One dark moment changed my outlook, forced me to see that the easy option wasn’t good enough. Justice isn’t always served. Laws don’t do enough to protect the innocent.
A veil was lifted, and I’ll never see the world the same way again.
I knew what I was going to do the instant Asher gave me his answer. It was the answer I’d suspected he’d give. I’d already known Logan was still a danger to Eden. I couldn’t just set him free. I couldn’t give him the chance to go after her, to attack. That’s how these unrequited situations go down when the one harbouring feelings is a psychopath.
I look down at Logan. I don’t feel any regret. I did what needed to be done. Prevention is always the best cure. Now he won’t get the chance to hurt her.
The no-where town between Rapture and Haleton was abandoned years ago. I bought the garage and installed the cameras for a reason. These sleepy towns have low crime rates, but they aren’t without their appeal for dangerous elements. I check the tapes twice a week to make sure there’s no sign of any passers through deciding to hang around. The track into the part of town with houses in various states of decay is directly in the path of the camera.
So, I wasn’t joking to Logan about the security tape, but I’ve decided I’m not going to report this, so I won’t need it after all. It was really more on the off chance someone caught us before I could dump the body.
I drag Logan off of the road and further into the desert, and push him down a sharp slope where he’ll be hidden from sight of the main road and walkways. The coyotes will take care of him. It’s the perfect place to dump a body. I’d know, because this isn’t my first rodeo. I probably could have left him in the road and no-one would have ever found him. The coyotes would have smelled the blood and come running, they’d have dragged him away.
I kick up dirt over the bloody smear left where his body had lain. I’ll come back later with some cans of soda. That’ll get the stain right off the tarmac. I check my car. It’s clean. He fell too quickly to cover it in blood. I get into the car and call Asher. The line’s engaged so I leave a message.
“It’s done. He’ll be out of your hair by morning.” Breakfast for the coyotes. He’ll be gone before dark.
I sit in the car for a few minutes before I start the engine. I was thinking about Eden when Asher called me, trying to come up with an excuse to see her sooner than the beer festival. It’s been a long time since I felt this way about a woman. It wasn’t just her gorgeous body and that foxy face. Having that conversation with her, the flirting, the easy confession. Something had just clicked.
I don’t know when I became so possessive of a woman I haven’t even kissed yet, but my decisions today had come down to a primal desire to protect her at all costs. Maybe she wasn’t sure if she really wanted a third lover and maybe it would take me a long time to win her over, to convince her she needed one. But she was going to belong to me as much as she did to her other lovers. I could feel it. I wanted it, wanted her, so badly I could taste it.
I put Logan’s gun in my glove box before I head back to Haleton. I know, even if Eden decides not to give me a chance, that I did the right thing.
The asshole had tried to kill Asher. I know what kind of guy Asher is. He might not have spoken to me in years, but some people never change. He’s one of the good guys, and he doesn’t deserve to die at the hands of a lovesick psycho. Particularly not one who was somehow aligned with his ex.
That still bothers me. I’m going to have to come back to Rapture soon. Try to get a chance to speak to Diana. If she’s been working with Logan, I’m sure she’ll be pissed when he vanishes on her.
Eden is safe now, that’s the most important thing. I have no doubts whatsoever that Logan would have turned on her next. He’d done what he had because he wanted her and couldn’t have her. The downward spiral he was on would have led his violent behaviour to her sooner or later.
A woman’s rejection can be triggering. To the right kind of creep.
My hands are tight on the wheel as I drive back to Haleton. I pass the speed limit to get home as fast as possible. I want to wash the day off. I want to hang up my uniform and go to bed.
I want to call Eden, but I don’t have her number. I consider asking Asher for it, but that’s probably bad form. He didn’t mention anything about Eden meeting me. I wonder if he knows. It doesn’t matter right now, but I’ll find out soon enough. She’s out of town. I’ll just have to wait for her to come back.
Chapter Forty-Two
Eden
Cain walks into Nick’s place, his gaze lingering on everything but me. I go straight over and put my hand on his chin, forcing him to look at me. It has the dual effect of letting the Goddess light into him, and getting a load of the guilt in his eyes. I know instantly that he has let himself fall for Kira. He let go of Sky. My heart breaks for my best friend.
“You slept with Kira.”
He frowns at me. “I already told you it was over with Sky. I couldn’t do it anymore. She messed me around too much. Kira’s different.”
“Go tell Todd to check in on Sky.” I move away and join Nick on the couch.
“So he really went with Kira?” He asks once he checks over his shoulder.
The elevator doors have just closed. Todd is in the downstairs hallway. Nick doesn’t like having bodyguards in the same room with us. He claims they put him off his game. I wouldn’t have liked it either, but I’m already considering calling in more security for the house in Rapture. Protecting Nick is going to become my number one priority.
“Seems like it.” Ugh. I can’t imagine what’s going through Skyler’s head right now. I only hope she’s not going off on a bender over this. “Maybe we should go and see her.”
“Maybe we should just catch a flight home tonight.”
“Tonight?” I raise my eyebrows at him.
“I know you’re worried about Sky, but nothing has changed with her, Eden. This is the same old Skyler we’re talking about.”
