Low Sided by A.J. Downey (best detective novels of all time txt) 📕

different person, like maybe not even human. “You know what, Mace, no. We’ll leave Sauley out of this, unless you need someone to babysit Raven. You know what you are asking to do?”

“Yeah, get rid of a pig,” I said.

“No, Mace. This isn’t getting rid of a pig, it’s murder. You are going to take another human being out of this world, and you’re going to do it right,” he said. “You’re going to look into his eyes when he dies, and it is going to change you. The prospect isn’t ready to even be near that happening.”

“This guy is a rapist, and his cop buddies have covered his ass,” I said. “I’m not worried about getting rid of him.”

“He’s a human being, and you are going to end his life, and after that, you’ll be like me,” he said. “Like DT.”

“No one is like you, Fen,” I said. “No one’s like DT, either. You think we should involve him.”

“You’ll be a killer, then, like us.” He smiled with something that could only be described as grim glee. “And no, DT would spill it to Mav. I know where his loyalties lay, and it will always be club first. This is definitely beg forgiveness over ask permission. Plausible deniability.”

He looked far away and thoughtful. I had to guess he already had this half figured out.

“You can be a scary motherfucker, Fen,” I said as the creepy and insidious smile grew on his face. It was half way a man looked when he was on the way to a boner. Seriously creepy in this context.

“I know it,” he said, and rounded the gate, closing it up behind him. “Come on, there are things to consider.”

14

Raven…

“I want to take you somewhere,” he said, and I smiled, leaning forward on my hands across my bar. Mace smiled and gave me the kiss I was looking for and I backed off, a happy girl.

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, popping the top on his preferred beer and setting it on a coaster. He took it up and put the lip of the bottle against his lips. I tried not to outwardly shudder at the thought of what it felt like to have those lips against my skin.

One night with Mace, and I swear to God, it was like my switch had been flipped or something. Sex with him was suddenly all I could think about. I was craving him like he was some sort of drug – addicted to his kiss, to his touch, like nothing else I had ever had the occasion to desire before.

“Yeah,” he said with a wink. “You think you could get a whole weekend off from this place?” he asked.

“Depends,” I said, pulling the pencil from behind my ear and the pad of paper from my apron pocket. “What dates are we talking here?”

We talked weekend plans, and I wrote some dates down then asked, “Where you planning on taking me?”

“You trust me?” he asked softly, picking up my hand and pressing a kiss to my palm.

“Of course, I do…” I said, some of the tension leaving me at the sincereness in his deep brown eyes.

“Enough to let me keep it a surprise and still be comfortable?” he asked, and I hesitated.

“Am I really that bad?” I asked and winced.

“Not at all, babe,” he promised me. “I just don’t want to do anything that puts you ill at ease. You’ve been through enough.”

I bit my lips together and nodded thoughtfully. He ducked his head, and the movement brought my eyes back to his.

“You okay?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, just thinking about what you asked.” I took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “You can keep it a surprise,” I said, and he grinned.

“Yeah?” he asked, making sure.

“Yeah,” I nodded once, resolutely.

“Alright then.” He took another pull off of his beer and followed me with his eyes as I drifted up the bar – one of my regulars beckoned.

It was going to be my night off the next night, and Mace had agreed to take me to his place. He kept warning me that it was far worse than mine and I couldn’t fathom. When he’d told me that he was living in the loft of a barn, I just had to see for myself. It sounded like quite the adventure.

“You’re sure about this, now?” he asked me later, when he held the passenger door of a pickup open for me. I climbed in without hesitation and said, “If I can trust you for this, I can certainly trust you for a whole weekend away, can’t I?” I’d shot back. He grinned, stepped up on the truck’s runner and smacked a kiss to my lips before shutting me in to come around to the driver’s side.

The late night/early morning drive to this goat farm he lived on was uneventful and traffic was light. It was the middle of the week, so I hadn’t expected much. What surprised me was the three people still up, sitting on the covered back porch of the house across from the big old barn.

Fenris, I recognized, the woman and the older man I did not.

“You seriously gonna take a lady up to that old pallet in a barn loft? Boy, ain’t you got no class?” the older man called out as Mace rounded the front of the truck and I slid to the ground from the passenger seat.

“It was good enough to conceive you!” Mace called back, winking at me.

Fenris laughed and the old man chuckled as we walked up.

“Vyking, Aspen, meet Raven. Raven, this is Vyking, Fenris’ dad. Fenris you know, and Aspen here is Fen’s lady.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Aspen said cordially and held out her hand to me. I took a big step forward and shook it.

“Nice to meet you, too,” I said.

“Aspen made your tea set,” Mace said, and I smiled really big.

“Oh, it’s just beautiful. Thank you so much,” I crowed.

“I’m so glad