Summer/Time (The Sunny Sunshine Duet #2)

Chapter Seventeen

Summer

My entire being is shaking with an uncontrollable rage, I feel as though someone has ripped out my heart in front of me and begun stepping on it, over and over again, whilst I stand there, helpless and unable to stop them. I swallow hard, glancing down towards the blade in my hands, my white knuckles continuing to shake. Looking back to Daly, I swallow hard as the tension in the room becomes unbearable, stifling even.

“I asked, what happened after that?”

My voice cracks, but I ignore it. “TELL ME!”

My free hand pulls at the collar of his T-shirt. Drawing the blade to his neck, I press the tip into his skin. Basking in his fear, I feel a rich warmth take over my body, pulling his face towards mine as the venom spills from my pores. Daly’s panicked eyes search mine; he opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. Tightening my fists around his collar he finally begins to talk.

“I…thought…. that if I went to him and showed him the proof his wife has been cheating, that he may have gone after Luca.”

“You mean gone out for revenge?”

I ask bitterly.

“Yeah, if he killed him….I’d be off the hook. Luca would be dead, and Michael would be in the firing line.”

He looks away.

“That didn’t happen though, did it?”

I feel the shudders begin to crawl over my body.

“No…”

A sob escapes his throat, more tears continuing to fall. “He stalked Luca, watched him for weeks, months even. He eventually came to me with evidence of corruption within the NYPD, photos of Luca with different detectives, patrol officers. He didn’t know who they were yet, but I did…and I knew it wouldn’t be long before he saw me and worked it all out.”

My fingertips gently graze across my lips, processing the words, unable to understand how cold hearted and flippant someone can be with potentially another’s life in their hands. Daly played fast and loose, used my own dad’s emotions against him, his desire to do the right thing, he thought he was being clever and look how it fucking ended up. My dad laying dead in his office, being shot. All because Daly was out of his depth, needed a way out and found himself looking for options.

“Did you shoot him?”

I ask, my voice remains numb and my body filled with ice.

“No…”

I look to him, my eyes only able to hold his gaze before a split-second passes and he looks back towards the floor.

“Then who?”

My jaw moves slowly from side to side, trying to stop the angry tears from falling.

Eventually my eyes wander towards the blood pouring from the hole in his hand, watching as the blood continues to seep from the deep stab wound that penetrated through his skin and hit the arm of the chair. His entire arm trembling, his body shaking whilst the thick beads of perspiration continue to slide down his skin. Daly’s eyes are wild, caught in the headlights and by now, he’s realised there’s no way out here.

“I don’t know who.”

His voice is barely audible. “When I realised…I was about to get caught, that everything could come out…I told Luca that Michael was following him, watching…He set up a group to watch the apartment, his business. I lied…I thought if I told him, gave him a heads up, that he’d finally leave me alone.”

His jaw rocks from side to side, his head still bowed as the truth begins to spill from his mouth, yet… I feel nothing but hatred towards him. Ice fills my veins, my sight seems to go black, a bolt of lightning strikes and I feel a strong grip snap around my wrist. Blinking, I look to the blade in my hand, inches from Daly’s chest, his body pressed into the chair, the fear woven tightly into his expression and a strong leather-gloved hand clasped around my wrist.

“What the fuck are you playing at?”

Bhodi sternly asks, however with the mask over his face, I have no idea who it is I’m talking to.

I feel my eye twitch slightly, followed by my body uncontrollably shaking. The chills, the shivers, the adrenaline all zipping through my body fast.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

I ask softly, before my brain has even engaged. My gaze widens, my mind processing my own words.

Bhodi holds my wrist, his grip on me not wavering but I feel the intensity of his eyes wandering all over my body. He briefly shakes his head, the moonlight reflecting off the mask, before the room loses all sound. We’re standing in a deadlock, my arm still trying to force the blade forward and his strong grip stopping me from making a devastating choice that could change me forever. I grit my teeth, the blade beginning to tremble in my hand, but Bhodi refuses to let me go.

“Please.”

Daly continues to plead, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the man before me.

“Shut the fuck up!”

I spit out, momentarily moving my focus back to the man whining and sweating all over the floor.

When my eyes snap back to Bhodi, I search the mask for a moment but know I’m dealing with Two/Face. Bhodi is here in body, but the darker persona has taken over. But dark or not, he’s not allowing me to make a huge mistake. I know Daly’s death will rest on his shoulders, but part of me doesn’t want it to, a morbid side of me wants us to share the secret, bind us together and entwine our souls.

