to the steps leading into the house. He unlocked the front door and turned on the light. Thankfully, Mike had installed one of those smart thermostats, and she had turned up the heat before they left Portland. The house was blissfully warm.
“I can make it from here,” she wearily said, pulling off her scarf and hat.
“I’ll get our luggage out of the car,” he chuckled.
“I’m good,” she said with a flippant wave of her hand.
She carefully shrugged out of her jacket, mindful of her injured arm. The thought of soaking in the huge garden tub overruled her desire to fall into bed. She hung her jacket, scarf, and hat on the hooks by the door.
Rotating her arm, she moaned when the muscles in her shoulders protested. What she needed was a long hot bath with Epsom salt. She walked unsteadily through the house and down the hall to her bedroom.
She heard the front door open and close behind her. The sound of a thump and Ashure’s low curse echoed through the house. Perhaps it was time to invest in a new carry-on. It was either that or another repair session with duct tape. The handle on hers had a tendency to come loose.
She kicked off her shoes as she padded through her bedroom. Turning on the light, she dimmed it until a soft glow illuminated the bathroom. She sat down on the edge of the tub, turned on the water, and added a little Epsom Salt. She held her hand under the faucet until the water was the perfect temperature.
I shouldn’t have sat down, she thought as a huge wave of fatigue flooded her.
She sat there mindlessly staring at the rising water level. The thought of standing up and getting undressed was almost too much for her tired mind and body. She looked up when Ashure stepped into the bathroom.
“I wish I could blame how tired I am on the drive home or getting shot, but in reality it is my own fault,” she said in a weary voice.
He laughed. “I told you that you needed your sleep, and I should return to my bed of torture in MJ’s room,” he teased.
“Since when did sex get to be so exhausting?” she complained.
He leaned over her, turned off the water, then pressed a tender kiss to her lips before he answered her, “Since you met me,” he playfully informed her.
“Braggart,” she muttered.
He chuckled and knelt in front of her. “Let me undress you,” he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face.
“Ashure,” she whispered, leaning closer to him.
He shook his head. “Let me take care of you,” he said and kissed her again.
She remained still as he unbuttoned her blouse and slid it off her shoulders. He carefully pulled the sleeve from her injured arm. Her eyelashes fluttered when he leaned forward and kissed her arm above the waterproof bandage that he had placed over the stitches.
“I like the way you take my clothes off,” she murmured.
He chuckled and pulled her to her feet. She watched as he unfastened the button of her jeans and pulled the zipper down. There was something seriously hot about his slow, methodical undressing of her.
She placed her hand on his shoulder and stepped out of her pants and panties. He pulled each sock off while she still had her foot in the air. He stood, and she turned around so that he could unfasten her bra. The lacy scrap of material landed on top of the rest of her discarded clothing.
She held his hand and stepped over the side of the tub. Surprise swept through her when he waved his hand and her hair swirled up into a bun. She lifted her hand to touch it. There was an ornate clip holding the strands in place.
“Thank you,” she said as she sank down into the warm water with a moan of pleasure.
“You are not making my chivalry easy, love,” he murmured.
She waved her hand with a haughty flourish in the air before she closed her eyes and leaned back with a smile.
“I wish I could stay here all night,” she said with a sigh of contentment.
“You would be all shriveled and—” he started to say before he gave her a charming smile when she shot him a one-eyed glare of warning, “—beautiful.”
“Totally,” she quipped.
She parted her lips on a sigh when he tenderly ran the washcloth over her shoulder and arm. If her body hadn’t felt like it was weighted down with lead, she would have pulled him over the side into the tub with her. Of course, that didn’t mean she couldn’t do all of that in her mind.
“Mm, lower please,” she instructed, raising her hips and spreading her legs.
“You should have warned me that you enjoyed torture,” he teased.
“I relish it,” she replied in a haughty, simpering tone.
She softly growled in disapproval when he suddenly halted his tender, loving ministrations. When she cracked an eyelid open, she understood why. She opened her other eye and watched with appreciation as he removed his clothes.
“To do this properly, I really should be closer, my Lady,” he reasoned.
“Oh yeah, now you’re talking royal treatment,” she
replied with a happy sigh.
