by J Bree
I make my way over to the bed. Byrne is a handsome enough sort of man, if you're into middle-aged Irishmen. He’s sleeping on his back, his snores louder than Blaise’s and way more fucking irritating.
The bed is a Cal King and there’s a huge divide between him and his wife. The universe must be working in my favor today because his wife has an eye-mask and earplugs in. The snoring coming out of Byrne’s mouth isn't actually that bad but apparently it’s unbearable for his wife.
I fill the needle with the liquid in the vial, silent because I've done this so many times I can't even count, and then I slip the empty vial into my pocket.
I have one chance to get the needle into his neck and the liquid in his system without waking his wife. I don't have any plans to kill her, I'm sure with the way this man treats his daughter that his wife is just as badly mistreated, but if she wakes during this it will force my hand.
I motion for Harley and he gets into position. I slow my breathing down so I am completely ready and then I slap my hand over his mouth and punch the needle into his neck at the same time, shooting the drug straight into his bloodstream. Harley grabs both of his arms and holds him to the bed.
His eyes open but the drug is faster.
GHB is a magical thing. While it takes 10 seconds for the entire body to grow slack, it only takes three seconds for his arms to stop struggling. There is nothing he can do.
Once I know it's taken enough of an effect, that he's awake and aware and completely unable to fight back, I move my hand away from his face. Harley lets go and takes a step back as well.
I stare down into his eyes so he can see his own death in them, then I lean forward until my lips are an inch away from his ear.
"No one touches the Wolf.”
And then I slit his throat.
Harley texts Ash to drive past and grab us.
I could have made the kill cleaner, less of a total bloodbath, but now I’m playing tit-for-tat with the Jackal, every blood soaked crime scene counts. Blaise climbs into the front and Harley shepherds me into the back, then climbs in after me.
Thank fuck the Cadillac has leather seats.
Ash meets my eyes in the mirror and I give him a calm nod, trying to push down the adrenaline of the kill. Everything went well, I’m a fucking professional after all, and then he pulls the car back onto the road. I look down at myself and sigh. I guess Avery is going to have fun replacing more of my wardrobe.
I peel my shirt from my body, more gore than material.
Harley pulls his shirt off and hands it to me to wipe some of the blood from my face. I try to swallow, my mouth dry as fuck at the sight of his bare chest, and croak out a, “Thank you.”
Between rumble of the engine under my thighs, the warm leather caressing my back, and the dark stain in Harley’s eyes as he searches every inch of my skin for damage, my chest starts to heave and fuck, I want him. I want to fuck him so bad, the adrenaline of the kill riding me hard, pushing me to fuck or fight.
“How long until we get back to school?” I ask, the need for sex drenching my tone. Ash glances over his shoulder and whatever he sees in his eyes makes his own flare.
“An hour, Mounty. You’ll have to wait.”
I whimper.
I honest-to-fucking-god whimper.
The sound decimates Harley’s control.
“Fuck that.” He snarls, and tears his seat belt off, hauling me into his lap and crushing our lips together.
My hands tangle in his hair, smearing a trail of bright red wherever my skin brushes his, and I bite his lip, desperate and raw. Harley grunts and pulls my hips in until he can grind his dick into me. But I don’t want a mindless grinding induced orgasm in the back of a speeding car.
I want to fuck him until I can’t breathe. I want desperate and rough and hard, and I want it the fuck now. Harley grunts into the kiss when my hands start to tug and pull at his jeans, desperate and empty without him.
I glance over my shoulder at Blaise and he gets on board with my plan real fucking quick. It’s a tight squeeze for him to fit between the seats but what he lacks in space he makes up for in enthusiasm.
“Try not to come on my seats, Arbour.” Blaise drawls, but it’s a heady sound and I shiver. I’ve gotten blood all over them, isn’t that worse? Harley smirks at me, loving every inch of my damage lighting up my skin until I’m on fire from his touch.
“I’ll pay for a cleanup, fuck it, I’ll get it reupholstered. Get a new one, set this one on fire, just fucking bill me for it,” Harley grunts as I get his pants down enough to free his dick and then I stare down at my booty shorts with utter contempt. How the actual fuck am I going to get them off without kicking someone in the dick?
Blaise laughs at me, reaching over and hooking his fingers into the fabric of the crotch and tugging until it splits. Harley groans and does the same to the delicate lace, and then I slam myself down onto his dick, filling myself up and losing myself in the stretch.
Fuck.
Yes.
Harley grunts and fists my hair, tugging me into a blistering kiss. The noise that I make is fucking embarrassing but these guys have seen me at my worst, at my writhing, shaking, screaming worst, so having them know just how much I fucking worship their dicks is nothing really. I get a few good strokes in before Blaise gets impatient and needy. He tugs at my hair to turn my head into his kiss but the angle is wrong and I’m going to break my neck if we keep going like this.
I wriggle around, ignoring Harley’s grumpy grunts and snarling at Blaise, until I’m riding him reverse cowgirl. We barely fucking fit in the backseat together, a tangled pile of limbs, but I’m filled to the brim with Harley’s perfect dick and Blaise is right there in arms reach so all is right with the world.
