21. LYRA
LYRA
S omething wet and slimy drags across my face, and I wrinkle my nose as it’s quickly accompanied by hot, stinky breath. It comes again, and I pull away, turning my face into the pillow as Smooch takes full advantage.
He sniffs my face, and I groan, but before I can push him away, the couch cushion shifts under his weight. Without warning, the massive dog is on top of me, trying to lick the skin off my face.
“Smooooooch,” I groan, trying to bat him away, but he’s got me pinned, and I have no choice but to lie here and take it while he gives me all the morning love.
My face is wet. And why does it smell so bad?
The big fucker has probably spent the last hour licking his balls and eating his own shit, and now his ass germs are plastered across my face.
My stomach churns. I love this dog, but this is not how I was planning on waking up today. Not to mention, everything is sore. Sleeping on the couch wasn’t exactly the best idea, but I was so tired that I didn’t have the energy to get up and take my ass to bed.
Smooch finally takes pity on me and jumps down from the couch before sprinting his ass over to the back door, sitting down and then watching me expectantly. Then it clicks. The fucker needs to pee.
“Shit,” I mutter, getting up from the couch and dragging my feet across the living room until my hand curls around the back door. I pull it wide and Smooch takes off like lightning, shooting out the door and into the yard.
I leave him be as I trudge back to the couch and scoop up my new phone, only to check the time and see that it’s barely even six in the morning.
“What the fuck?” I grumble. Is this what I’m going to have to deal with every day while I’m living here? Because if that’s the case, I’m going to have to train Smooch to only go to Hunter for his toileting needs.
Seeing as though it’s still the butt crack of dawn, I grab the pillow from the couch and make my way down to Maddox’s room, stopping by the bathroom to wash off Smooch’s slobber attack on the way.
Pushing through the door, I find Maddox fast asleep in bed, and a wave of jealousy crashes through me. I should have spent my night in this bed with him, but I was too stubborn to get up. Why didn’t Maddox do the gentlemanly thing and carry my ass to bed with him?
The thought has a scoff pulling out of me. I bet Hunter put up a fight. They probably did best of three in rock, paper, scissors, only to claim someone cheated and then decide that nobody gets to sleep with me.
Assholes.
Letting out a sigh, I pull the blankets back and go to slip into bed with Maddox when I get a good look at him and realize that he’s covered from head to toe in black and blue bruises. It’s a fucking crime scene in here. Cuts mar his perfect skin, he’s swollen all over, and his brow has been slit.
“What the fuck?” I screech, absolutely horrified as I take him in, checking that he’s still alive, and that the designated killer of the group didn’t accidentally take Maddox away from me.
Maddox groans at my loud screech, peeling open an eye only to smirk back at me in that stupid, loveable way. “Morning, Savage,” he grumbles, reaching for me as though I’m about to ignore the cuts and bruises and climb into bed with him.
The audacity of this man.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
His sleepy smile falters, and he looks at me in a new light, realizing exactly what it is that I’m seeing. “Uh-oh.”
The anger burns through me. “Yeah, uh-oh.”
“Just give me a second to—”
“Oh, hell no,” I grumble, reaching down and taking the fucker by the ear.
“LYRA!”
I yank him out of bed, pulling him to his feet, and he scrambles to keep up with my hasty movements. “Get up.”
“Woah, woah, woah,” he rushes out. “I’m up. I’m up. No need to tear my ear off my face.”
“Apparently there is.”
I don’t dare let go as I turn on my heel and stalk out of his room, dragging him along with me. “I swear, there’s a perfectly good explanation for all of this.”
I don’t hear him as I storm down the hall and bring my foot up, slamming open the door of the spare room where Hunter is sleeping.
I drag Maddox right around the side of Hunter’s bed until I find the glass of water perched on the bedside table, and without hesitation, I wrap my fingers around the cool glass and toss the water right at Hunter’s bruised face.
His eyes spring open, and he immediately reaches for a gun on the bedside table before realizing it’s only us, not someone here to take him out. Though I wouldn’t put it past me right now. I’m one hell of a threat to his survival.
“What—”
“What did you do?” I demand, finally releasing Maddox’s ear just so I can get in Hunter’s face.
He blinks as though needing a second to catch on. “What are you talking about?”
I point at Maddox’s face. “That.”
Hunter shifts his gaze to his best friend and arches a brow, assessing the mess he left him in. “Not bad. Could have been worse.”
“Yeah,” Maddox says. “Same goes. Ribs look rough though.”
Hunter glances down at his chest to take in the damage, and I just gape at them, ready to drag both their asses through hot coals.
“You two assholes need to clue me in to whatever the fuck is going on right now,” I demand, fixing Hunter with a lethal glare.
“Why does Maddox look like he’s been through war, and why the fuck would you mess up his pretty face?
Now every time I look at him, I’m going to picture you beating the shit out of him. ”
“Calm your shit, Savage,” Hunter says while readjusting himself in bed to get comfortable. “He volunteered.”
“What . . . what is that supposed to mean?” I question, turning my stare on Maddox. “You volunteered to have your best friend beat the shit out of you? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re getting confused,” Maddox says. “Though to be fair, Hunter is doing a terrible job of explaining all of this.”
Hunter just grins as though that was his exact intention, and I tune him out, focusing only on Maddox. “Start talking. Now.”
