Chapter 21 Liar
Chapter Twenty-One
LIAR
Nix ran his hand down my back while he snuggled me closer to him. “Can I leave you with Jezebel while I tour the perimeter of the camp?”
What? He thought he could just abandon me? “No. I’m in the armored suit. I’m touring the perimeter of the camp while you stay with Jezebel.”
Jezebel snorted. “How about we all tour the perimeter of the camp. I heard some buzz about some guests in my horse trailer. We should welcome them properly.”
I frowned at her and she gave me a bland smile as she tucked in her plaid shirt and offered me a hand up. I slowly let her take it, and then I was on my feet. Nix moved more slowly, like his legs had fallen asleep.
“You good?” Jezebel asked him.
He frowned and then gave a small nod. “A bit dizzy is all.”
“Dizzy?” I scowled at him and poked his chest. “Why are you dizzy? Did you get a concussion during the last brawl?” I really hated violence.
He gave me a soft, sweet smile. “No, I just may have overextended my range.”
“Range?”
“So you’re the one who took out the snipers?” Jezebel said with a slight nod. “Good to know that you can focus on two things at once.”
She turned and headed into the darkness. I stood a moment, hesitating, then I took Nix’s hand and squeezed it before we walked after her. He wasn’t entirely steady. It scared me. What if he was dying now that I was cured? Happily ever after just wasn’t normal to me.
“When did you take out the snipers? Before I came to rescue you?”
He smiled sweetly as he kissed my hand and put it over his arm, like he was escorting me to a ball. “During. Turns out I can get into people’s head. Literally.”
My mind blanked. It just didn’t compute.
I held him back, frowning up at him. “You took out snipers with your mind? That’s what your mother was talking about when she kept mentioning your full potential?
” I shivered as I studied the overpowered man with way too much hidden ability on top of all those blatant muscles.
He sighed heavily. “That and the beast. Do you remember the accident? All those vehicles? I made sure you were safe.”
“You literally took control of the situation? Like mind-controlled people?” It was impossible. He was going to tell me that was ridiculous.
Instead, he cleared his throat and led me further into the shadows towards the horse trailer that had some diffuse lights around it. “Seems like it. I apologize if that’s uncomfortable for you, and I don’t see how it couldn’t be.”
Uncomfortable? More like incomprehensible, but it went with me not dying.
I snuggled into his side like I could bury my head in Nix instead of sand.
“You’re getting too honest. I guess I should confess something too.
I killed three people tonight.” I winced because I’d meant to say something about how much I liked tacos. “I also really love tacos.”
He stiffened up for a half beat before he relaxed and adjusted to that knowledge.
“Not here, so you must have been attacked at Flower’s estate.
Did he know that would happen? Is that how you reached your full potential?
” His eyes burned with icy rage as he glanced at me, then nodded, like my face was all he needed to read. “He knew.”
His rage was almost as scary as his wobbly legs. “It’s annoying, but I don’t think we should kill him.” Particularly since Nix wasn’t feeling great from killing snipers from a distance. With his brain. Yep. That still didn’t compute.
He growled, “Annoying is not the word, Kitten, but no, we can’t kill him.
Flowers wants weekly family dinners. Probably on Sunday.
After church. Can’t have family dinners if he’s dead.
Unless you wanted to inter him in the back yard.
Where do you want to live? Should we live near him?
We could just steal his house. He’d deserve it for being anything like my mother.
He has a beach house at the top of a cliff.
Very dramatic. Come to think of it, it is buttercream yellow, and I know that’s the only color you tolerate.
The family plantation will need remodeling.
We can travel while it’s being gutted. The whole thing should be sunshine yellow, inside and out down to the studs. ”
“Family plantation?” I whispered as he led me into the shadows and Jezebel’s horse trailer where half a dozen people were tied up.
Three were unconscious. Were we really married forever and I’d have to deal with his mother’s legacy in real life?
Wait a minute! What did that mean? Was he going to be a psychotic drug lord or something?
He owned an army. And boats. And lots of guns.
And Beastie. He really killed people. I didn’t fit in that world.
Except that I’d also killed people. Three of them.
I bumped into Nix when he stopped suddenly and crouched down over the first unconscious guy and put his hand to his head, frowning in thought.
