Chapter 10
Santiago
The new girl is eerily familiar.
Not familiar in the sense that we’ve spoken before. It’s more like… like I’ve seen her face in passing on more than one occasion. It’s not possible, obviously. Blair just got here. Still… my gaze flickers to Blair as she and Wes speak over by the grill.
The moment my eyes lock onto her, I’m hit with the dizzying sense of déjà vu. It’s strange because I think I would remember someone who makes me feel like this.
I trace Blair’s profile with my eyes. They linger on her full lips for a half a second longer than necessary before they slide down her frame.
Every curve is analyzed, and enjoyed, as I stare.
She’s dwarfed by Wes, but there’s an air of confidence clinging to her that makes her appear larger than her petite figure.
My gaze lingers on those full hips and then locks onto her butt when she turns to grab something beside the grill for Wes.
Fuck, I want to bite it.
My cock twitches with interest. It’s that reaction that proves that I’ve never actually seen Blair before. Because, while I can appreciate a beautiful woman in the abstract, they don’t usually stir up attraction in me. Blair, however? She’s doing just that.
The moment I walked into the office this morning and saw her, I was sent reeling.
Her eyes—which are hooded in a way that makes her look perpetually drowsy or freshly fucked—had landed onto my face and it was like the world around me became dimmed and muted.
I hadn’t been able to breathe. It’s the same reaction I get around Rhett and yet… different somehow.
Then, she slipped into Spanish. As each word rolled off her tongue, I was flooded with a sense of homecoming. Holy shit, that had thrown me. I hadn’t spoken in my native tongue since my parents died a few years back. Fuck, it had felt good to hear it and speak it again.
Internally, I marvel at the chaotic emotions the woman across the yard has dredged up. I like this feeling—like my life is being shaken up for the better.
The sound of an axe splitting wood jolts me from my thoughts.
“I need more wood, Santi,” Rhett says with a huff as he splits the last piece of wood in front of me.
I jerk my attention away from Blair and look at Rhett, who’s a sweaty mess. His face is flushed as he straightens to catch his breath. He drops his axe by his foot and reaches up to rake his hair out of his face. The motion lifts the hem of his shirt, exposing his lean stomach.
Again, my cock jumps.
This is the typical response. My body has ached for Rhett ever since he popped into my life. The attraction hasn’t dimmed, either. In fact, each day it grows more intense. I haven’t even looked at another person since I realized Rhett was all I wanted.
That is, until now. My thoughts shift back to Blair.
“Santi,” Rhett snaps, frustration staining his voice.
“I’m going, I’m going,” I placate, my hands coming up in surrender. “Anything for you, Rhett. However, I’d rather be coming, so if you’re interested I have wood right here in my pants. I’m all hard and ready for you to—”
“Do you want to keep that fire going or what?” Rhett demands with an eye roll, cutting me off.
We both look over at the strong flames burning in the fire pit. The smoke gently billows from the flames, doing its job to keep the last of the season’s mosquitos at bay. There’s a decent pile of wood beside it which begs the question…
“Something bothering you?” I ask him, my smile faltering. I take a step closer to him. Lowering my voice, I press, “Do you need a night out again?”
It’s September, a particularly hard month for Rhett.
I know what happened in his past took place around this time of year.
I also know that Rhett’s entire being is attuned to that traumatic moment in his life.
Most of the time, he’s not easy to be around.
He doesn’t talk much, and when he does, his words are clipped and to the point.
There’s a lot of scowling, ignoring, and lashing out when he starts to feel too much.
But when September rolls around? Fuck, all that is way worse.
While most people give him a wide berth, I’ve never given him that space.
I think that’s why, eventually, Rhett let me in to see the real man beneath the abrasive exterior.
I’m glad he did because his pain is beautiful and focused.
His murderous outlet for it is perfect for both of us. Rhett uses his pain to seek out absolution, while I use mine as a catalyst for justice. At the end of the night, we both come home a little bit lighter.
Sometimes, however, I know that pain makes it hard to wake up and to breathe.
While I’ve managed to wrangle my anguish down so that I can function, Rhett has a hard time pushing it back.
Now that Fall is here, his hardest time of the year, I have to watch him a bit closer, because he will spiral—I just don’t know how or when.
I stare at him now, wondering if that spiral has started.
