Border Town: SLICE Agency, Book One

by Louisa Bacio

  Lucia pressed her thumb against the velvety texture. A few drops of pre-cum escaped, and she brought her hand to her mouth, licking off the evidence of his arousal. Then she sank to her knees, thankful for the warmth of the area rug.

  “Are you going to ask what I’m doing now?” She blew against his skin, wrapping her hands around his thighs and drawing him closer, until she closed her mouth over his member. Shaw bucked his hips forward, reaching and winding his fingers through her hair.

  Using one hand, she pumped at the growing slickness of his cock and sucked while he fucked her face.

  Goodness, this man tasted sweet, and his reaction proved to be even sweeter. The wetness between her legs increased, and she swore she could smell it. Her heat. Her excitement, mixing with the intoxicating combination of him.

  “Do you have any available beds in this bunkhouse?” His voice came out gravelly, hinting of danger. As if she didn’t give him what he wanted, and fast, he’d take matters into his own hands.

  She gazed up at him, taking in his glory through her lashes, and sucked a few more times before pulling off with a plop.

  “Have something else in mind?” she asked. “Or is that just a warning?”

  “Woman.” Shaw placed his hands on her arms, guiding her to a stand. “Don’t you know by now, I don’t give warnings?”

  He gripped her ass, lifting, and she acquiesced, wrapping her legs around his waist, and they walked toward the nearest cabin wall. As they passed the table, he balanced her against his body with one hand, his cock pressed against the seam of her sex, seeking entrance, and he fumbled in his bag for something.

  “Condom,” he explained.

  He needed no other explanation.

  “Really, we have an assortment of sleeping arrangements,” she teased, kissing the side of his neck, trailing her nails across his back.

  Beneath her ministrations, he flinched. “Too late for that. Maybe next time. Now kiss me, woman.”

  Somehow, he opened the packet one-handed and sheathed himself between their bodies. As his mouth claimed hers, she helped him guide his cock into her, sucking in a breath as his width stretched her.

  “So fucking wet. And hot.” He nibbled her bottom lip, before lashing his tongue against hers. As he claimed her body, he claimed her mouth.

  And she knew, part of her heart. She’d called him for help, and he’d already given her so much more that she hadn’t expected.

  Security. Safety. Blistering hot sex.

  Her back pressed against the wood, she clung to him with everything she had. Outside the wind howled its release. Inside, they grunted and groaned, letting the passion between them take control and fuel the moment.

  Her internal muscles tightened as her climax neared. She rode his cock, lifting off as he withdrew, and sinking down, letting him fill her over and over, until the moment of crisis came.

  Mouth open in an O, she slammed her head against the wood. “Owww. Oh, that hurt. And that feels so good. Don’t. Stop.”

  He didn’t, and she didn’t.

  Lights danced before her eyes, and she shut them, focusing on the intensity of the moment. Lucia dug her fingers into Shaw’s shoulders, letting him finish his ride. His movements increased, his cock slamming into her until his entire body stiffened, and he shouted. “Fuck, yeah.”

  She stifled a giggle at his enthusiastic response. For someone so serious in his daily dealings, he sure let go in the bedroom. Or against the wall, as this case may be.

  “I can feel your body jiggling against me,” he said. “What’s so funny?”

  “I don’t know. You feel so good, and I’m just giddy, I guess.”

  “Hmmmm.” He didn’t sound like he believed her. What was he thinking?

  As the throbbing of his cock ebbed, he gently lowered her to the floor. Her calf muscles protested, and her body sighed in relief.

  She bit her lip, afraid to make eye contact after that vertical adventure. The laughter threating to escape, evaporated when faced with the reality of the situation. She’d had sex—fucked—Shaw. When they were supposed to be on the job, looking for whatever, whomever, attacked Mack. She refused to let guilt ruin the moment, dammit.

  “Hey, chikita.” He guided her chin upward to direct her gaze into his eyes. His grin said it all. Things would be all right between them. For now. “You okay?”

