Love, Lies, & Crime: Anthology

by Kimberly Blalock

  There were some who weren’t happy with the outcome of the showdown on Monument Avenue. Stephanie Rogers-Rhoades, for example, was none too happy that her daughter’s father was taken down in the fight. Tina Marone, who had two kids with Rex “Linch Pin” Lynch, not only had to bury her boyfriend, but also her father and two brothers as well. All four men were members of the Seventy Devils. Molly Hearns, Jimmy’s sister, died along with the Devils in the van fire that was set when Shawn Hall blew a hole in the engine of the vehicle. The truth hurts. Sometimes when you play games with the Devils, you’re bound to get burned.

  TO BE CONTINUED

  PROLOGUE

  Perfection is an illusion

  and those who seek perfection will find

  themselves unfulfilled their whole lives.

  On this Chosen night, Fall City was alive and bustling with high spirited activity. Music thumped from inside the crowded clubs, and cliques herded together like chattering sheep to the next hot spot on their list. Horns blared their irritation as bystanders strolled carelessly across the street blocking oncoming traffic. The chaotic symphony of the city’s noises has always appealed to him. It was music to his ears.

  Thrusting deeper, he pushed past soft, hot flesh and groaned in ecstasy. The drenched blade found its way past muscle and into bone belonging to his unsuspecting prey. Her soul had called out to him two weeks prior as she was exiting his favorite hunting ground. She’d brushed past him almost suggestively on his way into the diner, awakening his carnal need to stalk his next victim.

  It was meant to be. Fate had brought them together that night. After all, the Chosen ones always called out to him in one way or another, whether they knew it or not. They were special to him. As with all things precious, he executed their passing carefully. Every end was different from the last and as uniquely carried out as each of his Chosen were to him.

  Her grip tightened around the collar of his tangled shirt, still attempting to fight for her life. Adrenaline coursed through his icy veins as he methodically descended the knife into her heaving chest one last time. Inch by agonizing inch, he brought it down with the weight of his body, seeking her heart. Their eyes met. Separated by a fraction of an inch, his arousal increased as he felt their connection, fusing them together as one. He craved the addictive high he felt, staring into the eyes of his Chosen, moments before their life became his… forever.

  The gritty taste of fear, desperation, and death grew thick and palpable in the air around them. It was a most desirable flavor that came second to none in his eyes. Finally reaching his mark, her eyes glossed over as her life faded away. Her weak breaths could be seen exiting her mouth as the chilly air fogged around them. Inhaling a deep breath as she blew out her last, the predator sucked in her escaping soul. The heady climax of this final moment filled every dark place and empty void that dwelled within him, leaving him drunk from the rush.

  The ultimate predator carefully laid his Chosen one down, smoothing out her hair, and placed her hands over her chest in a peaceful pose. Rising on unsteady legs, his panting breaths fogged the chilly air in billowing puffs and dissipated in the night sky. His head fell back in contented bliss, prolonging the moment.

  This feeling he craved. He lived for it, he killed for it, and it never lasted long enough to fully quench his thirst. As his high dulled, the twisted man was brought back down to earth. The need once again began to fester within him. Never fully satisfied, he spiraled back down to reality, coming full circle. Right back to square one.

  The distant sound of laughter, soft and melodic, grabbed his attention. Dark eyes shot open as he turned his back on the old and focused on the new. A voluptuous waitress hung half in, half out of the doors leading in to Rosie’s Diner, laughing at something another woman had said. Calculating eyes zoomed in with sharp, precise focus on his newest target.

  The predator licked the sticky blood still dripping from his fingers and crept down the length of the abandoned building. Cloaked by the alley’s shadows, he edged his way closer to the street opening. The girl zipped up her hoody and began walking with a peppy bounce in her step toward the danger that watched her. Raising the soiled knife, the monster wiped the remains of the last Chosen one on the thigh of his filthy jeans.

  Slinking back into the crumbling brick wall, he drew closer to the street entrance, hiding himself in the darkness as she drew closer. The predator took in her tempting form as it teased him with each bounce of her large breasts and sway of her rounded hips as she walked by. A sinister smirk drew his thin lips into a sneer as he listened to her hum a familiar tune. She strolled along in rhythm to the imaginary song and breezed past his hiding place while singing the lyrics aloud to herself.

  “Every single day… Every word you say… I’ll be watching you.”

  His body stirred at her hypnotizing words, beckoning him to her. She would be his next Chosen one. Lucky number thirteen. This time, he’d take his time. Enjoy the hunt, draw out her fear, and prolong his vicious strike. This would be the kill he’d compare all others to. She deserved nothing but the best. After all, she was the one calling to his nature, begging to be picked next.

  “Be careful whose eye you capture, sweetheart, for your next words could be your last,” he hissed as she strolled past, her delectable body fading into the night.

  Shoving both hands into his pockets, the twisted man murmured the lyrics to his new favorite song and followed in the direction his Chosen one headed.

