The Butcher of the Bay: Part I (Mounts Bay Saga Book 1)

by J Bree

  She frowns a little. “I will miss the apartment. I love it here. Where would we go?”

  “Wherever you want to go, baby. Is there anywhere else in the States you want to see? Maybe Canada would be better.” I think it over and the options get worse and worse. I need to talk to Roxas about where the MCs are a little less active.

  Fuck it, the Caribbean must be nice this time of the year.

  “Has something happened? Has… that man caused you trouble?”

  Yes. “No, baby girl. This place just isn’t good for you.”

  She frowns, her temper flaring to life. “I don’t want to be moved around like that. This is your home, I want to stay with you here.”

  I shake my head, draining my beer and getting up for another one. “It’s not safe. I need you safe, I can’t think of anything else when you’re in danger.”

  She sets down her fork carefully, her eyes narrowing at me. Fuck, someday I’m going to have her nails scratching down my back and her teeth leaving marks in my shoulder, I can just fucking tell.

  “My father hid my mother and I away all of the time. I lived out of a suitcase, moving from cottage to cottage in the night and never really having friends because of it. I’m not doing that again. I’m not… I’m not weak, mon monstre.”

  I don’t fucking like that.

  Not one bit.

  "No." I say, and for a second I think I’ve been too harsh on her but that backbone of hers… fuck, it’s hot to see. She knows exactly what I’m capable of and yet she trusts me to use those talents to keep her safe. I can rip a man apart with my bare hands, slice a man up and butcher him to fucking nothing, but I would never hurt her.

  I wait until I have her full attention and then say, “I’m not going to put you in a box and hide you away and stop you from living the life you want to live. I'm gonna teach you how to fight. And then I’ll teach you how to gut a man, three times your size, and I'm gonna teach you how to do it without hesitating. And then you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make sure you never have to use that skill. If we leave the Bay, it’ll be together and we’ll come home as soon as this shit blows over. No hiding, baby girl.“

  The frown on her face stays put but she nods and finishes her dinner. It takes me until the meal is over, but I get the tension out of her again by the time I usher her off to get ready for bed. I’m ready to call it a night… morning, whatever.

  But first, I need to put a call in. I wait until she’s moved off into the bathroom and then I make the call. “Hey, kid. I need a favor, you got some time tonight I can take up?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Odie

  Someone in this neighborhood has no respect for those trying to get some rest.

  Loud music started around midnight and has played non-stop since. At three am I give up trying to sleep and crawl out of the bed, padding out into the large open-space living area on bare feet. mon monstre is nowhere to be seen and the entire warehouse is pitch black, but I know it well enough now to tiptoe around without doing any damage.

  I curl up in the big leather armchair that looks out over the water, my legs tucked under myself and a large sweatshirt over my body. It smells like Illi does. It’s not a bad smell at all, and when I’m not thinking, I drag the fabric up to my nose to take a deep inhale of his scent.

  I need to get a hold of myself.

  I stare out at the waves, and the moon hanging in the sky, reflecting on the water so beautifully it’s easy to forget that I’m stuck here in this hellish city. So stunningly serene that there couldn’t possibly be drug dealers, sex traffickers, pimps, and gangsters on every corner.

  I sigh and slump back a little more, rubbing my cheek on the sweatshirt again absently.

  I hear footsteps up the staircase and for a second my heart freezes in panic, and then the security alarm beeps as it’s shut off and I relax. Illi told me only he knows it and I trust him on that. He’s too guarded to let anyone else in his space. He doesn’t let me off of the top floor and he made it clear to me no other woman has ever slept in that bed, so I’m not about to be confronted by some girlfriend of his.

  That traitorous part of my mind whispers to me again, I would hate to meet his girlfriend.

  I shove it to the back of my mind. I have no interest in this man, he can go out and have sex with any woman he wants. It certainly won’t be me.

