Death Blooms Read online

  “Busy?” she asks pointedly.

  “Not anymore,” I grumble, running a hand back through my hair. “What’s up?”

  She smirks and glances behind her, drawing my eyes to the obvious thing I had managed to miss.

  Penn Harris is standing behind Aiden and as they exchange a knowing glance, I wonder why the Earth hasn’t opened up and swallowed me yet.

  “Maybe we should come back some other time,” he suggest to Aiden, turning his back to us and heading toward the elevator.

  “Get rid of whoever’s here,” she hisses, leaning in toward me. “I’ll go back and get your crush.”

  “How?” I ask, pulling her back toward me.

  “Toss them out the window for all I fucking care. He wanted to make sure you got home safe and I think it would be a nice gesture if you let us come in,” she shoots back in a hushed tone. Before I have a chance to ask anymore questions, Aiden turns around and jogs toward the elevator where Penn is waiting patiently.

  I close the door to my loft and run my hands over my face. I have no idea what to do with Julie, but I refuse to let him come in and find me with a fucking hooker.

  “Fuck it,” I say to myself.

  I walk quickly into the space I left her in and pick her up off the floor. She’s still upset with me because she tries her best to pull away from me. Being much stronger than her helps my situation because I twist her arm and drag her toward the staircase.

  The workshop may be occupied right now, but this bitch can ruin something for me that I want more than I even realized until this moment.

  “Come on!” I grunt at her angrily, as I begin to drag her up the stairs.

  “I thought you were nice,” she sobs as she continues her struggle to get away from me.

  I raise an eyebrow at her and smirk when an idea suddenly comes to mind. “You want me to be nice to you? Fine.”

  I let Julie’s arm go and she begins to teeter on the step we’ve reached halfway to the top. Her arms pinwheel at her sides, but she still manages to lose her footing as she goes tumbling violently, landing in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

  I jog back down and crouch over her. She’s still breathing but it’s ragged—she won’t last much longer and even though I think it would be more of a mercy to end her, I simply don’t have the time right now.

  I’ll leave her in the dark, cold staircase to gasp for air that will never reach her lungs as I go back out and entertain my guests.

  Much like pre-constructed pieces, sometimes dead ones fetch a much higher sum than the ones that I’ve been commissioned for.

  Chapter Five

  “Sorry about that,” I reply sheepishly as I reenter the room. Aiden and Penn are already inside the place, the door still open, and him lingering by the doorway.

  Aiden grins at me as she tosses my crumpled shirt in my direction and Penn shrugs, a friendly smile on his face.

  “Did we catch you at a bad time?” he asks.

  “Huh? Oh. No,” I say, pulling the shirt over my head. “Just taking care of some late-night shit. Um, do you guys want something to drink? Water? Juice? Coffee?”

  “Why, Gray Talbot, as I live and breathe—those manners of yours are shining through again,” Aiden teases with a chuckle.

  “I guess,” I say with a nervous glance in Penn’s direction. “Did you guys want something?”

  “Just to make sure you got here alright. You left pretty quickly and I don’t know—it felt like you were in a bad mood,” Penn replies with a shrug.

  “I meant to drink,” I tell him softly, glancing down at my boots.

  “Oh!” He laughs good-naturedly as he takes a step into the room. “No, I’m pretty sure I had enough of anything to drink for one night.”

  “Okay,” I reply quietly, my eyes wandering back up to his. I don’t understand how it’s possible to have eyes so big and blue, but God I wish they would look at me the way I know mine look at him.

  “Do you mind if we crash here tonight, Gray? I really don’t feel like doing anymore walking and you know I don’t trust that Uber bullshit,” Aiden states, yawning loudly.

  “Um, yeah. I’ll go get you some blankets and pillows. Give me a few,” I say as I leave them in the room. I hear my front door finally close and the click of the lock as it’s secured in place. I’m not entirely sure who closed the door, but I’m grateful for it because that means that Penn won’t leave.

