7. BONES

7

BONES

I ’m doing the right thing and giving her space. All she needs is a little time to adjust, to come around to the idea of living with me forever.

Yesterday I left her in our bedroom. Another night of sleeping alone while she was just across the hall was agony. Not only on my poor abused dick, but my soul as well. I don’t know how much longer I can keep away.

Today I’ve had to leave her behind so I can get some answers. Smashing my fist against the intercom buzzer for the fifth time, I shout, “Open up, Jax!”

The club’s not open yet, but the owner lives on the top floor and I know he rarely leaves here. Who would when you have everything you could want in one place. Booze, drugs, and girls.

Just a few days ago, I thought he was living the dream. Getting to own a strip club and make use of the girls or get high whenever he liked. The thought of that makes my skin crawl now.

How many girls are here against their will? Forced to service men like she was? Like my mysterious little viper who won’t tell me her name, but will let me lick her pussy.

I’ve never had to think about the consequences of my actions before. Well, I had to, I just chose not to.

To most people in my life, I’m a disappointment. Especially to my father. Acting like a manwhore wasn’t what he saw in my future. I was supposed to be like him, a respectable businessman popping out an heir or two by now and molding them to take over the family name.

He’s the one who spent so much time with his head buried in the sand foundations of his hotel empire that he let down his entire family.

The door finally opens up and Jax grunts at me as he stands there in just a red silk robe and matching boxers. “What do you want, Bones? You know what the hours are if you want to pick up another job, so come back then.”

Before he can close the door, I place my palm on his chest and shove him inside. “We need to talk about the fucking job you sent me and Carver on!”

“I didn’t send you anywhere. You boys pick the jobs you want, I don’t make you do anything.”

I kick the door shut and he frowns disapprovingly at me.

“You knew, didn’t you? You’re the one that was waving the contract in our faces practically begging us to take it.”

Jax grinds his jaw then runs his hand over his shaved head. “Come to my office. Some of the girls are up, they don’t need to hear my business.”

I follow him through the club, I’ve never seen it in the daytime before. The neon allure it gives in the dark is gone and now it looks like a rundown shithole. The upholstery is threadbare, there are scuff marks and all manner of stains on the floor. How many nights have I spent here getting wasted, thinking I was having the time of my life?

Two girls hang out in one of the booths, scrolling on their phones and paying us no mind. Another is practicing her routine on the stage in the center of the room. I watch her as we pass by. This sort of thing has always gotten me off. I’d be sweet talking her down from there, telling her how pretty she is and she’d be eagerly sucking my cock in no time.

“You know the rates if you want a room,” Jax says as he catches me looking and I shake my head.

My cock’s so limp that it feels like it’s shriveling back up inside my body. The stripper parts her legs as she slides down the pole and her tiny thong leaves little to the imagination, but the only pussy I can see is my little viper’s.

Without a second glance at any of the girls, I follow Jax towards the back rooms where he sets up office.

He takes a seat behind his desk and offers me the chair in front, but I’m too worked up to be able to sit calmly.

“I was begging you to take it because of how much money was involved. Simple as that. I knew the pair of you would get it done and I’d get my cut. Seems I overestimated you. I heard it was a messy one.”

“Did you hear why it was so fucking messy?” I run my hands through my hair and when that doesn’t help to calm me down I twist the hair tie around my wrist, snapping it against my skin a few times.

“It’s done. What does it matter?”

“Don’t fuck me around, Jax. Were you aware of the little captive situation or not?” I practically snarl as I lean against his desk, getting my face up in his.

“Calm down, pretty boy.”

“Do not call me that.”

“You liked it plenty the last time you were in here with me,” he scoffs and I’m hit with a wave of shame. How fucking low did I get to be with this sleaze of a man?

“I like a lot of nasty things when I’m high. Right now I’m stone-cold sober.”

“You, sober? Don’t make me laugh.”

Straightening up, I glare down at him.

“Shit, you are,” he laughs in surprise. “No wonder you’re so on edge. I’ve got plenty here if you want to indulge.”

That offer shouldn't be tempting. It’s been a trying few days, but I need to keep a clear head. "No, I do not want to get high with you.”

“I heard Carver was in the hospital again. How’s he holding up?”

“He’s fine. He always is. Now stop avoiding the question. Did you know there was someone chained up in that house?”

He tilts his chin up weighing the words on his tongue before saying them slowly, “No, I didn’t know.”

“Carver and I have done plenty of jobs with you over the years, you’ve always been the most reliable guy to work with, but this shit doesn’t sit well with me. You don’t send us in anywhere that blind!”

