by Celia Aaron
“Your men?” Con laughed, the sound sliding like dark molasses through my mind. “The ones we dropped at the gate? The ones we knifed on the grounds? The ones full of lead in your driveway? Maybe the men in pieces out in your foyer?”
Vince’s hands shook, and he made pitiful noises. “Don’t do this.”
“You did this the minute you put a price on her head.” Con pulled me behind his back and kicked Vince again. “When you thought you could touch her.” Another kick, this one punctuated by snapping sounds that had to be ribs breaking. “When you tried to rape her!” Another kick. “You’re getting off easy. I wanted to do you slow. Make it hurt. Pay back every single thing you put her through, but I’ll just save it all for Berty.”
“His son.” My voice trembled even though my hands had stopped shaking. “Berty is his son. That’s why he wanted me dead, why he hired Ramone. He didn’t want me to get his son in trouble.”
Con glanced over his shoulder at me, surprise raising his brows.
“Let me be the first to congratulate you on your bouncing baby psychopath in there, Vince.” Nate peeked into the hallway again. “Job well done.”
Con turned back to Vince and knelt. The fear in Vince’s eyes was like a balm on my battered soul. Karma was coming swiftly, and in the form of my very own angel of death. Was this what bloodlust felt like?
“I want you to know that I intend to take good care of Berty. Eye for an eye. The time I couldn’t spend on you, I’ll spend on him.”
Vince’s eyes grew wide, and he pulled in a large, gurgling breath. He managed to get out a single note of a scream before Con pulled the trigger.
36
Conrad
“Don’t go.” Charlie clung to me, tears streaming from her eyes. “Let’s just leave, all three of us. Just go and never look back.”
“We have to finish it.” I tipped her chin up and kissed her, sweeping my tongue into her mouth and savoring her taste. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on as I took all the courage I needed from her lips. Her skin warmed beneath the blanket, and I wanted nothing more than to scoop her into my arms and run with her. But not yet. Not until Berty lay dead at my feet.
“How do you want to do this?” Nate stood at the door, determination in his eyes.
“Charlie.” I pulled the Audi key from my pocket. “Take this. Walk straight down the driveway. If you see anyone, shoot. Don’t ask questions, just aim for their chest and pull the trigger until they aren’t moving. When you get to the main road, turn left. The car is at the edge of the property by some high bushes. Get in and drive. Head west. There’s money hidden in the trunk.”
“Please don’t.” Her pleading tone ripped its way into my skin and lodged there. She cut me to pieces by doing nothing more than wanting me.
“I have to.” Denying her started an internal bleed that I wasn’t sure would ever be remedied. I kissed her forehead and ran my hands through her hair. “I love you.”
She straightened her back despite the tears running down her cheeks. “I can help. I have just as much right to Berty as you do. I was the one tied in the cellar.”
I smiled, her desire for revenge sweet on my tongue, though I wouldn’t risk her. Not again. “You’re strong. That’s how I know you’ll be all right, but you aren’t trained to kill. Not like I am.” I wiped her tears with my thumbs. “And I don’t want that for you. Killing gets easier because you lose a part of yourself each time. I never want the light inside you to go out the way mine has.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath.
“You have to go.” I kissed her once more. “And I’ll meet up with you.”
Her gaze pierced me. “I’ll never see you again, will I?”
I could have kept lying to her, but she already knew the truth. My vest was shot to shit thanks to Ramone’s bullet, and I didn’t know how many men were left to kill. The odds had improved, but still weren’t in my favor. I shook my head.
She gripped my face, her hold tender yet firm. “Try, okay? Try for me.”
“I will. I swear.” I kissed her forehead. “Now, go. We have to take care of this thing before it grows legs.”
She clutched me tight, then stepped back, her eyes glistening. “I love you.”
I would take her words with me through the jaws of hell. She turned and squeezed Nate’s arm before walking toward the blasted foyer. I followed and watched her disappear into the rainy day, her form hidden by misting rain.
“Ain’t that a kick in the nuts.” Nate scrubbed his jaw.
