Page 11 of Bleed for You
“Strangely enough, it doesn’t bother me when I’m driving. As soon as I get home, I’ll rest.”
“Call me when you get home.”
Cat grinned and leaned into Craig. “Promise.”
Craig helped her to her car and stood watching as she drove away. “I’m going to be an uncle,” he whispered, a smile developing. Him. An uncle. He couldn’t wait.
Chapter Seven
Jinx drove along the dirt road that led to his cabin, listening to some sweet Def Leppard. Nothing like a bit of rock music or glam metal, as some called it, to get him in the mood. He had a job coming up, and he needed to make sure the cabin was ready to go. It had been a couple of weeks since the last time he’d visited the cabin, and he’d made sure it looked like any other cabin before he left, but he always made sure to come out every few weeks to make sure no one had been near it.
The bumpy road made Jinx move and sway, but he was used to it now, having traveled this road many times before. He hummed along to Animal, one of his all-time favorite Def Leppard tracks, and kept a tight grip on the steering wheel as he hit a particularly deep pothole. Not that it bothered him. The potholes put off people who might come out this way, and that was exactly what he wanted. The less traffic near his cabin, the better. Less chance of his basement being discovered. Not that anyone would truly realize what they’d stumbled upon. Thedoorway leading to the stairs going down to it was carefully hidden away, blended in to appear like a cabinet in the rundown, very rarely used kitchen.
When Animal changed to Paradise City by Guns N Roses, Jinx grinned and sang along, his fingers drumming to the beat on the steering wheel. Nothing beat a bit of GNR as far as Jinx was concerned. Well, maybe some Whitesnake or Poison or some other band from that era. That was when men were men, with long hair and tattoos, and smoked and drank. Sighing, Jinx slowed and turned onto the barely there track. He loved music, and he loved to work on music. He wasn’t sure if his guests did, but then again, Jinx didn’t care. They were only there to suffer, then die, and Jinx was just fine with that.
When the cabin came into view, Jinx slowed, then stopped the van. Switching the engine off, he sat in silence, watching the cabin and the surrounding area. After a few minutes, Jinx couldn’t see any obvious signs of disturbance, so he got out and locked his van, then walked around the perimeter of the cabin. Again, he saw no signs of intrusion, so walked up to the wooden steps that led to the porch and front door and stared at them. Again, there were no obvious signs that anyone had been here. It hadn’t rained recently, so if someone had been here, Jinx should be able to tell. Hopefully.
Stepping onto the porch, Jinx looked around, then took his keys out and opened the front door. The alarm immediately beeped, and Jinx put the code in, then closed the door behind him and paused. The air felt still, and he looked around again, seeing everything as it should be. After a few minutes of walking around the cabin, he knew the place was how he had left it. Going back outside, he jogged over to his van and hopped in. Starting the engine, he drove over to the front of the cabin and parked so the rear of the van faced the front door.
Getting out, he went inside and made sure the front door was locked behind him. Hanging his jacket up on the hook by the door, Jinx walked into the kitchen area and opened a cupboard, then removed a panel at the back and put in the code to release the locks for the door. Opening the tall cupboard next to the one that housed the lock, Jinx pulled the back section open and walked down the dimly lit stairs to the basement. The wooden stairs creaked under his weight as Jinx trailed his fingers along the bare brick wall.
Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, he stood by another door and entered yet another code. Some might think he was being overly cautious, but he didn’t think he had enough security in place. The door in front of him opened, and he walked into the small room where he kept the items he needed for the room beyond. The large rolls of plastic that he covered the walls in, the unopened packages that had his overalls and boots, the handcuffs and chains and other items he needed to hold his guest.
Pulling a new overall out, Jinx dressed, then pulled on a pair of plastic boots and then gloves. He made sure his hair was covered, then opened the door and surveyed the room inside. He could still detect the faint trace of bleach in the air, and he ignored it as he grabbed the luminol and began to spray the room. He knew it may pick up the bleach he’d used, even though he had thoroughly cleaned the room after bleaching it, but after liberally spraying the room, nothing appeared. Smiling, Jinx grabbed the hose and turned the tap, then cleaned the luminol away, making sure the water went down the drain in the center of the room.
Once that was done, he spent quite some time drying the room, then he grabbed the roll of plastic and used it to cover the walls and ceiling. He chuckled, remembering the first time he’d done this. Or attempted to, because if it could go wrong, then ithad. But he was smart enough to try it well before he needed the room to be ready. A number of test runs later and he could cover the room in his sleep.
Once the walls and ceiling were covered, Jinx moved the dentist chair he liked to use into the center of the room and checked it over. This was something he did before and after use because the chair was vital to the job he performed. Once he felt certain the chair was fully functional, Jinx left and stripped off in the small room and left his items there. Going back up the stairs, he made sure the door was locked, then hidden in the tall cupboard.
Pausing in the kitchen, Jinx furrowed his brow, glancing over the room. With a shake of his head, he began to clean it. He might not live here, or use the kitchen regularly, but it did need to be functional in case he decided to spend longer with one of his guests than normal. That depended on the guest and what they’d done to earn a visit from Jinx. He preferred to go after those people who hurt children. He hated those types of people and would gladly do the jobs for free, but being paid was a bonus and it helped him pay off his mortgage earlier than expected.
And spend money on Craig.
Craig.
Jinx stopped what he was doing and sighed softly. He knew Craig wanted more than what Jinx gave him. Jinx knew this, and he avoided the discussion whenever Craig attempted to bring it up or even hinted at it. Jinx gave him what he could. To move in together meant risking exposure to what he did on the side, and he knew Craig would want nothing to do with him after that.
And Jinx loved Craig.
No, how they were was how they would remain. There was no way in hell he would risk losing the man he loved. Craig would never find out. But Jinx had to face the fact that one day Craig may leave him if he didn’t give him what he wanted. Craigwanted some form of commitment. Two years together wasn’t enough. Spending every weekend together wasn’t enough. Jinx could see it, the issue looming in the future. Big and bright like a neon star, and he didn’t know how to handle it. He only knew how to carry on as things were so he could keep this part of his life a secret.
How would he explain to Craig where he went? What excuse or reason could he use, and he would have to use one if they lived together? He left for a good twenty-four hours when he had someone in his basement, and that didn’t include the hours he used tailing the person and watching them, learning their habits, picking the perfect time where he could take them and no one would know until it was too late.
Too late to save them, at least, because by the time someone realized they were missing, Jinx had already dealt with them and disposed of any incriminating evidence. The person would remain on the missing persons list and eventually be forgotten about, except for family and maybe a few close friends. It surprised Jinx how many had strong family bonds yet would find a child to kidnap and hurt. And worse.
Jinx pushed away from the counter when he heard his phone ringing and walked over to where he’d hung his coat. Pulling it out, he smiled when he saw Craig’s number. “Hey. How are you doing?”
“I have some news for you.”
“Really? What is it?” Jinx smiled as he leaned on the wall, staring at the door.
“I’ll tell you in person. How’s work?”
“I’m just waiting for the last family member to leave, then I’ll do what I have to do. Still on for later?” Jinx licked his lips and stared down at his sneakers. He didn’t like lying to Craig, but it had to be done.
“I am. Do you want me to bring anything over?”
“Nope. Just you.”
