Little Bird (Caged #1) (7 page)

"I just might do that, Megan." I smile at her pain and walk towards the door. "Nobody but me fucks with you." Turning on my heel, I leave before I can see her face, but I know there's a snarky response on its way. 

"What?" she snaps. "Luke!" she calls out my name. "What did you just say?" I hear rustling then I hear her hit the floor but I don't go back.

I need to get back inside to a quiet house before my dick starts to think it's okay to fuck a severely injured chick. Just the feisty attitude and the fire in her eyes tonight was enough to make me regret wrapping that blanket around her so soon. I wish I could have enjoyed the view more.

Four fingers of whiskey and I'm starting to forget the look in her eyes today when I left her with those words. 

No one but me fucks with you. 

She doesn't even know the extent of the meaning of those words. I can't fucking stand liars and if she's one thing other than sexy as hell, it's a liar. I can't wait to make her beg. 

Looking at my phone, the anger from earlier starts to come back. How the fuck could he do that to her... to me?! As pissed off as I am that she's so fucking good at hiding her tracks, I'm ten times more pissed at Jasper for pulling that shit when it's my job. My issue. I pull up his number and hit send before I can even think about what I'm going to say to him. I'll just let the alcohol do the talking. 

"What?" he growls, then I hear a woman laughing in the background. 

"What the fuck do you think you were doing here today?" I've never fought with him, but he was out of line today in so many ways.

Treating me like he did.  

Stabbing his fucking employee and leaving her with a fucking python wrapped around her neck. All of this shit which draws attention when you leave the woman to die. 

He's losing it. 

"You better watch what you say to me, you lucky fucking bastard. I saved your goddamned life." There's a lightness in his voice, like it doesn't phase him at all that he left her for dead.  

"We're not talking about me, Jasper! You fucking stabbed her in the neck! I'm here for a motherfucking job and you come in and stomp on everything I'm working on!" 

"You sure it's not just because you're jealous I'm fucking the hottest piece of ass in that little community? Can't seem to bag anyone lately, huh, Ace?"

"That's completely uncalled for." I can't deny the fact that I want to fuck her brains out, but I'm not about to let on how attracted I am to her goddamned body. "You need to keep your dick in your pants when it comes to your employees, Jasper."

"You're a cunt, just like her. This has nothing to do with whatever you're thinking, Ace. You need to drop it before you find yourself in a hellhole of trouble. " His voice has turned poisonous but I don't back down. He sounds high as a motherfucking kite right now, and whatever he's on has him saying shit he knows better than to say.

"I don't know what the fuck this was because you won't fucking tell me, Jasper. I had to stitch her throat back together and bandage her back because it looks like you took a motherfucking steak knife to her!" 

"You don't even know what you're getting into. You should have let the bitch die and all this would have been over." He groans and I hear a woman murmur something to him, then the line goes dead. 

Motherfucker. 

***

The next morning I wake up with a massive headache and anger simmering at the tipping point. I have the urge to take a run to her house to make sure she's okay this morning, but the fucking sun isn't even up yet.

Give it time, Lucas. 

After gaining remote access to her laptop, I'm still finding nothing at all that sends up red flags. What I am finding though is a shit ton of pictures of her and that motherfucking bird. The bird that she never got back. 

That's when I know what I have to do. Stitching her up and saving her life won't be enough for her to let me stay. I have to play these cards perfectly or else I may actually fail this case. It's become a mission. I could have all this over in a matter of hours with no solid answers, but now I want to know. I want to find out what she's done and how. I really assumed she'd have a mess of clues and answers for me, but there's nothing and Jasper's adamant there isn't 'nothing'.

After a quick shower, I toss on shorts and a t-shirt and am out the door, Google searching the closest pet shop. 

Three hours and a few hundred dollars later, I'm standing on her front porch with nerves starting to make me feel like this might have been a bad idea. Pressing the doorbell, I stand and wait for her to swing the door open, ready for a fight. She's got that attitude about her... always on guard and ready, even if she doesn't mean to show it. 

The door opens and she's wearing a turtleneck dress thing... It's eighty and sunny out. But I guess she has to hide what I imagine is a fucked up sight under there.

  "Lucas," she cautiously says my full name I never gave her permission to call me. But I guess she never told me to call her Megs either. Her eyes glance around behind me. "What're you doing here? I'm fine. I'm sorry how you found me. And thank you. For... what you did. But I'm fine."

  "Are you going to let me talk or just keep rambling on and on? I mean, I know I'm good-looking and all, but there's no need to be nervous around me." Quirking up a slight grin, her eyes momentarily go wide before the mask returns. 

  "As attractive as you may be, you always seem to remind me why beauty is only skin deep." Her door partially closes. "What do you want?"

  "Well." I clear my throat, hiding the amusement in my voice as best as I can. "I looked all over for your bird," I lie, "but I never found any traces. So..." I hold up the small cage with the bright yellow canary inside and smile. "I brought you a new one." 

Her eyebrows are high and her mouth is hanging open as she stares at the cage. "A bird? You bought me a bird to replace Pretty Bird?"

  "I mean... nothing can replace Pretty Bird. But, I bought you another bird to... stink up your house." I can't mask the smile on my face and she's still staring at me with the confused and surprised expression. 

She finally rolls her eyes and pushes open the door, stepping to the side. "I know how to care for my pets, Lucas. My bird did not stink up my house." She gestures me inside.

  "You seem to have cared for your snake pretty damn well too." 

She gasps but before I see the anger on her face, she dulls it down, giving the door a firm shove so it slams. I expect a smartass remark, her to tell me I'm vile and idiotic. Instead, I get slammed in the chest and shoved against the door.

  "Who are you and what the fuck do you want?" Her weak attempt at forcing my hand is cute.

