by Kristy Marie
“Looks good.” Standing, I stretch my back, raising my arms overhead, pulling my neck side to side. Focus, Ans. Channel your inner criminal. You can do this, Mason is counting on you to do this.
Well, not really. Mason has no idea what I am up to. Neither does Cade. I couldn’t tell Cade because he would be a party pooper and try to talk me out of it. But he wouldn’t have talked me out of shit. He would have just made it harder for me to do it with all his weighted guilt and doing the right thing propaganda.
Theo stands, cocking his head to admire his bloody handiwork. “Alright. Let’s do this!”
I grab his shoulders and crush my lips to his. I kiss the fucking shit out of this man who would do anything for me. Even go to jail. He pulls away, breathless and obviously taken by surprise.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Commander.” His voice is rough, his face flushed. Someone is turned on.
I let my eyes drift lower to confirm.
Yep. He’s hard.
I smile. I’m pretty proud of myself right now. “I always finish what I start, Von Bremen. Now, run that fine ass down the sidewalk.”
He shakes his head in amusement, adjusts himself, and takes off down the sidewalk.
To lie.
For me.
I am so fucking in love with this man right now.
“Not too hard, though!” He’s healed up nicely since his surgery and against my will, has been back in the gym. Running down the sidewalk a couple of times shouldn’t be an issue but I’d rather air on the side of caution.
Tamping down the last of the warm fuzzies from watching that ass bounce down the street, I head to the bitch’s house.
The small split-level, cookie-cutter house sits a stone’s throw away from its neighboring replica. It will make it difficult to get to the backyard without being seen. But I’m a ninja. I can so do this stealing thing.
I make my way through the corner lot that sits parallel to the road. It will be a longer hike through the back woods, but using that route will seclude me from the sidewalk. Moving branches and sticks away from my face, I duck and weave, running alongside the fence border.
Dogs bark and rush the fence, warning me away. They’re pretty scary, but I don’t falter. I trip over a fucking gigantic boulder. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it was a decent sized rock. And I tripped over it. I’m in a hurry, okay? It’s not like I’m naturally clumsy.
Launching the pesky boulder into the woods, my phone chirps. Crickets. Clever, yeah? Theo and I have this spy shit down pat.
Theo texts me: Red one to Pink two. Over.
What the fuck, Theo? These aren’t walkie-talkies. But I play along to not hurt his ego and wish we had earpieces. Alpha one to Dumbass two. Over.
You are not the alpha. I am the alpha.
Oh my word. This boy. I’m always the alpha. Get over it. Are you in position?
Theo comes back with: We’ll table the alpha debate. I’m in position.
I hope “in position” means he is jiggling that beach ball ass up and down the sidewalk like he should be. I don’t take the time to ask him, though. His alpha bullshit has already slowed me down.
Pushing through the brush and trudging forward, I locate the house. The chain-link fence is rusting, obviously old and neglected. The poor dog lays in a small ray of sunlight right off the back porch where she is chained.
Her fur is matted and I can tell even from here that she’s in extreme need of a bath. I take a minute and assess my surroundings. Crouching low to avoid any curious onlookers, I notice a low spot in the fence that I can jump, making my job faster. The gate is off to the side and latched. To get the dog through, I will have to get closer than I planned to unlatch it.
Damn.
Theo and all his fineness passes, jogging up the sidewalk. He’s playing it cool and waving at the neighbors like he fucking lives here. They wave back but not before checking out that ass. Knowing I can’t keep him running much longer (not because he can’t run but because he draws entirely too much attention), I take a breath and back up into the woods. The brush doesn’t really give me the space I need to get a running start but it will have to do.
It’s now or nothing. I take one more look at the houses—no one is sitting outside and the bitch is nowhere in sight. This is it. Do it, Ans! I push off and run hard, launching both legs over the fence, and roll to my landing like a fucking pro. That one parkour class really paid off.
I keep low and make my way to Killer. No, that’s not her name. Mason said it was something like Bullet. I think Killer sounds better and since I am saving her, I get to rename her. She will be my only other vagina in the house. We badasses need cool names.
