What Lies Beneath

I was next to Landon in a booth while he and Jaxon discussed where to go first. The people were scattered all over the west coast, but the closest was still a hundred miles away. Landon knew a few people listed, but he wasn't sure how

important they were.

We'd covered a little more distance before stopping again, and now it was time to decide who to kill next.

"It won't do much for us if we knock out party planners," he commented. "I'd rather start at the top of the food chain."

"Me too," Jaxon said as he chewed on a fry. "But if we don't know, there ain't much we can do."

I threw my two cents in. "I think we should go down the line one by one. They might not be important people, but if we get to enough, then we'll get the attention we need."

"You think we ought check out one his places?" Jaxon asked.

"No point." Landon sighed, and his back hit the seat. "He won't go to them now, and he's always known Mila had his book. He knows he's not safe in any of them."

"Wouldn't he warn his people then?"

Landon crossed his arms. "People are disposable to him. I don't think he'd care to warn them all. Or to even think we'd go after them. I imagine we'll have a couple days at best after we start. Then he'll care."

I took a fry from Jaxon and snuck my hand onto Landon's leg. "Are we trying to get info, or are we straight-up killing people?"

"Killing." He grinned. "No one is going to give up Knox. Though, he's not the only one in that family left on my list. I still need his mother. She doesn't do much anymore. Retired, or so I hear. If we kill her..." His grin brightened. "...he'll be sure to find us."

"Who's the third one?" I asked. "You never said the third person on your list."

"One of the men that grabbed-" He stopped, leaving it vague for my brother. "His last name is Deet."

I smiled. "He's on the list."

I got a smile back. "Yes, he is. Good ol' Boulder, Colorado."

"Less than half a day's drive. Not all that far." We'd been driving for a while, and my brother liked to speed. So we'd managed to get to the Idaho border before stopping again.

"No it's not."

"Knock off the foreplay," Jaxon growled. "Do you have to like the killing stuff so much, La? It's upsetting."

I looked to my brother. "It's not so much the killing as it's the hot guy doing it. He could be talking about cookies, and I'd still wanna pop his personal bubble."

Jaxon threw a fry at me. "No" was all he said, stern and angry.

"Yes," I said with mock serious eyes as I ate the fry.

He put his hands in front of him. "Look, you two can do what you will, but spare me, would ya?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you had a lady friend, I wouldn't bug you about it."

"But I don't, so that's irrelevant."

"I'll tell your future girlfriend that."

We finished eating and started in on our road trip. Jaxon sat in the back because Landon had decided to drive. There was a flattering tug-of-war between whom I would sit with, but my husband won out on that one. Of course. Jaxon complained from the back. "I'm gone for a few weeks, and my sister has to go and fall for some old man. They warned me about this in school."

I didn't even look back. "Did they?"

"Yeah. They said that there were predators out there, and they tried to lure you into cars to look for puppies."

Landon laughed. "Your sister was the predator here. I didn't want to help her; she bribed and threatened me to get into her van to look for her lost puppy, so deal with that."

There was silence as Jaxon considered that. "Fuck, were you the one to push him into messing around, La?"

"Um, no?" It sounded like a question. Our first kiss had been all me, true, but it had been just a cover. He'd been the one to grab my ass and put his tongue in my mouth. I'd gone for it, sure. I still didn't think that counted. Our second kiss... leading to some very heavy fooling around, I'd give to him. He'd said he loved me. I wouldn't have done what I had if he hadn't said that. And I didn't even count when he felt me up on the dresser. My mate was the one to start this, so Jaxon should be happy in his sadness.

Landon let me put the music on, and I made sure to pick out something that would make him rethink this whole marriage thing. I loved him, so I didn't worry so much about being forever bound with Landon. I knew all the reasons he loved me. Some good, some sad, but all valid. Same for me. He gave me comfort in a way I didn't know I could get. He'd promised me a future, with a family and stability. That was all I'd ever wanted.

"Is this the Willy Wonka soundtrack?" Landon smiled as he watched the road.

"Maybe." I crossed my legs and hummed along with Charlie's mother.

The drive was long, and Jaxon complained the whole way. The plan was to make it to the guy high on Landon's list, and kill all the people in between. We were fairly close to one of them.

