When the Wolves Cry (Twin Flames Duet #1)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

JAX

I’m not going to kill the girl over something minuscule. Something isn’t sitting right with me though. Not that Tala isn’t breathtaking enough for someone to do such a thing. It makes perfect fucking sense.

I watched the entire encounter and analyzed the girl’s body language and micro-expressions. Even through the window I could see that she was up to sneaky shit.

I don’t like that.

I already got Tala’s SUV taken care of and parked my bike across the street. It’s just me out here, sticking to the shadows of the retaining wall, patiently waiting to see what my gut was warning me about.

I watched her serve her last few tables, seeing nothing too out of the ordinary besides her odd mannerisms. But she has checked her phone a lot while rolling her silverware and keeps looking out as if she’s expecting someone.

Someone that makes her nervous. Scared even.

Headlights spear into the parking lot, the sound of wet tires echoing throughout the still air.

A murdered-out SUV. How fucking typical.

She looks out in alarm, eyes bugging out like she’s in trouble. They don’t stop at the front like a normal ride would. They drive around the restaurant, red brake lights shining around the corner like they’re stopping at the back door.

I scan around to make sure no one else is coming, then make quick through the shadows. As I get closer, I run across the parking lot with light feet, aiming for the big ass bush on the corner of the restaurant.

“You had one simple fucking job, and you couldn’t even do it?” a masculine voice hollers. Evidently not worried about someone overhearing.

I take a stealthy look around, keeping my body hidden behind the bush that’s already pissing me off. It’s snagging on my crewneck and feels god-awful.

Her arms are tight to her body in defense. “I tried,” she chokes out, voice cracking.

The blonde man leans out his window, snarling at her.

TravisGuildon. HectorGuildon’sson. The man I’ve been waiting on to return from Naples. Daddy dearest has him serving blow like candy every Sunday in the tunnels.

“Not hard enough,” Travis says through bared teeth. “You better try a-fuckin-gain! Don’t piss me off even more, stupid bitch!”

She flinches. “Blaze wasn’t even here. It would’ve worked if he had been parked out front. But she left with some guy that looks like he rips spines out for fun.”

This would be the perfect moment to step out, scare the fucking piss out of her. But I need more information and can’t jeopardize it for a laugh. This is Tala’s goddamn life they’re talking about.

It’d be different if Travis wasn’t behind the wheel and pressing the brake. One glimpse at me and he could take off, possibly put Tala in even more danger.

“I don’t give a fuck who she left with! Pyro was counting on that tiny fucking job of yours!”

“I gave her the number and theroofie! But she left it!”

“Watch that mouth of yours, bitch! You’ll end up sleeping with the mutts for yapping like one.”

I was already speculating on the possibility of Pyro being Brutus Tuffin. Who the hell else would want to buy a bunch of wolves besides a notorious dogfighting ringleader?

“I’m just trying to explain what went wrong. I did my part. Blaze didn’t do his. I’m not willing to take the smoke for something that wasn’t my fuck up.”

“Yourfuck up was being blown up your mom’s cunt, not shot on her pretty tits. Fuck you, KendraBalleger! Next time I see your dumbass freckles, you’ll probably have a hole in your head.”

He hits the gas, his tires burning out and peeling around the corner.

While walking to her car, she lets out the sob she was holding back, cursing him out in between her cries.

I take a quick mental note of her license plate and finally get the hell off the bush. I wait on the side, watching her white car take off, and pull my phone out of my jeans, leisurely walking my ass across the parking lot.

I click the app that’s connected to the cameras in Tala’s house, seeing all ten live feeds pull up. I scan through them, having to tighten my lips so I don’t laugh.

My girl is spread eagle on her bed, still dressed with the lamp on. One boot is unzipped, and her mysterious glasses are off. That’s as far as she made it with getting undressed.

I’ll stop by there and help her out before going home.

She hasn’t moved an inch since I last checked on her.

I take two fingers and gently press them to the side of her neck, feeling her pretty pulse. It’s what I imagine home feeling like.

Her heartbeat.

I could feel it all night, but she’s cold and I want to get her covered up. Hesitantly, I pull my hand away and walk around to the end of her bed. Her boots go all the way up to her shins and are snug to the shape of her calves.

Not wanting to rip her tights or clip her skin with the zipper, I wedge a finger in between the leather and the sheer material, having to pry it back to get the zipper down gracefully.

Smiling like a fool, I gently pull the big ass heel off her foot. They have to give her three to four inches in height. I don’t know how she walks in them and looks sexy as fuck while doing so.

