Chapter 3

Easton

"Hey, man. Do you want to grab a beer in celebration?"

Marcus had more than his usual shit-eating grin on his face as he swung into my office. He'd been my buddy since we'd both arrived at the university about the same time. With his expertise in psychology, we'd had lively discussions late into the night over a bottle of gin while playing cards. Hell, the discussions had often become existential, leading us to weird and wild conspiracy theories, each one of us trying to top the other.

He'd even mused on psycho killers, as he'd started to call them, enjoying my take on the dark and evil men of society. Marcus Shelton was a little psychotic, and the kind of guy who refused to talk about his awful family he'd disowned.

That made us far too similar in nature, which had led to several bizarre conversations over the last couple of years.

"I have a mountain of papers to grade. You should too."

"Yeah? So what? All work and no play. Come one. Let's grab one beer."

I laughed and shoved my laptop into my briefcase, glancing up at the clock. "It's not even three-thirty in the afternoon."

"So the fuck what?" He tapped his index finger on his watch. "You know what they say. It's five o'clock somewhere. But in my mind, it's always time for a cold one."

I had to admit I'd been keeping my nose to the grindstone over the last few weeks in both illustrious careers, including my work as the CFO of the Saint Corporation. We'd been busier than I'd been able to grab a handle on, our lucrative weapons and security system designs sought after by almost every government in the world. While our less than scrupulous business activity was down in comparison to this time last year, I still had my hands full juggling two full sets of financials.

Anyone who believed that powerful crime syndicates didn't take business seriously was a fool. "Yeah, fine. But one beer. One. Do you hear me?" I pointed my index finger at him, as if that would deter the man from trying to pull me into the dark zone.

"I heard you." He held up his index finger in return yet entirely different than I was doing. "Just one. I promise."

"Uh-huh. Which bar?"

"Let's go to our favorite dive bar. What do you think?"

As if there'd been any other choice over the last couple of years.

The place reminded me of the one I'd been in the night before, only closer to where I lived and worked. It wasn't the typical college kid haunt, which made it more attractive. "Let me finish what I was doing, and I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Hell, no. I'll drive. I know you too well. Remember, brother?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The faculty Christmas party where you said you'd be right there and jumped ship. I almost sent a search party out after you, especially since I was stuck flirting." He laughed as my mind drifted back to that night. The Angel of Death had made an unexpected appearance, the first in a few months, the asshole janitor trying to assault a student at one of the residential facilities the night before. I'd followed him home, using a wire to slit his throat.

"When has flirting ever been an issue for you?" I chided.

"When it was with Mrs. Olsen."

"Ouch," I said, laughing softly. The woman was likely more than twice my buddy's age. "Sorry, dude. I just had a family situation to deal with and you know it."

"Yeah, so you said but you hate your family. Anyway, water under the bridge. Come on. One beer won't take up that much of your oh-so precious time."

"Asshole."

"Yes, I am. Proudly so."

I glanced around my office, grabbing a couple of my personal books I'd yet to have time to look at, shoving them under my arm before snatching my keys and heading out of my shoebox-sized office, shutting and locking the door. "Maybe a beer will taste good."

"That's the spirit."

We chatted about basketball and our plans for the summer as we walked out into the parking lot. Suddenly, I lost him while I was discussing the best team in the industry. I stopped short, turning and trying to figure out what he was looking at. "Something wrong, bud?"

He laughed but was definitely fawning over one of the female students. "Nah. It's just been a rocky road since my divorce. You know how it goes."

No, I didn't. "Fortunately, I have no desire to enter into a dark hole I'll never be free of."

"You make it sound horrible. Marriage can be decent, or so I've heard. I wouldn't know." Yanking out his keys, he pressed the key fob, the lights to his aging Mercedes catching my attention. He'd had it rougher than some, his wife trying to take everything he had. Granted, the man had a roving eye, and I didn't know all the details, but I felt sorry for him nonetheless.

I tossed my briefcase and the books into the backseat, slightly concerned about my friend. He'd been down lately, more so than normal. As we climbed inside, I noticed he was lamenting again.

"Pining away for some hot chick?" I finally asked. Students were everywhere, the approaching storm having almost no effect on their moods or activities. It seemed everyone was eager for the summer months. Myself included. I had plans, including whether or not to return for another semester. It was something I'd been fighting with for months. Teaching wasn't my first love, merely a stopgap in what I'd always considered the evil lurking inside of me.