I approach Killer slowly. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the treats. “Hey, girl. You hungry?”
She barely stirs, which gives me pause. This is a trained working dog. She should fucking eat my ass. Inching closer, I tentatively stroke her matted fur.
“Come on, girl. Let’s get you out of here. Daddy wants to see you.”
She nuzzles my hand and gives it a little lick. Come on. I hate dogs and she is breaking my damn heart. I ease the treats to her mouth, she jumps to her feet and with one lick inhales all that is in my hand. “Atta, girl,” I praise, stroking her head.
I ease her collar off, noting the indentions around her neck. She whimpers, killing me a little inside. That bitch is going down. Theo had better put on an Oscar-winning performance or I will leave his ass here.
With Killer’s collar off, I crawl toward the gate, coaxing her to follow me. She does, albeit hesitantly. I flip the latch and crack the gate. Reaching into my hoodie, I pull out a KONG, one that I may have found snooping through Mason’s room. I let her sniff it. Immediate recognition shows in her sad eyes.
“See it, girl! Go get it!” I launch the KONG just as I see Theo heading back down the sidewalk toward us. Killer takes off for the toy, her nature and training kicking in. I’m alight with joy as she soars through the open space in pursuit of her long-lost toy. It’s quite poetic, really.
I spot Theo digging in his pocket, pulling out the treats, softly calling the dog. KONG in her mouth, she approaches and dives in. Theo shrieks and goes down.
That’s my fucking man!
I quickly get back over the fence and run through the woods, losing sight of the dog. She took off once Theo started hollering. Hopefully, Brad caught her.
Out of the woods, I meet up with Brad, dog in hand.
“You caught her!” I squeal, happy this crazy plan is working.
“Yep. Came right to me.” He beams, all proud of himself.
I try to keep a straight face. I really do, but a chuckle escapes me despite biting my lip to keep it contained.
“Good job, Brad.” I pat him on the shoulder for such a valiant effort. “I’m headed back to the car. You and Theo know the rest of the plan, right?”
“Yep,” he confirms with a wink.
Yuck. I nod, too grossed out to speak, and jog in the opposite direction. How did I ever consider sleeping with him?
I wait for what feels like forever. Finally, Theo limps to the car looking all kinds of smug.
“Hello, blow job!” he bellows, flopping down in the driver’s seat.
“Did you do it?” I ask, eager to know if it worked.
He scoffs and looks offended. “Of course I did it! How could you doubt me, Ans?” He frowns, looking a little wounded. He’s still putting on a show.
I punch his arm. Hard.
“Ow! What was that for?” He rubs the red mark blooming on his bicep.
“Stop bullshitting and tell me what happened!”
He laughs, throwing his head back against the seat. “She recognized me when she answered the door. I hardly had to say anything. She signed that dog over to Brad in a hurry.”
What a bitch.
“She asked me repeatedly what she could do to make it up to me.” He jumps his eyebrows up and down, insinuating she was offering
apologies of the sexual kind.
I cut him a look that says who cares, she’s a whore.
He laughs and continues with an air of nonchalance and a shrug. “Anyway, she signed him over and I signed her boobs. Deal complete.”
My mouth falls open. Seriously. That heifer asked my man to sign her boobs? Her boobs, in marker that will eventually wash off? Not even something she could sell on eBay? What an idiot.
“She asked you to sign her boobs?” I ask for confirmation, disbelief clouding my senses.
He puts the key in the ignition, turning over the car. It purrs to life under us.
“Yup.”
Shaking my head, I lean back and buckle my seatbelt, laughing. “You are such a slut, Von Bremen.”
We creep down the driveway to the farmhouse, careful not to jar Killer. Theo drove like a granny the whole way, insisting that Killer’s nails would scratch the leather even with her on top of four blankets. I didn’t argue. I just let him get flipped off and cussed at more times than I could count.
“Finally,” I groan. “I think your driving gave me a gray hair.” I finger a few strands for added effect.
