Of Wicked Things Not the Good Guy 1

1st Edition Bree Weeks Kyra Nyx

Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-wicked-things-not-the-good-guy-1-1st-edition-bree-
weeks-kyra-nyx/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Of Wicked Things Not the Good Guy 1st Edition Bree

Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-wicked-things-not-the-good-
guy-1st-edition-bree-weeks-kyra-nyx/

Of Broken Things Not the Good Guy 1st Edition Bree

Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-broken-things-not-the-good-
guy-1st-edition-bree-weeks-kyra-nyx-2/

Of Broken Things Not the Good Guy 1st Edition Bree

Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-broken-things-not-the-good-
guy-1st-edition-bree-weeks-kyra-nyx/

Of Broken Things Not the Good Guy 5 1st Edition Bree

Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-broken-things-not-the-good-
guy-5-1st-edition-bree-weeks-kyra-nyx/
Of Lost Things 1st Edition Bree Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-lost-things-1st-edition-bree-
weeks-kyra-nyx/

Of Lost Things 1st Edition Bree Weeks Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/of-lost-things-1st-edition-bree-
weeks-kyra-nyx-2/

Executive Desire Not the Good Guy 1st Edition Barbra

Campbell Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/executive-desire-not-the-good-
guy-1st-edition-barbra-campbell-kyra-nyx/

Managing Desire Not the Good Guy 8 1st Edition Barbra

Campbell Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/managing-desire-not-the-good-
guy-8-1st-edition-barbra-campbell-kyra-nyx/

Sinful Shadow Savage Witness 1st Edition Bree Weeks

Kyra Nyx

https://ebookmeta.com/product/sinful-shadow-savage-witness-1st-
edition-bree-weeks-kyra-nyx/
 Of Wicked Things
Not the Good Guy

Kyra Nyx
with Bree Weeks

Lone Oak Publishing, LLC

 Copyright © 2021 Kyra Nyx and Bree Weeks

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief
quotations for a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products
of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
 Contents

Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
About The Author
Not the Good Guys
 Chapter One
Ava

Slinging drinks at some dive bar wasn’t exactly my first career

choice when I was a little girl, but working there gave me a few
things a regular job couldn’t provide. Anonymity. Freedom. A reason
to stay up all night so I could vigilantly observe people. A room full
of big guys to protect me if anyone came looking. All useful things
for someone in my predicament.

Despite said predicament, I was stupid and reckless. Never

being one to listen to my mother’s advice and mind my own damn
business, I jumped head first into something wicked. It started
innocently enough, and I told myself it was pretty freaking brave.

The woman at the bar that fateful night looked lost and
uncomfortable with her surroundings. I first thought she was drunk,
but then I noticed her trying to avoid some guys who were harassing
her. They should’ve scared me, but stupid, reckless people aren’t
usually scared when they should be. Even after the guys left, she
looked shaken. I tried striking up a conversation, but because her
eyes were empty, I knew it was fruitless. I’d seen similar eyes
looking back at me in the mirror far too many times.

She had a few drinks after they left, which made me worry
more. When she left, I didn’t see the harm in following her. I
thought she was too impaired to get home safely and may need
help. I wasn’t trying to get involved in something nefarious, but
found myself in the middle of some heavy shit.
 She was dead. I was sure of it. No one could survive losing the
amount of blood pooling around her head. I'd only seen that much
blood one other time in my life, and that person most certainly did
not survive. Panic filled my already overwhelmed mind as I
frantically scanned the parking lot for the killer. If he was still there
watching me, I could be next.

I should’ve told someone what I saw, but who would’ve

believed me. I didn't even believe it myself, which is why I left the
quiet little church parking lot exactly the way I found it. I left her
there. Lying on the cold, hard ground.

Before I made it back to the bar, my guilty conscience began

eating away at me. Actually, it was more like beating me over the
head. What if she wasn’t dead? While it seemed unlikely, if there
was a remote possibility, I had to be sure. So, shortly after I
returned to the bar, I went back to the church. All the way there, I
worried about what to do if she were still alive. I’d have to call for
help, but I couldn’t wait around for an ambulance, much less the
cops. I could not be there when the cops showed up.

Arriving at the scene, it was clear my worry about having to

call an ambulance was unfounded, but not for the reason I thought.
I expected to find her body there right where I left her, lying in a
pool of blood. Instead, there was no body, no blood, no...nothing! I
couldn’t believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. Or really, what
I wasn't seeing was more accurate. She. Was. Gone. No blood, no
injured woman, no one threatening her or me. Nothing.

My eyes frantically searched the parking lot for whomever

could’ve moved her body. Was he still there? Was I in danger?
Instincts took over, and I reached for my purse to retrieve the
handgun I’d carried ever since that night not so long before. The
night that changed the entire trajectory of my life.
 Shit! I’d left the bar on a whim and didn’t have my purse,
which was still in the breakroom. If there was someone out there
lurking in the shadows, I'd need another way to stop him. I looked
around for anything I might be able to use as a weapon. Because it
was Friday night and the members of the congregation responsible
for keeping the place clean wouldn’t be there until the next day
before services on Sunday, there was a plethora of interesting things
lying about. Not much in the way of weapons, unfortunately. I found
a dirty syringe, which would come in handy if someone got close
enough to me, otherwise, I had to figure it out on my own.

Due to the lack of appropriate weapons, I decided the best

course of action would be for me to run like hell and hope no one
caught me. I stayed close to the buildings and out of the street
lights while I ran and avoided taking shortcuts through unknown
alleys. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by sprinting into the
night like a crazy woman, but I also wanted to get someone's
attention if I needed it. My brain wasn’t functioning properly, and it
hadn’t occurred to me that I hadn't seen another soul since leaving
the bar the second time. It was eerily quiet, almost as if even the
dregs of society knew they should've stayed off the streets that
night. Well, at least everyone but me. I was the dumbass out there
running for my life.

Rounding the corner of the building toward the entrance of

the bar, knowing I was almost back to safety was the most
frightening part of the whole trek. I ran those last few yards like my
life depended on it. Perhaps it did. Regardless, I’d never been
happier to step foot in that seedy old place. Even with the creepy
customers and the low-life owner, I still felt a million times safer. At
least I wasn’t alone. At least I wasn't dead. Like that girl.

Over the next few days, every moment of that night played
slowly in my mind. On repeat. I wondered about her. Who was she?
Where was she from? Would someone miss her when she didn't
come home?
 Her face was emblazoned in my memory. Shy. Beautiful. Long
blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Wearing little makeup, she didn’t
need it. Just your everyday girl next door. She looked out of place
with her loose-fitting summer sweater and blue jeans, in her
sensible shoes. Nothing like the other female patrons of the bar. No
short, tight dresses cut down to there. No tits and ass hanging out
or makeup so thick it could’ve been applied with a spatula. Just a
quiet, simple girl. Or at least that’s the image I'd created for her in
my mind. Maybe I was way off base. She could have been a secret
hell-raiser who got mixed up with the wrong people, and maybe
that’s what got her killed.

The nagging question in the back of my mind was what

happened to her body? Someone moved her and cleaned up the
mess in the short time I was gone. Was it a professional job, or was
she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Whatever happened,
one thing was certain. I had to watch my back. It happened fast and
someone could’ve seen me either leaving the first time or when I
came back the second time. How could I have been such an idiot?
Who the hell leaves a murder scene, doesn’t report it, and then goes
back fifteen minutes later by herself with no weapon? A fucking
moron, that’s who.

I watched people more intently than usual after then,

whether I was at work or simply at the grocery store. Everyone and
everything made me nervous, and each person I saw was a potential
killer. Did the guy at the bar know what I'd seen? Was someone
going to stick a knife in my back when I wasn't paying attention?
The paranoia was getting to me, and I had to find a distraction
before I went out of my mind.
 Chapter Two
Jake

Lost in thought while looking around my grandmother’s house, I

was struck by the size of the place. It was much smaller than I’d
remembered, even though I’d only been gone five years. "I
appreciate you managing the upkeep on the house, Mike." One of
only three family members who would still talk to me sat at the small
kitchen table where we ate so many meals together while growing
up.

"Yeah well, don't let my wife find out about it or else I'll be
moving in here with you.” The grin on his face almost convinced me
that he wasn’t serious, though I knew better. “You know I couldn't
let the old place fall apart. We spent so many good times here. It
would’ve been a shame to let it fall to pieces, especially since I knew
you’d be back eventually."

"Well, I know you didn't do it for me, you did it for Grandma,
but I can still offer my thanks." I stood, walking circles around the
room, waves of memories flooding my brain. The midday sun
glinting off a shiny object in the backyard caught my attention as I
walked past the back door. Throwing it open, I grinned at seeing the
monkey bars my grandmother had installed so many years before. I
gave my cousin a surprised look, noticing one corner of his mouth
turned it up and a half grin. "I can't believe she kept that old thing."

"And I can't believe the city didn't make her tear it down. I
always suspected she baked cookies for someone on the zoning
board who allowed her to keep it, especially falling down the way it
is."

Placing my hand on the warm metal of the door handle

brought another smile to my face. I closed my eyes and tried to
remember the sound of her voice when she called me in for supper.
"You know, the air is even different out here than it is on the inside.”

“I guess I’ve avoided the elephant in the room long enough. I

have to ask you: do you think you can do it? Can you stay out of
trouble and go straight?”

I shouldn’t have been bothered by his question, but it pissed

me off. “Well, I guess we’re just going to have to see, aren't we?
Fuck, Mike! I thought you of all people would have more confidence
in me than that!”

As he stood, I recognized the look of disappointment in his

eyes. I’d seen it so many times over the years from him and other
people who were supposed to be close to me. Resentment filled me
just under the surface, and I fought hard to keep it from reaching
the boiling point. He didn’t back down, though, which was unusual
for most people. “Look, Jake. We’re family, and I love you. Always
have, always will. But, you hurt a lot of people when you went away.
I don’t think you realize what it did to her. And don’t forget, buddy, it
wasn't just the emotional pain. There were a lot of bills to pay, and
she just couldn’t do it on her own.”

