Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

TYSHAWN

As promised, Leo holds me through the night. It's like we didn't move as soon as we got comfortable and slipped into sleep. I wake up with Leo's arm gripped tightly around me, holding me against his big, warm body.

I burrow deeper into him, loving how his arm flexes and pulls me closer. It's like we don't even have air separating us. "Good morning, babe."

"Morning, kotenok. How did you sleep?"

"Really, really well. You?"

He breathes in deeply, as if scenting me, then says, "Same. You make a good teddy bear." Leo nips at my neck and I giggle.

I roll over, lying on Leo's chest. He wraps his arms snugly around me, and I sigh, never having felt more content in my life.

After kissing me on the top of my head, Leo asks, "How did you meet Juliette? You never told me."

Usually, when someone asks about my best friend, my heart clenches and my eyes prick with unshed tears. But now that she's avenged, my heart feels light. I want to cry but because I'm happy I got to kill the man that hurt her. I have a feeling every memory going forward will be thought of with fondness, not with a shadow of pain clouding it.

"We met in middle school," I began, thinking back to Juliette walking into my art class, a new kid that just transferred from Florida. "She looked scared shitless, like she didn't know where to sit or who to talk to." I chuckle briefly thinking about her wide eyes and pale face. "I waved her over, telling her she can sit with me. We were inseparable after that."

"You were a social butterfly," Leo mutters.

"Sorta. But more than that, I felt like Juliette was meant to be in my life. She could have sat at my other empty table, but I wanted her to be near me. Come to find out, my father worked with her father. Our fathers became friends, so I saw Juliette all the time. We were closer than siblings, since neither of us have them. For six years, we were always together. I'm sure we'd still be inseparable if Michael hadn't done what he did. I wish she'd talked to me before she took those pills. I would have tried to help her."

"I don't think it had anything to do with you," Leo says gently. "A lot of people live in their heads and don't want to burden anyone with their problems or their pain. I can't say for sure, but she was probably in so much pain that no one or nothing mattered but that. So don't beat yourself up about it."

Smiling with tears sliding down my face, I lean up and ask Leo, "Are you sure you don't have any feelings or emotions? You're great at comforting me."

He trails his thumb down my face to wipe my tears. "I read a lot, especially Blu's mental health books. I read a few from attempted suicide survivors. Their mind isn't on their family or friends, it's on their pain and trauma." He pauses, then says, "I'm trying to be good at comforting you. Did killing Michael help?"

I nod against his chest. "So much. I didn't think I'd be the type of person that would want to kill or be okay with it, but I am. I think I got justice for Juliette."

"You did, kotenok." Leo tips my head up and kisses me softly. "Come on. Check out time is rolling around. Let's shower and get out of here."

We get out of bed and climb in the shower, Leo's arms wrapped around me as the water beats down on us. The water pressure sucks, but I'm not complaining because Leo is here with me.

It's mind boggling that it's been less than a month since I met Leo. My feelings for him are so strong, I've had to fight not to blurt out my true emotions.

Truth be told, I'm fucking crazy about him. My feelings for him almost can't be contained by my body. If I'm not careful, I'll end up blurting out how I feel and scare him away. He's okay with my rambling and babbling—that doesn't mean he wants to be saddled with me for the long haul with my weird quirks. Leo said he claimed me. That has nothing to do with the love I have for him threatening to burst from my chest. He didn't sign up for that bit.

Before we leave the city, I ask Leo to stop by a local big box store and buy a burner phone. Once he's back in the car, I call in the tip about Michael's victims and where their bodies can be found. I also tell them his name and his history of being a rapist, so they'll be more inclined to take the tip. The call lasts less than a minute, then I toss the phone out of the window on the highway. Hopefully those girls will be found and their families can get some closure. Michael was a piece of shit, and I'm glad I put him down.

I grab the hand Leo doesn't have on the steering wheel and thread our fingers together. He glances at me and smiles, giving my hand a quick squeeze.

"Can I help you again?"

Leo gives me a side long look. "Again? You have someone else in mind?"

"No. You said you have a website, right?" I ask. Leo nods. "Someone from there. I'm sure I took time from you with this kill you did for free."

He lifts one shoulder. "I have enough money that I wouldn't have to work for at least twenty years if I didn't want. So you didn't take time from me at all. You know everyone I kill isn't guilty, right? Some are just regular people that end up on my list. It could be someone that wants a promotion, but someone is in their way or someone who wants their parent's life insurance, and they're taking too long to die," Leo says matter of factly. I swallow hard but nod jerkily. "Can you handle that?"

I don't answer right away so I'm not speaking out of turn. I want to kill more people like Michael. I know they're out there, walking the streets because there wasn't enough evidence to convict or the person they hurt didn't want to come forward.

Could I kill someone that is too good at their jobs and is in someone's way? Could I kill some old person that's enjoying living to a ripe old age? I don't think I can. I might have gotten the taste for killing after Michael but not for killing the innocent. It rubs me the wrong way.

Sighing, I hold his hand tightly. "No, I can't. I know it's what you do, and I won't try to make you stop, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Leo smiles as he keeps his eyes trained on the road. "I'm not. I like you being innocent."

I bark a laugh. "I just killed a man, Leo. I don't think I am anymore."

"You are. According to the rules of general society, he deserved it, so you were simply taking out the trash. There are plenty of cases where someone wants someone that hurt them or who hurt someone they love dead. You asked me before if I would kill only the guilty if you asked. If you're asking, I can."