“Let’s go.” I reloaded my .45 and palmed my secondary gun in my left hand.
Nate walked up to the last door and flattened himself on the wall to the side. “Why don’t you guys just open up?”
Shots erupted from inside, ripping through the door and splintering it with a ferocious volley. We waited until the shooting grew sporadic. Once it quieted, Nate reared back and kicked the door in. I tossed a flash bang, closed my eyes, heard the pop, then ran inside.
Three of Berty’s goons fired wildly at the door. I took two out with headshots while Nate pegged the third in the chest. I burned to find Berty, to make him pay.
“Con!” Nate’s yell whipped my head around.
A muffled shriek drew my gaze.
Nate stood to my right, his gun aimed at Berty. But not just Berty. The bastard held a girl by the throat, her blonde hair and blue eyes sparking a memory that stopped my heart. Sabrina. The girl I’d saved despite Vince’s kill order. He must have kidnapped her as insurance against me. Her eyes widened with recognition as she stared at me, and she seemed to shake even more. Her nightmare had come to life right in front of her.
“Let her go.” I tried to get a clear shot at Berty’s head, but he kept ducking behind Sabrina.
“Not a chance.” His hand shook as he pressed his gun to her ear. “Put your guns down.”
“No.” I tried to find some shot that would take him out before he could pull the trigger. But he seemed adept at using a human shield, even one as small as Sabrina. She wore pajamas with some boy band on them. He must have taken her last night. I only hoped her family was still alive. If I got her out of this, she’d need their support to get past it.
He shook her, and she screamed through the gag in her mouth. “You think I’m fucking kidding? I’ll kill her!”
“All right.” There was no other move. I had no doubt he’d take her to the grave with him.
“Nate, do it.” I leaned over and placed my gun on the floor.
“No, man!” Nate kept his barrel pointed at Berty.
“Nate, do what he says. He’ll kill her.”
“He’ll kill us all.” Nate shook his head.
“I’ll do her right now!” Berty screamed and pressed the gun hard against her head.
“All right, all right.” Nate held out his free hand, palm open, and knelt slowly to the floor.
I slid a knife from my ankle strap while Berty watched Nate. Satisfaction bloomed on Berty’s face as Nate dropped the gun in a hollow clatter on the wood.
Keeping the blade flat against my wrist, I held my hands out, palms down. As soon as Nate got to his feet, Berty fired a shot into his chest. Nate fell backward, his arms splaying out to his sides as he hit the floor.
Sabrina screamed, and Berty kept her clutched to his chest, blocking any throwing attempt. I had to get her clear before I could hurl the knife. Otherwise, I’d skewer her. Berty raised the gun again, this time pointing it at my chest.
“Thought you were going to run in and save the damsel in distress, huh?” Berty grinned and wrapped his hand around Sabrina’s throat. “How old is this one? Twelve, maybe? I’ll make sure she doesn’t go to the grave a virgin. Wouldn’t want to be cruel.”
Vengeance boiled inside me as I waited for him to make one wrong move. At least the gun was pointed at me instead of Sabrina.
I edged forward. “Let her go. She isn’t involved in any of this.”
“Don’t take another
fucking step.” Berty crushed his fingers around her neck. “She’s involved now. She’s mine. I’ll keep her for a while, have my fun, then throw her in the same grave where you are. After that, I’ll take one final piss on your bodies and forget you ever existed. Easy.” His finger stroked the trigger, but his mouth wasn’t done. “That little florist of yours? Where is she?”
I clenched my jaw. “Dead. Vince killed her.”
“Sure he did.” He clucked his tongue. “I’m not a fool like my old man. He was dumb to trust you to begin with, dumb to ever let you out of your agreement to kill this little bitch, dumb not to take you out as soon as you iced Serge. But I’m not. So, your cunt girlfriend got away, huh? Not for long. I’ll chase her down, drag her back here, and give her the same treatment little Sabrina’s going to get. But I won’t kill her quickly.” He sneered, his beady eyes locked with mine. “I’ll take my time. Cut off pieces of her, bit by bit, until there’s nothing left.”
