by Rory Miles
“But,” he said, stressing the word, “I don’t mind breaking the rules for you.”
I crossed my arms. “Why’s that?”
He smiled, not answering the question. “Flynn is good at his job. Really good. If you want to find him, you need me.”
Someone clearly overestimated their self-worth. Still, part of me wanted to accept his help despite breaking the unwritten rules. What harm could come from it? I’d already broken most of the rules over the past few weeks.
Sammie’s eyes met mine and she smiled, tilting her head toward Corban. I gave her a look, hoping to make it clear this wasn’t a date. She wiggled her shoulders. Corban chuckled. I cringed, looking up at the lush green canopy.
Goddess save me from these men.
“Okay,” I conceded. “How do we find him?”
“Easy as pie, darling. Easy as pie.”
Turned out, finding Flynn involved pie. Apple, to be exact. We headed toward the opposite side of town, weaving through the main thoroughfare and passing a multitude of shops. My skin tingled, warning me.
Had Bron really sent another to follow me?
Corban hadn’t mentioned him by name, but I knew Bron led the pack. I didn’t doubt for a second he had ordered the blue-eyed beauty to tail me. An older woman with graying hair caught my eye; the edge of her lip curled up when she saw me walking with Corban, her hands stilling over the basket she wove. Interesting. The woman’s disapproval reminded me I knew exactly nothing about these men.
Rule number seven in the unwritten rules of bounty hunters: Don’t take a job without intel.
“Where were you guys before you came back?” I asked, going for casual rather than suspect.
He gave me a sidelong glance. “I can’t tell you that.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
He shrugged. “Not my decision.”
I stepped over a fallen log, looking up at the massive structure in front of us. My jaw dropped open. We had reached the other side of town. Forest City castle rose three stories high. The walkways in the main part of town had nothing on the castle’s. Each plank of wood was covered with intricately carved trees, flowers, and animals. The trees linking the walkways had been carved as well with looping designs. I hadn’t known what to expect but it wasn’t this.
Stone walls, rising up to the first level, separated the structure from the rest of the city. The stone had been painted brown and green, colors meant to blend in with the surrounding foliage. Guards stood ready on the second level, watching us. Their posts were built around the trunks of the trees, the planks they stood on just as regal as the walkways. Four sentinels stood at the entrance of the palace. Corban approached, not showing a hint of concern.
“Maximilian, how’s the wife?” Corban asked the guard on the left.
“Very pregnant,” the man laughed.
“She’s healthy?”
I stood, holding an apple pie, and tried not to let Corban’s caring side soften me. He had a friend at the palace. Whatever he had planned would be easier with friends on the inside. Feeling eyes on me, I glanced up at the guard directly above me, who glared down like I had somehow personally offended him. Pulling my brows together, I gave him an irritated look. What the hell, dude?
“Winter?”
Corban’s blue eyes danced with mirth as he glanced between me and the annoying guard. He gestured to the pie.
“Oh.”
He grabbed the pie from my hands, fingers brushing against mine.
Maximilian beamed. “She’ll be really happy about this!”
Knowing I’d made a pregnant lady happy made me smile.
Corban grew serious. “Have you heard anything about Flynn?”
The man scoffed. “So the truth of your visit comes out. Flynn? He’s out on a bounty now.”
Max told us what he knew about the mark and where he was last seen. It wasn’t much, but I had enough to work with. The hunter was about to become the hunted.
Chapter Nine
“You’re not coming with me.”
Bron didn’t care when I pinned him with a scathing look, nor did he seem to care that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He’d been all over me after I came out of the bathroom suited up. I’m not sure why, but the rest of the men all looked surprised to see that many weapons strapped to my body.
Bron looked unimpressed. “You can’t stop me.” His voice held a hint of challenge, just enough to really get under my skin. Spinning on my heel, I closed the distance between us. He had a good eight inches on me height wise, so I had to crane my neck to look up at him. Narrowing my eyes, I pulled the shooter out, waving it around.
“Maybe I should start over. If you follow me, I will not hesitate to stick you with one of these. Again.”
He stepped closer to me, and I felt the heat radiating from his body. My traitorous eyes flitted down his chest and stomach. I scoffed, as though unimpressed by him. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I wasn’t blind. Bron might have been the most attractive man I’d ever met, aside from Noah and Corban of course. His inclination to control me irked me to no end but I couldn’t deny the physical attraction.
He smirked. “I’d rather you tie me up again.”
Heat rushed up my neck. I deeply regretted using my underwear to restrain him days ago, but I held it together on the outside, hoping the flush wasn’t visible under the shade of the trees.
“I don’t want to have to hurt you.” The truth in my words surprised me. The thought of causing him harm bothered me. A lot. I’d still stick him with a tranq if I had to, though. No one told me what to do.
Did that mean I was mature and independent or just obtuse?
His eyes softened, almost imperceptibly, before he masked his emotions.
“Go on then.” He tipped his chin toward the forest.