It was a man, human. Landon had said that he was pretty sure the guy was one of the scouters. So he very much deserved to die.

"Those people" Jaxon said, leaning forward, "are they kept like I was?"

Landon's hands tightened on the wheel. "Unfortunately, I think a lot of them would consider what you got as five-star treatment." Jaxon's head lowered. "I was tortured."

"So are they."

"Worse?"

I looked out the window so Jaxon couldn't see my face. He didn't know what had happened to Landon, and I wasn't sure if he ever would. I didn't want to give anything away. "Worse," Landon said, his voice cold.

I watched Jaxon's face get colder. "Okay then. Mila, I say you and I pull a Topeka."

I sighed while Landon asked the obvious question. "What the fuck does that mean?"

I looked over at him. "A couple years ago, we were in Kansas. There was this guy we were tailing who had some money to burn. Keep in mind, I understand that it was wrong of us in theory. We are not great people." Jaxon beamed as if he was proud of it.

"This guy," I went on, "he liked to buy little failing businesses from families for half of what they were worth. And the families would go for it because it was better than being homeless. So he'd take the building, sometimes tear it down, sometimes something else. Either way, he'd sell it for triple what he paid for. He made out like a bandit."

"So he was a dick?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Pretty much. So Jax and I decided that we should Robin Hood him."

My husband smiled at the road. "Is that what you call it?"

"Hey, we were broke, so yeah. Anyway-"

Jax put his hand on my shoulder. "Let me take over, kid. You're not doing it right."

I rolled my eyes. "Go ahead."

"Anyway..." He grinned. "...we needed to get a meeting with this dickhead. Not easy for a fifteen-year-old and her very attractive older brother. But sadly, Mila... grew up, very quickly."

"Tis true." I sighed. "The Lord blessed me with all this..." I gestured to myself dramatically. "...very young."

Jaxon frowned while Landon said, "Yes, I am aware of what you're working with."

Jaxon smacked his arm. "Back to the story. We have to play dress-up a lot, so Mila threw on an adorable little suit, and so did I. I looked amazing, and Mila looked twenty. So we played like we were a brother/sister business team. Our parents had died, and we'd gotten a little grocery store that we couldn't handle. We wanted to sell."

"And..." I cut him off. "...Jaxon happens to be an expert at fake paperwork. It's how we survive. The only thing our parents left us were those skills."

"So with this paperwork," Jaxon said, "we managed to convince him we owned a building that didn't exist. We played real desperate. Like cardboard-house desperate. Now this guy, he liked to pay in cash. He played it off like it was supposed to be helpful. The taxman wouldn't take from us, desperate-and-in-need people, as he called us. Really, it helped him out. Overseas bank accounts and such. Made things real easy for me and little sis. After a couple hours of talking, he offered us a very lowball offer. I upped him and took the next deal before we got the hell outta there."

"Forty-grand later..." I smiled. "We lived off of that for a while."

Landon seemed impressed. "Good for you. My girl is clever."

"Thank you." Jaxon grinned again.

I laughed at him and didn't comment. I was just happy that they weren't trying to kill each other. I'm still thinking about killing Landon for this morning, so one less person is good for him.

"So what? Do you just want to dress up?" Landon asked.

Jaxon responded. "How else are we getting this guy to trust us enough to let us in the house? We get in, slice and dice him, then we go get ice cream."

"Oh, now I want ice cream," I said to myself.

Landon patted my leg. "You don't think we should just break in?"

"Three people getting in might be tricky if we wanna stay quiet. If this guy ain't alone, then we're screwed. We dress up all purdy-like, then we have a shot." "Do you have costumes?"

Jaxon and I laughed for a solid minute before I put my hand on Landon's shoulder. "Honey, you have no idea."

"Try not to turn me on while I'm driving, love. If we crash, it won't be good."

Jaxon didn't freak out. Instead, he went for a different approach. He leaned up to Landon's ear and whispered, "That goes for you too." Then he stroked the side of his face.

And I frowned. And Landon frowned.

And Jaxon laughed. "Make me uncomfortable, and I will do the same to you. Those are the terms."

"Deal," my sad mate said.

"Great," Jaxon said as he played with Landon's ear.

I slapped his hand. "That's enough. Only I can touch him."

