The Wanted

by Rory Miles

  “Bron can kiss my ass. You’re still a jerk.”

  His brows came down, the humor draining from his face. “I don’t hate you anymore.”

  “Oh, thanks!” Sarcasm dripped off my words.

  He scoffed. “How long will it take for you to get over it?”

  “Excuse me?” I asked, tilting my head at him like that would help me hear better. “Get over it?”

  He frowned. “What’s the problem? Why can’t we be friends?”

  Did he have no brains whatsoever or was he just that clueless?

  “You made it very clear you don’t like me and you haven’t exactly been nice. The past six days have been great, you haven’t even insulted me, but I’m not sure when I’ll get over you being an asshole.”

  “I’m sorry, okay?”

  “Now I feel like I forced the apology out of you.” I threw my hands up. “It doesn’t count.”

  “Doesn’t count? What are you, five?”

  “Do you still have an issue with my relationships?”

  “Yeah, sort of. I mean, you have the ability to make five of my best friends hate each other. So far everything has worked out, aside from when you and Bron got into a fight.”

  I didn’t like that he knew about that.

  “Do you even understand where I’m coming from? Since you agreed to their ridiculous idea, I’ve been waiting for the proverbial shit to hit the proverbial fan. Have you ever heard of something like this working?”

  No. I hadn’t. To be honest, I’d never even heard of anyone being in this weird sort of harem relationship. Well, reverse harem, if you were being particular. He raised some good points and I could understand his frustration. To him I was a burst of uncontrollable magic that could destroy everything. Did I want that to happen? Obviously not. How could I tell him everything would be fine when I wasn’t even sure about that?

  “I get it, and I’ll do my best not to ruin the dynamic.”

  He nodded at me. “Just . . . be careful. We’re all we’ve got in this world.”

  “Okay.” The word came out small and weak.

  “I don’t hate you. I actually think you are pretty fun to be around, but you’re still a threat to me. I’m working on accepting things as they stand and I am sorry for being a jerk to you.”

  “Thanks and I’m sorry too. I know I can be an asshole.” I smiled at him. “Hopefully this works out. If it doesn’t, trust me, I won’t stick around long enough to cause problems.”

  And I wouldn’t.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  After lunch, I decided to follow Ezme some more. Imagine my surprise when she and Flynn left the inn together, heading into the woods. Ezme groaned in frustration when she failed for the umpteenth time. Flynn patted her shoulder, probably whispering words of encouragement. The woman tried again to make what appeared to be a ruination sword. I couldn’t be certain because only a tiny spark of magic began shaping into what looked like a sword hilt.

  Why was Flynn teaching her advanced combat? He hadn’t mentioned her at all when he’d come looking for a new job, so I assumed he still didn’t know about the bounty.

  A sigh of annoyance left my lips when she failed. Again. Flynn consoled her once more before leading her deeper into the forest. I swatted at a bloodsucking insect before following after them, dashing from tree to tree. Moving lightly across the grass, I jumped over shrubs blocking my path. The humidity was high today and sweat pooled at the small of my back, threatening to drip in unpleasant places. I missed the desert. Dry heat was intense, but this humidity made it feel three times hotter than it really was. I should have worn shorts.

  My magicked handcuffs snagged on a bush, making me jerk back. I glanced up to make sure I knew where Flynn and Ezme were heading before pulling the restraints free. Checking my other weapons before heading out, I took a few minutes to catch my breath. Sneaking was hard work. Once I finished securing my toolbelt, I jogged in the direction I’d seen Flynn leading her.

  I still didn’t understand his relationship with Ezme. A few loud cracks filled the air. I knew that sound. Why was someone splitting wood in the middle of the forest? Ezme’s voice floated on the wind.

  “What are you doing?” The question was filled with dread.

