Burning of the Beast

Chapter 5

Rayanne thought he was asleep as he laid on the couch. But she was sadly mistaken. He could even feel her take a quick second peek at him before tiptoeing through the dining room and the kitchen. River peered over the couch and at the back door as he heard it close.
   
Where was she going at 5 a.m?
   
Side piece? Boyfriend? Quick fuck in a car maybe?
   
He didn't intend on following her. The witch could do what she wanted, and if she had another male—good for her. He was more than happy to leave her to it.
   
A massive sigh left his chest. With a rough jerk, he pulled his jacket off the back of the couch and pushed off the cushion and headed for the front door.
   
He was just curious. No intervening. His curiosity officially piqued.

Sliding his jacket on, he took the porch steps two at a time and hung a left around the house. A brick sank to his gut as he ran the possibilities of her having some asshole meet her out back for a quick fuck.
   
He paused for a second and took another deep breath.

Calm the fuck down. His fingers sizzled, his skin beginning to heat.
   
Damn, he hadn't felt that in a while—the stupid possessive feeling she awakened in him. And it reared its ugly head with a roar at the mere thought she was fucking some asshole behind the house.
   
He was right here if she needed to get off.
   
He might hate her, but . . . a fuck was a fuck.
   
With an irritated grumbled, he continued down the side of the house until he heard a set of voices and the flick of a lighter. Next, the strong odor of weed.
   
"You okay?" River instantly recognized JB's voice and he peered around the corner.
   
"No." Rayanne crossed her arms as the wind blew. "I can't get the nosebleeds to stop. The father of my child absolutely hates me. The entire town hates me." She raked a hand through her unbrushed hair. "I can't afford the bills while trying to maintain two jobs, and every night I go to sleep I pray to whatever shit-god there is that I do not wake up." She paused and kicked a rock. "And every morning, I'm more disappointed than the last."
   
JB handed her the rolled burning joint but stayed silent.
   
"Ashlynn's the only reason I'm still here." Ray took a deep puff and began coughing as she handed it back to JB. She placed a hand to her forehead and winced. "And I can't get these migraines to stop."
   
JB sighed. "You're going to have to tell Jeanine soon."
   
"Not yet."
   
There was a long pause.
   
"Do you plan on telling River?"
   
River's brow arched as he scowled at the pair.
   
Ray snorted. "What for?" She shrugged and huffed. "Doesn't matter."
   
"I think he'd like to know." JB inhaled the joint again. "I think he could help you."
   
Help? He was pretty sure he had helped her enough three-hundred years ago.
   
With a shake of her head, Ray wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "You haven't seen the way he looks at me," her voice broke, "He acts like I lit the match. Like I hatched some diabolical plan, like I did that to him. It's like . . . like he never knew me at all." Her voice trembled, "I wished for him. I wanted the man that I loved and that's—that's what came back—a man who hates every fiber of my being. If it wasn't for Ashlynn, I honestly think he'd kill me. I think he intended to before he saw her—you know?"
   
The old drum in River's chest clenched for the first time in a while, a wave of guilt sweeping through him. His teeth grounded together as he pushed off the siding and trekked back inside.
   
Okay, maybe that had been the plan. And maybe Ashlynn was the reason he didn't go through with it.
   
But hey, he hadn't and he wouldn't—at least not any time soon.
   
He dropped back onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. Damn, he didn't miss that feeling either, the guilt sliding in and making itself at home.

* * *

   
Green eyes dull and her cheeks painfully pulled tight, Rayanne gave the fakest smile she could muster as the older blonde woman in front of her continued to rave on and on . . . and on. Ray's mind on the other hand was somewhere else. On someone else.
   
She chewed the inside of her cheek as his hateful eyes flashed in her mind. And man, she did not understand why or how he could hate her so much, not when half of it was unjustified.
   
Still, she was thankful he was so sweet and patient with Ashlynn. The last week he'd been giving her all of his undivided attention. But . . . when it came to Rayanne, it was like he put a mask on. Or maybe the mask came off.
   
Maybe she was finally seeing him for who he truly was. And her whole sternum ached with that thought.
   
"Huh?" She blinked back to reality.
   
"I just love all this," the woman repeated again with a giggle. "Salem just has such beautiful history."
   
Sure, if torturing people to death was considered beautiful.
   
"It's really . . . something," Ray said, widening her eyes on the last word. "Any particular question or guidance you want with this reading?"
   
"Oh, I just want to see what's coming to me in my near future." The lady chuckled giddily again. "This is just so fun."
   
Shuffling the cards, she vaguely heard the jingle of the bell on the shop door. However, she kept her attention glued to the table as she sank into a trance and pulled the first card.
   
Oof. Three of swords. And then she pulled the next one. The moon. Double whammy. Nine of swords dropped next, followed by the Justice card. Ray stared down at the cards, wondering if she should sugar coat it or just tell her a lie altogether.
   
She cleared her throat. "Do you have a husband, Diane?"
   
"I do! Fifteen years running, four kids all grown up. Our youngest one just went off to college. My Harold is my soulmate."
   
With her fingers covering her bottom lip, Ray nodded. "Hmm, I bet."
   
Did she want to tell Mrs. Candice that she'd be getting a divorce soon? No—but still she flipped the last card over for the outcome. Queen of Pentacles.
   
"What are the cards saying?"
   
Before she could respond, a deep voice interrupted. "Your husband's cheating on you with your mother's nurse maid and your brother. He's drawing up papers for your divorce as we speak."
   
The woman quickly spun in her seat, looking to the far left counter where a bored River stood, perusing the contents inside the glass. If heartbreak had a face. Mrs. Candice sat for a moment blinking as if she'd been slapped. Still, River continued his browsing and didn't bother glancing at the woman as he played with the stone bracelets that hung from the jewelry rack.
   
