Sugar and Sin Bundle

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Boots clomping down the cement steps echoed throughout the grow room. Who the fuck? A flood of adrenaline put Chaz on high alert. He grabbed the SW99 off his desk and aimed it at the doorway. Pete edged along the wall, getting into a defensive position near the door.

  “Hey, boys,” Nitro said, sauntering into the room as if he owned the place. Arrogance glimmered in his gaze. The red lights reflected on his blond hair, making him look like the white man’s devil.

  Chaz’s finger twitched on the trigger as the urge to put a bullet between the patronizing prick’s eyes swept through him like wildfire. But he had to keep his cool. His plan and the future of his people depended on it. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  Nitro scanned the room, barely glancing at Alyssa before turning back to Chaz. “Blanchette sent me to check up on the status of the hit.” He tapped his watch. “Deadline’s almost up.”

  Chaz turned away and walked up to Alyssa. Her head had fallen against her chest and drool dripped from the corner of her mouth, mixing in with the blood from her bottom lip.

  Placing his fingers on her throat, he felt for her pulse and counted. Down to forty beats a minute. Her chest barely moved as she took shallow breaths. A thrill tightened his gut. Almost there. “We’ll meet the deadline.”

  Nitro joined him. Frowning, he leaned forward and peered at Alyssa’s lip. “Are those teeth marks?”

  “Slut likes it rough.” Pete leaned against the desk and slid his finger along his weapon, the gesture almost tender, sexual. A wave of revulsion rose up Chaz’s throat. Depraved fucker. Good thing he’d soon be dead.

  “What’d you guys give her?” Nitro straightened and turned to Chaz, one cocky blond brow arched.

  Chaz wanted to plow his fist into the bastard’s pale face. Clenching his hands, he crossed his arms. “Heroin.”

  Nitro whistled. “Going for gold.”

  “Nothing but the best for the cocksucking bitch.”

  Nitro moved to untie the tourniquet around her arm.

  “Don’t. We need that.” Chaz stopped him with an outstretched hand.

  Raising his palms, Nitro stepped back. “How’re you planning to get rid of the body?”

  Pete pointed to Corey. “Me and the kid are going to dump her in her motel room. Make it look like a suicide.”

  And Chaz would follow that up with an anonymous tip to lead the cops right to Alyssa’s motel room while Pete and Corey were disposing of her body. A perfect death-by-cop scenario, eliminating all ties back to him. Of course, Chaz hadn’t shared that part of the plan with them.

  When Nitro turned, a glint of comprehension in his eyes, Chaz’s breath froze in his lungs. The blond motherfucker knew. A sardonic smile played at the corner of Nitro’s mouth. “You fuckers really are stupid.”

  Pete sprung off the desk and into Nitro’s face. “Say that again, dickhead.”

  Nitro held his ground. “No one’s going to believe a woman who’s never done drugs before suddenly decides to OD on heroin.”

  Pete settled his weight on his heels but he didn’t back down. “Who knows what she did when she was living with you drug-dealing scumbags.”

  “Who injected her?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Did you wear gloves?”

  “Wha—?” Pete turned to Chaz, looking confused. “What’s he talking about?”

  “Who cares.” Chaz shrugged but inside he seethed. Fucker was going to ruin everything if he didn’t shut up. He walked over to the mini-fridge and grabbed a soft drink.

  Nitro followed Chaz and grabbed a can for himself. He popped it open and drank deeply. When he was done, he eyed Chaz. “You know why I’m the Vipers’ best assassin? Because no bodies are ever found. The police can’t trace anything back to me. Ever.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” He took a sip of his drink.

  “Dissolve her body.”

  Liquid spewed from his mouth. Behind him, Corey retched. Chaz wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “You mean like in acid?”

  “Nah, the fumes would kill us. I was thinking sodium hydroxide.”

  “See any chemists here?” Chaz stopped and looked around for emphasis. “I don’t have time to break into a fucking pharmacy, tonight.”

  “Now that I’d pay to see.” A corner of the bastard’s mouth hitched up again. “Actually, it’s in a lot of stuff, like drain cleaner and lye.”

  Pete’s eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. “Perfect. Bea always has some lye on-hand at the diner to soak the corn.”

