Sunshine and Bullets

by Coralee June

  Resting my forehead against the wooden barrier, I let out a slow exhale of relief. I was safe—for now.

  I heard a grunt as the smell of musky incense filled my nose. Music with a tantric beat filled the apartment, and I winced while turning around, knowing full well what I had just interrupted.

  Our loft apartment was small, so there was nowhere for me to run or excuse myself. On Phoenix’s bed, a woman in a tight black corset was squirming on the red satin sheets. She bucked while tied to the wrought iron bed frame as a blond man pinned her thighs open, devouring every inch of her. Behind him was none other than my best friend and roommate, Phoenix. Or Nix, as I liked to call him. Strong and commanding, Nix pumped into the blond’s ass, occasionally coaching him on how to please the woman.

  “Enjoying the show?” Nix asked, not once losing his stride.

  He winked at me, unphased that I had interrupted them. And when the man and woman paused, he reared back and released a hard slap on the blond’s ass before chastising him. “Did I say you could stop? Give my girl something fun to watch.” His gruff voice made me smile, and the man quickly obeyed, burying his face back between her thighs.

  The woman reluctantly made eye contact with me before letting out a loud moan. It was as if she was trying to prove to herself that my being here didn’t dampen the mood. But even I could tell that the sounds coming from her throat were forced.

  “Have a good day at work?” Nix asked casually as if he wasn’t slamming into a man moaning with pleasure.

  I bit my lip. Usually, he tried to plan his nights around my work schedule. And any other day, I might have enjoyed watching my handsome best friend in his element. We were purely platonic, but even I could appreciate the way he commanded the room. He worked days at a tech support call center, and nights giving couples their ultimate fantasy. His smoky tawny skin glistened with sweat as he nodded over at our futon. He’d been dying to get me to watch his prowess for ages.

  Tears pricked along the corners of my eyes as I watched him fuck the couple into oblivion. “Phoenix,” I began in a shaky voice. He kept his face stern, even as he glanced over his shoulder at me.

  “Banana Split.”

  He glanced at me. Our code word was silly but effective. Only intended for the ultimate emergency, Nix immediately knew it was serious. He blinked twice then immediately pulled out so he could face me. His eyes roamed my face as if trying to gauge if this was a drill or not as I averted my eyes from his raging hard on. I nodded.

  Even though every bone in my body urged me to flee alone, to disappear without any ties or obligations, I owed Nix. I’d gotten so used to running, but just this once, I wanted to say goodbye first.

  “Get out,” Nix ordered while sliding off the bed. He rolled off the condom he was wearing and threw it in the trash before rummaging through the piles of clothes on the floor. The couple scowled at me.

  “I didn't even get off!” the woman complained in a shrill voice while the man untied her restraints. She huffed as his fingers struggled with the thick brass buckles.

  Nix straightened his spine then slipped on a pair of purple boxers. He found his glasses on the nightstand and put the thick black frames on before wiping his hand over his buzz cut.

  “Are you arguing with me?” he asked the woman, his gaze unyielding. “You come when I tell you to. If I tell you to wait, you wait. Right now, I want you to go home with your husband and think about how good my cock feels in your dripping pussy. And then maybe if you’ve earned it, I’ll call again.”

  My brows shot up at his commanding, sultry tone. Damn, he was good.

  It didn’t take long for them to get dressed and scurry out of the apartment. Within minutes, Nix was completely dressed and rummaging through his closet. I walked over to our shared dresser and found my clothes in the bottom drawer.

  He didn’t ask any questions. He didn’t argue or yell at me for interrupting his evening. I stripped out of my Hot Birds uniform while walking towards the bathroom. As Phoenix frantically searched under his bed, I took the fastest shower of my life to wash off the sweat from my double shift. Once out, I towel dried before putting on some yoga pants paired with one of his oversized shirts. While looking at my wrinkled work uniform on the ground, I realized that, once again, I’d have to start over. My life in Baltimore was far from perfect, but I was just beginning to establish some roots. I had a life here.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” he finally said while plopping a full duffle bag on his bed. “I have some clothes for you too, as well as new IDs for both of us. I’ve got enough cash to get us through a few months, but I’ll need to take a few hacking jobs until we can get settled.”