I yanked his hand back. “You’re already dizzy. Nix, Don’t make me drag you to bed so you can rest.”
He looked up at me with a dangerously delicious smile beneath his stunning blue eyes.
“You may want to recalibrate your threats, Kitten. I don’t exactly detest the idea of you dragging me anywhere, particularly if a bed is involved.
” He added, lower, softer. “I’ll be careful.
I promise.” He squeezed my hand while his eyes glowed so intent and sweetly that I finally gave his hand back.
Nix refocused on the unconscious guy until he stirred and opened his eyes. He stared up at Nix with growing horror in his eyes. He knew that this was a seriously dangerous guy. Like supervillain King of Beasts dangerous.
Nix gave him a gentle smile. “Hello there. Name, if you’d be so kind.”
The guy licked his lips and then looked at Jezebel, me, and his friends who were still unconscious and tied up. “I’m not telling you anything,” he whispered.
Nix caressed his face and his smile became slightly cruel. “That’s just fine. You can come to my camp to shoot us down like rats, and then just walk away.”
He stared at Nix, panic growing in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Nix patted the other guy again. He was touching him an awful lot.
“All three of you are notorious marksmen, but that’s not enough to destroy my team.
Someone sent you here to die. You don’t know who.
What a waste. I don’t throw away the lives of my men, and I don’t humor those who want me to do their killing for them.
I do punish traitors thoroughly, which is something you need to consider if you want to work for me. ”
“You’re offering us jobs after we tried to kill you?”
Nix smiled at him again. “Not at all. I’m mentioning my hiring policy in case you survive walking out of here on your two feet, and find yourself running from your former employers and need somewhere to be useful.
I could use you, but only if you’re capable of walking on your own two feet.
Very far. Through the desert.” Nix patted the guy’s head.
“Try to rest up. We’ll be gone at first light, and you’ll be free.
That is, you’ll be free to get yourself free of these ropes and find yourself to civilization if you can.
Wouldn’t want to make things boring for you. ”
The guy sputtered. “You’re afraid to kill us yourself and will let the desert do your dirty work for you!”
Nix chuckled, glancing at Jezebel. “Guy’s got a sense of humor.
As if my men couldn’t handle a little jaunt in the desert.
Also, as if I mind dirty work.” He winked at the man and then turned to smile at me.
“Mrs. Death-Hammer, would you mind joining me for the campfire scene? We’ve got some soda to advertise.
I would love if you played your phenomenal ‘Low Rider,’ for me on ukulele. I think you have true potential.”
I sniffed at the ridiculousness of that idea.
I was not going to fulfil any more potential for anyone.
Potential was terrifying. Still, when he held out his arm for me, I took it, walking away with him from the men and even further out into the shadows, feeling like a debutante on my way to the ball.
He really knew how to make me feel like a queen even in the desert in the midst of horses and trucks, with dangerous men around us in the shadows.
Nix stopped suddenly, and there was Flowers, in the flesh, studying us with an impassive mask. He looked cold, calculating, a surgeon who used a scalpel with dexterity.
I dug my fingers into Nix’s arm as I stared at the man who had set me up to kill DuPre. Who had released my full potential. Who had saved me. My emotions were a mess, like my mind, confused and overwhelmed and disbelieving. “Nix, sugar, do you mind if I talk to my daddy alone for a few minutes?”
Nix stiffened up, but after a beat, he released me and took a step away.
“Sure thing. I’ll continue to costuming, see what we have in the way of matching flannels for us.
” He turned and stalked away, leaving me to stare at the ice blonde man who had made sure I’d be alone, let the man of my worst nightmares attack me, all so I could be some kind of super person.
“Sunshine,” he said softly, voice gentle, but eyes guarded.
He wasn’t sure if I’d stab him with a needle, and he wasn’t sure if he’d try to defend himself if I did.
Life confused him as much as it did me. But he cared, desperately, or he wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t want Sunday dinners.
He’d stayed with me, doing art, making everything feel normal and like it had purpose.
And he’d saved me from Nix’s mom. He’d been willing to die for me.
I threw myself at him and squeezed him while he gasped and then stiffened up. He had no idea what to do with hugs. It was pretty hilarious.