“You’ll never find her. She’s too smart for you.”
“We’ll see.” He adjusted his aim, the barrel pointed at my head.
This was my last chance. I had no shot, no way to take him down with the knife, but I had to try.
His finger stopped caressing the trigger. “So long, asshole.”
I threw the knife underhand as a muffled shot rang out. The window to my right shattered as my blade stuck into Berty’s arm. He staggered backward and gripped his neck. Sabrina fell to the floor and inched away from him, her bound hands and feet making movement difficult. I darted forward and wrested Berty’s gun from his hand. Pistol whipping him until he fell to his knees gave me a delicious satisfaction. I yanked the knife from his bicep, which drew a gurgled cry from his throat.
What the fuck just happened?
Blood poured from Berty’s neck and soaked his shirt. I grabbed Sabrina and lifted her into my arms, then stared out the window. Charlie stood outside, rain dripping down her face as she lowered her gun. Had she ever looked more beautiful? What a fucking woman.
“Come inside!”
She nodded and pulled the soaked blanket tighter around her shoulders.
I sat Sabrina on the floor next to Nate. He didn’t move.
“Hey.” I smacked his face with the back of my hand. “Hey!”
He opened his eyes and drew his hand to his chest. “I think I’m dead.”
“You’ll be fine. Kevlar.” I turned back to Sabrina and pulled the gag from her mouth.
She shrank back from my touch. I didn’t blame her.
“Sabrina, I’m not going to hurt you.”
She shook her head and scooted away from me until her back hit the wall. “Koshmar.”
Nightmare. She spoke with a perfect American accent, but still remembered the Russian word for me.
I eased toward her. “I’m here to help—”
“N-n-no, please.” She held her hands up to ward me off.
“You’re scaring the shit out of her.” Nate grunted and pushed past me.
Sabrina cowered as Nate knelt in front of her.
“You’re safe now.” He held his hands out to her. “I swear.”
Her big eyes flashed to me and then back to Nate.
“Don’t worry about him,” Nate coaxed. “Everything’s going to be okay. Come on.”
She sniffled and leaned into his arms. He pulled her to him and whispered something in her ear.
“See? I’m a natural.” Nate smirked over his shoulder. “Now back the fuck up, Cashmere.”
I rose and walked to Berty. He clutched his neck with both hands. I leaned down and frisked him, removing a small pistol from an ankle strap.
“You know, you might be able to survive that.” I pointed at his hands as they stanched his blood flow. Aiming his small pistol at his knee, I fired, the small pop echoing around the wood-paneled room. He screamed.
I leaned over, my face only inches from his. “But I can guarantee you, you won’t survive me.”
“Con.” The sweetest voice in the world reached my ears.
“Don’t go anywhere, Berty.” I smiled. “I’m just getting started.” I rose and turned to see Charlie rushing down the hall.
My heart swelled, fully beating for once in its life, and I dashed past Nate and Sabrina, past the splintered door, and ran to her. When we touched, my world was set right.
I placed my hands on her damp cheeks and inspected her while kissing every inch of bare skin. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Are you?” She ran her hands along my vest.
“I’m amazing.” I picked her up, and the soaked blanket fell to the floor. “Perfect because of you.”
She glanced past me, worry in her eyes. “Is he dead?”
“No.”
She shook, and I pulled her into my chest and wrapped my jacket around her.
“He will be, though. I’m going to take my time. Make it last.”
She buried her face in my neck. “Is it wrong that I think that’s hot? The way you say those things. It is, isn’t it?”
“You were made for me.” I gripped her hair and pulled her head back. “I love you, thorns and all.” I claimed her lips, taking her breath away and replacing it with my own. I needed to be her air, her life.
To live for her—there was nothing I’d ever wanted more.
Epilogue
Charlie
The sun faded over the quaint downtown, and I hurried through my remaining orders. Two sprays for a funeral the next day and a large bouquet of roses from a cheating husband to his mistress. I made sure to leave the thorns on.