I took a few steps back, wondering if he’d try to stop me. When he didn’t move, I turned and ran into the trees, weaving an intricate path just in case he decided to follow. The forest was hot, the air humid, and with the mid-day sun shining bright, sweat quickly formed on my brow. I strategically ran through the forest, jumping over logs and dodging trees as I headed toward the last known location of Flynn’s mark.
Breathing as quiet as possible after running for over an hour, I peered around the tree I hid behind. The mark had been easy to find . . . but not Flynn. Watching the man sitting on a broken log, trying and failing to start a fire with a flint, I tried not to laugh.
Clearly he’d never been in the wilderness long enough to fend for himself. This at least worked to my advantage. I hadn’t planned on taking Flynn’s mark, but I needed the money.
Rule number eight in the unwritten rules of bounty hunters: The mark isn’t yours until you bag him.
I ducked back behind the tree, leaning against it. Bark bit into my back as I loaded the tranq dart into the shooter with deft fingers. Kissing the wooden tube for good luck, I turned and shot the man. The dart lodged in his neck, the perfect spot for the potion to pump quickly through his body.
The man fell on his back, reaching up to grab the dart. His fingers went slack before he could pull it out.
Cha-ching.
Without so much as a twig breaking, I scurried over to him. He hadn’t shot magic at Lumi, but Corban had agreed to charge her for me. I would have to thank him properly for that gift. Without his power, I’d be dragging this plump man all the way back to Forest City.
Leaves rustled to my left. I stilled, searching the forest. The hairs on my arms stood at attention. Someone was watching. Pretending I’d written the noise off, I crouched over and worked on securing the man’s hands with my magic cuffs. As expected, seconds later the sound came again, this time much closer.
Unclasping the whip from my belt, my fingers grasped the leather-wrapped handle. The spooled length unraveled, the tip landing on my foot. The weapon wasn’t my go-to but I couldn’t be certain who approached. If the DMC sent another goon after me, the whip would be useless. If it was Flynn, I co
uldn’t afford tranqing him. The whole purpose of this mission had been to find him, not drug him up and render him useless.
I cursed myself for letting my need for money get in the way of cornering him. Now, with my back turned, an unknown threat neared. The person’s gaze burned a hole in my back. Tired of waiting, I stood, uncurling from my crouched position. Turning slightly, I caught the glimpse of brown hair before he ducked behind a bush.
“I see you,” I said, my tone clearly indicating my annoyance at the subterfuge.
“Do you though?” a silky-smooth voice replied before the man laughed.
Definitely not the DMC.
“Flynn.” I worked to control my frustration. “Come out so we can talk.”
A mop of lush brown hair appeared first. His mouth tipped up with a roguish smile, highlighting how handsome he was. Though nowhere near as attractive as my men. The thought made me pause.
I would reevaluate calling them my men another time.
Flynn wore a loose green shirt and brown pants; his shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal muscled forearms. His body was decorated with a few necessary weapons for magical bounty hunters but severely lacking compared to my arsenal. Then again, he had magic.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hi, come on over.” I waved him forward.
He strutted around the bush, suave and undulating, until we were standing face to face. His stance was relaxed but he leaned slightly forward on the balls of his feet, preparing to fight. My fingers tingled with anticipation. I didn’t want to fight him.
“Rumor has it you are one of the best.” I raised an eyebrow, smiling at him in what I hoped appeared to be a friendly gesture.
“The best in the forest lands.” He shrugged before crossing his arms across the broad expanse of his chest.
“I expected more,” I said, my tone teasing.
He laughed. “Well, had I known I had competition I might have tried harder.”
So, he was easy-going. Things were looking up.
“Are there many bounty hunters in Forest City?”
“A few. Some of us are territorial.”
“You have no headquarters,” I said, cutting through the bullshit. They might be territorial, but if no one controlled the incoming bounties it left a lot of room for rogue criminals. Or worse, bounty right disputes. Bounty hunters didn’t do well without structure.
He looked taken aback, surprised at the turn of conversation.
“The palace does just fine.”
“Do they verify qualifications?”
“Well, no—”
“Who runs arbitration?” I asked.
“No one, but—” he began, but again I cut him off.
“How much do they pay?”
“Depends on the mark, but usually upward of ten coins.”
Letting his answers linger in the air for a second, I wrinkled my nose at him.
“Let me get this straight. The palace does absolutely nothing to make sure the bounty hunters are legitimate and on the straight and narrow . . . and they pay you shit wages?”
A blush crawled up his neck. “There’s never been a problem.”
“That doesn’t mean there won’t be. Take this guy, for instance. Who’s to say you won’t fight me for rights?”
“I wouldn’t. You bagged him.”
“Right, but would someone else?”
He looked down, contemplating my question.
“Without proper authority, Forest City is susceptible to all kinds of shenanigans. Moreover, you deserve to be paid more.”
He tilted his head. “What are you getting at?”
“Let me run things.” There, I said it.
His laugh echoed through the woods. “I don’t even know you.”
“You know I’m good. You saw what I did.”
The mark still lay unconscious on the ground.
“Yeah, but you cheated.” Flynn pointed at my darts.
I stiffened. I hated when my inventions were talked down.
“No, I merely used a tool to avoid a fight.”
“Why didn’t you blast him with magic?”
