High Voltage (Ramsey Security Book 3)

by Hunter, Bijou

  I can’t help laughing at his earnest expression. “Once the prostitutes leave, we’ll get the job done. I’m sick of this fucking car.”

  Dino smiles at my frustration. He’s already wiggled his way out of the old man outfit and into his all-black commando clothes.

  “I love you,” he says, his tone startling me. “I’m not worried about us making it out of this job alive. I still want you to know that I do love you, and this trip hasn’t been an elaborate game by a bored retired hitman.”

  “Did you purposely make that declaration sound like you might be playing an elaborate game?”

  “No. I just have a way with words.”

  Taking his hand, I press the palm against my cheek. The gobs of makeup keep me from truly feeling his touch. I reach forward and rest my hand on his chest so I can feel his heartbeat.

  “I love you too. No man has ever gotten close to making me love them, and you did it in four days.”

  “When it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen despite the redneck atmosphere and your unwillingness to accept my perfection.”

  “I did fight it.”

  “Not for long.”

  “I don’t believe in wasting time.”

  Dino gives me a great smile, and my heart beats too fast. I even worry this might be our goodbye.

  “You’re going to have my kids, Apples. No way can you do that if one of us doesn’t make it through the night,” he says, sensing my fears.

  “Well, there’s that.”

  Dino takes my hand from his chest and kisses the palm and then my wrist. This gesture makes me frigging blush.

  “Gets the girls every time,” he teases.

  “If you’re hoping I’ll change Italian Sausage to Don Juan, it’s just not happening.”

  “I already have a suave real name.”

  “That you do,” I say.

  “Hookers on the move.”

  Still holding Dino’s hand, I watch the two prostitutes leave the house. They look in a hurry, likely hoping to find paying customers.

  “No neighbors out and about,” Dino says, looking through the night vision goggles. “Looks like the assholes are watching porn and opening up a new six pack.”

  “Ready, Mister Sausage?”

  “Yes, future Missus Sausage.”

  I lean over and kiss him. Our lips want more. My body still hums from our last romp hours earlier. Work comes first. Tonight anyway. In the future, I can imagine the world shrinking to only Dino and me.

  The street feels empty, and I worry about an ambush. If Black planned to hit us, he’d have done it while we sat in the car for the last hour. No, the street is quiet because the place is on edge.

  Dino does move like a jaguar. Fast and fierce, he hurries to the back of the house. I’m right behind him. Our weapons at the ready, he nearly soundlessly opens the back screen door. We enter the house where our every noise is muffled by the loud TV.

  Does anyone want to die with their dick in their hand? Blond deputy suffers this indignity when Dino fires into the back of his head with the other deputy’s stolen gun.

  Rushing past Dino, I focus on the dark-haired deputy. He leaps for his gun, which is halfway across the room, but I kick him backward. He flops on the ground, scrambles around, and again lunges for the weapon. I punch him twice in the face. The first breaks his nose while the second makes a mess of his lower lip.

  “Don’t,” he says, putting his hands up. “I have a family.”

  “Better have a life insurance policy then,” I reply.

  Dino yanks up the guy and forces him to walk to the couch. I take the dead deputy’s hand and rub it against the crying deputy’s bloodied face.

  “They fought. He shot his buddy.”

  “No, wait,” the drunken deputy mumbles.

  Dino drags him into the kitchen where his broken nose bleeds on the counter. I tear off the deputy’s shirt and dump it into the sink and add bleach.

  “He tried to clean up the evidence,” I say.

  “He realized there was no way out. In a stupor, he took his life.”

  “No, wait,” the deputy says again because he’s too drunk to say much else.

  Dino maneuvers the deputy onto a chair in the adjoining dining room. He fires once against the side of the deputy’s head and then allows the body to fall. Looking over his work, he frowns.

  “Where should I leave the gun?”

  I take the weapon and set in the dead man’s hand. Adjusting it a few times, I want the gun to look natural in his grip. This isn’t CSI, and the scene just has to tell the story Black wants it to tell.

