Midnight Toxicity

38.

A pale light slashed through the underbrush when I emerged from Dolly Pond. Someone had finally found the place where I had been buried and chased by men who did not see daybreak. I hadn't had time to come to terms with what occurred here, and I might never understand why Colton and his brother were full-time hitmen for the mob—murderers of innocent women on the weekends.

My hair was wound around my wrist as I twisted the water from it. I tried to tell myself I was now cleansed from my sins as I stood naked, clean from the buckets of blood I once wore. The human body was no longer a mystery to me after seeing inside someone's eyeball.

My curiosity grew the closer the light came to the pond. There was a path leading to both the pond and the cabin, and the dirt road was heading towards the highway. It could be anyone. How would I explain why I was swimming naked in the middle of the night on private property to a shotgun-toting stranger?

Looking deep in the shadows, I saw his hair floating in the darkness. The flaxen strands stood out, just like Colton said he was fond of chasing. White really did stand out in the forest. When the last slivers of moonlight hit his face, I let out a gasp of relief. The sound broke my stupefied stance, and I ran. He caught sight of me, breaking into a jog. My arms encircled his waist as he lifted me clear off the ground. His long arms cradled me tight. We didn't speak for a full minute, lingering in the quiet before I told him about the bedlam I escaped.

"Chace," I breathed; his warmth hit me like a wall. "I'm okay."

"I told you I would come!" His eyes searched mine for truths, but I looked away, knowing I had to gain control of the situation. "I've tried to find you all night."

My smart mouth wanted to say he was late, but I nodded and hugged him for comfort. He began rambling about stealing Gary's car to find me after my earpiece went dead. All I could focus on was his strong arms and confident speech as he promised he would be more careful in the future. How he would never have left me alone if he knew the signal was that weak.

I kissed him because of the buzzing in my ears, and I wanted it to stop.

He backed off, keeping me at arm's reach to discover I was injured. One side of my face was damaged, with my right eye almost closed from swelling. There were so many cuts and scratches on my poor frame it would probably take months of personal care to smooth away the scars.

"Fuck," he hissed, a blaze of something dark stirring in his turquoise eyes. "Please tell me whoever did this to you is here. I want to do things to them that will haunt their mothers."

He sounded so serious, but sadly his vows meant less to me now.

I began thinking about waking up in the grave and how my inner whore wanted a sexy hero to rescue me. Then I remembered where I grew up. I left Tucker City. Just me. I never planned for anyone else to come along. No pets, men, or best friends named Jack, and I wasn't about to start now. Winning took cunning. I might be young, but that just meant I had more time to pay them back for ruining my dreams.

If there was an initiation to Andy Golding's gang here in Alabama, I sure as hell completed it. I was a killer. There was no going back, and I didn't want to. It felt good to know I came out on top. My head felt hot, recalling the meek look in their eyes when Colton and his brother realized that a fucking goddess cut their time on earth short.

My body felt lighter than air as I lifted my leg to wrap it around his thigh. "There is work to do. But... I feel so alive, Chace. I killed two men. They must burn. I promised."

Chace brushed my wet hair aside to cup my face. "You've done enough tonight. I will call the crew for assistance."

My eyes stung, and a stray tear slid down my cheek. The drop landed onto his hand, and I licked the saltiness of my mixed sadness. The battle wasn't over yet. Not until the Romanos released me. In the meantime, I had to make Chace believe I wasn't hiding information from him or Mr. Golding. My sexuality was a weapon and a curse.