Theo’s mouth turns down into a scowl as he stops in front of the porch. Gah. I really should paint it, it’s starting to resemble something haunted.
“Shut up. And get this flea bag out of my car.”
I feel a smile tug at my lips. He doesn’t mean it. In fact, I think he kind of likes the “flea bag.”
Leaning over, I kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, Teddy. You are the bestest friend a girl could ever have.”
Then, I lick his cheek. Totally immature, I know, but it’s just how we roll.
He shoves me off, wiping my slobber from his face.
“What? I thought you liked me wet?”
He frowns, not laughing at my joke like I intended. “Ans,” he breathes out, “we’re still more than just friends, right?” He seems nervous asking me this. Crazy, right?
Realizing he needs reassurance that we are not slipping back into our old habits, I lean over, take his smooth cheeks in my hands and whisper, “Yes, Theo. You are more than my friend.”
I get closer, my lips lightly touch his. Slowly, I brush my lips over his mouth, pressing firmly when he leans in, burying his hands in my hair. Mouth open, my tongue slips between his soft lips, twisting and tasting every inch of him. Even the damn minty gum in the corner of his mouth.
I tug him closer, pulling up for air. “You are my everything.”
My confession is whispered into his awaiting mouth before he crushes me to himself. He takes my shock as an open invitation, kissing me with everything he has, repeating the declaration, “My fucking everything. My fucking girl.”
My lips are bruised and swollen by the time we let up. My arms locked in his strong hands, hip jammed into the console. Nothing, and I mean nothing, has ever felt better than this moment. Breathing heavily, we get ourselves back under control.
Theo’s chest is still heaving, his face red, his lips puffy. He’s beautiful. I know you aren’t supposed to say guys are beautiful but that is exactly what he is. Beautiful.
When he feels me staring, he cuts his eyes to me and gives a playful smile. “You’re gonna marry me, McCallister. If I have to drag you down the aisle kicking and screaming. You will marry me.”
My jaw drops as he laughs, hopping out of the car.
“Get the dog, Ans. I don’t have all day.”
And the moment is over.
I’m aggravated ten minutes into my morning. My night was fraught with visions of bodies strewn across the dead foliage of the plantation’s pastures. Amongst the dead lay an angel whose golden hair was bathed in red. A weeping hole oozed from her chest, her essence dripping onto the greedy earth.
Yes, my night fucking sucked.
Running ten miles in the humid air did nothing to relieve the tension. Even the cold shower was lacking. Tired of the stress-relieving techniques, I hustle to the gym in search of Von Bremen. Information came back on the sheriff that’s wrapped up with Lou and this sex trafficking ordeal.
Security measures need to be taken. Of course, these measures will have to be taken in secret as Commander will not take kindly to our meddling in her life.
The house is quiet since the guys have been volunteering at the Veterans Association, most of them gone before sunrise. Only Lawson and Vic stay behind. It’s too soon to allow Lawson free reign again. Yeah, we’re keeping his ass here for now just in case he decides to go after Lou on his own. Which is not so much if he decides but when.
Vic isn’t so much a flight risk like Lawson but he has trouble being around children. And children are everywhere in the small town of Madison. Vic lost his son a few years back and hasn’t been able to overcome the grief that came along with it. I understand more than anyone how that feels. The guilt that you lived and they didn’t. It breaks a person.
Music wails from behind the door to the gym. What the hell is Theo listening to? His musical taste is straight-up garbage. Every single time I catch a little of what blares through his headphones, I’m disappointed. For a pro ballplayer, I’d expect him to listen to some kick-ass rock or rap. Hell, even some Queen would suffice. Anything to inspire a win. But nope, Theo listens to wailing, crying blues rock. It’s annoying.
Undeterred by the obnoxious sounds, I push through the door and freeze. In a backbend, the middle of Anniston’s back balances on the soles of Theo’s feet. He’s on his back, his legs bent as he holds still, allowing Anniston to reach for his outstretched arms. Her eyes are closed as their bodies move in sync to the music. It’s an incredible sight, I might even call it beautiful.