  Once I’m up in my room, I grab some blankets and pillows from the linen closet, before I run back down, stepping over Julie’s still wheezing body.

  I give her crumpled body a nudge with the edge of my foot and she replies by trying to take in a ragged series of breaths.

  I roll my eyes and step back out into the hallway, locking the door securely behind me. I have a feeling that if Penn found my little purchased fuck toy dying in the stairwell, he’d more than likely make a run for it.

  It takes me a little bit of wandering around until I find them in the living room. Penn is sitting in my recliner, his long legs spread on either side of the bottom half, laughing at something that Aiden’s saying.

  “Here,” I say, holding out what I offered them. Aiden glances over her shoulder at me from where she’s sitting on the couch and grins.

  “Thanks!”

  She reaches for a pillow and blanket, tossing it at Penn, before she retrieves a set for herself.

  “You know, if you stay out here with us tonight, we can make it a slumber party,” she suggests with a sly grin.

  “Aiden, it’s almost three o’clock in the fucking morning—I just want to go to sleep,” I reply with a heavy sigh.

  “By yourself?” Penn asks curiously.

  “How else?” I snap at him irritably. Once again, my entire body turns crimson and I’m so embarrassed at the way I just barked at him, that I bite my lip and look away.

  His friendly chuckle tells me that he didn’t take it to heart. It’s late, I’m halfway to drunk with unannounced guests, and a dying whore in the staircase. I haven’t even gotten off yet and I’m just not in the mood to play twenty questions, regardless of who they’re coming from.

  “Sorry,” I mumble.

  “You apologize a lot,” Penn remarks. “I didn’t expect that from you for some reason.”

  “Yeah. Well. Sorry.”

  Aiden giggles, Penn laughs, and a small smile curves the edge of my lips. I get it, I really do. Anyone that sees me for what I am on the outside expects a hard ass because of my sleepy green eyes, my usually neat hair, and the definition of muscle to me. I’m not a muscle head by any means, I just like to keep myself strong and ready for anything I may need to capture or fight my way out of.

  It’s funny.

  Penn is tall and thin and I’m tall and well built. No one would ever look at the two of us and think that we could be together—not the trust fund kid and the sociopathic murderer.

  Considering I don’t know what exactly he’s into, I don’t think it even matters. I just have always had this little fantasy ever since I first laid eyes on him during a night out with Aiden and have dreamed almost every single night since of being everything he’s ever wanted. Penn would be able to command me to do anything his heart desired, and I would be the submissive, subservient, obedient little boy, eager to please his owner.

  I guess in a way, that makes me a pet too.

  “Did those hurt?” he asks, nodding at my arms and breaking the uncomfortable silence.

  “Huh?” I ask, glancing down.

  “The tattoos.”

  “Oh, no. Not really,” I reply with a shrug. “I’ve felt worse than a needle.”

  He nods again and cuts his eyes toward Aiden who’s watching us both from the couch. She’s laying on her back now, pillow behind her head, and blanket pulled up to her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.

  “I punched him once,” she explains, turning her face toward Penn. “That’s what he means by that.”

  Penn grins and I rub the back
of my neck. It’s starting to get so hot in this fucking room that I almost feel like I’m beginning to suffocate.

  Gray Talbot, with a crush so severe, can’t stand to be around him whenever he’s near, I taunt myself mentally.

  “Stop sulking and bring your big ass over to this couch,” Aiden instructs, sliding her legs off the side.

  I shake my head and snicker quietly, but I do what she asks me too. At this point, I could curl up on the floor and fall asleep, but her offer is nicer because it will give me somewhere comfortable to lay my head down for the evening.

  “Want my pillow?” Penn asks, as I lie down on the opposite end of Aiden.

  “Nah, I’ll be alright,” I reply as I pull my shirt off again and toss it on the floor. Aiden lets go of her blanket and allows me to pull it halfway up my body before she brings her legs back up and turns onto her side, curling her tiny body into a ball.