“I left her completely set up. No one should’ve had to do

anything!”

“Dude! Everything you had was seized when you were sent to
prison. Did you not know that?” He surveyed my face for the answer.

“Fucking vultures! Fucking lying cops and lawyers!”

 After a moment of stunned silence, he shook his head. “Well,
I guess you didn’t know. I’m sorry, man, to be the one to tell you,
but yeah. That’s what happened. Lots of us chipped in to help, but
without your assets, all she had was this house and the money she’d
scrimped and saved all her life. It wasn’t much, but we did the best
we could. The worst part is she was too fucking proud to let us do
more. Deb and I would get groceries and have to bring the kids to
distract her while we put food in the pantry and freezer without her
seeing us. The rest of the family took turns paying a portion of her
water or electricity bill. I tried paying for the whole thing once, but
she found out and threw a fit. From then on we had to make sure
we didn’t pay the full balance so she’d feel like she was
independent.”

“She always was a stubborn old fool.”

“Yeah, well, that trait seems to run rampant in this family.”

The smile returned for a brief moment. “It got better toward the
end. She didn’t have much energy after chemo, then she quit
fighting and allowed us to take care of her.” Looking at his phone, he
winced. “Shit, man, I gotta go. Deb will have my ass if I’m late
picking up the kids from day camp again. Last time, she threatened
to cut me off in the sack if I left her babies stranded again. Like they
can’t handle waiting five minutes for me.”

“When did you get so pussy whipped?”

“I prefer the phrase ‘devoted husband and father.’ Besides, if

you knew how great it is to have someone who loves me enough to
nag my ass, you wouldn’t have anything to say. You should make
finding a wife high on your priority list now that you’re starting over.
It could change everything for you, brother.”

I laughed to drown out the sound of my gagging reflex. “No

thanks, man. That’s your life. Not mine.”
 “Suit yourself,” he sighed. “Just saying. It’s pretty great. I’ll
see you later, man.” Reaching the door, he swung around slowly. “I
can’t invite you over to the house yet. Give me a little time to soften
Deb up on the idea, alright? I am glad you’re back, though. Don’t do
anything to screw it up! You’ve always been more than my cousin.
You’re my best friend, and I don’t think my heart could take seeing
you go away again.” He nodded and sprinted out the door to his car
before I got a chance to say anything.

Taking a deep breath, I wondered if maybe he had life figured

out way better than I did. He certainly seemed to have everything
he wanted, even if he did complain too much about Deb and the
kids. It was obvious they made him happy. Knowing that lifestyle
wasn’t for me didn’t mean I wasn’t glad for him. I’d do whatever
was necessary to protect him and his family, which is why I was
grateful the two shadowy figures in the back of the house had
stayed where they belonged while Mike was visiting. “You two sons
of bitches can come out now. He’s gone,” I called out.

I stood at the kitchen door and waited for them to emerge

from their hiding places. Fury ran through my body, but I wasn’t
going to let them see it. Better to keep my cool and find out what
they wanted, though that didn’t stop me from staring them down
when they got close enough. “Sweet and touching little scene, there,
Jakey. Must be nice to still have a family to care about you after all
that time you were gone.”

“Leave my family alone Ray. If I catch you around any one of

them--”

“Back off, Snake. We’re not here to mess with your family,”
Ray hissed.

“Then why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here and why
I shouldn’t kill you where you stand for coming into my home
uninvited.”
 “All in good time, Snake. There's plenty of time for that. Don’t
you want to catch up first? You’ve been gone a while, and I’m sure
you want to know about a new alliance that's formed since you've
been gone.”

“I have no interest in any alliance. I’m out of the business

now, or didn’t you hear that part of the conversation when you were
back there eavesdropping?” I threw a dish towel over my shoulder
and motioned for them to get the hell out of my way so I could
clean up from Mike’s visit. I may have disappointed my grandmother
while she was alive, but I intended to pay my respects to her by
keeping her house clean the way she would’ve wanted it.

Jimmy's shrill laugh cut through the hot and humid afternoon air
like a knife. “Well, isn’t this precious! Get this, Ray. Not only does
Snake here get out of prison and think he’s going to change careers,
but he’s also become a sweet little housewife. Be sure you get those
dishes clean now, sweetheart, or your daddy will tan that ass for
you.”

In one swift movement, I turned, punched Jimmy in the throat,

knocking him to the ground. As he lay there making gagging sounds,
I grabbed the butcher’s knife from the counter and held it under
Ray’s chin. “I’m just about to lose my patience with you. So just go
ahead and tell me what the fuck you’re doing here so you can be on
your way. And don’t call me Snake.”

His sickening smile slid across yellow teeth as he inhaled. If I

didn’t think he was pissing his pants, I’d swear the mother fucker
was enjoying it. “Oh, come on, now, buddy. Just because you’re
pretending to be reformed doesn’t mean you aren't the same old
Jake the Snake. That’s who you’ll always be as far as I’m
concerned.”

With one quick flip of my wrist, I clipped his chin with the tip of
the knife. He flinched when I drew blood, but he was either too
stupid or too emboldened to back down. “I’m not going to ask you
again what you want.”

I lowered the knife and allowed him to assist Jimmy to the chair.
Because it wouldn’t have been well received for my parole officer to
find some random dead guy sprawled out on my kitchen floor if he
decided to make a surprise visit, I didn’t hit him hard enough to do
any real damage, but I grinned at the thought of him having trouble
talking or breathing for a few hours. “I’m gonna let that one slide,
because I’ve always liked you, Snake. You wanna know why we’re
here? Well, I’ll tell you. We’re here to give you the information you
need for your final job for us.”

“No. I’ve done my final job. I’m done. I’m starting a new life,
without you or anyone else” I turned my back on them and headed
back to the sink. Even if they tried to jump me from behind, I was
still quick enough to outmaneuver either of them.

“I’m afraid that’s not the case, my friend. Don’t you remember
that little favor you owe? You know, the Russian?” I stiffened, and I
didn't have to turn around to know a smug grin covered his face.
“Yeah, you remember. Well, it’s time to pay up. He’s helping me take
care of something, and that’s where you come in. One last thing you
have to do, and then you can call it quits.”

I was trapped, and I knew it. There was no way I was getting
out of doing one last job. Not if Yuri was involved. No fucking way. I
thought I was as tough as they come, but that guy, he scared the
shit out of me. One look from him, and people disappeared, and
they may never even find the bodies. “Fine,” I huffed, knowing it
may be the last thing I’d ever do. “What’s the job?”
 Chapter Three
Ava

After the murder, I changed some habits in case someone was

watching me from beyond the shadows. I got to work early, always
before dark and made sure someone walked me to my car when we
closed. I told my coworkers that an old boyfriend had been calling
and threatening to show up, and, though he was harmless, I wanted
to avoid him cornering me. I alternated my route home, sometimes
stopping for fast food breakfasts and other times going straight
home. I never got out of my car until daylight, and only then after I
drove around the parking lot several times to make sure nothing was
amiss. I watched for my neighbors to be up and about, milling
around the outside of their apartments, so I could grab someone if I
needed to in a hurry.

Of course, this was all in addition to the precautions I normally

took to make sure no one found me. In the prior months I’d become
quite good at making myself scarce, and I was lulled into a false
sense of security. I thought I was safe. I thought I was off the radar.
I thought I was so smart. I was wrong.

I noticed him right away, not because I was worried about having
been found, but because he was gorgeous. Hard edges, muscles for
days, short but sexy facial hair, dangerous look in his eyes. Definitely
my type. I hadn’t realized until then that I actually had a type, but
he fit the bill. I took one look at him and knew I was in trouble. He
was the type of guy that a girl knows she’ll either lose her heart to
him, or her life, either one.
 I stepped back into the shadows when he walked in, because I
didn’t want him to see me right away. I stood back and watched him
survey the room, evidently looking for his prey for the night,
wondering if perhaps he was looking for me. Despite my best efforts
to stay hidden, he spotted me soon enough. The way he looked at
me did strange and wonderful things to my body. My nipples
instantly hardened, and I wondered how long my panties would stay
on by themselves. Once I realized it was no use to resist him, I
stepped closer to the bar and inched my way to him, perched like
the deadly hunter he was. The moment my eyes met his, all the air
left the room. My throat tightened and the moisture left my mouth. I
wondered if I’d be able to speak. We stared at each other for what
seemed like an eternity, every second of silence heavy with a
growing need I found impossible to ignore. The hungry eyes of a
predator stared back with a ferocity that unnerved me.

Ignoring the other customers clamoring for my attention, I shot

him my best smile. “What can I get for you?” I asked, pleased when
his eyes dipped to my chest as I leaned forward into the bar.

“Glenlivet neat,” he said with such an air of authority it wouldn’t

have surprised me if everyone in the bar suddenly went mute. My
brain took a moment to comprehend as almost everyone ordered
beer with the occasional shot of something harder.

“Sure thing. We don’t get many requests for that, so give me just
a minute,” I smiled and pulled a dusty bottle from the shelf and gave
it a quick wipe with my bar cloth. I glanced into his eyes after I
poured and slid the glass to him, which he caught in one quick flick
of his wrist. The movement made me wonder what other wonderful
things those large hands might be able to do.

He picked up the glass, swirling the amber liquid around like a

pro. He gave a quick sniff before touching his lips to the rim of the
glass and throwing back his head. He slammed the glass back onto
the bar with a loud thump, making my heart leap out of my chest. A
couple of the regulars bristled, appearing to want to call him out for
disrupting their evening, but then, I suppose after assessing his
demeanor, thought better of it and returned to their conversations.
Without looking into his eyes or asking if he wanted another, I
poured a second shot. He drank it just as quickly but
unceremoniously placed the glass back on the bar next to my hand.
As I tipped the bottle to pour, his hand suddenly landed on top of
mine to make sure I dispensed the amount he wanted. The lightning
that exploded from his touch should've been enough to make me
run, but it only served to draw me in more. Yes, the guy was
dangerous, probably to my life and most certainly to my heart, but I
didn’t care. I knew at that moment I’d never again be able to
breathe properly without him by my side.

