The Wanted

by Rory Miles

  “I thought women liked dresses.” Erik chuckled at the dark look I gave him.

  “Most women do. I’d rather wear shorts.” Running in dresses was near impossible, just another reason not to like them.

  Erik’s lush brown hair fell across his forehead as he considered me.

  “I like your shorts too.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

  “Oh please. You’d like any woman in literally any garment.”

  He grabbed his chest in mock offense. “Since you’ve come around, I haven’t noticed any other women.”

  I chuckled. “Sure, pal.”

  He linked my arm with his. “I’m serious. You have consumed my thoughts. Your spunk and pouty lips. Those shorts. Now this dress. You’re killing me.”

  I crinkled my nose. “I’m nothing special.”

  “You’re right,” he said.

  I frowned. What the hell?

  “You’re extraordinary.”

  “Oh, for goddess sake. Cool it on the compliments, Erik. How long has it been since you’ve been with a woman? You’re starting to sound desperate.”

  “If I were to ask you on a date, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?”

  “Yes. Wait. No.”

  “Either way, it’s a date.”

  I shook my head. “How many times have you used that line?”

  “A man never reveals his secrets.”

  I rolled my eyes. Erik was funny. Handsome too. Accepting a date with him didn’t mean much of anything in my mind. He’d move on to a new distraction soon enough. I hoped Bron and Corban wouldn’t be offended. Actually, I sort of hoped Sloan and Noah wouldn’t be upset either. How had I gone from no men to worry about to having five? For once, I was grateful Kace hated me and that Shawn hadn’t shown any interest. At least I didn’t need to worry about them.

  “Ah, here we are, m’lady. The grand palace of Forest City.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Queen and King Marchand of Forest City received people on the lower level of the palace. The thrones, made of dark oak and carved with looping designs, sat on a raised platform. The palace was shaped like a ring, leaving the open space for banquets or formal meetings with the court. Private rooms and halls surrounded us.

  The queen was addressing a young man. I half-listened as he begged for someone to help him find his fiancée. She’d gone missing. Or so he said. Judging by the angry tick in his jaw, I assumed she ran away from him.

  Wooden walls lined the first level of the ring. There was a small gap between the walls of the first and second level, leaving just enough room to see the legs of people walking on the bridges but not enough to see their faces. By the time I glanced back at the stage, a mousy man with slicked-back hair stood ready to announce the next petitioner.

  “Flynn Right.”

  Erik’s arm brushed mine. “You sure you don’t want to go with him?”

  My nose wrinkled. “I’m sure.”

  “Someday you’ll have to tell me why you detest monarchs so much.”

  I shrugged, lowering my voice to a whisper. “No particular reason aside from the fact that they’re a snide bunch, sitting up there looking down their noses and denying people things they could readily supply.”

  Erik looked confused. “King Marchand isn’t like that.”

  I gave him a look as if to say we’ll see.

  Sometime between the angry man and Flynn approaching the dais, the queen had taken her seat again. She and the king listened intently as Flynn carefully laid out our plans. I envied his confidence; the way he carried himself made me feel like he belonged on a throne of his own.

  “The crown will benefit from this service. The royal guards can return to their duties of guarding the palace and maintaining the prisons while we hunt the wanted. We’ll bring them to you for holding and processing, and the guard won’t be spread thin as they are now chasing down criminals.”

  King Marchand looked at his wife, who delicately shrugged a shoulder. She whispered something to him behind her hand. He nodded, holding a hand over his mouth, concealing his response as well. Flynn waited patiently, his shoulders pulled back and his head slightly tilted. I bet he even had his dimples on display. Those things were powerful.

  The king cleared his throat. “Set up a meeting to arrange the transfer of services and coin. This is a provisional grant. We are not fond of dangerous criminals running wild. Take care to make sure you capture them. If there are any mistakes, no matter how small, the agreement will be terminated.”

