by Renee Miller
Wade reached out and took her hand. He frowned as he examined the cut on her finger.
“I’m okay,” she murmured and tried to pull her hand away.
Wade pulled back and raised her hand to his mouth.
Kristina knew what he was about to do, but could do nothing but stare, her chest aching.
He licked her hand, then her finger, and raised his gaze.
The warmth of his mouth, the way he dragged his tongue over her palm and up her fingers, sent tiny sparks of pleasure to her belly.
Kristina stopped breathing. She couldn’t even move. Wade’s gaze burned into her, so intense he might really be able to read her thoughts.
He tugged her closer and brushed his lips over hers.
How many nights had she dreamt about this moment, his attention solely on her and his hands in her hair, pulling her into him? The way he looked at her, as though he might devour her whole, sent a shudder down her spine.
“I should go,” he said against her lips.
“This is a bad idea.” She agreed.
But he didn’t go. Instead, he stood and pulled her with him and pressed his body against hers, his hands roaming over her back to grip her bottom.
Kristina’s mind screamed for him to stop and back away. But she stood immobile as Wade ran his hands over her body. His mouth felt so much different than Daniel’s, he was different. Rather than taking, his mouth gave; warmth, tenderness, and something else she didn’t stop to identify. She couldn’t recall ever needing Daniel this much. Why hadn’t she realized this before? The thought of Daniel chilled her just a little. If he knew Wade was touching her like this, or that she welcomed it, he’d kill her.
Wade changed. His mouth hardened against hers and his teeth grazed her lips roughly before he stepped away and turned to the door.
Kristina stared after him. Emptiness replaced the warmth his hands had given and it hurt.
He turned, then smiled and opened the door. “You’re not ready. I’m not about to share you. Not even with a memory.” He walked out and gently closed the door behind him.
The soft click of the lock jolted her out of her stupor. Kristina crumbled to the floor, kneeling before the broken glass and spilled wine. She broke down. Hot tears soaked her cheeks. Disgusted with her weakness and for wanting a married man, she berated herself for being so stupid. She realized how unfair she’d been to Daniel, expecting him to return a love she hadn’t given. She felt horrible; the lowest form of life. There was no excuse for what she almost allowed to happen, wanted to happen, no matter how lonely she felt.
***
Wade stood outside the door listening to Kristina’s sobs, fighting the urge to go back inside and take her in his arms again. She’d let him do whatever he wanted. He knew that, but he couldn’t. Not when she still had feelings for her fuck-up ex-husband. He would not fight an idiot like Daniel Riley for her affection.
The night had cooled considerably and rain fell in large drops, no longer a fine mist. Wade turned his face to the sky and let the cool water wash away the heat of Kristina’s body. He spun on his heel and walked down the driveway, silently cursing when his boots sloshed in the mud. Yep, the boots were ruined. He strode to the end of the street where he parked his truck and fished the keys from his pocket.
The houses lining Kristina’s street darkened long ago, with only a few porch lights lit as most of Laighton’s residents felt safe enough to sleep without the added security. As he walked up the sidewalk to the slurping sounds of his tread, rain battered the tin roofs and windows of the silent homes. He bet most of the back doors in town were unlocked. Small-town folks didn’t believe evil could touch them. Everyone knew everyone else, didn’t they?
Wade knew better. Small towns were perfect for hiding the darkest of sins. He wiped the rain from his face as he approached his truck and thought of Kristina and how trusting she was even after being married to the most sadistic fuck he’d seen in a long time. She believed herself to be perfectly safe walking alone at night because she lived in a rural area. Naïve and foolish.
Then he remembered the wallet and the debt he owed. Smiling, Wade opened the truck and climbed in. Leaning across the seat, he opened the glove compartment and reached inside. He felt around, his hand touching cool metal before sliding to his phone, taking it out and punching in a number he’d memorized.
“Better be good,” a low voice growled.
“It’s W. I want to check someone.” Wade read the name and address on the driver’s license in the wallet.
The sound of fingers moving rapidly over a keyboard traveled the line. This man had been a handy little contact to have, and when he’d come to them for help, Thomas, Wade’s boss, made sure he took advantage of it. Wade didn’t know his name, only Thomas knew that, but he knew he could hack into anyone’s personal information in seconds.
“Oh, this is a naughty boy,” the voice chuckled.
“What?”
“Fifteen years for rape and attempted murder. Early release six months ago. Didn’t report to his probation officer last week. He has a few days before they issue a bench warrant and go arrest him for breach.”
“Thanks.”
Wade closed the phone and looked again at the wallet. “Well, William Allan, you won’t have to worry about the probation officer anymore.”
He started the truck thinking about Kristina as he pulled away from the curb and headed toward Victoria Street. The longing in her gaze nearly undid his self-control, but the naked fear dominating her being made him wary. It would have been easy to take advantage of her tonight; she desperately wanted to feel safe and loved. The shudder that wracked her body and the haunted look when he pulled away, told him she couldn’t quite separate Daniel from her thoughts. Things were complicated enough without trying to get around her irrational loyalty to the idiot.