  “Can’t you see, you belong to me…”

  CHAPTER ONE

  Instant Intimacy is too

  often followed by Disillusion

  ~May Sarton

  Elizabeth groaned, slapping the snooze button on her alarm for the third time that morning. She kicked at the sheets that ensnared her legs, as if pulling her back to the slumber she unwillingly came out of. A stream of light filtered in through the sliver of space in between her curtains, casting its unwanted rays directly in her eyes. Squinting against the bright invasion, Elizabeth swung her legs over the side of the bed. She mentally prepared herself for another long and busy day at the diner.

  “Damn the man. Work is for suckers. I should move into the woods and live off the grid,” she grumbled to herself as she reluctantly rose from her soft bed. Elizabeth went about her usual morning routine… shower, hair, makeup, dress, and breakfast. A creature of habit, Elizabeth’s mother swore she had OCD growing up since she never deviated from her predictable, methodical, and boring routine. Every single day was exactly the same, and she found comfort in that.

  The intoxicating aroma of decadent dark roast coffee seeped into her room to greet her senses. With a rumbling stomach and an uplifted spirit, she made her way down the hall and into the kitchen. Wooed by the promise of some much need caffeine, Elizabeth popped her head around the corner.

  “Morning, beautiful. I’ve taken the liberty of toasting half a sesame seed bagel and adding cream cheese, and filled a travel mug to the brim with your favorite coffee.”

  Elizabeth rounded the table toward her boyfriend of four months next week. She had given him a spare key a few weeks back because he always ended up staying the night anyway. Now, it was safe to say that he’d officially moved in. Without so much as a greeting, she wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her body to his in a not so subtle way.

  “What did I do to win a morning-loving man like you over to the dark side with a morning-hater like me, hmmm?” Lifting one shapely brow, Elizabeth drew her plump bottom lip into her mouth, knowing this always drove him wild.

  Carter ran both hands down the length of her back using a slow, purposeful pace that nearly had her dragging him back into bed with her. Elizabeth hissed as strong hands roamed over her rounded, shapely ass and squeezed. His hot breath tickled her neck as he whispered in her ear.

  “These cookies drew me in and hold me captive. I’m helpless against their powers.”

  Elizabeth laughed breathlessly against his mouth as eager hands p
ulled her into the evidence of his arousal. Their mouths molded together, softly tasting each other’s lips, before she opened up, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Carter groaned when her tongue glided against his, in the shy, timid way she always did. Her inexperience and unsure nature drove him wild.

  Gripping the back of her neck, Carter took control of the kiss, needing to dominate her completely. These four months had been the best of his life. His life finally felt complete with Elizabeth in it… perfect even. She was perfect… for him. Carter found himself acting in a cheesy, corny, and cliché way where his Lizzie was concerned. She deserved nothing but the best. And he was more than willing to give it to her.

  With a mind of their own, Carter’s legs made their way down the hall toward the bedroom, bringing Elizabeth with him. He pleaded in between wet kisses, “Don’t go yet. Give me ten minutes. I can’t go to the office with the raging hard on you just gave me. I’ll scare my secretary.”

  Elizabeth giggled with excitement as Carter quickly unbuttoned her uniform with expert precision. His lips roamed down her neck, traveling over the swell of her heaving breasts, panting, “I need you. Right now.”

  Her lids closed after his professed words, and her body trembled with anticipation at his deep raspy voice. Elizabeth protested with weak resolve, “Ugh… you’re going to make me late. Again.” But her fingers tangled in his thick wavy locks, betraying what her body was already willing to give over.

  Pushing both their bodies through the door, Carter pulled down the uniform, leaving it in a discarded pile on the floor. He gently laid her back onto the messy unmade bed.

  “I’ll be quick.”

  A moan escaped her lips, and she arched into his openmouthed kisses as he made his way down to the source of her aching desire.

  “You know we’re never quick once we get started.” Her weak objection fell on deaf ears as her determined boyfriend looped his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and dragged them down her trembling thighs.

  Carter removed his clothes and climbed up the length of her body, nipping at the sensitive skin puckered with goosebumps. With fierce determination, he ground his hips into hers, smiling when she cried out.

  “I’ll try my best, babe, but you know I aim to please.”

  She was running late today.

  His watchful eyes followed her jogging body as she dashed down the same path she always took toward the diner. Staying well behind his prey, the predator maintained a close proximity the whole way, managing to stay hidden… invisible. It was very unlike her to be late. This new man in her life was breaking her of her reliable, tightly followed schedule that she always stuck to.

  The time had come to take this game to the next level before things grew serious between them. He’d been meticulous in his study of her over the past few months and knew her routines and habits better than she did. Now, the time had come for the next phase… this was the fun part. He’d move in closer, instill fear, and play with her sanity.

  The monster raised the hood of his dark sweatshirt and followed a good distance behind his Chosen. A breeze filtered down through the street between the large buildings, capturing her hair and blowing it back. He drew in a deep breath, reveling in her intoxicating scent. His vision tunneled, slowing down time as he watched her run in slow motion, humming their song.

  I’ll be watching you.

  Entering the diner, he’d chosen the small booth in the far back corner, as far from her usual tables as possible. Determined to remain unseen, his glasses remained on his face and his Steelers hat sat low, covering his forehead. It was easy for him to remain unseen by her.

