All Hallows Thief

by Jade James

“I’m at my office.”

  “Stay put. Do not move at all. I should be there in about twenty minutes.”

  “Then it’s true. Edmond is the one who tried to kill me.”

  “Exactly. Do not move, Lacy. It’s very important you stay put.”

  “Okay.”

  “I mean it! You stay put or I’ll spank your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

  “Oh, Dante,” she purred. “That sounds like heaven.”

  His cock instantly hardened at the sound of her voice.

  “The spanking wouldn’t be heaven, babe. Not after I turn your ass a lovely shade of red for disobeying me.”

  “You know I have a very high tolerance for pain.”

  He groaned. She was going to be the death of him. All he could think about was plunging into her pussy when he should be worried about her.

  “I’m calling the office for backup. If you need me, give me a call back on my cell.”

  Dante dialed his office and quickly reached his partner, Steel Armstrong.

  “Steel, do you know where Officer Edmond is?”

  “It’s his day off.”

  “Fuck,” he shouted into the phone.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “Brian’s behind the attempted murder of Lacy.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. If Lacy says she has proof, I believe her.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “At work. Send a squad car to 25 Lexington. This isn’t sounding right to me, Steel.”

  “I agree. I’ll meet you there.”

  Dante hung up the phone and sped the car toward downtown Manhattan. He had a bad feeling about this, and he prayed to God he’d arrive in time.

  * * * * *

  Lacy hung up the phone, disturbed by what it all meant. It really was a small world, she thought as she contemplated the connection between Brian Edmonds, the company who hired her, and Dante. She wasn’t worried. Dante was the best of the best. He wielded justice with an iron hand. What did worry her was the mafia. Too many times, people with money received lenient sentences. The Venice family had superb lawyers and tons of green. She only hoped Dante could get some evidence that would put them away for years.

  A loud knock on her office door had her instinctively rising to answer it, but then she remembered Dante’s warning.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s Benjamin.”

  Lacy opened the door and stepped aside for Benjamin to enter. To her shock, he stumbled forward. Benjamin braced his hands on her desk, and Brian Edmonds entered right behind him with a gun held to his back.

  Brian shut the door and sneered at her. “All of the players are here. Unexpected turn of events, but I’m not one to complain.”

  * * * * *

  Dante pulled up in front of Lacy’s workplace. Steel was already there, waiting with two uniformed cops.

  “Have you entered yet?”

  “We were just about to when you pulled up,” replied Steel.

  “You two take the back of the building. Break the lock if need be. Do not let anyone out.”

  Both officers nodded their head in agreement, and then headed to the back of the building.

  “You ready?” Dante asked Steel as he whipped out his gun and released the safety.

  “Let’s go.”

  * * * * *

  “What are you doing, Brian?” Lacy whispered. If she weren’t staring at him with her own two eyes, she wouldn’t have believed it. Standing in front of her with a sneer across his lips was the very same police officer who Dante had ordered to stay with her while he checked the apartment. She struggled with the fear threatening to overwhelm her, then remembered that Dante would arrive any second.

  Brian set his dark eyes on her, but still managed to keep his weapon pointed at Benjamin. “You remembered my name. Have you figured it out yet, Lacy? Have you managed to connect all the dots?” he asked with a sneer.

  Lacy glanced at Benjamin who continued to stare at Brian with a cold gaze. She knew Brian’s intentions were to kill both of them. She didn’t have too many options at this point, so maybe letting him know how much she knew wasn’t a bad thing.

  “I pretty much know it all, even your connection to the Venice family. The only thing I haven’t figured out was why.”

  Brian’s smirk was pure evil. “Since you know it all, then there isn’t any harm in telling you. The why isn’t too hard to figure out. I borrowed money from the Venice family. My gambling called out to me, and I was positive I had a sure deal. Now I owe them. If I don’t pay them the cash in two days, I’m dead. That’s not something I’m willing to let happen.”