  The door opens and I hear his voice and the voice of a woman. My heart drops and my stupid lip drops like some heartsick girl. Stupid, stupid woman!

  Then he flicks the light on and I blink against the harshness of it, waiting for my eyes to adjust.

  “I brought someone to see you, baby girl.”

  My jaw clenches at the nickname, how dare he call me that in front of this other woman, and then I finally blink and see the young girl from the auctions standing with him. She’s tiny next to his bulk, all bones and big, blue eyes, but my heart stutters at the sight of her.

  She was so kind to me, so genuine.

  I’m glad to see her again.

  I force my lips into something that could be called a smile and nod at her, relaxing when she does the same. She nudges Illi gently and he chuckles at her, turning on his heel and taking off, jogging back down the stairs. The girl secures the door, checking it twice, before stalking over to the mini bar in the corner, poking around in it.

  “Do you drink?” She asks, her voice low and kind of rough. She looks tired, like she’s been up all night and her clothes still smell of smoke.

  “Only wine.”

  She nods and walks back over to the fridge, she pours us both glasses. I murmur a quiet thanks and sip it slowly. It’s good wine, expensive and smooth on my tongue.

  “Illi told me you're having trouble adjusting to being here.” She says, and a short laugh tumbles out of me, ending on a sob.

  “I am in a foreign country, so different to my own, where I know no one . I have no one. I’m trapped in a house with a man I do not know, after being abused by others, and he says I cannot leave so yes, I am finding it hard to adjust.” I speak so quickly I think she’ll have trouble keeping up but she nods along with me, sipping slowly and glancing out of the large windows at the water. It’s so peaceful, so serene out there as the sun starts to rise.

  “Do you have family to go home to? A boyfriend or something?” She says without looking back at me. I’m thankful for the privacy, it’s easier to talk about without her seeing how desolate I really am.

  “I have no one. My father sold me off to pay his debts, my mother stood by and let him. I have… nothing.”

  She nods and sips her drink again. “My mother was a piece of shit too. Illi’s wasn’t too bad but his dad was a deadbeat. I know you’re ashamed but you really shouldn’t be. There’s no judgement around here about that kind of shit.”

  I swallow and say, “Did your mother sell you?”

  She snorts. “She was too dumb to do that and she never really left the slums to find out. She might’ve, if she realized how much she could get for me down at the auctions. Would’ve kept her in drugs for a few years.”

  I scoff and take a big swallow of wine. “Is that the way of the world here in America? You have children to sell off when you need something? It’s so strange.”

  The girl shrugs. “It’s the way of the Bay. This place isn’t for the weak hearted.”

  I glance down at my hands. “It’s not the place for me, then. I saw him, you know. I saw what he did to those men. I couldn’t have ever gotten out of there by myself, no matter how much I tried. I just… I laid there and took what they did to me, closing my eyes and praying I’d die. I’ll be thrown out the moment Illi realizes I’m no good for him or any other man now.”

  She leans forward a little in her seat to strip her jacket off, showing off the tiny little outfit underneath. I don’t know where she’s been all night but there isn’t much to the outfit she has on. She sees me staring and smirks at me, lifting one shoulder in a sort of shrug. “I had to b
lend into the crowd and girls don’t wear much to parties at the docks here. You probably heard it from here.”

  Ah. So that was the noises that have kept me up all night. Such a strange place to live that Illi has chosen. “I wasn’t judging. How could I ever judge someone who came to help me?”

  She smiles and stretches her legs out, wincing slightly. “You can judge me if you want to. I’ve done a lot of bad shit to stay alive but living here, you have to decide to survive and then follow through with your decision. This place, here with the Butcher, he’s given you something most people don’t get. You’ve got time to decide if you want to survive or give up. He’s giving you time to heal and remember who you really are. Lot of girls would kill for the same… especially from him. There isn’t a safer place in all of the Bay right now because he’s not just protecting his territory.”