  “Finally,” I muttered, guessing he had decided to make his move. Smirking to myself and ducking behind a few trees to watch the show, I paused when I could see into the clearing ahead, then frowned when Flynn began to split logs with an axe. Ezme watched, mouth agape and trying hard not to drool.

  Seriously? What the hell was Flynn doing? He finished and walked toward her with purpose.

  Yes, okay, here it comes.

  Oh.

  Oh goddess.

  Did he just bite her ear?

  What the actual fuck?

  He sauntered out of the clearing and the fool of a woman followed after him like a pathetic little puppy. I watched her stare at his back for a while before I decided I’d had enough of this. Whatever Flynn’s game was didn’t matter. This woman had a pretty little bounty on her head. Glancing down and finding a big enough stick, I picked it up and snapped it with my hands. I stepped away from the tree. Flynn stiffened, gaze sweeping over the forest until he spotted me.

  “Winter, you’ve lost your touch.”

  A small laugh escaped before I could control it. Did he really think he’d caught me?

  “I was hoping I’d find her before you did.” I said, deciding to get some answers from him. Ezme visibly paled, her brown skin lightening when she saw me step out from behind the tree. Her green eyes widened, flaring with indignation. She glanced me over, gaze flicking to the whips, handcuffs, and rope before her lips pressed together in disbelief.

  “How do you know her?” She swung her head toward Flynn, glaring at him.

  His eyebrows rose. “How do you know her?”

  “She’s been following me.” Ezme turned her angry glare on me.

  “Guilty.” I smirked when Flynn looked up at me, a million questions in his eyes. So, he didn’t know about the bounty. Did I just cock-block Flynn?

  “She’s a bounty hunter?”

  The girl muttered something before looking me over again. I sighed, placing a hand on my hip, slightly offended by her surprise. I may be short, but was it really so hard to believe I was a bounty hunter?

  “How long has the bounty been out?”

  My head canted. “You didn’t know?” The feigned ignorance didn’t fool him.

  “How long?” Anger flashed in his eyes.

  Perhaps I shouldn’t have hidden this mark from him, but it was too late to correct that mistake.

  “A few weeks. If it is any consolation, I wasn’t sure you were the mark the first time I bumped into you.”

  Flynn glanced at Ezme, mouth opening in surprise when he seemed to piece together whatever puzzle he’d been trying to figure out. I answered Ezme’s next question, explaining how and why I’d followed her. Several emotions passed over Flynn’s face. Frustration, confusion, and finally determination.

  “I claim her.”

  Ezme blushed, clearly not understanding.

  “No fair. You didn’t even know about it!” I sounded like a petulant child but I didn’t care. This woman would net me a lot of coin.

  “Doesn’t matter. You can’t take her from me. Unless you want to try?” He sneered at me, narrowing his eyes in challenge.

  Not really wanting to fight with my business partner, I held my hands up.

  “Down, boy.” My eyes moved to Ezme. Flynn was oddly protective of this woman. He said he didn’t date but . . . the way he acted around her made me question his prior declarations. “I want to know what this is all about.”

  Flynn sighed. The two shared a look, like they could read each other’s thoughts. Exactly how long had he known her?

  “One week,” I said, interrupting their silent conversation. “I’ll give you seven days to come tell me the story. Otherwise, I’ll take her on the way to class.”
>
  Flynn . . . growled at me? Ezme placed a placating hand on his arm.

  “Okay,” she said, giving him a brave nod of acceptance.

  I smiled, shooting Flynn a snotty look before disappearing into the trees. Hopefully Flynn would understand why I’d kept the job from him.

  “Winter!” Flynn yelled from outside the cottage door. “Get your skinny little ass out here.”

  His fist pounded on the door three times before Noah ripped it open, stepping into Flynn’s space.

  “You better check yourself,” he growled at Flynn. Aggression, something I’d rarely seen with Noah, rolled off him in waves. His finger pressed into Flynn’s chest, making him stumble back a step.

