Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) by J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman Page A
Authors: J. Thorn, Cathy Perkins, Taylor Lee, Nolan Radke, Richter Watkins, Thomas Morrissey, David F. Weisman
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want to offend you, but I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Grayson waved the cigar in casual dismissal.
“Relax, bro. I just want to visit and smoke one of these foreign babies that I swear are as good a substitute for a woman as I know.”
Rafe snorted. “Right. You think I don’t know that look. You’ve got a stick up your butt the size of a tree trunk. Go for it. What have I done now that you don’t approve of?” He added, “And the idea of you substituting a cigar or anything else for the twenty or so women who are hoping they will get lucky tonight is laughable.”
Grayson’s grin widened, then he drilled Rafe with a hard look.
“Let’s be clear about who has a stick up his ass.”
Rafe grimaced and waved him off, then took his time lighting a cigar for himself.
He looked up to see Grayson studying him. He sighed, knowing what was coming. Grayson didn’t disappoint.
“Rafe, I’m your best friend. I’ve known you longer than anyone here has. We’ve helped each other stay alive for nearly sixteen years. I’ve saved your life almost as many times as you’ve saved mine. You know I admire the shit out of you and would follow you to hell without so much as sunblock. Christ, man, I love you like a brother.”
Rafe scoffed. “Some people hate their brothers. Anyway, I hear a ‘but’ coming. Let me guess…”
Grayson put up his hand. His dark eyebrows latched together in a frown.
“No need to guess. I want to talk to you about Nicki.”
“Not an option, Gray. I’m not interested in talking about Nicki with you, or anyone else.”
Grayson shook his head, his gaze was cool, unwavering. “Sorry, bro. You don’t have a choice.”
Rafe flinched then jolted out of his chair and strode over to the window. He stood with his back to Grayson, stifling the mix of emotions searing him. Staring blindly at the verdant sight below he did his best to tamp down his irritation. He didn’t want to take it out on Grayson. When he had himself under control he turned back to his friend and tried to respond calmly, but he couldn’t hide his frustration.
“Look, Gray. It’s none of your business. What I do or don’t do with Nicki is up to me. And no one else.”
He stifled a groan when Gray quirked an eyebrow and didn’t respond.
Shucking any semblance of control, Rafe barked, “Fuck it, Gray, I’m so god dammed angry with her now. I just hung up from her father. Do you know what Yuri told me? Want to hear this? She thinks she’s going to leave here. Just waltz out of here as though that’s her choice.”
He raked his hands through his tousled hair and muttered, “Like hell it is. She’s not going anywhere unless I let her.”
Gray’s voice was soft. “Of course not. You won’t let that happen, will you, Rafe? You won’t let her out of your control. Even though you won’t take her, you still want her right here where you can make sure that no one else does.”
Rafe whirled, incredulous that his friend dared to assert such a thing.
“What the hell do you mean by that, Gray?”
“Rafe, for Christ’s sake. Do you think there’s a man here who doesn’t know how you two feel about each other? Damn, every one of us wishes we had a Kevlar vest the minute you get within five feet of each other. Jesus, the sparks between you could electrocute an unaware guy.”
“You’re wrong. If anything she despises me and I’m damned close to despising her. I still can’t believe what she did to Katya.”
“Really? I can.”
Rafe threw him a disbelieving glare. “What are you saying, Gray? Jesus, you care about Katya as much as I do.”
“Yes I do, Rafe. Why don’t you ask Katya how she feels about what happened? You might be surprised. Just so you know, Nicki saw the two of you together outside of the training center. Katya said if she ever saw Vlad holding another woman the way you were her, she’d pay Nicki to kick her ass.”
Rafe’s gut tightened.
“Fuck, I…didn’t know…I…Katya’s
Grayson waved the cigar in casual dismissal.
“Relax, bro. I just want to visit and smoke one of these foreign babies that I swear are as good a substitute for a woman as I know.”
Rafe snorted. “Right. You think I don’t know that look. You’ve got a stick up your butt the size of a tree trunk. Go for it. What have I done now that you don’t approve of?” He added, “And the idea of you substituting a cigar or anything else for the twenty or so women who are hoping they will get lucky tonight is laughable.”
Grayson’s grin widened, then he drilled Rafe with a hard look.
“Let’s be clear about who has a stick up his ass.”
Rafe grimaced and waved him off, then took his time lighting a cigar for himself.
He looked up to see Grayson studying him. He sighed, knowing what was coming. Grayson didn’t disappoint.
“Rafe, I’m your best friend. I’ve known you longer than anyone here has. We’ve helped each other stay alive for nearly sixteen years. I’ve saved your life almost as many times as you’ve saved mine. You know I admire the shit out of you and would follow you to hell without so much as sunblock. Christ, man, I love you like a brother.”
Rafe scoffed. “Some people hate their brothers. Anyway, I hear a ‘but’ coming. Let me guess…”
Grayson put up his hand. His dark eyebrows latched together in a frown.
“No need to guess. I want to talk to you about Nicki.”
“Not an option, Gray. I’m not interested in talking about Nicki with you, or anyone else.”
Grayson shook his head, his gaze was cool, unwavering. “Sorry, bro. You don’t have a choice.”
Rafe flinched then jolted out of his chair and strode over to the window. He stood with his back to Grayson, stifling the mix of emotions searing him. Staring blindly at the verdant sight below he did his best to tamp down his irritation. He didn’t want to take it out on Grayson. When he had himself under control he turned back to his friend and tried to respond calmly, but he couldn’t hide his frustration.
“Look, Gray. It’s none of your business. What I do or don’t do with Nicki is up to me. And no one else.”
He stifled a groan when Gray quirked an eyebrow and didn’t respond.
Shucking any semblance of control, Rafe barked, “Fuck it, Gray, I’m so god dammed angry with her now. I just hung up from her father. Do you know what Yuri told me? Want to hear this? She thinks she’s going to leave here. Just waltz out of here as though that’s her choice.”
He raked his hands through his tousled hair and muttered, “Like hell it is. She’s not going anywhere unless I let her.”
Gray’s voice was soft. “Of course not. You won’t let that happen, will you, Rafe? You won’t let her out of your control. Even though you won’t take her, you still want her right here where you can make sure that no one else does.”
Rafe whirled, incredulous that his friend dared to assert such a thing.
“What the hell do you mean by that, Gray?”
“Rafe, for Christ’s sake. Do you think there’s a man here who doesn’t know how you two feel about each other? Damn, every one of us wishes we had a Kevlar vest the minute you get within five feet of each other. Jesus, the sparks between you could electrocute an unaware guy.”
“You’re wrong. If anything she despises me and I’m damned close to despising her. I still can’t believe what she did to Katya.”
“Really? I can.”
Rafe threw him a disbelieving glare. “What are you saying, Gray? Jesus, you care about Katya as much as I do.”
“Yes I do, Rafe. Why don’t you ask Katya how she feels about what happened? You might be surprised. Just so you know, Nicki saw the two of you together outside of the training center. Katya said if she ever saw Vlad holding another woman the way you were her, she’d pay Nicki to kick her ass.”
Rafe’s gut tightened.
“Fuck, I…didn’t know…I…Katya’s
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