The other one is already unzipped. I slide it off and put them in her closet, stopping for a moment to look around. She only has black filling the hangers and shelves, and a goddamn surplus of leather pants and boots.

She was crafted to be mine. She is mine.

I’ll shatter her hard exterior before too long. Maybe a shed of my blood will put the final fracture in it.

There are at least ten furry blankets on her bed, yet she didn’t make it under a single one. I grab the closest one that’s not jammed underneath her and cover her up.

I catch myself almost running my thumb over her parted lips.

Going to pull away, her eyes start cracking open, instituting me to freeze up in expectation of her freaking out.

She blinks a few times to adjust her heavy eyes. But she doesn’t blow up or scramble away from me. Instead, she slides her hand out from the blanket and wraps it around my wrist, shooting sparks up my arm.

“Stay,” she rasps, and tries pulling me closer.

“The first time I lay in your bed, I want you to vividly remember it.” I attempt to pull my arm away, but she latches a second hand around me.

It kind of makes me feel bad.

Letting my wrist go, she tugs at the bottom of my crewneck. “Please. Just for a little.”

Hearing her sweet voice beg has me swallowing roughly.

Unfortunately, I’ve already crossed boundaries with her. The Devil’s always louder, overpowering the faintest echo of the Angel.

I’ll berate myself later. Right now, I have pools of Venus sleepily staring up at me and begging.

It’s impossible to tell her no. Especially since she said please.

I kick my sneakers off, watching a grin stretch on her perfect face. I lazily shake my head, more amused with her than anything, and lace my fingers behind my head as I lay in the spot next to her.

Fuck. I might fall asleep. Her bed feels like a goddamn cloud. It must be memory foam or some shit. It’s conforming to my entire body.

I look over to her, noting how she’s analyzing me, and she tries covering her smile with her sharp nails. “You look really good in cheetah print, Jax.”

I hike a brow, flash her a smile. “You like that, baby?”

She nods, and rolls onto her side, laying right up against me. I unlace my fingers, brushing silky locks of raven behind her ear, and catch the movement of her leg coming out of the blanket. She starts sliding it over me, rubbing right over my dick. “Tala,” I warn.

Her amber eyes fall sultry, and before I even fucking blink, she’s throwing her weight over and mounting me, her pretty hands bracing my chest. “You didn’t have any problem bending me over your bike and spanking me or reaching in between my thighs and feeling how wet I was. What’s different right now?”

Her dress is barely on her hips, forcing me to see the black lace through her tights. And just as I imagined, her raven silk is curtaining around her arms, brushing my chest and sending her seductive scent right to my spinning dome.

I bite my lip; but the groan comes out anyway.

“You weren’t saddling up like you were about to enter a rodeo. I knew things wouldn’t escalate in the middle of a fucking parking lot. Right now? You’re looking at me like you want to take my cock so deep you feel it for weeks after.” I run my hands up her thighs, harboring an unholy groan. “I don’t want to be a regret of yours tomorrow. And I never want you to resent me.”

She stares at me, realization washing over her face. “I’m sorry, this was a mistake.” She slides off me and over the edge of her bed, sparing me a glance before walking away. “Thank you for making me think straight,” she says over her shoulder, then closes herself in the bathroom.

How the fuck I’m supposed to go about the rest of my night?

I’ve been dreaming of that moment, of her wild body getting on top of me. God, it felt better than I imagined.

The image will haunt my fucking mind until I get her there again. And next time, she won’t be on the fence about it.

I let out a quiet, aggravated breath while sitting up in her bed that’s trying to swallow me whole. I wonder if she really did feel like it was a mistake. If so, why?

I understand she’s still struggling with the trauma of Liam, and she also fights off demons that she doesn’t speak about.

But I’d scare the monsters away. I would be the only thing haunting her.

I get up, pull my sneakers on, and walk out of her bedroom. I’m feeling way too volatile right now and just might fucking explode.

Dim floor lights illuminate the stone path through the tunnels. The air is stiff and cold, reeking of illegal shit as I pass the rooms hosting poker and drug trades. The last one on the left is where thedumbassesare.

I turn in, spotting Travis standing by the table with a customer handing him a wad of cash, who’s getting a bag of blow in return. Blaze is off to the side with his bruised forehead, sitting on the leather couch with a bottle service girl that appears to be fed up already.

The old ass man he’s selling to turns around, eyes flying as wide as they can as he shuffles by. I kindly shut the door after him. Don’t want him to break a fucking wrist by such action.

Travis freezes up, only movement being a ticking jaw as he grinds his teeth. I furrow my brows, slightly tilting my head. ? ? “What’s up, Jax?” he asks with forced enthusiasm. “Finally buying some of my dad’s blow?”