I lean forward, bracing myself on his legs to get leverage, and Blaise groans at the sight of my bare and bloody chest.
Ash swears viciously, and our eyes meet in the mirror. “Fuck this, I’m pulling over.”
Harley groans as I start to move, managing to snap at his cousin even though it’s more gasps than fire, “She’s covered in evidence, do you really want to have one of Senior’s dirty cops find us on the side of the highway?”
My hips just keep moving, grinding down onto his dick.
“I fucking hate all of you,” Ash snarls back, but the car doesn’t slow down.
Harley’s hand clamps over my hips, moving me faster and harder, and Blaise fists one hand in my hair to keep my mouth locked onto his and his other hand strokes down my chest and stomach until he gets to my clit, circling and pressing until I’m screaming into his lips. Harley grunts and shoves me back down onto his dick as he comes with me, the clenching of my pussy around him sending him over the edge.
Blaise grunts and mutters about the lack of space as he shoves his pants down his thighs and I climb off of Harley’s lap and into his. Harley’s eyes are less frantic as he rearranges his pants but he keeps them locked on my body as I reach down and impale myself on Blaise's dick. His hips roll up to meet me and I lace my arms around his neck, all of the urgency still thrumming through my blood even though I’ve already come once.
My legs are shaking, still fucking buzzing, and Blaise holds me still so he can thrust up into me instead. When he bites his lip I groan at the sight and kiss him, then he bites my lip and I want to die. I come again, gasping and shaking, but he doesn’t stop moving, he just fucks me through it until I’m groaning and panting into his kiss. He loves kissing me through my orgasms, like he can taste the feeling on my tongue.
Ash takes some corners too fucking fast but by the time we roll back into the staff parking Blaise has his pants back on and I… still look like a fucking mess. There’s a beat of silence and then Ash tears out of his seat, yanking the door open and pulling me into his arms. My legs are like jelly so I’m fucking grateful he’s intent on doing the caveman thing.
Harley growls at him, but Ash snaps, “Fuck. Off.”
He waits until the other two wal
k off, back up the grounds and into the building. I shiver in his arms and wait until he’s ready to speak. He ignores me, glancing around like he’s trying to find the cameras.
“Sorry about the blood.” I murmur, and he lowers me back onto the ground.
“Fuck the blood, Mounty.” Then he bends me over the back of the car and fucks me until I see stars.
Chapter Twenty-One
Avery wakes up in a bloodthirsty mood.
I don’t question it, I know just how much this is all grating on her, and although I’ve taken the rat out and retaliated she’s still out for blood.
We go with the guys down to the dining hall for breakfast and the looks Harley gets from other students set my teeth on edge. We’re standing in line, all arguing about colleges choices which is my least favorite topic, when Imogen fucking Ayres steps up behind us.
“I heard you killed your mom, Arbour, good thing the Mounty trash fucked a decent lawyer for you. You’re way too pretty for juvie.”
Nope.
No.
Not dealing with shit today, or any other day here at the snake pit that is our fucked up school. Imogen lifts a perfectly manicured hand up to cover her mouth as she giggles and I grab her by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back and slamming her face-first into the drinks table.
Her squeal is magical, and the whole damn dining hall falls silent to watch us. Like I give a fuck at their attention, no one is going to step in for this spoiled bitch.
I lean down to whisper in her ear and press her further into the table until she whimpers. “Being Viola’s sister only gets you so much leeway, Ayres.”
She grunts at me. “I don’t care who you think you are, you’re nothing but a gangster slut from the slums gang-banging your way to an easier life. You may have scared my sister into submission but I know you’re nothing, Mounty.”
I break her arm.
Oops.
I’m sure Viola will be pissed at me but, fuck, I’ve dealt with worse. I’m sure the Coyote will understand, if he’s ever met this prissy little bitch he’ll probably thank me. I let her fall to the ground as she sobs and cradles the break to her chest. I stare down at her, my whole family does, and I’m fucking proud that none of them flinch. Even Avery stands tall, the fire in her eyes kicked up ten fucking notches because today is not the day to fuck with my family.
“Does anyone else have something to add?” Blaise drawls, his hands in his pockets and a cocky smirk on his face as he looks around the silent room. Nothing. No one tries to come and save Imogen, even Lauren just stares at us all with terrified eyes. Pathetic.
Imogen stumbles to her feet and gives me a glare through her tears, stalking out of the room clutching at her arm as she sobs. I feel nothing but satisfaction.
The room seems to take a breath, but no one is whispering about us anymore.
Avery links my arm in hers as we pick out what food we want for the boys to grab. Blaise also picks shit out and Harley snarls at him but he grabs it for the idiot anyway.
“You know Senior was the one to orchestrate Harley’s arrest, the Jackal only helped him find a willing witness,” Avery murmurs quietly in my ear while the guys all snark at each other.
I give a curt nod. It hadn’t been a huge leap to figure that out. “What do you want to do about it?”
Avery tugs me away from the line and towards the long table. “I’m waiting to hear back about some details. I should have confirmation soon.”
I nod. I trust her implicitly, if she says she’s got it under control then you bet your ass it’s under control.