  “I understand, Your Majesty. I can assure you we will be diligent.” He bowed low, pausing for three seconds before standing.

  “Amelia Uris,” the mousy man called out for the next petitioner.

  “Well, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

  I glanced at Erik. “No, it wasn’t.” The only thing that bothered me about the agreement was the bit about making mistakes. Everyone made mistakes. How could Flynn guarantee we wouldn’t mess up?

  “You’re kidding me.” I glared at Flynn.

  He ducked his head, staring at the worn floor of the porch, and put his hands in his pockets. Four days had passed since the king agreed to let us run the bounties. I’d sent Flynn after the first mark this morning, thinking he’d be fully capable of capturing a thirteen-year-old boy who’d been on the run for less than a week.

  I was wrong.

  “How the hell did a pubescent kid give you the slip?”

  Rule number nine: Never underestimate your opponent.

  He grimaced. “I don’t know, but the longer you yell at me, the further away he gets. Are you going to help me or not?”

  My lips pursed. How had Meyers put up with this shit?

  “I don’t really have a choice, now do I? You’re the one who promised we wouldn’t screw up.”

  He scowled at me. “What else was I supposed to do?”

  I sighed, running my hands through my hair. “I don’t know. Just, give me five minutes.”

  “Everything all right?” Bron asked, looking up from his lunch when I slammed the door on Flynn’s face.

  “No,” I growled before rushing to the bathroom to grab my stuff. I opened the cabinet I’d been stashing my toolbelt and weapons in. Bron pushed the door open, watching me secure the dagger on my thigh and check the other weapons over.

  “Need any help?”

  I added a few extra darts to my thigh holster.

  “Unless you know where a thirteen-year-old boy hides when he is on the run because he decided it would be fun to torture and kill his neighbor’s pig and was stupid enough to get caught, I don’t need help.” I threw my hands up in frustration. Four freaking days. That had to be a new record. Meyers wouldn’t have messed up after only four days. Goddess, who was I kidding? Thinking I could run my own operation.

  Bron gripped my arms. I hadn’t seen him walk over, but now he stood in front of me. His gazed down, taking in the panic on my face.

  “Breathe, Winter. It’ll be okay. According to Flynn, you’re almost as good as he is.”

  I raised my eyebrows. If he was trying to help it wasn’t working.

  He laughed. “Relax. I’m pretty sure that means you are better than he is. Why do you think he came to you for help?”

  “Because I’m technically his boss,” I said, pulling away from him to grab Lumi off the counter. I secured the clasp and adjusted the stone. The necklace felt heavier than usual; I hadn’t been wearing it as much as I used to. Then again, I hadn’t felt a need to. I hadn’t been doing any jobs and though I was loath to admit it, the men made me feel safe.

  He shook his head. “No. He came to you because there isn’t anyone more qualified to hunt this kid down. Take a deep breath, pull yourself together, and go get the little shit.” A burst of magic flowed from his palm, and Lumi glowed with the freshly supplied power.

  I blinked, surprised by how well his pep talk worked.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem, babe.
Go get him.”

  Babe? That was rather presumptuous of him, but I let him have it. I doubted there was much I’d deny Bron. I headed out toward the front door, frowning as I walked. Had he known that I’d let him get away with that sappy name-calling shit? He at least needed to get me in bed before he gave me any sort of cutesy nickname.

  “Oh, Winter?” Bron called after me.

  I glanced over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “Check Prospect Cove. That’s where we always went when we got into trouble.”

  I nodded, filing the name away. “Thanks.”

  “How much further is it?” I swatted at the fat mosquito on my arm. Blood smeared over my skin. Stupid insect had taken more than his fair share. Since we’d neared the beach, the pests had tripled, and the exposed parts of my arms and legs were covered in bites.

  “We are almost there,” Flynn replied, patting his horse’s neck.

  We’d been riding for a day and a half. We’d spent the night under a large oak tree, using our packs as pillows. It was no different from any other chase, aside from the fact that my entire future as a bounty hunter in Forest City depended on me catching this kid.

