Dark Descent into Desire

by J. J. Sorel

  “Um… yes, this is Penelope Green. You left me a message about my mother, Sandra Green.”

  “Yes, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”

  My legs started to tremble. I fell into the chair and took a deep breath.

  “Your mother died from an overdose a few hours ago.”

  “An overdose?”

  “Yes, heroin, I believe. Can you come into the station now?”

  “Yes.” Tears splashed over my lips. “Um, can you text me the address, please?” My throat thickened with sobs. I could barely speak.

  “I’m sending it now.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  I closed the call and stared wide-eyed into space. My mind was empty for once, as though neurons had been ripped out. All that remained was raw emotion drowning my senses.

  Sheldon stood before me and opened his arms. I fell into them and bawled my eyes out. I must have cried more in that one hour than in my entire life.

  “My mom’s dead. She OD’d. I have to go to the police station.”

  “Oh my God. I’m sorry, Penny.” He stepped back as I grabbed my bag. “Do you want me to come with you? I really would like to be there for you, love.”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, but no. It’s okay. I’ve been kind of expecting this to happen.” I blew out a breath. “It doesn’t make it any less painful, though.”

  As I left Sheldon at the door, he said, “If there’s anything I can do, I’m here. Call me.”

  I returned a sad smile.

  43

  * * *

  BLAKE

  I AGREED TO MEET Fox at a private club where the well-heeled rubbed shoulders with shady characters.

  “Looking handsome as always,” he said.

  “I haven’t got all day. I’ve got a funeral to attend.”

  “Oh, that’s right, your girl’s mother died from a heroin overdose.”

  I contracted my brow. “How the fuck do you know that?”

  “Oh, I know everything about pretty Penelope.”

  I lurched toward him. “If you go near her…”

  His smirk stretched into a smile. “We’ve already tried that.”

  “What?” As I eyeballed him, James’s suggestion to remove this ugly asshole became increasingly tempting.

  “The junk dealers at that squalor she calls home gave my two guys a going over. One of my men’s fucking spleen ruptured. She’s got a few close buddies at that scummy joint.”

  “When?” My head went into a spin. I’d tried calling Penelope, but she wouldn’t pick up. I’d left countless messages and was about to visit her at the estate when I heard the news of her mother’s death. I thought it best to give her space.

  “Yesterday.” He leaned back. “I figured we might need some leverage.”

  “You go near her again, and I’ll crush you with my bare hands.”

  “Oh, it’s love. How sweet,” he sang. “You’re weak like that, aren’t you? I remember how googly-eyed you were over Rebecca with the tits that bounced about in her low-cut tops. I fucked her too, just before you did.” He leaned back, looking pleased with himself. “How does it feel to know that your dick swam in my spunk?”

  I grabbed him by the collar, and my head landed close to his smarmy brow. It took all my willpower not to knock his teeth out.

  All I could think of was Penelope’s safety. I couldn’t understand why she was at the estate. Her mother’s funeral was being held that afternoon. Regardless of her refusal to see me, I planned to attend. We’d been through a lot together, and she knew more about me than anyone else. But over and above everything, Penelope had become a part of me.

  I had to win her back, even if it meant losing everything.

  A security guard came toward us, and as I released Fox’s collar, it suddenly occurred to me to press record on my cell. I should have done that earlier, but I was too consumed with thoughts of Penelope to think clearly.

  “I’ve got to make a call. Give me a minute,” I said.

  He took his phone out. “I haven’t got all day.”

  After finding the record function on my phone, I placed it in my top pocket. Although sly as a snake, Dylan was also stupid in a lot of ways, a flaw that I’d always taken advantage of.

  I sat down and sipped whisky. “This is the deal—Tatiana tells Penelope that I never touched her.”

  “That’s going to cost your fortune. Fortune that belongs to me by birthright.”

  “It doesn’t belong to you, Fox, and I know that for a fact. DNA results, sitting at the solicitor’s, prove that you are no more Sir William’s son than Harry was.”