His expression changed from hunger and lust to one of curiosity.

The lust was still there, but my refusal to flinch appeared to surprise
him. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” The coarse, raspy voice sent
shock waves throughout my core. My body tingled as those waves
crashed over every nerve ending from the tips of my nipples to the
innermost point of my pussy. I had the overwhelming desire to give
myself to him right then and there. I wanted to beg him to fill me
completely, not caring who saw or what they thought.

“I’m Ava. Haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new in
town or are you just passing through?”

“Just passing through, but I find the scenery appealing. I might

want to stay for a while.” His smile wasn’t a warm one, but it sent
the temperature in the room soaring regardless. “So tell me, other
than stand here and watch you pour another drink for me, what’s
there to do in this town, Ava?”

Good Lord, the way he said my name made me feel naked and
exposed! The space between my legs was on fire. Something primal
rose inside me, something I hadn’t felt for a long time. His gaze on
my body made me feel alive again. I wanted him more than I’d ever
wanted anyone in my life. The intensity of my desire should’ve
thrown up red flags. I was normally much more in control of myself,
but there was no doubt about what I was feeling.

He exuded sex, and I wanted it. My head spun with images of

me down on my knees with his cock in my mouth, hearing him say
my name before I realized he was waiting for me to answer his
question. Unfortunately for my little fantasy, other women in the bar
began to notice him and just like that, our moment was over. One of
the regulars plopped down on the barstool next to him. “I’m afraid,
honey, there’s not much to do in this town, but you’re welcome to
stay in your seat as long as you like, and I’ll make sure you enjoy
your time here. I’m Courtney. You can back off now, Ava, and just
bring me another beer. I’ll take it from here.”

I thought I noticed a momentary look of irritation on his face as

she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but my hopes were
dashed when he grinned then leaned in to whisper something in her
ear. Whatever he said must have been hilarious because she threw
her head back wildly in a fake laugh, which only had the effect of
pushing her already low-cut dress down even further as her tits
jutted into his face. She damn near flashed him, and everyone else
within a five-mile radius. When he reached for his wallet, I caught
the faintest glimpse of a gun stuffed in the waistband of his jeans.
My back straightened slightly, and he noticed. With a quick grin and
a wink, he placed three one hundred dollar bills on the bar in front
of me and stood, scooping Courtney off the barstool by her waist.
“Come with me, darlin’. I think there’s a table in the back where we
can sit and relax.”

Her legs wrapped around his body and her arms tightened
around his neck. “I like you,” she purred. “What’s your name, baby?”

“I’m Jake. You can tell me everything I need to know about

this town while Miss Ava here keeps the drinks coming.” He carried
her to the back of the room and they barely made it to the table
before she shoved her tongue down his throat. As they kissed he
caressed her ass, which made her writhe up and down his body.
Still, I got the impression he didn’t enjoy it. Because as he stood
there, kissing her, fondling her, with her body attached to his groin,
his eyes were wide open, and he was staring straight at me.
 Chapter Four
Jake

The plan when I entered the bar was to find the woman, follow her
home, take care of business, and then get my ass out of town
before anyone knew I’d been there. My plan changed as soon as I
saw Ava.

I was fairly certain she was the woman I was looking for, but
I had to be abso-fucking-lutely sure. The footage from the church
security camera was grainy, but you could make out the figure who
appeared on it. It was enough to make a pretty positive
identification, especially since she didn’t go to any lengths to
disguise herself. I wondered how those animals got their hands on
anything belonging to a church without immediately bursting into
flames.

With Courtney damn near locked onto my jock, I had to

formulate a new plan. I thought if I carefully plied her with drinks
and left with her, I could get her to tell me what I needed to know
before she passed out. Then I could let her sleep it off in my motel
room while I took care of the job long before she woke up. Worst
case scenario was I’d have to fuck her and sneak out when she fell
asleep.

The old Jake wouldn’t have minded getting a little pussy along
the way from Courtney. She was hot, and damn, she was willing, if
the lap dance she was trying to give me was any indication. But
after I locked eyes with Ava, hers was the only pussy I wanted. I
desperately looked around for another woman in the bar who could
possibly fit the bill, but none of them had the same curves as the
woman on the footage. Just Ava. Damn.

I ordered more drinks for Courtney, which had the added benefit
of ensuring Ava delivered them to our table, and I could enjoy the
view as she walked away. The longer it went on, the more confident
I became that she was the woman I’d been sent to find. I also knew
there was no way I could go through with it. The fire that passed
through our fingers when we touched was something I’d never
experienced before. Something I didn’t want to lose, no matter the
consequences.

For her part, Ava looked furious, slamming the drinks down on
the table whenever she could. I got the feeling she was just as
interested in me as I was in her, and she didn’t like Courtney
grinding on me any more than I did. Well, I did enjoy it a little. After
all, I hadn’t been out of prison long, though I’d gotten laid within
two hours of getting out. I still knew how to find a woman when I
needed one, even if I had to pay for her. But Ava was different. Her
gaze unnerved me. She could already see every secret I’d ever had
and wasn’t afraid of any of them. That was the kind of woman I
wanted. One who wouldn’t be intimidated by me or just want a good
time. I was amused by the thought perhaps I was finally becoming
the man my grandmother always wanted me to be. Well, as soon as
I got Courtney off my cock and did the job I was sent there to do.
As long as that job wasn’t Ava.

At last call, Courtney texted her roommate that she wouldn’t be

coming home, so I had plenty of time. She was just drunk enough
that I doubted she’d remember much. She’d blabbed where Ava
lived, so the first part of the plan would be easy. The second part,
actually finding proof that she was the woman in the surveillance
video, would be more difficult. I was usually much more organized
for a job, but seeing Ava made me throw all my plans out the
window.
 I decided the best course of action would be to break into Ava’s
place and search for the clothes the woman on the video was
wearing. If Ava had the same ones, then she was my mark. If I was
lucky, I’d find nothing incriminating in Ava’s apartment and get back
to the motel before Courtney even knew I was gone. She wasn’t
quite drunk enough to pass out and I was afraid I was going to have
to fuck her to get her to play along. So, I gave her another beer at
the motel, but I put a little something special in it first to make sure
she’d stay asleep for a while. She was out before I got her
undressed. Still, picking a woman who could handle so much alcohol
had cost me time. I had to get to Ava’s fast.

The building was quiet when I pulled up to Ava’s apartment

complex. It was before dawn. My favorite time of day. When I was
getting into so much trouble as a kid, I’d stay out all night and come
home just before dawn. The front door was always locked, but I
didn't bother picking it. No matter what, my grandmother would be
up waiting for me. I’d always think she’d give me a hard time or try
to ground me or something, but she never did. She’d unlock the
door and grin at me like nothing was wrong. Then, we’d sit on the
front porch step and silently watch the sun rise out the eastern sky.
It was beautiful.

I never asked why she didn’t get angry. She’d just drink her
coffee and pray. I told her once that praying for my soul would do no
good, but she kept doing it. Stubborn old bat. I missed her. And
while I knew she certainly wouldn't approve of what I was sent to
do, she’d be glad that it was the last job before I went straight. She
worried about me turning out like my old man, and while she was
right about that. I was determined to change that. I didn’t want to
end up dead like him.

As sunlight broke through the line of trees on the horizon, I

watched with some trepidation. Damn Courtney put me way behind
schedule. I’d intended to be at her place before Ava got home, but
the delay left me scrambling for a way to get what I needed while
she was at home. If I let her fall asleep, I could sneak in quietly. If
she wasn’t a very sound sleeper, I could tell her how I felt about her
and hope she felt the same kind of attraction for me. If all else
failed, I could disguise myself as a repairman and get into her
apartment that way. I’d been in the business long enough to know
that sometimes you need to adapt.

While trying to make up my mind, I spotted her walking, no,

make that sprinting, toward the front of the building. Despite the
summer morning, she had a hoodie pulled up over her head and a
scarf wrapped around her face, as if she wanted to hide, but I’d
know that ass anywhere. I’d spent enough time looking at it over the
last few hours at the bar. Her demeanor gave me red flags too. She
acted like a person afraid of being found. Things were not looking
good for my future wife. I decided there was only one way to
proceed.

She was fast, but I was faster. I made it to her apartment before
she did and stepped out in front of her, which stopped her in her
tracks. She gasped at my quick movement and looked at me with a
confused expression. It was only a moment, and then she realized
who I was and what I was there to do. Panic took the place of
confusion on her face and I thought I would have to chase her
down. When I grasped her elbow and squeezed, she tensed but
relaxed quickly thereafter. Resignation settled in her expression. “I
don’t suppose we could talk about this, could we?” she asked.

“Not much to talk about, honey. It’s nothing personal. Just got
take care of some loose ends.” I led her to her apartment, glancing
around to see if anyone was watching.

“Let me go or I’ll scream,” she said, daring me.

“You don’t want to do that, baby. I can’t be seen here, and you
know what will happen to any of your neighbors who see me, don’t
you?” She nodded grimly. “Then let’s just get inside and I promise,
I’ll listen to what you have to say. Won’t make any difference in my
job, but I’ll give you the dignity of being heard.”

“Oh, what a relief,” she laughed sarcastically. That was the

moment I fell in love with her.
 Chapter Five
Ava

I was used to living with the stress of knowing someone would

eventually come looking for me. I suspected he was one of them
when I first saw him last night, but I let my guard down anyway.
Stupid!

Entering my apartment for what I was sure would be the last

time, I wondered if there was any way to convince him to let me go.
Probably not, but I had to try. Every moment since he entered the
bar passed through my mind in the hopes of coming up with
something to gain an advantage. Perhaps I could use our mutual
attraction to persuade him not to kill me. When Courtney was
wrapped around his waist, he was watching me. He could be
interested in me or he may have just been trying to make sure I
didn't escape. I couldn’t be certain, but I had nothing to lose. I had
to take a chance.

