Page 91 of Charity's Redemption

“How convenient.”

“Let’s just hope no one sees me. The last thing I want is to speak to Laura.”

“I’m sure she won’t even remember you.”

Snorting with laughter, I turned the music up as Max drove to the restaurant; the beat blaring out words about throwing someone on the floor and breaking down doors—a highly sexualized song that had my thighs thrumming with electricity.

When we arrived, Max backed the van up to the receiving door, where the vendors delivered their produce and drinks, then turned off the vehicle.

“He better have them wrapped up. I am not touching frozen skin. It gives me the creeps.”

“That’s what creeps you out? Not the blood or entrails, but cold skin…”

“We all have our vices, frozen dead bodies are it for me. Don’t judge me.”

Max laughed. “Oh, trust me,bella, I could find much more baffling things to judge you for.” I frowned with a pouty lip. He reached over and patted my shoulder. “It’s what I love about you. You’re my cute little psychopath.”

Giving him the side-eye, I grabbed his hand and bit his finger, gently but enough to shock him, then sucked while looking at him through my lashes.

“You scare me sometimes,” he said, gulping. “I never know what you’re going to do, but when you do it, you never disappoint.”

I withdrew his finger from my mouth with a smile. “Glad I’m keeping things fresh.”

Max made my heart pitter-patter until I felt as though it might fall out of my chest and go running for him, but before I gave it the chance, I bolted from the van rounding the front as he did, our chest colliding.

His hard chest and manly scent drove me wild, but what really had me searching for a dark spot was his hands wrapped around my arms, steading me from our collision.

Emotions made me uncomfortable. It’s why I stayed comfortably numb, except with them. I wanted to feel it all, every step of the way. Even when they hurt me, and I hurt them.

It kept mealive.

It kept mehuman.

“We… uh,” he paused, looking down at me, “we better hurry or the sun will come up before we get them in the ground.”

I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on his Polo shirt. “Yeah, we should.” We stood frozen for a moment longer, soaking in each other’s presence like a sponge, until he broke contact. The energy between us fizzled out faster than a lightning bolt striking the ground.

“Come on.” He opened the back door and walked through.

My adrenaline kicked into overdrive, causing my hands to shake as we bounded down the stairs to the hidden freezer behind the steps. I rarely stepped foot into these things, mainly out of fear of small enclosed spaces, but also because I didn’t do dead bodies.

Killing people was one thing, but touching their long-dead corpse was beyond my job description. It was just like Luca to punish me twice on the same mission. Small space… dead body.

Such a prick.

I opened the stainless steel walk-in freezer door. There were two bodies bundled head to toe in two-tone black and blue packing blankets, resting in the middle of the floor. Duct tape encircled their bodies, keeping them wrapped up nice and tight like a gruesome Christmas present. At least this was one I wouldn’t be unwrapping. Just toss the ice crystal covered bodies into a shallow grave, then wipe my hands clean and start a new day.

“Grab the head, I’ll get the feet,” Max said as I admired their handy work.

“Yeah, sure.”

I rounded the first body, which was significantly larger, allowing me to deduce this was Owen. Bending down, I grabbed hold of the blankets on his shoulders and hoisted him up the best I could.

“Jesus Christ,” I said, making Max smirk as he picked up Owen’s feet with relative ease. “You had to give me the heavy side, right?”

He shook his head and dropped the legs with a solid thunk, which pulled me down with him. I toppled over the frozen carcass, landing on his chest with a thump.

I squealed as my face landed in what should be Owen’s lap. “Ew. Ew. Ew.” I rolled away from the icicle body, then jumped to my feet.

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