26. Cashlynn
CHAPTER 26
CASHLYNN
I reloaded my gun and lifted my arms to aim at the target in front of me. Too much tension was building inside of me and I needed to release it. I thought about reaching out to my handler for a job, but instead I came to Nazai’s other house and decided to use the shooting range he had built in the backyard.
For the past couple of days I’d been thinking about my childhood and growing up with my parents. Their parenting was unorthodox but it did help me become who I was today. I wouldn’t be as strong as I was if they hadn’t pushed me. I hated my parents and what they did to me growing up, but at the same time I appreciated them for helping me become who I was.
Movement from the corner of my eye caused my hand to freeze on the trigger for a second before pressing it and sending the bullet into the target. I lowered the handgun and removed one side of the headphones off my ear. I twisted my body to face Nazai who stood there watching me. His eyes shifted to the target, taking in where I hit, then back to me.
“You’re a good shot,” he noted.
My face stayed deadpan as I stared at him. “Why are you here?” I didn’t have to ask how he knew where I was, either Jackson or this collar told him.
He smirked. “If I remember correctly, this is my house and my range. Am I not welcome here anytime I want?” His head tilted to the right with bewilderedness in his eyes.
I bit the inside of my cheek and rolled my eyes, turning to face the target again. “Whatever.” I paused. “Wait, where’s my brother?” My eyes narrowed.
“With Emmet.” Nazai pulled a gun out of the small of his back.
My heart fell into my stomach and blood rushed through my head. “Emmet? Why the hell is he with that psycho? Are you out of your mind?” I went to rush past him but he caught my arm.
“He’s good.” His face grew serious.
“No he’s not. Your brother hates me for one and if he does something to Carson I’ll?—”
“He’s not gonna hurt the kid. Your brother is tougher than both you and him give him credit for.”
“He’s not like us!” I gritted. My muscles grew tighter. “He’s not a killer nor is he meant to do what we do!”
“Carson might not be useful in the field, but he isn’t useless. He has quick reflexes and he picks up on things quickly. Besides that, the kid is smart. All he needs is the proper training and he’ll be a great asset.”
I scoffed. “Asset. I hate that fucking word.”
I turned toward the target and lifted my gun, aiming and pressing the trigger.
“It’s clear your parents implemented skills in you that make you as talented as you are. The Queen of Hearts is well known for her flawless and clean kills. You don’t learn that overnight. I don’t know if your brother didn’t learn it because he wasn’t old enough but?—”
“My parents were sadistic, sick, narcissistic assholes who didn’t give a fuck about anyone but themselves. I could handle their fucked up ways but Carson was never built for it. They hated it and him for that fact.” I faced the target and studied it. For the most part I had hit the center, only missing a handful of times.
“Your brother is obviously smart. They didn’t care about that?”
I huffed out a laugh and rolled my shoulders back. “Carson learned how to code at eight years old from videos online. He’s always been into gaming and his dream was to create his own video game one day. My parents said it was a waste of time and became angry because he’d rather sit in front of a video game or computer instead of going out and putting a bullet through someone’s skull.” Lifting my arm, I pressed the trigger, not bothering to aim this time. “They saw my brother as weak, useless, and worthless, so they ignored him and wrote him off.” Again, I shot my gun before turning back to face Nazai.
“I won’t allow anyone else to make him feel like that. So whatever sick joke you and your brother have going on won’t end well. Carson might not be built for the field but he’s a good kid and doesn’t deserve to be treated like less than because of that.”
My grip tightened on the gun and I clenched my jaw. My stomach churned thinking about all the things I endured to take the pressure off my brother. It didn’t bother me that I never got a hug or praise from them growing up, I learned at a young age to accept it. Carson wasn’t easily able to write it off. He wanted what every young kid did, his parents’ love, and tried hard to earn it. My parents thought it was funny and taunted him for it, claiming they were toughening him up, that was when I stepped in.
“That’s not what this is. Carson came to me wanting to train and get stronger. As I said before, he’s stronger than any of us thought and he picks up on things quickly. Emmet doesn’t bat an eye when it comes to killing yes, but he only ever steps in when it’s needed. We don’t call him the silent assassin for no reason. He prefers to be behind a computer gathering intel for us. He’s the perfect person for Carson to learn from.”
Again, I chewed on the inside of my cheek. My muscles were twitchy. I didn’t trust Emmet. He seemed to lack any human emotions and didn’t say much. I had learned early on to trust my instincts and something about Emmet made me uneasy.
“My brother better be okay.” I left it at that.
