Page 43 of SnapShot

In response, I aim for the closest inanimate object which happens to be an old box television that explodes when my bullet makes impact with the dead center of the screen. I’ll have to clean up that glass later so the animals don’t get hurt, but the cool factor was well worth it.

“Okay… forget I asked,” Charlie says raising his hand skyward in mock innocence. A cocky smirk threatens to overtake my face, but I swallow that shit down, maintaining my fake scowl toward him, feeling like a complete badass.

Without delaying this any longer, I place the next bullet through Brad’s left shoulder, making him cry out in agony. Yeah, I bet that didn’t feel too hot. Now, let the fun begin. I grab the reins to Sasha’s bridle and tie them around his hand, just one, though, because this needs to be believable. I’m not trying to go to jail for this asshole.

“Get on the horse, Brad.” I keep my gun trained on him for special motivation.

“Fuck you, bitch. You just shot me.” His right hand that’s unbound goes to cradle his wound. Another cry leaves him when Charlie makes to castrate him with his spur digging into his crotch mercilessly.

“I’d suggest you do as you’re told, and watch your fucking mouth. Up you go, dickhead.” Instead of doing what most would do in his situation, Brad hauls back and spits on Charlie, showing what a disrespectful and stupid cunt he can be. Poking his tongue into the side of his cheek and sucking air through his teeth in an attempt to keep his cool, Charlie just looks down at the wet spot on his pants before quickly connecting his fist with Brad’s jaw. The sound of bone shattering echoes between us because he doesn’t stop with just one hit. No, he draws back to slam into his face over and over again.

I can’t move to stop him. My widened eyes leave me in a trance-like state watching him lose control to defend me. I’m an independent woman to a fault. Hell, that’s why I tried to run away at the first sign of trouble when Charlie showed up at the dairy bar that day. This whole situation didn’t have a whole lot of good, and of course, I wish I would’ve gotten to this point without this experience. However, I understand now how emotionally stunted I have been, and how much I needed someone to fight for me and love me the way this man does. I swear, if we get out of this unscathed, I’m going to put my all into this relationship with him. He deserves that much from me, and I plan to give him more than that.

Charlie’s muscles flexing with each swing draws the air from my lungs. He looks like the perfect villain, dark and depraved. But is he really a villain if he’s doing something “bad” for the right reasons? I don’t think so. I think that makes him one of the best. My own personal hero. The best part would be that he knows when to step aside and let me save myself. This feels personal for him right now, though, so I don’t interrupt.

He stands up straight, breathing heavily and shaking the blood off of his busted knuckles. Starting to turn around, I begin to think that he’s let off enough steam, and we can finish this when the heel of his boot along with the spur attached to it make a home out of Brad’s balls. The impact is so intense that his jeans get ripped, and Charlie pulls away only to kick backward again. The fabric of his gray boxers begins to turn red as the liquid absorbs. The skin of his balls is mangled, the blood pooling quickly. It must have caught the thin skin just right and ripped free with a fierce pull, severing some vessels. Brad doesn’t even have time to scream before the pain overtakes him. His eyes go wide, and he slumps forward. Lights out.

“Damn, baby. That was harsh as fuck, but I think I loved it. You ready to finish this for good?”

“Hell yes I am. Let’s get him mounted and send him on his way. I think it would look better too if you put another hole in him to knock him off as she runs down the trail. Let her drag him and make those wounds look like they occurred naturally with no interference on our part.”

“Come up with that on the fly, did you? It’s diabolical, but I trust you. Don’t let us get caught for this.”

***

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes, send an officer as soon as you can. There’s been an accident and a break in.” The panic in my voice isn’t forced. Fear floods my veins, making the frantic beat of my heart on par with a stampede between my ears. It’s almost loud enough to drown out the dispatcher asking for the address, but I make it through the rest of the phone call with a shaky voice as she informs me that they’re sending an ambulance, too, just in case.