  “Physically or mentally?”

  “Whichever is the most pressing.”

  “Si. Yes.” She lied. What truth could she tell him? She was falling in love with this super secret agent who’d come out to rescue her and the farm? She was no damsel in distress, and no way she’d ask for anything more than he was already giving her. “All good.”

  She’d be sore tomorrow, and it was worth every single moment.

  “It sounds like the weather quieted down out there while we got busy.” Shaw picked up his clothes as he walked to the window to peer outside. “Maybe we should think about heading back to the main house.”

  The fury of their loving cancelled out the storm. What a crazy thought.

  “Probably a good idea.”

  10

  A stillness captured the night and a sense of unease crept across the back of Lucia’s neck. She didn’t like the feeling. Like someone or something was watching her, and she couldn’t see it. Despite how much she attempted to push it aside, the feeling persisted.

  “Hey.”

  Shaw grabbed her hand, and she screamed, jumping away from his touch.

  “Wow, there. It’s all right. Ten minutes ago, I thought you liked it when I touched you.”

  “Sorry. Something’s got my hackles up.” She glanced around taking in the usual familiar surroundings. “It doesn’t feel right out here. It’s too quiet.”

  “I noticed that, too.” Shaw moved his flashlight in a back-and-forth pattern over the path before them. “But maybe all the other living things out here are smarter than us, and decided to stay hunkered down until the storm really passes.”

  “Hmmm. Maybe.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  Again, what could she say? She dealt in feelings, and he went by the book. Sure, he might be out here investigating some unknown. But she lived it. Despite the intimacy they’d just shared, they didn't really know each other.

  Tell that to the throbbing need between my legs that’s ready for more.

  Shaw pulled the collar of his dark jacket up over his chin. The wind picked up, making them walk at a bit of a slant. Despite her layers of clothing, it cut through to the bone. Maybe we should have stayed the night in the bunkhouse. Then again, if anyone called with an update on Mack, I want to be there to answer the phone. Especially if he talks about who attacked him.

  “Wait. Hold up.” Shaw threw his arm out to stop her, kind of like a parent would to keep their child from hitting the dashboard in a sudden stop.

  The beam of the flashlight pointed directly at one thing on the ground. A footprint. Shaw knelt, slinging his knee into the wet ground. “I haven’t seen anything like this before. It may be what attacked Mack.”

  Lucia didn’t need to crouch in the mud to know what he was talking about. The footprint had what appeared to be three toes and long extended claws. As if he’d have to have them trimmed, and soon.

  “That’s it,” she confirmed. “The creature.”

  * * *

  Shaw didn’t want to admit what it looked like. The footprint. Oh, he’d heard whispers, rumors and outright jokes about them for more years than not. And damn, all those Unknown Creatures shows. But to see actual evidence.

  He reached down, tempted to feel the indentations of the curved foot. What was he thinking? First, he needed to document the existence.

  “That monster has been tormenting my family on and off for seventy-five years.”

  He whistled, imagining the legacy.

  “Ever since the storm in forty-eight.” Lucia turned to look over the river—its water clinging, almost overflowing, to the to
p of banks after the recent rains. With the cloud’s passing, the moon hung low in the sky, illuminating her in a brilliant yellow hue.

  I could look at her forever.

  The thought startled him. His heart lodged at the base of his throat. Never had he fallen for a woman so hard and so fast. Now, he had to figure out some way to save her, and the land she loved. He came from nothing, barely a family unit, and she possessed a rich heritage worth saving. He shook off the feeling. Getting sentimental now wouldn’t do. He didn’t need the distraction. One person was already hospitalized. This right here, this situation, was exactly why it wasn’t right to fraternize with the clients. He’d gotten too involved.

  He’d broken the rules, and now he was going to break her heart. And his own.

  “What did you say?”

  “When the storm moved the Rio Grande.”

  “How the fuck did that happen? You didn’t mean that in a figurative sense? Must have been one big-ass storm.” He took in the massive roaring waters echoing through the night landscape. They didn’t call it the grand river for nothing.

