CHAPTER EIGHT

– ROWAN –

“I can’t believe it,” Lorelei grumbles. “They can’t honestly believe we’ll agree to sit here until they’ve beheaded the bitch.”

“Beheaded?” Marlene whispers, eyes huge.

Lorelei wrinkles her nose and shifts a sleeping Joanne in her arms. “Sorry. I’m a bit vicious when I can’t sit on my porch and breathe in the ocean air while feeling the sun warm my skin. It’s why I bought the house in the first place.”

“I thought I heard you admit to the fact that you swooned over Tage’s muscles before you even met the man, and that’s why you ended up buying the house.” Rox grins. “Lucky how you ended up licking said muscles whenever you want. Fate has a nice twist on life’s balls ’cause we all know how living fucks you over.”

“Hence the reason we’re having this discussion,” Meadow states. “We can’t do the workout Rowan wanted to teach us and we only got to see her do it one time.”

Rox turns to Meadow. “What if we’re down there and Caddy’s there to slice your throat?”

Meadow rolls her eyes. “A shark could bite you in the ass too when you’re down there, doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. You can’t use bubble wrap on all sharp objects, or hide from all your fears, sometimes you need to live a little to feel alive. You’re the one who told me that, and the reason I overcame my fear of water. Now we’re back to staying inside just in case the bitch that needs to be beheaded might be hiding in the ocean?”

“Getting attacked by a shark is as big of a risk as getting hit by a car. Hell, even less of a possibility. What I mean is, accidents happen. It’s not like they are hiding behind a rock, waiting for you to dive in so they can do what everyone thinks they do. Ever think it’s the humans who tease them by dangling limbs in front of their noses?” Rox huffs.

Lorelei and I glance at one another and I can feel a smile tug at my lips.

My smile vanishes when Alwyn reminds us that, “Dwight got help from the last shark in our waters.”

“Whatever. I don’t feel sorry for Sylvan. Besides, I’m pretty sure the shark’s name was Karma, or it should be.” Rox shrugs. “Fact is Caddy’s out there. She’s smart and managed to stay one step ahead of us the last few times. She’s not only skilled to handle herself on land, already killing at least three people that we know of, and has experience under, and on the water. I’d say we need to be smart about this and stay where we can see our surroundings.”

“We’re so not going to name sharks.” Alwyn shudders. “I do have to agree with Rox when it comes to shark attacks. They’re isolated incidents. When I dove after Dutton he was injured and the water surrounding us was tainted with blood. They didn’t pop up or attack then.”

“Could we stop talking about sharks? They give me the heebie-jeebies.” Now Meadow is the one shuddering.

“The only shark circling us is my…is Caddy,” Marlene sadly states.

I reach out and rub her back. “Facts might be plain as day, but feelings and emotions take time to settle. What you went through isn’t as easy as stumbling and falling. There’s no one here who expects you to brush the dirt off your knees, drag your ass off the ground and keep walking with your head held high. Even if you were kidnapped as a baby, there’s no way you had any choice in the matter. Thank fuck you had a loving father, even if he should have come clean the moment he knew what his wife did. Still, that’s engraved in the past, nothing you can do about it. Same thing with the bitch you grew up to believe was your sister. Thank fuck she’s not related to you. Though, I heard you have a brother who would like to get to know you. And…as a person who only recently met you and has had the option to spend some time with you, I can wholeheartedly say that he’d be a lucky fucker to get to know his newfound sister. Hey, maybe we should screen him first.” I glance at Rox. “Have a chat with the guy and make sure he’s not an asshole.”

Rox bobs in agreement and Marlene starts to wiggle a finger in Rox’s direction. “Oh, no you don’t. Brixton said the same thing. I can’t have a long line of people forming a wall in front of me to hide behind.”

Rox shoots me a wink. I refrain from smiling, knowing we at least fixed one battle…the one where Marlene wants to accept the invitation of her brother by blood to meet and get to know one another. Dwight mentioned how Brixton was afraid Marlene would close herself up from family due to Caddy.

“Once we’ve cut the head off the snake, I’ll contact him and set up a meeting,” Marlene states.

