Lie to Me (46 page)

James shrugged. Even at home the bodyguard sometimes spent the night in a chair. “Before you two go off to get naked, I have a few questions. How’d you get free of Jones, Reaper?”

Kella strolled into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, while her friend laid everything out on the line. “I’m not free. But let me start at the beginning so you’ll understand. I would’ve been free, was free. I’d told Jones to go fuck himself and if he ever contacted me for a hit again, I’d kill him instead. He knew I was good enough to make good on my word. Then I found Mack in an alley beaten, bloody, and so goddamn broken.”

Stone looked at his girl. This was the story he hadn’t heard because she wouldn’t share the violence with him.

“About a month after I got here, I was attacked.” Kella curled a strand of hair around her finger. “My attacker didn’t take anything from me, didn’t want anything from me, just roughed me up—”

“He almost killed you, Mack. That’s not roughed up.”

“—and left me to die.” She shrugged at Reaper. “He kicked me so many times in the stomach, that’s why I was barren.”

“Did you consider Jones could’ve been involved in Kella’s beat down to lure you back under his thumb?” James asked.

“Considered it, but I had no prior relationship with Mack until I found her in the alley, so I dismissed the idea. Jones couldn’t know I would take responsibility for her, or even grow fond of her.” Stone agreed, and Reaper went on with his story. “I carried her to the doctor, worried she’d die before I could get her there. It was the longest fucking walk of my life. I’d seen some shit, but a defenseless kid beaten for no reason...that’s really fucked up, and it takes true evil to do it. We got tight after that. I took care of her while she healed, showed her how to defend herself.”

“Became the brother I never had.” Kella goaded him by sticking out her tongue.

“The bratty sister I
never
wanted.” Reaper smiled at her, and Stone realized this was a joke between them. “A year later, Jones came to me and said if I wanted Mackella Starke Emmerson to remain safe, I’d follow his orders.”

Kella gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “Reaper, no.”

Jones’s perfidy went deeper than Stone realized. For at least seven years, the other Regent had known Kella’s identity without alerting him. Had used her to control Reaper. Stone decided Jones had to die because a man this wicked couldn’t be redeemed.

“Yeah, I never told you this part. I was confused at first because Mack hadn’t divulged her real identity to me, but Jones knew
everything
about her. That she was on the lam from you. I became his bitch again to keep her free. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“He’s a monster. People died because of me.”

“I’m sorry, Mack. I never meant to hurt you, and I never wanted you to know.” Reaper seemed torn up by disclosing this facet of his life. The creases at the corners of his eyes had Stone thinking the other man worried that by telling her this he’d lose his only relative. The genuineness of his feelings for Mack was why Stone had trusted his gut to hire the man to protect her. She was also the weakness Jones used against him. “I really do love you like the sister I never had, Mack. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. He used me as your weakness. You did what you felt you had to do. But I want him to fall so hard right now.”

Reaper’s nod was stiff as he went on. “Regardless who did the killing, those people were marked for death either way. If I hadn’t done it, Jones would’ve found someone else. Or he’d have done it himself. Sadism and murder are his preferred sport. I’ve buried more than a few bodies to hide his crimes. The sick fuck would send me one message—
take out the trash
. That always meant someone was dead. Always bloody, always girls, always dregs, and by my guess, it was always a slow death. I think he sexually assaults them too, but I can’t confirm that.”

“Great. Just what every Quadrant needs, a Regent serial killer.” James crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “I don’t understand why he hides his murders? As Regent he’s exempt from all societal laws, and he gets off on his populace fearing him. This would make him the goddamn boogeyman in their eyes.”

“I’m not his shrink and don’t want to get in his head to try to figure him out.” Reaper shook his head. “I got a message on the way here that Mack is to present herself to him by the end of the day tomorrow, or he’ll put a hit on her.”

“And he expects you to do the wet work.” James didn’t ask, but verbally interpreted the mission.

“He knows what she means to me. Jones cannot possibly think I’d do it.” Reaper sighed. “It’s a lose-lose situation really. He’ll come after her either way. That means she’s safest here.”

