Welcome to Climax Saskatchewan. Population: 182

Lord, have mercy. I’d followed the pied piper to the edge of oblivion and there was no going back.

“Did that sign just say, Climax, Saskatchewan?” I asked, twisting in my seat as much as my seatbelt would allow.

Swede laughed. “Yeah. It’s not a joke. It’s the actual name of the town.”

“What is an American doing living in a town of a hundred and eighty people anyway? Is he running from the law?”

Swede shook his head. “No. He doesn’t really—you see? The Brotherhood, he’s a fan of. But the other ninety nine percent of the population, he can do without.”

I groaned. “Great. I’m being protected by the Grim Reaper.”

Swede laughed but I changed the subject to his life. I hadn’t really seen him since he and Allie got together. I her met a couple of times and I didn’t want to throat punch her.

That was a win in my book.

He drew to a stop outside what looked like a hardware store. I noticed the way his eyes took in the area. There was no denying he had military in him. I waited until he was satisfied before I unhooked my seatbelt and followed him in through the rickety door. When it clanged shut behind us, I must have jumped a foot in the air.

“Hey there,” a woman called, from our left. She must have been stocking the shelves when we entered. “How can I help you?”

“I’m wondering if you knew where I could find a friend of mine,” Swede said. “His name is Maverick Forge?”

“Who’s asking?” The woman’s back instantly went up.

Swede merely added his dazzling smile. “My name is Axel Svenson. This is my friend Nova Shuman. Look, if you think it’s safer for him, you can point me in the direction of a place to spend the night and let him come to me if he wants.”

She leaned a plump hip into the counter and tilted her head, eyeing both of us. “What you said your name was?”

“Axel Svenson—tell him Swede.”

“Aww-right.” She shifted to stare at me. “There’s a bed and breakfast just a mile up the road. They should have a room for you and the lady.”

Swede nodded and wrapped an arm around my hip to turn me for the door. It was as if he knew what I wanted to do—argue with the woman, try bribing her into telling us what we wanted. Instead, I bit my lip and went reluctantly.

“We could have gotten her to tell us,” I said.

Swede climbed into the vehicle and drew on his belt. “We want the woman to trust us.” He started the ignition. “If we tried bullying her or bribing her she’d never help us. It’s a small town. Maverick is a good guy, of course they’re protective of him.”

I sighed and folded my arms.

“Let me work, Star. I know what I’m doing.”

I grunted in reply and we were able to find the bed and breakfast with no trouble. It wasn’t much to look at but a small house that seemed to have been built in the eighteen hundreds with creaking stairs and décor to match. We managed to get a room in the back of the house on the second floor. It had two small beds that would still be too tiny for Swede’s frame if they were pushed together.

But the place was clean.

Swede left me to pick up some food at a nearby diner. He believed it was safer the less people who saw me. After a quick shower, we settled down to fish and chips, with soda and coffee that tasted like it came from a vending machine. I wasn’t going to argue—it was food and I was safe.

We left our room to wander the property. It was beautiful and backed onto a river. I removed my shoes and walked in the water, being careful to avoid stones that looked sharp. The cool water flowed over my ankles, caressing the tattoos of floating butterflies there and going as far us as my knees. Swede remained on the bank, trying desperately to get a signal on his phone.

“I swear, we’ve entered the void.” Swede muttered a few times. “We have no signal up here. I am not okay with this.”

By the time dusk began settling around us, Swede managed to talk me out of the water and back into the house. The old lady who ran the place, gave us a tray with cookies, a teapot and a couple of mugs. I thanked her, and Swede carried it up the steps for us. Since my hands were free, I found the keys in his pockets and opened the door.

“Maybe if you try going into town,” I said, stepping in. “You’ll be able to—”

I screamed.

Across the room, seated in the old arm chair was a man—about as big as Swede. Only this man was African American, dark brown eyes, low cut hair and a mouth that could suck the light off a moon. I instinctively took a step back and Swede pulled his body before my own, still balancing the tray.

“Would you stop screaming?” Swede turned irritated eyes at me.

“Is everything all right up there?” The woman’s shaky voice called from the foot of the stairs.

I realized I was still screaming and clamped my hands over my mouth to mute the sound.

“Everything is fine!” Swede called. “She almost fell, that’s all.”

“You don’t see him?” I asked, peeking around Swede’s body. “You see him, right? He’s kind of hard to miss.”

“I see him.” Swede used a hand to ease me away from his back. “Trust me.”

“Why are you not freaking out about this? He could be dangerous!”

“If he wanted us dead, we would be.”

“Reassuring.” I glared at the man. “Why wouldn’t she tell us he was here?”

Swede stepped further into the room and I entered but stayed close to the door.

“She probably didn’t know he was here,” Swede said. He walked over to the stranger who had pulled himself out of the chair and to his full, overpowering height. The two men hugged before Swede stepped to the side.

“Nova Shuman? Meet Maverick “Reaper” Forge.”

The large man turned expressionless, brown eyes down at me. He said nothing, neither did I.

“Groovy.” Swede rubbed his palms to his thighs before walking to close the door. “I see we’re off to a smashing good start.”

I growled.

“I was told you’re looking for me.” Reaper stood by the window, arms folded across his chest as he stared out. “I would ask how the Brotherhood found me but I’m going to assume you had something to do with that, Swede.”

“Why would you assume that?” I asked.

“Because there aren’t enough levels of hell that Axel Svenson wouldn’t find you.” Reaper didn’t turn. “So, what do you want?”