When the officer arrives, we take him through the details of the attack as well as the destruction that is my tack room. It’s not the same officer that questioned me the first time I went to the station after Brad’s initial arrest, and I’m grateful for that. He was nice, and I don’t think I’d be able to lie to him as easily. Really, though, most of it is the truth. He did destroy my property and attack us unprovoked. The semantics behind his demise will die with Charlie and me, though. Brad will be remembered as the worthless psycho he really was, and no one else will be hurt from his hand.

The EMTs declared him dead on arrival which was the best case scenario for us. Dead men tell no tales and all that. With no one here to dispute our claims, our story is fact. I’m sure I’ll answer for my crimes in the afterlife, but right now, I’m feeling pretty damn good. I feel like I can breathe for the first time in what feels like forever. Like I don’t have to worry anymore. Like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Sasha ended up dragging him around for about twenty minutes. It doesn’t sound like a long time, but when a thousand pound animal is pulling your body through the woods, there are obstacles that cause intense damage. His body was so beat up by the time we found Sasha that the beating he got from Charlie was unnoticeable. The officers elicited our help to calm the horse down enough to get him untangled from her, so we got a front row seat to his condition. I did my best to look disturbed at the sight when inside, my chest was soaring. Not because I’m some sick person, but I truly believe he got what was coming to him.

By the time the officers got all they needed and left the property, exhaustion was taking over. We cleaned up the tack room as best we could, but we’ll have to buy some new saddle racks. There were also a few saddle blankets that he cut up which pissed me off because those things aren’t cheap. I should’ve stabbed his ass a third time just for that.

“You hungry? We can go to the restaurant and I’ll cook for you? Like our first date.” Charlie wraps his arms around me from behind as we walked through the front door, discarding our boots.

“I don’t know if I want to eat right now. I feel more tired than anything.”

“Well what do you say about letting me take you up to my place for a day or two tomorrow? I just don’t want you to be wallowing here. You need to get your mind off of everything.”

“That does sound kind of nice. I’d need to check with Kate to make sure she’s going to be okay staying here alone and that she’ll take care of the animals while I’m gone.” I strip while heading to the shower to wash this day and all its reminders down the drain where they belong.

I turn to see that Charlie hasn’t been following. “You coming, cowboy? I’m sure you’d like a shower, too.” His eyes darken, and his shirt is ripped over his head by one hand, showcasing all of his delicious muscles and tattoos, some of them even splattered with dried blood. Whether it’s his or not, I don’t care to ask. It only serves to improve his appearance anyway.

This might be the only time since I’ve lived in this house that I’m sort of grateful for the slow rising water temperature. It gives me all the time I could want to ogle Charlie in what I’m sure will be a rare form. Staring at each other like we’re two boxers circling the other at the beginning of a match. Two predators looking for an opening to strike.

Charlie’s hands go to undo his belt without his eyes ever leaving mine. His tongue traces his bottom lip like a hyena licking its chops before a bleeding gazelle. Too bad he hasn’t learned yet that I’m no gazelle.

“Just what do you plan to do with that belt?” The devilish smirk that curves the right side of his mouth skyward clues me into the fact that it’s probably something juicy.

“Might make you a pretty collar, little brat. Would you like that?” He proceeds to loop the end through the buckle to begin the loop without actually securing it. Three calculated steps later, he stands directly in front of me and places the leather halo over my head to rest on the tops of my shoulders. Pulling the slack taught, my throat is thoroughly collared, and my pussy is already soaking.

Charlie holds pressure on the belt and lowers the other hand to spread my lips and gather my arousal. A primal groan rumbles from him, and his eyes don’t leave mine even when he brings his dripping fingers to paint my lips with my own wetness. Not a minute after, his lips are claiming mine in devilish passion, taking everything I can give without restraint. This kiss is ownership. I am his, but he is mine, too. Coppery tang fills my mouth, mixing with the sweet taste of me.

It’s only after we pull apart to catch our breath that I realize the blood came from his bottom lip where I bit him. He doesn’t complain, though. If anything, he looks like a deranged beast that’s just been uncaged. I back up a few steps to the counter top that holds the sink and prop my ass atop it, giving him come get me eyes.

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