Kella’s jaw hardened. “I’m guessing he gets to kill me himself if I go to him?”

Stone laced his fingers with hers for no other reason than he’d come to the same conclusion. “He got any other hold on you, Reaper?”

“No.” Her buddy sounded certain of that.

Stone had trusted Kella’s bodyguard until now. He could be lying. He could be telling the truth, giving them the information as a heads up to protect Kella. If Reaper planned to betray her, Stone couldn’t think of one good reason why he warned them.

“Holy terror lies low here until we can figure out a plan and oust Jones. She won’t be safe until that motherfucker is out of business. Goddamn tyrants. Hate dealing with them. You got any liquor? I need a stiff drink.” James sent Stone a negligible headshake as Reaper went into the kitchen. He knew what that meant. It was code for ‘don’t trust him’ and ‘I don’t like this new twist’.

Reaper opened a cabinet above the sink. “Help yourself to whatever.”

“How long until Dutch sends out the scout? There are no labels.” James glowered. “What the hell type of liquor is this?”

“It’s moonshine.” Kella hip checked James aside. After selecting a bottle, she grabbed four glasses and added a splash to each. “She’s got someone on it now. We should know something soon.”

“Is the scout trustworthy?” James played devil’s advocate like always.

“As trustworthy as anyone,” she said, not sounding nearly as concerned as she should be in Stone’s estimation. “I figure anyone is one sum away from rolling over on us.”

Stone and James shared a speaking glance. At no point would Kella be left alone. And since Reaper’s trustworthiness was in question, that meant he and James were the ones doing all the legwork.

She held her glass in the air, and Stone noted the odd pinkness to the liquid. “To taking down Jones.”

Stone stopped her from drinking. “Why’s the moonshine pink? Isn’t it always clear?”

James sniffed the liquid.

“Not here.” Kella dipped her finger inside her glass and trailed the moisture along her lips. “It’s got something to do with the water they use. Drink to the toast, and I’ll show you the aquifer it comes from later.”

––––––––

“P
retty amazing, huh?” Kella stopped at the edge of the naturally occurring water source. Set inside a niche within the tunnel system. Reaching above her head, she nabbed the heli light that’d guided them along the pitch-black tunnel, and turned it off.

“What’s causing the light source?” Stone asked as the glow of the room worked against the shadows, and he gaped at the small iridescent waterfall.

“Take a second for your eyes to adjust, and I think that’ll become clear. You can turn off your bio shield. We had this site tested because of the obvious reasons.” Not every day a person found a glowing cascade. “The door we went through at the tunnel, that wind that got you, it puts off the same chemical as the bio shield, so you’re not in a hot zone.”

All around them, the cavern began to brighten in a phosphorescent manner. The leaves and underbrush glowed a bright yellow, like someone had used glow-in-the-dark paint on the environment and offset it with a black light.

“It’s spectacular,” Stone elevated his voice to be heard over the cascade. “What makes the bottom glow like that?”

All around the base of the large pool, underwater plant life blazed. Even the fish cast a glow, but in a multitude of shades ranging in blue, pink, and neon green. “No idea, but it’s cool. They get brighter the longer the light source is gone. You’ll be able to see as good as with the heli light in a few minutes.”

“Wow.”

She peeked at Stone. While her eyesight hadn’t adjusted to the dim lighting, she could tell his eyes had rounded. Personally she was more in awe by the man than the surroundings, but she’d been just as impressed as him when she first saw the place.

Lacing their fingers together, she led him to the edge of the pool. After bending over to run her fingers through the water, she stood and trailed her pads down her cheek, the cool water felt heavenly on her overheated skin. Coming straight from the party, they’d danced until her feet hurt, and sweat coated her skin.

Stone smudged the liquid on her cheek with his thumb. From experience she knew the water glimmered on her face like she’d put glow-paint on her skin. “This is what they make the moonshine out of?”

“Yeah.” She sucked his thumb into her mouth and scraped her teeth across the pad. “It’s the purest source, untainted by the world. You want to skinny dip with me?”