  “There.”

  “Let’s go before the neighbors call the remaining cops.”

  We hurry out of the back door, around the house, and down the block where the car waits. The street remains quiet. In the few lit houses, TVs play loudly.

  Dino drives us back to White Horse while I listen to the police chatter. Kids vandalizing the high school. A domestic dispute at Target. A large dog running around someone’s yard. Nothing on shots fired.

  We dispose of the car and our clothes, leaving nothing for Black to find. Dino remains relatively silent until we walk three blocks from our dump site to the hotel.

  Once we’re in the elevator, he says, “Fucking hallelujah! We can finally leave this dump and start our life.”

  “Well not exactly.”

  Dino sighs exasperated. “What now?”

  “We have to make sure Black plays ball with Cooper. Oh, and get Ruby a new car.”

  “Fucking shit fuck.”

  Wrapping my arms around his waist, I wait until his angry eyes focus on me.

  “I don’t want a long engagement.”

  Dino’s irritation fades. “No. I want to make things official quick.”

  “We’ll get married in a small hall and serve spaghetti at the reception.”

  Laughing, Dino kisses my forehead. He can’t wait to get out of White Horse, but this is the place where I fell in love. Despite what Dino says, I worry about what our relationship will look like in the real world.

  27

  ~ Dino ~

  The Long Goodbye

  Minka’s fake accents are perfectly awful. I especially enjoy the Italian one she does while leaving a message for Black the day after we eliminate his two deputies. My fiancée sounds like Mario from the Nintendo games I played growing up.

  “Tell the sheriff that Mister Cooper Johansson wants a meeting in the next two days. He can be reached at the following number.”

  Minka gives Johansson’s burner number to the sheriff’s receptionist and then hangs up.

  “I think Cooper will be very happy to negotiate with that spicy meatball,” she murmurs while still playing up her Mario voice.

  “I love you,” I say, wrapping her in my arms. “But never ever do that accent in front of my mom or anyone back home.”

  “You’re not such a spicy meatball when you whine.”

  “I’ll look like a douche if you talk like this in front of people.”

  “Wuss.”

  “Promise.”

  “I swear on the world’s supply of spaghetti.”

  Pressing her back on the bed, I straddle her and take her ripe tits in my hands.

  “Let’s take the rest of the day off.”

  “You’re an incredibly lazy man.”

  “I think you underestimate how much effort fucking you takes. I pulled another muscle last night.”

  Minka’s fingers dig into my thighs. “I remember that fuck. You were so determined to have me hanging half off the bed.”

  “I like the way your ass looks at that angle.”

  “You’re a man who knows his priorities.”

  I tug up her shirt and sigh. “I own these tits.”

  Minka wants to say something. I can see the need to fuck with me in her eyes. She looks at my fingers sliding under her black bra. Her gaze finds mine, and she only smiles.

  “You’re so my bitch,” I say, and h
er nails dig deeper.

  Grinning wider, I squeeze her hard nipples between my fingers. “Your silence means you agree.”

  Minka narrows her eyes, but she refuses to respond.

  “When you punched me that first day, I knew I’d teach you how to know your place.”

  “That’s it,” she says, laughing and smacking away my hands. “I’m kicking your ass.”

  She shoves me back on the bed and grabs a pillow.

  “I do love a sexy pillow fight,” I say as she pelts me. “Your bra is holding you back. Allow me to help.”

  Minka can’t stop laughing even after she tosses aside the pillow and devours my mouth with hers. She finally rolls off of me and laughs herself out.

  “I’m in love with a dickhead.”

  “Poor, Apples,” I murmur, sliding off her pants. “I feel your pain. And your wet pussy.”

  “That’s laughing wetness. I’m not horny at all.”

  “Mmm…”

  My index finger dips inside her and finds the hot flesh sopping wet.

  “Tastes good,” I say, sucking on my finger.

  “Be quick about it. I have errands to run.” Minka lifts a leg and rests her foot over my shoulder. “You may serve me with your Italian sausage.”

