“This time when he asked us, we requested to have a fine dinner prepared for us first. It was a simple request, but for slaves, simple requests usually ended up with Mr. Friday beating us senseless. However, this time he complied.
“The next day, we asked for a bedroom, one that we could share together instead of being forced to sleep on the cold ground in the basement cellar. He too granted us that request. With each passing day we asked for more and he granted us more.
“We had a golden opportunity on our hands. Together, Delilah and I devised a plan, one that would gain us both our freedom and the wealth of Mr. Friday. We began requesting education from him, insight into both his business as well as the witchcraft for which he was infamous. With every passing day, we learned more from the man. It wasn’t long before both Delilah and I were entrenched into his criminal organization; Delilah handling the business side of things while I delved in the criminal activities.
“Within two years, we had gone from being his whores to serving as his most trusted captains. He no longer used us to satisfy his sexual urges—we were far more useful in making him money. One summer evening, Mr. Friday finally died.”
I raised a brow. “Something tells me you and Delilah had a role to play in his death.”
“I seduced him and then tied him to the bed posts just before repeatedly stabbing him in his cold as stone heart. We tossed his body into the bayou to serve as food for the alligators. By that time both Delilah and I were confident in our abilities to assume leadership of Mr. Friday’s organization while keeping his death a secret. Mr. Friday’s name alone brought both credibility and fear to the organization.”
“Who else knows that you murdered Mr. Friday?” I asked.
“With Delilah now gone, only you.”
I was surprised. “Why divulge this secret to me?”
Isadora plucked the dull knife from off the ground. “I trust you. I know your dark secrets and it’s only fair that you know mine as well.”
What dark secret did I have?
“Lincoln,” she whispered, as if reading my mind. “When you allowed me inside your mind, I unlocked all the secrets buried within. Lincoln’s living ghost told me everything.”
“Oh,” I said as panic began to swell inside my belly, setting off sirens in my head. “I see. You won’t tell Shadow, will you?”
Isadora laughed. “As long as you promise not to tell anyone about Mr. Friday.”
I nodded. “Sounds like a fair deal.” It was a deal that I hoped lasted until the sky fell down and the ocean’s dried up.
I rose from the ground, dusted the dirt off my pants, and stretched. My muscles were aching and I was dying for a hot shower to wash off the layers of dirt and sweat caked to my skin. My mouth had dried up as well.
“Thirsty?” I asked.
Isadora nodded.
“Me too. Participating in simulated knife fights and divulging our darkest secrets has dehydrated me.”
“You’re a strange girl,” Isadora smiled.
“And you’re not? You do have a reputation of being the female version of Voldemort.”
“Volde—who?”
I sighed. “Nevermind.”
We gathered our things and headed back to the car.
I glanced at Isadora and took satisfaction in knowing that the voodoo witch of New Orleans and the queen of the Lousiana Underworld was my friend.
After losing Justin, there was an empty void for friendship that I thought could never be filled. Sure, I have Shadow, but he didn’t count in terms of platonic friendship. We slept in the same bed.
There was also Lincoln who we needed to save from Calisto, the psychotic corn husking bitch. My “friendship” with Lincoln took an unexpected turn when he fingered me on top of Beau’s priceless antique piano. I’d be naive to ignore the awkwardness that now kept us apart as friends.
We made our way down the winding path of the forest, through the clearing and back onto the dirt road where the black Cadillac Escalade was parked. I took one last look of the forest and shuddered, before taking the driver’s seat.
“Of all the places we could have trained, why in this horrible place?” I asked.
“Because, this place scares me.”
“Isn’t that all the reason to stay away from the suicide forest?”
Isadora shook her head. “The day where I no longer feel fear is the day my heart has turned black and I have lost my humanity. I’ll need it if I wish to reunite with Delilah again. Being in this place reminds me that I’m still human.”
“Laughing with your friends, tasting good food, breathing even…those are also signs that you’re still human, Isadora,” I stated. “Joy makes us human.”
“Joy is something that doesn’t currently exist in my life,” Isadora sighed as she opened the passenger side door and entered into the vehicle.
