Smoke & Metal

by Skyla Madi

  Jai lowers his fork and pushes his plate away. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know.”

  I shrug it off. “You couldn’t have. It’s not your fault.”

  Jai’s large, warm hand covers mine and he pulls on it, turning my chair to face his.

  “You’re an incredibly strong woman, you know?”

  Of their own accord, my lips pull themselves into a bashful smile. I don’t want to smile, but I can’t help it when I look at him or hear the deep, rough tenor of his voice. Since when did Mr. Underground get so sweet? And why is snuggling under a blanket with him all I want to do today?

  He looks at me differently now compared to when we met. His eyes are softer and happier despite his situation.

  Jai opens his mouth, but three heart stopping thumps on the front door echo down the hall and ceases them in his throat. Thick, painful tendrils of fear pierce my chest. Shit! What the hell do we do?

  “Emily?” Jai whispers harshly, his voice pulling me back to the real world. “Did you hear me?”

  “Uh,” I whirl around on my stool and take in the large shotgun he holds in his hands. Where the hell did he get that? I’ve seen them in movies a bunch of times but never up close and personal like this. They’re fucking terrifying.

  “Emily?”

  I jolt off the stool. “No. No I didn’t hear you.”

  Placing his feet shoulder width apart and flexing his knees, he pulls the butt of the gun firmly into his shoulder. His face is void of any trepidation—any anxiety. He is stone cold and it’s kinda hot…scary, but hot!

  Jai aligns his eye evenly with the sight of the shotgun, keeping his cheek tight to the stock. I’m too terrified to even hold a shotgun—let alone hold it close to my face.

  “I said get the door.” He orders, his voice firm.

  Without hesitation, I zip down the hallway and grip the door handle in both hands. The metal underneath my palms quickly becomes slick with sweat.

  “Open it.” Jai orders, inching closer.

  I squeeze my eyes shut and open the door…

  …nothing happens.

  I wait, dread and anticipation wreaking havoc in my chest. The sound of a heavy boot connecting with the timber floor echoes in my ears. I open my eyes as shock etches over Jai’s features. I wait for the trigger to be pulled. I wait for the shot to ring out…but it never comes.

  “Is this how you greet all your guests?” A deep, smooth voice asks, humor present in his tone.

  I don’t recognize the voice and it sets me on edge. I inch further behind the door, praying whoever it is doesn’t close it behind him and spot me cowering against the wall.

  “How’d you find me?”

  “I ran your plates. If you’re going to drive around I suggest you wear some kind of disguise or someone meaner than me will track you back here.”

  I peer out from behind the door as Jai lowers the gun. Why isn’t he shooting? Why is he allowing this man into our safe house? I clench my trembling fists. The funny thing about fear is it can either force you into a deadly paralysis or it can pump you full of powerful, unadulterated adrenaline. I unclench my fists. I will not be captured by Skull today!

  I kick the door shut and leap forward. The stranger barely has time to react before I wrap my arms around his throat and my legs around his waist. A little brown folder slips from his hand and crashes to the floor. I squeeze as hard as I can while he claws at my arm and throws his body around in panic. I’ve never killed anyone before and I’ve never wanted to, but in this moment—to keep Jai and I away from Skull—I’d do it. I’d squeeze until this stranger stopped breathing and then I’d dump his lifeless body in the lake.

  “Unh!” I grunt as he slams my back into the wall and air is forced from my lungs.

  “Jai?” The stranger manages to squeeze out over my battle cries. “Help me out here.”

  “I’d love to.” Jai laughs. “First, tell me why you’re here?”

  “I have…” He pauses to grunt, his throat vibrating against my forearm. “Information…Joel.”

  The stranger manages to get a grip on my wrists and he pries them apart as a strong arm wraps around my waist. With a soft yank, I’m pulled off of the intruder.

  The wide expanse of Jai’s chest presses into my back and I still as his large hand moves around to my belly, holding me firmly against him.

  The stranger rubs at his throat, his golden eyes flicking over me and onto Jai.

  “This is Emily, I assume?”