"I don't know," he said as he started the engine. "I had a girl drop off an apple today after class. She sashayed by, swishing her tiny little skirt while pursing and licking her swollen pink lips. That was after winking at me. Fuck. My cock has never been so hard. I needed to go to the bathroom and relieve myself. The girl had the perkiest tits I've ever seen."

"I hope like hell you did this in private."

"I'm not an idiot, my friend."

Uh-huh. No, but he was itching to get himself into hot water. I almost choked thinking about the student in my class who'd done the same thing less than an hour before. Had to be the same girl. "Let me give a piece of advice. Don't touch."

"I know the rules are etched in stone. You're not allowed to fraternize with the students in any format, including carnal activities. If it's determined such actions were taken, you will be terminated."

"Wow. You know the rules cold."

He snorted as he drove out of the parking lot, swishing the windshield wipers as the first real drops of rain came splashing down. "Yeah, well, I'm not going to lie in that I've had some pretty lurid thoughts lately. You know the kind I mean."

"Carnal." Meanwhile, I couldn't remember the last time I'd indulged in satisfying my needs. Granted, they weren't considered normal by any stretch of the means. I was sadistic. There was no other term for it. Women preferred romantic. I wasn't that guy.

There were no walks on beaches or flowers dropped off at the girl's work. I couldn't care less about wining and dining. Maybe that's why I'd taken to using a service the last few times. Professionals kept things uncomplicated.

"Who the hell uses that term?" he asked as he threw me a look. We both laughed.

"Those living in the past century."

"I'll say. Imagine Mrs. Carter engaging in… carnal activity."

"Mrs. Blue Hair?"

"Yeah," he huffed and made a turn. "I doubt she's ever had sex."

"Maybe not." I glanced out the window, noticing the apple girl walking with two of her friends. She slowly turned her head and smiled, even licking her lips. She was carrying an umbrella, the shadows from the gray day still unable to hide the provocative look on her face. She was pretty but not my type in the least. I preferred my women innocent and shy, even if that was all about a professional pretending.

"Fuck. Did you see that?" He was exasperated.

"You mean the one blowing a kiss?"

"She does that shit to me all the time." He rubbed his finger across his chin, glancing every few seconds into the rearview mirror. "I'd like to take her in the woods, force her to run, and hunt her down like a wild animal."

I almost choked. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Maybe our wicked discussions over a half bottle of Boodles gin, my friend."

We both laughed again but I'd been thinking about a hunt myself lately. I could envision the beautiful girl with long hair flying in the wind, completely naked and running through a dense forest. Given I was already predatory in nature, I would enjoy every moment of chasing her like a sweet rabbit, allowing her to believe she was able to hide or even get away from me. I'd stalk her.

Track her.

Smell her.

Capture her.

Then I'd spank her rounded bottom with a switch before fucking her like that wild animal my friend mentioned.

I wasn't new to the idea of hunting for prey, but what I'd done years before had been about hunting to kill.

A strange series of visions popped into my mind, something I'd refused to allow for years. I'd turned a new leaf. I'd become a better person. Or had I?

Maybe I should resort to hunting for pleasure instead of seeking carnage.

"If you think you're getting out of this, boy, you got another think coming. Now, get your ass out there and hunt down that fuck or you'll be the next participant."

My dad laughed as he'd pushed my shoulder, forcing me to take off running. In my hand was a bow, several arrows in a satchel on my shoulder. It was my weapon of choice, maybe because I'd taken it in school, a sport I'd excelled in.

My brothers were already into the game, hollering like wolves as we took off running in different directions. As my blood started pumping, I had to admit the hunts were the highlights of the quarter. My father chose his victims with care, anyone who dared cross us. Lately, he'd been creative in the way his soldiers had captured the son of a bitch so there was no possible trace to the family.

When the worthless bastards were brought to the estate, the hundreds of acres our playground, they were stripped bare, told if they could make it to the finish line, they would be allowed to live.

That never happened.

Even after all these years, my brothers and I had remained well-trained predators, enjoying the chase as much as the finish in the corporate games we now played. Why was my mind drifting into the past even more? We'd always caught our prey, savoring the moment when the blood poured and the light slipped from the enemies' cold, dead eyes. We'd been turned into monsters by a brutal man with no conscience.

