Chapter 6
SABLE
"What's the deal, boss?" Leif asked Forrest.
I brushed my fingers through my damp hair. It was still drying after I'd had a shower to wash away the sweat and cum.
"Don't call me boss," Forrest said in a tone that suggested he'd said it at least a hundred times before. "As far as my contacts can discern, someone is after us."
"You don't fucking say," Woody drawled.
"I do fucking say," Forrest agreed.
"Did they, by any chance, give you a name?" Leif asked, his tone clearly indicating he knew the answer was no. If it was yes, we'd be halfway out the door, by now. Going after them, or at the very least, sitting down to make a plan.
"They didn't, but this would be a good chance to get out of the city for a while," Forrest said. "I have some leave available. I'm going to take it. We can go down to my place in Saltgrave Cove."
It sounded like the decision was already made.
I was familiar with the smaller city a couple of hours drive down the coast. My parents used to take me to their home down there for the holidays.
They used to hold decadent parties while I hid in the dunes with a book.
Memories of the place where mixed at best.
"I hate to be a pain…" Savannah raised her hand slowly.
"I've organized somewhere for you to stay," Forrest said. "It's not safe for you to go home."
"Who organized it?" Leif asked him. He turned to us and said, "My brother agreed you can stay with him until all of this blows over. Try not to jump his bones too hard." He grinned.
"Okay." Savannah lowered her hand back to her lap. "I make no promises though." She seemed to like that solution.
I reached over to give her a squeeze. "We wouldn't leave you with someone who couldn't watch out for you," I assured her. "Not when there's crazy people out there."
We might be those crazy people, but she was safe with Mikko if Leif said she was. He'd do what he could to keep anything bad from happening to her. I hoped. If not, he'd get the wrong end of a hockey stick from me.
"Are you sure getting out of the city is a good idea?" Woody asked. "They shouldn't be able to get back into here again."
"Shouldn't, but they did in the first place," Forrest said. "I'd feel better getting out for a while."
"Right." Woody sighed. "I guess so." It seemed as though he decided arguing with Forrest was a lost cause so why bother?
I looked from one to the other. "We could all use a holiday, couldn't we?" I knew I could. A cold beach was better than no beach. We might have the place to ourselves. I didn't hate that idea.
"Exactly," Leif said. "Anyway, who wouldn't go down to Saltgrave, given half a chance? It's been too long since I've been down there."
"Are you sure Sable will be safe?" Savannah asked, her eyes wide, mouth drawn back awkwardly.
"She'll be safe," Forrest said, bluntly. "She'll be with one or more of us at all times."
"Okay," Savannah said, her voice a small squeak. She cleared her throat and said more firmly, "She better be." They might be the ones to get the wrong end of a hockey stick if anything happened to me.
I told her what Woody was trying to teach me down in the basement, although not all the details. I didn't tell her about the morgue. I wasn't planning to enlighten her either; the less she knew about all of this, the better.
"They'll take good care of me," I said, wanting to use the words, 'I promise,' but not daring to.
They'd try. If anyone wanted to hurt me, they'd have to go through my three boyfriends. And if that wasn't enough, nothing would be.
"When do we leave?" I asked.
"We haven't decided if we're leaving yet," Woody said stubbornly.
"Yes, we have," Forrest said. "We'll leave in an hour. Be ready or get left behind."
That last part was for Woody. The message was clear; object and we'd leave without him.
"I guess I can conduct my consultations via Zoom," Leif said. "Ohh, I bet I could wrangle us an invitation to some of the more exclusive Christmas parties down there. That could be fun."
Forrest considered for a moment before he nodded. "Good idea. Pack appropriate clothes."
"Lucky you had some delivered," Savannah whispered loudly to me.
"I know, right?" I agreed. I'd bought enough to fill a decent-sized wardrobe with shoes and clothes.
"I'm going to need to order a suitcase." Maybe two of them.
"Oh, good idea," Savannah agreed.
We both picked up our phones and started to place the order according to the app. They should be delivered right before we left, which would give me time to organize what I was going to pack.
"How long do you think we're going for, a month?" Woody asked. "All I need is a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans, maybe some underwear."
"Don't forget socks," Leif said.
"Right, socks," Woody agreed. "All of that will fit in a small backpack."
I gave him the side-eye. "Who do you think I am? I need more than what'll fit in a backpack."
Honestly, a backpack would be plenty, but I suspected we'd be gone longer than Woody thought. I'd rather take more than have to buy anything else.
The fashion industry was a big drain on resources as it was without me being frivolous. If it took up more room in the car, at least it was good for the environment. Besides, I hadn't even taken the tags off half the things.
"Also, you'll need a suit, and that won't fit in a backpack," I pointed out, making Woody glare at me.
I smiled sweetly. He really did look good in a suit. All three of them did. Seeing them like that again might make all of this worth it. Unless we ended up dead, then it definitely wouldn't be worth it.