He’s right, but I don’t have to like it. “Asher said he’d pick us up at the airport tomorrow afternoon. That was the earliest flight we could get.”
His eyes light up. “You have to let me talk to him.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I do?”
“You know you do,” he tells me, leaning in to brush my hair away from my face and plant feather-light kisses on my cheek and neck. His voice drops to a whisper, “I promise not to go straight to the kinky talk, but I’ll make sure he knows I’m open to sharing you in more intimate ways.”
My skin flushes at the thought of it. Ever since Nick started to talk about the three of us being together I know it’s something I want. So, that makes two of us. “Nick, I don’t know...”
“He only needs to have an open mind to consider it,” Nick tells me, gaze locking with mine. “I think he probably has that, Eden. He just needs to get to know me a little, and I just need to make suggestions to see how he feels about it. Think how good it’d be, if he’s into it.”
It would feel amazing to have both of my men at once. I shake my head slowly. “Talk to him, but don’t push him to talk about sex.” I want to see if they can get along. If it can be easy instead of awkward. Then, maybe...
He nods. “Sorry, I have a tendency to get ahead of myself. I can just tell how good it would be. It makes me impatient.”
“Don’t think about it right now.” I unzip his jeans and stroke his straining cock. “We have one last night alone together. Lets not waste it.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Logan
Diana is standing over me when I wake up. My mouth is dry, my skin feels hot. I raise an arm to shield my eyes from the sun.
“Open up, idiot.” She waves a bottle of water in front of me, uncapping it.
I try to sit up and my body protests. I open my mouth and she kneels down beside me, one hand raising my head while the other drips water slowly onto my lips and into my mouth. She sighs wearily as I start to drink.
I would if I could sit up. Aside from my head, and the thirst, I’m not in pain. I close my mouth when I’ve had enough water and Diana lifts the bottle away. Her other hand strokes through my hair before she moves back.
“I suppose you still think I’m a crazy bitch.”
I snort as I try again to sit up. This time I manage, even if I feel slightly woozy with the effort.
“No,” I tell her, clearing my throat and taking the bottle from her when she offers it. My hand shakes as I drink. I gulp it down and gasp out a breath when the bottle is almost empty. I look at her, wondering why I have to get so damned attracted to women I can’t have. “I died. I felt it happen.”
She smiles slowly. “What happened? Was it Asher?”
Asher... “He’s like me. Whatever I am now.” It only makes sense. The Sheriff had spoken about him as if he was still alive, after he tried to tell me to leave town and then decided to shoot me instead. I laugh. It’s fucking hysterical.
She nods. “Now you understand why I’m pissed that you didn’t...”
“You wanted him to wake up trapped. You didn’t want him to claw his way out of the ground and call a damned Sheriff to come and kill me.” It would have been a fate worse than death. This woman is twisted to hell. Why does that make it feel like she’s mine? Sleeping together might have been a mistake. I see the concern in her gaze and I have to wonder. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe we’re going to need to have a talk about what we are to each other. I wonder how she’ll take it. Probably not well. I’d better wait until I can move around without flinching.
She reaches out and touches my face. “I came out here and fended off coyotes for you. I waited for you to wake up for so damned long.”
Oh, she’s feeling what I am. This woman is mine. If she wasn’t she would have left me out here. Would have ‘taken back’ saving my life with her Goddess powers. I get to my feet slowly and she does the same, arm going around my back, helping to steady me. It’s daylight, like it was when he shot me. I know time has to have passed. Hours, at least.
“Another day passed?” I wouldn’t be surprised.
She nods. “It’s strange how long it takes, but at least it’s consistent.”
We stumble-walk up a sharp slope. Every bone in my body aches by the time I lock eyes on the abandoned looking garage the crazy sheriff shot me in front of. My rental car is almost parked in the exact same spot. Diana helps me in and it feels good to finally get out of the stifling heat. My skin feels dry and hot. My lips are cracked. Worse than that, I’m in shock. Who wouldn’t be in these shoes? The whole world just fucking changed under me. I take a breath as my woman passes me another bottle of water.
“Well, now I know.” She isn’t crazy. And I’m apparently invincible.
She smiles as she starts the car. “Now you know.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Asher
As much as I’d missed Eden, her absence had made me realise something important. I woke up that morning with a clear head and a strong desire to put my thoughts into action. Too bad I was going to have to wait. It wouldn’t be time to pick Eden up for hours. I got up and got ready, taking my time.
I visualised it, running through different scenarios. My gut instinct became instilled as I ran through it all. I packed some things and put them in the trunk of my car. Enough for a week. I’d drop the case off at her house before I picked them up.
Sasha appears unexpectedly when I’m going back into the house. I’d left the case for my glasses on the phone table. She raises her eyebrows at me and I know by the stern expression she’s nursing that she has something she wants to bug me about.
“Not the time, Sasha.”
She gapes at me as I come out of the house and almost collide with her before she can step inside. I lock the door and frown at her. “Two people can’t exist in the same spot in time and space. You’re aware of that, right?”
She takes the hint and backs up to give me room. “Asher, there’s something you really need to see.”