  Nitro pointed to the thousand-watt HPS lights above the flowering plants. “These will be great to heat the lye-water.”

  “You’re going to boil her body? That’s fucking sick.” Corey’s lips pursed as he grabbed a soft drink from the mini-fridge, took a large sip and swilled it in his mouth before spitting it into a nearby garbage can. Chaz could sympathize. The Vipers’ assassin was one cold bastard.

  “But damned effective. Skin, muscle, tissue—it all melts into a thin watery mess you flush down a drain.”

  Hot bile rose, scalding the back of Chaz’s throat. Bullets and blood, he could deal with. Human stew was something else entirely. He swallowed. “What about the bones?”

  Nitro rubbed his thumb across his fingertips and grinned. “A few brittle hulls you can crush to powder with your fingertips.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “Body Disposal 101.”

  “What else do we need?”

  “Some common household items.” Nitro pointed to Corey, who’d sidled up next to Alyssa. “Send the kid. I’ll give him a list.”

  It would fuck up his plan to get rid of Pete and Corey, but at least the bitch would be gone, and Blanchette would be forced to go through with the deal for the drugs. But first a little warning was in order. Chaz walked up to Corey and in a flash, pressed the muzzle of his gun against the kid’s temple. “You say one word about this to anyone, I’ll blow your head off. Then I’ll blow your mother’s head off. Clear?”

  When Corey nodded, Nitro threw his arm around the kid’s shoulders. “Pete, give him your keys.” Nitro caught the keys in his fist and handed them to Corey. Eyes wide, lips trembling, he listened as the Viper led him to the stairs, giving him a list of items to bring back.

  A minute later, an engine roared and Nitro came back into the room. Pete crossed his arms and scowled at him. “What did you mean about the gloves?”

  Nitro shook his head. “If you’re too stupid to figure it out, that’s your problem.”

  Pete’s arms dropped to his sides and he gripped his weapon in one hand. Chaz almost hoped the asswipe would lose control and shoot the Viper. But Pete turned to Chaz. “You fucker. Consider it a reward, my ass. You wanted me to leave that syringe next to her body with my fingerprints all over it,” he growled.

  “And fingerprints are just the most obvious evidence. You’ve got to watch out for shoeprints, loose hairs, even fibers from your clothes,” Nitro elaborated.

  Tensing for a battle, Chaz rounded on him. “Shut the fuck up.”

  “I’m only saying, if you two douchebags are getting into the business of offing people, you need to catch a few episodes of CSI.” Nitro grinned, a malicious glint in his eyes.

  Pete advanced on Chaz, his battered face twisted into a grotesque snarl. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you? You go around spouting all this saving-our-people bullshit, but I know the truth. You don’t give a fuck about our people or the Guardians.”

  “Calm down, Pete. Do I really have to tell you everything? I expected you to wipe down the bitch’s motel room before you left.” The coolness of his gun at the small of his back called to him, and his fingers itched to touch the smooth metal and put it to good use.

  “You’re choosing these white motherfuckers over your native brothers. Doing the white man’s bidding.” Pete barked a harsh laugh. “It’s so clear now: you’re Blanchette’s bitch. Why don’t you bend over and let Nitro give it to y
ou in the ass so you can get used to your future?”

  The pressure building up in Chaz’s chest erupted and heat spread like burning lava throughout his body. He palmed his SW99 and aimed it at Pete before the cocksucker had time to react. “For that, you’ll bleed.”

  Pete’s jaw tightened, then his mouth twisted into a sarcastic grimace. “You’re whiter than your apple cousin.”

  Chaz squeezed the trigger. Pete’s body hit the floor before the blast finished echoing off the walls. Stepping closer, Chaz fired again, this time dead center on Pete’s forehead. Then he moved back and kicked the fucker in the ribs. Once. Twice.

  “I think he’s done,” Nitro said, smiling casually.

  Chaz returned the weapon to the waistband of his pants, flinching when the hot muzzle burned his skin. He kicked Pete again, just because he could, before turning to Nitro. “I hope the kid’s bringing enough supplies for two bodies.” Make that three.