“What happens now?” I ask.

His leather-gloved hand slides the mask over his face, whilst it balances on the top of his head. I get butterflies when I see his face, it’s only been a few brief moments, but it feels like an eternity. His eyes gleam with wonder, a small smile pulls at his full lips.

“Let me go!”

I jump at Daly’s outburst and hesitate slightly. I stumble back and drop the blade. He begins to maniacally laugh at me, taunting me. The metal makes a clattering noise as it hits the concrete floor. I apply distance between the three of us, but Bhodi doesn’t move, he doesn’t even flinch. He just cocks his head to one side, analysing me for a moment before reaching down to retrieve the dropped knife. I place my hand over my heart, feeling the hammering beneath my fingers and I feel my body trying to calm down. Taking deep breaths, I look between the two men. Daly continues to pull at the restraints, his cries for help penetrate the walls of the warehouse but Bhodi does little to stop him.

Following my line of sight out of the main doors and across the gravelled path, there’s little out here apart from greenery, old disused warehouses and an eerie silence. The area is dead, no sign of life and likely no one can hear him at all, no matter how much he begs and pleads. I eventually feel a strange dread fall over me, a strange flash of hot slides across my skin and I can feel the sweat form on my brow. I feel sick, exhausted, tired and wired all in one hit.

“What did you do to Eva?”

I blink a couple of times, turning my attention back to Daly.

He stiffens all over. I watch as his fists clench, his jaw, his back straightens, all at the mention of her name and likely the cruel things he did to her. Bhodi frowns for a moment, but eventually turns towards Daly, awaiting his answer.

“She…She’s fucking crazy.”

“Why? Because she didn’t want you to hurt her?”

“What’s that lying cunt been telling you?”

In an instant his demeanour changes, he’s gone from fearful to smug.

“From your change in attitude, I’m guessing she’s been telling me the truth,” I say.

“You’re all the fucking same.”

He begins to sarcastically laugh. “Lying, deceitful, manipulative whores. They don’t do as they’re told and then cry when they get a slap. Fuck… Harry was right about you, you self-righteous cu…”

I stagger back, the warm blood splattering across my sweatshirt. It feels as though a whip has been lashed across my body. Fisting the material in my hands, I stretch out the fabric and my hands begin to tremble when I see the blood soaking into the fabric. When I swear, I can feel it on my own skin, I immediately begin to fumble with the top, pulling it from my body as though it was doused in acid and needed to be removed instantly. Throwing it onto the floor, I take a few steps back and my chest heaves. Practically shaking myself off, I look to Bhodi.

The blade drips with blood, his hand still tightly holding Daly’s head back whilst the blood slides down his skin and profusely spurts out of the long slash in his neck. My ears and eyes begin to readjust to my surroundings. I hear the gurgling, his skin turns purple, eyes panicked and wide with fear, before the light begins to fade. Daly goes silent, his head thrown forward as Bhodi wipes the knife on his victim’s shoulder, unbothered.

“What the fuck?”

I mutter. Shock, fear and confusion all whirling into one chaotic mess inside my head.

“He was rude to you; I didn’t like it.”

Bhodi shrugs, throwing the knife down onto the workbench.

“Rude?”

I ask almost sarcastically, unable to understand how someone could murder another over a rude comment.

But here it is, Detective Daly is fucking dead. His limp body sits in the chair, no movement, no sound, no breath. I stare at him, waiting for him to move, breathe, make a sound, but nothing happens, just the cold chill of death slicing through any light or warmth within the warehouse. Bhodi rounds the chair, each step he gets closer and closer to me and my feet stay fused to the ground. I want to step back, but I can’t. I’m frozen, as he gets closer. I feel his broad chest pressed into mine, the fabric of his sweatshirt grazes across my thin tank top and in that moment, I feel my tits become heavy, my nipples painfully hard and the strange rush that falls over me. I don’t know if it’s desire, need, morbid curiosity or fear, but I feel it.

“See how easy it was, Summer?”

Bhodi leans in, his voice ghosts across my ear. “See how easy it is to kill someone? Take their life, watch the light drain from their eyes.”

I immediately shudder, his words carry so much weight. He made it look so easy, so uncomplicated and as though he has no emotion whatsoever.

“Why?”

My eyes flicker to his.

“He wouldn’t have stopped, he was too far gone for redemption.”

