Somewhere in His Arms (38 page)

             
She gripped the keys and slid back into the truck. Alec closed the door quietly and Lucy pressed the button, stifling a sob as she heard the resounding click of the locks. Then she held her breath and waited.

             
Alec was still facing the truck when he heard Reese's footsteps on the gravel. He reached for his zipper and turned around, looking like he'd just finished a pleasurable interlude with their prisoner.

             
Reese stopped short and stared at his partner in dismay. “You didn't!”

             
Alec made a show of straightening his pants and grinned slyly. “She was no virgin!”

             
The man snorted in disgust and flung the rope aside. “You're horrible!”

             
“She
didn't think so!”

             
“Leave a man alone for two seconds and this is what happens!” Reese glowered at Alec. “You could have waited for me! I like to share.”

             
“There's still some left.”

             
“I'll have to wait,” he pouted. “They're no good when they're sore.” Reese peered regretfully over Alec's shoulder.

             
Alec sobered slightly. “You sound as if you speak from experience.”

             
“I do!” Reese giggled again, the high-pitched quality of his laughter sounding like something out of hell. “Want to know how?”

             
“Tell!” Alec said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking for an opportunity to bash the man's skull.

             
“Well,” he began conversationally, “the first girl I took didn't even last the night! Can you believe she decided to die just when I was having fun?”

             
“You don't say.”

             
“That's when I switched to the older ones. It turns out the younger they are, the tighter they are. And that means they bleed more. It's not fair!”

             
“How many were there?” Alec asked quietly.

             
Reese rubbed his cheek thoughtfully with the gun muzzle. “I never kept records.” He shrugged. “There were so many I lost count! Parents are so careless, you know!”

             
“Are they?”             

             
“Sure,” his little head bobbed up and down. “They're always working so they leave them to walk home by themselves or leave them home alone! That's the best time, when they're all alone.” He laughed at the pleasant memories. “Sometimes they're so involved with their pathetic lives, that they don't even lock their windows!”

             
“No!” Alec gasped in shock. “Do tell!”

             
Reese leaned forward and whispered, “Sometimes they even left the doors unlocked!”

             
“Is that so?”

             
“Not always,” Reese said in disappointment. “I had to get a job so I could be close to the children. I do love children.” He sighed longingly. “They're so sweet and gullible. They'll believe anything you say!”

             
“But why...children?”

             
“Why not?”

             
“Oh, I don't know,” Alec shrugged. “I'm thinking teenagers might be a little easier to handle.”

             
“You would think so.” Reese shook his head sadly. “No, the smaller ones give the most pleasure.”
              Alec felt his gorge rise a little. “How does that work exactly?” he forced himself to ask.

             
Reese smiled again and reached down to rub his crotch. “Well, they just do.” He groaned at his arousal. “Move aside,” he said gruffly. “I'm going to fuck her now!”

             
Alec swallowed hard. “I don't think so. I was pretty rough with her. She probably passed out from that broken arm you gave her.”

             
“So? I want to fuck!” He tried to unzip his pants but couldn't with the gun in his hand, so he slipped it into his coat pocket. “Open the door!”

             
Alec knew this was his chance and shot out an arm to block him. “I wouldn't in the truck. Javier will have both our heads.” He nodded toward a grassy area near the driveway. “Over there.”

             
“Oh, all right!” Reese grumbled and stood waiting for his prize. “Well?” he demanded. “What're you waiting for?”

             
“Why don't you take off your jacket and spread it down for the lady. She'd like that.” Alec turned around and pretended to fish out the keys.

             
“My jacket?” the little man frowned in confusion. “Whatever for? She won't know the difference.”

             
“Don't you want her to think you're a gentleman? I mean she might be more willing if she's comfy like.”

             
Grumbling under his breath, Reese doffed his jacket and spread it out onto the grass. He turned away from Alec then, crouching low to smooth out the wrinkles. “I don't know why I'm going to all this trouble for a simple fuck!”

             
Alec moved quickly. He ran towards Reese and launched himself at the small figure as he stood to survey his work. He slammed into him hard, shoving him away from the garment, and heard a startled grunt as Reese was knocked to the ground. Then he snatched up the jacket with their pistols and flung it into a nearby bush. He didn't need a gun to take care of the bastard.

             
Reese sat up spitting out blood and gravel, the wind knocked out of him, and staring up at Alec who was glaring down at him with cold blue eyes. “What did you
that
for?” he demanded in a wounded voice. “I was going to share!”

             
“I've changed me mind, mate,” Alec informed the wretched creature. “I want her all to myself!”

             
“But I thought we were going to sell her!” Reese whined. “You lied!” he glared up at Alec and went for his knife. “You know what I think? I think there isn't any Javier!”

             
“Oh, there's a Javier,” Alec assured him and flung his phone at him. “Call him yourself if you don't believe me. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you during happy hour!”