  His smirk flattened, and an evil glint transformed him into the devil that he really was. “I don’t give a fuck. You owe me.”

  Now, for most people, hearing that their father wasn’t who they’d thought he was should have rattled them, or at the least, shocked them. Fox, however, remained stone-cold sober. No emotion. Textbook psychopath.

  “I want the files as proof that you photoshopped that image.”

  “I didn’t. One of my tech whiz kids did.” He wore a self-satisfied grin. “I have a few of those. My girls aren’t just pretty faces with tight pussies, you know.”

  “You fucking disgust me.”

  He laughed. As always, Fox took delight in my repulsion. I recalled his laughter at my tears when, as a boy, he’d used my dog for target practice.

  “That overactive dick of yours made it easy for me, given your use of prostitutes. It wasn’t easy getting that shot. Most of them were unpredictably loyal and refused. But then there was Mariah.”

  I flinched. Mariah was the last person I would have expected to betray me. I reflected on our last few sessions. She’d grown attached, and I’d stopped returning her calls. Perhaps this was her revenge.

  “So Mariah took the shot, and this whiz kid made it look as though I was in bed with Tatiana. Bravo.”

  “Yeah. I thought so. And it was your good buddy James that we have to thank for all of this. Because those shots going into the club are nicely incriminating.”

  I pointed my finger in his face. “The underage girls lead back to you, Fox.”

  “That club’s not in my name.” He smirked.

  I exhaled a breath. “So what next?”

  “I want my inheritance.”

  I cocked my head. “I think you can stop calling it that now, don’t you?”

  “I don’t give a damn as to whether I’m a Fox or a…”

  “Or a Wolf.” Now it was my turn to smirk. “How apt. Gareth Wolf, the gardener your mom was bonking, was your dad. I always thought you were fucking common.”

  He shrugged. “Unlike you, I’m not a fucking snob. I couldn’t give a shit where I sprouted from.” His beady eyes wore a smarmy grin.

  “You’ll hear from my lawyer.”

  He nodded. “Good.”

  “If you go anywhere near Penelope, your balls will be the first thing to come off.”

  “You get your solicitor onto this. You were ignoring my messages. We had to do something to gain your attention.” He arched his ugly eyebrow.

  44

  * * *

  PENELOPE

  MY NERVES WERE SO raw I hadn’t slept. After that encounter at the estate with those thugs, I decided to stay with Sheldon. I should have all along, but I needed to go back to where my life began to wallow and howl. I couldn’t stop blaming myself for not being there to care for her. If I hadn’t been indulging in Blake, I would have been there to call for help. And if Jimmy and Brent hadn’t kicked the living daylights out of those heavies who’d tried to force me into their van, I wouldn’t have been there to arrange my mother’s funeral.

  The chill in my body had not yet thawed. Talk about stars misaligning. It had been one hell of a crappy week.

  I stepped into the local hall. Given my mother’s staunch atheism, it would have seemed hypocritical to have a service in a church. Instead, Frank and I decided to hold it at the local hall, the same place
where as kids we’d attended lessons or whatever community services were offered in a bid to give us a break from our miserable lives. For me, it was art. I’d learned how to paint in that little hall, which changed my life.

  Sheldon held one of my hands and Lilly the other. Brent sat by her side.

  Tears poured out of me as though an artery to my soul had burst.

  “Oh, Penny. I’m so sorry.” Lilly’s tears became mine, and it all started again. My throat was so thick I couldn’t talk.

  I looked up at Brent. “Thanks for yesterday.”

  “Hey. It’s cool. You can always count on me.” I cast him a sad smile of gratitude.

  Sheldon whispered, “Blake’s here.”

  My legs trembled. I was too frightened to look. My eyes were blurred from weeping. I was a train wreck.

  It had been a week since I’d run out of his home.

  I loved him so much it hurt. That bone-chilling image hadn’t diluted the intense passion I felt for him. Knowing what I now knew, ours was a dark descent into desire—a feast of fucking. But it’s more than that, my soul whimpered.