I don't know why a giddy feeling flows through me as I nod. "Fuck yeah. I'd love that."

Leo doesn't say anything, just reaches for the dash and scrolls through his listed numbers. When he finds June's, he presses the call button. The ringing of the phone sounds, and is answered a few seconds later. "Hey, Leo. How did everything go?"

"Good. It's done. Listen, I need you to do me a favor."

"What's up?"

"Ty wants to join me in my work going forward. But only the trash that needs to be taken out, understand?"

June pauses for a moment, then says, "Got it. What do you need me to do?"

"Send me over about five names to my second email so Ty and I can take a look. He wants to choose."

"A man after my own heart," June says, chuckling. "I'll check through your site and send them over. When will you be back?"

"On the way now, but we'll still be out of range. I'll be back at the condo in a few days. You need me to come in for work?"

He chuckles. "Not you. Ty. His cookies, cupcakes, and Danishes sold like fucking hotcakes. People are asking for more. I'm sure there will be a riot if we don't keep them in stock."

My chest feels light as I smile wide enough to hurt my cheeks. "Thank you, June," I say, squeezing Leo's hand tight.

"You're welcome. Now hurry back so someone doesn't burn our coffee shop down to get to your baking."

He hangs up, leaving me feeling all kinds of happy with myself. "That's a relief. I was worried people would hate them."

"Not likely," Leo mutters. "Everything you baked for me tastes fucking delicious. If you want, I can help you make more. I had fun the last time."

"That would be great."

Just then, Leo's phone beeps, and he scoops it up, clicking a few buttons as he keeps his eyes on the road. "Here." He places his phone in my hand, an image on the screen. "There are a few people that June found that requested my services and they're not innocent. Pick from those. When you find someone, I'll accept the contract. We can make plans for how you want to kill them, and we can take care of it."

As I'm looking through the images, I read the emails from the people who sent them, finding out what crimes they're accused of. "And these are legit? Not a person just wanting someone to die and making shit up?"

"June vets them. If he and Blu join me for a case, he wants to be sure it's someone that needs to die."

"Okay." I read through every email carefully, my chest thudding because I want to fucking kill them all. If I have my way, I'll help Leo make short work of this list.

When I get to the last person, I know I've found the one I want to kill. The others on the list are gross, but this one is fucking despicable.

From the email and the police reports attached, he was a camp counselor that trafficked underaged kids to his shitty friends. Fifteen kids. They came forward, and charges are pending, but by the time they get around to sifting through the evidence, some of these kids may end up like Juliette.

Teeth clenched, I say, "Him. Ian McCaffy. Fucking sex trafficker." A noise of disgust drifts from my lips, and I toss his phone onto the dash, crossing my arms over my chest. "I want him to die now."

"Easy, killer," Leo mutters with humor. I can't help but crack a small smile. "We have to make plans. But it'll happen. I promise. When we get back to my house in the woods, I'll track down all the information on him that I need. Good thing is he's local, so it won't take long to get started. There are several abandoned buildings I use that will make things a lot easier. We'll bake, and we'll plan. How does that sound?"

It sounds really fucking good. When there's a lot on my mind, I like to bake. The rhythm, the smells, the repetition, it all grounds me. Baking helps me think about shit that makes little sense unless my hands are busy measuring, mixing, and scooping.

"Why are you so perfect?" I mutter, my heart thumping as those three little words dance on my tongue.

If I thought I was just falling for him, I was wrong. I've fucking fallen, hard. It could be how well he treats me. It could be how he listens to my babbling and rambling without complaint, giving me his undivided attention. It could also be because he tapped into some part of me that I didn't know existed and helped it flourish. Honestly, I don't give a fuck what it was, but something made me fall, and I'm there gratefully. I'm not sure if he can feel the same—since he says he can't feel love—but that doesn't matter. My feelings for him don't have to be reciprocated.

I glance over at him, taking in his beautiful face. His dimples pop when he smirks at me, and I think I fall a little more in love with his angelic features. He looks like he could be the boy next door. He has everyone fooled, but he chose to show me the real Leo. That's as good as love to me.

"I don't know about perfect. But I'm trying to be enough for you."

"Does it mean that much to you?"

He sighs, but nods nonetheless. "It does. It's so strange because I've never wanted to be anything to anyone besides their Grim Reaper. But with you? I want to be so much more. You're mine, Ty. And I'm not letting you go. Ever."

I should be afraid of that little declaration, but it just deepens my feelings. He's claiming me. That's enough, even if he can't tell me he loves me. Saying I'm his is the same.

A few hours later, we pull onto the hidden driveway that leads up to Leo's secluded house, and I smile. "This place is pretty but creepy."

"I don't come here often. I promise my condo looks much better. But the seclusion will work in our favor."

"How so?"

"To teach you. I can show you how to use a variety of different weapons, guns mostly, and no neighbors will hear the sound."

I've never shot a gun before. Never thought about it. But it would be smart to learn. I probably won't be able to stab every person I want to kill. It would be helpful to learn different ways to put people in the ground. "I want to learn how to handle a gun. How many do you have?"

When we step inside, Leo pulls me to his bedroom and shows me a large safe in his closet. He opens it, and I see just how many guns he has. There are many different kinds, from guns small enough to fit unseen in my hands to handguns so big, they'd probably knock me off my feet. There's even one that has a big drum hanging from it that looks especially deadly.

"We can get started tomorrow. First we bake, then we shoot. Sound like a deal?" Leo asks.

Smiling, I nod as I continue to look at all the guns. "Deal."