Chapter 18 - Harlow

We made it to the kitchen. I tapped his shoulder to let me down. Before we left, I grabbed the photos that now lay scattered on the floor. I tried not to look at them as I shoved them into the envelope they came in. I turned and saw Malachi watching me, unsure of what to do or say. He just watched.

         “Let’s go.” I limped to the door. Malachi didn’t comment about picking me up and carrying me. He knew this wasn’t the time to make that demand. Something changed in me, and now I was serious. I was transfixed by the message that was sent. What did it mean? When I was at his house, maybe I could get Joe to look it over to see if he could catch anything I missed.

         I tossed the envelope in the back of my SUV and made my way to the driver’s side door. “What are you doing?”

         “I’m getting into my SUV.”

         “No, you’re not, you’re riding with me.” He commanded. My stomach clenched, and heat flooded my body. Every time he made a command, it did that to me. The first time he took me on the kitchen counter, he told me to lean back. When we fucked in the armory, he demanded that I not wear clothes.

         I was so used to making my own decisions and being independent. But with him, when he commanded me to do something, I wanted to obey. When he called me naughty, I was damn near sopping from the sound of his voice.

         “How am I supposed to come back? I can’t always rely on a ride.” I yelled over my vehicle. He was standing next to his large truck. It made sense that he had a truck; in this climate, there could be mounds of snow that would need four-wheel drive.

         “I will bring you back.” He yelled back. “Get your sexy ass over here or else.”

         Heat swelled in my core. I was still defiant. “Or else what?”

         He gave me a smirk. “Or else I’ll punish you.” He licked his lips, “I’ll eat you up.” He purred at me.

         This man was put on this earth to kill me slowly. I just know it. Even though I wanted to hop into my SUV and pray for punishment, I grumbled, opened the back door and grabbed the envelope, and walked over to his truck. It was high, causing me to awkwardly climb up.

         “This truck is ridiculous,” I said, trying to hide the smirk on my face.

         He started the truck and drove down the driveway. He glanced over at me. “How bad did you want to get into your own vehicle?” He smirked.

         “Really bad.” I turned to look out the window to hide my smile.

         He laughed and shook his head. “Such a bad girl.”

         In no time, we were through Jackson and down his driveway. The house still loomed before me. I didn’t get a chance to explore it. Maybe after this torture session, he would be willing to show me around. As we got closer, Joe and the man I now knew as Alec stood on the large front porch.

         Malachi threw the truck into park, and I slowly slid out, trying not to rub against my back injury.

         “As I live and breathe, is that Harlow I see?” Joe yelled in the most southern accent he could muster.

         “Shut the fuck up,” I yelled back at him. We have always had this playful banter; he was funny, and his playfulness never matched his outward appearance. That’s why we got along.

         “And the manners of a saint, to boot.” He kept the southern accent and slapped his leg.

         “Don’t make me shoot you,” I said as I limped over to the stairs. Alec laughed from his perch on the railing. Before I could take the first step, he jumped down and offered his hand. “Thanks.” I took it, and he helped me up the stairs.

         “My pleasure. We haven’t been formally introduced, I’m Alec.” He gave me a genuine smile. He had short blonde hair, and he was almost as big as Malachi, but not as broad.

         “Harlow.” I offered back as we made our way into the house. Malachi was behind me, carrying the bag.

         “What goodies did you bring?” Joe asked, he knew that the bag that Malachi held was mine, and it was full of weapons and not an overnight bag.

         I looked at him, eyes eager. “Do you wanna see?”

         “Fuck yes, I know Murphey decks his safe houses out with the best weaponry. He has to have some new shit in there since the last time I’ve been in there.”

         We made it to the dining room that was just off the main entrance. The table could easily fit twenty people, a little too big for the small group that was standing before me. I patted the table and looked at Malachi. “Set it down.”

         Malachi placed the bag in front of me. I went for the side pocket to pull out the drugs and needles. I didn’t want to crush them as I pilfered through the bag.

         “Bringing the big guns, I see.” Joe took the first vial and looked at it, and then brought the others up and looked at them as well.

         “You know I don’t play around.”

         “I’m guessing you’re taking this over?” Joe pulled his gaze from the vial and looked at me, and then at Malachi.

         I didn’t need to ask him what he meant; I knew. “Yes.”

         “Best decision you could have made.” Joe’s face was solemn.

         Malachi nodded. I knew he didn’t want to give me this job, but there was no way around it. I would do a better job than he would, and it wouldn’t affect me as it did him.

         I unzipped the main part of the bag. Alec tried to put his hand into the bag, but I slapped it away. “Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to go into a woman’s purse?”

         Malachi snorted. “Don’t touch, there’s a lot of stuff in there that could do some major damage.” Malachi stood next to me and put his hand on the small of my back as I pulled weapon after weapon out. His hand would drift lower, but then would move back up to where it started.

         Joe grabbed each weapon and inspected it, cocking and uncocking the guns. Looking through the sites. He grabbed the butterfly knife that I was going to take for my own and started flipping it. “I need to get me one of these.”

         I rolled my eyes at him. “You are a lethal weapon in yourself…why would you need a knife?”

         “So, you know?” Joe said with a smirk.

         “I know.” I nodded. “I’ve seen it too, and you know I’ve seen some fucked up shit, but this definitely takes the cake.”

         Joe laughed.

         Alec cleared his throat. “Do you know everything?” He looked at Malachi, then at me.

         “Yes, she knows that she is my mate, and we are taking it slow.”

         “If you become Luna, it will be my honor to protect you,” Alec said.

         “Same,” Joe said.

         Malachi had a big smile on his face. His smile made me smile. I didn’t know what to say, so I let the words hang there. I wanted to be their Luna, I wanted to be a part of their pack, in my own little way. But I couldn’t say that just yet, it was too early. I already knew my decision.

         After Joe had the opportunity to touch each and every weapon multiple times, it was time to get down to business. I put the weapons back into the bag, along with the vials. “Point me in the direction of the dickheads that I need to fuck up.”

         Joe laughed and pointed down the hall.

         “What’s the setup like?”