             
Reese reached out and grabbed the phone. He went through the call list and saw there was, indeed, a man by the name of Javier on it. He stood up, holding the knife out for protection. “Who do
you
think you are? Fucking with me like that?
I'll gut you like a fish!”
he snarled. “Then I'll rape the bitch, kill her, and take the truck. You'll be in so many pieces they'll have to use a magnifying glass to put you back together!”

             
“I'd like to see you try,” Alec taunted him. “Come on, then.”

             
With an enraged howl, Reese flung himself at his former partner and screamed in outrage when he deflected the knife just as easy as you please. He had made a fool out of him and now he would pay. He gripped the knife tightly and lunged at Alec again. This time he couldn't deflect so easily and Reese caught his upper arm. The familiar coppery aroma of freshly spilled blood filled the air and Reese began to laugh. He was so going to enjoy this. Alec fell to his knees, grunting in pain, and clutching his shoulder to staunch the flow. “Get up!” Reese shouted and lunged at Alec again, this time intending to slit his throat.

             
He had underestimated Reese but only for a moment. Alec had momentarily been caught off guard by Lucy's scream of terror as Reese charged at him with the knife. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He rose quickly as Reese lunged and caught his arm in mid-strike, twisting his arm behind his back, and knocking the knife out of his hand. Then he shoved the son of a bitch back onto his bony ass. “Why don't we settle this like grown men?” Alec offered. “You best me and you get the girl, the truck, and if you're lucky, Javier might offer you a job. He's always on the lookout for psychotic child killers.”

             
Reese giggled with glee and stood up, brushing the dirt off his trousers. ”Do you want to play?”

             
“All those children,” Alec said sadly. “How many were there? Fifty? A hundred?”

             
“I never kept careful records,” Reese said regretfully and began to chuckle. “I lost count! Can you believe that?” He began to circle Alec like a hungry shark. “I should have taken pictures!”

             
“You sick fuck!” Alec hurled viciously, taking a defensive stance. “I'll rip your fucking heart out!”

             
“Sticks and stones!” Reese sang brightly, his black eyes taking on an unholy gleam of excitement. “I'd like to see you try!” he tittered and sprang forward.

             
Alec caught the clumsy oaf by a sparse thatch of hair and dragged him, kicking and screaming, to the truck. He slammed his head into the rear window. “Like killing children, do you?” he growled and raised Reese's head and slammed it back down again. “Hell is waiting for you, you sick fucker!”

             
Reese uttered a pathetic squeal like a hog about to be slaughtered. His forehead gashed open and a steady stream of blood issued forth.

             
Lucy flinched at the sound of something bumping up against the truck and peered up to find Reese's mouth squashed against the window. An enraged Alec had him by the hair and Lucy almost felt sorry for the little toad. 
Almost.
There was a look she had never seen before on her husband's face--a look of murderous determination upon the handsome visage--now almost unrecognizable in its snarl of hate. She watched as if in a dream as Alec slammed his head repeatedly against the window in much the same fashion as Reese had done to her that horrific day. “Go Alec!” she whispered in a little cheer. “Get him!”

             
Almost as if he'd heard his wife cheering him on, he gave Reese one last slam for good measure and felt the man slide from his grasp. Reese slid down onto the gravel, whimpering in agony and tried to crawl away. Alec watched the pitiful wretch scurrying away like some wounded animal, but he wasn't about to let him get away so easily. Spying the rope that Reese had dropped, he moved toward it and that's when Reese shot out a leg. Alec grunted, caught off guard and fell back hard.

             
Reese crawled on all fours to something he saw gleaming in the moonlight near the bushes. The guns! He'd get them and that English pig would be sorry! They would all be sorry for underestimating him! He was halfway there, when he felt something wrap around his neck.

             
“Going somewhere?” Alec snarled and yanked on the rope until he felt it bite into his flesh. “Here, let me
help
you mate!”

             
Lucy was watching the whole thing unfold like some horrific accident in which one could only stare in helpless fascination. Reese had tripped Alec and was crawling towards something, when Alec snared the rope, and began wrapping it around Reese's scrawny neck like a Thanksgiving noose.

              Alec tugged hard, the muscles in his arms straining with the sheer force at having to strangle the little bastard. But still the man clawed at the rope around his neck and continued to breathe. Then mustering the last bit of strength he had, Reese snapped his head back and caught Alec on his chin, making him cry out as teeth sliced into his tongue. Blood filled his mouth and he began choking on the salty swill trickling into his throat. It only served to further enrage Alec, who'd had just about enough of this. He gripped the effete weasel's head in his hands like a soccer ball and gave it a good hard twist to the right, snapping Reese's neck, and ending the nightmares of grieving parents who would never see their children again.

             
Alec felt whatever life the little shit had vacating his boneless body, and he fell back onto the ground panting in relief. He glanced up at the darkened sky and saw thousands of stars winking down at him as if in approval, then he heard the truck door opening.
“Alec...?”
Lucy's voice was urgent, taut with fright. “Are... you all right?”

             
“I'm all right, love,” he called to her. He heard her rush over, holding her limp arm in her hand. He stared up at his wife, unseeing. “He's dead,” he declared simply and covered his eyes with his arm.