“It’s not up to me how much information the client divulges in their contract.” He leans back as he shrugs me off. “What sort of captive are we talking about anyway?”

“That doesn’t matter. Just give me the client’s name and I’ll sort it out with them myself.”

“You know I can’t do that, Bones. I have a reputation to uphold just as much as you do. Yours is still upstanding, although it wasn’t your finest work.” He tilts his head and flashes me his gold teeth before scratching his chin as he says, “Anyway tell me about who you found. You’ve got me interested now.”

My answer comes too quickly. “There’s nothing to tell. We completed the kill and left.”

“You just left them there? You and Carver left a witness?” he asks incredulously as he leans forward.

“They were drugged. Unconscious. They didn’t see anything that happened.”

Jax stares at me for a long silent moment. “I’ve heard the shit you’ve done to my girls, seen the marks Carver’s left on them. Why would you not take full advantage of a find like that?” He frowns and taps his fingers on his desk.

“Who said anything about it being a girl?”

“So it was a girl!” He laughs, pointing a finger at me. I should snap it off.

“You’re missing the point. This isn’t about what we did, it’s about what you chose not to do.”

Jax doesn’t need to know anything about her. If someone else planned on having her for themselves then they’re going to want blood or money to get her back. Neither of which I’m willing to give.

She’s mine already. I don’t need to pay someone to prove that fact.

When he doesn’t answer I push on, but I only feel like I’m digging my own grave. “We left since it wasn’t our problem. And we pay your girls for consensual sex if we want something, not kidnap and torture them.” The words feel bitter on my tongue. How true are they at this point?

“Then why are you here asking about it?” There’s a look in Jax’s eyes that tells me he’s not buying my story.

“Because that’s never happened before. We don’t go into a place without knowing what we’re coming up against. There was no way for us to know there would be any sort of prisoner there and you know that. So who put the hit out?”

“You got out of it, mostly unscathed, and the money should be in your account already so drop it, Bones. The majority of contracts I get are anonymous for a reason. I’m not changing the way I do business because you’re feeling hurt that I didn’t tell you everything. Now are we done? I do have a business to run.”

By business, I’m sure he means snorting coke off someone’s tits.

I could beat more information out of him, but I don’t see why he’d hide anything from me. He’s always been reliable enough to work with so why ruin that relationship now?

“Yeah, we’re done. For now. If you send another job my way like that, I’m out. There are plenty of other people I can work with and I know they’ll take a smaller cut than you do.”

He gives me a smug smile as I head out the door.

I’ll have to use my own resources to find out what I want. I can start working my way through the security team that Tommaso had. Only three of them are dead which leaves plenty more to interrogate.

Once they tell me what they know, I’ll kill them all. But it still won’t be enough.

I know that there have to be more players involved in my little viper’s captivity. Someone like Tommaso wouldn’t just pluck her off the street. She thought I bought her so that means he bought her from someone.

My body hums with purpose. I have a solid enough plan to start enacting her revenge, all I need now is to convince her to join me in the bloodshed.

But is she going to want anything to do with me once I finally have her?

I’m losing my mind being turned on almost every second of the day. I feel like my balls are going to explode and the thought of having to use my hand when she’s in my bed is agonizing.

I’ve never had trouble getting anyone else to say yes. I’m sure I can work her into complying without realizing what she’s giving up.

When I get back in my car, I call Dean. I need to talk to someone about this and he’s the one that’s always been there for me. He’s only just got back from the hospital, but a near-death experience has never put him out of commission before. It rings on and on, and just when I’m about to give up he answers.

“Hey,” he groans as he clears his throat.

“Did I wake you? Dude, it’s the middle of the afternoon.”

“Cut me some slack, I got shot. Ah—”

I pause as I listen to the sounds on the other end. I should have guessed he’d have his cock occupied.

“Really? Shouldn’t you be—I don’t know, not doing that with a gunshot wound?”

“Doing what? I’m just in my— ah —office.”

“Your girl’s not quiet, I can hear her slurping on your cock.”

“Fuck—-shit!”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I listen to my best friend come.

“That’s my good girl,” he whispers, but not quietly enough.

“I can still hear you!”

“Sorry, man. You know you’ve gotta text if you need me. What’s up?”

He keeps murmuring sweet nothings to his good girl and it’s off-putting to say the least. “I need you to hack into something for me.”

“Sure. I’m already on the computer, we were picking out drapes, so shoot.”

Drapes?

Fucking drapes?

I want to ask when the fuck he got so domesticated, but I’m pretty sure I just heard the answer as he placed his deposit for said drapes in her mouth.