  I blinked a few times, not understanding. “Nix, what are you talking about? You can’t come with me.” I stepped towards him, wrapping my arms around his torso. He smelled like sex and smoky cologne.

  “Honey, I have no family. No friends. You running into my life was the best thing that ever happened to me. Who else is going to make me waffles at two in the morning?” Nix pouted while placing his hands on my shoulders. “Finding you in that alley changed my life. You’re my person. Where you go, I go.”

  Tears streamed down my face as I remembered the night we met. I was drunk, homeless, and on my last dime. Nix saw me, I mean really saw me. I’d spent so much time living on the streets, running from place to place, that I got used to being invisible.

  I wasn’t sure I would have survived without him. He put me back together and forced me to open up. And when I finally told him I was on the run, he told me about his past as a hacker. He’d been keeping my identity safe for the past year, and I’ve never felt more secure or settled.

  But that was all gone now.

  “I can’t believe they found me,” I whispered.

  “Who found you?”

  I took a moment to collect myself before responding. Even now, five years later, it hurt to say their names. It was a deep, all-consuming pain. One that ripped me open and rubbed at my soul until it was nothing but a raw mess of existence.

  “The Bullets.”

  Chapter Four

  Present Day

  * * *

  "So let me get this straight," Nix began while scrounging around the floor for his phone charger. "Your childhood best friend finds you after five years, and your first instinct is to dick kick him and run?" he asked with a smirk while bending over. “Typical.” He picked up a pair of silk boxers and flung them across the room towards me playfully. I dodged the slinky material with a grin. Despite the recent turmoil, Nix was good at making me laugh.

  "You don't understand," I began. "It's not Blaise I'm running from. I loved Blaise. But if he can find me, then that means the person I'm running from can too."

  Nix straightened and looked at me tentatively. "You loved him?"

  I cringed when I realized I’d let that slip. Nix was always criticizing my lack of a love life, so my admission was big for him. I did love Blaise, and probably always would. But love wasn’t enough when you were up against the devil.

  “Yeah. I loved them all,” I replied softly while rubbing away the pain in my chest.

  I felt desperate to once again explain to Nix why it was so important that I keep moving. He had the very bare minimum of my history. And despite his nosy nature, he mostly respected my need for secrecy. He knew the dangers of my past, but that was about it.

  Openly talking about the Bullets was freeing. But the fear that consumed me made it all bittersweet. This was why I didn't make many close friends. The self-destructive part of me wanted to tell him just how bad it was. This was a life of sacrifices, and I didn't want that for him.

  A loud banging on the door startled us. Nix grabbed a wooden baseball bat he kept hidden under his bed, then walked towards me. He put a hand on my chest, pushing me back before going towards the door.

  "Don't answer," I hissed.

  Nix held his hand up to silence me before peering out the peephole. His muscles went rigid whenever
he saw who was on the other side of the door, and I held my breath in anticipation. I knew Blaise wasn’t a threat, but I couldn't afford getting sucked back into his orbit. Being friends with the Bullets was like a drug, and I was an addict. One taste was never enough.

  "What do you want?" Nix asked, his voice low and menacing.

  "I know she's in there," Blaise said from the other side before pounding on the door again.

  Nix looked back at me with a mischievous smile. I saw the decision in his eyes, it was quick—almost like lightning. Without asking me for my opinion, he opened the door and leaned against the frame with a broad smile.

  "Well, hello. You must be Blaise, I presume?" Nix shoved his hand out towards Blaise’s chest, expecting a handshake.

  "Where is she?"

  I peered around Nix’s bulky frame to get a better view of Blaise, who was standing there with a frown on his face. When our eyes connected, he shoved past Nix and entered the loft.