He settled in on the couch, as I sat across from him in the

chair. “Do you want coffee?” I asked, my head spinning with the
absurdity of it all. It wasn’t a social visit.

“That would be great. I’ll come with you to the kitchen to make
sure you don’t pull a knife or a gun on me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said, not caring if my sarcasm offended

him, “but by all means, you can watch me make coffee.”
 He snickered. “Honey, I could watch you all day.”

“Yeah, I noticed. You watched me a lot last night, even with a

woman attached to your groin, you were still watching me. What’s
the story there?”

“There’s no story, really. I just like the way you look. It's not a
crime to admire a beautiful woman.”

“But it is a crime to murder one.”

“I’m no stranger to crime, honey.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. Speaking of women attached to you, where is

Courtney? Is she dead?” I asked and popped the coffee pod into the
machine and discarded the one from yesterday.

He laughed and my skin grew cold. “No, she’s not dead.” My

eyebrows raised as I glared at him. “I promise, honey. She’s not.
And she won’t be anytime soon, not by my hand, at least. I have
nothing to gain by killing her. She’s passed out in my motel room
right now. With what I gave her, she ought to sleep for a while
longer.”

“Long enough to give you an alibi, I suppose.” I passed a

steaming mug of coffee to him and marveled at the erotic surge that
jolted through me as he raised it to his nose and breathed in deeply.
I’d never known coffee could be so sexy. His eyes roamed over my
body, and I thought someone must have turned on the heat in my
building. God! What was I thinking? The man was there to kill me
and I was getting turned on by him!

“Exactly. An alibi. That’s all I need from her.” He paused and

stepped a little closer, apparently sensing my attraction to him. He
pushed a wayward strand of hair behind my ear and leaned in close.
“You weren’t perhaps a bit jealous of the attention I was giving her,
were you?”
 His lips were close to my mouth, and I fought an
overwhelming urge to suck them. I forced myself to remember he
was there to kill me, and I had to do everything in my power to stop
him. If that meant sucking his lips or sucking his dick, I’d do it, but I
wouldn’t allow myself to enjoy either, despite how damned appealing
he was. “I have to admit I was a tad confused,” I said coquettishly.
“I mean, I thought you and I were off to a good start, with me
batting my eyelashes at you and everything, and then suddenly you
were all into Courtney. I suppose now I know what your motives
were, it makes sense. Although, I think I could show you a much
better time than Courtney could.”

He grabbed my hips, swinging me around to face him straight

on, and lifted me in the air, swiftly placing me on the countertop.
Pushing my knees apart with his torso, he moved in even closer than
before. “You’re hot, I admit. And I’d be lying if I said you didn't turn
me on the minute I laid eyes on you. But don’t think than an offer to
fuck me will change the job I have to do.”

The kiss came hard and fast. Instinctively my legs wrapped

around him, mimicking Courtney just a few hours prior. I pulled his
cock into the space between my legs, the bulge in his jeans pressing
firmly against my soft core. Before I could stop myself, my hands
were running through his hair as my body melted into his. A low
moan emanated from the back of his throat, and my nipples
tightened. His tongue explored regions of my mouth no one ever
had before. His strong hands plunged below the waistband of my
jeans, kneading my ass like his life depended on it. Well, if his didn’t,
mine did.

My hands moved from his luxurious hair down to his sculpted

shoulders and his muscles rippled at my touch. Another wave of
excitement pulsed through my body as the kiss deepened. “God, I
want you, Jake.” Pulling hard on his shirttail and nearly tearing it
from his body, I was rewarded with a smooth, defined chest to run
my hands over. My head rushed forward to nibble the taut skin
between his pecs while he jerked my own shirt from my waistband.
The black lace of my bra was no match for my rock hard nipples
trying to poke through.

He noticed them too because his eyes focused on my heaving

chest and a sly grin appeared on his face. Suddenly he reached
behind me, grabbed a knife from the dish drainer and brought it
swiftly to my chest. I gasped and ice filled my veins as I waited for
him to plunge the knife into my heart. The second before I knew my
life would end, I stiffened and made a quick move to try to get
away. His left arm gripped me tighter as he twirled the knife slowly
around each nipple. My breath quickened as he slipped the tip of the
knife between my breasts and with one quick flip of his wrist cut the
fabric of my bra. He tossed the knife in the air and I felt his teeth
clamp down on my nipple as I listened to the clanking sound of the
knife as it fell into the sink.

Using his upper buddy to push me against the backsplash left

both hands free to unbutton my jeans. He lifted my hips from the
counter and jerked both jeans and panties from my body in one
quick motion. His face poised just inches from my throbbing core, he
breathed in deeply while looking directly into my eyes. “I’m gonna
enjoy licking your sweet pussy, baby. You’re gonna come harder than
ever before, and I'm just going to use my tongue on you. And when
you’ve come all over my face, I’m going to suck every ounce of your
sweet nectar from your pink little pussy to get you ready for the next
thing I’m going to do to you.”

“And what will that be?”

He smiled as his fingertips circled the soft skin of my inner

thighs. Fire suddenly shot through my body as his finger plunged
deep into me, expertly finding the special spot that guaranteed I’d
be his forever. “Well, Ava, next I’m going to bury myself deep inside
you until we’ve both had all we can take, but you have to promise
me something first.” I looked at him quizzically but couldn't bring
myself to utter anything but pleasure-filled moans. “Promise you
won’t grab that knife to plunge it in the back of my neck. At least let
me come first.”

Lowering himself to the floor and jerking my hips forward, he

set straight to his work. I wanted to be pissed, but his tongue
darting in and out of me proved to be too distracting. I grabbed the
back of his head, pushing him deeper between my thighs, and my
head flung itself backwards as the pressure built and a time bomb
threatened to explode inside my core. A hand shot up from between
my legs to pull my nipple at the same time his scruffy beard scraped
the outside of my pussy. Every nerve ending in my body fired off
electrical sparks, sending me over the edge. My body bucked
forward and every muscle clenched with waves of pleasure washing
over me. He held on tight until I stopped shaking.

Picking me up from the counter, he grunted, “Which way to

the bedroom? It’s time to really make you feel good!” My arm slowly
rose from his shoulder, pointing down the hall. I didn’t know what he
had in store for me, but I was looking forward to finding out.
 Chapter Six
Jake

Tumbling into bed on top of her, I thought I’d finally come home. I
didn’t care what happened to me, but I knew there was no way I’d
ever be able to hurt her, or allow anyone else to hurt her. She’d
reached into my soul and taken possession of my heart, and I’d
never be the same again. It wasn’t just the sex. I’d had mind-
blowing sex before, but it was the overwhelming instinct I had to
protect her, to keep her with me, God help me, to love her for the
rest of my life.

“Oh, Jake,” she moaned into my neck. “I didn’t know I could feel
like this.”

“Me either, baby. But it only gets better from here.” I stood up to
take off the rest of my clothes and the lustful look in her face made
me stop in my tracks. “You can’t look at me like that if you expect
me to keep my sanity, Ava.

“God, the way you say my name makes me want to stay in bed
with you for the rest of my life.” Her expression suddenly changed,
as if she’d realized the weight of what she’d said. She still thought I
was going to kill her after I fucked her.

“Ava, I’m not going to hurt you. I can’t. You’ve awakened

something deep inside me that I thought was long gone. I don’t
understand it, but I think I could fall in love with you, if I haven’t
already.” Tears welled in her eyes and I thought my heart would
explode with love. “Oh, don’t do that, honey. I don’t think I can
stand it if you do.”

“How do you expect me to respond, Jake?” Her voice was more

forceful than I expected which took me aback. The enormity of it all
seemed to be too much for her to handle at once.

“I’m so sorry, honey. I know I’m throwing a lot at you right now,
but I mean it! I promise! You’re safe with me, and if anyone tries to
hurt you, they’ll have to come through me first. Got it? Now, what
do you say, baby? Do you think you can trust me?”

She stared at me blankly for what seemed like an eternity before

she answered. “It depends.”

“On what, honey. I swear I’ll do anything.”

The corner of her mouth curved up into a devilish grin. “Well,”

she hesitated ever so slightly, “I seem to recall a promise of burying
yourself in me until we just couldn’t take any more. You could
probably start there if you’re so inclined.” Her hand flew forward and
wrapped itself around my shaft sending a bolt of electricity through
my body that for a little bit more would’ve reached my soul.

I grabbed her hips with both hands and pulled her to me. "Hell,
yeah, baby! Anytime you want!” I hovered above her, staring into
her eyes. “I’m trying to figure out how I got so damn lucky for the
most beautiful woman in the world to want me.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it, Jake. It’s destiny.” My mouth

crashed onto hers with such force I was surprised we didn’t both
draw blood. The kiss, wet and passionate, lasted an eternity. “Now,”
she said as she pulled away from the kiss and settled herself under
my body, “fuck me or else I’ll go crazy!”

She didn’t need to ask me twice. My hips instinctively thrusted

forward and I plunged into her soft, wet heat, and she felt like a
fucking million bucks! Over and over I did exactly what I promised
her I’d do. When I felt a deep shudder flow through her body and
she screamed my name, I knew my own release was mere seconds
away. “Yeah, come for me, Ava! Come all over me again, honey!”
The explosion in our bodies came a second later and I shot my full
load deep inside her.

After her body stopped convulsing, I slowly rolled over and pulled
her close to me. We stayed still and silent for a few moments until I
heard her softly crying beside me. “What’s wrong, Ava? I meant
what I said, honey. I’m not going to hurt you, and I promise I’ll find
a way out of this.”

“It’s not that. I believe you, Jake. It’s just, well, I’ve never felt so
close to anyone before, and I’m a little scared. I don’t exactly know
what’s supposed to happen now. What’s our future going to be,
Jake?”

