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SO, THERE WAS me, Nigel, and the barmaid swaying along the road. Now, before you get judgemental, I had stopped at one pint of stout but I’d gotten the pair of them drunk without even trying.
It was well past midnight and yes, there had been chips and cheese but Nigel had insisted on walking me back to the manor only for the barmaid—who’d never actually said her name—to argue that we needed to walk her home because she was only twenty two.
Yes, alongside hiding evidence, warning potential killers, and lying to police, getting twenty-two year olds hammered was now on my list of crimes.
“I’ll see you next time you’re up for a drink,” Nigel said, yanking me in and planting a sloppy smacker on my forehead. “This is my stop.” He planted a smacker on the barmaid’s forehead. “And you, I will see you for lunch.”
The barmaid nodded and swayed. “You better, cook wasn’t happy the roast went cold this afternoon.”
Nigel pursed his lips. “Water pumps are a pain in my backside.” He wagged his finger, swayed, and stumbled through the front door of a small cottage. It had flower boxes outside with some flower that had purple and white on them.
“Where do you live?” I asked, holding the barmaid by the elbow. I only hoped her mother was in bed and didn’t yell at me for the state on her daughter.
“This way,” she slurred and we staggered about two streets over. “Are you sure you’ll be okay walking home alone?”
“Yes.” I helped her with the key as she fumbled with it. “I don’t think the head of the household staff would be best pleased if they found you snoring on the lawn.”
The barmaid smiled. “I’ve never been on the estate.” She turned to the door as it opened and an older version of her stepped out in a dressing gown.
“Look at the state on you,” the woman, I’m guessing was definitely her mother, shot and dragged her inside. “It’s that Nigel I blame.”
The woman turned back to me and I nodded. “I thought it best I bring her home.” I grinned at the barmaid. “All Nigel’s fault, right?”
She snorted, got clipped across the head, and stumbled off. The woman slammed the door shut.
You ever realise how popular you are?
I turned and headed toward the estate. No lights were on so I was going the right way. I reached a baker’s shop then turned up a winding lane. It grew darker still. Definitely the right way.
On the right were thick tall pine trees as dense as the forest on the estate. On the left was the huge castellated wall of the estate.
My heartbeat thudded in my ears and I glanced over my shoulder, holding out my prosthesis like it was a club.
My heart thudded harder as the lights from the village faded around the bend. I pulled out my mobile and looked for the torch widget only for it to tell me there was fifteen percent of battery left and to charge it before using the torch.
Helpful.
I hunched my shoulders, feeling exposed with the backlight from the phone. I shoved it in my pocket and picked up my pace. Heartbeat thud, thudded in my ears.
Clunk, clunk.
I glanced behind. Footsteps?
Rustle. Clunk. Clunk.
My heart pounded in my ears. What was that noise?
A deer leapt into view, snorted at me, and leapt into the tall trees the other side of the road.
“Keep walking,” I muttered and broke into a jog. I was such a baby. I hated dark lanes. I hated dark lanes with forests one side that felt like someone was stalking me from the shadows.
My footfalls punctuated my shallow breaths. Cold sweat poured from me. That sense of being stalked grew. Did deer attack people?
I sped up again. I’d use it as exercise. Sprinting flat out up a dark lane. Yes. Heart pounded. Breaths like gasps. Rustling of the trees. No light.
“Just keep going, nearly there,” I mumbled, through gasps and pounding heartbeats. “Just keep going. Just—”
“Talking to yourself again?” Sophie whispered into my left ear.
I shrieked. Flung my arm out.
Sophie caught it with a dangerous laugh.
“How the fuck do you do that?” I glared into the gloom. I couldn’t make out much other than an outline. Did I need more carrots in my diet or was it that dark?
Sophie tutted at me, then pulled me to her. “You’re easy to spot . . . and you’re running.” She was close to my face. “You know how much I love it when you run.”
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
“You . . .” I tried to shove her off. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
She laughed and yanked me to her. She claimed my lips, her tongue demanding, searching, rolling. I gripped her shoulders, knocked backward by the force, by the flush of desire that thudded through me.
“What are you doing?” I pushed her back, gripping fistfuls of her shirt. “You can’t just kiss me. I’m engaged.”
“I don’t care.” Sophie pulled me back and pressed herself, her thighs, her waist, her chest into me. Taut, powerful, and intoxicating. “If you’re foolish enough to protect me; foolish enough to ignore every warning; you cannot blame me for accepting your invitation.”
“No?” I panted, desperate to calm the shaking through my legs.
“No.” She trailed her teeth over the side of my neck like she’d bite. “You have taunted me enough.”
“I . . .” I leaned my head to the side as her hot tongue followed her teeth. The cold air tickled the trail.
“You wanted my attention.” She laughed, dangerous and husky. “And now you have it.”
“Is that your way of saying I’m dinner?” I whimpered, unable to pull her mouth from my neck as she trailed her teeth, very human teeth, over my windpipe and sucked. “I’m on . . . camera . . . we’re . . . camera . . .” I groaned. I didn’t even care if she really did grow fangs right now. “Night vision . . . cameras . . .”
She laughed again, lower, purring. “Yet you aren’t running.”