“I told you the other day we needed to cut back,” he mutters, averting his gaze. “I think… I think it would be wise if we didn’t. Not so soon at least.”
“Is it soon?” I ask, feigning innocence. “It feels like forever since we’ve gone out.”
Rhett sniffs out a dry laugh. It dies pretty quickly.
“We should probably lay low. She—” Rhett nudges his head toward Blair without looking at her. “—has already brought enough trouble here to Caddawalk.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.
Rhett’s expression darkens. “Some of the guys in the shop said the police found a charred body in the rubble of the farmhouse that caught on fire. Another was found in a car that was set ablaze north of town. All happened last night, then Blair suddenly shows up here at the cabin.”
I blink in surprise. “Um, I’m going to need more explanation than that. Why do you assume any of that is because of her?”
“Because, Santi,” Rhett hisses. “Something’s not right about her. Haven’t you noticed?”
“Ah… no?”
Rhett sighs, the sound full of frustration. “She’s weirdly vigilant. It’s like she’s on high alert. And have you seen how still and stiff she stands? I’m betting she’s military of some sort.”
I consider this as I glance over at Blair.
Rhett’s right. Now that I know what to look for, she does seem…
militant. Her legs are braced shoulder width apart and locked, her arms are crossed over her chest, and her back is straight.
Blair’s gaze is sharp and steady as her eyes seem to trail over every tree, bush, and shadow until she’s looking in my direction.
When our eyes meet, I get that strange feeling that I know her all over again.
At the same time, my cock grows stiff.
Flashing her a grin, I watch as Blair returns it with a tight-lipped smile before looking away from me.
“Wes warned me a few nights before she arrived that she needed a place to lie low,” Rhett continues, his voice lowering further.
“Between her suspicious arrival and vague reason for staying here, and the authorities finding those bodies, and being on high alert—we shouldn’t go hunting again for a bit. ”
Conflicting emotions war inside me. I get what Rhett is saying—if the police are on high alert, we should lie low.
But I enjoy what we do. I look forward to it.
On those nights, I feel like I’m doing something productive, something helpful to the community.
But we don’t play these games just for me.
Rhett needs an outlet. If I don’t give it to him, I’m afraid he’ll slip away from me.
From the world. I can’t have that. He needs a purpose, and this is how we do it.
I know, however, if I say that part aloud Rhett will completely lose his shit. He hates being seen as emotional or weak.
Deciding that nonchalance is the best way to handle this, I chuckle.
“Fine,” I concede. “I suppose we can behave.”
A rare half smile pulls at Rhett’s lips. “Is that even possible for you, Santi?”
“Let me clarify; I’ll try to behave.”
Rhett shakes his head, but a ghost of another half-smile pulls at his lips.
An idea pops into my head and I ask, “Want me to do some recon on her?”
Rhett’s smile drops away as he gives my idea some thought.
As he thinks about it, he plays with one of the hoops wrapped around his bottom lip.
I love playing with those hoops with my tongue and I enjoy how they feel around my cock.
I choke down a groan as I think about Rhett and his mouth and how good he can make me cum.
After a moment, he nods. “Yeah, sure. It would be nice to know who I’m living with.”
“Done.”
With that, I stroll away from Rhett and over to the woman in question.
“Santi! Where are you going? The wood is over—”
“I’m going to chat with my new best friend,” I tell him, loud enough for Blair and Wes to hear.
Blair’s gaze locks with mine, and for a second, I swear it feels like she’s sizing me up before a subdued smile stretches across her face. When I stop in front of her, she drops her arms from her chest and quirks a brow curiously.
“New best friend?” she inquires. “I’ve been upgraded already? Just earlier I was just a friend.”
There’s a snort from Rhett behind me as he stomps over to grab more wood to chop.
“Don’t let the title get to your head,” he sneers from a distance. “Anyone new would earn the title.”
Blair gives a one-shoulder shrug. “Then I should enjoy the attention before someone else comes along and takes it, shouldn’t I?”
“Psh, don’t listen to Rhett.” I wave a dismissive hand. “He doesn’t like when my attention is anywhere other than on him.”
“Rhett doesn’t like a lot of things,” Wes says. “Don’t let anything he says get under your skin. He’s a grump on his best days.”
“I’m right here, guys. I can hear you,” Rhett snaps.
Blair smiles, amused by the back and forth.
Nudging my head toward Wes, I ask in Spanish, “This old man bothering you?”