  “We lost thirty acres to that hurricane, and we gained that chupacabra.”

  It was the first time he’d heard that edge in her voice, and really the first time she’d acknowledged what they were after.

  “Isn’t that a myth?” he asked, trying to brush off the darkness that felt like it was surrounding them both.

  She whirled on him, holding out her finger. “Don’t laugh at me. It killed my mother. No matter what Papi says, I know it.” The flashes of light sparking in her eyes was almost as bright as the lightning previously in the evening.

  Aaaarrrrhoooo. A howl cut through their confrontation, and the skin along the back of Shaw’s neck prickled.

  “Oh, hell no,” he said. “I’m in no mood to run into that thing, whatever it is.”

  The howl grew louder, coming from the left of where they stood—out toward the darkness they’d just traveled. The vocal quality of the howl lowered, transforming into a growl.

  “I think we better get back now,” Lucia said, placing her hand onto his elbow. “I don’t want to end up a midnight snack.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, offering comfort. He may not be able to protect her long term, but for right now, he certainly could escort her back home. She leaned into him, and he found solace in her warmth. Minutes ago, he’d been convinced to step away from her and do what was right. Now, all he thought about was getting back to the ranch house, taking a warm shower with her nude, trying out that homemade lavender soap of hers, and getting all dirty again. If they survived the trip.

  The light of the flashlight flickered, and Shaw shook it. “Don’t die on me now.”

  For a few seconds, the light flashed stronger and brighter, and then was gone totally.

  “Fuck.” He resisted the urge to chuck the useless piece of crap. It wouldn’t do them any good. Instead, he shoved the handle into his back pocket and took out his cell phone, turning on the light function.

  “Good thinking,” Lucia pressed against his back, offering warmth.

  “Come on, we better head back while the going’s good,” he said.

  With the pathway dimly lit, they made their way toward the main structure. Not ten paces in, the cell fluttered and died.

  “What the actual hell?”

  And then the guttural moaning sound increased. Closer. Like only a few paces away closer. Adrenaline pumping, he turned, pushing Lucia behind him. He couldn’t see to get them out of there, and it’s not like he knew the way. Something was tracking them, and he didn’t much feel like finding out what this way.

  “Do you trust me?” Lucia whispered.

  “What? Why are you asking me that? Shhh. I can’t hear.” He strained to hear the sounds of the creature. If he couldn’t see it, he could at least hear it.

  Her hand slid into his, and she gripped him tightly. “Well, if you don’t, make believe you do. Run!”

  Nothing like running through the dark, blind. If he shut his eyes, it wouldn’t get much darker. Instead, hearts pounding, and breath growing shallow, they pounded against the wet dirt. It felt like they were running out of the gates of hell with the devil on their tail. An underlying thrill ran under the fear.

  Shaw’s toe hit a ditch and he stumbled. If he fell, he’d bring her down with him. Moving in motion, he righted his body, and she tugged, never missing a step of her own. Finally, they rounded the curve and before them lay the lights of the house. The porch light wasn’t bright enough to cast too much illumination but beckoned as a safe haven.

  The desire to turn around to see what was chasing them or how far back it was grew stronger. But he’d read all the stories and mythology growing up. If you glanced over your shoulder, that’s when it got you.

  Up the three stairs of the porch, and Lucia dropped his hand and reached for the door knob. This far out, he figured she didn’t keep it locked. She dashed in first, and right before he entered, he stopped and dared to look back.

  11

  Lucia grabbed Shaw by the shirt and yanked him inside. The door slammed behind them, and right when it clicked shut, something slammed against the wood, snarling. She jumped and flicked the deadbolt, securing it further.

  Gun drawn, Shaw stood ready, aiming at the door. If something came through, he’d get it before them. Or at least she hoped he would. A flash of gray, and red eyes crashed against the window. The memory of the night her mother disappeared struck, and Lucia screamed.

  The sound of cracking glass struck fear deep inside her. They’d be trapped in the house, and it was going to get in.