“Snake, shark…we should stick to bitch, it’ll get confusing if we refer to her as different predators. Besides, she’s just a woman who needs to lose her head.” Rox is wearing a creepy grin. “I’m so glad we all agreed the bitch needs to be decapitated. I hope I’m the one who gets to rip her apart.”

“I wish I could be the one to do it,” Marlene whispers.

Rox snorts. “I’m the vicious one, sweetheart. Besides, it’s hard work to cut off a head. Not to mention, y’all are pregnant and get squeamish with all the blood and gore.”

“Hey,” I snap. “I’m not pregnant.”

“Yeah, neither am I,” Alwyn rumbles.

The creepy smile is still in place when Rox states, “Okay, then the three of us will behead the bitch.”

“What the fuck, sis?” Perrin rumbles. “None of you are going to get any blood on your hands. Didn’t you hear what we said?”

Rox glares at her brother. “You know damn well we can help.”

“We asked all of you to stay safe so we could handle it,” Asher says in a soft, but very firm tone and a look of disapproval thrown in the direction of his old lady.

“I thought you six would put your heads together and throw ideas around about what Caddy might be up to, her preferences, necessities, whatever her next move might be,” Tage adds.

I cross my arms in front of my chest, getting a little agitated by the way they are drowning us with their overly protective ways. Even if it’s sweet that they worry and want to keep us safe.

“We were sidetracked by the way we were all chained to our chairs while she’s just one woman.” I jut my chin out. “She can’t be everywhere at all times. Besides, she’s vindictive. We can’t poke the bitch’s eyes out if we’re all hiding and waiting for her to strike while keeping our ears to the ground.”

Dwight sinks his fingers into my hair and fists it to slightly tug my hair back. My scalp tingles and I need to pay attention when lust enters my veins.

His eyes are fully focused on me when he says, “We’re not going to hide and wait. We made a plan to draw her out.”

“And behead the bitch,” Rox whispers.

A growl rumbles through Asher’s chest.

“What?” Rox asks, face filled with fake innocence. “He forgot to add that part, so I was kind enough to voice it for him.”

“Enough,” Perrin rumbles. “All the pregnant old ladies need to get their ass in the car. Take Joanne too. The rest of you, ass on a bike. Now. We’re heading out. The prospects are staying here to keep an eye out on the security cameras.”

“What’s going on? First, you guys are keeping us inside the clubhouse and now we’re…what? Going shopping?” Meadow frowns.

Perrin grins. “Something like that. First, we’re going to pay a visit to the executor and view Holt’s will.”

“Wait.” Confusion hits me because of all the complications. “How does that work when Holt has left his daughter something who isn’t biologically his daughter?”

Perrin waves me off. “That’s not the point right now. We’re just making waves. Spence has exposed Caddy’s company and bank accounts and has frozen all of her assets. We first thought she needed money to start over and get away, but as it turns out, the bitch had enough money to leave the state the second her ass left that cruise ship. She decided to stick with Sylvan, to organize another underground fight. Her specific motivations might be a guessing game, but we can’t deny she’s a revenge addict.”

“Me and Marlene,” I muse.

“And Dutton. He insulted her,” Brixton adds.

I turn to Brixton and wonder how Dutton insulted her.

There’s a smile in Marlene’s voice when she answers my unspoken question. “Caddy wanted Brixton’s attention and offered to sleep with him while she knew he was interested in me. Dutton mentioned something about not insulting a man who made his choice and who wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

I bob my head in understanding. “So, anyone who scorches the bitch gets burned.”

“Seems that way,” Perrin grunts. “Now, everyone out the door, let’s burn this bitch down.”

“We agreed on beheading, the burning can happen after.” Rox sighs as she drags herself up and wanders out the door.

I can’t help but chuckle and feel Dwight’s lips brush against my temple. “Come on, babe. You’re on the back of my bike.”

Suddenly making waves, getting ready to draw out the bitch, behead, or burn her is shoved to the back of my mind. The thought of being on the back of Dwight’s bike is consuming my thoughts and makes my skin heat the way desire is openly displayed in his eyes.

Time to get moving, because every step we take will hopefully bring us closer. Not just to solve this case, but also in our relationship.