Smashed (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8.5)

She stood there looking both vicious and uncertain. Then she snarled, “You’re a fucking douchebag, Arys.”


Spinning on a heel, she stormed away to the black sedan at the back of the lot. After slamming the door much harder than necessary, she tore out of the parking lot with a squeal of tires.

I watched the taillights disappear down the street. I liked to pride myself on my uncanny ability to handle women. But no man on this planet had it in him to handle two O’Brien women. Not even me.

Chapter Seven

Needing to see Alexa was driving me mad. And if I couldn’t do that then I wanted to be in solitude, just me, a pencil, and paper. If I didn’t work my frustrations out on the page, it would come out in a horrible, bloody way. Seeing as Alexa was already taking that road, I had to show some self-restraint.

And I could do it too. I could play the part of the well-controlled vampire, wallowing in a small bungalow in a small town, completely detached from the world. It wasn’t really me though. The real me was back in that strip club, seducing and killing women in cold blood with Jenner.

Knowing that Alexa was losing herself to the twin flame madness was the only thing keeping me sane. For now.

There was no sign of Jenner when I returned home. I strode through the house, dropping clothing as I went. I cranked the shower on hot and stood under the spray so it pelted my face with steaming, angry drops.

For several minutes I just stood there, thinking about Gabriel, about Juliet, and how I so desperately wanted to have my wolf back in my arms. Thoughts of her led my mind down a path filled with memories of passion and blood. What I wouldn’t have given to be with her, to be inside her. We were supposed to be together.

With one hand on my cock and the other bracing my weight against the tiled wall, I escaped into some of my favorite memories of Alexa. Rather than relieving the need for her, it only made my longing for her grow. I groaned and slammed a hand against the wall, watching the tile crack beneath my fist.

I wasn’t one for tears. It had nothing to do with lack of emotion, but after three centuries of Harley, it took a lot to make me cry. However, right then standing alone in my shower jacking off like a horny teenager and pining after Alexa, I wanted to.

And I might have. But by the time I got out of the shower, it didn’t matter. I’d already put it behind me.

The front door slammed with Jenner’s arrival. I stepped into a pair of soft, grey sweatpants and rubbed a towel over my wet hair. I used some mouthwash, ran my tongue over the silver hoop in my bottom lip, and exited the bathroom.

“You are not going to believe what I found your woman doing,” Jenner announced as he flopped down on the couch.

“Abducting a Fed?” I replied, pleased when he frowned.

“If you already knew, then why the hell did you send me to tail her?”

“I didn’t know until Juliet told me they’re missing an agent.” I sat in my favorite chair and pinned Jenner with a fierce stare. “So, did you talk to her?”

His head bobbed, and he gave a wan smile. “I did. If you can call it that. I tried to talk some sense into her. She told me that if I didn’t get out of her way, she’d send me back to you with my head stuffed up my ass. She’s a real classy broad, that one.”

I grinned, somehow finding reassurance in Jenner’s report. “Is that all?”

He considered me in silence for a long moment. “She’s in rough shape without you, Arys.” It wasn’t news. Not really. Still, it made me feel both worried and relieved.

“How did she look? Was she ok? I mean, all things considered.”

“She looked good,” he said, picking his words carefully. “Beautiful, really. Leaking power like a sieve though. She’s pretty jacked up on the juice. I don’t think she knows how to calm it.”

I sighed and shook my head so droplets of water fell from my wet hair. “I don’t know what to do, Jenner. How long do I let her go on like this?”

“I wish I could help you, brother. Really, I do.”

My phone rang, destroying the quiet and causing me to jump up in alarm. I snatched it from the coffee table, mildly disappointed to find Jez’s number on the display.

“Arys?” The leopard launched in right away without any forced pleasantries. “Alexa just called me. She wants to meet me tomorrow after sunset. She said that she needs to talk.”

“And why are you telling me this?”

“Because I think you should come with me. She needs to see you, even if she doesn’t want to,” Jez said, becoming one of my favorite people with those words.

I glanced at Jenner who nodded his agreement. The thought of seeing Alexa under such circumstances didn’t sit well with me. However, if she wasn’t going to come to me, this might be the next best solution.

“Where should I meet you?”

After making arrangements to meet Jez the following evening after dusk, I sat back in my chair and stared at the clock above the television. It was going to be a very long day.