The heavy bass of the guitar picks up pace, and Anniston and Theo bend with it like they are doing a secret dance. His hands grip her wrists as he propels her body over his, allowing her to flip over him, coming to rest on her knees with her head bowed over his.
Theo’s fingers catch the wayward strand of hair that falls from her bun, rolling it between his fingers. And when she smooths both hands along his cheeks, caressing the day-old stubble there, he grips the back of her head, his abs flexing with the motion and pulls her down. She doesn’t put up a fight, lowering closer to his face as the tip of her nose brushes his. Her eyes close, his don’t. Theo closes the space between them, tilting his head to capture her mouth in an affectionate kiss. It’s not his usual this-girl-is-mine kiss, but a real one. One that clearly shows his love for her runs deeper than he lets on. Anniston makes a soft noise that sounds a lot like a hum of contentment.
The scene is so intimate that I feel like a creeper hiding in the bushes. You would think that common sense would kick in and I’d step out, but common sense must still be in bed because I remain steadfast in my gawking.
With one final kiss to the inside of her arm, Theo pulls Anniston all the way down, flush against his shoulder, biting alongside her arms and side. She squeals, trying to move away from his fun-loving attack.
Now seems like as good a time as any to make my intrusion known. I clear my throat. It’s awkward and comes out between a cough and a gag.
Theo cranes his neck my way and smirks up from the floor. “Bout time. I was wondering if you planned on staying for the shower.”
This asshole.
With lead feet and a good morning smile from Commander, I inch forward and clear my throat once again. “Yeah, well, sorry to disappoint. I know how you love an audience, but I have some urgent business to discuss with you.”
His eyes jump at my tone. He understands the underlying meaning in my gruff remark. With another peck to Anniston’s forehead, he eases her to the mat.
“Cade requires my expertise.” He flashes me a cocky look. “You know he can’t tie his shoes without assistance.”
I want to kill him. Every. Single. Day. Lord, give me strength.
“I’ll be back for strength training,” he promises as he springs to his feet. Anniston attempts to mask her giggle in the mat and fail
s, her raspy laugh reverberating through the gym.
A smile tugs at my lips but I don’t let it go. I remain stoic and irritated so I can get through these next few minutes with the pain in my ass.
When Theo reaches my side, I snarl like a deranged animal to relay my feelings about his idiotic comments. How is he the only person who brings this out in me? For goodness sake, I have led hundreds of guys in horrific conditions. At times, it was just us for weeks. And at no point did I ever think, I hate this fucker and hope a sniper picks him off. But Theo tests my religion every damn day. I pray for patience. So far, he’s still alive, so the prayers have been effective.
I shove him against the doorjamb as soon as we are out of the Commander’s sight. It only makes him laugh. Outside, where Anniston’s perceptive ears aren’t listening, I ask a question that I’m definitely going to regret. “What was that you were doing in there?”
Theo’s brow arches in an I’m-going-to-enjoy-explaining-this-to-you type of way. “Curious, are you?”
Never mind. It’s not worth listening to his mouth. I start to walk away before I hit him.
His chuckle follows me as he jogs to catch up. “It was yoga.” His shoulders shrug, like it’s no big deal for a man to be doing yoga.
I guess it isn’t. I hear it’s getting more and more popular for men. Hayes goes to a class occasionally but I thought it was to check out the downward dog of some young hottie he met.
I continue the pace, not looking directly at him. “I have never seen yoga done like that before. It looked like one of those Cirque de Soleil shows I saw in Vegas once.”
His lips purse in thought. “I guess, but it’s just couple’s yoga to us. Yoga is encouraged for athletes. And Anniston really enjoys it. It’s something we’ve done for years.”
It shows.
“So, what’s the news? Did the PI find anything on Lou and our good ole sheriff of Madison?”
Right. The sheriff. Lou, aka a dead man who put a knife to Anniston’s throat and threatened to take her.
My spine straightens in a defensive posture. “From what he can tell, Lawson’s claim that the sheriff is dirty is accurate. He hasn’t found a whole lot since the sheriff seems to be covering his tracks rather well.”