  Flynn scoffed, shaking his head in frustration. I’d expected him to be upset, but I hadn’t expected him to lose his shit. My hand pressed against the wall next to the door, helping me hold my balance as I lifted onto my toes to peer over Noah’s shoulder.

  “You should have told me.” His eyes met mine as he continued to ignore Noah, who stepped closer so they were almost nose to nose, forcing Flynn to acknowledge the immediate threat.

  My shoulder lifted in a shrug he couldn’t see because Noah blocked me from his view.

  “We got the job right after you’d lost the first mark.”

  He didn’t seem to hear my explanation—or he didn’t care what my excuse was—because he and Noah stared one another down.

  “Don’t come to my house with that attitude unless you want your ass beat.”

  Flynn narrowed his eyes before nodding, taking two steps back. My hip bumped into Noah’s and he moved out of the way. It didn’t escape my notice that he moved out of the way because he wanted to and not because I had actually had enough strength to push him out of the doorway.

  “If you want to talk about this like an adult, feel free to come inside and sit down. Otherwise, you can leave.”

  Heat from Noah’s body pressed into my back, letting me know he’d gladly get rid of the pest if need be.

  “Well, you’re going to have to call off your guard dog if you want me to come in.”

  “Do you really think referring to the very large angry man as a dog is the wisest thing to do right now?”

  Flynn smirked at me. “Probably not.”

  “Noah, I’d like to talk to Flynn alone.”

  A rumble of protest sounded from behind me. I glared over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow.

  “Fine,” Noah said, retreating to one of the couches and crossing his arms. His eyes tracked Flynn all the way to the kitchen table. I swear he didn’t even blink.

  “You’re right, I should have told you. The job came in right after the first mark and I thought it was better to keep it to myself.” Shuffling through the papers in my basket and finding the right one, I handed Flynn Ezme’s details. I sipped some water while he read over the information, a deep line forming between his eyebrows the more he read. When he finished, he looked up, all traces of frustration and emotion wiped from his face. I tried to hide my growing skepticism of Flynn. What did he know?

  “I still claim her.”

  “Okay.” I let out a frustrated breath. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He shook his head. “It isn’t my place to say.”

  “How do you know her? Why are you teaching her advanced combat magic?”

  The barest hint of surprise flashed in his eyes before he concealed it.

  “Again, it isn’t my place.”

  “I need some answers, Flynn. She’s worth a lot of money.”

  “She’s a person,” he said, as if I didn’t already know that.

  “They’re all people!” My voice rose in frustration. “What’s so different about her?”

  He grimaced. “Just give her a chance.”

  “I gave her seven days. Six now that a day has passed.”

  “When she comes—”

  I made an amused noise.

  “When,” he continued with a pointed look, “she comes, you need to listen.”

  Two things I knew for certain: Flynn liked Ezme, I just didn’t know to what degree yet; and, as I suspected, there was more to her story. I agreed to keep an open mind and Flynn left, nodding at Noah before he shut the door.

  Noah came to the table, placing his hands on the wood and leaning toward me. “If he ever talks to you like that again, I’ll make him regret it.”

  “Worried about me?” I teased, secretly loving his desire to protect me.

  “Always.” His lips pressed into mine, brief and chaste before he straightened, smiling down at the pleased look on my face.

  “Kace and Shawn are out.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  I rounded the table, walking back toward the bedroom. “You’ll have to come find out.” Taking off my shirt and turning toward the door, I felt the thumping of my heart pound against my chest when he started after me. By the time he made it into the room, I’d lost the rest of my clothes and waited for him on the bed.

  His eyes perused my naked body before he started undoing his pants.

  “When did I get so lucky?” I said with a sigh when I saw how turned on he was.

  Climbing onto the bed, he chuckled as he crawled over me, nudging my thighs open with his hips. “I was just wondering the same thing.”