And for me, the past hunts had allowed me to feel free instead of locked inside the prison walls he'd kept us in. The visions continued in vivid color, complete with agonizing noises coming from the man during the event I was remembering.

I moved stealthily through the densest part of the trees, the dimming light adding to the ambiance. My eyes easily adjusted to the shadows. I knew every inch of the woods, every tree stump and fallen limb. I also knew where the bodies were buried, a burden that I would keep for the rest of my life.

Hearing a cracking sound, I grabbed an arrow, taking my time to position it in the bow. I took my position, my patience one of the reasons I was so damn good at what I did. My brothers and I always competed to see who got off the first strike, high-fiving each other later. Tonight was my night to win.

I didn't need to wait long, the stupid asshole spinning and almost tripping more than once. He'd had the fucking nerve to try to blackmail us with what he thought he knew. Of course, it had been easy to wipe his computers, hack into his back accounts, and remove every dollar he'd made illegally. I was a glorified computer hacker, the pride and joy of my father's regime. I'd helped make the man richer than he'd been while catching some son of a bitch red-handed, determined to bring down our family.

My pulse kicked into high gear, the rush of adrenaline exactly what I needed to calm my nerves. Just when I was ready to take a shot, my mother's face drifted into my mind.

"My baby boy. My sweet, angelic baby boy. You are my little man and I love you."

Hissing, I shoved the memory aside. She'd left me. She'd left us. She didn't give a shit. How could a mother leave her own children? She'd said she loved me, that she would never leave and one day she was gone without a trace. And there'd been no note.

I felt my blood pressure rise from the rage building inside of me. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. I hated her and always would.

When the prey came into view, I finally smiled, the memory fading. I pulled back the bow, taking aim and waiting for the perfect moment.

When I took the shot, I was rewarded with it hitting the son of a bitch directly between the shoulder blades. As if in slow motion, he threw out his arms, the blunt force literally picking him off his feet. It was as if the man could fly, his body catapulting forward.

As he came crashing down to earth, tumbling over my favorite rotten log, I stood to my full height, feeling like the conqueror I'd become years before. As my two brothers rushed toward me, both stopping short, I could tell they were angry yet delighted at the same time. I'd won this round but there was plenty left to do.

I was the victor and as I took a deep breath, it seemed the air smelled that much sweeter.

"Dude. Are you with me?"

I was jolted out of the bloody vision, realizing the cords on the side of my neck were tight as drums, my breathing ragged. Goddamn it. I hated that period of my life. I'd changed. I was no longer the primal beast our father had turned his three children into. Fuck. Fuck.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about all the papers I need to grade."

Marcus threw open his door. "I was talking about hot chicks and you disappeared. It's possible you really need to get laid, buddy."

Oddly enough, that was going to happen tonight. However, I certainly couldn't tell him that or how I would be satisfied. I snickered from the thought. I should be concentrating on my summer plans. But no. I was here with my buddy about to down a couple of beers. What the heck? Alcohol was good for the psyche.

With the rain picking up, we raced into the dive bar, the bartender recognizing us and nodding within seconds. I was struck by how comfortable I was in the place. It held the aging stench of old booze and cigarettes when smoking had been allowed. There were pictures on the walls from forty years before, even some famous people who used to drop in when in Chicago.

No longer.

This was a shithole in the middle of nowhere.

But it was our bar, a place we could be ourselves.

"What'll it be, boys?" the man behind the bar asked. The poor guy was always here. I wondered if he ever took a day off.

"Two brewskis, Mike, and shots of tequila on the side."

I started to open my mouth and Marcus threw out his hand.

"Don't say it. My treat," he barked.

"Oh, your treat for a change?" I teased since he never seemed to have money. Not that I minded paying. He had no clue just how much money I had in a dozen bank accounts and never would. Of course, faculty members whispered behind my back, the various ugly rumors something that would bother the normal guy. Since I was anything but normal, I couldn't give a shit what they said. Little did they know their rendition of my past and my current life was totally off base.

I was much more brutal than they believed.

"Well then, we might have round two." I grinned at him as I wiped rain from my brow.

"That's the spirit."