"Yes," Landon agreed. "We should keep it that way."

"Sure," my brother added. "Just keep in mind anyway you touch her, I will touch you, buddy."

"That'll put a damper on the honeymoon."

I kissed Landon's cheek. "Worry not, my darling. We will work it out."

Jaxon grumbled. "You're naming the kid after me."

"Not happening,” I said.

"Yes, it is."

"No."

"Middle name."

I sighed. "Whatever."

"HA!"

I was not naming a child after him. He could think whatever he wanted if it would make him feel better about me and Landon. He seemed all right, but there was no way that would last. Same with him being a vampire. It would hit him soon. I imagine it will hit me soon too.

A couple months ago, we'd both been human. Now we were something else entirely. Things that needed blood to survive. We'd seen each other die. There was only so long before that would catch up with us. I was only doing all right because I had my brother back. And Landon was safe now. No longer planning on dying, and instead spending his life with me. At least we had him to help us through the transition.

We stopped the car just before we got to the house. We needed to find costumes to wear.

"We just need to get in the house," Jaxon said. "I really hate to do this, but I think we ought send Mila in. She can distract him while we sneak in the back."

"How?" Landon asked, clearly already knowing the answer.

I held his arm. "You're not allowed to get mad. You knew this was what I was when we met. Just go with it."

He frowned. "I'm hoping you'll lay off on the touchy stuff with him."

"Of course. If I dress slutty enough, I won't have to touch him at all."

Both boys seemed upset. I went through my clothes anyway, looking for something suitable. I found a leather mini-skirt and matching boots. The tank top really made the look. The horrible, sank look. They were in my emergency bag of tricks, shoved to the side of the van with Jaxon's. We had a few bags of clothes before all the blood spilling started. Not so much anymore, so we would have to get more. At least we had a few things left. Though we could probably do with a trip to the laundromat.

"No," they both said when I held the clothes up.

"Yes," I countered. "Unless you boys think you can squeeze into this skirt, this is our only option."

Both of them grumbled as I got in the van and closed the door. I changed quickly, waiting to do the boots until I opened the door. I sat on the edge while I slipped them on. Then I hopped out and put my hands on my hips, smiling. "Dammit," Landon growled.

"I second that." Jaxon pointed to him.

I smoothed out my clothes. "It's not that bad."

"It is," they said.

I stared. "Don't worry about it. Just listen out for me getting inside, then do what you have to do."

"Be careful," Landon said. "He might be a vampire. Odds are that he's not human. With me being your Familiar, my blood makes you a little stronger than the average vampire, but not indestructible."

"Is he going to know I'm a vampire?"

"If he feels your temperature, then he'd have to be stupid to not know. Or if he can focus enough to listen for a heartbeat that isn't there. Just cross your fingers that he doesn't. You'll be able to smell it on him, whatever he is. Just as long as you get close enough to him. A demon smells warmer than a vampire, if that makes sense."

"Sure." I shrugged.

He kissed my forehead. "If you need us, scream, okay? I don't care about anything but keeping you safe. So just scream."

I nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The boys went to hide, and I started walking. I fluffed up my hair and thought about what lie I would be going with. The easy one, I guess. Since I'll forever look a month past eighteen, I'll get to play the stupid card forever. Sure is gonna be interesting when I have a baby. Landon could pull off the older look. I couldn't. The second the kid was in school, I'd be screwed. I could only pass for his mom for a little while. Then I'd have to start lying about being his sister. The only downside to looking like a teenager forever.

I got to the door and did a double-check for the knife in my bra. Yup, still there. I knocked and waited.

Thirty seconds later, a man answered. He was short, blond, in a stained shirt. Yeah, this was his day off. He looked embarrassed when he saw me. "Um, hi." He smiled. "Can I help you, sweetie?"

I smiled as if he was my favorite person. "Actually, I'm in a little bit of trouble. I popped a tire a couple days ago, and I thought I'd be fine driving on it for a bit, since it was still pretty full of air. My daddy isn't getting back into town for a week, so I need to call someone to pick me up."

"Ah, boyfriend?"

I sighed. "Nope. I'm all by my lonesome. My boyfriend dumped me for a tall blonde."