Husband and brother-in-law didn’t mean a thing to me. If Carson was put in harm’s way and hurt, I would slit both of their throats with a smile on my face.
I went to put my headphones back on but Nazai’s chuckling caused me to halt.
“Wildfire, one day you’re gonna learn to lower your guard and trust me.”
“Maybe if you give me a reason to, I will,” I spat, thinking back to the barn. I didn’t open up easily, if ever, and Nazai using the time I had against me caused daggers to shoot into my chest. It made me angry, but even more, it hurt, sealing the locks that had been starting to crumble back into place.
Silently he watched me without blinking. His eyes scanned from my head down to my feet and back up again. He didn’t respond, instead facing the wall and pressing the button next to him that brought the target closer to us.
“Your parents really fucked you up, huh?” I cut my eyes at him but didn’t reply.
I didn’t want to talk about my parents or what I went through with them. All I wanted was to continue shooting the target in peace like I had been. Nazai didn’t grow up like I did. His parents spoiled and loved him. He might have been trained for the business but it didn’t jade him or leave physical and mental scars on him. His family worked together to grow and become who they were. He would never understand the turmoil of having the ones who brought you into this world be your biggest bullies and tormentors.
“You’re almost as good a shot as me.”
I choked out a laugh and reached over to grab my apple juice. “My dad was the best shot I knew and I knocked him out of the water. When I say I don’t miss, I mean it.” I licked the remaining juice off my lips and set my bottle back down.
One corner of Nazai’s mouth hiked up. “Is that right?” He studied my target sheet. “Care to wager?”
My eyes narrowed. “How?” This time his mouth lifted into a full smile. My stomach fluttered. Nazai had a beautiful smile, but I told myself not to trust it. He had different sides of himself. His smile might seem friendly, but there was a twisted side inside him that could flip on at any time.
“A full clip, fifteen rounds, and whoever hits the center the most wins.”
I processed his words for a second. “Okay… I’ll bite, if I win then what?”
“What do you want?” I studied Nazai. His dark eyes beamed with mischief and mirth.
“You have to pierce your dick.”
Nazai’s eyes bucked, and he sputtered. “What?”
This time my mouth lifted into a grin. “You heard me. Since you enjoy piercings so much then let’s make it fair. If I win, you have to pierce your dick.” I dropped my attention to his groin. The imprint could be seen behind the sweatpants he had on.
“Fuck.” He laughed. “A’right, I’ll bite. If I lose then I’ll pierce my dick, but if I win you become my slave for twenty-four hours.”
“Your slave?”
A playful grin formed on his face. “You heard me. For twenty-four hours you’ll do what I want, when I want, without any complaint or fight from you.”
I tapped my gun against my thigh. “You ever been told you’re a control freak?”
He replaced the target sheets and hit the button to move them back. “Not confident enough in your skills?”
I snorted then turned forward. “Just don’t chicken out when that needle comes into play.” Grabbing my headphones, I placed them on my ears. If Nazai wanted to play, then I was game. Shopping was usually a hobby girls were into, but not me. I always enjoyed the way the sleek, heavy metal felt in my hand and feeling the kickback after I pulled the trigger. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time at the shooting range perfecting my shot. Nazai underestimated me, but he was about to learn his mistake for doubting me.
____
After leaving his other house and coming back to the penthouse, I showered and hid myself in my room while Nazai went and got my brother. I was still supposed to be upset with him after what he pulled at the barn, but today at his house I had fun with him. Nazai was competitive and a shit talker, but that wasn’t what I enjoyed. Him enjoying shooting just as much as I did had me seeing him differently. The way he held his gun with confidence and how his arm flexed when he pulled the trigger was a turn on I didn’t even realize I enjoyed seeing. He could handle a gun easily and it was clear that he had been trained properly. Nazai was an arrogant prick, but I respected that he knew his shit.
Nazai had dropped Carson off at the penthouse then left for the club. I didn’t know if he was handling business or going there for pleasure, but I didn’t bother to ask. My feelings for him were starting to confuse me. Normally the stunt he pulled would have had me putting a bullet through his eyes, but I didn’t want to see him dead. Truthfully, the thought made my stomach turn. He proclaimed I needed to learn to trust him, but all I’d ever been able to count on was myself.
He did step up and help me get Maddox .
Squeezing my eyes closed, I pushed out a deep breath. My mind was twisted with uncertainty. He even had been spending time with my brother and Carson seemed to be comfortable around him. That didn’t happen often. Carson had only ever been himself around me, but it seemed Nazai had found a way to break through that. Part of me felt like Nazai’s actions were genuine, but at the same time I didn’t know if his actions were all a ploy to make me bend to his will.