  "We need to talk." Blaise looked around the apartment, appraising it like someone trained to always be on the lookout.

  "You shouldn't have come here, Blaise." I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the wooden dresser.

  "I'll admit this isn't exactly the reunion I had in mind, but I'm adaptable, Babe. If you want to play this like it's a job, I'm more than up for the challenge." His eyes raked my body, and my skin turned white hot. I cursed the fact that he could still affect me, even after all this time. I may no longer be his innocent girl next door, but he still made me feel like an inexperienced, blubbering idiot.

  "What does that even mean?" I asked.

  I watched as Blaise’s lip quirked up in that cocky half smile I knew well. Out of the corner of my eye, Nix was watching our exchange with glee. His eyes ping-ponged back and forth between us, and if he had a bowl of popcorn, he'd be munching on it.

  "I'm a bounty hunter," Blaise answered. I had to smile at that. It seemed like the perfect job for him. He was always finding people.

  "There's no bounty on my head."

  Thanks to Nix, I’d been completely erased from every database, ever. I was a ghost. There were no warrants out for me because, to the modern world, I didn’t exist. It was one of the first things he did when I explained that I was on the run. He couldn’t erase everything, though. My father was a public figure. So occasionally, I’d stumble across news stories reminding the world of my tragic disappearance. They never found my body, but the world assumed I’d drowned after a night of partying.

  "That's where you're wrong. Sometimes, I take jobs from Gavriel. If someone falls behind on their debts, I track them down. It would seem that Gavriel put out a bounty on you, Sunshine. Do you owe him any debts?" he asked with a knowing smirk. I didn’t owe Gav any money. My soul, maybe, but not any money.

  My mouth gaped open, and Nix took another step towards me. The amusement faded from his expression as he saw me shake with fear. There was a bounty on me? What could Gavriel possibly want with me?

  "Is this the part where you say we can do this the easy way or the hard way?" Nix interrupted. He picked up the baseball bat and hit his palm with the slick wood, the slapping sound echoing around the room. Blaise looked at Nix as if just remembering he was here. Still wearing his cocky grin, he observed us with uncertainty, gauging our relationship.

  "No. This is where I tell Summer to get her pretty little ass in my Mustang before I drag her there myself," Blaise replied.

  Although his words sounded threatening, I couldn't help but let out a hiss of hot air. Blaise was flirty and charming when we were teens, but there was nothing playful about his tone now. His confidence was primal. And maybe it was my imagination, but as his eyes feathered down my shoulders and chest, I sensed that he, too, felt this attraction.

  "I'd love to sit here and bask in the musk of this disgusting sexual tension, but we have a few things to discuss. Why don’t you take a seat and tell me who the hell you are. Where do you think you're taking my girl? And who is this Gavriel person?" Nix set the bat down then gestured towards the futon. For a moment, Blaise stared at us, but he finally took a seat.

  Nix pulled me closer to him before sitting on the bed. I winced, remembering what had happened in these satin sheets just moments before. I considered myself to be open-minded, but even I didn’t want to be anywhere near this mattress.

  Blaise let out a chuckle while looking between us. "I'm Blaise, Summer’s best friend.”

  "Maybe five years ago, but that role is now filled. Next question."

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the duffel bag Nix had prepared. While they were sizing each other up, I debated grabbing the bag and running away. I calculated the odds of outrunning Blaise. It would kill me to leave Nix behind, but I wondered if it would be better. I was thankful for a friend willing to run away with me. But I wasn't sure if I was ready to commit to the level of guilt that would bring. He deserved a normal life—or at least Nix’s version of normal.

  "Gavriel offered fifty thousand to anyone that brought her in. And when men like Gavriel Moretti give you a job, you take it and don't ask questions. It's a good thing I found you first—I’ll at least pretend to give you a choice. Some of the other guys he has looking for you won’t be as nice.”

  "What does Gavriel want with me?" I asked. What happened to Gavriel that he had this much power?

