Page 9

A Wilde Woman’s Worth

G randpa Wilde stepped out of the large red tub, snatched his towel from the gold heated holding rack, and patted his body down.

Meanwhile, Stories crooned ‘Brother Louie’ through the speakers.

The heated floors gave a sense of comfort as he stepped to the white, red, and gold marble counter, and ran cool water in the red basin.

After brushing his teeth and finger-combing his damp, long silver hair from his face, he checked out the faded bull skull tattoo on his neck before slipping on a plush black robe, tied it, and went to his bedroom.

Two women, one with long dark brown hair, the other with shoulder-length jet-black waves, were covered from the waist down and fast asleep beneath his burgundy satin bedsheets.

The fireplace still crackled and glowed, and the pile of used condoms on the floor were a stark reminder that he’d had a bit more fun than he’d initially planned for.

He was tired already when he’d arranged the tryst, but still craved carnal entertainment.

It was supposed to be a voyeur situation—he’d wanted to watch them eat each other’s pussies and scissor fuck one another, but they’d invited him to join, and he simply couldn’t resist.

He stood there rubbing his hands together as the lovely memories flooded his brain.

Their chests rose in unison, and fell with each breath; their bare breasts were covered in goose bumps, the nipples hard from the slight draft in the room.

His mouth watered as he toyed with the idea of sucking the four big tits and getting one last blow job for the road, but there were pressing matters to delve into first.

He walked across the room to gulp down some red wine left in one of the many black goblets in the room.

Grabbing his phone, he made his way to one of his private offices.

Once inside, he sat at his desk and lit a cigar.

He lamented over his week, and how sick and tired he was of things not going as planned.

Kage was making his ire known. The maniac had killed another one of his men, this time for the pure pleasure of it.

No one else was sent to Kage’s property.

In fact, he’d lain low on his mentally deranged grandson, wanting things to cool down a bit before he addressed him again.

Instead of giving him a reprieve, though, Kage upped the ante.

The monster was more than likely doing business for his handyman and construction business, and somehow found out that a man in the vicinity worked for him.

Damon was a fairly new hire, and a bit too excitable—talking too loud, and spilling the beans on his private affairs.

So, Kage had taken it upon himself to stalk the poor man and plunge a knife into his heart.

Unlike in the past, Grandpa didn’t receive a snarky text message or phone call after the murder.

No, Kage didn’t claim the slaughter, but he knew it was him.

Who the fuck else hangs around at a hardware store for the fun of it, follows a fucker home, and attacks with a hunting knife?

! Stabbed twenty-four times! It was the lone wolf…

Kage’s signature was all over this shit.

In the bastard’s typical fashion, he managed to stay out of the range of the cameras as the hardware store footage yielded nothing.

Kage was out of his fucking mind, but he had become able to control his impulsivity as he got older, known to wait months, sometimes years, to strike and kill.

What would look like a crime of passion to most criminal investigators was just Kage being Kage.

The man was one of few people he knew who enjoyed the art of killing.

He relished the sight of blood. He laughed when people died and cried out in pain.

He was dark and sadistic. At times philosophical.

He was patient, yet conniving. A dangerous man—the walking definition of unadulterated insanity.

While he made the rounds of several mental institutions as a youth, he’d been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Grandpa scoffed at the very idea of slapping labels on folks, but in Kage’s case, something was definitely off.

He couldn’t even pretend to care. If he hated you, he’d try to hurt you.

If he hurt you, he always wanted to inflict more pain.

The only exception to that rule seemed to be his ex-wife, Lorna.

He’d gotten married when he was in his twenties—a short-lived marriage.

Kage had been too young and volatile to handle such things.

Grandpa trusted that possibly Kage’s wife couldn’t stomach his behavior, and left.

He was a time bomb, threatening to ignite at any moment.

He worked hard at his job, but simply existed outside of work.

He tucks himself away in that wilderness next to the river.

Wasting away. Sloth. It was a shame, because he was also truly brilliant…

a hunter to his core. He was too vile and gifted to not have on his team.