  I frown at her and she smiles back wryly. “He’s protecting someone he cares for. Whether you like it or not, he’s seen something in you he likes.”

  I snort, something so unrefined and gross that I would be slapped by my mother for doing so, and say, “He saw the same pretty packaging that resulted in me being sold over and over again. He will grow sick of it, especially if he decides to try me out.”

  A chill takes over me at the thought, even as a small part of me, buried deep inside my heart, whispers that he’s had every opportunity to touch me and has stopped himself. Even when he looks at me with desire, he doesn’t touch me.

  The girl stares at me for a moment, her eyes taking in every little inch of my face and hair, my neck and the swell of my breasts that’s evident even under the sweatshirt. It’s hard not to squirm under her eye, even knowing she’s not being rude about it.

  “I’ve seen him with women before. I’ve seen him with some very attractive and confident women, with their asses hanging out, some who the whole damn city knows what they can do. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s playing for keeps. Between you and I, there isn’t much better you can find in a man than the Butcher.”

  Again, I do not like hearing about these other women. Not at all but I refuse to admit that, even to myself. “If he’s so great then why don’t you want him as well? Shouldn’t you be warning him off?”

  She laughs. She flat out, tips her head back and roars with laughter. It’s infectious, I want to laugh with her. “Oh, man. My night has been too long for you to be making those jokes. Nah, I’m not into guys. Or girls. I think I might be asexual or something, I have no interest in anyone or anything, except getting out of this shit-hole city. I just know enough guys to know he’s a good one. One of the best.”

  I smile back at her and she reaches over to take my hand. "My name is Lips. What's yours? I mean, I know it from when we rescued you but I think I should hear it from you.“

  I startle. I hadn't even realized we skipped something as simple as introducing ourselves to one another. "Odette. Odette Archambault. My friends… well, the people who I used to think of as friends call me Odie.”

  She smiles again, and squeezes my hand a little. “I’m your friend now, Odie. If you really want to go back to France, I’ll do what I can to get you there. I can look into you dad, see if it’s safe for you to return.”

  I smile and nod to her, it’s a very kind offer, but when she moves to stand I think of something much smarter to ask of her. “The doctor, he called you little Wolf.”

  She lets out a breath and nods slowly. “That’s what I’m known as here. If you ever find yourself in trouble again, you can tell people you mean a lot to me and they’ll think twice about hurting you. Same goes with the Butcher, but you probably already know that.”

  I smile at her, imploringly. “Could I ask a different favor from you? Would you teach me how to kill? I would like to be able to defend myself if I need to. I think if I’m to survive… this, then I need to know how to.”

  Her eyes widen a little and I ramble on. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to do it, to kill someone like you do, but at least if I know then maybe I have a chance.”

  She nods emphatically. “Absolutely, I’ll show you. I just- I don’t want you to ever try to use it against the Butcher unless you need to. If he tries to hurt you then definitely, but I can’t have you killing him to leave here. I’ll get you out the second you want to leave, okay?”

  I hadn’t once thought of using this against him.

  I could never.

  He’s twice the size of me and faster than any man I’ve ever seen move. He gave me a gun that I could use at any moment to kill him, but from the moment I laid eyes on him I’ve known it’s pointless to even try to fight against him. Cruel fate because that’s what got me delivered to the cartel in the first place, but I nod as if I’m promising.

  She smiles and pulls out an old phone, nothing fancy or even decent really, and taps away at it.

  “I’ve let the Butcher know I’m going to come back in the morning to train with you. I need to get back to the group home before the workers do their next rounds.”

  Group home? “How old are you? You look young but you don’t speak like a child.”

  She scoffs. “In human years I’m fourteen. In Bay years I’m pushing fucking thirty, everyone ages different here. Listen, I know you’re going through hell right now. What we saved you from… I’m not even going to pretend to know what that’s like but I know you’re going to get through this. I know it because you’re giving the Butcher so much hell he called me in for backup. That means something.”