She scooted forward, giving him enough room to slide in behind her. He released a moan of pleasure as he sank down. She wriggled backwards, and he lifted her up so that she was sitting partially on his thighs. The water was now dangerously close to the top of the tub, causing some of it to drain through the overflow.
“If we aren’t careful, we’re going to cause some major waves,” she groaned when he slid his hands around and cupped her breasts.
“That is what mops are for—and I know from personal experience that you have a very large one,” he said.
“Well, in that case, I guess this means surf’s up, dude,” she breathed.
23
Two days later, Tonya hummed under her breath as she pulled the last pan of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. She had woken up this morning craving some. She had the same craving a week before but never got around to making them. When she saw the package of cookie dough in the refrigerator as she was pulling out the milk for her cereal, she almost groaned with delight.
The sound of a knock on the door made her frown. Max, Angela, and her siblings weren’t expected in until tomorrow, and as far as she knew, they weren’t expecting any visitors. Turning off the oven, she placed the hot cookie sheet on the stove, pulled off her oven mitts, and placed them on the counter.
She glanced down the hallway. Ashure was trying to repair her broken suitcase. From the sound of his muttered curses, the suitcase was winning.
Maybe some chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven will heal his wounded pride, she thought with amusement.
She opened the door as the knocking started again and looked at Dan with a surprised expression that turned to curiosity when she saw two more deputies standing near the top of the stairs. Returning her attention to Dan, she gave him a wary smile.
“Hi Dan, I take it this isn’t a social visit,” she said in greeting.
Dan shook his head. “Do you mind if we come in, Tonya?” he asked.
She studied his grim expression. “How about I come out,” she suggested.
He reached out and held the door when she started to close it to get her jacket on. She stiffened and looked at him again. The two men behind him were now holding their guns in their hands.
“I have a warrant, Tonya. It would go a lot easier if you step aside and let us in,” Dan advised.
Anger shot through her. “I know better than that, Dan. I’d like to see the warrant so that I know what I’m about to be charged with. Once I’ve read it, I’d like to call my attorney. I do believe I have those rights, don’t I?” she snapped.
“The warrant isn’t for you. It’s for—” Dan was saying before he cut off the rest of his sentence.
“Tonya. I hate to tell you this, but I might have completely ruined your—Ah, if it isn’t the delightful Deputy Dan,” Ashure sarcastically muttered.
“Put your hands up, Ashure. You are under arrest for the murder of Hannibal Grumby,” Dan ordered, pointing his gun at Ashure.
Tonya gasped and swiveled to look at Ashure. He slowly lifted his hands in the air. He was still holding pieces of her carry-on bag. She shook her head. This was crazy!
“Dan, that’s impossible. Ashure didn’t kill anybody!” she hotly exclaimed.
One of the deputies grabbed her by the arms. She cried out in pain when his fingers dug into her injured arm. Ashure’s eyes flared with fury. He dropped the pieces of luggage and stepped forward.
“Freeze! Get down on the floor,” Dan ordered.
Ashure turned his attention to Dan. “Tell your man to release Tonya, or I will not be responsible for what happens to any of you,” he hissed in a deep voice.
“What the fuck?” Dan breathed out.
Tonya could see what Dan did. Ashure’s body was shimmering—literally shimmering—with a soft golden hue. His silver eyes glowed, and a long sword had materialized in his hand. She had never seen him like this before. Cautiously, she reached for him.
“Ashure,” she said.
“Drop the weapon!” the officer next to Dan shouted.
“Ashure, do as they say,” she implored.
“Release Tonya, and I will do as you request,” he said, not looking at anyone but her.
“Release her and step away,” Dan hoarsely ordered.
Tonya gingerly held her throbbing injured arm and stared at Ashure with frightened eyes. He lifted his chin and raised his now empty hands. She heard the deputy next to her mutter a strangled curse.
She felt like her heart was breaking when Ashure slowly went down on his knees. Dan nodded to the deputy standing beside him to handcuff Ashure’s wrists behind his back. She crossed her arms in front of her as Dan read Ashure his rights and asked him if he understood them.
The two deputies helped Ashure back onto his feet. She moved to the side when they led him toward the door. Tears of fury burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away.
She lifted her chin and stared defiantly back at Dan. The man had crossed the line from being a prick to pissing her off. She tightened her lips into a line of disapproval when Dan stopped in front of her.