We sit at the table and Avery ignores us all while she taps away on her phone. I dig into my food and read over my notes for my AP History test. Just because I’ve finished the assignments, doesn’t mean I can slack off. The pop quizzes and tests are still challenging. Ash tries to read my notes and sneers at my shitty handwriting.
“Don’t you have your own? Fuck man, you’re in trouble if you don’t.” Harley sounds like a smug asshole as he shovels his omelette into his mouth. Ash opens his mouth to snap out a scathing retort when Avery interrupts.
“He doesn’t need them, we aren’t going to class today.”
My head snaps up and away from my notes. “What?”
Avery slips her phone into my hand and I look down at her deviousness. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.
This girl is going to rule the freaking world.
The press conference is held outside of the police station in Mounts Bay, though I can happily say I feel a helluva lot better about being here today. Ash escorts her into the building and then a short time later joins me and the others behind the crowd of journalists, reporters, and camera men.
It only takes another minute before she walks out with the Crow and some guy. The crowd quietens down. We all stand and stare at her like she’s the center of our fucking universe because, right at this moment, she is.
The Fed smooths a hand down his tie in a carefully controlled way that suits the stern look on his face. A savage, proud, fucking elated grin bursts across my face when he glances over his shoulder and nods respectfully at Avery.
He belongs to my ice queen bestie now.
Fuck. Yes.
“Thank you for coming today, I have a lot to cover so leave all questions until after my statement.” He says in a clear and commanding voice. The press don’t make a freaking peep, just stand there with their voice recorders, cameras, and even some old fashioned paper.
The Fed goes on and on about some bullshit policy and it takes me a second to catch on. “Corruption of law enforcement and political parties is not only illegal, but it demeans our great country. It has become clear that there are individuals using money, blackmail, and threats against lives to control vital members of our police force, both on the streets and in management positions.”
Harley leans into me and whispers, “What a fucking hypocrite.”
I shrug. “As long as it gets us what we want, who gives a fuck? This is the way of the world.”
Ash threads his fingers through mine and takes the blunt Blaise offers him. “The world will be a better place without Senior in it, and if that means Avery has the entire fucking country in her pocket than fuck it. Hail Hydra or whatever.”
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re such a freaking nerd. To think, everyone thinks you're this cool and unaffected asshole badass and you’re out here quoting Marvel movies like a fanboy. You’re a fucking disgrace, Beaumont.”
Harley and Blaise both snicker at him like children but the glare Ash gives me promises a spanking later and, uhm, sign me the fuck up.
The Fed rambles on for even longer until I start to get antsy, ready to get the fuck out of this city and back to Hannaford, and then he clears his throat, looking for the first time just a little bit nervous. I know before he speaks that this is the real move on the board, this is Avery’s giant FUCK YOU to Senior.
She doesn’t disappoint.
“And finally I have new information on an on-going investigation into the disappearance of the German socialite Lena Müller. As you all know, she was last seen in the Mounts Bay area four years ago and despite extensive canvassing the MBPD was unable to find her. We had an anonymous tip and based on that information we have been able to find and identify the remains of Miss Müller yesterday. We have already been in contact with her family and we ask that you all respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Ash’s whole body tenses and I squeeze his hand, whether to comfort him or to try to stop him from flipping his shit I don’t know, but he barely seems to notice.
The Fed takes another deep breath. “Further investigation of the burial site is still underway, but it has become clear that Lena’s death was at the hands of a depraved serial killer. Eleven bodies have since been recovered and we are working hard at securing positive ID’s on these women. The MBPD and the FBI are now working together to catch the person responsible and we will pursue them with the full force of
the law.”
“Holy fuck. Did you know about this?” Harley asks, and I shake my head.
“Aves told me she had Senior sorted, I didn’t realize she was going to ass fuck him like this,” I murmur.
Ash takes a last lungful of musky smoke and then crushes the blunt under his boot. “Senior started it. He sold people out, Floss is just leveling the playing field. What do you think his chances of staying out of prison are?”
I hum under my breath, watching as Avery and Atticus step away from the media circus now the questions have started flying. There’s no reason for them to stick around now the gauntlet has been thrown.
“You said something about Senior’s crimes in other countries? Maybe an anonymous call should go out to them as well. Twist some arms and all that.”
Ash grins for a second, staring down at me like a weight has been lifted from him and I smile back up at him like a pathetic, love-sick puppy. I mean, I’m a total fucking sap for him. Ugh.
“Nothing would make me happier than Senior in a Columbian prison being made into some guy’s bitch.”
Huh. You know what, I feel the same way.
I meet Avery for dinner that night and leave the boys in their room watching some stupid movie.
Avery cooks us some over the top Italian dish I can't pronounce the name of but there’s pasta and sauce and I'm always down for that. She preens like a happy housewife at the look of appreciation I give her when she settles a plate in front of me. I grin back at her, totally fucking elated after the day we’ve had.
"Is there a reason you're wining and dining me? Or is this just because you love me the most?" I say, trying not to moan at the taste of the food.
She settles in her chair and fusses with her cutlery until it’s all perfectly straight. I know exactly what that means; I’m fluent in Avery Beaumont’s body language.