The tires left rubber marks on the asphalt. Jake slammed the door to his Camaro and stepped on the curb at the crappy motel. It had taken hours to get Cody and Wyatt’s neighbors to talk.

Still in a state of unrest, he wondered if Hurricane had caught up with Mary Jane yet. Jake pulled the cap lower over his face. It wouldn’t do for Steward to see him since the girls should be moonlighting in the area already. Just before he gripped the door to the lobby, his cell phone went off.

The tune was different.

Only one person had this tune.

Intuition told him to just fuck it, not answer. But this was the boss of all bosses. “Hello,” Jake gritted out.

“How is my pet?” the scientist asked in a calm voice.

Call Mary Jane your pet again and I’ll take my sawed-off shotgun, press it into your motherfucking mouth, and watch your brains spray. “Good.”

“You hesitated, Jake. When I hire a person and that person proves incompetent, they are expired,” he said, tone never fluctuating. “Then another man is vetted and more is expected of him. You are that other man, Jake.”

“She is fine,” Jake growled.

Finally, a soft chuckle came through the line. “Good. Always recall who you work for. Beasley is replaceable. Everyone is replaceable, except for my…what’s that silly name she was given again? I would’ve never thought to call her—”

Jake cut him off, “I have business to attend to, sir. Beasley is doing his job. Your woman is safe.”

“Good.”

The call disconnected. He hated men like his boss. Richer than Satan. And they thought they were always one step ahead. Jake was a gift from the scientist to Beasley. At least, that’s how the fat man saw it. His boss didn’t trust anyone, and Jake reported back to his boss. However, this was the first time in years that Jake hadn’t been honest.

Glenn was gulping a can of Pepsi. Noticing Jake, he choked on soda bubbles. Jake leaned over the table and patted him rather roughly as Glenn continued to cough. After a few more seconds, Jake had to repeatedly remind himself not to kill this one.

“Are you all right?” he asked in a condescending tone, whacking Glenn’s back once more.

“I-Ouch!” Glenn scoffed. “Just don’t help me. That hurts.”

“Where’s Mary Jane?”

“My dad’s at the house. If you want some mary-juana, you know where to get it.”

“Don’t fuck with me, Glenn.” Jake poked him in the chest. “You were with MJ today at Wyatt and Cody’s place.”

“Who?”

“The twins. Big guy, got his pecker sliced off. Little-big guy, got his neck snapped. I was gonna beat the info out of you, but since you’re helping Mary Jane, I will restrain myself. Where is she?”

“What’s it to you if I’m helping her?”

Jake’s eyes brightened as Glenn didn’t back down. “I reckon you’ve grown a pair. Good for you, boy. There is a beast coming to eat—and I do mean eat—her. Nobody can stop him.” Jake stepped closer and pulled out his gun. He aimed it at Glenn’s nose, bugging the pimply schmoozer. “Where is she?”

“Beast? If anything, you’re the beast!”

Jake tilted the gun slightly upward and popped off a round. White dust danced down from the ceiling. In a snap of a finger, Jake snaked a hand around Glenn’s throat, and they commenced to familiar territory, with the skinny one shaking like a spindle. Jake yanked him so hard, Glenn almost fell over the counter. After a few moments of Glenn pulling at Jake’s hands, while he was being choked, Jake squeezed tighter. Still Glenn refused to talk. Letting up a little on the choking, Jake whispered, cold as ice, “You’ve heard the bedtime stories. I know that cunt who raised you got kicks out of scaring and telling you all about Hurricane.”

Jake grinned as Glenn’s eyes flickered with horror. Glenn’s fingers shook as he tried to pry Jake’s fingers from his neck. Once a bluish hue crept up his face, Jake stopped squeezing his neck, and instead pushed him back.

Glenn said not a word as he massaged the reddened skin on his throat. Stiff and thin-framed, his chest rose and fell, yet he refused to speak.

Sighing heavily, Jake noticed the flicker of manliness in Glenn’s eyes. “Glenn, I’m going to save Mary Jane. I don’t have much time.”

“Why?” he snapped. “You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

This very question had Jake speechless. That three-letter word, “Why” had been his only thought for the past few weeks. It had started one day. For no reason he could come up with. If Mary Jane had truly belonged to Beasley, he probably would’ve put a bullet to her skull by now for her behavior. They both knew he couldn’t hurt her, but Jake had saved her.

Jake just kept telling himself that the scientist owned her and he was being loyal by saving Mary Jane from Beasley. That fat fuck wanted to use her. But what was he fooling himself for? The doc had used her first, probably even the worst. And he remembered just how Mary Jane reminded him of his past. Before greed and lust consumed him. When it came to her, he just couldn’t be loyal.

He had to screw over everyone for her. Protecting her was an innate craving. A driving force charged through his psyche on repeat.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.

It’s like I’m going out of my fucking mind! I have to save her. And I have to let her go . . .

That part hurt. For a man who felt no pain, knowing that Mary Jane had to survive and live free away from him cut to his core.

“Why, Jake?” Glenn asked again. “Why would you help her?”

“Because I must!” Jake snapped, returning to the present. That very question had roamed through his mind far too many times to count. Every woman in the entire world had one use. If they crossed him, and he wanted them, they served him one way or another. In life or in death, they served their purpose.

Not Mary Jane. She was different.

Jake was different the moment he laid eyes on her, because something in his brain had switched. Why? The thought consumed him momentarily, because in the next instance, a driving force moved him again.

Save Mary Jane.

Save Mary Jane.