He could use her, get her out of his system and forget about her, but an affair with Kristina wouldn’t satisfy him. Wade wanted more. He wanted everything. If it weren’t for Amy he’d have pursued her openly, but he had to be careful. Amy could really screw him over if she chose to. So far she’d been subdued by the Brotherhood’s threat but Amy often went off half-cocked and a whiff of Kristina would throw her into a proper tantrum. Although she didn’t love him, Amy had always been a little jealous of Kristina, even accusing Wade years ago of having an affair with her. If Amy caught on to what was happening, she’d make them both pay. He couldn’t do that to Kristina. She’d suffered enough already.
Wade turned right, crossing the little bridge on a quiet road with only a few houses stacked side by side with little space between, each one having their very own patch of grass out back. He couldn’t imagine living this close to someone else, glad for his acres of property and his privacy.
The sign indicating Victoria Street was at the end of the road. He pressed the gas, eager to confront the piece of shit the legal system couldn’t take care of. How many rapes, assaults and crimes against women did one guy have to commit before the law tossed him away forever? Pedophiles and rapists got less time than a thief or a drug dealer. Wade didn’t understand it and he doubted he ever would. To him, it seemed they were far more interested in the minor crime of selling someone a fix—a fix they wanted and often begged for—than someone who shattered people’s lives.
Wade’s pulse quickened when he spotted the number he wanted. He continued driving until he reached the end of the dead-end street. He left the key in the ignition, the motor idling, and turned off the truck lights. Whistling softly he opened the glove compartment once more. He set the gun on the seat and reached in again for the cylinder that would silence the shot. As he prepared the weapon, Wade stared out the windshield.
The end of the street butted against the old Steel Works where it met with another dead end. Laighton Steel had been closed now for nearly fifteen years, although they used the building for something, Wade didn’t know what. Beyond the low rambling building and opposite the narrow road, was
Moira Lake, its rippling waves like black silk under the light of the full moon.
He considered finishing the job there but quickly tossed the idea aside. In the small lake, William would be found too quickly and Wade didn’t want him found. Preparations finished, he opened the door and jumped down, his feet sinking in the muddy ground. Damn rain.
Gloves. He pulled the visor down, removed them from the little band holding them in place and slipped them on. The soft leather slid over his hands, caressing his skin, a feeling he always savored.
Still whistling, he walked toward the tiny duplex near the dead end. Set back from the road and surrounded by tall maple trees—the steel works on one side, an abandoned house on the other—William lived in the perfect house to remain anonymous, undiscovered… and vulnerable. Wade walked up the broken and crumbling walkway, stepping off just before he reached the door and going around to the back of the house. The grey siding had cracked in spots, fallen off altogether in others, and black shingles lifted and curled away from the roof. Wade was willing to bet it rained inside as well as out.
The light was on in the front window. William, if he paid attention, would know someone was outside. Wade wasn’t trying to hide though, not from the likes of him.
He blended into the shadows of the backyard, his feet sinking into the deep mud. He’d have to get rid of his boots, Amy would question their state and he didn’t need to give her more ammunition. Wade stepped up to a screen door hanging precariously by two rusted hinges. One good tug would pull it off. He rapped on its cracked glass and waited. A shadow scuttled past the door, then nothing.
He knocked once more, and the shadow grew, moving closer. “Who is it?”
“Pizza. Get the fuck out here and get it.”
William pushed the door open.
Wade backed away.
He scratched his head and Wade imagined lice fleeing from the greasy brown mop. “You’re joking, right? You think you’re going to come here to my house and try to scare me?”
“I’m not trying to scare you.”
“What then? You going to warn me to stay away from the slut? Fuck off. You made your point.”
William turned sideways and reached for the door.
Wade raised the gun and released the safety, the metallic click echoing in the silence of the night. Raindrops ran over his face and down his shirt, which had soaked through long ago.
William stopped and turned slowly, his arms rising above his head. “You don’t want to do this. Fuck, I didn’t do anything to her. And if you shoot me, you’ll get life, no matter what I did. They’ll know and they’ll find you.”
Wade grabbed the front of his hooded sweatshirt and dragged him from the doorway. The screen door slammed, its metallic clang like a thunderclap. William stumbled but managed to stay on his feet and backed away, circling until he stood against a large tree looming over the house. Wade followed him with the gun and smiled.
“They haven’t found me yet,” Wade squeezed the trigger a heartbeat before William’s body slammed against the old maple.
“Fuck you, William.”
Slipping the gun into the waistband of his jeans Wade squatted in front of the dead man. His forehead had caved where the bullet mushroomed and shattered the skull. The tree was now decorated with blood and bone fragments the rain had already begun to wash away. The back of William’s head was a mess of matted hair and gore. Wade grabbed his shirtfront once more and hauled his body up. The head lolled forward and Wade grunted with the effort of getting under the man’s arm and righting his legs. He grabbed the hood of the shirt and pulled it over his shattered head. To anyone braving the rain, it would look as though Wade was helping his buddy—who had maybe drunk a bit too much—to his truck so he could drive him home. The street had no lights and William’s head slumped so his chin touched his chest. No one could see the wound.