I sighed, knowing the difficult path in front of us. “I think

normally, people would start talking about forever, but that’s not us,
at least not right now. We do need to figure out the immediate
future, but I think we can take a few minutes to bask in each other,
don’t you?”

She settled into the crook of my arm and pressed her body
against mine. “Yes, we can do that, but then we really need to talk.
And we can’t forget about Courtney.”

“She should be out for another couple of hours, so we have

plenty of time.”

***********

Ava dumped out the cold coffee she’d given me earlier that
morning and replaced it with another steaming cup and passed me a
plate containing a toasted bagel covered with cream cheese. “I
haven’t had one of these in a long time. Not since before I went to
prison.”

She gulped and raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you’ll tell me all
about that later, but I think we have some other things to discuss
first.”

“Tell me what you want to know,” I said in between bites of

bagel.

“Can I start by asking you a question?” I nodded as she

appeared to gather her thoughts. “Tell me why. I mean, I know what
I saw, and I’m guessing someone didn’t like that I saw and can’t
have me out here running around in case I decide to tell. But I want
to hear it from you. Who hired you? Who killed that girl, and why?
Who was she?”

I inhaled sharply before finishing the food and taking another

gulp of the still too hot coffee. “I don’t know who she was, other
than she was the girlfriend of someone I used to know. He works for
some really bad people now, and I owe them a favor.”

“And getting rid of me is what they want.”

“Yeah. I don’t know why she was killed, and I didn’t ask. Not
my business. But, knowing this guy like I do, it may be as simple as
she smarted off to him and he didn’t like it. Anyway, he’s a punk, but
he has some very powerful friends.”

“How did they know I saw? I was very careful and made sure
I wasn’t followed.”

“The church parking lot had security cameras. I don’t know

how those punks got a hold of it, but they did. They didn’t see you
that night. It was only after they saw the surveillance footage that
they knew anyone was there. You’re lucky they didn’t see you in
person. They’d have killed you on the spot.”
 “So they wouldn’t have had to send you.”

“Well, then I’d just still owe the guy a favor. And trust me, he
would’ve sent someone else to take my place anyway. That man is
nothing but trouble. What the hell were you doing there anyway?”

“She was in the bar that night, and she looked so sad. It was
almost as if I was drawn to her. I wanted to help her so badly. She
was quiet, but I could tell something was on her mind. She had a
story to tell, and I wanted to listen if she'd let me. Just as I thought
I was breaking through her shell, two guys came in and started
harassing her. They acted as if they knew her, but she tried to ignore
them. They didn’t like it.”
 Chapter Seven
Ava

While it was cathartic to tell Jake the story, reliving the details was
quite upsetting. I paused to calm my nerves. He took my hand and
gave it a squeeze to encourage me.

“Yeah, if it was Ray, I imagine he didn’t like that worth a

damn,” he agreed.

“She eventually went to a table with one of them, her

boyfriend I assume now, and they spoke for a little while. They
argued, but I didn’t hear what they said. The other guy just stood
back and tried to look menacing. He didn’t. He looked like a buffoon”

Laughing, he said, “He always looks like that. I swear I don’t

know how those fools got to be so well-connected.”

“After their argument, the men left, but she stayed long
enough to pull herself together with the help of another couple of
drinks. When she came to pay her tab, I tried to talk to her again,
but she’d already had a lot to drink and wasn't making much sense.
She had taken off her jacket while she was talking to the guy, and
that’s when I saw bruises on her arms. My blood began to boil, and I
was worried she wouldn’t get home safely, so I followed her, to stop
her from driving. When I saw her walking down the street, I went
after her. I was just trying to look out for her.”
 “So, you just followed her? Do you know how dangerous that
was?”

“Well, I do now! I didn’t at the time. All I could think about

was making sure she got home safely. I guess I failed in that
mission.” My joke fell on deaf ears. “I lost track of her, so I doubled
back to return to work. That’s when I went past the church. I didn’t
get too close, but I saw her lying there in a pool of blood. She
wasn't moving, but I didn't check on her. I’ve wondered a million
times if I should have. Would it have been any different? I don't
know if she was still alive, but I didn't think so. It was bad.”

“And that’s when you left?”

“Yeah. I didn't have my cell phone, or I probably would’ve

tried to help her. At least call an ambulance, you know. But I
panicked. I was a coward and ran back to the bar as fast as I could.”

“But then you went back again?”

“By the time I got to the bar, I’d mustered up some courage,
and I was determined to help. When I got back to the church, she
was gone. All evidence of her was gone. There was no body, no
blood, no nothing! It had only been a few minutes, but there was
nothing there. That’s when I really got scared thinking someone was
close enough to see me. So I ran again and never looked back. I
used to drive by that church every day on my way to and from work.
Now I take the long route so I don’t have to be reminded of her. Not
that it helps. I see her in my dreams. She was scared of that guy,
and it showed all over her face.”

“So, I still don't understand why you bothered following her in

the first place. I mean I get it that you thought she might be in
trouble, but it was a dangerous, reckless thing for you to do. Why
would you put yourself in a situation like that?”
 I tried to think of how I could explain it to make him
understand. Without knowing if he was capable of understanding, I
just spilled everything. “Victims recognize victims, Jake! If you’ve
been through any kind of abuse, you know the signs and you know
how victims think. It's like a club you don’t want to join, but once
you’re in, you're there for good. For the rest of your life. Once I got
past the initial anger and hurt, I wanted to do whatever I could to
make sure no one else suffered the same way I did.” I choked back
tears to keep from screaming. “Or had to do the same thing I had to
do to make it stop!”

“What did you have to do, honey?”

“I had a life before then, Jake. A good one. I had to make it

stop, but it cost me everything!” I was shaking uncontrollably, and I
buried my face in my hands to hide my shame. I’d played the scene
in my head every day for eight months, but I’d never told another
living soul.

“Did you do something to your abuser, Ava?”

“I killed him! Alright! I killed him! I didn't mean to do it, but I

had no control over myself. He wouldn't stop hitting me. He knocked
me to the floor. I landed next to the jacket he’d thrown across the
room when he got home and dinner was still in the oven and not on
the table. I knew he kept a knife in it, so when he turned his back, I
reached for it and, and I...I…”

“You don’t have to say any more, babe. I got you. He’s not
here and he’s never going to hurt you again. In fact, no one will ever
hurt you again. Oh, God, honey, when I used a knife to cut off your
bra earlier, that must have brought back some awful memories! I’m
so sorry!”

He pulled me to him and held me like he never wanted to let me

go. We stood there for what seemed like forever until I could
breathe again. “I have another question.” His muscles clenched
under my touch, and once they relaxed I asked, “How did you find
me? I mean, I know you saw me on the surveillance footage, but
how did you know to come to the bar to find me?”

“It was the timestamp on the security footage.” He motioned for

me to sit and disappeared into the kitchen for a glass of water. “It
wasn’t that hard. The footage shows you there in the church parking
lot and then you left. It was a little over seventeen minutes before
you appeared again. I assumed you were on foot and had probably
run all or part of the way to wherever you’d gone when you weren’t
on the video. So, I figured it would take you less than eight minutes
one way, and I narrowed down all the possibilities of where you
could’ve gone at 3:30 in the morning and be back in that length of
time. I narrowed it down to the bar pretty easily.”

“So where do we go from here? Do you have a plan? How are

you going to explain this to your friends?”

He laughed. “You sure do ask a lot of questions, woman,” he said

and slapped me on the ass. “And they aren’t my friends. They’re
former associates, I’ll think of something to do about Yuri. I don't
want you worrying about it. I think I might have an idea. It’s risky,
but it may work.”

“Tell me. What are you planning to do?”

“Well, Yuri wants you dead, right? The only way we'll ever be free
is if he thinks you’re dead. We have to fake your death. You can’t
have your same old life as before.”

“Ha! I don't think that'll be hard for me. I've basically done it
since the incident. My family thinks I dropped off the face of the
planet, and I’ve started a new life here. What else do I need to do?
Change my name, I suppose?”

“Yeah, but the biggest obstacle is going to be convincing them

you're dead. They’re not going to take my word for it.”
“You mean, they’re going to want to see my body?”
 Chapter Eight
Jake

That was exactly what I meant. “I’m afraid so. There are drugs to
slow your heartbeat down to almost nothing, but knowing these
guys, they’d stab you through the heart just to be sure. We’re going
to have to come up with something else. Maybe find someone who
looks like you, and ---”

“Now, hold on, Jake! You’re not suggesting killing some strange
woman just because she looks like me, are you?” I allowed my blank
stare to answer her question. “I can’t do that, Jake. I got into this
whole mess because I wanted to help someone. I can’t be
responsible for taking another life just to save mine, especially
someone who is completely innocent.”

I knew she was right, but it didn’t make me any less frustrated.
Not necessarily at her, but at the situation in general. “Well, we have
to do something, Ava! Do you have any better ideas?”

"I don't at the moment, but I'm not going to allow you to kill
some random person. We're just going to have to come up with
another plan." She paced the floor, periodically throwing her hands
up in frustration. While I could absolutely commiserate with her and
understand her feelings, I didn't care what happened to anyone else.
I'd kill ten people if necessary to keep her safe. She stopped pacing
after a moment, turned to me, opened and closed her mouth as if
the words wouldn't quite come, and then continued pacing. That
went on for several minutes, but watching her glide across the floor
like that was turning me on instead of forcing me to find a solution
to our problem.

I knew I had to come up with something quick. We were

running out of time. We had another couple of hours before
Courtney would wake up, but I really didn’t want to risk anything
else going wrong. "I might have an idea. I've not personally done
this, but I heard from one of my cell mates that it can work. But it
has to be planned perfectly. It may involve some expertise I don't
have."

“What do we need to do?”

“As badly as I hate to say it, you need to get dressed, and I
need to make some calls. Gather the clothes you were wearing the
night of the murder and the ones you were wearing last night. And
stay put, here inside. Don’t go near the windows where anyone
could see you.”