  Without fail, this large diner was blessed with rowdy, crowded patrons every day. The waitresses kept busy tending to their own tables, making it easy for him to watch from a comfortable distance.

  But now the time had come to stop watching.

  The morning flew by as if in fast forward. Thank God for small miracles. In the hustle of the early morning rush, her boss hadn’t noticed her late arrival.

  “Looks like things are finally calming down in here, B.”

  Elizabeth wiped the sweat that’d collected in her hairline with the back of her hand. Bianca nudged her friend with her hip, huffing out an exaggerated breath.

  “Gracías a Dios, It’s about time, chica. I’m beat. Mis píes are killing me and it’s barely noon.”

  “You’re not kidding. I’m starving.”

  Bianca lifted the plate she’d cleared from the table moments earlier. “Have some fries, chica. They weren’t even touched.”

  Elizabeth scrunched up her nose in disgust. “B, that’s gross. You’re joking, right?”

  Before she could finish the rest of her sentence, Bianca popped a fry in her mouth and winked. “Waste not, want not, blanquita.”

  She had a point.

  Smiling over at her beautiful, confident best friend, Elizabeth snatched a soggy fry. “What the hell, here’s to big tips and untouched food.” The girls raised lopsided fries in a toast.

  “¡Salud!”

  They gobbled down another handful of fries and chewed as fast as they could before they were caught. Bianca’s eyes shifted over Elizabeth’s shoulder at a figure in the back.

  “Miralo, chica, that man over at the end of the counter has been staring at you all morning. That’s tres días in a row I’ve seen him.” Bianca held up three polished fingers and cast a devilish eye at the scruffy looking man hunched over his empty plate. Realizing that he’d been caught staring, the man adjusted his trucker hat and gripped his mug tighter.

  Shaking her head, Elizabeth stared at the stranger. “I’ve never seen him here before.”

  Bianca had a tendency to over dramatize the simplest of situations, in an attempt to make their monotonous days more interesting.

  “Sí, chica, he always sits in my section y no hablar mucho, grunts mostly. He gives me the creeps.”

  “Come on, B, most guys grunt at us early in the morning. Besides, are you so sure he’s not staring at you? Said so yourself, he always sits at your tables.” Elizabeth smiled when a disgusted look passed over Bianca’s face as she thought about that.

  “¡Maldición!”

  She couldn’t help it; Elizabeth laughed. Bianca slapped her several times, leaving behind a lasting sting on her bare arm.

  “That’s not funny, estúpida. I have enough perverts eyeballing me around here.” Bianca shot an icy glare over her shoulder at the man in question, nudging her friend. “You can have esté hombre. He is all yours”

  “All right, ladies, get back to your tables. It’s not your break time yet, and I’m not paying you to stand around and eat my food.”

  The girls jumped in unison at the harsh voice of their day manager, Nickolai. Bianca stuck out her tongue and shoved a few more fries in her mouth, saluting the grouchy older man with her middle finger when he wasn’t looking. “Sí, sí, señor.” She accentuated each word with a thick, exaggerated accent and a mouth full of food.

  The hairs on the back of Elizabeth’s neck stood on end. An overwhelming force pulled at her senses from the opposite direction, and she didn’t have to look to know who it was coming from. Now that Bianca had brought it to her attention that this strange man was staring, Elizabeth could almost feel him doing it. A sickness churned in the pit of her gut the longer she tried to ignore him. His stare all but burned a hole in her back. Curiosity forced Elizabeth to turn her head against her better judgement. She regretted her decision immediately when her gaze locked onto the cold, empty, eyes of the strange man.

  Elizabeth froze. His dark eyes bore into hers. A shiver travelled down her spine when a sneer snaked across his face. Elizabeth gasped as a heavy hand dropped on her shoulder, startling her.

  Bianca twirled her around. “¿Qué pasa? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I…”

  Elizabeth glanced over at the creepy man who, once again, was hunched over his plate. Had she imagined the whole encounter? Shaking her head, s
he finally answered her friend. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.”

  Bianca nodded and tweaked her friend’s nose with her finger. “Loca.”

  Elizabeth kept busy the rest of her shift, pushing the internal warning system deep down, and planned to forget all about it.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The pain of truth is better

  than the bliss of an illusion.

  When the six o’clock hour finally rolled around, the girls were more than eager to leave their shift and go home. Elizabeth cleared and wiped down all the tables in her section, readying it for the next waitress on shift. She grabbed her hoodie from the break room and met Bianca outside.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, B. I’ve got a hot man coming over for dinner.” She winked and stuck out her tongue playfully. “What’re you up to tonight?”

  Bianca’s hands found their way to her hips striking a pose. “I’ve got a blind date to get to, chica, at the bar around the corner.”

  Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. “What? Good for you, B. Go get you some.”

  They both laughed at her weak attempt at sporting an attitude.

  “You know me, blanquita, I won’t stop until I find my Prince Charming.”

  “I know. Be safe and call me later with all the details, good or bad.”

  “Don’t wait up, chica. I’ll see you mañana.” Bianca kissed both Elizabeth’s cheeks, as was her way of saying goodbye, and strutted down the side walk.