  A smile dances around my lips.

  Called her in for backup.

  That the big, hulking man needs such a little girl to help him… and that he would even call her, maybe he’s not such a monster.

  Maybe.

  There are noises coming from the basement.

  Illi leads me down to the lower level to use the gym there. It’s set up with all sorts of machines I don’t know how to use and I instantly regret asking for training. Lips is already there waiting for me, dressed in all black and stretching her arms over her head. Her clothes are tight to her body and I glance down at my own baggy clothes in dismay.

  I won’t be able to move in these.

  She smiles at me and holds up a bag. “I brought you some real clothes, shit that the Butcher hasn’t sweated all over in some macho-man claiming bullshit.”

  I blush but Illi grunts at her, snarking out, “She can train in my shit if she’s comfortable in it.”

  I am comfortable in it but I also want to learn and… maybe I’d like to find a new normal. A normal where I love my body again. What is a better way of learning that then learning how to kill a man with it?

  I move into the bathroom to get changed and Lips comes with me to talk about what we have planned for the day. Her voice coming through the bathroom door makes it a little easier to get changed without getting panicked about how revealing the workout outfit is. It molds to my body, clinging to every curve and showing the swells of my breasts in the neckline. The burns there have healed enough that they’ve started turning white. I no longer hate looking at them but I worry about Lips seeing them. I take a deep breath and when I open the door she’s waiting with her back to me. She is wearing the same style of shirt, though she’s too small to have the same curves. I startle at the sight of her back though.

  She’s covered in scars.

  Burns, cuts, stitches, punctures, this girl looks as though she’s been tortured.

  She glances over her shoulder at me with a wry grin. “I thought you’d be more comfortable once you realized I’m way more cut up than you are.”

  I blink at her. “I didn’t know… I didn’t realize this had happened to you too.”

  She looks at me for a second and then reaches out to link her arm in mine, careful about the touch, and starts to lead me into the gym area. I’m not good at this sort of affection but she’s so little and sweet. I’ll get better at it.

  “I’ve been trained to become a killer. That’s what I do, Odie.
I kill people and I sneak into hard to reach places to get information. Part of my training was done by a bad man. He hurt me because he likes it, not because he was teaching me anything.”

  My eyes fill with tears for her. She has protected me and cared for me from the moment we met, to know she’s been through something so awful… my heart breaks. “I hope you killed this man. I hope you tore him apart.”

  She smiles but it’s sad. “Someday, maybe. I have to survive the Bay first.”

  I nod and we come to a stop on the mats. Illi is in the corner, using one of the punching bags. He’s not wearing a shirt and I think I might pass out like some Victorian lady at the sight of him.

  Lips giggles at me. “You’re drooling. Literally drooling, wipe your mouth.”

  I roll my eyes but when she turns away from me to stretch I wipe it just to be sure. She walks me through stretches, then stances, then when she’s happy with my form she turns to me.

  “Hit me.”

  I stare at her like she’s lost her mind. She smirks back at me. “I’ve dealt with worse than you, I promise. Even if your punch actually lands on me, I promise you it won’t hurt me.”

  She’s a child, barely tall enough to reach my shoulder. If I punch her and it lands, I might truly hurt her. She reads this all over my face and cocks a hip at me.

  “The Jackal snapped my leg into three pieces with his bare hands. Your punch is nothing to me.”

  I feel sick thinking about it, but I attempt to punch her. She blocks me easily, critiques me, then instructs me to try again. We do this for hours, over and over again, until I’m sweating and feeling all giddy from the endorphins of exercise.

  Illi moves through the exercise equipment slowly and when he’s finished he hits the showers, slouching on the bench to watch us when he’s finally clean.

  I can’t concentrate with his eyes on me.

  Lips spots my distraction instantly and giggles at me again. “Fine. We’re done. You did great, you should work on those stances a few times a week and you’ll be a killer in no time.”