I fired up the ignition.
“What is it that you fear most?” I asked, bluntly.
“That I’ll never get the chance to watch Calisto suffer for all that she’s done.”
Amen to that.
Chapter Two
Aria
What was better than having Shadow, that gorgeous, tall, and dark-haired enigma of man, grace you with his presence? It was having Shadow naked in the shower, waiting for you to come and run your hands along his chiseled body.
The second I opened the large double doors of the master bedroom, I heard the running water from the ensuite bathroom. Excitedly, I tore off my sweaty clothes and tossed them onto the piano bench, belonging to the black Steinway grand piano in his bedroom, and gently tiptoed towards the bathroom. I’d surprise my sexy man with my naked body and my thirsty lips.
I took a minute to marvel at Shadow from where I stood, my eyes tracing the hard, muscular lines of his perfect form. Sometimes it was hard to believe that out of all the women in this world, he had chosen me to be his partner.
I’d like to say that our love was the epitome of a fairytale romance but it wasn’t. There was a period of time where he treated me like shit because of his own insecurities. During that same time, I betrayed his trust, succumbing to a single moment of weakness where I thought another man’s touch was all I needed to make things right again.
We were both fucked up.
Then again, what couple in this world was perfect? We loved each other and perhaps that was enough to hold us together through the oncoming storm.
Shadow turned around, and smiled. His beautiful eyes took in my body as he licked his lips.
“I can’t think of a prettier thing in this world than you at this very moment,” he said. I glanced at his cock. It was fully erect and pointing in my direction.
Just knowing I could turn him on with my body made me feel like the sexiest girl in the world.
“Hey you,” I said.
“You coming in or are you just going to stand there and watch me?”
“I’m enjoying the view from where I’m standing, actually.”
Shadow grinned. “It’s more fun in here. Believe me.”
I stepped into the shower and immediately his strong hands found my hips and pulled me closer to him. He crushed his mouth into mine and our tongues entwined with one another, while the gentle warm water of the shower peppered our bodies.
Oh fuck, here we go. My chest swelled with anticipation as I continued to explore his mouth with my own.
My hands rippled across his hard body, my fingers caressing every ridge and curve. I eventually found his massive cock. Wrapping one hand around it, I began pumping it with long, firm strokes while my other hand cupped his balls.
He unleashed a growl.
“Aria,” he whispered.
Hearing my name escape his lips while in a state of arousal drove me wild. My pussy ached for him to fill me with his strength. Shadow’s deft fingers went for my nipples. He began playing with them while his mouth continued to devour mine.
Our urgent moans echoed throughout the bathroom.
&nbs
p; “I want you,” I whispered into his ear.
His hands went in between my legs, parting them with urgency. He massaged the outer folds of my pussy lips first, teasing them with his index and middle finger. It wasn’t until I whispered his name that he plunged those two fingers deep inside, exploring the wetness between my legs. He pushed down on my g-spot, sending shivers throughout my body.
“You’re mine,” he growled as he moved his finger in and out of my sex.
“Fuck me,” I responded.
He spun me around and firmly pushed down on my upper back, straightening out my body and positioning me to receive his thick cock from behind. I grabbed one of the rails in the shower to steady myself. The anticipation of having him fill me made my knees quiver.
I felt his fingers brush through my hair, sending pulses of pleasure through my entire body.
“Fuck me already,” I practically begged.
“When I’m ready,” he said. “First, I want to know how bad you want it.”
He grabbed onto the end of my hair and tugged on it, tilting my head up.
“Tell me what you want,” he whispered as he pressed his mouth against my ear. I felt his warm breath graze across the side of my cheek while droplets of water splattered across the rest of my body.
Everything at this point was wet: my back, my legs, and especially my pussy. My hand instinctively reached downwards to satisfy my urge to be touched. However, just as my fingers grazed the tip of my clit, I felt Shadow’s hand clasp over my wrist and pulled it away. He pinned my arm against the shower glass.
“No,” he said. “Your fulfillment will come from me. Now, tell me what you want.”