  “You engaged chicks sure are bossy.”

  “I am engaged,” she whispers, sliding off her shirt. “My man takes good care of me.”

  Minka’s panties tear easily, and I take a whiff of her warm scent.

  “I’m going to fuck you stupid,” I say, tossing them aside and relaxing my body on top of hers.

  “I like when you make idle threats.”

  Accepting her challenge, I strip us both and make her beg for an hour. Minka turns the tables after faking a leg cramp. We finish our morning fuck with me handcuffed to the bed begging for relief.

  “That’s a good sausage,” she murmurs to my cock after sucking it dry.

  Minka and I finally clean up enough to get a meal and head to a used car dealership belonging to Asshole Hayes.

  “Do you think she’ll like it?” Minka asks me as we stand next to a sporty little green SUV.

  “Compared to the dump she was driving, yeah, I’d guess she would.”

  “You don’t get why I’m doing this, do you?”

  “I get everything. I just don’t feel as guilty about shit as you do.”

  “It’s true that I’m a nicer person than you. Now, should I get this car?”

  “Sure. If she doesn’t like it, she’s a bitch.”

  “Why are you so damn cranky?”

  “I don’t want you ever feeling bad about anything.”

  Minka smiles and pats my cheek. “You’re setting yourself up to be cranky for the rest of your life.”

  “Yeah, but better to aim for perfection than accept mediocrity.”

  “Gorgeous and wise? I’ve got myself a real catch.”

  Minka’s smile is infectious. I’m grinning while she talks with the salesman. Despite my sudden good mood, I need to stand between them because I don’t like all of the eye contact he makes.

  Ten minutes later, Hayes agrees to let Ruby bring back the car if she doesn’t like it and get something at a similar price. Listening to him on the phone, I wonder if he’s flirting with her. Every time his voice sounds a little too friendly, I clear my throat and mention that he smells like a pig. He eventually hollers cuss words at me, and Minka hangs up on him.

  “Let’s wrap this up,” she says to the salesperson behind me.

  I’d rather spend the cash on a ring for my woman, but Minka’s do-goodery makes her happy. Besides, the sooner we tie up things in Redneck Paradise, the sooner our relationship can become official back to Houston.

  I follow Minka from the car dealership to the Lush Gardens Trailer Park. Ruby stands near the entrance, unwilling to let us see her home. She looks around nervously when we drive up.

  “Biker issues?” I ask after parking.

  “No. Just wondering about Black.”

  “He has bigger problems.”

  Ruby nods, but remains on edge.

  Minka hands Ruby the keys to the sporty compact SUV. “It was a repo. Only 6,000 miles on it.”

  Not understanding, Ruby frowns. “Okay.”

  “It’s yours,” Minka adds. “If you don’t like it, you can get credit at the White Horse Auto Plaza for something else.”

  “Why?” Ruby asks, realization brightening her eyes.

  “Black trashed your car because of us, so we figured…”

  “It isn’t your fault he’s an asshole.”

  “No, but we wanted to do it.”

  “I don’t know,” Ruby says. Stepping away, she hands back the keys.

  “Look,” I mutter, “it's not personal, okay? We’ve done bad shit, and we’re doing nice shit to even things out. Call it kissing up to God or karma, but this gesture isn’t really about you. Now take the car or sell it or return it. We don’t care. We’re leaving town and will never see you again. Whatever you fucking decide to do, just do it. Nice meeting you and your kid. Good luck and goodbye.”

  Ruby looks at Minka, who shrugs. “He isn’t wrong, but I would have said it in a less dickish way.”

  “His way saves time,” Ruby says, gripping the keys. “Thanks and good luck to you too.”

  Minka smiles at the happy thoughts that come from doing nice things for strangers. Even thinking she’s nuts for caring, I love her smile. I also love the way she struts when she’s happy and the way she scowls when she’s pissed. I love the way she stands up to me and every other person who gets in her way. I love how she cares about people she doesn’t need to care about.

