Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
TRAEGER
“Mel,” I say, nodding in greeting. Something flashes in her gray eyes, something surprisingly not hostile…
no, it’s actually the opposite of hostile, I think…
but then it’s gone so quickly that I wonder if I actually imagined it.
She smooths her feature into an impassive mask, like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
She glances between me and Jett, her muscles tensing.
Does she think we’re about to toss her off the tower or something?
Or maybe she just knows what kind of man Jett is.
He hasn’t been able to hide his disturbing mix of hatred and fascination of Melody very well.
He wants to hurt her, that much is clear, but whether it’s because she challenged him in front of so many people back at FOS or he just enjoys hurting people, especially women, is anyone’s guess.
Maybe a little of both. I’ve got eyes on him that he doesn’t know about, and he’s still too afraid to make any kind of a move with me around, but I know he’s just waiting.
He will find a time and a place one day.
And I’ll be ready when he does.
I push the thoughts aside, surprised by the hot surge of anger that rears up inside of my chest. My fists clench discretely at my sides.
They want to lay into the bastard right here and now, to feel cartilage and bone crunching beneath them, to feel the hot blood coating my knuckles as I teach the prick what it’s like to be a victim.
I force my thoughts under control and keep my demeanor calm and cool.
“How are you settling in?”
“Could use some better soundproofing in my bedroom,” she says pointedly and I can’t help but smirk at her.
I know she can hear damn near everything through the walls, and yeah, ok, maybe some horrible, sick part of me is glad about it, maybe hopes it’ll make her jealous.
I think about her straddling my lap that night, how I’d barely been able to stop myself from gripping her hips and pulling her harder against me, from slamming my lips to hers and making her forget about everything else in the world.
She’d offered to be my whore and it had sent ice through my veins, effectively squashing the moment, but that didn’t mean that I hadn’t thought about it since then.
Not her being my whore—I fucking hate that phrase—but about her and me and all the things I would die to do with her… to her…watch while she does to me…
I clear my throat and focus on the task at hand. We’re up here for a reason.
“But, other than that, it’s been surprisingly…
pleasant. Mostly,” she adds, cutting her eyes briefly to Jett.
I don’t miss the look. Oh yes, she knows exactly what kind of man Jett is.
I’m willing to bet she had him dead to fucking rights the minute she bowed up to him that day.
Melody is extremely observant. Too observant.
She has to have figured out everything by now, though she hasn’t accosted me or demanded answers.
I haven’t met with her again, but I’ve been watching and waiting, letting her come to her conclusions and deal with that information as she will. We’ll talk soon enough.
“All reports show that you’ve been behaving.” I try to hide my smile when she clenches her hands into fists at the word, knowing that it grates on her nerves. She gives me a saccharine smile.
“I think we’ve established that I’m smart enough not to do anything stupid.”
I hold her stare and quirk a brow.
“Smart enough that I can trust you with a weapon?”
She physically perks up at that, like my old German Shepherd when he heard the word walk.
His favorite thing in the world. I study her for a heartbeat longer, gauging whether she’s going to haul off and shoot me or anything.
I decide that I’m safe and nod to Jett. He reluctantly shoves an M4 carbine at her.
She transforms before my eyes the second her hands wrap around the weapon.
It’s like it’s a part of her, like she was made for it.
There’s an undeniable, quiet skill and strength and confidence in her all the time, but it turns into something completely different when she’s holding a weapon.
Something deadly and beautiful and terrifying.
Prior military, I’m guessing, but I know without a doubt that Melody Morales was born to protect people.
As if I needed one more thing to fucking like about her.
She does a quick, efficient check of the weapon and nods to herself before looking back to me. Don’t ask me why that was fucking hot as hell.
“I’d like a little demonstration,” I finally say. “You said you were the best shot around. So,” I jerk my head towards the fence and the woods behind it, “prove it.”
“Bloody at two o’clock, three hundred yards out just beyond the fence,” Jett says, a mocking challenge in his voice. Melody glares at him before raising the weapon and sighting down the target.
Without lowering it or looking at either of us, she asks, “And this isn’t some kind of weird test? I’m not going to reap any kind of punishment if I fire this weapon?”
“No trick. I just want to see if you can back up the boasting,” I assure her.
“So this is a nut up or shut up situation, then. Got it,” she says and I can’t help but laugh. I see her lips curl up, her eyes still on the target. Then, she flat out smiles like she’s in on some joke no one else is. I narrow my eyes, wondering what brought that on.
“Alright then. Watch and learn, boys.” She takes a deep breath, and squeezes the trigger as she exhales. One loud bang reverberates through the surrounding air. She lowers the rifle and looks at us with a bored expression, clearly saying that was child’s play.
I pull up binoculars while Jett uses the sight of his own rifle to check her work.
I frown—the Bloody is still moaning and groaning.
She…missed? But no, there’s no way. She’s acting far too cocky for someone that missed her target.
I scan around and then I see it. A smile splits my face and I laugh quietly.
Jett’s dumb ass laughs like an imbecile, loud and obnoxious, because he has no fucking clue.
Gonna regret that, bucko.
“You missed completely. Some hot shot,” he scoffs.
I lower the binoculars and give her an appraising look, cocking a brow.
Another piece of the puzzle that is Melody Morales.
One day, I’ll fit them all together and figure her out.
I haven’t told her she can leave, but I don’t try to stop her as she turns and strides towards the ladder.
I tell myself not to check out her ass in those cut offs…
but do it anyway. Just a quick peek and then I yank my gaze back up again.
I’m pretty sure I know exactly what she’s about to do as she nears Jett, and I wish I had fucking popcorn.
She shoves the rifle into his chest and he fumbles to grab it.
“I wasn’t aiming for that one, sweetheart.”
She smirks as she climbs down the ladder, meeting my gaze for a heartbeat before pulling it away and disappearing from view. Jett’s thick brow furrows in confusion and he sets her rifle down and pulls the scope of his own back up to his eye.
“Sonofabitch,” he mutters when he realizes that Melody had tagged a different Bloody—one that had been standing nearly six hundred yards out.
I smile and don’t even try to hide it. She is fucking amazing.
And very well may be the death of me.