"I should get started," I said, pushing myself up off the couch.
"I'll help you, then you can help me," Savannah suggested.
"Good idea."
We headed into Forrest's room, where I'd appropriated a large chunk of the wardrobe. It was big enough I hadn't had to move any of his things aside.
Yet.
"Are you really sure this is a good idea?" Savannah started to pull out sweaters and fold them neatly to put in a pile on the bed.
"Forest seems to think so," I said. "I know it sounds risky, but if we don't do something, we're going to spend the rest of our lives locked up in here.
This is a nice place, but I like some sunshine once in a while, a fresh, warm pretzel and a walk in the park. Going to a concert. Or a hockey game."
"Since when are you into hockey?" She started to place socks beside the sweaters.
"Since the guys took me to a game," I said. "Leif's brother plays for the New York Rooks."
She stared at me for a moment, squinting. "Leif's brother is Mikko Larsen?"
"The one and only." I shrugged and placed carefully folded jeans beside the sweaters.
"I think I'm looking forward to being locked in with him," she said, with a sly smile.
"You're suddenly a fan?" I teased.
"I've seen Mikko Larsen." She grinned. "I mean, the guy is all kinds of hot. I bet anything he has a big dick and knows how to use it."
"I can't say I know," I said, "but if his brother is anything to go by, he should be relatively talented."
She fanned herself with her hand. "Do you think he'll like me?"
"I'm sure he will," I agreed. "How could he not? You’re you."
"I can't wait, I'm excited already." She seemed genuinely thrilled at the prospect. She was too adorable.
I hoped Mikko didn't disappoint her and turn out to be a massive asshole.
Although, sometimes being a massive asshole wasn't a disappointment.
Take Woody for example. He was still right there with the glares and snide remarks, but there was a whole other side to him.
A vulnerable side I wanted to tease out and get to know better.
"You're the best." Savannah gave me a hug, squeezing hard.
"I don't know about that," I said. "I can't help thinking, if we weren't friends, you wouldn't have been dragged into all of this."
"Maybe, but I would have missed out on a lot," she said firmly. "I wouldn't miss out on your friendship for anything."
"I can't decide if you're going to make me blush or cry," I admitted.
"Why would you cry?" she asked, leaning back and wiping tears from her cheeks.
"For the same reason you would," I said, wiping some from my own. "I appreciate you, and the fact you haven't run away from me and my guys. Yet."
She laughed softly. "I admit, they can be a little scary, but I've seen the way they look at you. If anyone tried to hurt you, they'd regret it. Not for very long, though, I suspect."
"Probably not," I agreed, thinking back to the senator and the things Woody did to him before he killed him.
And then the things Leif did to him after Woody killed him.
And then to whatever Leif was doing to his skin while we were standing here talking.
Letting it dry, I presumed. Wasn't that how they made leather?
I made a mental note not to look that up. If I knew more, I'd imagine more. I'd already imagined enough as it was.
Although, could I really judge Leif? I'd now carved a skull into a dead man's forehead and stabbed another in the chest. When it came to the desecration of dead bodies, I was right up there with him. Sort of. I didn't plan to wear their dead bodies on my feet.
What would I do if Leif presented me with a pair of senator skin shoes? I guessed that depended on the style. If they went with something I already owned…
What was I thinking? Would I really wear a pair of shoes made from a person?
That thought was interrupted when Forrest shouted, "Are you nearly ready?" before he dragged in a pair of brand new suitcases that must have just been delivered.
Both had already been opened, presumably so they could be checked for explosives. How considerate of him. I didn't want to put my new clothes in an exploding suitcase. That really would be a waste. Not to mention, we might die in the process. That would be a bummer.
"Thank you." I took my suitcase from him, placed it on the bed, opened the lid, and started to pile everything inside.
Savannah took the handle of her suitcase and wheeled it toward the room she was staying in so she could do the same.
"Are you all right?" Forrest asked, pulling me from my task to envelop me in a hug. "I haven't had a chance to catch up with you."
"I'm fine," I assured him. "I'm looking forward to seeing your place down at Saltgrave."
He brushed hair back off my face. "I think you'll like it. It's a little cold for the beach, but it will be nice to get some air. If we can take out a predator or two while we're there, that's even better. A few of them own properties down there."
"That's a bonus," I told him, kissing his mouth.
"You're a bonus," he said softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," I told him, my heart fluttering like crazy.
When I first met him, I never would have pictured we'd end up here. He was handsome, distinguished, influential, and I was, well, me. Bordering on becoming a house mouse because of my past. He'd dragged me up out of that into the sunlight. I'd never not be grateful for him
He pulled me closer against him, pressing the length of his body to mine. "If we didn't have to get out of here…" His cock nudged my hip.
Now it was the pulse in my clit fluttering.
"We'll have time for that." That was a promise I'd keep. We'd find time. Make it if we had to.
With a sigh he let me go so I could finish packing.