“I need you to get into Jax’s system, find out anything you can about the Abato hit.”

Dean lets out a long sigh. “Bones, I’ve already done all that. You think I was going to leave it alone after the mess it turned into? Jax’s systems are pretty tight, but what I could get into gave me nothing.”

I should have known. If he found anything out already he would have told me.

“Have you thought about getting in touch with Kai? You’ve got a lot more invested in this than me, might be worth it.”

Bringing Kai into this is risky. He’s just a kid, barely twenty, but he’s the best hacker we know. The only problem is his older brother. Aaron Knight owns one of, if not the biggest tech companies in the country. He’s one of those guys you don’t want to make a deal with because he’ll twist it and have you under his boot in no time. As long as Kai doesn’t blab to him I should be good.

“Worth a shot,” I tell Dean.

“Don’t think I won’t be having a taste of you next, little kitten. You sit your ass on this desk right now and spread those legs for me.”

God, he’s so pussy whipped that he can’t manage a single phone call without getting some. It does make me yearn for another taste of my girl though.

“If you wanted me to join you guys for a threesome all you had to do was ask,” I drawl, knowing it’ll piss Dean off. I’m right.

I hear Dean’s little kitten gasp then he’s growling down the phone at me, “Don’t even think about her pussy, Bones.”

“Oh, so protective of your little pet .” I’m being an ass now, but if he didn’t want me to fuck with him he shouldn’t have answered the phone mid blow job.

“Don’t get into a fight,” his girl says in the background.

“Fine,” he huffs. “Talk to you later.”

“Well, bye then,” I say to no one as he’s already hung up on me.

I’m happy for him, of course I am. But him finding the love of his life has made me realize how fucking empty my life is. He was the only one I could vent to about whatever shit was in my head. Now he’s pulled away and spends every second of the day with his girl.

It’s hardly like I can go home and have a heart-to-heart with mine. She’d probably try and stab me again if I did. I like the thought of that way too much.

I need to get the tangle of thoughts out of my head so I can think clearly and know what the fuck I’m actually doing.

The plotting and the murder I can manage, but everything else is new to me.

There are only two other people I can talk to about my relationship problems.

After sending a text to Kai, I make the drive to see them.

It’s been too long since I’ve visited this place. I used to come every day, then that turned into once a week, then once a month, and now I don’t even remember the last time it was.

I pull up just past the old iron gates and make my way inside the grounds.

Keeping my head down, I walk past the rows of headstones until I get to the large oak tree that sits opposite theirs. Standing under its canopy I brush away some fallen leaves from atop the stones. “Hey, Mom. Hey, moonbeam.”

I still expect them to answer back. Sometimes I swear I can hear their voices.

I’d hoped to feel different once I got here, but their absence only weighs heavier on my shoulders. This is why I stopped visiting. Because I’m selfish and can’t bear the weight of their grief.

Not caring if I get my clothes dirty, I sit down in front of them.

Fresh flowers have been left here, presumably by my father. White lilies for Mom and pink roses for Kimmy. Their favorites. I didn’t know Dad still cared enough to remember.

“You’d laugh at how cliche this sounds, but I’m so fucking lost. What am I supposed to do with her? If you’ve been watching then I’m sure you think I’m a piece of shit for what I’ve done. I can’t just let her go though. I couldn’t save you, but I know I can help her.”

I’ve always wondered what they would want as retribution for their deaths. They never received any. Their killers ran and the cops never found them.

I think of my own need for revenge. The things I’ve imagined doing to those men.

“She knows I’d kill for her yet she’s not taking me up on the offer. It’s what she needs to heal. I’m sure of it.”

A bird caws in the tree above me and I look up.

“I’m fucked in the head aren’t I?” I laugh to myself. “I’ve got some serious Mommy issues. You’d love her, moonbeam. Bet she’d let you play hairdressers with her like we used to.”

I sit in silence. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s hardly pleasant either. It simply is.

My phone pings and the bird calls out above me again before flying off. Its black wings blend in with the darkening sky, making me aware of how long I’ve been here. And more importantly, how long I’ve left her alone.

I check my phone and find the promised update from Luka. My heart hammers wildly as I read through my little viper’s medical reports. Each new piece of information I digest makes it feel like I’ve known her forever. Like I’m taking on her past and blending it with mine, creating a new life together.

With this, I have her.

My cheeks ache from smiling so much and I look up at the headstones to tell my mom and sister the new realization I’ve come to.

“She doesn’t need me to kill for her,” I laugh. “She needs me to kill with her.”