“Where are you going?”

I checked my phone for the time. 8:30. Still too early to call
him, but I didn’t have a choice. I needed answers only he could
provide. Hell, I didn’t even know what time zone he was in. He could
be waking up or calling it a night. I was just going to have to take a
chance. “I’ll be right outside. I want to see if anyone is watching us,
and I need to make a phone call." I made for the door and she
started to follow me. “Seriously, honey. Stay back. No one can see
you.” I grabbed her waist, pulled her toward me. I kissed her, gently
at first, but couldn’t resist exploring her mouth. It took every ounce
of resolve I had to pull away. I wanted to take her back to bed right
then and there, but her life depended on what I did next. “I’ll be
right back. I promise.”

I shut the door behind me and looked out into the morning
sky. Storm clouds brewing off in the distance got my attention right
away. The approaching bad weather was an appropriate prelude to
what was coming. I scanned the parking lot, relieved to see the
same few cars that were there when I arrived at dawn. It was
possible someone could’ve been watching, but I didn’t think it was
likely.

Confident no one was watching or within earshot, I grabbed

my phone, took a deep breath and scrolled until I found the number
I wanted. He picked up on the second ring. “I can’t believe you still
have the same phone number. Sure took your sweet ass time calling
me. Too much longer and you were going to hurt my feelings.”

“Yeah, like you ever had any feelings to hurt,” I chuckled.

“Oh, brutal! I have feelings, Jake. But I'm successful because

I bury them so deep no one will ever find them, but they exist. How
the hell are you?”

“I’m good, but this isn’t a social call. I have a problem and I
need your help, little brother.”

“What’s her name?”

“I’ll tell you later. Right now, I need you to walk me through
how to break into a building that has more security than I’m used to.
I have something working that’s a little out of my area of expertise.”

“So more secure than a liquor store,” he teased.

“Not funny. You know quite well the last time I broke into a
liquor store I was a kid. I was, what, like 16 or 17 years old?”

“Yeah, I know. I was there. I was 13 and you showed me the

ropes. My mom wanted to kill you when she had to pick us up from
juvie, but Dad thought it was hilarious,” he laughed.

“If I remember correctly, your mom dumped Dad’s ass for

good not long after then. He blamed me for that too, and he
definitely took it out on me.” I shook my head to loosen the cobwebs
after being dragged down memory lane. “So, enough of this shit. Do
you have a few minutes for me to pick your brain?”

“For you? I have all the time in the world. You’re my big
brother after all. What do you need to know? What are you trying to
break into?”

I glanced around again, just to be sure no one was around

who could hear. “I need to break into the morgue.”
 Chapter Nine
Ava

Despite the serious doubts I had in Jake's plan itself, I placed my

trust in him completely. If there was anyone who could pull it off, it
was that guy. The trust I had for knowing him for such a short
period of time shocked me. But both my heart and my head knew he
was for real. I’d never said that about anyone else.

He was adamant about me staying out of sight. In my head I

knew he was right, but my heart couldn’t stand him doing
everything by himself. His brother, some kind of infamous art thief,
gave him instructions on certain security features and the subtle
intricacies of breaking into a place like the morgue in the middle of
the day. When I asked him how an art thief would know how to do
that, he said he was really more interested in tips on how to hide in
plain sight. His brother was an apparent expert at that.

Parts of the plan Jake would be able to handle on his own,

but he needed help for the rest of it. After he went back to his motel
to deliver Courtney home and clear out his belongings, he spent a
couple of hours tracking down some people he considered to be
trustworthy, and then vetted them again just to make sure he could
actually count on them. Then he picked up the supplies we needed,
including hair dye in case the only available women had blonde hair
instead of dark hair like mine. He also talked to another of his
brothers, and I wondered how many of them he had, and they
planned to hack into the morgue's computer system so no one
would suspect a body was missing. Yeah, I couldn't believe that was
really a thing.

I stayed inside, like a good little girl, hoping he'd be able to

pull it off. I slowly began to understand that not only did my life
depend on his success, but his life did as well. If anyone found out
that he’d not actually killed me, they’d come gunning for Jake. His
plan had to work.

Jake was grumpy, but I tried to be understanding. We both

had a lot riding on those next few hours. As the time approached for
him to leave, I got more and more antsy. “Are you sure I can’t come
with you, Jake? I promise I’ll stay out of sight.”

“Absolutely not! If someone sees you, the plan is ruined, and

then I don't know what we’d do except go on the run for the rest of
our lives.”

“At the risk of starting an argument, if they see you breaking

into a morgue, the plan to steal a body that looks like me is going to
be blown anyway, don’t you think?”

With all that was at stake, logic was too much for him to
handle at the moment. “Ava! I know this plan has some flaws, but
it's the best I could come up with on short notice. If you can think of
something else that will work in the next few minutes, I’m all ears.
Otherwise, just stop trying to figure out how to come along with
me!” he yelled.

“Fine!” I exclaimed. “Maybe it was a bad time to bring it up!” I

yelled right back at him. After a minute, we both calmed down and I
noticed he kept checking his phone. “It’s almost time for you to go,
isn’t it?”

“Yes. You’ll be fine here until I get back.” He leaned in to kiss

me. “This will work, honey. It has to.”
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
other jays to his help. If one of them is killed by the hawk, they all
give loud, wild cries. Then they fly off and, hidden in the wood,
complain of their disaster.
 LESSON XXXVIII.
THE BIRDS IN THE HOUSE.
As so many of you have cage birds, I think you will like to hear a little
about the kinds of birds that most often live in cages. I will tell you of
only the two most common kinds of pet birds,—the canary and the
parrot.
As the parrot is the larger bird and of more ancient fame, we will
speak of him first. Parrots have been favorite cage birds for many
hundred years. They are notable for size, splendor of plumage,
docility, long life, and power of learning to speak.
Like the woodpecker, the parrot belongs to the division of climbing
birds. The feet of climbing birds have two toes turned forward, and
two turned backward.
The parrot family is a group of large and splendid birds. You will
know even the smaller members of it by their bills. The bills are high
and thick, and have the upper part much curved and longer than the
under part. This bill is useful in aiding the birds in climbing, and in
holding fast to the branches of trees. It is just the right kind of bill for
eating fruit, which forms the chief food of the parrot in its wild state.
The tongue of the parrot is short, thick, and fleshy. The wings and tail
are long. The plumage is gay.
To the parrot family belong the parrakeets, cockatoos, macaws, and
lories. These are all birds of hot countries.
Nothing can exceed the splendor of the plumage of these birds. Red,
lemon, green, scarlet, blue, white, and a mixture of these colors, will
be found upon them. Many of them have brilliant crests, and many of
them long gay tail feathers.
The head and bill of the parrot are large. While their bill tells us what
kind of food they live on, and their feet show that they can climb,
their long strong wings show that they are birds of flight.
Parrots are social birds. They live in large flocks. They make their
nests in hollow trees, as woodpeckers do. In their native homes they
are much like woodpeckers in some of their ways. But they eat fruit,
not insects.
The natural voice of the parrot is a loud, harsh call. Parrots can learn
to speak only when they are carefully taught. Not every kind of parrot
can learn even when taught. The common short-tailed, red and
green parrot makes the best talker. Some of them are very amusing.
Parrots are usually of a kind, gentle disposition, easily tamed, and
learn to live very happily in a cage. When captive they eat sugar,
crackers, and almost any little dainty that is offered to them. They
are fond of water, and bathe often.
The very long-tailed parrots called macaws, and parrakeets, are
birds of Central and Southern America. In India there are also very
long-tailed parrots. In old times they were sent as presents to kings
and queens. The parrakeets of Asia and Africa are called ring
parrakeets, because each one has a collar of bright feathers about
the neck. The two parrots called “the gray,” and “the festive,” or “jolly”
parrot, are the most common as pets, are most amusing, and learn
many words and tricks.
What are called “love birds” are very small and beautiful parrots,
from North Africa. They are as small as bluebirds. They are the
smallest of their race, and rather rare.
The cockatoos are kept in cages, not for their speech, as they do not
learn to talk, but for their great beauty. You will know them by their
high crests. They have their name from their note, or call. They are
natives of tropic islands. Most of them have light-colored feathers,
pink, lemon or white, with markings of brighter tints.
If you live where you can visit a large bird-store, you will do well to
go to see some of these birds.
Let us now turn to that other house bird, and common pet, the
canary.
This little bird has its name from some islands on the coast of Africa,
which are its native home. It is about three hundred years since
these birds began to be reared and sold for cage birds.
Canaries are very small birds, of a delicate yellow color, graceful
shape, bright and lively ways, and sweet song.
In their native woods they have not the clear yellow color which they
now wear. They are of an olive green with spots of black and yellow.
The yellow color has become common to the cage birds.
Canaries are intelligent, affectionate little birds. They can be taught
to whistle tunes, if you train them with care and patience. If given
plenty of water, clean cages, plenty of light, and good fresh seed,
they will be healthy and live a long time.
You should give them a lump of sugar for a treat, some chick-weed
for fresh food, a bit of cuttle-fish bone to sharpen their beak upon.
You must also be careful to keep them out of a draught.
These birds of hot lands, reared in cages, would die if we let them fly
out of the cage. So, if we treat them well, it does not seem cruel to
keep them in their little wire palaces.
For my part, I prefer to see birds flying, feeding, and singing in the
woods and fields, which are their natural home.
 LESSON XXXIX.
THE LOST BIRDS.
Hidden in the earth, in peat swamps, or in rocks, we find the bones
of birds of various kinds that lived long ago, and are now lost. Some
of these lost birds were on the earth before men and beasts were.
Others have been well known until a recent time. I shall tell you of a
few that have lived until lately.
First I shall mention the great auk. This was a large handsome bird,
which lived along the shores and islands of northern seas. As auks
were good to eat, large numbers of them were killed.
There should have been a law to protect them while they were
raising their young. As there was no such law, the birds were killed at
any time, and their eggs and young were taken. Thus year by year
they perished, until none are left.
The auk was a very large bird, with black and white feathers. It had
very short legs, broad, webbed feet, and very small wings. When
sitting at rest on a rock, it held itself straight up and was nearly a
yard high.
It was a wonderful swimmer and diver, but could not walk much, and
did not fly except from rock to rock. Its bill was very large and strong.
The auk was a fish-catcher and eater.
As to these very big bills, such as you see on the toucan and hornbill
in museums, where the bill is nearly as large as all the rest of the
bird, let me tell you a secret. Do not they look very heavy? Do you
not wonder how the bird can carry them, or fly with them?
Here is the truth. The horny hard part is very thin, not thicker than a
sheet of paper. Then all the inside of the bill is built up in cells,
something like a fine honey-comb, and these cells are full of air! So
instead of being heavy, these huge bills are very light.
The bill of the auk was large, but not nearly so large as that of the
hornbill or toucan.
A neighbor of the auk was the Labrador duck. This bird often built its
nest close by where the auk laid its great, bright-colored eggs, near
the water’s edge. The Labrador duck and the auk swam in the same
waters, and were both very gentle birds.
This duck, like the auk, is now lost. The last one seems to have been
killed a few years ago. The Labrador duck was a very beautiful bird.
People wanted its eggs, flesh and feathers, and did not spare the old
birds to raise their broods.
This makes me think of the fable of the greedy man, who killed the
goose that laid golden eggs. Then he had neither goose nor eggs. I
think it served him right.
Chief among lost birds is the famous dodo. This dodo was an
immense pigeon. It was a helpless, quiet, kind, clumsy bird. It was
too heavy and too short of wing to fly. It had no weapon of defence;
no sharp, strong bill; no tearing claws.
Such a bird was easily caught and torn to pieces by dogs or cats.
When these animals were taken to the island of Mauritius, where the
dodo lived, they were allowed to run wild in the woods. They soon
became more like wolves and panthers than decent dogs and cats.
The dodo had never before seen any wild animals larger than rats or
squirrels. The dodos lived in peace and friendship with other birds
and small wild beasts. When ships began to visit the islands where
the poor dodos lived, men, dogs, and cats soon put an end to the
gentle birds.
Lost, with the auk and dodo, we may count two kinds of beautiful
parrots, and a starling with a splendid crest, like an unfurled fan; also
a tall, handsome bird, called a rail, has been hunted out of existence.
But some other rails are still plentiful.
The last bird to disappear has been the great vulture of the Alps.
This was a big bird indeed. It was two yards wide across the
outspread wings. It lived on the high peaks of the Alps.
This bird had a large hooked beak and large strong claws. You know
that eagles and vultures are flesh eaters. This big vulture did not
confine its diet to dead flesh. It would pick up and carry off a little
lamb. It has been known, also, to carry off a baby child.
So, as this was a cruel and dangerous bird, I am glad it has gone
from the earth.
The garefowl, often called a penguin, is another lost bird. It was a
great bird, living on the coast. It had such small wings that it could
not fly. Thus you see it could not get away from dogs and wild
animals, except when it could take to the water.
When men joined in the hunt, the garefowl soon perished. Is it not
right, then, to kill birds for food? Yes. But they should never be killed
until the season is over when they are laying eggs and raising the
young brood. If old birds are killed before the young ones are reared,
you can see that the birds must soon die out.
Then, too, while birds may be killed for food, it is not right to kill them
for the mere pleasure of killing. It is wrong to find a pleasure in taking
away life. You should never waste the life of beast, bird, insect, or
plant.
I have seen people nearly destroy a variety of rare wild flower, by
tearing up masses of the plant before seeds had time to form. The
people took much that they did not need and soon threw away. Then
only few and small plants were left for seed.
We should remember that as we are not the first people on the earth,
so we shall not be the last, and we should not rob the future of things
that are pleasing to us. We should all try to make the earth richer
and better, not poorer, for our having been in it.
 LESSON XL.
THE FIN FAMILY.
I remember when I thought that no living thing was of so little interest
as a fish. I used to wonder how it was that the great Agassiz began
his studies in Nature with fish. I did not think that fish were even
pretty.
I suppose that was because I knew nothing about them. When we
are quite ignorant of a subject, we are apt to think it has no interest.
One reason why, in these Nature Readers, I am telling you
something of many things is, that by knowing a little of these
subjects, your interest in them may be aroused. Then you will try to
learn more; and the more you know, the more you will enjoy.

