Pros & Cons Ch. 03

I met him at Lincoln Park.

There was a breeze just this side of chilly that made venturing outside without a coat a guarantee of catching the flu. Winter was definitely coming, and I wasn't the only one trying to keep warm.

I stood admiring the red wolf pack, watching the alpha male cuddle against his significant other with a possessiveness I couldn't relate to. He gently bit down on her ear, and she tilted her head back to look at him, as if silently asking a question. In response, he nuzzled her neck with his snout, resting it there while she resumed her sleepy vigil over the young pups playing below. The cubs were having a grand old time, nipping and scratching each other, some running around while the others tumbled down a small incline, rolling to the bottom clumsily, kicking adorable paws up in the air.

The concept of a regular family was unfamiliar to me. Unlike most people, I didn't have the luxury of both parents being present in my childhood. My mother had left me on my father's doorstep while she ran off to parts unknown with a man who didn't want me riding along. The old man had raised me as best he could, but CPS had found his child-rearing skills wanting. They'd come knocking a couple of years later with documents that rendered my father an "unfit parent" and taken me away from the only adult who actually gave a fuck about me.

I haven't felt safe since.

Or cared for.

Or loved...

I blinked, my vision clearing just in time to see the alpha female rolling over onto her back, exposing her soft belly to the male. He raised his head, mouth open and tongue lolling to the side, then raised a paw to wrap around her tiny middle.

I looked away then, hating how their affectionate gestures made me think of Sienna. I dug my hands deeper into my pockets, my fist closing around the burner phone I was still carrying in my pocket, a tangible string tying me to her that I wasn't quite ready to sever. I sighed for the hundredth time at the thought of calling her, just to hear that voice of hers, or to hear her giggle when I said something incredibly vulgar.

But I couldn't.

I had no right to go anywhere near her after the shit I'd done. She probably hated me, and didn't want to see my face again for as long as she lived. At least, that's what I'd told myself after I'd left her house. But as soon as I got back to my place, and saw the monitors that were still up, I couldn't resist pulling up a seat by the desk.

I had spent my morning watching her on all eight screens, surprised that she had managed a full six hours without startling awake. Then she had made breakfast, humming her way around the kitchen naked. I'd watched her get ready for her brunch, the process made slower because she stopped to admire every mark I'd left on her flesh. Before she left, she fucked her little cunt to two orgasms and called out my name both times. My cock got hard watching her, as it usually did every time she masturbated to the memory of me, but I didn't have time to rub one out. I had to leave shortly after she did to meet a grown ass man at a fucking zoo.

What a waste of a Saturday afternoon.

My gaze flicked to the pups one last time before I made my way around the children's zoo, then warily swept the area, searching the crowds for signs of-

Ah. The black bear.

Typical.

He stood facing the animal, his shoulders tense and rigid beneath the fine material of his suit. I could bet my entire life savings that he wore a suit beneath that coat, one just as expensive, if not more, than all the clothes in my entire closet. With my jeans and tan shearling jacket, I would look like a lumberjack next to His Majesty. A comparison that bothered me just a bit, because it reminded me of the huge power vacuum between us.

I made my way over, noting the armed men that littered the area, pretending to study the various animals in their cages. But I could feel their trained eyes on me, watching, ready to gun me down in case I did anything suspicious.

"Didn't know you were a fan."

He didn't bother turning. I stood a safe distance away from him, my own gaze on the bear walking around its pen. The predator seemed unbothered by the fact that we were watching him, as if our existence didn't matter to him at all.

"I'm not," he replied curtly. "But I couldn't exactly stare at the hippopotamus swimming in its own faeces now, could I?"

"You fucking chose the venue, M."

He rolled his eyes, turning to face me. "I forgot about the smell. I should've asked you to meet me at the gardens instead, now I'm going to carry the scent of shit everywhere I go. This is wool."

He held out the lapel of his coat, as if to demonstrate the fact to me. While frowning, he leaned in to take a small whiff of the inner lining and scrunched up his nose.

I let out an exasperated sigh, and regarded Magnus with a look that told him exactly what he could do with his complaints. He shrugged nonchalantly, as if my impatience didn't mean shit to him, and asked, "I presume you were successful?"