  Nitro chuckled as he crouched in front of Alyssa and removed the tourniquet around her arm. When his fingers moved to her midriff, Chaz snorted. Morbid asshole was copping a feel on a cunt who was almost a corpse. “You like your women dead?”

  “She’s not cold yet.”

  He’d finish her off with a bullet if he had to. No need for the apparent suicide now. Too bad Rémi would never know she’d died the same way his mother had. “Should we undress her?”

  Nitro’s hands paused at her waistband. “Only the shoes. This shit eats through everything else pretty quick.” As he straightened, he ran a fingertip around her navel.

  What the fuck? Chaz stepped closer and studied the swirling design on Alyssa’s skin. He leaned forward and peered at the tattoo of two snakes in a circle, their tails and heads intertwined. Oh fuck. As he swung around to inspect the very similar tattoos on Nitro’s arms, his gun made its way into his hand. “Do all the Vipers have tattoos like yours?”

  Nitro’s face turned to stone and his big body tensed.

  Chaz aimed his SW99 at the blond Viper. “Motherfucker!”

  CHAPTER 27

  Nitro raised his hands and pinned Chaz with a sarcastic look. “Yeah, she was my bitch. But she fucked me like she fucked all the other guys.”

  Chaz wasn’t buying it. He’d seen the tender way Nitro had touched her. He pointed the gun at Alyssa’s stomach. “Explain the tattoo.”

  “She liked it rough. I liked giving it to her. One day she showed up with that girly monstrosity.”

  “The way you were touching it tells me otherwise.”

  A wide grin broke out on the Viper’s face. “I was remembering a good time me and one of the boys had with her. Our cocks were so far up inside her they must have been tangled together just like these snakes.”

  Chaz shuddered at the image the man’s words conjured in his mind. He and Sarah had their share of adventures in the bedroom, but it was always one-on-one. And he didn’t want it any other way. But what else could you expect from someone who boiled dead bodies for a living? And why was he staying here alone with the crazy fucker? Sitting on the edge of his desk so he could keep an eye on Nitro, Chaz pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and used his left hand to dial Jim’s number. When the man answered, he said, “Get the others and get over to the shack, ASAP.”

  Snapping the phone shut, he said to Nitro, “You know what I think? You and the bitch were close, and that’s why Blanchette didn’t assign you the hit on her.”

  Nitro bristled and thumbed toward Pete. “You know what I think? Put the fucking gun away or you’ll be as dead as your pal over there.”

  Not wanting to rile his guest up any further, Chaz dropped his gun on the desk within easy reach. “Why didn’t you get the job?”

  “A hit like this is a cake walk. We wanted to see if you and your guys had what it takes to do business in the big leagues. So far? You’re sliding around in your own shit.”

  Hearing the screech of the door opening at the top of the stairs, Chaz froze. His fingers twitched, but instead of grabbing his SW99, he pressed his hands against the surface of the desk. No way was he going to go for his weapon first and look like a pussy. The blond son of a bitch just stood there, empty hands on his hips, and casually turned toward the doorway.

  Huffing and banging sounded as someone came down the steps. Nitro glanced at him over his shoulder, his expression mocking. “Relax. It’s the kid.”

  Sure enough, Corey poked his head through the doorway, dragging a big wooden barrel. “I got all the stuff on your list, Nitro.”

  Nitro smiled and picked up the barrel. “Go take Alyssa’s boots off and check her vitals while Chaz and I set things up.”

  Corey nodded and took off, almost tripping over Pete’s body. “What the fuck? Pete’s dead?”

  “Shut up, kid. It’s none of your business.”

  Showing a wisdom he’d rarely displayed before, Corey snapped his mouth shut, stepped over Pete, and crossed the room to where Alyssa sat.

  Not wanting to jeopardize the mature plants by exposing them to strong lights so late in the flowering cycle, they pulled the barrel to the starter room in the back. After rearranging the hydroponic beds, they fit the container under the bright yellow lights. The black tarp separating the starter room from the grow room would keep their work hidden if any unexpected visitors arrived.

  Since Pete was already dead, they decided to start with him. After removing Pete’s shoes and shirt, they dragged his heavy body through the maze of plants to the back room and dumped it in the barrel. Nitro handed Chaz the gloves and mask. “Better wear these unless you want to melt too.”