IN THE COOL DEPTHS.

Once, if you had asked me, “What is a fish?” I should have said, “Oh,
a fish is a long thing, with scales and fins; and it lives in the water!”
How many of you can tell me anything more than that? Perhaps you
will add that a fish is good to eat.
Well, one day I went into a house where there was a great glass
tank. It was like a glass room full of water. As I stood looking in
through the glass side of this tank, I saw, gliding through the water, a
large, lovely creature, in silver and rose color. It had big black eyes,
set in a golden ring.
This creature seemed to move without the least effort. It made no
sound. It slid by me like the figures in a beautiful dream. It rose. It
turned. It sank,—and all without seeming to exert itself in the least. I
saw no effort at motion; but now and then a tremor of a forked tail,
and now and then the gentle wave to and fro of a pair of gleaming,
thin, silken things, like fans, half unfurled.
This, then, was a fish at home! Here was a fish living in the water,
and doing as it pleased. The clear water added to its beauty. It shone
like a gem. Other creatures, as beautiful, but different, lived with it.
They crossed and recrossed each other’s course. They left no track.
They had no path. They moved on, far more easily than a bird
moves in the air, or a man on the land.
From that day I loved the fin family. Let us look at this family.
I told you that a bird is built on the plan of a boat to sail in the air. The
fish, also, is built on the boat plan. He is a boat to move not on, but
in, the water.
Perhaps this is not a fair way of speaking; for birds and fish were
made long before men. And no doubt men built their boats on the
plan of the water-birds and the fish.
The fishes vary much in shape and size. We will speak now of the
ordinary fish type. We will take a model or pattern fish, such as the
perch or the mackerel.
The head is sharp and wedge-shaped. It serves as the prow of the
boat, to divide the water. The body is long, narrow, smooth. It has
scales lapping over each other, and are all turned from the head
toward the tail.
The tail is like the rudder of a boat, to direct its course. It serves also
as the paddle, or propeller, to drive it through the water. There is a
long slim fin on each side, just below and behind the head. These
serve as balances, and, also, sometimes as oars.
There is a long fin, sometimes there are two fins, on the ridge of the
back. There are also two fins on the lower line of the body. These
steady the fish in the water. They help to keep it, as you would say,
“right side up.” There are two more fins under the body, near the tail.
What you call the tail is really a fin. The true tail is the narrow end of
the body, just above this final fin.
Let us look at the head. Just on the front is the mouth. It has plenty
of teeth. I shall tell you of these teeth in another lesson, when I tell
you about the scales. Just above and behind the mouth are the
eyes, one on each side of the head. They never have any eyelids.
Below and back of the eyes are the gills and gill-covers. Gills are
wonderful things, which serve the fish for lungs. These gills can take,
or sift, out of the water, the oxygen of the air that is mixed with the
water.
The fish takes the water in at his mouth. Then, by a motion like
swallowing, he drives it out through the gills; and the gills sift out the
oxygen, as the water passes through them. Fish need that part of air
called oxygen to purify their blood, just as you need it.
If fish are kept in a vase where the water is not renewed, they soon
die for lack of oxygen. If they are put into water which has been
boiled, they die, because boiling has driven out the oxygen.
Perhaps you have been told that fish breathe water, as you breathe
air. That is not true. Fish breathe air, but the air must be sifted
through their fine gills. When you pull a fish out of water, he pants
and struggles and cannot get his breath. His fine gills stick together,
and cannot do their work. So the fish chokes to death. His panting
action is an effort to get air.
Fish with the thinnest and finest gills, as herring, choke very soon. A
carp, perch, or other fish that have gill-covers that will hold moisture,
and gills that will keep wet a long time, will live one, two, or more
hours in the air.
Fish have inside the body an air-bladder, or bag of air. This may help
them in breathing, but its chief use is to keep them up in the water.
The bladder lies under the backbone. This backbone runs from the
head to the tail of the fish. It is made of little pieces like cups. Each
piece has two or more long spines, like ribs, on each side of it.
The bony frame of a fish is very curious. You should try to have a fish
skeleton to look at. There are little bones that extend from each
division of the fins. You will see that the skeleton looks somewhat
like the ribs or frame of a boat before the planks are put on.
The bright color and gleam of the fish is in the scales. I will tell you of
these later. The scales are like a rich, flexible suit of armor.
Fish have cold blood, not warm like yours. They have very keen
sight and smell. Probably they have good hearing, and but little
sense of touch or taste. They have small brains, and not very much
intelligence.
 LESSON XLI.
OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.
If I ask you what is the largest of all fish, you will say “a whale.” But
let me tell you that a whale is not a fish. A whale is an animal that
spends all its time in the water, but cannot live constantly under
water. If cast ashore it will die, because it has no means of getting
back into the water, and no food on the land.