Wade wedged the body against the truck and opened the passenger door, glancing around to make sure they were still alone. He reached behind the seat, pulled his old blue tarp and spread it over the black leather. He hated getting blood out of leather, damn near impossible. Bending down, he lifted William up and onto the seat before closing the door. As he walked around to the driver’s side a thud rattled the windshield. William had slumped over, his bloody forehead pressed against the passenger window.
“Shit,” Wade opened the door and climbed in. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth, William Allan.”
He pulled the body back up and reached once more behind the seat. His hand brushed a roll of paper towels. Wade unrolled a large strip and wiped the worst off the window, cursing his poor planning After tucking the bloody paper towel into the front pocket of William’s shirt, Wade started the truck, backed out and turned right, toward River Street which led out of town and should be deserted this time of night. He’d drive to the highway and drop William at the old talc mines. Once William disappeared in the large pit, now full of water, they’d be a while finding him. Considering he hadn’t thought it through, Wade was pretty impressed the only speed bump had been the mess on his window. So many other things could have gone wrong. Good thing he’d left the old tarp behind the seat after returning from his last job. Thomas would kill him if he knew, but Wade didn’t plan on anyone knowing about William. Not even Thomas.
He whistled again as he drove through the rain, which fell from the sky in torrents now, and thanked whoever watched over him for waiting until he’d gotten out of town before opening up the heavens. Kristina’s eyes floated into his mind again, haunted and longing for his touch; such a difficult combination to walk away from. He’d figure out a way for them to be together. If that meant another visit to the mines to get rid of an ex-husband, or a wife, then so be it.
CHAPTER 13
Giant grey clouds drifted over the sun, casting gloomy shadows and heaviness to the humid air. Rain was inevitable. Cadence squealed, crawling across the dry grass to her small green pool. She liked to lean on it and touch the water but never actually got in. Kristina leaned against the fence watching as she splashed around on the edge and giggled. Cadence loved baths but something about the pool scared her.
A drop on Kristina’s shoulder and her gaze shifted to the darkening sky above. “Come on, Monkey.” She knelt and picked a squirming Cadence up.
The drop multiplied and suddenly turned into a downpour as she raced toward the back of the house. When she stepped through the door and into the kitchen, they were both soaked, Cadence a slippery screaming bundle she could barely hold onto. Kristina set her on the floor and wiped hair from her eyes. Now she’d have to change before meeting her parents for dinner. Her mother had insisted to celebrate her birthday in some way and although she’d rather stay home, Kristina agreed to go.
Cadence crawled past her legs and over the step from the hallway into the kitchen. Kristina smiled, knowing where she’d go; right to the blocks she left on the living room floor. Daniel would never have allowed it, which made her enjoy leaving them out even more. She followed Cadence’s progress through the living room. At the stairs, Kristina unlatched the gate, ran up to gather towels and dry clothes for both before hurrying back down to the living room. Her daughter hadn’t tried the stairs yet, but Kristina wasn’t about to give her enough time to consider it. Cadence had scattered her blocks in a circle around herself, picking two up and banging them together before tossing them and finding a new pair to pound.
Pulling her tank top over hear head, Kristina cursed as the tiny buttons on the straps caught in her hair. The phone rang as she tried to pull the damp, knotted mess free. She sighed, rushed to the phone and picked it up muttering a distracted greeting.
“What’s wrong?” Wade’s voice sent goose bumps over her skin.
“Nothing, why?”
“You sound upset.”
“I just said hello. How do you get upset from that?” Kristina laughed and tugged at the shirt. It pulled free, along with a good-sized chunk of her hair.
�
��You’re out of breath.”
“I’m fine, just got my hair stuck in my shirt after getting thoroughly soaked.”
Wade laughed.
Her heart beat a staccato against her chest.
“Hmm, I’d like to see that. Too bad I’m stuck over here.”
Kristina opened her mouth but couldn’t think of anything cool or even remotely smart to say.
Wade cleared his throat and broke the uncomfortable silence. “So, I gave you the weekend off, right?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Um, about that,” Wade paused.
She stifled a shiver of excitement at the possibility of working anyway. She wanted to see him.
“Can you come in tonight? You can have tomorrow off, and Monday if you need it, but Amy can’t work tonight. I could force it but I don’t really want to fight.”
“No, it’s okay. But she wasn’t scheduled, was she?” The mention of Amy dampened her excitement.
“Well she wasn’t, but Sheila can’t come in until later and I won’t be there until at least ten. I need someone here for the first half of the shift. Can you come in around eight or nine? I can probably get Lynne to stay an extra hour so you don’t have to do the regular shift. If it’s dead you can go when Sheila gets here.”
“Yeah, I just have to call my mom.”
“Okay, I really appreciate this. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”
Before she could argue, he hung up, leaving her staring at the receiver in her hand.
She replaced it on the base and picked the towel off the floor to dry her hair. Cadence had crawled to the once neatly folded stack of clothes Kristina had set on the floor and tossed them around.
She wrestled her shorts from Cadence’s surprisingly strong grasp and pulled them on before tackling the job of changing her daughter as well.
“You want to go to Nana’s?” Kristina asked as she laid her down on her back.