  “Get back,” Shaw said.

  Bam. Bam. Bam. In rapid succession, he fired through the wood, and quiet ensued. The noise reverberated in her ears.

  The smell of gunpowder overwhelmed the small room. She covered her nose. Wood splinters lay on the floor.

  “Do you think you got it?” she asked. No way in hell I’m going to peek outside.

  “I don't know, and I don’t really want to know,” he replied. “Well, I’m not sure I want to know.”

  “Chicken.”

  “Right. As if you’d want to open that door.”

  “It’s not my job. It’s yours.”

  There was something sexy about a man who knew how to use his gun. Mud caked his shoes and the bottoms of his jeans. His shirt was untucked, and the neckline was all pulled out from her grabbing it. His hair was no longer slick and styled, but ruffled from their time in the bunkhouse and running back. And he’d never looked hotter.

  “Maybe if we wait a few minutes, and nothing happens, then we’ll know it’s gone,” she offered.

  A glint of metal glimmered in the door, and a thought struck her. “What are you using, silver bullets?”

  “Maybe.”

  “It’s not werewolves we’re fighting here.”

  The expression on his face made her question her beliefs. “Do you really know that?”

  Gun drawn, Shaw side-stepped, approaching the door. What would she tell her father about the damage? He rarely listened to anything she told her, especially about the farm. He lived in his own world, as if time stopped when her mom disappeared.

  “What are you doing?” She made to follow him.

  “Shhh.” Shaw held out his arm to stop her. “Doing what needs to be done. I may joke about not wanting to look outside, but as you were so kind to remind me—it’s my job.”

  “I was only joking. Whatever that thing is/was, I don’t want to meet up with it.” She flashed to the image of a slobbering white mouth with sharp teeth that appeared momentarily in the door. Perfect to eat you with, my sweetie. “Plus, it didn’t look like it killed easily.”

  “Everything can be killed.”

  “Some personal motto of yours?”

  Against the door, he peered out the window, trying to glimpse the exterior from all sides. “I don’t see anything,” he said.

  He placed his hand on the door, a
nd fear struck, raw and suffocating. Her throat tightened. “Don’t do it. Don’t open that door.”

  “Would you rather your sisters get home and find whatever that creature was, possibly hurt and even more mad than before?”

  Point made. Either they took care of this thing—chupacabra, her mind screamed—or more people would get hurt.

  With a creak, the knob turned, and Shaw braced his back against the door and slowly opened it. After a few seconds that felt like hours, he pulled it and stepped outside, gun ever on the ready.

  “All clear,” he called. “It’s gone.”

  Gone? Just like that? Lucia didn’t want to believe it. Better than dead on their front porch? Despite what he’d just said, she glanced outside. Scraps from the door littered the porch but other than the wooden damage, nothing.

  From his pouch, Shaw removed a kit and scraped fluid off the back window.

  “I don’t think I want to know,” Lucia gagged at the idea of what he collected for testing with an eeek-eeek sound too similar to the scratching of a chalkboard.

  “Looks like saliva,” he said, zipping the plastic bag locked.

  She surveyed the porch, taking the few steps down to the dirt path. “How can there be no blood, and no sign of where that creature went? Are you that bad of a shot?”

  “Watch it now. You ever hear these things can fly?”

  What else would come up? “You gotta be kidding me. Silver bullets and flying goat suckers?”

  He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “If it’s a shape shifter, then maybe the silver will affect it. If not, then the bullet will do the trick. No harm in being prepared. And on that note, we better do some more talking. Something tells me the connection between you, your mom, and this ‘creature’ may mean something.”

  “Of course, it does,” she mumbled as she passed by him, going into the house. Nothing about this entire situation could possibly be normal. Not only did they have a chupacabra on the loose, but she’d called in government agents for help.

  Smart move.

  “Dude, what the fuck?” Alec stumbled into the kitchen, his eyes all bleary. “Did you unleash your gun in here or what?”