Usually, no one came looking for me in Climax. Messed up name for a town but it worked for what I needed. People weren’t my thing—especially asshole people. The less of them I had to interact with, the better. After living in Climax for the past two years, the locals kind of rallied around me, protected me. When Mildred told me some blond guy and Indian woman were searching for me, I instantly knew who the blonde was. It had to be Swede—no one else would even think to look in Climax.

The woman—well, she was a curiosity for me. One that I instantly regretted because Nova What’s-her-name was hot. With caramel skin, long, dark hair that was braided down her back to almost her ass made my pants grow tighter around the groin area.

That wasn’t normal.

Her big brown eyes looked through me with fear then raw rage. Add to that curves that must be deadly if wrapped around a man and I was the cat curiosity killed. The top she wore seemed a little too small for her breasts—those delectable orbs that would make a grown man cry.

All of her reminded me that I was a hunter, a beast. Just the mere thought of her as I looked out the window made me want to do one thing.

Howl at the moon.

I recognized her the moment she stepped through the door and started that infernal racket. She’s a woman known for speaking the truth and bringing swift judgment down on those who wronged the world. The crusader type—the type who didn’t live very long. But seeing her in person brought out a whole other set of sensations in my body.

“We need your help.” Swede’s voice drew me away from the fire Star started at me with.

“For what?”

“Star is in trouble. We’re a little light on manpower at the moment but we need someone to investigate while keeping her safe.”

Ugh—babysitting.

“And you couldn’t have called Viper?” I wanted to know. “I know he’s back.”

“Not right now,” Swede said.

Swede walked over to stand beside me. He turned his back to the window and I could almost feel him folding his arms across his chest.

“You know we wouldn’t have come finding you if it wasn’t urgent. I know how much you like being off grid.” Swede exhaled loudly. “And I know you turned Hank down for a gig with the Brotherhood Protectors. So, I get what I’m asking from you.”

“I know. What does Hank think about all this?”

Swede laughed softly. “He respects my talents but didn’t think I would find you. He owes me a beer. Now, about your fee”

“I don’t want your money.”

“Um—what do you want?” Swede asked.

For a moment I didn’t say anything. I watched the shadows creep behind the sun as it all but vanished for the moon.

“Reaper…” Swede prodded softly.

I turned to look at Star then. She was seated in the only other chair in the room, sipping daintily from one of the tea mugs.

“I want my payment from her.” I pointed.

She almost choked. The instant her hand began shaking, she placed her mug on the tray and straightened her spine. “Me? Well, I could write you a check.”

“Like I said, I don’t want money.”

She glanced from me, to Swede, back to me. “Then what do you want?”

“I’m not sure yet.” I tilted my head. “But I’m sure I can think of something.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry, Nova. It won’t be something you’ll be afraid to part with. I’m not that kind of man.”

“Swede?” She asked.

“Hey, this deal is between the two of you.” Swede raised both hands.

“You trust him?” Star asked.

I tried not to be offended. My logical brain knew it was a valid question—an intelligent one too. But my body was like a poked bear.

“With my life,” Swede replied.

“Okay, then.” She walked over to me with an extended hand. “Deal.”

I shook her small hand in my larger paw, wondering what the hell I was getting into. I didn’t know if I could trust her as far as I could throw her. She was a reporter. For all I knew she was pretending to be in danger so she could get a story. But, she was a friend of Swede’s. How I saw the whole situation was like this—I couldn’t care less about trusting her. I was giving the Brotherhood Protectors and Swede a chance.

With our deal in place, I managed to get Swede and Star signed out of the bed and breakfast and brought them back to my place. Since arriving in Climax, I bought the place then set to work rebuilding everything. It had taken me a year and a half but I finally had a nice little four bedroom house—the master, my private shower and my office took up the entire top floor.

I showed her where she could wash up and the room she would be using until I could figure a few things out. When I was alone with Swede, I leaned forward and inhaled. “Okay. Who did she piss off this time?”

“You know her?”

“Everyone knows her.” I laced my fingers. “This won’t be easy, Swede. She’s spent her career making enemies. Are you surprised one of them wants to shut her up?”

“No. But I don’t want that to happen, clear?”

I said nothing. Instead, I eased back in my chair. When her footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor, I rose and walked into the open concept kitchen to put a premade lasagna in the oven. “First thing first,” I said once she’d entered the room. “I’ll put my ear to the ground to see what I can hear. But in the next few hours, Star, I’m going to be asking you some hard questions.”

She eyed me mischievously. “You’re going to ask me hard questions in a town name Climax? Very well.”

“Star.” Swede warned.

“This is the kind of relationship we’re going to have, then?” I asked.

Star walked to stand across from me in the kitchen and braced both her hands on the island. I fought to keep my glare on her face and not dip to the soft, caramel swells of her breasts.

“I didn’t know we were going to have a relationship, Reaper,” she said, haughtily. “But if we are, you have to take me to dinner first. I may be easy but I ain’t cheap.”

I growled, set the timer for the lasagna and stomped from the kitchen. “I can’t work with her.” I flung over my shoulder.

“Reaper, come on!” Swede called. “I’ll throw in a bottle of Black Bush for you.”

“Make it a bottle of Monkey Shoulder and you have a deal.”

Swede sighed. “You’re killin’ me here!”

“That’s the deal, take it or leave it.”

Swede exhaled loudly, and I knew I’d won.