  No pressure.

  We had taken the long way to the cove, approaching from the forest rather than the beach. We didn’t want to spook the boy before we got close enough to snatch him up.

  “Whoa.” Flynn stuck his legs straight and pulled back on his reins. I followed his lead, stopping the horse he’d borrowed for me. Through the dense forest I could see sunlight sparkling on the water, like a thousand diamonds floating in the sea.

  “We’ll have to leave the horses here.” Flynn dismounted, leading his steed over to a grass patch near a tree. I led my horse over and tied her off, giving her enough slack to roam back and forth.

  “How are your climbing skills?”

  I gave Flynn an annoyed look. “Better than yours. Let’s go.”

  We headed up the small hill to our right and then started toward the edge of the short cliff. We’d have to climb down the side so the kid wouldn’t see us coming. I sat, turning over and grasping the first holds on the rock and finding secure footholds.

  I’d made it halfway down when I heard Flynn grunt. My fingers grasped the smallest holds yet as I glanced up. Flynn barely hung on with one arm. His left foot was wedged into the rock, but the right side of his body swayed out. This close to the water, the moisture had made the holds slippery. I’d avoided the ones covered in moss but Flynn hadn’t. My arms shook as I watched him regain his balance, grappling at the cliff face until he found a secure hold.

  Meeting my gaze, he dipped his head to say he was fine. I hurried down the rest of the cliff, pushing off and dropping into a crouch at the last five feet. My hands rested on my hips as I glanced around the beach. Beautiful. The green sea, formally known as the Green Waters, crashed against the larger rocks lining the beginning of the cove. The boulders broke the billowing swell, changing the torrent of water into spilling waves that chastely kissed the beach.

  Flynn dropped down next to me, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. We didn’t speak. If we hadn’t already spooked the kid, I didn’t want to do it now. He pointed toward the entrance of a small cave near the edge of the cove. The tide was low, allowing us to walk on the sand for most of the way. When we reached the water, we waded in, taking care not to splash too much. With gentle steps we crept to the cave, glancing around for the kid.

  Water splashed against my knees by the time we entered the cave. Large rocks leaned together, forming a misshapen triangle. The sea lapped in with smooth waves, rippling over the sand. A narrow ledge, just big enough for me to stand on, lined the left side of the cave. I climbed onto the stone, not wanting to get my weapons wet. I glanced over and saw Flynn jumping onto a similar ledge on the opposite side of the cave.

  Up ahead, a wide stone jutted out over the cave water, like a platform. Smoke curled up from a freshly extinguished fire. A small pack lay on the ground next to the fire pit. The kid was here; there was no way we’d missed him on the way in unless he could hold his breath for a few minutes.

  I unhooked the whip from my belt, waiting to uncoil it. I didn’t plan on hitting the kid first, but I’d be damned if I’d let him blast me with magic and get away with it. I ducked under a protruding rock, placing one hand on the wall for support. Stepping off the ledge and onto the platform, I let out a breath, thankful I didn’t have to worry about losing my balance.

  The large slab of a rock extended ten feet across and nearly twenty feet back. Huddled deep in the shadows, the boy stared at me with a scowl on his face. Squatting down and placing my hands on my thighs, I met his angry gaze.

  “You want to do this the easy way or the hard way?”

  Flynn stood with his arms crossed, narrowing his eyes at the kid.

  The boy looked from me to Flynn, assessing the threat. My fingers let the coiled leather loose.

  “Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be,” I warned, flicking the whip out toward him in warning.

  He spat on the ground. “Bitch.”

  Someone had some anger issues.

  A brown orb flew at me, striking my chest. Lumi warmed against my skin as she absorbed the magic, saving me from the paralytic spell. Why did the marks always pick that spell? His eyes widened when I didn’t immediately fall over.

  “I warned you.” My whip curled around his wrist.