  I swallow hard, but the saliva does nothing to put out the burn that’s scalding my esophagus. That forty seconds of screaming feels like three days at a festival on my throat.

  “The one and only.” Jai replies and I can almost hear the smirk on his lips.

  Panting, I take in the man in front of me…that’s when I notice the clean, pressed deep navy uniform, the shiny badge, and the two digits on his collar. Eighty-eight. He’s a police officer from New York. I glance at the badge again and underneath it on a glossy rectangle is his surname. Gile.

  Gile extends hand to me. “I’m Ted.”

  He has beautiful and flawless dark skin—a color that reminds me of a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s night. His long, dark eyelashes frame two glowing golden eyes. There’s nothing malicious about him. There are no threatening tattoos, no metal capped teeth. Ted seems friendly…which is awkward as hell considering I just attacked him like an out of control monkey.

  Jai relaxes his hand and nudges me forward with a subtle ‘bump’ of his hips. Gasping, I brush loose strands of hair out of my face and slip my hand into his.

  “Emily…” I say. “Though you already know that.”

  He smiles a wide, dazzling smile that showcases his bright, white teeth. I bet it’s a smile all the girls go crazy for. Jai’s hand tightens on my stomach and he pulls me back against his body. I like it here against him. Where I know it’s safe.

  Realization flashes in Ted’s eyes as he looks us over. He bites his smile and bends low to gather the contents of his folder. When he’s done, he straightens his legs and starts down the hall.

  “Do I smell breakfast?”

  ***

  Ted slaps the folder down onto the bench and abandons it to grab himself a plate. Jai slips back on to his stool, but I remain perched by the side of the bench. It gives me clean access to both the front door and the back should anything go wrong. In front of me the deadly shotgun sits, waiting patiently to be fired.

  “So I did some digging around after we met up last night —”

  “Wait.” I cut in with a sharp look to Jai. “You guys met up?”

  His blue eyes bear into me. “I needed help. We can trust him.”

  Ted’s plate connects with the countertop and he rustles through the draw for a fork, but I don’t take my eyes off of Jai. I can’t make a call to the hospital to let them know I’m alive, but he can call his cop friend for help? What kind of bullshit is that?

  “Skull is after you two something bad.” Ted states and I laugh once, slowly dragging my stare from Jai.

  “Congratulations. You told us something we already know.”

  Ted frowns, a little taken back by my attitude. I couldn’t care less if I’m coming off intolerant and rude. This is dangerous. He shouldn’t be here. How do we know he’s not buying time until the rest of his squad shows up to take us in? I clench the edge of the counter in my hands.

  Ted looks at Jai who leans forward, resting his elbows against the wooden bench.

  “Ignore her. She can be a little blunt. You said you had information on Joel.”

  I scowl. Asshole.

  Ted nods as he piles generous amounts of bacon and eggs onto his plate. “From what I gather, Joel fell off the grid months ago. At one point he was Skull’s top man—ran ‘errands’ for him. Then one day, poof. His face stopped showing up.”

  I glance at Jai. His brows are pulled in, his lips tightly pursed.

  “What are you saying?” I ask, ashamed of the little
inkling of relief in my chest. “Are you saying he’s—”

  “Dead? No. I don’t know where he is, but I don’t think he’s dead.” He scoops up some egg and stuffs it into his mouth. “That’s not how Skull plays his game.”

  I fold my arms. “A game? You’re referring to this psycho’s life as a game? If you know so much about him then you know he needs to be stopped. Permanently.”

  Ted shakes his head. “It’s not that simple.”

  I laugh. “Not that simple? He’s a murderer— a monster. How is that not simple?”

  Reaching for a paper napkin, Ted swipes it at a rogue drop of oil on his chin. “It’s a hard case to handle. Even if he’s captured and convicted of anything, it won’t stick for long. He’s sick—mentally ill. We’re aware of the situation with his family that day on the esplanade…there’s no doubt it had a hand in his psychotic break. Rehabilitation in a maximum security facility would be the worst he’d get.”