He grins. “Damn, Savage. This fiery attitude is getting me all worked up.”
I reach for his ear again, and he yanks his head back in fear, knowing without a doubt that I will take the whole damn ear as a souvenir.
“Okay, okay. No need to perform an amputation today,” Maddox says. “Hunter had a big job come in last night, and I offered to go along.”
I stare at him dumbfounded. “You just . . . offered to go? What the fuck is wrong with you?” I say, putting my hands to my temples and pacing through the room. “You could have been hurt.”
Maddox just grins, and I roll my eyes, knowing exactly what’s about to come out of his mouth, and I cut in before he gets a chance to drive me any more insane than he already has. “I mean hurt worse.”
His features soften, and he reaches for my waist, pulling me in. “You worried about me, Savage?”
I scoff and shove him away. “Might I remind you that you blew up my apartment?” I say. “If Hunter’s poor decisions didn’t end up leaving you black and blue, then I’m sure I would have done it eventually.”
Hunter has the audacity to look offended. “ My bad decisions? I’ll have you know that I went in there fully prepared and with an unshakable plan. And for the record, we’re both still alive, so if you ask me, the hit was a hit.”
Unease rocks through me, and I turn my attention back to Maddox, unsure what this means. Is he a killer too? Or was he just there to help Hunter? Because God knows he took one hell of a beating while just trying to help his friend.
“Tell me you were the getaway driver.”
Maddox cringes. “I can’t do that, Savage.”
Fuck.
I sink against the end of Hunter’s bed as I look up at Maddox, trying to piece together all the little puzzle pieces. “You’re a killer, too?”
Maddox winces, and he quickly meets Hunter’s stare before looking down at me. “Before I answer that, could you do me a huge favor and just remember how much you like fucking me first?”
“Shit.”
I get to my feet and storm back out into the living room, needing more space to pace than the spare room could offer.
Both of the boys follow behind.
Hunter pauses by the kitchen counter, leaning against the island as he watches me freak out, while Maddox strides right over to the back of the couch, getting much closer but still giving me the space I need.
“So you’re both just out there killing people for sport?”
Hunter shakes his head. “No, I don’t kill for sport.”
Maddox cringes again. “I mean, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I find it incredibly rewarding.”
My eyes widen in horror, and as I stare at Maddox, I start to laugh. He’s a complete golden retriever who bought me a lifetime’s worth of tampons. He’s not the guy who goes around slaughtering people for fun.
“Oh my God,” I laugh, dragging my hands down my face. “You almost had me for a second.”
Maddox’s brows furrow. “Wait. What?”
“It’s a joke, right? A pretty twisted joke, but a joke all the same.”
He winces. “Uhhh . . . no.”
I just stare. Then I blink. Then go straight back to staring. “Not a joke?”
Hunter shakes his head from the kitchen. “Sorry, Lyra. Not a joke.”
My knees go out from under me, and I drop to the couch, trying to process. “Well, shit. I’m screwing two serial killers, and that makes me just as sick as you two.”
Maddox lifts a finger. “I’ve never been a fan of labels.”
Hunter clears his throat. “Contract killer, if you will.”
“Jesus Christ.” I get straight back to pacing, still frantically trying to process when my gaze lifts to Maddox, and a wave of betrayal cuts into my chest. “Wait. Why are you only just saying this now?” I ask him. “Why didn’t you tell me when I found out about Hunter?”
He presses his lips together. “I, uhhh . . . really don’t have a good reason why I chose to keep quiet at that time.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell you at all.
But last night when I had to slip out while you were fast asleep, I couldn’t help but feel the dishonesty there.
I was torn up with guilt, not over what I was doing, but because I wasn’t being honest with you about it, and I value this relationship too much.
I don’t want to lose you over this, Savage. ”
I scoff. “And if I do choose to leave. Are you going to kill me for knowing your secret?”
Hunter scoffs. “Like I’d ever let him do that.”
“That’s not what I’m asking,” I reiterate, holding Maddox’s stare. “You said that you find it rewarding. So what happens if I threaten to leave and you panic? Will you try?”
Maddox steps around the couch, walking right into me and taking my chin.
“I’d sooner throw myself into shark-infested waters than ever bring you harm,” he tells me.
“I wasn’t kidding that first night we met when I said we’re soulmates.
I could never hurt you, Savage. Not even if you were plunging a blade right through my chest.”
I nod and take a step back, needing to be outside of his magnetic orbit.
So they’re both contract killers. I can handle that, right?
It’s not as though I wasn’t already handling it with Hunter.
I suppose I should just think of it as a two for one deal.
The only thing that really guts me is the fact that Maddox had an opportunity to tell me, to be upfront and honest, and he chose to keep quiet.
Though to be fair, I’m a killer isn’t exactly something somebody can just blurt out.
It makes them vulnerable and there needs to be a level of trust there before they can bear that kind of secret.
And who am I to rush either of them into exposing themselves in that way?
I’m not really an open book, either. Everybody has secrets.
I sit in silence for a few minutes before letting out a breath and looking up at them both, deciding that I need to be okay with this, because walking away just isn’t an option for me. I’m already in too deep.
“Alright, start from the beginning. I want every detail about how this all started, right down to the second you climbed into your beds, and if you even think about skipping over anything, I will slaughter you in your sleep and become the hero for killing the two killers who have been tormenting the townsfolk.”