His dark hair blew in the breeze, his dark eyes sweeping over my facial features cautiously, I think to gauge if I was trying to deceive him. But I answered honestly. "Everything has been wiped, the documents shredded and burned. Witnesses have been taken care of, sources paid off. Her boss is going to take her off Wilson's case on Monday."

Magnus adjusted one of his leather gloves, his gaze still on my face. He studied me for a long moment, then he asked, "And what will you do if she does try something? Seeing as you were against killing her-"

"She's not a threat, Magnus. She just took the case because it landed on her desk. She couldn't very well say no, considering what she does for a living. But it's done now," I argued, lying through my teeth. Sienna had begged for that case, risking life and limb to put away one of the country's biggest bads. And knowing her as I do now, she wasn't going to take any of this lying down. She would fight and fight until she was successful. But her win may come at a very steep cost. Which was why the surveillance was so necessary. I could stop her before she did anything that would get her killed.

"Are you certain she isn't a threat, Axel? Or are you just feeding me whatever lines the two of you came up with during the pillow talk section of your night? Perhaps I'll need to have a little chat with her myself."

My jaw clenched at his words and I barely resisted the urge to punch Magnus right in the face. I didn't want him anywhere near Sienna, because I knew what kind of sick shit the fucker would do to her if she tried anything else. A spine-tingling fear washed over me, chilling me to the bone. I looked away, so he wouldn't see how I felt.

"That won't be necessary."

"I disagree. I have it on good authority that the bitch is gunning for me," he said, mock concern in his voice. "Which is rather upsetting because you told me this entire situation would be handled discreetly and quietly."

I hissed in a breath, turning to look at Magnus. His expression was deadly serious. I knew from our years of being acquainted that he had reached the end of a very short rope. "But she-"

"She has Wilson on tax evasion, embezzlement, fraud, obstruction of justice... Something tells me that she has enough evidence to convince that rat bastard to flip. And if that happens, she's going to use this case to reveal each and every one of my crimes. But how can that be, Axel, when you just told me that you have this under control?"

Fuck.

"I do. The evidence is gone, so even if she filed hundreds of charges, nothing will stick if she can't back up her fucking claims. It's handled, Magnus."

He tilted his head to the side, as though disputing my claims. "It fucking isn't. I might have to kill Wilson, Axe, and you know how much I hate to kill old friends."

I'd believe that, if this sick fuck didn't murder people so often. Magnus enjoyed killing. Truly. He got off on it as much as regular people got off on... sports. He found great pleasure in the pain of others.

"I have clearly underestimated Ms. Moore and overestimated you. A mistake I'll need to rectify soon."

My eyes narrowed, brows knitting on my brow. I took an involuntary step forward, a surge of violent intent rushing through my veins at the thought of Sienna getting hurt. I pulled my hands from my pockets and faced Magnus, aware of the guards that were moving closer. "How exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"How else?" he asked, his own eyes narrowed now. My hands balled into fists, and I took a step forward to glare down at my former best friend, using my height and size to my advantage. It was by no means a large margin, but I had very little going for me in terms of power right now.

"Don't you dare go near her," I growled, my tone thick with meaning and laced with warning. "She will not be one of your victims."

He raised a finger at his guards, who had their hands on their weapons and were ready to draw them. They stopped, but didn't back away. That there were families here with children didn't mean shit to them. If they started shooting, lots of innocent people would get hurt.

Magnus is slow to grin, but the malice in that smile is potent enough to make me uneasy. He took a step forward as well, so we were literally toe-to-toe, his head tilted back so he was looking directly into my eyes.

"Then do your job, Axel. She is a fucking stunner of a woman, and I imagine her cunt must be the true stuff of dreams because your cock's been hard for a week, but get your shit together. You know I will kill her. Then you, but after I've punished you for stepping out of line. Get her to drop the charges or I will personally see to this matter."

"It's a fucking Saturday, M. And you fucking know the charges will be dropped first thing on Monday," I argued, my voice a deep, low growl. But the fucker just looked at me, his expression betraying nothing.

"Are you saying you can't do it?"

