Page 64 of Twisted

Rancho sighed again and shook his head, about to speak and reason, but her voice beat him to it, growing stronger and more heated with every damning word.

“I don’t know what all Carter kept on this. Blackmail, for sure. Some against me. Loads against his friends and employees and lovers. And you know what? I don’t give a fuck anymore. He did nothing short of torturing me for fuckin’ years. Looked the other way when Lindsay slashed my face, when I told him Randy raped me. And y’all will never know the fuckin’ worst of it, butIwill, and I’ll carry it with me forever. So if someone wants to see what a fuckin’ pussy Carter really was, then take it. I’ll gladly die now just so I can watch them all burn in hell for eternity.”

The small smile that lit Jaeger’s face was pained but proud. He knew his woman could defend herself when need be. Whatever else she’d endured had made her harder than teflon, but she was growing soft just for him. He didn’t want to die before he got the chance to fully see her blossom, but at least if they went together, they’d not know any difference.

It took Rancho a few moments, his eyes focused on Maisie’s face, giving a long and hard stare that Jaeger recognized; he was sizing up her worth. Jaeger’s heart began to beat harder. He knew what it meant.

Dropping his hand palm up, he curled his fingers twice. Maisie released Jaeger’s arm and fished between her tits for the hard drive, producing it and walking forward two short steps to hand it to him with a slight sneer on her face. Rancho’s eyes danced when the plastic and metal square landed in his palm. Once there, Maisie stepped back, shoulders gently thudding into Jaeger as he cupped her arms and gave a soothing rub.

Rancho glanced at it, thinking hard as the two waited for their deaths, both emitting a certain sorrow that belied their fiery, all consuming love to one another.

“I’ll give ya a head start, kid. If I ever find ya…”

Jaeger wasted no time on a thank you; Rancho wouldn’t accept it anyway. He pulled Maisie after him down the alley, grasping his extra helmet and plunking it over her head despite the grumblings of protest and her confusion. Lifting her easily by her hips, he settled her onto the back of his bike; she seemed at ease there, as if she’d ridden all her life. Zipping up his vest, he gave one last look to Rancho, who’s lips smiled through the dimness of the evening.

“Loved once, kid. You…” he trailed off, clearing his throat of emotion. “You keep that one safe. She’s a special one.”

For the first time in his life, happy tears pricked at Jaeger’s eyes.

19

Maisie

Present Day

The drive to wherever the fuck they were going was long, and as the sun began to dip and the briny scent of the ocean filled her lungs, she figured she had a clue where it was they were headed. But they passed by all the tourist trap towns, Jaeger not bothering to slow even a mile in their escape. Her heart thudded hard, her mind a mess of anger and fear and adoration toward him. As she shivered, she gripped him all the tighter, the rumble of his bike drowning out all else.

She was safe for now. Jaeger had his past, and however murky, he’d saved her life more than once. Whoever was after them—whoever wanted what was on that hard drive—she didn’t care. As long as she could maintain her innocence and stay out of prison, could stay safe in Jaeger’s sturdy arms, the world could burn around them and she’d still feel at peace.

She was numb from the constant wind, nearly dozing off by the time he slowed enough to alert her to the shift in the atmosphere. Down a winding, desolate dirt road they went, the trees and the Spanish moss hanging above them in a morbid tunnel. It was eerie. She felt the absence of the world the further down the road he went, until the cacophony of waves hit her ears. Up ahead, under the silvery moonlight, lay a quaint seaside cottage.

The boarded walls were a pale, salt-washed white, the door a chipped yellow, with a small porch and wrap-around railing. Jaeger killed his bike and they both sat straight, his back popping as he released his tension. In the quiet of the seaside, they both seemed to still—to hush, to relax and breathe. Maisie had no clue where she was, but being with Jaeger was enough. She felt safe, and as she took in the cabin, she felt warm. She’d always loved the ocean.

“I get paid to take out high-stakes targets.”

The resonance of his deep voice vibrated through her as they sat on his bike. The blood in her veins slowed, but her heart picked up its pace. Was he—?

“Yeah, baby doll, I kill people for money. Ranch…Ranch and I try to take certain jobs. Ones where we know we’re doin’ the world a favor, ya know?”

His voice was growing softer, nervous. It stunned her more than his admission. He was afraid of her opinion of him. But she couldn’t form one—not now, not without bias. She loved the damn man, but she could barely think the words without retreating back into her protective shell.

“He’ll do his best to keep us safe…but…shit, Mais, I didn’t know Carter was so mixed up in that business. Otherwise he wouldn’t have needed that hard drive. But we’re safe. I’ll figure this out, alright?”

When she didn’t answer, he turned sharply, eyebrows slanted over those glowing peridots. Hewasnervous. This beast of a man was nervous because he loved her, and he didn’t want her to run again. And out of all the reactions she could have had, smiling was the one most natural to her. When he returned her grin, the world faded away.

One Month Later

A month passed. A blissful month surrounded by the tang of salty air and the calm that came from having nothing in the world to do but wait. Maisie’d made contact with her parents, who were now busy mourning the loss of her aunt, and so she felt free, a balloon clipped of its strings. They slept in and stayed up late, drank coffee, scoured the beach for seashells because it made her happy, made her feel like a teen again. There were fights, times when she’d storm off only to be hunted down and pinned by her throat to the wall as Jaeger passionately reminded her to whom she now belonged.

But she loved it all. Craved it. Their solitude, their peace, the way they clicked together like puzzle pieces. Jaeger had been missing from her heart all these years, and now that she had him, she knew she would rather die than let him go. Word on the case died down as the court dates approached. Three weeks until she’d have to appear. Jaeger helped her each day, versing her in what to say. It was a constant thread between them, this last fight that had dragged on; he wanted to know how she’d done it, but there was still the apprehension, the wavering trust. She couldn’t divulge that, not to him or anyone. It pissed him off but he’d thankfully backed off when he saw how damn stubborn she was.

Her past was dust in the rearview mirror, now. She wasn’t whole, but she was healing. She yawned, stretching out in the king sized bed with its crisp white sheets she’d just washed the day before. Staring at the ceiling, she mused about her new life with Jaeger, how seamlessly they fit together. Where she ended, he began. There was no hesitation or question about it. They were equals, and he treated her like a fucking queen.

She could hear him curse in the kitchen, and a smile lit her face. It was chilly today, dark and promising a seaside rain storm. Naked as could be, she rolled out of the plush bed and pulled on one of Jaeger’s hoodies. He apparently had a few safe houses stocked full of supplies.

Padding out into the kitchen, she paused in the hall, leaning against the corner wall and watching him as he rummaged around in the freezer. His back was as sculpted as the rest of him, and though they’d stayed up most of the night fucking, she felt the twinge of desire budding between her legs again.

He stood straight, running a hand through his messy, dirty blond hair, grumbling to himself. Biting her lip to hide her giggle, she wrapped her arms around her torso as a breeze drifted through the screen door. This had been Jaeger’s grandfather’s cabin, off the grid—illegal, she’d pointed out—but she wasn’t about to complain. She was a murderer now.

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