  After cleaning up, Noah and I cuddled on the couch together. When the door banged open, we both jumped up in surprise. Magic flared in Noah’s palm and my fingers closed around where the shooter would have been if I’d put my full gear back on. Bron, Sloan, Corban and Erik shuffled in, barely acknowledging either of us before heading back to the bedroom.

  “Why are they here?”

  Noah frowned. “I don’t know. They weren’t supposed to return until tomorrow.”

  Kace and Shawn burst into the cottage, out of breath and looking like they’d just run three miles.

  “What’s going on?”

  Shawn grunted, leaning over to rest his hands on his legs, and sucked in air.

  Kace answered me between his pants. “The goddess sent them home.”

  “Why?” Noah asked, glancing back at me in confusion and confirming that the goddess didn’t just pop in to say hi on the regular. He walked back to the bedroom, opening the door. Snores greeted him. He shook his head, closing it and coming back to the living room.

  Shawn stood, face red but breathing more normal now that he’d rested a minute. “She came with a man and woman and apparently they will be the one guarding the gates until we can move there permanently.”

  Permanently?

  There weren’t even beds in the cave. How could she expect them to leave their home and stay in a cold, damp cave? Something must have happened with the gate.

  “They let two random people take over the most important job in the sectors?”

  Shawn shrugged. “If the goddess trusts them, who are we to question her?”

  “Yes, but we don’t even know these people,” Noah stated, forehead wrinkling.

  I let out a frustrated breath. “Why is no one concerned about moving to a cave? Permanently?”

  Kace frowned. “We’ve been asked to stay there before for long periods of time.”

  “Yeah, well, permanent is fancy for forever.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Shawn’s lips twitched at my expense. Noah wrapped his arm around my shoulder while Kace looked up at the ceiling, eyes closed as though he fought for patience.

  “What else did they say?” Noah asked, still hugging me.

  “That’s all they told us when we passed them on our hike. We went to check the gate after we saw them and the goddess was there with those people, guarding the cave like they said.”

  They actually saw her? I couldn’t begin to imagine what she looked like, let alone being able to talk to her. She created everything. Why would she help out seven men when there were thousands of others who could need help at any given point?

  The next morning I sat by Erik, rubbing a
t a little mark on the kitchen table. Bron leaned against the counter, frowning at whatever Corban was saying. I’d stopped listening when I realized they were going to go live in a cave in just three weeks. They were leaving and I’d be alone. Just when things had begun to settle down, the goddess went and ruined everything. The divine bitch. My anger wasn’t justified, though, not when the rational part of my mind remembered the men were guarding a half-complete gate to worlds unknown. The volatile deep magic couldn’t be left exposed. I knew that, but I didn’t have to like it.

  The room had fallen silent. I glanced up from the place I’d been rubbing on the table. My hand stopped moving. They were all looking at me.

  “What?” The question came out clipped.

  Noah and Sloan exchanged a look I didn’t understand. Erik tilted his head and smiled at me.

  “Were you even listening?”

  My shoulders stiffened. “Yes.”

  “Oh, then why didn’t you answer the question?”

  “I was just thinking.”

  He leaned back in his chair, lips twitching in amusement. “I’d love to hear your answer.”

  The crease between my eyebrows hurt as I tried to remember what words were spoken. Given that I’d been tuning out the conversation, I couldn’t piece together what I should be responding to.

  “Bron asked if you were going to come with us.”

  This from Noah, my new favorite.

  “Oh.” I folded my hands in my lap and looked at each of them. “I have the business to think about.”

  “What about Flynn? Could he take over?”

  I shook my head. “No, he’s too distracted.”

  “Red?” Corban asked.

  Erik’s eyes flashed with annoyance at the mention of her name.

  “Maybe. She’s young, though.”

  Kace laughed. “You’re only a few years older than her.”

  “Yeah, well, eighteen is a whole lot stupider than twenty-four.”

  He smirked at me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  Of course I was right, he should have known that by now.

  “You can train her,” Bron said.