Page 28 of Leo, My Partner

“Yum,” he mutters, sliding into one of the chairs at the dining room table. “Tomorrow, I’ll make you some homemade muffins if we can go into town and get the ingredients.”

I hand him the syrup. “What about some of those snickerdoodle cookies? I love those.”

Ty’s tinkling laughter washes over me, and something settles in my chest, making me smile in turn. Him being happy makes me happy. Outside of killing, I’ve never felt this kind of contentment. “I’ll make anything you want. I do more than bake, you know? I can cook you dinner sometime.”

“I’d like that.”

We eat breakfast in silence, Ty looking out at the woods through the back window. The sounds of nature drift in through the cracked sill, fresh air blowing through, making the air smell of pine needles. Being out here makes me feel more content than I’ve ever been—mainly because it reminds me of Russia and where I got my start. I may have hated being in the cold ninety-five percent of the time, but it was the only home I ever knew.

Once we’re done eating, I clear our plates, and Ty goes to sit on the porch. I take my laptop outside and sit on the bottom step of the porch as he perches in the rocking chair.

I pull up the prison website where Ty indicated Michael spent his time and look up the name Michael Kerry. About ten people pop up, so I enlarge all of the photos and ask Ty to pick him out.

The first five are a bust, Ty shaking his head as I scroll through them. When I get to picture six, there’s a visceral reaction from Ty. He gasps, and his hands shake, tears brimming in his eyes. “Him,” he mutters. “That’s him.”

Michael Kerry would be considered a good-looking man if he wasn’t scowling at the camera that took his mugshot. Light brown hair, small green eyes and bushy eyebrows. Even pissed off, he has a smug energy, like he knows he won’t be put away for long. Just looking at him, I can tell that this isn’t his first offense, just the one he was caught for.

Like recognizes like. Michael and I are the same. He’s a fucking psychopath, there’s no denying that. Now I’m wondering if he’s killed anyone before. That’s probably why he hasn’t had more victims. They’re probably not alive to tell their stories.

Not knowing how to comfort him but wanting to try, I set my laptop down and turn toward Ty, gripping his hands and rubbing my thumbs over the soft skin. “You okay?”

A choked sob leaves his lips as he shakes his head. “No. That fucker is a monster, and he’s walking the streets like he didn’t fucking kill my friend. He’s the reason she’s dead.”

Bringing his hand to my lips, I kiss the back of it and pat it, hoping this is the thing that normal people do to comfort their mates. “I’ll take care of him for you. I promise.”

Tears dripping down his face, Ty mouths, thank you, too overcome with emotion to actually speak the words.

Instead of continuing to gently stroke him, I pull Ty off the rocking chair and hug him to my chest. I don’t have to think about this—I simply wrap my arms around him. Ty breaks down, soaking my neck with his tears, his body heaving with heavy sobs.

“It’s okay, kotenok. Get it all out. I’m here.”

“I want him dead, Leo.”

“It’ll happen, baby. I promise you that.”

Ty pulls back, tears still coursing down his face. “I want to do it. I want to stab that fucker in the heart until it stops beating. Can you teach me that?”

Taking his face between my hands, I nod. “Yes.”

I kiss his forehead and put his head on my chest, letting him cry himself out. Oh yes, I’ll teach Ty. I’ll teach him everything he needs to know.

CHAPTER 10

LEO

After a few more minutes, Ty assures me he’s gotten himself under control, and we go back inside to plan in comfort. Sitting side by side on the couch, I hack into the prison’s database and obtain Michael’s social security number and track his movements from there. He didn’t have to register as a sex offender for some unknown reason, so he can’t be found that way.

It doesn’t take too much digging to locate his current job and his most recent address.

Michael lives a few hours away from us in a small town in Virginia. Ty and I can take a couple of days to drive up and find an abandoned building nearby. That will take the longest—ensuring we’re isolated in an unfamiliar environment. It’s not something I’m unfamiliar with, so I’m not foreseeing any issues.

“Why can’t we just kill him at his house?” Ty asks, looking at me with a curious expression.

I put my laptop on the coffee table and pull Ty onto my lap. “We can, but we run the risk of neighbors discovering us if they spot an unfamiliar car, hear a strange sound, or someone drops by unannounced. If we’re somewhere isolated, we won’t have to worry about being interrupted. We can hear his screams of pain without the fear of the police walking in on us and gunning us down.”

Ty frowns, but he nods. “Okay. You’re the expert.”

“I am. Glad you understand that.”

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