Bhodi holds my chin between his forefinger and thumb. My jaw falls open. “Don’t give me that look.”

He smirks. “You were happy to drive that fucking knife into his hand and likely his chest if I hadn’t stopped you.”

Pulling my chin from his grasp, I shrug him off.

“How can you decide who deserves redemption or not?”

I hesitantly ask.

“He killed Michael, your dad! My friend.”

“He’s not though is he.”

I look to Bhodi, as the tears blur my vision. “I know you know; I saw the look on your face, Bhodi. I’m not completely stupid.”

I shake my head. “You knew Luca could be my dad…and you didn’t say anything.”

I feel the venom laced within my voice, a single thick tear falls down my cheek as the broken words leave my mouth. Bhodi and likely James knew that Michael wasn’t my dad and my mom had cheated on him. More fucking deceit on her part. He reaches out to catch my wrist, but I immediately step back and shake my head, the words stuck in my throat whilst the disappointment surrounds us.

“What else have you kept from me?”

I sob. “Everything is based on a fucking lie, Bhodi! I don’t know you, we’ve been thrown together in a few short weeks and look …it’s a fucking mess!”

My hands cover my face.

The devastation plummets me further into the dark hole. I sound dramatic, I know that. For weeks I’ve felt as though I have had no control of what’s been going on around me. Two/Face, Dad’s murder, the investigation, then Harry turning up, Luca’s involvement. To top it off, it now looks as though there’s more players in this messed-up game. All looking to protect themselves however they can, they don’t want anyone finding out that the NYPD is corrupt, turning a blind eye, working for a gangster and likely lining their own pockets in the process.

I go to move away and head for the open door, but I feel Bhodi’s strong arms catch me. My feet rapidly move backwards and before I know it, my back has hit the wall. I feel his body pressed hard into mine, his large frame overpowering mine entirely. The mask back over his face, the darkness surrounding and consuming us.

“I didn’t keep anything from you, I thought Harry was dead just like you did. I knew about Luca being your real dad, but I only just found out.”

He lets out a low breath. “I didn’t want to break your fucking heart again, Summer, it feels like I just deliver bad fucking news. Can you blame me for not telling you right away? I don’t want to see that heartbroken look on your beautiful face ever again.”

He sighs. “I needed to be sure first.”

My bottom lip quivers, but I just slowly nod my head, blinking away the tears. Bhodi gently cups my cheek, bringing my focus back to him. His lips gently graze across mine. I let out a soft moan, feeling the warmth drench my body immediately.

“I need you,”

I softly whisper.

“How much?”

he asks, his breath gently dancing across my face.

“All of you,”

I answer, my eyes searching his. “Even the parts that scare me.”

I glance towards the body sitting dead in the chair. Bhodi follows my gaze before he turns back to me. His fingers gently run over my cheeks.

“Are you wet?”

The amusement in his voice, all too obvious.

I feel my thighs snap together immediately, rubbing them to relieve the deep throbbing between my legs. My pussy is dripping, the sinful tone of his voice, the amusement laced within his words and my own morbid curiosity towards him. Pulling a knife from his pocket, he places the blade underneath my chin, lifting my gaze to once again meet his. I’m frozen, but swallow hard, feeling the cool blade against my hot skin.

“Answer the question, Summer. Are. You. Wet?”

Taking in a deep breath, I blink a couple times. My heartbeat thundering in my ears.

“Yes,”

I reply clearly, wetting my parted lips slightly.

The blade moves away from my chin, and I feel an overwhelming relief wash over me. As my tense muscles begin to relax slightly, Bhodi fists the material of my tank top in his palms, pulling me even closer than before. I gasp, our faces inches apart. Pushing my body back into the hard wall, he reaches for my left hand, and I hear a click. Immediately looking up, I tug at my wrist which is now cuffed to a hanging chain suspended from the ceiling. When I go to shoot him a questioning look, I feel my right hand tugged and snapped into the second cuff. I look between the two cuffs, tugging and pulling at the chains, but they merely rattle and clatter against the wall.

Bhodi takes a step back, before moving away entirely. Reaching for a separate knife off the workbench, he slices the rope tied around the chair. I watch with anticipation as he removes Daly’s limp body from the room, throwing him effortlessly over his shoulder and striding towards the back of the warehouse. The back door creaks before leaving me in silence, the confusion looming over me but the sheer excitement practically pulsing through my being. Forcing my weight against the restraints, I’m completely trapped, there’s no give, no way to slide my hand out and no key in sight.