Chapter 14 #2
“God, you’re so weird,” Rhett mutters, shaking his head. His response only makes Santi laugh harder.
“Get off of me!” I demand as I try to crawl away.
“You know, I’m getting real tired of you hitting me,” Rhett snarls as he applies more weight to my back. The axe is his hand is tossed in Santi’s general direction. “I should return the favor.”
I scoff at his audacity. “It’s called self-defense, asshole.”
Rhett’s foot lets up. I roll onto my back and sit up to glare at him.
He returns the dark look with an impressive one of his own before reaching out to grab his axe, still wedged into the tree trunk.
I hold my breath but don’t look away as he swings it up.
I release the breath when he simply rests the handle on his shoulder. He smirks down at me.
“Scared?” he mocks with an ugly sneer.
“I’ve seen more intimidating chihuahuas,” I tell him.
Santi snickers from his hands and knees a few feet away, but Rhett is not amused.
Rhett rolls his eyes. “Why were you following us?”
“I was curious and wanted to see what you were up to,” I reply. “Why are you two sneaking around in the dark with axes?”
“We’re about to kill some fuckers,” Santi answers as he finally gets to his feet. He flashes me a bright smile as he bends down to grab his axe. “Our method of killing is with axes. How do you prefer to—”
“Santi,” Rhett sighs, his face twisting up with annoyance. “You’re incriminating yourself.”
I look between the two of them as Santi strolls over to stand beside his friend.
He places his forearm on Rhett’s shoulder as he stares down at me with interest. I suppress a shiver of awareness as they both watch me.
Muscular, tall, and clearly edged with danger, these two are quite a sight to behold.
Even as my heart races, I know it’s not all from fear.
Heat settles in my cheeks as I realize I’m ogling them.
“You’re not going to tell anyone, right?” Santi asks with a knowing smirk.
I blink, surprised. “Wait, you’re serious?”
Rhett scoffs. “Please don’t tell me that you’re judging us.”
Oh, they’re… They’re actually serious. They’re going out to kill someone. Santi’s words from my first day here suddenly make more sense.
It’s nice to have another killer under the roof.
I had just let the comment slide since it was odd, and I didn’t know how to react.
“I’m not judging,” I mutter as I consider this. “I’m just trying to understand. Is this a paid gig?”
Santi laughs. “Yeah, right. Wouldn’t that be nice? Unfortunately, no.”
“There’s really not much to understand, now is there?” Rhett asks. “We kill people. The end.”
“Why?” I ask him before I can stop myself.
It’s none of my business, I should head back and pretend I didn’t uncover this little secret. The less I know the better. Like Rhett said, if they tell me anything they’re incriminating themselves and me.
Santi opens his mouth to answer but Rhett elbows him in the gut to cut him off.
“It doesn’t matter why,” Rhett replies, coldly. “As long as you keep your bitch mouth shut—”
“Hey!” Santi and I object in unison.
I scramble to my feet as anger flows through me. Once I’m up, I take a step closer to Rhett and glare up at him.
“I don’t know what your problem is, but I don’t appreciate how you talk to me,” I hiss. “Keep it up and I’ll stop pulling my punches.”
Rhett laughs coldly before he spits. The wad hits the ground by my foot.
“You want to know what my problem is?” he asks, his words spoken slow and measured.
“I’ll tell you what it is. If trouble is hunting you down and finds you here, I’m willing to bet that’s a fucking death sentence for all of us, isn’t it?
I don’t want to die for you or because of you.
I’d put a bullet in your goddamn head right now if I knew Ledger wouldn’t turn around and do the same to me.
Under any other circumstances, he’d agree that you had to go. So would Wes and so would Santi here.”
My heart drops and my stomach follows. Rhett actually has a point.
They could get hurt because of me. They didn’t ask for this arrangement, any more than I did.
Guilt hits me in the chest, making me feel ill.
The lingering fight still rushing through my vein dies away and my shoulders sag in defeat.
“I’d leave before any of you could get hurt,” I promise him, solemnly. “If I knew trouble was coming, I’d lure it away from you.”
“Yeah, well, life isn’t that generous to give us a warning when something bad’s about to happen—is it?” Rhett jerks his head toward the house. “Go back inside and stay out of our way.”
Santi, who quietly watched our exchange, suddenly straightens.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Blair,” he adds with a bright smile.
I give him a nod and turn back. Stupidly, tears sting my eyes. Why am I crying? Because I got called out? Because I put my nose in someone else’s business? God, I deserved that. Maybe it’s best if I just stay out of everyone’s way.
Maybe then, no one will get hurt.