What could you say after that?
   
Ray smiled weakly. "Uh, good news though, you can take him for everything he's worth."
   
The woman began gathering her things and lifting her purse in a hurry.
   
"Also, you should go to the doctor and get a heavy dose of penicillin." River sighed as he tinkered with a few rocks on the counter.
   
Tears fell from the woman's eyes as she ran for the exit.
   
"Have a blessed day, Diane." He called out after her.
   
Ray instantly pinned him with a dagger stare. "Are you kidding me?"
   
"No, her husband's got quite the appetite."
   
She glared at him for a second longer and then she couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled out of her.
   
"Jesus Christ, River," she said with a smile.
   
The silver of his eyes lightened a fraction as he smirked back at her. Her heart did a kick in her chest, and she hated to admit it but she found herself blushing.
   
She cleared her throat. "Where's Ashlynn?"
   
"Eating ice cream with the dog." He motioned to the porch.
   
Ray snorted. "You bought the dog ice cream?"
   
With a nod, he glanced to the porch. "She said her favorite was peanut butter flavored."
   
Brows knotting, she scowled. "Ashlynn's favorite is birthday cake."
   
"I was talking about the dog."
   
"You . . . talked to the dog?"
   
"Yeah, she speaks very highly of you."
   
"You can talk to Butters?" she repeated.
   
"Yeah, she's mad at you right now though cuz you threw away lamby."
   
Lamby? And then it clicked. "Ugh! She beheaded lamb-chop—stuffing was everywhere!"
   
"She still feels some type of way."
   
She chuckled and gathered her cards up and put them back in the velvet cloth black bag.
   
"Sorry if I ran off your business."
   
As if on cue, the electricity shut off.
   
Rayanne stared at the ceiling in defeat. "It honestly doesn't matter. We can't keep up with the bills anyways."
   
She stood and walked behind the counter and threw thirty dollars in the register. She heard a shuffle of paper across from her and glanced down. A stack of crisp hundred dollar bills sat by her fingers.
   
"What's this?"
   
"Money." He leaned his elbows on the glass of the counter.
   
"Where'd you get it from?"
   
"Doesn't matter, use it. And let me know when you need more." He wouldn't look at her, but the tense muscles of his jaw worked.
Maybe he was still in there somewhere.
   
River went to straighten, but out of pure instinct, she cupped his face. Her eyes followed her thumb as she traced the rough scars of his cheek, the raised skin catching the pads of her fingers.
   
God, she wished she could take it away for him. Replace it with the face he used to have, return him to the man he used to be before Hell got its hands on him. Her palm tingled against his flesh as her skin warmed.
   
His stormy eyes softened, searching hers.
   
"There you are," she said, a soft smile touching her lips.
   
Call her crazy but she leaned in, her fingertips traveling from his cheek to his lips. Before she could help herself, she pressed her mouth to his, intending to just to give him a sweet peck. But she should have known, nothing with River could be quick and sweet.
   
His hot tongue swept across her bottom lip and dipped further as he pressed his mouth harder to hers. Brunt, harsh, passionate. His fingers twined in her hair and gripped, jerking her head back and flashing her throat.
   
Rough and unapologetic, he broke the kiss and nipped at the hollow of her throat, a guttural grunt of approval leaving him as his tongue led a wicked path up to her jaw.
   
The bell of the door jingled and his hand and mouth left her in an instant. Cold air washed over her and she opened her eyes.

"Mommy," Ashlynn said, the dog by her side and licking its chops. Her star and moon print black dress had drops of ice cream on the collar, "Butters wants more ice cream."
   
She glanced to River, a frown marring his brow as his thumb rubbed the scars of his cheek, but his eyes were pointed to the floor, avoiding hers.
   
"Uh, I think Butters has had enough ice cream for one day. But it's," she pulled her phone out her back pocket, "lunchtime."
   
"Dino nuggies?"
   
"Is that what you want?"
   
A grin lit Ashlynn's face as she nodded.
   
The walk home was silent as Ashlynn held both their hands and Ray held onto Butter's leash. But the locals were watching from their porch, their curious glances obviously wondering who the new man was.
   
"Rayanne!" An old woman's voice called out as they passed a white picket fence.
   
Putting on a fake smile, Ray turned. "Hey, Mrs. Harris."
   
"Who's your friend?"
   
"This is Ashlynn's father—"
   
"River," he finished, holding out his hand with a charming smile. His real face masked with a dangerously handsome facade.
   
The old lady nearly fell over herself and he pressed his lips to the back of her hand like a gentlemen.
   
"Oh goodness." The lady smiled and placed a hand over her heart. "He's a keeper, Rayanne. So much better than that Smith boy you were with last year. Or that other one you had—what was his name—Cooper?"
   
"Mm." Nodding, Rayanne began pulling at Ashlynn's hand. "Welp, we gotta go home and get lunch started. Was nice seeing you, Mrs. Harris."
   
She didn't have to look to know River was glaring down at her as they finished the walk home.
   
After fixing lunch for Ashlynn, she slid upstairs alone for a moment. She'd been good all day—she'd gotten herself down to three cigarettes a day and that had to count for something, right? She grabbed her cigarettes off the dresser and opened her locked drawer and grabbed the small joint that JB had left her.
   
She glanced at the wooden box and shook her head, picking it up with full intention of throwing it into the trash bin.
   
But the rattle of something inside it stopped her. Hesitantly, she opened it, her heart hammering as she stared at the small piece of jewelry inside.

He's still in there. Whether it was dumb hope or blind faith, Ray held onto the thought, her eyes misting as she picked up the gold ring.