“They are the ones that killed my Pops,” I whispered harshly. I could taste my hate on the tip of my tongue as I spit out those words.
“Dear Lord, I hope you know what you are doing. Little you and those big men don’t exactly match up,” he said with wide eyes and then shook his head. “Bitch, you gonna get yourself killed.”
“We’ll see about that,” I replied. “Thank you for looking for me. I don’t want to keep you from making your money,” I said suggestively and he took the hint. He stood but leaned over to hug me.
“It was nice knowing your skankass. I promise to throw a rose at your funeral,” he said as he kissed both of my cheeks and walked away. My smile faded and his heed sunk in. There was no way I would be able to take on all five of these men on my own. I could get Yates to help me. He had enough fuel for the fire with these chumps to send a few heads rolling. I thought about Greyden but I just wasn’t too sure about him now. Most of Yates’s men had picked up and rolled out as they moved on with their lives; he became lost in the bottom of a bottle. I knew so many people from town but I tried to keep my distance from the truly wicked for my own good. It looked like I didn’t have many options at this point and I was growing impatient trying to come up with more.
I pushed away from the bench, bottle in tow, and crossed the Ring. A large circle of men yelled at the top of their lungs over two men who were slugging it out. Someone raised the bet and feverish hands tossed more money at the collector. The fight was only a few yards from the paw tattooed crew and I could watch them with ease from my spot in the backside of the circle. Someone bumped into me and I gracefully caught myself. No apologies were offered nor expected.
A Native American man jumped on his opponent when he dropped to the ground after a catching the wrong end of a fist full of hate. He grabbed a handful of the unconscious man’s hair and pulled the man’s chin up as he lay face down in the dirt. A blade caught my attention as it reflected the flames of a barrel. Blood beaded up on the forehead of the downed fighter and was followed by a sickening ripping suction sound. I watched with terror as the Native American scalped his opponent. The pain startled the man conscious and the blood curdling scream that escaped him silenced the crowd. When his eyes fluttered and he went limp again the crowd erupted once more.
I had seen enough. I turned to walk away but a wash of warmth stopped me in my tracks. I remained still without turning and waited for him to appear. Markham didn’t leave a woman waiting for long and slunk into my path.
“Hello, beautiful,” he growled softly and I tilted my head. I offered a slight nod and a cold gaze. He pouted in return and came so close that I could have stepped on his bottom lip.
“Does that work for you,” I asked and pointed at his pout. “It really doesn’t look good on you.” He laughed and shook his head. His eyes shifted over me and my sheer shirt.
“Nice, very nice. Are you this attitudal in the bedroom,” he asked and licked his lips suggestively.
“You’ll never know,” I answered and tried to move past him but he didn’t budge.
“This is the one I was telling you about, Darius.” The name made me grow stiff. I stopped breathing for a moment and then drew in my bottom lip as I felt the second rush of heat though this one was stronger. Together their heat was not as invasive as Murphy’s but it was still intimidating. I watched with emotionless eyes as a brute bald headed man circled me and joined the blonde steroid abuser before me.
“She’s quite enchanting,” he spoke. His voice coiled in the air like a snake and slithered over my flesh. I felt the hair at the nape of my neck stand on end and fought off the urge to shiver. Vivid green eyes look hard into mine as if he knew me. “She smells familiar.” The blonde nodded, agreeing. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. My feet unglued themselves from the desert floor and I began to walk again. I slid through the small gap between them and as I brushed them both I nearly passed out. A jolt fired through me like electricity and my knees grew weak. I managed to remain on my feet and stumble past them. “What is that I smell,” he asked and sniffed the air. I kept my back to them and slowly stayed in the direction of my car. “Marshall,” I heard him sneer.
It took every fiber of my being to keep moving. I wanted to freeze or run like hell to my truck. I couldn’t show fear, I forced myself not to. Quiet laughter tainted the air behind me. I felt my heart hammer in my chest and I knew I had been given away by my own pulse. Keeping steady and calm, I made it to my truck with my hand in my jacket on my gun. I dropped the vodka bottle in the sand and climbed into the cab, locking the door behind me. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He just said my name. How did he know my name? I cursed myself for coming out here. I had come looking for trouble and I knew I had most certainly found it.
CHAPTER 12
I managed to make it all the way to the inn without passing a single car and without seeing headlights in my rearview. Running to Yates’s door, I hammered my fist against it and waited for him to answer; silence. I tried a second time and a third; still nothing. I was sure I would find him at the bar but I really didn’t want to. I needed to talk to him. I needed to talk to someone. I refused to be alone in case these guys came after me tonight.
Murphy: I turned around quickly and spotted the blue Chevelle that I had completely ignored as I pulled in. The silver BMW was parked next to it and I didn’t give a damn. My stiletto heels bit into the sandy pavement of the parking lot. I found my ballsy mood retreat a little as I approached his door. I didn’t hear a headboard knocking or any loud moaning. I pressed my ear to the door and heard the woman talking.