That got Blaze’s attention. He might be the first to piss himself by the looks of him.

“Do you honestly think I’m in here for coke?” I ask roughly. “I know you’re fucking dense as shit. But you can’t be that stupid.”

“Maverick’s paging me!” the girl chimes, then hurries to the door.

Keeping my attention focused on the terror overtaking Travis’ eyes, I open the door and shut it after her.

He snarls, pointing like she’s still in here. “Did that bitch try starting some shit? Oh, I’ll fucking kill-”

“Hey!” I shout gruffly, watching both of them flinch. “Sit your ass down while you still have a functioning spine.”

Travis looks like a toddler in trouble while pulling the metal chair out to sit.

Blaze glares at him. “I told you it was him!”

Approaching the table, I pull my own chair out because I’m tired as fuck, sitting down into it while volleying between thedumbasses. “Who’s Pyro?”

Blaze’s feet shift like he’s going to try and run for it. A simple look in his direction corrects it.

I lean back, reaching into my pocket and fetching out my balisong. I roll it into an ice pick and stab it down into the wood table. “You have about three seconds to speak the fuck up before your hand replaces that wood.”

Travis is already sweating bullets, eyes darting around for a saving grace. “I-I can’t say anything.”

“You were suretalkin’ tough to Kendra. But you want to act like a little bitch now. Come on! Speak the fuck up and say it with your chest!” I rip my blade out of the wood, stabbing it closer to him.

He shoots back, the legs making a horrid screech on the stone.

“Listen,” Blaze chimes. “I have nothing to do with Pyro outside of the Bolivian blow. I don’t even know what he looks like.”

There’s something interesting.

Travis shoots daggers at him, splayed hands gesturing, What the fuck ?

“Bolivian blow, huh?” I grab the nearest clear bag of coke, glaring at Travis. “Isn’t that what your daddy has you in here selling for him?”

His face grows violently red. “Okay! Fuck! Yeah, it fucking is. Pyro is his supplier. Dude has a farm in Bolivia and gets it shipped here.”

I don’t even have to torture these idiots for information.

“Riddle me the fuck this. Why would a kingpin want to buy a bunch of wolves, get his feelings hurt that his offer was denied, then set the grandparents on fire? Oh!” I smack the table, causing it to creak and shake. “And then try to fucking kidnap my girl.”

The rage is starting to run hot through my blood. I can feel evil pervading my face, causing the twitch in my lip to ripple insistently.

He swallows harshly, sweat making his white button up shirt cling to his chest. “I don’t know, man. He said he wanted the Wolf Princess, and we were sent out on the job right after the fire, but she wasn’t seen for like a month.Jarikhad his hands on her like a fucking week ago but got caught. He got a bullet to the head, and it lit a fire under our asses to get this done. He doesn’t play and we don’t get the fucking opt out option.”

Harvest & Horrors was a week ago.

That man was trying to kidnap her in front of dozens of others. That’s how fast and easy this shit happens.

Yanking my blade back out, I roll it around a little, watching him shift uncomfortably as he tracks it. “Aside from your dad being a mule, how did you get wrapped up in this?”

“Blow. Crazy ass fights.”

“Hmm. Dogfights?”

He blanches, realizing he slipped up.

“Yeah, dogfights,” Blaze chimes in. “Travis bets on them.”

What a friend this guy is.

Travis shoots to his feet, aiming to charge at Blaze and heaving like a bull. “Youmotherfuc-”

I jump up, startling him and making his dumbass sit back down like a scared chihuahua. Pointing my blade in his face, I loom closer. “Sit, stay, and answer my goddamn questions. Do a good job and I’ll consider letting you leave this room alive tonight.”

“He’ll be at the gala,” he rushes, arching away from me. “You keep me alive… I’ll make sure he’s there.”

I tack the sharp tip up into his chin. “He, meaning Brutus Tuffin?”

He nods shakily, lip quivering like a little ass baby. “He goes by Pyro though. I’ve only ever heard one person call him Brutus and they got shot.”

“He was wanting the wolves to pit them,” I think out loud. “So why would he want Tala?”

“I think he wants her as a pet or some shit,” Blaze says disgustedly.

I withdraw and look them over. “I’m willing to spark up a deal. I let you walk out of here, and you get the fucker out of hiding and to the gala.” Hope flashes in their eyes, and they relax their shoulders. “The deal is null and void after the gala. Once the clock strikes twelve, I may or may not hunt you down. We’ll see how I feel,” I finish with a smile.

There’s no chance in hell I’m letting them live.