Chapter 18 Blue
Blue
Iwake with a jolt, my head pounding like I’ve been hit with a brick, my mouth dry as the Mojave.
The room swims into focus. There’s Christmas lights twinkling mockingly from the corners of this Santa Monica rental house.
The scent of pine from the fake tree mixes with the faint salt of the ocean breeze, but there’s no warmth here, not anymore.
I’m alone, sprawled under a thin blanket, my red dress crumpled on the floor like a discarded costume.
My body aches in all the right places, memories of Black, Red, and Green flooding back.
The way their hands stripped me bare, their mouths claiming every inch, the way they took me apart with slow, deliberate thrusts, unmasking to sear their real faces and names into my mind.
But then the haze clears, and I realize I’m missing something. After all their talk about teaming up, of wanting more, where the hell are they? I expected a morning wood wakeup call but I’m all alone in this huge bed.
I drag myself out of it and rub at the throbbing in my head as I pull on the wrecked red dress and stumble out of the room.
I don’t even remember passing out last night.
I giggle to myself, still feeling a little unsteady.
Wasted by orgasms, hung over by dick. I blink against the flood of sunlight shining into the living room…
the very, very empty room and the first sense of unease lands.
I try to rush to the kitchen, to the patio to check for them but my head sways with dizziness and that’s when the panic hits hard and the pieces click together.
That glass of water… Those motherfuckers drugged me!
They fucked me senseless, offered me shit I don’t want, don’t even really deserve and then drugged me and FUCK!
I lurch against the kitchen counter as my eyes frantically scan every corner of the room but the basket, the fucking basket filled with everything I took is gone.
My heart stutters, not just for the haul but for Skipper—her tiny sheriff badge glinting, her sassy little growl when she’s pissed.
She’s my partner, my only constant, and they took her.
I screech in fury. Damn those beautiful fuckers!
They did this to make sure I’d chase them.
They played me. Rage mixes with a traitorous heat low in my belly.
They fucked me, made me want them, then flipped the con on its head.
I can’t help the bark of laughter that slips out and echoes through the empty room.
They think they’ve won, but they don’t know who they’re dealing with.
I wobble as I spin back to the bedroom to check for anything I might have missed and my knees go weak when I see the pile on the nightstand that I missed before.
My laptop, the files, and all the USB sticks and other devices are stacked in a pile there with a note on top of it.
I rush over and drop to my knees next to it, picking up the paper with a shaky hand.
Catch us if you can, Blue.
Skipper’s safe, but she misses her partner in crime. Bring that sass and ass. We’re waiting for you. So is your future if you’re brave enough to take it.
Merry Christmas, baby!
Black, Red and Green
I crumple the note in my fist with a bitter laugh even as my blood starts boiling.
They’re toying with me, dangling Skipper like bait.
I heave myself back up and sprawl on the bed to think this through.
They left everything I took last night. They didn’t take anything just like they promised.
I’m guessing that’s supposed to try and build trust with me.
I could just go on my merry way right now. Let them go, let the dog go too.
Just to try and release this stress I screech at the ceiling again, slam my clenched fists down against the mattress and then blow out a deep breath.
Fuck. Alright, there’s things I need to do but that’s my fucking dog - I stole her first fair and square so I roll off the bed, decision made.
I’m coming for you, assholes, and you’ll wish you’d stayed in Seattle by the time I’m done with you.
I stumble to my feet, snatch up the pile from the nightstand and scan the room.
My panties are gone, probably tucked into one of their pockets as a trophy, those pricks, so I’m bare underneath, the fabric clinging to my sensitive skin, a constant reminder of their hands, their mouths.
I shake it off, focusing on the fire in my chest. My clutch is still on the couch, thank fuck.
I need my phone. I check the time and wince at how much I’ve lost.
There was a lot of shit I needed to do last night while Victor was passed out and unaware of the heist I pulled and I need to get out of town as quickly as possible.
He has to know by now and could have his security team searching for me so I have to get a move on and then take precautions to get out of town clean.
I start by yanking drawers out in the kitchen until I find what I need and then carry them to the bathroom.
I waste no time cutting the hair extensions until my short, sassy bob is back.
I scoop all the red extensions up and toss them in the trash and then pull the bag and carry it with me to toss on the way.
There’s nothing I can do about the red dye job until I can hit a store that sells hair dye but I can cover it another way until then.
The house is decorated in beach casual so I rip down the faded blue curtains and start cutting.
Fuck the guys’ security deposit. They can deal with the fallout of the damage.
By the time I’m done cutting, I’ve made myself a maxi wrap-around dress and a matching hair kerchief that will cover most of my short red hair.
The little bit of red that peeks out matches the stilettos I’m forced to wear until I can get back to Betty and change into better running shoes.
I use the last of the curtain fabric to create a makeshift bag to stuff everything else into and then I’m out.
While I wait for the Uber to pick me up, my fingers fly over my phone’s keypad forwarding pictures and evidence from the file I took from Victor’s safe.
Evelyn should have done most of the damage already but tipping off the media should light a fire under the FBI and other authorities to move on that fucker faster. Merry fuck you Christmas Victor!
Twenty minutes later, I step out of the Uber next to Betty, the ocean breeze hitting me like a slap, cooling the sweat on my skin.
Santa Monica’s streets are alive with holiday chaos, drunken carolers stumbling out of bars, their off-key renditions of “Jingle Bells” grating on my nerves; palm trees wrapped in tinsel swaying in the wind; pop-up Christmas markets hawking last-minute gifts under neon signs.
The absurdity of it all fuels my anger, like the universe is mocking me with its festive bullshit.
I need a plan to track them, to get back what they took from me.
I climb into the back of Betty and my chest tightens as I change clothes and shoes and pull on a baseball hat that I tuck my hair up under and then I force myself to take a breath.
They know how much she means to me. That’s why they took her.
They want me to chase them, want me to play their game.
Fine. I’ll play, but I’m rewriting the rules.
I pull up another app to make sure the GPS tracker that I slipped into Skipper’s collar a few weeks ago after she decided to follow some butterflies and I had to spend a couple hours looking for her is working. A blinking green dot moving north on the interstate tells me that it is.
“There you are, you fuckers,” a smile tugs at my lips.
I’m not going to race after them… yet. I still have things that need doing for part three of my revenge plan but I’ll keep an eye on where they land and then make my plans based on that.
I slide behind Betty’s steering wheel, ready to blow this plastic fucking town but when my head automatically turns to the passenger seat to make sure Skipper is secured, my heart lurches painfully.
I drop my head down to the steering wheel and huff out a laugh at myself.
Such a badass, so fucking strong working alone, not needing anyone.
All that and I’m taken out by one small grumpy dog.
I ignore the three dicks that pop into my brain too.
It’s ridiculous how much I want them… I mean her… back.
But I need to pause that. She’s okay for now. As for the guys, I want to pin them down, make them beg, see if they mean all that talk about teaming up.
I slam a hand against the wheel when I can’t stop thinking about them. Fuck, Demi, get it together. I turn the engine on and shift it into drive. I need to stick to the plan, do what needs to be done and then and only then…show them who’s the hunter now.