"No, that's not what I said. I swear to God, if you hurt her-"

He chuckled merrily. "Let's not act like you have any sort of power here. I am the boss, and you answer to me. That woman - and you - live on my mercy. One word, and you're both dead. You haven't forgotten who owns you, have you, Axel?"

I licked the inside of my upper lip with the tip of my tongue, then bit down firmly on it to keep from hurling any and all of the insults brewing in my mind. I wanted so badly to snap his neck at that moment that it took the phone vibrating in my pocket for my rage-induced trance to fade.

The burner.

"I fucking got it. I'll take care of it. Properly, this time."

"Good boy. I would hate for our relationship to suffer because of a woman. You are, after all, my most favourite of our friends," he whispered conspiratorially, a grin spreading across her face.

"You don't have any friends, M. And I didn't do this out of the kindness of my heart. As soon as this is settled, you and I are done for good."

Magnus lightly tapped my left cheek with his gloved hand, the gesture as condescending as it was meant to be. "You always say that, Axel. But the second I come calling, we both know you'll pick up the phone. Because you know you owe me, and I will be the one to tell you when the debt has been settled."

It took everything in my power not to punch him in his smug, arrogant face. I wanted so badly to hurt Magnus that getting shot in the head didn't seem like such a bad idea right now. But when the phone in my pocket began vibrating, and the image of Sienna's smiling face filled my mind, rage calmed, and I slid my hands back in my pockets as Magnus turned on his heel and walked away.

I waited until he disappeared from sight, my fist closing around the device. I only dared to walk away when all his guards followed him, and then removed the phone from my pocket. I stared at the screen for a while, then answered with a smooth, "Hello, darling."

"Afternoon, Axel. How are you?"

She sounded uncertain of herself. Because I'd ducked out in the morning, and I hadn't been in contact since?

She didn't know that side of me, of course. I'd made it a point to call and text her everyday for the past week. To reassure her that my intentions were still very dirty, I said, "Hard, now that I'm talking to you." A clear hint that I wanted back in her bed rather badly, if she wasn't pissed off at me. It was risky, especially with Magnus on the warpath, but I wanted so badly to be near her that I was already walking towards the exit before I could stop myself.

She laughed, the sound so carefree that I envied her. I wished for ignorance, but the burden of knowledge meant I could keep her safe, keep her alive. And right now, even if it resulted in her hating me, protecting Sienna was my main priority.

I cursed myself for the billionth time, pissed that Magnus had managed to rope me back into one of his psychotic schemes again. After I promised myself I would never let him manipulate or intimidate me into his bullshit again, I was right back to square one.

Normally, I'd strike whatever deal I could with him, get the job done and walk away. Normally, there weren't sexy redheads with tits that could tempt a saint and an ass juicy enough to bite. Not to mention that dirty, dirty mouth of hers...

"Are you surprised to hear from me?"

I groaned as a group of children ran past me, laughing and shrieking with excitement. They didn't even notice the dirty look I threw their way, but their mothers smiled apologetically at me before running after their cursed offspring.

"Not entirely," I admitted after distancing myself from the noise. "I had my face between your legs for at least an hour, so I figured you'd be calling me soon."

I grinned at the way she giggled, some of my worries fading at the sound of her mirth. She truly was a phenomenal woman, a force of nature. I wanted nothing more than to immerse myself in her, to get to know her without the dangers we both faced.

And, if I'm being entirely honest here, it wasn't just a sexual thing. I wasn't in love with her or anything, but I desperately wanted to protect her from the evils of the world. She was one of the few good people left on this ratched planet, and she wanted to do good simply because it was the right thing to do. Why she had to be the one to fight these dangerous battles, and why she did it alone, was beyond me.

With just a hint of humour in her voice, she teased, "I think you were having more fun than I was at some point."

I pushed through the exit, my gaze scanning the parking lot for any signs of danger before I hurried to the car. "I highly doubt that. Don't forget I was there, Sienna. Your moans alone nearly shattered my eardrums."

I ignored the urge to smoke, and slid into the driver's seat of my car instead. Seat belt on, I fired up the engine and let the purr ease some of the fear curling around my heart. I kept the phone close to my ear after releasing the handbrake, using one hand to steer the car out of the parking space.