  He stumbled when I tugged him toward me, trying to remove the rope. His feet scraped against the stone.

  “Stop resisting. You’ll only make it worse on yourself.” A grunt passed through my pursed lips when he yanked on the whip. “I didn’t want to do this.” Brown magic shot from Lumi, casting a sleeping spell over the boy before he had a chance counter it.

  “Well done!” Flynn clapped me on the back.

  “Thanks for all your help. I’m so glad you came with.” My hair swayed as I shook my head.

  “Anytime.” He winked.

  The goddess-damned pain in my ass actually had the audacity to wink before he turned away, whistling as he strutted out of the cave.

  “Men,” I muttered, using the leftover magic in Lumi to carry the kid from the cave. The most important thing was we’d caught him and the business wouldn’t fall apart. At least, not yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The mirror reflected a dressed-up version of myself. Hair freshly washed and styled in a sleek bob, red lips courtesy of a new lipstick I’d found at the market, and brown eyes lined with kohl. I adjusted the straps on the purple silk top. Turning sideways, I checked to make sure the girls were covered. The neckline of the blouse showed off a generous amount of cleavage but it wasn’t indecent. My black skinny jeans were soft and made my ass look phenomenal.

  Not that I wanted to look special for Erik. It was just a date. A woman needs to get dolled up from time to time. I smoothed my hair, smiling at myself. I looked good. Tall, black leather boots waited for me near the bathroom door. Once they were laced up, I opened the door. Erik waited down the hall.

  “Damn, Winter. Where have you been hiding all of that?” Erik asked with a laugh, grabbing my hand and twirling me when I reached him.

  I chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  He pulled me to his side, squeezing my shoulders. “This is going to be fun.”

  Frowning, I glanced up at him. “Why do I feel like I should be worried?”

  “Because you should.” Corban sat on the back of the couch, arms crossed and lips turned down.

  Bron, Noah, and Sloan also sat around the living room, each looking put out. Bron’s gaze pulled me in, full of emotions I couldn’t decipher. My teeth pushed down on my bottom lip. Maybe this was a bad idea.

  “You promised you wouldn’t be waiting.” Erik sighed heavily, narrowing his eyes at the other men.

  Noah tilted his head back. “What made you think we’d follow through?”

  Sloan’s lips twitched when I glanced over at
him. “You know this means you owe us all a date now, right?”

  The skin between my brows pinched together as I tried to understand. “All of you?” I asked, thinking of Kace and Shawn. Shawn was still gone, off on some super-secret mission, but Kace had made it clear what he thought about me.

  “Well, all of us in this room,” he amended.

  Corban came over, tilting my chin up with his finger. “I’m next.”

  Bron growled a warning. Noah and Sloan exchanged amused looks.

  “I’m next,” he said, shoving Corban aside with his shoulder. His gaze flitted down my body, pausing on my cleavage before he burned me with a smoldering look.

  My cheeks flushed. “Why doesn’t anyone care what I want?” My eyes searched his, trying to understand what this meant. Did my dating Erik bother him? Why did his obvious envy send a thrill through me? He’d demanded to be next but didn’t protest the others taking me out. Did that mean he was okay with me dating them as well? None of this made any sense. How was I supposed to manage five relationships if I couldn’t even manage my feelings for Bron?

  “What do you want?” He pulled me toward him.

  Noah gave me a sympathetic look. Sloan, Corban, and Erik waited for my answer. Bron’s lips brushed mine, moving my attention from the other men back to him. I lifted up on my toes, kissing him back. The thoughts racing through my mind were even more jumbled when he pulled away.

  “Well?”

  “I don’t know.” My head rested on his chest, hiding my blush.

  “Then don’t choose,” Erik said, grabbing my hand and taking me away from Bron. “No one is making you pick, and right now, you all are making us late for our date.”

  My eyes strayed back to Bron, lips tingling. He smirked. “Enjoy your date.”