  “You would ruin your life for money?”

  “You really don’t understand, do you, babe?” he asked, his concentration now on Lacy. The gun wasn’t pointed directly at Benjamin anymore. It was more in between the both of them. “I don’t have a life if I don’t pay Johnny back. My plan was to get rid of you…” Brian sneered, pointing the gun to Lacy. “…then I was going to make Benjamin give me the money. But now that you’re both here, I can kill two birds with one stone.” He laughed.

  “You won’t be getting away with this. Dante won’t let you.”

  “Dante can do nothing if you’re already dead.”

  “Open the door, Lacy, and walk out slowly. Benjamin will walk behind you, and both of you, keep your hands up. We’re taking a walk to the roof.”

  Lacy opened the door and stepped out to the narrow hallway. She could hear Ben behind, following closely.

  “Freeze.”

  The single word had Lacy stopping and turning at the same time. She couldn’t see around Benjamin’s towering body, so she moved to the side, taking a glimpse at Dante who had his gun trained on Brian.

  “Drop the gun, Brian,” the officer beside Dante yelled.

  “I don’t think so,” Brian said, turning from Dante to point his gun at Ben. “Do you think your lovely little girlfriend would survive a bullet, Dante? Ben isn’t going to move to the side, but there’s still a chance it would go through him.”

  * * * * *

  Dante was scared for Lacy. Terrified for her life. He wouldn’t let her down. She would come out of this unharmed. He would guarantee that with his life.

  “Cut the bullshit and give yourself up,” Dante growled. “You’re not going anywhere.” Dante took a brief second to meet the eyes of the six-foot tall sheik who shielded Lacy with his body. There was a man he owed, big time. His eyes bore into the man, and with a silent nod from the sheik in understanding, he returned his attention to Brian.

  “You have one last chance to drop your weapon,” Dante commanded, silently praying that everyone, especially Lacy, would come out unscathed.

  “Why don’t we test out my theory, Dante?” Brian replied, pointing his gun at Benjamin. In one flashing instant, Benjamin turned his body toward Lacy, protecting her from harm. Brian hesitated, and it was just the moment Dante needed to fire his weapon. The fast blooming bloodstain on his shirtfront confirmed Dante’s hit what he was aiming for. His cold-blooded heart.

  Chapter Nine

  The day and night proved to be a long one. Dante and Lacy left the precinct, headed for his home after all the police reports had been filled out by all parties involved.

  Dante had a hard time believing any of this was real. Who would have thought one of their very own, sworn to protect and uphold the law, would turn toward crime? He wasn’t naïve enough to think that this didn’t happen often, but he never would’ve suspected anyone from his precinct, let alone his unit, would be so stupid as to get involved.

  He sighed, relief flowing through him that all came out well. Lacy called her brother Mac, asking him to pull out all resources in tracing the funds.

  He’d thanked Benjamin at least ten times for putting his life on the line for the woman he loved. It meant a great deal to him, and he would pay him back. Maybe not now, but in the future, whenever Benjamin nee
ded his services.

  As he pulled up and parked the car into his driveway, he said, “Honey, we’re home.” He smiled and turned, and was surprised to see that Lacy had fallen asleep, her head resting against the window of the car.

  They had stopped at her place after leaving the precinct to pick up some of her clothes. She’d agreed to stay with him. Temporarily, she said, but Dante smiled at the ways he would convince her to think permanently.

  He opened the door to his car, the cold air hitting him immediately. It was already the beginning of November, and he could feel the frigidness of winter settling in. He ran around to Lacy’s side and opened up the door.

  He picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and kicked the car door shut with his foot. In five minutes he had her home, in bed, undressed and resting comfortably.

  He kicked off his shoes and took off his clothes. They both needed to rest. It had been a very long day. He pulled back the sheets and gently took Lacy in his arms. He stroked her naked body against his, then let his body relax, falling into a deep sleep.