“Because you’ll just chase me,” I whispered, hearing the desire in my voice, wanting to run to feel her catch me.
“Yes.” She trailed her lips down my neck and shoved my top up.
“That . . .” Oh, I needed to find some composure, restraint, anything, help. “Jake has access to the cameras.”
She grazed her teeth over my stomach and down to my waistband. “I don’t care.”
I yanked her back up. “Will you . . . ?”
Her hands slid up my top and I groaned. I couldn’t take it, I couldn’t take this. I couldn’t stand it a second more. I grabbed for her, grabbed her hair, and sank into her kiss. Rolling, slow, then faster, faster, breathless, deeper . . . more.
She broke free and tugged my bottom lip with her teeth. She gripped my arm and dragged me along, through the gates where Malcom was on his phone, up the driveway, through the gateway where Mick slunk back into the office and up all seven flights of stairs and the circular steps.
She sped up when she got to her room and stripped me in seconds, shoved me back onto her bed, and climbed onto me. Dim moonlight shone outside. Her bed was soft, silk sheets.
“Why did you warn me?” She kissed along my collarbone, cool air touching my hot skin.
“I . . .”
Sophie worked her way to my breastbone and trailed her way down. “Where is my card and pistol?”
“I . . .” It was hard to think let alone form words. I groaned as she scraped her teeth over my diaphragm.
“Why did you lie to the police?” This time her purr was more growl and wow it felt good against my stomach. Teeth, lips, tongue trailing, up and down, teasing, over and over, not moving where I needed it . . . and I really needed it. Teasing. Too much.
“Answer me.” She roared it at me. Demanding, relentless. Too much. It was just too much.
“Because . . .”
She slammed my hands over my head, almost cutting off the circulation to my right hand.
“Because . . .”
She ripped off her own shirt, her scars catching the light. Thick white scars against her tanned complexion, over her stomach her chest. Looked like she’d been clawed by a wild animal.
“Because . . .” I leaned my head up to soak her in.
She slammed me back down and licked over my stomach. “Answer me.”
“Because I’m in love with you,” I blurted out.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
Charcoal eyes bored into mine, holding me there, paralysing me. She gripped hold of my face, eyes more fiery than I’d ever seen. “You dare to love me when I tell you I am guilty?”
“Yes.” My whispered confession hung there in the darkened bedroom, Sophie’s hot breath on my tingling lips.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
No sound but heavy breaths, heartbeat thudding, an owl hooting deep in the forest. Pale, dim moonlight in her hair, wild and untamed, her face chiselled in the pale glow.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
“I tried not to play with you . . . I tried . . .” she whispered to my lips. “But you make me hunger.”
“For?” She was going to grow fangs. I was the most willing dinner ever.
Her razor-like smile glinted back. “You.”
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
I leaned my head back as if she’d commanded it, waiting, she just let me wait there, owl hooting, breathing shallow, heart pounding.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
Soft lips nipped at my neck, downward, down over my chest, my stomach. Her hands weaved a slow, tantalizing path to my thighs.
“Please . . .” I sobbed it out and slid my hand into her hair.
Sophie smiled her dangerous smile and hovered there, eyes full of victory.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
“Please . . . please . . . whatever it is you want, you need . . . please . . . just take it.” It was too much. I couldn’t stand it. “Please.” A long sobbing beg.
Exhale, pause; exhale, pause.
She met my eyes, hers glinting, her smile sure. “Very well.”
––––––––
SOPHIE RECLINED ON the chair of her dressing table as Morgan whimpered softly in her bed, her face rendered smooth, her skin awash with pale moonlight.
The monitor flickered into life and she smiled and plugged in her headset as The Recluse came into view.
“Haven’t seen that much of you in too long, Darl,” The Recluse said with a sly smile. “She out cold?”
“Yes. It’ll be a while before she wakes up.” It was a shame to make her sleep but she had a mess to sort through. “Do you have anything more from the accounts? Did you find a way to wipe Jackie’s identity?”
“It’s me, Darl.” The Recluse’s gaze was on Morgan’s naked form, a twinkle in her eyes. “Your accountant was also Bright’s accountant and looks like he was getting some of your money slipping into his account completely by accident.” Her gaze flicked up and over Morgan. “But she was siphoning off more to pay an old friend in London if that helps.”
“No. It doesn’t.” She turned the laptop away from the bed.
“Spoilsport.” The Recluse raised her eyebrow then stretched out her back. “Bright is paying off some local councillor. He seems to be busy in granting planning permission.” She smiled and flicked her gaze up and down Sophie’s body. Yes, Morgan wasn’t the only one who could look smooth in moonlight. “Bright seems to be linked to our old friend in London too so maybe it’d be a good idea to remind him we don’t like being irritated.”
“I don’t wish to get you tangled up in my mess,” Sophie said as Morgan spread her arm out as if looking for more company. “I will pay him a visit.”
“Don’t care, Darl. We’re in the country. We’ll meet you there.” The Recluse winked. “But why don’t you do something more fun first.”
The monitor went blank and Sophie closed the laptop and took the headset off. She strolled back over to Morgan and climbed onto her.
Yes. Something far more fun . . .