I hit the brakes when a blue BMW honked his loud-ass horn at me, berating me for not checking my car's rear.

"Fucking asshole," I muttered, watching the idiot try to force his way into the parking spot I'd just vacated. I chose not to entertain his bullshit and floored it - I had bigger problems than him right now.

"Axel, where are you?"

A pause. "Working a job."

"Your job involves kids?" she asked. And then, as if I'd proven some point, she muttered, "Please don't tell me you left my bed before sunrise to take your wife and kids out to the zoo or something."

The idea was so ridiculous that the only response I had was a deep chuckle. And if neither of us had a target on our backs, I would've wondered about the weariness in her voice.

"No, sweetheart. I would never abandon that sweet pussy and those amazing tits for a shit-reeking zoo on a-"

"Must you always be so vulgar?"

I rolled my eyes at her response, but I still had a grin spread across the lower half of my face at the thought of her blushing for me. Fuck, how bad did I really have it for this chick? "Always. How else would you know it's me you're talking to?"

"For starters, the voice is a dead giveaway. Not to mention the way you growl when I've said something you like," she said, voice husky. My reaction was immediate and she giggled in response. "Anyway, I didn't call you to reprimand you for your vocabulary. I actually wanted to invite you over for dinner."

She was... What?!

"Yeah? You got steak at your place?" I demanded, making a dramatic, very illegal U-turn. This is greeted by even more honking and several curses from the drivers in the road. But thank fuck there were no cops, because I might have been hauled off to jail that very minute for reckless driving.

"Yeah... Okay, I was going to make chicken. There is this amazing spicy chicken breast recipe that Jaz shared with me the other day, and I've been dying to try it out. I figured since you don't know what good food is..."

"I didn't hear you complain about the pizza last weekend."

She scoffed. Her voice, when it comes, is silky smooth. "I couldn't risk throwing you off your game when you were so determined to satisfy me."

Ah, this woman. Able to adorably dish out the hits as well as she took them.

Ugh, fuck. Focus, you horny asshole.

"Tell you what, darling. How about we do something fun this weekend?"

She paused, I think silently contemplating the benefits of a night out with a man like me. Maybe she was curious how I would turn this into some sordid sexual adventure. But finally, she asked, "Where to?"

"Little trip out of town? I know a quiet place just a few miles south where we can be alone. We'll leave in an hour and I'll drive you back first thing Monday morning," I suggested. That would be long enough to get the charges dropped, and I could keep her far away from Magnus until I knew for sure she was safe.

When she didn't reply for the next few seconds, I added, "We could even scratch outdoor-mountain sex off your bucket list."

A laugh, equal parts delighted and surprised. "What's this place called? So I at least know what to pack?"

I was wary to admit this, because I didn't want her asking me a bunch of unnecessary questions. "It's... uh. It's my place. Bought it a while back. I go out there a couple times a year when I need to get away. And since we'll be in bed all day, clothes aren't really necessary."

"You're not planning to murder me out there, are you?"

I bellowed out a laugh, deep and sensual. She couldn't help but join in, now that her concerns were gone. I made a turn onto an unmarked road, then another before I turned off the engine and slid out of the car. "No, sweetheart. I have no plans to murder you. Just wanted to help you unwind a bit, that's all."

"I would really like that, Axel," she said, and it sounded like she really meant it.

"Perfect. Go home and freshen up. How long will it take for you to get ready?"

There's a lengthy beep on her end of the line, then she replied, "That depends. How warm a greeting do you want?"

"Hmm. I would love to fuck you against that window in your living room..." I reached for the lock on the garage door, sifting through my set of keys to find the correct one. Once I had it, I turned it in the lock, then pushed the heavy metal door open with a grunt.

"But?" she urged.

"We'll wait until we get to the house. I have something planned for you," I lied. We had to get out while we still could. Although... "But now that you've mentioned clothing. Do me a favour and wear something red. Red, tight and short. Preferably with matching lipstick. Hair loose around your shoulders."

"I meant underwear, Axel," she clarified.

I went back in the car and restarted the engine, then drove the car into the safety of the garage. After I turned off the engine again, I slammed the door shut and pulled the door closed, locking it behind me.