“What the fuck do you mean, you quit?!” She was livid and I was sure Murphy was sitting there taking the heat like a champ. “I need that fucking car or the shit in it. You have had plenty of time to yank the package. Why haven’t you?” The car? The fucking Bel Air? Did Murphy have a hidden agenda all along?
“It hasn’t been easy, Val. She is always around or breathing down my fucking neck.”
“You’ve been all over her too, Murphy. You don’t think I can’t smell her all over you and the way she mixes with you. Give me a little more credit here,” she argued.
“We haven’t gotten around to the guts yet, damn woman. Why don’t you sit down and breathe.” He ignored what she said and I heard him walk across the room. “I’ll go get some ice. Clean the glasses, I’ll be right back.” His footsteps grew louder and I remained in the doorway when he pulled the heavy door open.
I stood with my arms crossed over my chest and fury in my eyes. He sighed and pressed his shoulder into the open door. The woman in the room sat on the side of the bed and looked around him. Thankfully she had her clothes on. Murphy closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face.
“Who the fuck is this,” she asked and stood. Murphy held a hand up to her and shut her up.
“It’s Dakota. The shop owner,” he said and then returned his gaze to me. “Is there something I can do for you,” he asked. I felt his heat start to radiate and then retreat. I could tell he was forcing it again and it only made me boil more. This asshole wasn’t just scamming me he was scamming himself. My eyes fired between the two of them and then I stormed into the room. The woman began to yell but Murphy silenced her with the raise of his hand.
“So you are fucking scamming me? This has all been a lie?” I did not raise my voice but my tone demanded answers. “Whats in the fucking Bel Air?”
“Cocaine,” he grumbled.
“My boss uses the car for shipments. Someone makes a big purchase for an old Bel Air and they get the coke. When you see an old classic on the back of a tow truck do you think about drugs? No. The car is returned with the cash flow and everyone is happy. Only the fucking thing landed in some retards hands and he fucking lost it in a bet before it was shipped to the client,” the woman explained to me in a slightly irritating nasally tone. She sat back down on the bed and crossed her legs. “My boss tracked it and found that it belonged to your friend. He kept tabs on it and once it
was in your garage we were going to try and extract our goods or get the whole car back.”
Murphy leaned against the door with his arms folded over his chest. Surprisingly a smile played on his lips. He was fucking amused.
“Why the fuck are you smiling,” the woman snapped at him and he shrugged. He was not taking all of this seriously. I wondered if he was even serious about the job at all. I arched a brow and watched as he headed for the bathroom and stepped inside to piss with the door open. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the woman on the bed.
“Just take the fucking car. I have bigger fish to fry right now. This is petty bullshit compared to the storm rolling in,” I heard Murphy shift as he listened to me and then he flushed. He headed for the sink to wash his hands and kept his eyes on me in the mirror. The look on his face was serious. He was concerned about what I was speaking of. He dried his hands and then moved towards the woman.
“Get out. I’ll have your shit tomorrow,” he growled and she stood and looked at him with shock.
“Baby, you already paid for tonight though. I thought we were going to….” She paused and then stumbled as she bent over to collect her shoes off the floor. “No fucking refund,” she yelled as she crossed the room and slammed the door behind her. I kept my laughter at bay and watched as Murphy sunk onto the edge of his bed. I heard her car peel out in the parking lot and then relaxed a little once she was gone.
“Were you really pulling that corny shit off with me,” I asked him. I just didn’t see a man like him dealing with something like this. It was petty and a waste of time if you asked me. I didn’t want to have anything to do with the car or Charlie’s gambling. I thought about what I had seen earlier; Charlie dealing coke. I was sure he had already removed the goods from the car and that’s what he was selling. My guess was that he pawned the car off on me to keep the attention off himself for a while. He was a smart bitch. I sighed and shook my head while Murphy just stared at me as if he could see all my thoughts played out on my forehead.
“I told you I am not good news,” was all he could say to me. I shifted in the chair and pushed the curtain back to scan the parking lot and dropped it back into place. “Someone on your heels,” he asked. I felt his warmth slowly ease back into the room but with slight hesitation and caution.
“I’m assuming so,” I said and crossed my legs. “The guys who killed my father are back in town. I came face to face with two of them tonight and they knew my name.” I felt him relax more and the chilly climate of the room began to fade.
“Their names,” he asked. At first I wondered why he even cared but then again, I seemed to know little about the man.
“Darius and Markham. I think they killed Mrs. Yates. She admitted to me the night she died that she had had an affair with Darius before her son’s death three years ago.” I assumed he was getting comfortable with me when the temperature raised enough for me to feel like a chick in an incubator. Murphy shook his head. He didn’t know who I was talking about.
“Do you think they wish you harm,” he asked. I thought about it for a moment.
“I’m not sure. They could have torn me limb from limb tonight if they had really wanted to. Me against five is hardly fair,” I replied and I could hear a soft growl. My eyes searched his as he looked past me instead of at me. “Whats your deal?”
“You are in trouble and I can’t let anything happen to you,” he replied quietly through a tightened jaw.
“You were scamming me. You weren’t protecting me from yourself,” I argued and he shook his head at me.