“What the hell is going on, Tonya?” Dan demanded.
“Go fuck yourself, Dan,” she hissed in response.
He stared at her for a moment before he shook his head and walked out of the door. She stood rigid, unsure of what to do. Then she searched her back pocket for her cell phone. She pulled it out and looked out of the open front door as she pressed Max’s name and waited.
“What did you forget?” Max greeted in a cheerful voice.
“Max—Max, I need you and Angela,” she whispered in a voice thick with tears.
“What happened? Are you safe?” Max demanded.
She nodded before she realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I’m safe. Max, they arrested Ashure for murder,” she choked out.
“We’ll be there in—four hours. Don’t talk to anyone, Tonya. Did they read Ashure his rights?” Max asked.
She could hear his muffled voice as he spoke to Angela. “Yes, but—he won’t know what that means, Max,” she said.
“I’ll call. We are heading out the door. We’ve got to drop the kids off with Angela’s parents. Hang in there, honey. We know he didn’t kill anyone,” he said.
“I know. There’s one more thing,” she said.
“What?”
She took a deep breath before she spoke. “He might have gone a little supernatural on them,” she said.
“Holy shit! Okay, we’ll deal with that—somehow. Four hours, honey, max! We’ll be there sooner if we can,” Max promised.
“Thank you,” she sniffed.
“We love you, Snoop,” he said before ending the call.
She was torn about what to do. The thought of Ashure locked up for even a minute was horrifying. This wasn’t a simple driving without a license issue—this was murder.
She shivered when an icy wind blew through the door. Making a decision, she shut the door and hurried back to her room. She pulled on a long, oversized sweater, slipped her boots on, and picked up her purse. At the front door, she grabbed her jacket, scarf, and hat.
When she opened the door, she stopped in shock when she saw Austin Evers and another man standing outside. Irritation flared inside her. How the hell had he found out where she lived?
“I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to talk right now,” she stated in a clear, cold tone.
Austin laughed. She backed up when he ignored her comment and stepped closer. She put her hand out to stop him. She cried out in surprise when he grabbed her wrist and painfully twisted her arm behind her back.
“I think you’ll have plenty of time to talk to us now that your boyfriend is out of the way,” Austin replied.
Austin grabbed her injured arm and almost jerked her off her feet. She couldn’t contain her cry of pain, and she fell back against him. Her breath was coming in small gasps as she tried to contain her fear.
“Who t
he hell do you think you are?” she rasped out between clenched teeth.
Austin leaned down next to her ear. “You could say that we’re old friends of Ashure’s,” he murmured before he ran his tongue up her neck.
Ashure drummed his fingers on the table in the small room. The metal cuffs that the deputy had placed on his wrists lay on the table beside him. The metal rings had been uncomfortable, so he had removed them. He sat back when the door opened, and Dan walked in with a file in his hand.
“What the—who uncuffed you?” Dan demanded, looking behind him.
“I did. They were extremely irritating,” Ashure replied.
Dan swallowed and stared back at him as if unsure of what to do next. Ashure motioned to the chair across from him with a raised eyebrow. Dan hesitated before he stepped into the room and closed the door.
“First, you aren’t supposed to take the handcuffs off. That can get you into more serious trouble. I want you to keep your hands on the table at all times. Second, you have the right to an attorney before we speak. If you want, I can recommend a few here in town,” Dan explained.
“I have no need for your barrister. Horrible people to deal with if you ask me. They are always messing up simple negotiations with their strange language and demands, which is why I much prefer to take care of the matters on my own,” he stated with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Dan warily stepped back from the table. Ashure sighed when he saw that Dan’s eyes were glued to his hands. He sat forward and placed his palms flat on the table.
“Ah, yes, hands on the table. I forgot,” he added.
“Okay, I received a call from the Oregon Sheriff’s Department. They are searching for you in connection with the death of Hannibal Grumby. Did you know him?” Dan asked, sitting down across from him.
Ashure watched Dan open the folder he was holding and withdraw a photograph. It was a picture of Hannibal. It was obvious the man was deceased. Regret flashed through him. He should have known better than to ask a human to search for the lost soul.
“Yes, I knew him,” he replied.