I glance at her as she holds up her phone, her shiny pink lips set in a grim line. I have to take it from her to see the image properly.
“I’m sorry, but you needed to know.” She blows out a breath. “It broke my heart to see it.”
It’s like a sign. I have to smile. The primal bullshit I’d been wading through is going away. Seeing Eden kissing Nick doesn’t make me want to break something. Not even a little bit.
“Um, are you okay?” Sasha’s question is quiet. She thinks she just brought me the worst news in the world. There are times when she makes me want to strangle her. This isn’t one of those, but I don’t have the time or the desire to have a heartfelt brother-sister moment right now.
I pass her the phone back. “Sasha, do you think Alan would care if he found out you slept with that stranger?”
She pales. “What? No, I didn’t sleep with that guy, and you can’t tell him that...”
“Not what I’m saying.” I probably shouldn’t try to dance around it anyway. She’ll find out soon enough. The only thing stopping me is wondering what Eden would want. “The point is, he loves you. I love Eden.”
I go to my car. She gasps as she chases after me.
“Asher!” She’s staring at me in shock as I unlock the car. “You can’t just pretend this didn’t happen...”
Okay, I have to tell her. Eden will forgive me later. Going by what she told me on the phone, it’s all going to come out soon anyway. I stop what I’m doing to meet her worried gaze.
“Sasha, Eden’s got another boyfriend.” I smile as her jaw drops. She doesn’t get the chance to reply. I just open the car door and she steps back, shaking her head. “And I’m fine with it,” I add, unable to push down the grin that follows my confession.
My plan is going to show Eden just how fine I am with our situation. I can hardly wait.
Chapter Forty-Five
Eden
Skyler isn’t answering her phone and she’s still ignoring my messages. Cain told me she was fine, that he’d spoken to Todd. She wasn’t drinking. She was just stomping around like a petulant child, apparently. I could believe it. Her moods could get out of control. At least Todd would look after her. I’d paid him to stay on as her bodyguard for a few months. I couldn’t have left without doing something. I just wish it felt like enough.
I’d managed to keep my hair appointment with Izzy, we’d had just enough time for that. She’d stripped out what was left of the blues and pinks and trimmed the split ends. She’d been kind of disappointed that I didn’t want anything more elaborate but I really didn’t have the time or the presence of mind to think of something new to try. I wasn’t going back on tour or anything so it didn’t matter so much anyway. Unsurprisingly, Sky didn’t show up.
The flight back home with Nick was a lot more eventful than my solo venture on the way to L.A. I was still a little flustered from our encounter as we disembarked. I checked my phone as I switched it back on, heart sinking as I realised I still hadn’t heard anything from Skyler. She really wasn’t talking to me now.
“Still worried about Sky?” Nick asks as we head to the car park.
“How did you guess?”
He smiles at me. “You keep checking your phone.”
“She still isn’t talking to me.” She probably blames me for hiring Cain to work for her. If I hadn’t, this whole situation wouldn’t have spiralled out of control. She wouldn’t have kissed Lawson to make him jealous, and Cain wouldn’t have ended up going home with Kira.
“She’ll get over it.”
I sigh. I know he’s right, but I can’t help the unsettled feeling in my gut. Cupid’s words are sticking with me. I need to find others to help since Sky is going to take time. I wonder how long I have before I’m at risk of destroying myself and becoming mortal. I’ve been looking out for people to help, but so far all I’ve come across are happily married people or some who just don�
�t seem to want or need love. Everyone’s different. It’s only my current predicament that makes me wish otherwise.
“Asher drives a BMW?” He seems impressed as we walk to the car.
“He’s always been into cars,” I say, smiling when Asher gets out and pops the trunk for our bags.
Nick puts them away as I greet Asher with a chaste kiss. Asher smiles at me.
“I’ve missed you,” he tells me, the warmth in his voice enough to melt me inside.
The trunk closes and Nick comes around. I suddenly don’t know what to do. Should I sit in the back to give them a chance to talk? I feel my face begin to heat. Damn. This is still awkward. No, it’s worse than awkward now, because of the deviant thoughts Nick has put into my head about having them both at once.
“Nice ride,” Nick says.
“Thanks,” Asher says.
There doesn’t seem to be as much tension between them as there had been the first time they met. I hope that’s a good sign. I slip to the back door and get inside. Decision made. Nick takes the passenger seat. Once we’re all in, I meet Asher’s eyes in the rear view mirror and I wonder if he can tell just how squirmy I am right now.
Why did Nick have to make me want a threesome so damned badly? Asher’s lips twitch and it’s an easy smile he gives me in the mirror. That helps. It also helps that I can’t really hear what the two of them are talking about up front. The radio is on low. They’re talking cars, at least to begin with; a shared passion, I suppose. I hear Nick mention the club.
We get to the house and I’m more relaxed. I feel happier around both of them, I just wish it didn’t feel a little weird at the same time. I nod at my security guard as I head to the door. He doesn’t come towards us. Nick gets the bags from the trunk and we go inside.
Wild Hearts (Rock Goddess Reverse Harem Book 2) Page 17