Stepping into the kitchen, I went to the fridge. I pulled it open, searching for something to drink, knowing I had to make a run to the store to get more apple juice. Lately I had been feeling thirstier than normal and had been consuming liquids, mainly apple juice, more than normal.
My nose scrunched seeing a full pack of apple juice right there on the center shelf. I picked up one of the bottles and examined it, seeing it was the same brand I always drank too. I knew I hadn’t gone to the store to get any, so that left…
I shook my head. Nazai had an angle; I was sure of it. He did little things like this to draw me in and I didn’t know why. We were married and he got his position in the family. I tried to stay out of his way. There was no reason for him to keep fucking with me unless it was a mental thing. From growing up, I knew mental manipulation well.
Carson had fallen asleep after coming home so I didn’t get to speak with him about his day, but he seemed unharmed. For the first time in a while, I actually saw excitement and eagerness in his eyes.
“Fuck!” I opened the apple juice and brought the bottle to my mouth.
My head hurt from trying to figure out what was going on. Neil was out there and needed to be handled. That was where my focus needed to be, but it was hard when I didn’t know if my husband was plotting on me.
____
A groan left my mouth and my body shifted, feeling myself being lifted. I twisted and nuzzled into the hard body suddenly against me. My nose scrunched and my eyes fluttered before snapping open.
“What are you doing?” I mumbled.
Nazai stared down at me with dark eyes. “Enough of this sleeping away from our bed,” he uttered.
“I don’t want to sleep next to you,” I lied.
Truthfully the past few nights sleeping away from him had been hell. Since the night of the storm I’d enjoyed being in his bed. My body always gravitated toward him. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I loved feeling his warm body against mine. For too long I’d had to look over my shoulder, but when I was next to Nazai, my body was at ease.
A lazy grin formed on his face. “You don’t have to front, wifey. You like being in our bed. You’re just pissed at me right now.”
Instead of replying, I closed my eyes and leaned in, laying my head on his chest. I inhaled his fresh scent. He must have just gotten out of the shower. He was shirtless and his chest was still a little damp.
My body soon connected with the bed and I was on my back. Nazai’s body hovered over me and I snapped my eyes open when he grabbed my hands and placed them above my head, holding them there.
“We need to set some things straight.” His minty breath tickled my nose as he spoke just inches away from my face. “Stop trying to make me your enemy. The moment I put that ring on your finger, that shit went out the window.” I bit down on my bottom lip when he pushed down, brushing his dick against my center. He was only in a pair of briefs, leaving very little between us. “I make a better partner, Wildfire. The more you fight me, the more I push back, and I don’t lose . Me and you would be better as a unit if you allow it, you need to understand that.”
My eyes fluttered when he pushed the T-shirt I had on up and pressed his growing dick against my clit. His eyes darkened with lust, glowing with a savage inner fire.
Nazai lowered his head and kissed up my jawline until he got to my ear. “What is it gonna take for you to trust me?” He took the lobe of my ear in between his teeth. His hips circled, causing friction against my clit. The sensation shot up my spine. My stomach fluttered with butterflies, my heart danced with excitement. It was strange how I went from not needing human contact to craving my husband’s touch.
“Trusting will get you killed.”
For a quick second disappointment flashed over his face. “That may be true normally, but at some point you have to learn to put your faith in others. You are my wife and that means you can put your life in my hands without worry. I thought you would have realized that by now, but if you need to be shown more, then I’m up for the challenge.” He grinned against my ear as he ground harder against me. My hands shot up and gripped his shoulders, my eyes squeezed shut, and my body arched into him.
“Submitting to me doesn’t make you weak, Wildfire. We can be partners in all this as long as you follow my lead when needed. I’ve seen what you can do and I won’t ever try to change you. In fact, I love that shit. Keep that fire pumping. Keep that killer drive. Together me and you could make magic together, baby.” A silent moan fell from my mouth as my head fell back and my body shook. His teeth sank into my lobe again before he pressed his lips against it to ease the sting.
My breathing sped up as I panted while my heart beat wildly in my chest cavity. Nazai hovered above me now, watching. My insides ran wild. Blood hummed through my veins.
Nazai leaned down and pecked my lips. My breathing halted seeing how his eyes bled with sincerity and seriousness. The hold they had on me suddenly made my throat tighten and my lungs constrict painfully. “Believe me when I say this is only the beginning between us. Buckle up, Wildfire, because I’m gonna show you just how magical we can be together.”