  “Thanks, though,” I add, realizing that I hadn’t said it yet.

  “Cool,” Penn replies with a nod as he pulls the lever to bring up the bottom half of the recliner and situates himself on the piece of furniture.

  “Good night, guys,” Aiden says tiredly, with another loud yawn.

  “Good night,” Penn replies, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

  “Night,” I offer quietly as I turn my eyes toward the high ceiling and stare.

  There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to go to sleep knowing he’s only a few feet away, so I’ll just have to do my best to fake it until morning. When they’re both gone, I’ll take Julie up to the top floor and then take a nap.

  Chapter Six

  I wake up to the sound of hushed conversation with the occasional chuckle here and there. I don’t know what time it is, but I feel like I may have slept longer than I should have because my body feels much more rested than it normally does.

  I wonder if Julie died yet, I think with a wide yawn as I stretch my arms over my head.

  “It’s about time you woke up! Breakfast is getting cold—get over here!”

  Aiden?

  I turn onto my stomach and glance over the top of the couch arm, narrowing my eyes to gaze into the kitchen area. Yeah, that little frame and wild bed hair definitely belongs to Aiden. I had almost forgotten she came over last night.

  But that means—

  My mouth feels like cotton when I remember that Aiden didn’t come alone. A tall, thin figure moves around her and meets my eyes as best as I can tell. I turn around immediately and lay on my back again, rubbing the sleep away, wondering if I look presentable enough to even sit up, let alone go join them.

  “I made western omelettes, home fries, and bacon—hope that’s okay,” Penn calls out to me.

  Beautiful and he can cook.

  I wave a hand over my head in thanks, not making a move to leave my spot on the couch.

  A loud sigh escapes from Aiden as well as the unmistakable sound of her hands hitting her legs, followed by her footsteps toward me. She hops onto the couch, straddling me, and gives me chest a gentle push.

  “Get the fuck up and get over there. The man cooked for you,” she hisses.

  “He cooked because he was hungry,” I reply, gently pushing her off of my lap. When she lands on the floor with a dull thud, I turn on my side and grin at her. “Did you let him eat-in while I was asleep?”

  “Fuck off, Gray,” she grumbles getting to her feet and swaying her hips, making it halfway back to Penn when I realize I need her help. I sit up and run my hands back through my hair, before I glance at them and notice that his eyes are still on me. He’s watching me with a curiosity I can’t quite place and it’s making me slightly apprehensive.

  “Hey, Aiden,” I call out to her. She turns around, halfway to Penn, and arches her eyebrows at me. I motion for her to come back because I need her to do the one thing I know I don’t have it in me to do.

  “What’s up?” she asks with a sigh.

  “Get rid of him,” I say to her softly, lowering my eyes to the floor.

  “Gray,” she says as patiently as she can, crouching down and taking my hands in hers. “It was his idea to come last night. Even though I told him that you would be okay, he insisted. He said he didn’t like that you left in a bad mood and he wanted to make sure that everything was okay. I didn’t want to come—Penn did.”

  I smile and scoff.

  Aiden may be a pain in the ass, and she may make me crazy sometimes, but there will never be a better friend than the spitfire in front of me.

  “Does he know?” I ask, raising my eyes slowly to hers. Aiden’s never been able to lie to me and when she tries, her eyes tell me everything I need to know.

  “No. I haven’t told him,” she promises, shaking her head.

  “Do you … do you think I have a chance?” I continue, biting my lower lip.

  “I don’t know, honey. And you won’t know unless you get off of your ass and try.”

  She’s using her gentlest tone to try and persuade me to be a man. Normally it works, but I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t even know if Penn is into cock or if he’s into pussy or both, because I don’t have the balls to even bring it up. How does one even ask that? I’m pretty sure, hey can I suck your cock wouldn’t exactly go over well with a guy like him.

  “Okay,” I finally relent. She smiles as I get to my feet and stretch my arms over my head and laugh when she pokes my sides. It’s my soft spot—the one place that can always make me laugh and she only does it when she wants me to be in a good mood.