  He stood so close that a dizzying haze engulfed me. Sensing his breath on my neck, I leaned against Sheldon, who whispered, “I’ve got you.”

  “Penelope.” Blake’s deep voice penetrated through me.

  I turned, and his sky-blue eyes fell into mine. Suddenly, we were alone. He looked tired and beautiful, and I just wanted to forgive him. But who is he?

  “Thanks for coming.” I kept it brief.

  Normally clean-shaven, Blake had stubble around his jaw, accentuating his sensual lips. I tore my eyes away from him and looked down at my knotted fingers to maintain composure.

  “Penelope.”

  Gazing up at him, I struggled to fight back more tears.

  He took my hand. “I’m really sorry about your mother.”

  I looked away. “Thanks.”

  “After the service, will you give me a moment, please?”

  Tears dripped down my cheeks. I must have looked a wreck as I glanced up at him. Drowning in his eyes, I surrendered with a nod before returning to my seat.

  During the service, people spoke of my mother’s kindness and how she’d helped the local kids with their reading and writing. My heart expanded, knowing that her life hadn’t been a complete waste.

  There was no end to my tears, and I sagged, weighed down by a heavy heart.

  After the service, I witnessed Blake handing Jimmy a check. I took a deep breath and joined them.

  “Hey, man, this is unnecessary. Penny’s one of us. I mean, she’s the good one.” He turned and, acknowledging my presence, nodded. “Hey, I’m sorry about Sandy. She was a good woman.”

  “Thanks for coming, Jimmy.” I nodded to the other guys, who’d gathered around him. The dealers. The so-called bad guys.

  “Hey, we didn’t supply her. Ever. You know that, don’t you? She was like our mom.”

  “Yeah. I know, Jimmy.” I looked down at the check in his hand. “Take it. He can afford it.”

  “But fuck. One hundred thousand? Shit.” His face contorted in shock.

  I almost smiled.

  “Go somewhere. Start afresh. Stop dealing,” I said.

  He looked at Blake. “I can’t take this, man.”

  “Please.” He nodded. “It’s yours. The other guy…”

  “Brent,” I corrected. “That’s Lilly’s brother.”

  “I gave him a check too. Take it.” Blake tapped Jimmy on the arm. It was a strange pairing, and my heart went out to Blake. He seemed so soft. I wanted to fall into his arms and kiss him.

  “Penelope.” He looked deep into my eyes. “Can you please give me a moment alone?”

  I followed him behind the hall. Over the road, at my old playground, I saw kids kicking a soccer ball around, full of energy and laughing like any child. I wondered if their moms or dads were junkies or alcoholics or sad, weak creatures that society had forgotten about.

  “Blake, that was incredibly generous of you.”

  “It’s small change. I would’ve given everything to save you. I’d go poor tomorrow if need be.”

  “You’d lose everything for me?” I asked.

  “I might be about to.”

  My face pinched. “You can’t give into blackmail on my behalf.”

  His face lit up slightly. “You believe that those photos were doctored?”

  “How did they get that image of you on your side?”

  “One of the women I was with must have taken it.” He cleared his throat. “Before I met you, I used to hire professionals for my needs.” He paused, looking contrite. “You know my views on relationships and …”

  “Then what was I?” I interrupted, refusing to overanalyze the fact he’d used prostitutes for sex. Would I prefer a bevy of bitter exes following us around?

  “You were—I mean you are…” He took a deep breath.

  For someone normally eloquent, Blake couldn’t articulate his feelings. Just as I was about to push for more, Sheldon and Lilly found us.

  “Hey,” I said. “I’m coming.”

  “Take your time,” said Lilly, acknowledging Blake. “We just thought we’d head over to the Lion for a few drinks.”

  I nodded and looked over at Sheldon. “Are you going too?”

  “Yeah. Of course.” He whispered, “With all those butch bad boys, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Sheldon’s cheekiness made me giggle, and boy, did I need some light relief. I kissed him. “Thanks.”