My lips pursed. His eyes widened with interest. A burst of brown magic flew at me, sudden and unexpected. Lumi absorbed the power. I glowered at him before shooting his magic back to incapacitate him. Before he could defend himself, the magic struck his chest. His limbs went rigid, frozen by my spell.
I smirked. “Here I thought you were going to play nice.”
His lips didn’t move but I practically heard his thoughts. Taking mercy on him, I worked a counter spell, undoing the first. He shook out his arms.
“So you aren’t latent then.” He assumed I had used my own power to defend myself, and I didn’t bother correcting him.
“Perhaps we could meet for breakfast to discuss the plan?”
After a bit more persuading, he agreed to meet me at Sammie’s the next morning. He left, fallen leaves swirling around his feet as he walked.
Well, that went better than expected. Now all I had to was drop off my mark, collect my money and wait for my meeting with Flynn. Then, once I saved enough money, I could work on finding a place of my own. Easy as pie.
Chapter Ten
The setting sun cast shadows over my garden. The flowers I planted brightened up the dim front yard and made the area in front of the big porch more welcoming. I had reached the path to the house when I heard a sound, the smallest twig snapping from somewhere behind me. Whirling around, my gaze narrowed, searching the path.
I rushed around the back side of a giant ash tree, slinking closer toward Flynn’s location. He might be one of the best, but he wasn’t very good at being discreet. My shoulder hit the ground as I rolled past the pine tree, barely making a noise and letting the bushes hide my movements. Pulling out the whip—because I didn’t want to disable him—I crouched behind a flowering shrub, waiting for the perfect moment.
Flynn rounded the pine tree on my side, peeking toward the cottage. The whip whispered across the long grass. When he snuck around the trunk, I snapped my wrist. The tip grazed his cheek. He yelped, jumping back in surprise and touching his face. Blood stained his fingers.
I rose from my hiding spot, placing the hand holding the whip on my hip.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I said in a sickly sweet voice.
His head turned my way, brows pinched in confusion. “How did you hear me?”
I snorted before frowning at him. “You aren’t that good.”
He sighed, rubbing his cheek again.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He’d been willing to meet me tomorrow. I wasn’t entirely surprised he’d followed me; I probably would have done the same. Regardless, his sneaking after me worried me.
For my plan to work, we needed trust.
“Have you ever heard the phrase curiosity killed the cat?”
“Surely I’m curiosity in this scenario.” I tilted my head, lips twitching upward.
“Perhaps. Though I don’t think you’ll kill me.”
“Why did you follow me?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t you have done the same?” The way he studied me told me he genuinely wanted to know.
I nodded in answer.
“It isn’t often I meet someone capable of sneaking up on me.” He stroked the stubble on his chin.
I shifted, swinging the whip around my head before lashing out and hitting the bark of the tree behind him.
“Rule number nine,” I said, chiding him. Never underestimate your opponent.
“What?”
Oh, right. I might have forgotten to mention I’d made up the unwritten rules, and I had never shared them with anyone else.
“Never underestimate your opponent.”
He pulled his eyebrows together, giving me an odd smile. “Did you make up your own code?”
When I narrowed my eyes at him, his smile fell, weight shifting forward. I gripped the whip tighter, unsure why he prepared to attack.
Shit. I’d been so distracted by Flynn I hadn’t heard Bron approach.
“Grumpy.”
Flynn gave me a bemused look.
Bron’s arm brushed mine, gooseflesh rising over my skin in response to his proximity. I side-eyed him.
“What?”
He frowned. “I was making sure you were okay.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about this one.”
Bron’s gaze cut to Flynn, sharp enough to slice through steel. Flynn smirked, entirely unperturbed by Grumpy.
“Bron, this is Flynn, the bounty hunter.”
“Oh.” Bron grimaced as though he regretted his posturing.
“He was just leaving.” I shot Flynn a pointed look. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgment. Bron didn’t fully relax until he disappeared behind some trees. When the tension left his shoulders, I rounded on him.
“I had it under control.” His interference annoyed me. I hadn’t done anything to warrant this alpha-male protectiveness.
“Clearly,” he said.
I met his stormy eyes. “You should smile. I’ll be gone soon enough.”
His mouth gaped open. When he didn’t follow me back to the house, I hated how much I wanted him to.
Stepping up onto the porch, I let go of the tension between my shoulders and crossed to the door. The house had a way of comforting me even if I knew it wasn’t mine and I’d have to leave soon. Very soon. Once inside, I came to a halt when a delectable smell hit my nose. I sniffed again, stomach panging with hunger. How long had it been since I’d had someone else’s cooking?
Broad shoulders faced the counter where he chopped something. Steam rose from the pan, eliciting the delectable smell. The person swayed slightly back and forth. Faint music came from the living room but I couldn’t tell who played it. Tip-toeing across the wood floor, I headed toward the kitchen. I didn’t want to startle Shawn. At least, I hoped it was Shawn. He was the nicer of the twins.
Resting my butt against the counter on the other side of the stove, I raised my eyebrows and whistled. He jumped before glaring at me with the lightest green eyes I’d ever seen.