Kage was the perfect shake-down man. The guy you send to deal with the situation when discussions haven’t worked.

Just his appearance alone sent chills down many spines.

Kage needed a push in the right direction.

He simply had to understand what he’d lose and what he’d gain.

It needed to be made clear as glass. Kage wasn’t his only problem though. Other things were bothering him, too…

Tina, seemingly realizing she’d been discovered, had vanished into thin air. Now, she was completely undetectable. The little bit of hope he’d had that she’d be found was dashed. She was blowing in the wind. A tiny spec of sand gliding through the air.

He’d hired another detective to work the case but that didn’t make a difference, either.

Maybe he’d try someone else to take a look at the situation?

It was as if she’d made it her duty to stay three steps ahead.

For all he knew, she may have fled the country.

If she even suspected he was looking for her, that made her run off like some skittish kitten again.

I have to play this lowkey… I have to revise the plan.

One thing at a time. Let me address this Kage situation first…

He poured himself a glass of brandy, and smoked. He drank, and smoked some more. With a sigh, he dialed.

“Hello, Daddy,” came the raspy, worn voice of his daughter. He could hear ruckus in the background, and yet Sarah sounded as if she’d just awakened from a long nap. “How are you?” she asked, followed by a husky cough, then a yawn.

“Are you entertain’ someone, Sarah? Is this a bad time?”

“Oh, just a few friends at the house, Daddy.” He could hear the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘The Needle and the Spoon.’ “We’re just playin’ cards and talking.”

“Sounds fun. Sarah, let me tell you somethin’. Kage is out of control. I need your help. That boy of yours needs a good talkin’ to. Now, I know he doesn’t listen to anyone, but you have a better chance of convincing him that—”

“Not this again, Daddy. I don’t rule over him. Kage is his own man, and he’s not a little boy. You know I love you, I do, but that’s my son. My child. My only baby. I can’t just hand him over to you, make him work for you if he don’t want to.”

“Sarah, that’s just it. Kage doesn’t know what the hell he wants! He’s become a recluse, and that’s not healthy. He lives out in those woods, on all of that land, like some day-walkin’ vampire. Talk to him! I can bring out the best in him!”

“Kage does what the hell he wants to do, Daddy. Has done so since the day he was born. You know that.”

“…Devil’s spawn! Eleven letters… I wrote him eleven letters.”

“And he read them and burned them. He doesn’t want a relationship with you, Daddy. Not after everything that happened. Just give him some space.”

“Sarah, honestly, if you think about this shit, really look at it closely, this is all your fault.”

“My fault? How?!”

“Kage was this close to killing me. You think you’d have some loyalty and would have instilled in him when he was young that this is where he was to be. By my side. I forgave him. He owes me. He had no father. I could have been his father, and raised him!”

“Oh, like how you raised Reeves?!”

“How dare you. That’s comparing apples and oranges.

You should have never had him! All the trouble he’s caused.

I told you not to date that trash of a man.

I told you that Kage’s father was bad news!

Kane was a thug! A criminal! Rubbish! He lived by the sword and died by the sword. I TOLD YOU THAT HE—”

“Well, Daddy, Kane is dead! What more do you want, huh?!” Her voice trembled. “You want me to dig him up so you can kill him again?”

“I told you then, and I’m telling you now that I didn’t kill that man.”

“If it wasn’t you, you had one of your little butt kissers do it, Daddy… I’m not stupid. Kane threatened you. Everybody knows you don’t take kindly to that sort of thing. The last person that tried to blackmail you disappeared.”

“That’s a damn fact, but I did no such thing to Kane.

I knew you loved him, regardless of my personal feelings about the man.

I promised you that I wouldn’t touch him.

So, I spared him. Just like I spared your son as long as he was placed in that hospital for insane youth.

” He flicked ashes into a snake-shaped ashtray.

“I have told you this several times. You don’t believe me, but I’d own it if I eliminated that motherfucker, Sarah…

Proudly. He damn sure deserved it. Kane made plenty of enemies, bein’ the head of that motorcycle gang and all.

You act as if I was the only one that hated his guts. There was a list a mile long.”