QUEER NOSES.
But whales have no gills, and they breathe air as you do. They are
so made that they can, with safety, remain under water for a much
longer time than you can. If a whale is kept under water too long, he
drowns. So we must leave whales, nar-whales, and porpoises out of
our account of fishes.
Among real fish you will find some of great size. Sturgeon have been
caught which weighed five hundred pounds. They were twelve or
fourteen feet long. Yet this size seems small when we compare it
with that of the great shark which has been found thirty feet long.
A queer contrast with such a vast creature is the little minnow, which
you catch in ponds and brooks. It is not much over an inch long.
Little English boys in their first fishing trips go for sticklebacks, a fish
from one to two inches long. I shall tell you in another lesson of this
amusing little fish.
The fish usually chosen as a type, or model, of the fish race, is a
perch. We find fishes[29] differing from the general perch pattern as
much as flower differs from flower.
The perch is a wedge-shaped fish, and is a beautiful creature. Let us
see how others of the fin family differ from the pattern I described to
you in the last lesson.
Instead of having a clear, round, full, bright eye like that of a perch,
some fishes, which live in mud, or in very deep water, have tiny
eyes, like dots. Some fishes which live in streams in dark caves have
really no eyes.
The perch is covered with scales of a rich green-brown and a golden
white. Some fish, as the eel and sword-fish, have no scales. A shark
has no true scales, but his skin has hardened into little bony points.
Some other fish, instead of scales, have large bony plates. The
heads and the fins seldom have any scales upon them.
If you could see a large collection of fish, you would wonder at the
variety of shape. You would see the “perch pattern” changed in
almost every possible way. Perhaps the first odd-shaped family to
notice would be the rays.
The fish of this family are flat. Their bodies are shaped much like a
flat triangle, finished with a long slim tail. The ray’s mouth is on the
under side of his body. The most common members of the ray family
are the skates. They are of a dark color above, and light below. I
shall soon tell you a queer thing about skates’ eggs.
One of the rays is called the sting ray, because its tail extends in a
huge lash, like an immense whip. Another ray is called the eagle,
because his body and fins widen out on each side, like the wings of
a big bird.
Another odd-shaped fin family is that of the flat fish. These, like the
rays, are dark above and light below. These fish are very flat or thin
in the body, and usually have both eyes and mouth on the upper or
dark side. There is one kind where the eyes and mouth are so raised
as to look much like the head of a bird. They swim with a queer
wave-like motion of the whole body. To this family belong the turbot,
flounder, plaice, and sole.
Then, too, there is a family of fish that are nearly as round as balls.
They have wide stripes of light and dark color, and look more like
nice play bells, furnished with tails and fins, than like fish.
A queer contrast to them is the pipe-fish. Pipe-fish have no scales.
Their bodies are long and slender, like very slim canes. They get
their name from the queer shape of their noses. The pipe-fish’s nose
is very slim and hard, and half as long as the fish. People think it
looks like a pipe, or cigar.
Many fish have very odd noses. Instead of the wedge-shaped head,
with the nose and mouth set exactly on the front, the nose may be of
a queer shape, and the mouth above or below.
The bellows-fish gets its name from a nose shaped almost exactly
like a bellows. One kind of sturgeon is called the shovel-fish,
because its head is shaped much like a wide shovel. Another
sturgeon is called the spoon-bill, because its nose runs out in a long,
horny plate, like a spoon, or a paddle. The hammer-headed shark,
has its head broadened on each side like a great hammer, with the
neck for a handle. One eye is set at the end of each projection.
I cannot tell you of all the queer shapes that fish take. If you examine
those which you catch in the ponds and rivers, or see brought to
market, you will observe that no two kinds are alike. What a narrow,
graceful, active fish a trout is! What a queer little fellow is the fish
that from his shape you call “a pumpkin seed.”
I told you just now, that one ray fish has a very long tail. With it he
strikes, and stuns or kills, his prey, or his enemy. Most fish live on
animal food. Some fish eat sea-weeds, but most of them prefer other
fish, crabs, insects, shell-fish, or other live creatures. Very many fish
have some weapon for securing prey, or fighting their enemies.
Some fish, depend on their quickness of motion to secure their food
or escape enemies. But I will now tell you of some of their weapons.
The lower lip of a salmon turns up into a sharp, cutting hook. The
sword-fish has a long, hard, sharp, strong horn, which it can drive
into the side of a ship. With this weapon it will also kill a man. The
sword is formed by some bones of the side of the head, growing out
very long and strong. The sword-fish belongs to the ray order.
Another ray is the saw-fish. This fish carries on its head a long, flat
bone set with great points like the teeth of a coarse saw. With this
weapon the saw-fish charges into a shoal of fishes. He maims and
wounds a number so that they die or cannot swim away. Then he
feasts on them at his leisure.
A very queer fish is the torpedo.[30] He is a very big fellow. He can
give a shock like electricity, that stuns or kills his prey. There is a
large eel which has the same power. They are both much feared by
other fishes.
But no fish is more feared by other fish, or by men, than the shark.
No doubt you have heard of him, with his huge mouth set with great
hooked teeth. He can kill almost any creature which is in the sea.
While much more could be said about weapons, we must now leave
them to take a look at the first pair of fins, or the breast fins.
In the rays the breast fins are broad and long. They are the chief
means of swimming. The flat fish have these breast fins extended all
along the side of the body. By the wave-like motion of these fins and
of the body they swim.
In some fish these breast fins are turned to feet, for walking at the
bottom of the water. There are one or two kinds of fish that can climb
trees. These have the under fins turned to sucker-like plates to help
them climb.
Did you ever hear of the flying fish? That fish has the breast fins long
and wide like wings. The fish can rise from five to twenty feet above
the water, and these fin wings support it, so that it can fly about two
hundred yards. Thus it escapes from its enemies.
You will see some fish with fleshy, finger-like organs near the mouth.
These are called barbels. Fish with barbels are bottom feeders. With
these barbels they hunt for food in the mud.

FOOTNOTES:
[29] Both fish and fishes are correct plural forms, and both are
used to accustom the child to both words.
[30] Also of the ray order.
 LESSON XLII.
WHERE THEY LIVE.
Where does the fin family live? “In the water,” you say. Yes. There is
perhaps no natural body of water in the world without its fish. There
are forty families of fresh-water fish. There are fish that live in water
that is partly salt and partly fresh, as where the sea-tides run back
into rivers. There are fish that live in the salt water of the ocean.

IN FRESH WATER.
The ocean fish are divided into three classes. First there are the
coast fish, that seldom go far from shore. They need a certain kind of
food and a certain warmth of water that they find near land. Then
there are surface, or upper-sea fish, that live far from land, but never
very deep in the water. And there are the fish of the very deep sea.
The surface, or upper-sea fish, are most of them very strong
swimmers. The deep-sea fish live far down where there is little air
and almost no light. It is only about twenty years since people began
to study deep-sea fish, and as yet little is known about them.
Many of the shore, or coast fish, that live in sea-water, enter the
rivers to lay their eggs. They arrive in the rivers in the spring, and
sometimes go up even hundreds of miles from the mouth to find safe
places for their young. Thus these fish are born in fresh water, and
grow up in salt water.
Among fish of this habit, we find the shad and the salmon. So you
see a fish may live part of its time in salt water, part of the time in
fresh, and part of the time in the brackish water at the river’s mouth.
Some fish, that are accustomed to spend all their lives in sea-water,
can be made to live in fresh water, if this is changed gradually.
When fish live in a tank, air must be driven into the water to supply
what the fish use out of it. If air is not driven in, the fish will die. As
the oxygen in the water becomes scarce, the fish seem uneasy.
They come up to the top of the water, and put their mouths out for
air. They give a gasp as if choking.
In such tanks, where fish live, a jet of water is driven with some force
into the water of the tank from above. As it goes down, you see a
stream of shining bubbles. These bubbles are air. They break in the
water, and the air mingles with the water in the tank.
You may see gold-fish in globes coming to the top of the water, and
seeming uneasy and unhappy. Then if you dash in a little fresh
water, or take some of the water from the globe and pour it back
from a little height, the fish seem content.
You know that the driving winds and the tumbling waves that break
in foam will keep plenty of fresh air in ocean water, for all the finny
tribes that live there.
So rivers, as they rush and ripple, toss their waves, and are driven
with winds, get air bubbles mixed in their waters.
Some fish need more air than others, and often come to the surface
to breathe. Some, as the sturgeon, leap above the surface into the
air. Perhaps you have seen cat-fish jumping in this way. Did you ever
see dolphins and porpoises[31] roll themselves quite above the
surface of the water in their play? I have told you of the fish that
make short flights. In all these ways these creatures help themselves
to air in their water home. But what do they do for food?
As I told you, fish eat fish and insects and crabs and such living
things. Some few are feeders on vegetables. Fish will also devour
almost anything that is thrown into the water for them. Did you ever
feed fish in a pond with bread and worms?
Carp will hurry to the top of the water to get food that they have
learned to look for when people come near. Fish of a kind often keep
together and feed together. You know in a stream there may be
some places where you will catch only trout, or only bullheads. And
in some other place you will find pickerel.
In the sea you will find millions of herring together at certain
seasons. This is called a shoal of herring. Fish move from place to
place along many miles of sea-coast or river, as they seek their
especial food, or a certain warmth.
Sometimes a particular fish, or pair of fishes, will live for years in
some certain place. They may find a nice spot under a bank, where
they feel safe, and where plenty of food drifts near them.
I knew of a fish that went into a hole made by the roots of a great
willow-tree. The roots formed a close cage about him. He liked it
well. His enemies could not get at him. Water rippled in and out
about him. Grubs and worms were close to his mouth. He grew fat
and big. He grew so big he could not get out. He began to grow to fit
the shape of his cage. As he had no room to grow long, he grew
broad.
After some years he was a very queer-looking fish. Finally, some
men were making an embankment, and they came upon this fish-
home in the roots of the tree. They took the fish out with care, and
sent him to a pond. I fancy it seemed odd to him to swim at first, after
being so long a prisoner.
There are some kinds of fish that live and thrive in the icy-cold
waters of polar seas. There are other fish that live in hot springs or
ponds, where the water is so hot that you can hardly bear your hand
in it.
Some fish can live only in very clean water. Others live in black and
muddy streams, and their flesh takes the dark hue of their home. In
fact, there seem to be some kinds of fish made to suit every kind of
water. This is very fortunate, as so many birds and beasts and so
many people eat fish.

FOOTNOTES:
[31] The dolphin of the Mediterranean is of the whale family, and
is not a true fish. The dolphin of the Atlantic is a true fish. The
porpoise is of the whale family, not a true fish, but a mammal.