  * * * * *

  Dante woke up, instinctively reaching for Lacy. He opened his eyes, shock and wariness flowing through him at the feel of his arms immobilized. He was bound by straps of leather, tied to the headboard of his own bed.

  “Good morning, hunk,” Lacy whispered as she ran one of her hands down his chest. “We never did get to play trick-or-treat.”

  He blinked twice to see if his mind was playing tricks on him and the erotic vision in front of him would disappear. His dick rose hard and quick at the costume she’d chosen to wear for him.

  She stood beside his bed, facing slightly to the side, dressed in a schoolgirl outfit with a skirt so short the globes of her luscious ass hung temptingly out. He licked his suddenly parched lips as he glimpsed at the white shirt tied in a knot right below her breasts, displaying her stomach beautifully.

  “What are you doing, Lacy?”

  Dante watched as she pulled back the sheet that covered his early morning erection. She straddled him, placing her naked pussy on his groin. Then she untied her shirt, threw the material on the floor, and proceeded to pinch her nipples in front of him.

  “I’m giving you a Halloween present, Dante,” she said on a moan.

  “Untie me,” he growled.

  “No. Not until you receive my gift.” She moved to the space between his thighs and knelt. Her tongue laved his cock, caressing the length between her lips. He felt on fire, burning with the need to have her.

  He struggled against the urge to fuck her mouth as her lips held him in tightly. It would have been an easy thing to snap the leather she’d used to tie him up with. He was contemplating it when she took his dick and swallowed it entirely, her nose hitting his groin. His cock pulsed at the back of her throat. The tightness and heat held him tightly, driving him insane with an animalistic urge.

  Jerking his arms, he snapped the twisted ties that bound him, releasing his arms. The man-beast hidden deep within roared its approval as he spared a glance on Lacy’s surprised face and eased her lips, slowly from his cock.

  “I need to fuck you,” he growled. “You can give me my surprise later.” He grasped her hips and flipped her on the bed, moved the skirt up, and lined his aching cock to her hot, wet cunt.

  He took his time rubbing her clit, bringing her to the point of orgasm but not letting her cross the line.

  “Fuck! Dante, I need you.”

  “Say it, Lacy, babe. Say you’re mine, and I’ll give you what you need.”

  She smirked adorably, and whispered, “You had me at Hello, Dante. I’ve always been yours. I never believed in falling in love at first sight. You’ve proven me wrong. I love you.”

  He wasn’t expecting a declaration of love, but now that he had it, he reveled in her ultimate affection for him. He prided himself in knowing from the beginning that she was the one for him.

  “I love you, Lacy. Since the very first time I set my eyes on you, I fell head over heels. Now that I found you, I’m never letting you go.”

  Dante bent, taking Lacy in a fierce kiss, hoping to express the craving he had for her, body and soul. He plunged his cock into her, addicted to her in everyway. He consumed her taste and desire, savoring the feel of her tightness and heat surrounding him.

  He fucked her until her cunt clasped on this cock, and still he pushed into her. He trembled with impending ecstasy as his balls stiffened, but he wouldn’t let himself the pleasure of coming until she erupted once more.

  “Come for me, Lacy love. Clamp down on my cock, baby, and cream me.”

  The words trigged that thin line she hovered on as she screamed, her release soaring through her, ripping the final hold she had on reality, and slamming her into rapture she’d never experienced before. A second later, his cock erupted, throbbed, and spent his seed deeply. And sealed the love they had forever.

  The End

  Author Bio

  Jade James was born and raised in New York City and will probably live there for always. She’s 30 years old and married to her husband for seven years, and is a mother to two adorable children. Readers can visit her website at www.jadejames.com

  Also Available from Cobblestone Press, LLC

  Rafe’s War by Jade James

  Prologue

  “We were lucky that diner was open or else we would have spent another night hungry,” Melina said as she crept down the alley, taking a shortcut to her home.

