Chapter Twenty-Eight
The exit opened up here, at the edges of the town called Gardendale, where the small houses and one story shops soon gave way to larger, more attractive properties. The dark haired man with the olive complexion had never been here before, even though it was a decent-sized town only a few hours from Denver. But then again, he never had reason to. The main attraction that he knew of in this area was some kind of Renfaire thing - although maybe that was something to think about in terms of selling TheRage.
His bandaged hand throbbed from where it rested on the steering wheel of his beat up Kia Santa Fe. He’d have to pull over soon, change up the dressing. This was a minor setback, but soon, he would make it up toEl Monstruo. And he’d be driving something a lot sweeter, like a Lexus or Nissan Altima. He had contented himself the last few hours driving, making up a wishlist for all the things that would be different.
Soon.
As soon as Rey brought back that fucking bitch who stole fromEl Monstruo. The bitch who was proof that she was the thief, and not Rey. The bitch who possibly still had not only the stash that she was meant to deliver, but one more stash of a premium cut that had disappeared from the apartment. He had bellowed when he had come home after being hauled intoEl Monstruoand discovered her gone, and both stashes missing.
He tightened his fingers reflexively, and winced at the sharp pain that lanced through him. Fucking bitch. Because of her,El Monstruohad taken a finger. All because she didn’t show up with TheRage. Rumor had it that the severed digit would be boiled down, and the bones added to a necklace thatEl Monstruowore beneath his shirt. Next time, it would be his whole hand. Or his life, because there really shouldn’t be a next time.
It continued to pulse with pain, a constant reminder of what she had cost him. But at least it wasn’t his trigger finger. Or the other part of his body that would have him singing soprano and pissing into bags.
Fucking bitch.
He had called in every favor he could, to get photos pulled from tollbooths and other road cameras, and found the direction she was headed in. It had taken time, but it looked like she hadn’t gotten far, anyway. Dumb bitch didn’t swap out license plates or cars, which was fortunate for him.
The trail had stopped near here, which meant either she was nearby, or the car had broken down. Either way, he would find her, if he had to go to every gas station and auto repair shop in the area.
He was going to make a great Enforcer forEl Monstruo, part of the reason why he hadn’t just had his entire hand or arm taken. And he was going to make that bitch sorry she had ever crossed him.
His hand throbbed again. Maybe he’d cut up pieces out of her first. After all, he didn’t have to deliver her toEl Monstruointact.
* * *
“You have a glow about you today,” Rosa said. She was at the Center for the brief break before the lunch rush. Both were watching the twins as they were making a collage with glitter glue and shapes that Luna was cutting out with blunt-tipped kid scissors.
Lily smiled, “I lost my roommate yesterday, so I had the room to myself.”
“Oh?” The twins’ mother looked at Lily, her eyes twinkling. “You did, did you?”
A slight flush crept up Lily’s cheeks. “I meant I had a good night’s sleep.”
It was only a few hours, but Lily had woken up feeling fully rested. And incredulous. Had the night really happened?
Right then, she wished she could confide in Rosa. She missed Lucie terribly, and badly wanted someone to talk to.
It was like that meme:Pictures, or it didn’t happen.Here it was,Tell your girlfriends, or it didn’t happen.If it weren’t for the unfamiliar, but delicious sensitivity at her core, the slight ache in her thighs, the puffiness in her lips after being thoroughly kissed—and often, she would not have been surprised to find out it had been one helluva vivid hallucination.
One that she would welcome over and over again.
“I wish sleep would make me smile like that,” Rosa teased. “But then again, I’d probably give just about anything just to be able to have a full night’s sleep.”
Lily squeezed her friend’s arm in sympathy. It was already difficult for a single mom to raise twins, but even more so when she knew Rosa worked late and showed up early as soon as the Center opened.
“Ouch!” Luna stood up, sucking her finger. Somehow she had managed to cut herself with the blunt-tipped kids’ scissors.
“I’m going to go take care of that,” Lily said to Rosa apologetically.
“No worries, I have to get back to work,” Rosa said. “See you at lunch!”
Lily immediately sent Luna to the first aid station, and took over with the kids. She relaxed into the cutting of cloud shapes, unicorns and dinosaurs, and her thoughts flowed into what had happened last night.
It had been incredible. She never had pleasure —or even release—like that before. Rey had been her first, and only, lover. It had been about his needs, when he wanted it, the way he wanted it. She hadn’t ever felt she could ask —the way she did with Col—but then again, she hadn’t even thought the connection that they had experienced together was even possible.
It was the first time she understood the phrase, “making love,” even though no words of love were exchanged. Col had been so focused on her reactions, her desires and needs that she had felt an awakening of sorts.
It was a novel experience, letting herself go, because she inexplicably trusted in someone’s ability—his eagerness—to give her so much pleasure.