Jasper was right, she isn't stupid, but she's not smart enough to outsmart Lucas Acey. I take her hands and move them back to her side, slipping around her while I walk to the kitchen and smile setting the bird on the kitchen table.

Extending my hand I say, "Hi, my name's Lucas. I'm a computer geek at heart and I love solitaire." I'm laying on the charm way too fucking thick just to get in her pants and finish this job. I could get so many other chicks way easier than this one. 

  "Why the fuck won't you leave me alone? And why'd you bring me a bird!" she shrieks, glaring at the fucker that won't stop whistling a happy little tune.

I have a feeling I'm going to wake up to a yellow bird head in my bed.

  "You looked so sad when Pretty Bird got out. And... there was a sale." I shrug and shove my hands in my pockets. "Uh... so about that whole having to be out in a week thing?" 

  "Jesus Christ," she mutters dropping her head. "A fucking bird sale. Did you buy me a bird so you can have more time to clean out your family's house?" she snaps. "After you saved my damn life, I think I can give you the time you need. I just expect you not to be a dick and to realize the longer you're there, it puts off me selling the place."

  "I can live with that. I mean... I did save your life. That's what? A month's worth of rent? Maybe two? I just love this little community so much." Playing the nephew card is getting really fucking old. One of these days there's going to be a 'golly gee' slip and I don't think I'll be able to come back from that one.

  "I'm not stupid." She leans against the counter and looks over at the birdcage. "You're not just here because you love the community." Her eyes roll as she opens the cage door. "I think you have a little crush on me. And I'm flattered." She's holding the bird in her grasp and running her fingernail over the back of its neck, looking like she might pierce it with the dagger-like nail. "But I'm not entirely sure you're my type. And I can guarantee I'm not your type. You've witnessed for yourself that my sexual kink is a lot fucked up. A world you probably couldn't even comprehend." She opens her hand but the bird doesn't fly away. I'm just grateful the psychopath didn't kill the fucking thing while I'm standing here. 

  "Have you ever been wrong about someone in your life, Megan? Maybe if you look past the clothes they wear and the car they drive you'll actually grow to get some friends in this lonely little life of yours."

She looks up at me before letting my insult sink in and slides her hand towards the birdcage, watching the little yellow fuzzball hop back inside. 

  "This is how we differ, Lucas. A man like you needs... wants friends. A woman like me is more concerned with herself. I don't need people in my way. I don't need lust-struck men trying to buy their way into my bed. You want in my bed?" Her eyes narrow and she takes a step toward me, her hand landing on my chest before she slowly slides downward. "Bring a snake," she says right before cupping me; I can feel the heat from her palm through my pants but she's not touching me yet.

She stops just short of the goal and she's about to pull away but my hand clamps onto her wrist and her eyes fly to mine as my grip on her arm tightens. Sliding it down, I can see her breath speed up as I reach my crotch.

Her hand slides over my dick, already hard from this one show of power, and I lean in and whisper in her ear, "I already have one, ready and waiting, Megs."

She smells so fucking good like that Jasmine and honey lotion or perfume.

Leaning in just a bit closer, my hand on hers as she voluntarily tightens her grip on me, my lips go to her ear and nip gently. I grin, watching the goosebumps rise on her skin. Then she chuckles... like I'm a fool and yanks her hand out of my grasp and walks around me.

  "Thanks for the bird," she says opening the front door. "You don't have the snake I need. He was big enough, but performance is everything." Her eyes are on my crotch. "I just don't think you could keep up. Besides, I'm seeing someone."

  "He seems like a goddamned winner too. Get rid of that dead snake yet?" I stop on her porch and turn to look at her.

Her fist is tight around the doorknob and she's very obviously holding back slamming the door in my face. That rage is going to be fantastic to fuck out of her. 

  "If you're too bothered by the games I like to play." She starts closing the door. "I don't think you'll ever make it to my bedroom."

  "I'm not bothered, Megs. I just know how to fuck without needing the props." I wink at her and head down the front steps.

  "Lucas," she says before I get to the bottom. "You sure you want to fuck with an involved woman?" Her eyes narrow. "I think you've already seen what type of man my boyfriend is. If he'll do that to me, imagine what he'll do to you when he finds out you've bought his girl a new bird. And I love the bird." She winks at me now. "I'll make sure he knows that too."

Is she threatening me? With Jasper? Does she not realize she's just a fuck-toy to him?

  "I'm not afraid of your abusive boyfriend, Megs. Women beaters are all weak... too easy to beat. Plus, I'm sure you're upset because he couldn't provide the snake I can." 

She laughs. An actual laugh too.

  "Bye, Lucas," she says before closing the door.

***

I spend the better part of a week following her, keeping tabs on her and looking into everything that I can. I can't, for the fucking life of me, see anything that she's doing wrong. It looks, from all accounts that I've been able to attain access to, that she's doing everything by the books. It's been weeks now of me doing this job and I'm stuck. I've been in and out of her life and I'm no closer to getting down to what Vince said was happening. I'm starting to become worried that I won't actually be able to finish this job. 

My feet hit the pavement, the ninety degree heat making me look forward to a shower and clean clothes, but the five mile run I missed yesterday has to happen today or I'm going to go nuts. My path, as usual, crosses Megan's house two times... once in the beginning and once in the end. The first time I ran past it on this run everything looked still and quiet, but now there's a very familiar car in the driveway. I slow my run, not wanting him to see me passing her place for some stupid as fuck reason, and watch as they go inside. 

Boyfriend my ass. Jasper doesn't do relationships. Jasper fucks multiple women a day. This bitch is delusional. 

As soon as the screen door shuts I speed my pace again. That is, until I hear her yelp. More of a scream, but either way, I stop dead in my tracks.