Page 62 of Outlawed

“I know Beckett, that marshal friend of yours, was working with Porter all along. He had no intention of bringing down the money-laundering racket when he was getting such a huge payoff to look the other way—money that came from my ranch. The worst part is that Beckett was investigating my father, Martin Hart. That’s what got him sent here in the first place. I don’t know how long it took for him to realize that Porter and Martin were the same person, or how Porter managed to get him over to his side, but that man could sell fur coats in hell. My guess is Porter brought you in after you were kicked out of the department. He’d lost Dale and needed someone to stroke his ego and do his dirty work. When I slipped a little something into Porter’s coffee creamer, and he started acting more erratic, even for him, you reached out to Beckett personally. You needed to make sure you were covered if Porter lost it completely. He ignored you, didn’t he? You were a nobody with nothing to offer, not until Porter stopped checking in and missed his prearranged meet-up. Then Beckett was scrambling. He’s calling you for information, and you’re angry, not just at me but at him and Porter for not recognizing you’re an alpha male.” I pretend to gag as I walk into the other room again and drag out another piece of equipment.

“You spewed your hatred about me, and your suspicions, implying I knew all of Porter’s dirty deeds and that I was responsible for all the missing men in this god-forsaken town. You painted a target on my back because I bitch-slapped the alpha out of you. Beckett came looking for bodies, but also for any information that might incriminate him. And when he found none, he realized you’d fucked him over. So I guess in a way, you’re right. He is looking for you, but for all the wrong reasons. Last I heard, he was being investigated himself. And who do you think he’s going to hold responsible for that? He doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who’d do well in jail. There are too many people inside that he helped put there. Yeah, if he gets convicted, I see him more of a going out in a blaze of glory kind of way, and I’d put good money on him wanting to take you with him.”

I walk back into the adjoining room, grab the last few items I need, and arrange everything so they’re in place. Walking back over to Derek, I hold my palm up and let the sparks dance across it, smirking when his breathing picks up.

“So everyone here knows I’m a witch now. I think most people, at least the older generation, always knew. I was naive, you see. I thought I was getting taunted and bullied because of my mother’s history, not mine. Hell, I didn’t even know I was a witch until the night my powers came in. And well, we all know how that turned out. I’d planned to hide that side of me for the most part. But as I’m sure you noticed, this town reacts to me being back. There was no hiding that in the long run.”

I crouch and don’t miss the way his eyes run over my naked body, though the look of disgust indicates it does nothing for him. This makes a change. Not everyone in his position has been able to control their dick, which is why I tend to remove it first.

“Wanna know a fun fact, Derek?” He blinks, his eyes on the sparks as he swallows before looking up at me. “You were right. I am the reason for all those missing men. Can’t help the town heal until you cut out the rot, you know?”

“I knew it,” he hisses.

“Yes, I’ll give you your dues, you’re the only one who figured it out. But then you knew I was the one who killed Dale, didn’t you?” I cock my head. “I’m curious. Did you always know about my gifts? Your father knew about me, of course, but I hadn’t come into my power until…” I huff out a dry laugh.

“My birthmark. Did my father tell him about it? Though he was born and raised here, he might just have known more about the Hart family history than I realized. I bet your daddy saw it when he arrested me and then told you about it.”

He doesn’t confirm it, but I can read the truth in his eyes, which pisses me off. I press my fingers to his lips and let the sparks zap at him, making him cry out.

“You didn’t even give me a chance.”

“You’re a witch,” he hisses.

“And? You’re an asshole. So what? All you had to do was stay out of my way, and I would have stayed out of yours. But you just couldn’t. I don’t think it has anything to do with me being a witch and everything to do with me being a woman. Did history teach you nothing?”

“It taught me that women are whores who can’t be trusted,” he snarls.

“Ouch. It must really suck then that my dick is bigger than yours.” I wink, getting to my feet. “Well, as fun as this has been, I really should get back. My guys tend to freak out a little if they wake up spooning each other.”

“You’re all a bunch of fucked-up freaks.”

“I can’t argue with that.” I pull the wheelbarrow over and place it next to him as he struggles in his shackles. It’s amusing watching his flaccid little pecker flap around like that.

“I think I’ve just found the root of why you hate women. When you jerk off, do you even need to wrap your whole hand around it, or will two fingers do?”

“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!” he screams.

“Not even if you were using someone else’s dick.”

I hum that same damn catchy tune as I slip the hair tie from my wrist and pull my hair up into a messy bun so it’s out of the way. “I hate getting blood in my hair,” I tell him when he watches me warily.

“Wanna see something fun I learned?”

He shakes his head no, well as much as the shackle allows him to. I ignore him, making a spark dance on my palm before it’s joined by another and another. When my whole hand is glowing, I focus on an image and watch with a smile as the white light takes on a blade shape. “Cool, right?”

“Eat shit.”

“Not my kink, but you do you. Wanna know what my kink is? Teaching wannabe fuck boys that women shouldn’t be messed with.” I wipe all the mirth from my face and let him see the hatred in my eyes. “You sealed your fate the second you touched Sarah. Killing Dawn just means this is going to be that much more painful. Usually, I let my guests pass out until I’m done, but you…I think I’ll keep restarting your heart until the bitter end.”

I bend down and hold the blade above his left foot.

“Stop, what are you doing?”

“I thought that was obvious. I’m cutting you up.”

He screams in horror. “Why?”

“Because if someone tried to eat you whole, they’d choke. Bite-sized pieces are so much better. Though I don’t suppose it matters in the end.”