  What the hell is wrong with the justice system? Why are they trying to rehabilitate these animals? I scoff. “That’s it? He should be hung by his neck. He stabbed a heavily pregnant woman in the stomach, killing her and her unborn baby.”

  Ted and Jai exchange a confused look.

  “What are you talking about?” Ted asks.

  “Skull told me what he did…to the couple on the esplanade.”

  “That’s what he told you?” Ted shakes his head. “Skull isn’t the perpetrator in that story. He is the victim. He cradled his dying wife until she bled out.”

  Ted’s previous words sink in. We’re aware of the situation with his family that day on the Esplanade…

  …his family.

  I press my hand to my chest, but it doesn’t stop my ribs from clenching. I’m so fucking confused.

  “A jogger found him an hour later just sitting there, holding them. A guy from the Twisted Sons shanked Skull’s wife as part of his initiation into the club. Little did they know Skull would later own New York.”

  I shake my head. “But he told me he stabbed the pregnant woman…I’m certain of it.”

  Ted shrugs. “I told you he’s not well. Who knows what’s going on in his head. Men like him are the worst kind of dangerous. They’re disconnected with reality. You wanna hope he doesn’t catch you two again.” Ted looks me dead in the eyes. “Especially you.”

  I frown. “What’s that supposed to mean? Why me? I didn’t kill five of his buddies.”

  I shoot a glare to Jai who shrugs it off with a roll of his eyes. That was hands down the most terrifying experience of my life. Just as Skull slipped his hand between my legs, bullets rang out in quick succession. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Skull was spared.

  Skull. Was fucking. Spared.

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Ted stuffs a slice of bacon into his mouth and pushes open his file.

  “What I’m about to show you is disturbing.” He manages to mumble out. “And it’s absolutely uncanny.”

  Ted stops mid-way through his thick stack of papers and pushes it over to me. Skull’s face is the first I see. The black ink…the bones…the dark eyes. A shiver tears down my spine.

  “Ah, sorry,” He flicks the page and stops at a peculiar photograph. What the f—my mouth falls open as Jai snatches it out from underneath me for a closer look. His dark, blue eyes lock onto me.

  “It’s you.”

  Until Next Time

  Jai

  It’s terrifying how similar the woman in the photo is to Emily. The dark hair and brown eyes—even all of the subtle freckles that start on one cheek and flow across the bridge of her nose to the other. There are subtle differences that stand out to me, like how this woman’s eyes are a little smaller and the way her nose points up at the end, but still…it’s fucking creepy.

  “Well, it’s not actually you, but holy shit she comes close.” I say.

  I toss the photo across the counter top and look at Emily. Her skin is pale—paler than normal. Her brows are furrowed and her mouth is closed and down turned at the corners.

  When she notices me watching her, she grimaces.

  “It’s kind of gross…” She says. “I mean…I look like his dead wife.”

  “Like I said,” Ted states. “He’s sick.”

  “So what do we do about Joel?” I ask. “Finding him is my top priority.”

  Ted reaches out for the carton of orange juice and pours himself a large glass. “I have a buddy in the elite task force the FBI setup to pinch Skull. I asked him to keep an ear out for any information on your brother. I’ll let you know if anything comes up." He glances down at his watch. “I’ve got a shift in a couple of hours. I gotta leave now if I’m gonna make it in time.”

  He glances around the kitchen. “Ya’ll got any spare containers?”

  “I don’t know.” Emily sighs. “This isn’t our house.”

  Ted waves his hand at her. “I didn’t hear that.”

  He scours the wide kitchen drawers and eventually finds one filled with empty Chinese take-out containers and glass jars. Grabbing the largest one he can find, he brings it back to the bench and scoops the warm breakfast foods into it. A quarter of the way, he pauses to look at us.

  “You don’t mind, do you?”

  I shake my head. “Help yourself.”

  I was done after my eggs anyway. My stomach seems to have shrunk to the size of a golf ball.

  When he’s done, he slaps the lid in place and tucks the container under his arm.

  “I’ll be in touch whenever my informant gets back to me with new information.”