As I tied the ribbon, I peered through the plate glass storefront toward the hardware store across the street. Conrad stood at the counter talking to one of the farmers from the county. He must have felt my gaze on him, because he glanced at me, a smile on his lips. His dark hair had grown long, but the relaxed look suited him well. We’d fit into our small Midwestern town, spinning the yarn that we were from New York and had grown tired of big city life.
Mr. and Mrs. Hemlock. Conrad knew a guy who got us all new identity papers. We’d even registered with Social Security.
I waved at Con and rubbed my growing belly. Jesse seemed to have sprouted two of the strongest legs possible, based on how she liked to kick me. Con had chosen the name, and I’d cried as I thought of how happy my sister would have been about the namesake.
My lower back protested as Jesse got settled, but at least her feet weren’t pummeling any major organs.
Once I finished with the rose arrangement, I placed it in the cooler and flicked off the lights. I locked the front door and crossed the quiet Main Street, the buildings showing their age but still occupied by a wide variety of merchants. The warm summer air promised barbecues and lazy walks in the fields near our home before the fall arrived. I didn’t realize how much I loved the quiet until we’d moved out here. But it suited us, and I’d never been happier.
I pushed into the hardware, the smell of sawdust and machine oil heavy on the air.
“Hey, babe.” Con smiled, his blue eyes sparkling whenever they landed on me.
“Well, I’d best get home. The missus gets upset if I’m late for supper.” Mr. Cosgrove stood at the counter, his wide-brimmed hat askew on his head.
“Thanks, Mr. Cosgrove. I should have that part for you by Friday. I’ll give you a call.”
“Thank you.” Mr. Cosgrove tipped his hat, his leathery skin telling of a life spent in sunny fields. “Nice to see you, Mrs. Hemlock.”
“How many times do I have to ask you to call me Charlie?” I smiled and patted him on the back as he headed for the door, a bag of seed in his hand.
“I reckon a few more times.” He smiled and tipped his hat. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” I pushed the door closed behind him, then sauntered over to the counter.
Conrad watched me, something in his gaze predatory. I loved that look.
“How was the flower business?” He walked around the counter and pulled me into
his arms.
“Productive. If old timers keep dropping dead out in the county, we should have plenty of money for that new bath tub I want.”
“Big enough for two?” He buried his lips in my hair, his warm breath sending desire shooting down my body.
“Of course.” I nuzzled into his newest ink—roses with thorny stems growing along the side of his neck.
“I like the sound of that.” His hands wandered to my ass and bunched up my white sundress, and I laughed against him and tried to scoot away. He kept me right where he wanted me.
“It’s still business hours, Mr. Hemlock.” I smiled up at him. “You wouldn’t want to scare away the customers, now would you?”
He glanced out at the empty street. “I think we’re going to close early today. What do you say?” He bent down and pressed his lips to my throat, then darted his tongue along my skin.
I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I think that’s a rather good plan.”
“I’m glad you agree.” He kissed to my lips, but before he could kiss me the way I’d been fantasizing about all day, the door swung open.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite love birds.”
I gasped as Con pulled me around behind him. Ramone stood just inside the door, a pistol in his hand and a smile on his ruined face. The right side was an unmoving mask, and a scar ran beside his eye.
“You like the new look?” He edged farther into the shop, his eyes seeking mine.
Con turned with him.
“Don’t make a fucking move, Con!” His hand shook, but he kept the gun pointed in our direction. “You have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you two? Hard to find. So hard.” He stepped closer.
“Someone put a contract on me?” Con held his hands out in front of him, trying to appease Ramone.
I edged backward slowly. A display of small hammers sat next to the cash register on the counter.
Ramone laughed, one side of his face contorting. “No one gives a shit about you. Nate gave the order that no one even say your fucking name now that he’s in charge. I wanted to kill that little Russian brat, too, but he’s taken her in.” He shrugged. “Maybe because I killed her family. But it doesn’t matter. I’m here now. And you’re here now. And it’s time for some fucking payback!”