He scoffed. "Moron. Come on in, honey, I can help you out."

I stepped inside, and he shut the door. I tried smelling him to figure out what he was, but I didn't know what I was doing. I just slipped my hands in my pockets. "Nice place," I lied. It was filthy.

"Thanks." He grinned. "I just got it a couple months ago. Boss gave me a bonus."

"Ah, what do you do?"

He paused for a moment. "I trade."

"Stocks?"

"Sure." He turned and started moving to what I assumed was the kitchen. "Lemme just get my phone, baby."

"Thank you," I called out to him as he disappeared from view.

I waited and looked around. No sign of my boys, but they must be checking out the place. Didn't look like the home of an evil bastard who looked for people to sell.

The man came back with a phone in his hand. "I'm Jimmy, by the way."

"Barbara." I nodded. Why not go for another comic hero?

I dialed my brother's number and waited. When I got the voicemail, I left a fake message. "Hey, Jackie, it's Barbara. The car went all screwy, and I need you to pick me up. I'm by that ice cream place we went to a couple weeks ago. Hurry." I hung up and gave the phone back. "Damn, looks like I'm in a little more trouble than I thought."

He only smiled bigger. "I would be more than happy to let you wait here if you'd like. How about I make you a drink?"

"It's five o'clock somewhere, right?" I smiled back, and he left for the kitchen again.

He came back with something pink in a glass. And because I didn't want to be unconscious in five minutes, I didn't drink. Really didn't help that he didn't have one too.

"So, Barbie, where are you from?" He turned and walked to the couch, and I dumped half the drink in a dead plant's pot. He gestured for me to join him, and I was stuck doing so.

"I live about ten-miles away," I lied.

He scooted closer, and his hand was almost touching my knee. "You live alone?"

"With my brother. He doesn't let me out much. This'll only make that worse."

"Aw, do you never get to have any fun?"

Christ... "Not much."

And then he went for the knee. Gross. "Maybe I can give you a ride home later."

Uugghh. Where the hell was my husband to kick this man's ass? "I really don't wanna put you out."

"Aw, you wouldn't be. Maybe we can trade. I'll do something for you, and you can do something for me."

"Hmm, that sounds fair."

He leaned in, and I decided I was done waiting. I grabbed him by the throat and hauled him up, pinning him to the wall. He was quite surprised. He couldn't scream around my hand, so that meant no annoying questions.

"I imagine my boys will be here momentarily," I stated. And I thought he was a demon, since he was warm and unable to fight back.

I heard squabbling as the boys walked in through a hallway.

"...your fault." I heard Jaxon finish. Landon was rolling his eyes as they came in. "Now look." Jaxon gestured to me.

I broke the man's arm and tossed him to Landon, who cut his screams off with a quick snap of the neck.

"Took ya long enough," I complained.

Jaxon pointed to Landon. "Jackass over here insisted we try and stay quiet."

"Yeah," I said with edge. "That was the whole point of letting that guy get all up in my grill."

Landon's eyes narrowed. "What did he do?"

"Just touched my knee. I hurt him before he could do anything else, so calm down."

"I will not calm down."

That went on for a while, like in the van the whole way to a hotel a couple hours away, and we'd just crossed the Colorado border. It was mostly me telling him the guy hadn't done much, and Landon hating a dead man. We stopped when we had to get rooms.

Jaxon was a good sport about letting Landon and me share. He made a point to remind us that everything Landon did to me, Jaxon would do to him. We were pretty sure Jaxon didn't need to find out what I let Landon do to me. "He's dead," I stated once again as we entered the room. "Can you please not worry about it?"

"It's the principal of the matter."

He was about to say something else when I stopped him. I lifted on my toes and pulled his face down to mine. I kissed him for a whole minute before I spoke. "I love you, dummy. I wouldn't have let that guy do a thing to me. I promise you're

the only person I want to touch."

He smiled. "Prove it."

I pushed him back until he was sitting on the bed, then he pulled me onto his lap, trying to push my skirt up.

"Presumptuous of you," I said as my arms went around his neck.

He was staring at the skirt. "Did this damn thing need to be made of leather? Can't do a thing with it on."

I smiled and looked up. "There's a zipper on the side, dork."

He found it and smiled. "Oh, handy."