  Blaise scratched the back of his neck. "The same thing we all want. He wants his Sunshine back.”

  I grasped my chest as pain rocked through me. For so long I didn’t allow myself to believe that they missed me as much as I missed them. It felt good to know the longing was mutual, but the guilt and sadness I felt rocked me.

  “I left for a reason, Blaise. I can’t go back.” Being close to me was a death sentence.

  “If you're running from someone, Gavriel is your safest bet. A lot has changed in the last five years. And then there's Callum..." Blaise met my gaze as I sucked in a breath.

  Callum? Yet another person from my past was trying to get me back. I didn't have the same relationship with Callum as I did the Bullets, but my heart raced at the thought of seeing him again. Were they all working together now? Were they friends?

  "Since when are you friends with Callum?" I asked, remembering their tortured past. My voice wavered on Callum's name and the ever intuitive Nix grabbed my hand and squeezed.

  "Since the day you ran away."

  I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what the Bullets looked like without me. When I left, I was too absorbed in escaping the threat. I’d never considered that my absence would bond Callum to their makeshift family. I had no right to feel jealous, but I did.

  "Look, you already have a bag packed. Gavriel isn’t going to take no for an answer. You’ve hidden from us for five years. And if we can find you, so can whoever you’re hiding from," Blaise said while looking at Nix.

  I sensed a hint of resentment in his tone, and I winced at the hurt behind his hazel eyes. He wouldn't maintain eye contact with me for longer than a second, but in this brief lapse of control, I saw the truth. Once again, he rubbed his jaw, and I felt a twinge of guilt for hitting him.

  “Not to mention, your location's leaked. Gavriel put a big bounty on you. If it's not me, it’ll be someone else. Or it’ll be whoever the fuck made you run in the first place.”

  My life had become so reactionary. So used to fleeing first and asking questions later, I’d never had a choice.

  "Well," Nix said while standing. He pulled me up with him before bending over and grabbing the duffel bag. "We'll come with you, but she doesn't leave my sight. If I don't like Gavriel or Callum, we're out.” He slung our bag over his shoulder then gripped my hand tighter, to emphasize his decision.

  "Absolutely not.” Blaise crossed his arms over his chest. “Gavriel doesn't take kindly to unexpected variables. You’re not invited."

  “Look here, the only reason I didn't beat your skull in when you knocked on my door was because my girl once had a crush o
n you. Doesn't help that you look like sex on a stick.” I bristled and gaped at Nix. “I'd hate to ruin that pretty face of yours, but I wouldn't give it a second thought if you’re a risk to Summer’s safety."

  I stood there a moment longer while trying to digest everything. Nix may be on board with going to see Gavriel, but that didn’t mean I was.

  "Whoa, whoa, wait. I’m not even sure I’m going." My tone was uncertain, even to my own ears. Had I gone from punching Blaise one moment to planning a trip with him the next?

  "You don't have to be sure. I’m not giving you an option otherwise." Blaise observed the loft apartment as if assessing escape routes.

  Nix let out a loud laugh. “We’re both going. End of story,” he said in a voice filled with steel.

  Authority flowed through Nix. My eyes widened at the sickening realization—Phoenix would get himself hurt following me. The road to hell and back was littered with casualties. My choice suddenly became crystal clear: I had to leave without him.

  “Fine,” Blaise sighed. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Gavriel is the sort to kill first and ask questions later. The only person he’s ever cared about in this world is holding your hand right now. You honestly think he’ll give two shits who you are?”

  I bristled at Blaise’s honesty. Gavriel still cared? Was that what this was about?

  I knew what I had to do. If what Blaise said was right, Gavriel could keep me safe—for now. I couldn't stay in Baltimore now that my location was leaked. But I also couldn’t risk Phoenix getting mixed up in this mess.

  I detached myself from Phoenix and nodded at Blaise. “Okay. We’ll go with you in the morning. I’d like one last night to…” I glanced back at Phoenix and kept my voice even, “pack.”