She could just make out the curve of his lips, but the humor was evident in the raspy tenor of his voice. “Won’t we pollute its purity?”

“Oh, I hope so,
sunshine
.”

His chuckle sent shivers down her spine. “You got it all wrong. You’re the sunshine brightening my day.”

“Hmm...” She yanked her shirt over her head and hooked it behind his neck to draw him in for a kiss. Right before their lips connected, she said, “I disagree. But if you’re not sunshine, then you
must
be the solar flares because you make me scorching hot, pretty boy.”

With a deep growl, he crushed their lips together. “What if someone walks in unannounced?”

“What if they do? I’m not shy.”

“Beat me to the water and you can boss me around.” His shirt hit her in the face, and Kella scrambled to get her pants off. “I beat you and you have to do exactly as I say.”

“Prepare to be defeated, Regent.” One pant leg got caught on her right ankle, but she persevered and limp-hopped toward the pool. Finally getting free of the clothing, she was about to dive headfirst into the water wearing her bra and panties, when Stone caught her about the waist and spun her away from the water.

“I win,” he whispered against her ear. The splash of water behind her verified he broke the surface before she could.

What a cheater!

Resting her hands on her hips, she eyed him as he resurfaced. Stone raked his hair out of his face and grinned, his entire body radiant from the liquid coating. “Remove your undergarments and join me,
loser
.”

Enjoying their game, she fell in love just a little more. Biting her bottom lip, she accused, “You cheated.”

He shook his head, a slow move, and she could feel his gaze raking over her body. “Don’t be a sore loser. I outsmarted you.”

“How do you figure?”

“You were about to jump in with your bra and panties on.
That
was cheating.”

All right, he had her with that accusation. “Prove it.”

“Don’t have to. I won. Quit stalling, and do as you’re told, wife.”

Kella shivered at his brusque command. The way he went about dominating her in the bedroom, but gave her equal respect in the real world, excited her.
I can have that forever with him.
She had no idea why she enjoyed deferring to him since she’d always preferred to be in control of all aspects of her life.

While removing her lingerie she plotted to get even. Playing up her part, she flung her undergarments with a huff. Taking a few steps away from the edge of the pool, she had all intention of getting a running start and water bombing him. That’d show him what happened to cheaters.

“Stop.” She froze at his command. He smacked the flat surface of a stone on the edge of the pool. “Sit right here on this rock.”

Sulking over her revenge being thwarted, she strolled to the spot and plopped down, plunging her feet into the cool water and splashing him in the face.

He wiped the droplets from his face, a grin splitting his cheeks. “I remember how your devious mind works.” His palms circled her knees and spread her legs so he could wedge his hips between them. The wet glide of his hand skated up the outside of her legs, cupping her bottom so he could lift her, and settle her on the edge of the rock. “Lean back on your elbows.”

Excitement zinged through her, causing moisture to flood her core. She went into position, and he lifted his hand over her pussy, dribbling water onto her heated flesh. Kella hissed at the temperature difference.

Stone bent his head. He nipped the inside of her thigh and soothed the spot with his tongue.

Even as he teased her, he watched her, always gauging her reaction. God, she loved this man. Loved him more than she’d ever thought it possible to love anyone. The strength of her emotion almost scared her. She’d once vowed to never again trust another man with her heart. Technically speaking she’d stuck to that vow since Stone had been her first and her only love.

Kella dragged her fingers through his wet hair. “This is where folks come to marry.”

“Yeah?” He stared at her, hovering right over her pussy, his breath fanning against her flesh and heating her up.

“They believe it’s a magical place and brings good luck.” In the badlands people married differently. It wasn’t a contract or a legal binding, but a personal commitment. Dregs rarely divorced, and when they did, the Regent didn’t have to grant it. Not that she and Stone had had a legal proceeding. By his buyers contract he’d claimed her as his wife. That was all that’d been required between them, but then their circumstances had been different.

As a response, he licked her labia. “Mmm...the water makes you taste magical.”

Kella moaned, letting her head fall back on her shoulders when he buried his tongue inside her.