  Grimacing, Chaz put on the protective gear and had to keep reminding himself why he was doing all this. He needed the money so his children could grow up free of oppression, free of white people. Free.

  Regardless of what Pete had thought, Chaz was no one’s bitch. He was fighting to save his people. And the death of a few weak-minded men was a small price to pay for the freedom of a nation.

  Rémi plastered himself against the wall, crouching so the cannabis plants provided a shield. He had to get to Alyssa. Corey had the Narcan rescue kit and he’d shown the kid how to administer the nasal spray. But if it didn’t work, if it was too late—

  He cut off that train of thought. When Corey had told him they’d shot Alyssa up with heroin, he’d wanted to kill the kid. But then he’d realized if he wanted to save Alyssa, he needed Corey’s help. And Nitro’s. And didn’t that just fucking burn? But if they could save Alyssa, nothing else mattered. If she wanted to be with Nitro? Fine. Somehow he’d accept it. At least she’d be alive.

  Edging his way to the back corner of the room to get to Alyssa, he had to pass in front of the opening to the starter room where Chaz and Nitro had set up shop. Raising his Springfield Armory 1911, he prepared to fight if Chaz spotted him. To Rémi’s relief, Chaz’s back was turned as he carefully emptied the containers of lye into the barrel. Rémi’s stomach turned as he caught sight of Pete’s bare feet sticking out. His cousin had lost his fucking mind.

  Nitro’s face didn’t change expression, but out of sight of Chaz, Nitro extended three fingers. Okay, he had three minutes before Nitro made a move. Three minutes to save Alyssa’s life. He sucked in a breath. No pressure.

  “That’s it, make sure you cover as much of the body as you can.”

  While Nitro spoke to Chaz, distracting him, Rémi carefully slid past them on his mocassined feet. Approaching a break in the plants, he spied his cousin creeping along the opposite wall to the starter room. Per their plan, while Rémi got Alyssa, Tommy would make sure no surprises were waiting for them. Corey had assured them only Chaz, Nitro, and Pete were down here, but obviously Corey didn’t know shit about Chaz’s plans. On Rémi’s signal, Tommy would set off a smoke bomb. If all went well, in less than three minutes, Rémi would have Alyssa out of here, safe.

  As he inched closer to her and Corey, roots of doubt spread through his chest, anchoring themselves along his ribs. What if they we
re wrong and Chaz had backup? If more Guardians trooped into the underground room, they’d be outmanned. Had he been wrong not to include Gauthier in the rescue? An SQ SWAT team would have come in guns blazing, killing Chaz and anyone else, Indian or Viper, that got in their way. Had he been a stupid sentimental shit to want to bring his cousin out alive?

  In his ear, Kaden spoke. “What’s the sitch?”

  He tapped on the miniature two-way radio Kaden had made them all wear. He whispered, “Almost there. Nitro’s onboard. Pete’s dead. Two minutes to blast off.”

  “Roger that. We’ll be ready.”

  Alyssa’s face, cut and covered in dried blood, came into view as he passed the end of the last plant bed. Corey leaned over her, the spray in his hand. When Rémi crept up beside him, the kid gasped and fumbled the dispenser. Rémi dove for it, catching it with his fingertips before it clattered to the floor. He glared at Corey before turning to Alyssa. His fingers at her throat, he checked her pulse. Fifty beats per second. A little slow but close to normal.

  Corey hovered, his expression strained. He leaned in close and whispered in Rémi’s ear. “I did what you said.”

  Rémi nodded and pressed his hand to her chest. Her lungs were filling with each breath. Relief washed over him like a warm shower at the end of a hard day. The antidote had worked. Alyssa was going to be all right.

  If he could get her out of here.

  Latching onto Corey’s wrist, he pulled the kid close. “In one minute, Tommy’s going to create a distraction. Chaz will go see. Kaden and Jake will come in. That’s when we run like hell for the door. You in front. Me with Alyssa behind. Got it?”

  Although his hands shook, Corey jutted out his chin. “Got it.”

  In the minute they had left, they worked on the knots that bound Alyssa to the chair. When he released her right arm, she moaned and grimaced. Examining her more closely, he saw her shoulder was bruised and swollen.