  With the imposed curfew at night, she took a great risk, but going now was still safer than venturing out in the daytime. Despair threatened to overwhelm her, but she tamped the feeling down. Nothing would be gained if she lost control of her emotions.

  “I wish everything was back to normal, Mel. Why did this have to happen now?” Adam asked around a mouthful of hamburger.

  “We all knew the apocalypse would happen sooner or later. We just thought it would be much later. We need to stick together. Those monsters roaming the streets are looking for humans. It scares the living daylights out of me when you go off on your own. If they were to capture you…” Melina’s whisper drifted off, and then she tried to shrug the idea away. “We’ve seen what happens to people they capture.” She forced the words out, and with it came the nightmarish vision of the past few months.

  Melina shivered against the terror of losing her best friend. Beth Williams was one of the first people she and Adam had seen beheaded, because she refused to take the mark of the beast. Hidden in an alcove with her brother, Melina witnessed the barbarian act as her heart beat furiously with fear. She would always remember the terror mixed with resolve in Beth’s eyes, and how they glazed over, sightless and blank when death claimed her body. Melina admired the stand Beth took for what she believed in, but her violent death also spurred Melina and Adam to run for their lives.

  “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll be fine. They can’t catch what they can’t find. The boys and I are going out again tonight. We’ll watch each other’s back,” Adam replied, tossing the wrapper on a trash bin, overflowing with smelly garbage. He reached inside the bag and grabbed another burger as if he was unaffected by the disgusting smells in the air. Melina’s stomach rebelled at the odor of waste along with the demonic slime on the asphalt. The demons’ warts constantly oozed a gross glop of gunk that always left a trail in their wake. She heaved at the sight, her stomach threatening to erupt what little food she had in her system. Melina swallowed tightly.

  “I don’t think that’s such a great...” Melina’s words died in her throat as she stood frozen in shock and fear. Her thoughts scattered.

  Adam bumped into her. His muffled, “Ooof,” snapped her out of her paralysis.

  Melina yanked Adam by the shoulder, shoving him down as they scrambled to hide beneath a large bush. Her brother peered around her, and understanding dawned in his eyes.

  Four demonic spawns were in front of their home, wielding large metal swords. The tallest one seemed to be their leader and, with a kic
k to the front door, the ugly monsters entered their home.

  Anger burned inside of her as Melina fought the urge to run to them, and strike the demons down for making life on earth a living hell. But she wasn’t stupid enough to think that she alone could take down those things.

  She turned, clutching Adam’s hand tightly and fled down a narrow road, before heading back to the obscurity of the city’s shadows. They needed to find a new place to stay. It was going to be a very long night.

  Chapter One

  3 Months Later

  Earth wasn’t what it used to be. The demons, released from their hellish prison, now roamed freely upon the world, wreaking havoc and spreading destruction. A blanket of depression covered the planet, ensuring certain death to those that did not have faith in the Higher Power above.

  Rafe Santos watched silently as he walked the streets, glass crunching under his booted feet, the smell of rotten garbage and burning debris hitting his nostrils. His gut tightened at the unbearable stench. Noxious fumes mingled with the odors of waste, nearly clouding his senses.

  His heart broke at the sight of humans walking in dazed, zombie-like oppression, while more bodies lay scattered on the sidewalks. Humans, once so alive, now roamed the earth like the soulless undead.

  Rafe glanced at the sky, not surprised to see a colorless space that no longer held the sun, stars, or clouds. The sun hadn’t bestowed its bright essence on the planet in over a year. The moon offered the only source of light, shining its brightest in what used to be daylight hours. But the days were shortened to sixteen instead of twenty-four. There were no more seasons. Mankind now lived in a never-ending summer of heat and humidity. Grateful that his skin adapted to whatever climate he entered, Rafe stared at a dazed man, slowly walking by him, sweat pouring down his flesh like buckets of water. And still the man didn’t know what awaited him. The humidity here was far more pleasurable than the lake of fire.