  I love every damn thing about this woman.

  28

  ~ Minka ~

  So Long, Asshole

  Hayes’s new receptionist waves us back without asking our names. She’s clearly a keeper, and I give her until the end of the day to quit. Hayes is bitching at someone on the phone when we enter his office. He glares at Dino and flips him off. I only smile and take a seat.

  Rafael called on the way over. He said Black contacted Cooper, who made the sheriff’s choices clear. He retires his position and leaves Common Bend, or he dies. Black played tough and mentioned how his death would draw too much attention from the state law. Cooper explained that, at this point, he was losing Common Bend to the Serrated Brotherhood. If he had to walk away from the territory, he planned to make a mess of it for the other club.

  “The asshole quit,” Hayes says as soon as he hangs up.

  “We heard he was getting skittish.”

  Narrowing his dark eyes, he studies us. “Those two deputies were your handiwork, right?”

  “Nope. We were in a waiting pattern until the Arizona Moving Company sent their representative.”

  Hayes leans back and grins. “That’s your story, and you’re sticking to it, huh?”

  “We only came by to say thanks for saving our asses that time and being such a wonderful host.”

  “Fuck this guy,” Dino growls.

  Hayes frowns at Dino and then looks at me. “You like pussy-whipped men?”

  “Not really, but he’s also hung like a horse, so the pros and cons even out.”

  Hayes’s laughter pisses off Dino even though I suspect he likes the big dick compliment.

  “So, if Black is gone, things will settle down for you,” I say, changing the subject. “Everyone will go back to their corners and behave.”

  “Sure. Assuming Johansson puts in a solid team this time around. I think the kid might lack the balls.”

  “You wouldn’t be saying that now if you knew how willing he was to kill everyone in Common Bend. He was also pretty okay with killing you.”

  “Of course he was.”

  “We wouldn’t do it, though,” I say, smiling sweetly. “We owe you and all.”

  “Yeah, we’re fucking besties now.”

  “We're done,” Dino says, standing up and grabbing for me.

>   Hayes shakes his head. “No man should be so deeply entrenched in a woman’s pussy.”

  “We’ll agree to disagree,” I say, standing next to Dino, who tries to block my view of Hayes. “Good luck finding a secretary who tolerates your personality.”

  Hayes waves off my comment while Dino nudges me out of the office. I struggle to return, only to piss off Dino. He nearly wrestles with me until we’re outside.

  “I won,” he says, grinning.

  “Won what?”

  “You.”

  “I don’t think anyone else was challenging you, Dino.”

  “Everyone is always challenging me. That’s why I remain on guard.”

  “Your insanity is so sexy.”

  “And I’m hung like a horse.”

  “Well not really,” I say, climbing into the car.

  Joining me in the SUV, Dino glares. “Not cool.”

  “Hey, a horse’s dick is frigging scary. I’d close my shop permanently rather than let something that gross anywhere near me. On the other hand, I’m a big fan of giant man-dick, and that’s why I’m keeping you.”

  Dino smiles and leans over to give me a kiss. I spread my lips to deepen the kiss since his possessive crap both annoys and arouses me.

  “We ought to stay in town a few more days.”

  “What in the fuck for?” he murmurs against my neck.

  “A little vacation. We could check into a new hotel and start fresh.”

  “Or we could head to your hometown and deal with your mom.”

  “That sounds like a bummer.”

  Dino takes my hand and kisses the palm before pressing it against his chest.

  “I’m sick of this place.”

  “Then let’s go back to Houston.”

  “Let’s yank off the Band-Aid. You’ll worry until it’s done, so let’s get it done.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  “Not really. I hate seeing you unhappy.”

  Smiling, I believe his words. He’s a bull-shitter, but not with me when it comes to us.

  “She might not even be around right now. I should organize a visit.”

  “Where is she going to go? You made her sound like an old lady who spends all her time at her house.”

  “She might be visiting my sister.”

  “Then we’ll wait for her in Salem until she comes back. You can show me where you went to school.”