  Even though work has been great, and my pieces get better and better, I’ve been a miserable bastard and it worries her.

  I follow her into the kitchen and thank Penn quietly when he hands me a fixed plate. I’m starting to wonder if he thinks I’m something of a child because I could have done this myself, or if maybe he’s just being kind.

  Penn pulls himself up on the counter and turns his attention back to Aiden and they continue whatever conversation they were having that woke me up.

  “Yeah but I’m not the one that got up on the bar and damn near stripped myself naked,” Penn teases her.

  “What?” I ask. My fork is halfway to my mouth and I’m staring at Penn, waiting for him to repeat himself.

  “Nothing, man. She was just having fun,” he replies, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “And were you going to protect her if someone tried to harm her? Were you going to make sure that nothing happened to Aiden if there were one too many people crowding her?” I snap at him.

  His eyes widen for a moment, as he rolls them toward Aiden then back at me.

  “I can take care of myself and you know it, besides, I wasn’t that damn drunk,” Aiden quips, giving Penn a playful shove. “You’ll have to take that with a grain of salt. Gray is just really protective of me even though he knows I can take him if it ever came down to it.”

  I walk over to the counter and put my plate down. My stomach is sour because of how I just barked at him and I don’t have an appetite anymore.

  “Want me to make you something else?” he asks.

  “No. I’m sorry for snapping at you,” I reply quietly, turning my eyes toward his body.

  “Stop apologizing—we’re fine. I would probably be the same way if I were in your shoes when it comes to little Miss Toughy here,” he says, waving off my anger.

  I nod before I turn and begin to walk away from them, but as Aiden lets out another loud sigh, Penn reaches over and grabs my shoulder.

  “I heard some groaning last night from the stairwell. I took care of it for you,” he whispers, his breath hot on my ear.

  Chapter Seven

  Aiden is in the shower now.

  I’m sitting on my couch staring at Penn who’s back on the recliner, his long legs splayed on either side, a wide grin across his full lips.

  “Why do you look at me like that?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.

  “Like what?” I ask defensively. The reality of his
question snaps me back to the moment because even though I’ve been silently staring at him, I’ve been a million miles away in a world of my own.

  “Like you want to eat me or something,” he replies with a chuckle.

  “Sorry.”

  He rolls his eyes and sighs. I can tell that my habit of apologizing is becoming something of a nuisance with him, but it’s just in my nature.

  “We’re gonna have to snap you out of that. Saying you’re sorry is fine but saying it so damn much is kind of annoying,” he says, cutting his eyes back toward me. The way he’s looking at me now, from the corner of his eyes, the grin again prominent on his lips is actually terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

  I shift in my seat and hope to God he can’t see that the look he’s giving me has made me hard because that’s something I won’t apologize for.

  “How long have you known Aiden?” he asks, reclining the chair and stretching his long arms over his head.

  “Um, for a while, I guess,” I reply with a shrug. “Have you ever been to one of her fights?”

  “Can’t say I have,” he replies in a semi-bored tone.

  “She’s amazing—fucking phenomenal really because you’d never expect someone that damn tiny to be as savage as she gets when she has an opponent,” I gush proudly.

  “What kind of fighting does she do, anyway? Boxing?” he asks, crossing one of his legs over the other.

  “Bare-knuckle.”

  “No shit?” He looks at me and lets out a low whistle. “I didn’t think that little shit had it in her. I’ve been to some of those fights—bet a shit ton of money on them, too. I’ve never seen her at one though.”

  I shrug again.

  “I don’t like her doing them, so I give her money to keep her away from it. She has a ten-oh record, but the last one was brutal. Big motherfucker—knocked out some of her teeth so I paid for them to get fixed,” I explain.

  “Are you guys together?” he asks suddenly.

  “What? No! She’s just my friend,” I reply defensively. “No, I’ve never felt like that about Aiden. Ever.”