Page 35 of Wreckin' Amethyst

“Holy fuck,” Myles gasps. Peering back at Reynell, the arrow is imbedded in his neck too deeply to remove. He’s a goner either way.

“I’m doing you a favor. Whether you deserve it is another question.” I tell him, crouching. Yanking the arrow free, Myles falls into a fit of cursing and trying to tug me away, but I refuse to go. Not until I watch the life drain from Reynell’s brown eyes, unlike I was able to do with my mother. She died alone in the dark, leaving her death to play out in my nightmares for years later. Reynell gurgles, blood spewing from his mouth. Sticky crimson pools around my boots, his last breath taken while I loom over him. I hope that bribe was worth it, asshole.

“Ami, we have to go.” Myles drags the jacket free from my arms and uses it as a shield over my head. Somewhere between the jacket flapping above my eyes and the rustling in the trees, I come to my senses.

“Fuck that. I’m not running scared.” Jumping over Reynell’s body, my boots thunder through the long grass, my arms pump. No ducking, no creeping. I tear towards the rundown house, refusing to leave without the secrets it holds. Reynell was a pawn, and I need to know who decided he was so easily disposable. Who decided my life was so easily destroyable. A hand grips my ankle as I throw myself through a gap in the window, but as I kick wildly, Myles grunts and releases me.

“Amethyst,” he hisses, appearing at the back door. I’ve already committed to flopping in a heap on the ground. Crawling on hands and knees, I pop up like a meerkat amongst a mess all over the floor. In fact, the entire room is trashed. Skidding across papers and shattered ornaments, my palm sticks to a wax seal on the back of a brown envelope. I shake it free, disregarding the decorative shield and dragon imprint, whilst dodging the broken shards around my knees. Arms scoop beneath mine, smoothly lifting me onto my feet.

“The boat leaves in three minutes, with or without you.” Beyond Myles, flames dance within a large stone fireplace, the chopped wood tumbling into the room and threatening to take us all down.

“Got it,” I agree. Let’s face it, I don’t want to be stranded and it’s three minutes more than he was offering before storming the house.

I leave the main area, figuring whoever ransacked the house already found what they were looking for. My last remaining hopes of some answers may be stuffed in a mattress or under a tile in the bathroom. Fuck knows, I’m clutching at straws, but those are the first places I look. When I come up empty, I spend the rest of my two and a half minutes rifling through drawers. Reynell decided hiding out mainly consisted of black tank tops and lounge pants, but there’s nothing to suggest he received the huge bribe I know he did.

“Bet the asshole gambled it away,” I grumble. My mood turns sour thinking of the casino named to mock me – Life Support. Is that where Reynell camped out, lost his fortune and was then headhunted for owing a debt? I can only guess now. Mood ruined, I slump back towards the main area, almost announcing the hunt is over when I see Myles by the fireplace. With a flick of the wrist, he tosses a large brown envelope into the fire and prods it with a poker. Tossing it down, the metal rings out against the stone floor as I step fully around the corner.

“Time to go,” Myles nods, reaching for my hand. I give it to him, looking over my shoulder as he tugs me along. Between the flames, the red wax seal I got my hand stuck on earlier glints before being consumed completely. My eyes narrow as we breach the porch, causing me to miss the arrow flying past my face. Catching my cheek, a slice of heat blossoms there and my world is upended. Thrown over Myles’ shoulder, he breaks into a run.

“Jesus Christ Ami, what have you got me into?” he mutters and I doubt he is only talking about the crazed archer. The wind whistles as more arrows shoot by, piercing the air around Myles’ agile body. Avoiding a straight path, I bounce against Myles’ ass, the grass dragging on his boots. I hear the propeller of the airboat whirl and gasp. This is my last chance.

Pushing upright on Myles’ lower back, I hunt the marsh. Trees rustle, leaves sway. A mess of the seasons, dying greens and burnt oranges at war with each other. The humidity still burns my nose, but not as much as the frustration flaring my nostrils. Myles doesn’t put me down as he drops into the boat and orders us to go. That’s when I see it. The figure which steps out from behind a tree. Too slender to be noticed by the others, too curvy to be a man. My hand shoots out, a shout lost to the loudness of the propeller.

It takes time to reign myself back in, to lessen the racing of my heart. In fact, I’m back in the jet before I have fully contemplated everything I’ve seen. Myles adjusts my belt tight before settling down in the opposite seat to do his own, and then we’re airborne.

“Hopefully we’re done with the adventurous escapades,” he grunts. There’s an edge to his tone, no longer eager to help my quest. What’s changed, I wonder.

“Did you find anything?” I ask. Amber eyes swing upwards, his shoulders firm. “In the house. Find anything worth noting?” Squaring his jaw, Myles shakes his head and slumps back against the leather. I watch with keen interest as his eyes flutter closed, the heavy rise and fall of his chest easing. Unlike on the way here, he doesn’t try to crowd me into the shower, reassure me with sweet words, kiss me like I’m the only woman on his mind. Instead, he feigns sleep and pretends I don’t exist.

Okay Myles, keep your secrets. I’ll find them out another way.

Chapter 24

“So,backup.Letme make sure I’ve got this right,” Sebby pinches the bridge of his nose. I signal for another margarita from the cute bartender, wondering in what time zone it would be five o’clock. Oh well, it doesn't matter either way. “You saw Myles burn the envelope. He rushed you out of the house, tossed you over his shoulder and then you were chased out of the swamp by Ninja Merida?” Watching the lean, tattooed man refill the glass in my hand, it’s my turn to sigh.

“Never said she had orange hair, and there was a shot before I was tossed over said shoulder.” I point to the scratch on my cheek. Not much of a war wound but the weight of guilt in Myles’ eyes every time he looked at it makes me think I could milk his shame until it fully fades.

“But after Myles dragged you outside, correct?” Sebby continues to badger me for details.

“What are you getting at?” I quirk a brow over the rim of my glass. Twisting the bar stool, his hands land on the denim at my thighs.

“If someone wanted to kill you, why would they wait until after you left the house? Why not sneak up to the window and open fire at you both?” My eyes narrow.

“Huh.” I touch two fingers to the scratch, needing the feel of the burn as my mind reels. “I was more concerned with the way Myles has been avoiding me since we landed last night.”

Avoiding is putting it gently. Myles has been like a ghost, putting me in a separate car to return to his home. Locking himself in his bedroom, refusing to come out whilst I was in the manor. Whatever he’s hiding, he knows I’d be able to see through him easily enough. My only option was to drag Sebby to a cocktail bar whilst devising my next move. Let Myles feel a false sense of comfort and thenbam, I’m going to creep out of nowhere, steal his secrets, then his money. He’s just another con and I was stupid to let myself get too into character.

I’m going to need a stronger drink.

“Tequila shots,” I raise two fingers. Sebby releases my legs, leaning on the bar.

“Ami, why am I really here? Because you clearly don’t want to talk about New Orleans.”

“I’m brewing,” I point to my temple, “and when my plan falls into place, I’ll need you to be the distraction.” Sebby starts to protest as I shove a shot glass into his hand. We clink, drink and return to him moaning while I think. If I was Myles, where would I hide something of significance? Would Carter be aware? Most likely, Carter is a much easier nut to crack. Mostly since he’s an emotionless douchebag and I have no reservations crushing him into dust.

“So, I’m torn between Carter’s office, their bedrooms, the hidden corridors throughout the manor-”

“The hidden what?” Sebby sits upright. I wave him off.

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