  “For what, sweetie?”

  “For making me laugh.”

  He hugged me. “We’ll see you there.” He pointed at our local pub, a sticky-carpeted run-down place that was older than the estate. If the walls could talk, they’d reveal enough book-worthy material to fill crime shelves.

  “Sure. Won’t be long.” I smiled. My spirit inflated. I had my friends and a history. Clean or dirty, it didn’t matter. I’d finally unshackled myself from shame.

  Studying his cell, Blake remained a few steps away.

  I joined him. “You were saying?”

  “Can we do this somewhere else?” he asked, shifting his weight.

  “No. It’s either here or nowhere. You need to get used to who I am. I am this.” I pointed to the gray concrete surrounds.

  “You’re a sophisticated, creative, and beautiful woman.”

  “That’s what you want me to be. But scratch the surface, and these people are the only people I’ve ever known. Except for Sheldon, that is.”

  “Penelope, even if you remained here at the estate, I’d still love you.” He stopped at that word. I think he surprised himself because he looked down at his feet and took a breath.

  Then he looked up again, and our eyes locked. Mine welled up with tears again. That artery of anguish hadn’t healed. A thick lump in my throat blocked any coherent response.

  He showed me his cell and pressed a button. “Penelope, please listen to this.”

  Muffled voices sounded. He placed the phone close to my ear. I listened as the two men discussed the photos. When Fox admitted to doctoring the image, Blake looked at me.

  I removed the phone. “I believe you. I believed you before.”

  “Then why push me away?”

  Good question. “Because one minute, I’m a struggling artist trying to manage a drug-addicted mother, and the next, I’m living amongst posh people in a posh suburb and letting a billionaire with a mysterious past fuck my brains out.”

  His brow wrinkled. “You make it sound sordid.”

  “But it’s all about sex, isn’t it?”

  He held out his hand. “Your friends are waiting. Let’s go and have a drink.”

  “You want to go the Red Lion? No one speaks proper in there.”

  “I’m not a snob, Penny. You forget, I’m from Yorkshire.” He spoke in a northern accent, and accustomed to his well-educated voice, I chuckled.

  “Come on, then,” I said, allowing his
hand to remain. It seared into mine. “You didn’t answer my question. But I can wait.” I wore a faint smile, and his eyes softened heartwarmingly.

  45

  * * *

  BLAKE

  “DO YOU COME TO this place very often?” I asked, stepping out of the dingy bar.

  “Blake, don’t do that.”

  “Do what?” I asked.

  “Try to control me.”

  I lifted my hands. “Hey, it was only a question.”

  Noticing that Patrick had the car ready, I took Penelope’s hand, and we headed over.

  Seeing her slide onto that leather seat was such a simple pleasure, but profound nevertheless. My spirit lifted, especially after she glanced up at me with a faint smile.

  As we drove away from the bar, my breathing returned to normal. The lingering stink of the run-down bar was a cogent reminder of how wealth had weakened me, because the stench of poverty seemed more pungent than it used to be.

  The ride back to Mayfair was quiet. Our bodies were close together, and my hand was in hers. If it weren’t for the ache between my legs, I would have described it as sweet, almost innocent. But as I glanced down at Penelope’s nipples tightening against her blouse, my longing for her was far from that.

  When Patrick pulled up at the curb, I jumped out and opened the door for her.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked as we stepped into the hallway. I thought of the French fries at the pub that I could barely look at, let alone eat.

  Following me into the living room, she nodded with a gentle smile.

  “Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a minute.” I kissed her tenderly. The warm softness of her lips sent a bolt of desire through me. I wanted to devour them right there, with my cock buried deep inside of her, but delayed gratification was something I’d learned to master when young and alone.

  After I returned from the kitchen, I found Penelope curled up on the sofa, asleep. She looked so beautiful and peaceful I didn’t have the heart to disturb her, so instead, I placed a blanket over her.