It had been a long time since I'd just let go, enjoying friendship, which up until six or so years before had been something I hadn't experienced in my life. There were reasons, beyond my horrid upbringing, but my mistrust of everyone given my family's background certainly didn't help. If Marcus knew or cared, he'd never indicated my heritage mattered in the least.

As the beers, shots, and a bowl full of peanuts were placed in front of us, he leaned back in his chair, his actions almost as if he owned the place.

"You're contemplative tonight," I said, shelling and popping a peanut, another reminder of my previous nocturnal activity.

"Yeah, you know me. Shit on my mind. I never asked you. Have you done anything considered wrong or immoral in your life?"

By then, I'd taken a sip of the cold brew, nearly spewing the liquid from my mouth. "Immoral? As in fucking a college girl?"

He grinned as only he could do. "Yeah, something like that. It's oh-so against the rules. Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I can't stand rules."

Since he'd been the one to fight something every single staff meeting, yeah, I did know that about him. Maybe that's why we got along so well. He added normalcy to my life, something I hadn't experienced prior to our friendship.

"Next you're going to tell me you're a serial killer," I chided.

He gave me that kind of look reserved for one of your buddies. "Ri-ight. I wouldn't know how to carry that shit off. Who does that with a clear conscience anyway?"

"You might be surprised," I mused as I gulped a portion of my beer.

"So spill it," Marcus pushed. "I bet you've never done a bad thing in your life."

"Does shoplifting from a convenience store count?" I asked, half laughing before taking the tequila shot. It hadn't been one of my finest hours, but stealing a candy bar, something I hadn't been allowed, had felt damn good.

"Wow, Mr. All American can do bad things," Marcus mused.

"I thought you heard all the rumors about me."

"You mean that you're a real-life boogeyman. Please. They have no clue what they're talking about. You're a pansy ass if you ask me." He grinned, enjoying teasing me as usual.

"What about you, wise guy?"

I wasn't expecting his eyes to cloud over, his expression completely changing.

"What? Come on," I chided once again. "You started this game."

"Yeah, I know. I don't think I want to play."

"Oh, no, you don't. Not fair in the least. Out with it or I'll never allow you to live it down. I'll make up my own stories."

"You would." He swirled his shot of tequila, staring up at the old television positioned on the wall. "I don't know, brother. I was a bad kid, you know? But my brother was even worse."

"So what did you do?"

A full minute passed. "Just stole a car with my brother. Things didn't go so well. We crashed."

"Fuck, dude. What happened?"

"He died. This time, I was the driver, the guy pushing me into doing over a hundred miles per hour and I loved it. The speed. The air rushing in. The danger. It was fantastic until that split second before we both knew the crash was about to happen."

I had no idea why he would be sharing this information other than he needed to get it off his chest. I knew that feeling far too well, so much so I sucked in my breath. We sat quietly for a few minutes, sipping on our beers and pretending to watch whatever shit was on the television. "I'm sorry, dude. We've all lost someone close to us."

"My guess is not that way. I was considered a murderer in town, including by my own family. There's not a day that goes by I don't regret my actions," he said a few minutes later.

"Shit happens, bud." Who didn't have an ugly secret in their closet? I wasn't the kind of man to comfort anyone else since I reveled in bad things happening.

"Yeah, but not to my family."

"That's why you don't talk much to your parents any longer," I said quietly.

He nodded, shelling a few peanuts and popping them into his mouth. "It's not like they want to see me any longer anyway. It was good to get the hell out of town, start fresh."

"So, about a hot woman. You dating anyone?" he asked, obviously trying to shift away from doom and gloom.

I could tell how bothered he was by sharing the truth with me. "Not currently and I have no plans on it. You?"

"Thinking about asking Josie Barker out."

"You could get fired. Is it worth the risk?"

"She's graduating and you must imagine driving your cock into her tight pussy. Remember, I don't like to follow rules." He gave me a sly look. "Besides, we only live once. Right?"

He had a point, but I wasn't interested in any romantic involvement, no matter how young or sexy. Even if I was, I was the kind of man who could destroy an innocent flower.

Yeah, I was one bad man, my blood tainted. It was something I'd promised myself I'd remember.

Always.

Although I wasn't the kind of guy to follow rules either. A smile crossed my face.

I was a bad, bad man.