  Exhaling, Kitten pushes off the bench and saunters into the sitting room. There’s a slight chance she’s mad I involved a cop…but she doesn’t know him like I do. I’m sure he’ll prove himself and win her over eventually.

  I walk Ted to the front door and he stops as he steps out onto the front porch.

  “Hey, can I be real with you for a sec?” He asks, turning abruptly to face me.

  I don’t like the stress on his face. It makes me nervous. I lean against the doorframe, but it provides no comfort.

  “You gotta ditch the girl, man. She’s gonna bring you nothing but trouble.”

  “No—”

  “He wants her, Stone. Badly.”

  “It’s not gonna happen, Ted. Any trouble she brings me is payback for the trouble I shoved on her in the first place. It’s because of me she’s in this mess. She wasn’t supposed to be down there.”

  He drops his frustrated stare to the brown, worn wood beneath his feet. “I just hope you know what you’re doing…”

  I don’t. I have absolutely no damn idea, but I can’t give up now. Not yet.

  “Drive safe.” I tell him, turning away. “Whenever you have new information I’ll be here waiting.”

  I step inside and close the door behind me. The wood is cold and uncomfortable against my back as I lean against it. Joel disappearing off the radar is not a good sign. I hold high hopes, but I’m also a realist. Prior to going underground I had Joel’s survival at about fifty-seven percent—a percentage I was happy risking my own life for. Now I have it at around twenty-four. Emily slips into view, her hand reaching across her slender torso to nervously hold the opposite elbow. Is twenty-four a number I’m willing to risk everything for?

  I don’t know anymore.

  Negative

  Emily

  Five days have gone by without a word from Ted. Jai is more…brooding…than usual.

  His teeth nick my collarbone as his aggressive fingers are lost in my tangled hair. He smells like whiskey—the expensive kind.

  I’ve tried my hardest to keep him in happy spirits, but his positivity is slipping.

  He uses the word “if” a lot. If Joel is alive…

  If we survive…

  If I kill Skull. It’s disheartening to say the least.

  Days ago he was confident enough to take on the world, but now he’s happy drowning in its problems. All he wants to do is fuc
k and sleep, eating only when his stomach groans, begging him to nourish it.

  In this moment, despite his reluctance to eat, he moves like he’s hungry. I shiver as his large rough hands glide down my sides, pinching and squeezing at my flesh before stopping to rest on my hips. I don’t know how long we’ve been at this…hours maybe. Every delicious second seems to manifest into something longer. My muscles tremble, shaking from exhaustion. There’s an ache in them that hasn’t disappeared since the night we ran away. It’s more prominent when my legs are wrapped around his waist like this.

  He slides his cock in and out of me, his hot breath blowing onto my chest in quick succession. My brain rolls in my skull as my body races to recover from my third orgasm. How can my body feel so exhausted yet so alive at the same time? It’s like I’ve dragged myself two miles only to dance on the exhilarating edge of a tornado. It doesn’t make sense.

  “Emily.”

  I gasp as his gravelly, pleading voice unleashes goosebumps on my skin.

  “I need you.”

  I run my fingers through his short, but wild hair. “I’m here.”

  Jai’s fingers tighten against my scalp as he moves his hips frantically against mine.

  “I need you.” He repeats.

  His soft lips brush against my chest, then inch along my throat as he levels his eyes with mine. I lose myself completely in his gaze. There’s a silver glint in his eyes that sparkle through the deep blue. It bores straight through the shadows and paralyzes me on the spot. I’m captivated. Utterly helpless. Shuddering, he closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine. Jai growls, a rough, aggressive sound deep in his chest. His breath is uneven as it clashes with mine and soon after, with my name sharp and pleading on his tongue, he comes inside of me, leaving me wondering what the hell that was all about.

  ***

  Almost a week has passed by.

  My hands shake and my biceps ache as I hold the handgun out in front of me. My heart pounds in my chest like a champion boxer slamming a bag. And like a worn out boxing bag, I feel like I’m going to tear apart at any moment.