“Was I not? I quit. I’m trying to leave. But you are keeping me here,” he said and stood. I watched him as he crossed the room and held his hand out to me. That door opened again. The one we had both been trying to slam shut. His fire rippled over my flesh and my body tensed against it. “I can’t fight your battles for you. But I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you.” I could see the struggle in his eyes. It was as if part of him wanted to show me the door and the other wanted to keep us locked behind it forever.
“What battle,” I asked slightly confused.
“I believe that one’s revenge is their own. If you are seeking these men out because they killed your father you must face that exchange on your own. If you bring someone unrelated into it, it will spin more web and new grudges will be born. More lives will be claimed.” I listened as he clearly stated his point. I sighed when I realized that would mean that only Yates and I needed to take these pricks on. I would never be able to fully rely on Yates.
“These men will kill me. I won’t die without a fight though,” I admitted and took his extended hand. He lifted me up from my seat and pressed his lips to mine. As bad as my body burned for him I could not help but think of him and the prostitute in this room. I pulled my face away from his and shook my head. “Not here,” I whispered and he released me. I turned to the door and walked out.
I placed my hand on my Smith and Wesson as I stepped outside into the parking lot. When I heard footsteps behind me I didn’t bother to turn and see who it was. His warmth was reassuring and the jingle of his keys told me we were taking his car. My heels clicked against the pavement beneath me as I rounded the blue Chevy Chevelle. I pulled the heavy door open and slid over the white leather seat. Murphy joined me through the driver’s side and pulled out of the inn parking lot in the direction of my home.
His heavy hand found my thigh and rested there as if it were natural. His touch sent my insides into a crazed state and I could feel my pulse begin to flirt on the fast side. The curl of his fingers, tightening his grip, told me that he knew just how much he affected me. I reached down and placed my hand on his and slowly crept them both towards my quickening pulse between my thighs. A soft growl hummed inside the car as he touched me through my jeans, rubbing and applying pressure where my body begged for it. My lip found itself caught between my teeth and my eyes closed as he explored without the slightest sway to his steering.
We approached my house and I shook my head. “Not here,” I told him and he passed the yellow house without touching the breaks. I reached for the top button of my jeans and his hand suddenly lifted from between my legs to cup my hand.
“Not yet,” he whispered and cut his steering wheel hard to the left and peeled off into the open desert. We drove for quite some time; at least that’s what it felt like to me. When we stopped, I didn’t recognize the area. There was nothing around us in every direction for miles, it seemed. The crisp air made breathing a little easier while under the spell of his heat. The darkness around us was violated by the stab wound of the moon high in the sky. It wasn’t quite full yet but it looked huge out here with no other lights to degrade its haunting glow.
Murphy climbed out and circled the car to open my door. He took my hand and pulled me from the deep leather seat. My heels scraped over the hard sand as I took a few steps away from him and looked around. I could feel his eyes on me along with his phantom touch. It trailed up one ankle, to my calf and then my thigh. The static fingers pulled at the waist of my jeans enough to make me turn around and face him. He stood with his back against the car as he lit a cigarette. I watched as the corner of his mouth curled back to bare the slightest glimpse of those perfect teeth.
Joining him at the car, I ran my hands up over his chest to his shoulders and down his arms that now circled my waist. I reached up and plucked the smoldering cigarette from his lips and flicked it behind me. A low growl escaped him and I muted it by pressing my mouth to his. He kissed back and cupped my ass with his huge hands. I felt that arresting pull between the two of us and eagerly began to wait for our total submission.
He began to walk me backwards and before I knew it the back of my thighs hit the back of the car. The short curve of the trunk was perfect as I slid back onto it. He spread my knees and leaned into me between them. Our kissing went from hungry to ravenous and he began to nip at my bottom lip. My hands explored his chiseled torso beneath his shirt and sudden
ly reminded me that I was still armed. His hands were firmly planted at the backside of my hips as he pulled himself closer to me and nearly picked me up.
“There’s no going back,” he growled against my lips and then let his kiss find my neck. I ignored his warning as I lay my head back and closed my eyes. His skin on mine fed the addict within me that craved him. I already knew he could make me climax without actually touching me but I was sure it didn’t even come close to the real thing.
My whole body suddenly seemed to be enveloped in his static. Every inch of me tingled with an electric buzz and I felt as though I began to give off my own heat. I moaned into the night air as he let his teeth graze my collar bone. I discovered a new ache, one that begged him to bite down. I arched my back, forcing his teeth to press into my flesh. He pulled back slightly and I forced my hand into his hair at the nape of his neck to reel him back in. There was no escaping me this time.
“You’ve haunted me long enough,” I whispered and he nuzzled into my neck and let his razor blade smile find my pulse. His hand rose to my hair and removed a long black pin that I had twisted it up with. My silky blonde hair cascaded down my back over my leather jacket and I could hear him inhale deeply against my neck. His shoulder was in reach of my lips. I reached up and pulled the neck of his shirt to the side and intended to set an example for him. I grinned against his flesh and closed my eyes as I breathed him in. Leather and a woodsy musk seduced my senses. My tongue tasted him before my lips pressed firmly against him and my teeth violated the flesh of his shoulder.
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