“I want your cock.”
He kissed the back of my neck and instinctively I lowered my head. However, he tugged on my pony tail again and pulled it back up.
His other hand released its grip on my wrist and immediately went to my heavy breasts, fingers pinching and then rolling my aching nipples.
I moaned with delight as I felt the head of his cock brush against the lips between my legs, rubbing against the wet outer folds.
“Stop teasing me,” I moaned.
He tugged on my hair again. “I’ll do as I please. I’ll fuck you my way. Do you agree?”
“Yes, fuck yes.”
He pushed his full length into me and I was lost. I felt the head of his cock thrust against my g-spot. I unleashed a deep groan.
“You’re so big,” I gasped as he continued to slide in and out of me with long, powerful strokes.
I reached down again to play with my clit, and this time Shadow allowed me. Both his hands were concentrated on my hips as he continued to guide my body against his, filling the room with the wet sounds of his body smacking into me against the running water.
It didn’t take long for an orgasm to seize me. I grabbed onto the railing again and clung onto it tightly while I rode out the intense climax, unleashing a flurry of euphoric moans intermingled with curse words.
Shadow came shortly after, filling me with his hot cum. His orgasm was never-ending as I felt his cock, continuously pulsing away inside of me.
When he was done, he wrapped his thick arms around me and whispered into my ear, “I love you.”
I closed my eyes and cherished this very moment; this serene calmness.
After we dried off, we sat on the lounge chair next to the window, overlooking the endless blue ocean.
When I first heard the nickname of Shadow’s secret home, “The House at the Edge of the World,” I thought it sounded like overdramatic poppycock; a real estate agent’s marketing ploy to create more intrigue in the property.
But over the course of the week while staying here, there was something about this house and staring off into that deep blue yonder that entranced me. Or perhaps it was because I was just so damn happy to be with Shadow again—to have him hold me, indulge in me and fuck me—that all time and space around me had a spicy flavor of magic to it.
The House at the Edge of the World felt like a fairytale castle and I took cherished every second I was there, for as long as it’d last.
“Lincoln,” Shadow suddenly stated out of nowhere.
Hearing his name sent ripples through my heart. Whether it was because I:
a) Missed his friendship,
b) Was ashamed of my moment of weakness with him, as scintillating as that moment was,
c) Worried that he was in the clutches of Calisto, the curmudgeon queen of cunts,
I had yet to figure out. I did want him back in my life though. He was—shit why am I thinking about him in past tense—is and forever will be an important part of my life.
“What about Lincoln?” I asked.
I had always believed in karma; the idea that all actions in your life, whether good or bad, would come back at some point and either reward you or kick you in the ass.
It was only a matter of time before Shadow discovered what happened between Lincoln and me. There were several opportunities where I wanted to tell Shadow about what happened that night, in Beau’s apartment, while I was intoxicated on both whiskey and self-loathing.
Every time I was about to start the conversation with every man’s favorite line: “We need to talk,” Shadow would look at me with his dark, beautiful eyes, and say something that stopped me.
Just yesterday Shadow had asked me, “You want some eggs?”
Of course I wanted some eggs. I wanted eggs far more than I wanted to see the reaction on Shadow’s face when I told him that Lincoln, the man he trusted the most in this world, had danced a two-digit disco in my vagina.
So when Shadow spoke his name I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d say next.
“What about Lincoln?” I asked again.
“The gears are in motion. If everything goes according to plan, in three days, we’ll have him back home,” Shadow said.
The relief I felt was bittersweet. There was nothing more I wanted than to see him back with us, safe and sound. However, on the other hand, there was the awkwardness that would come with it. It was something that Shadow would definitely notice between us.
I’d have to deal with that when the time came.
“Something’s happening within the Revenant organization and from what I’m hearing, much of that is directly related to Lincoln. They’ll be moving him in three days, via plane.”
I raised a brow. “Moving him where?”
“Lord only knows. All I can say is that it’ll be overseas somewhere.”
I held my breath for a moment before slowly exhaling.
“Is your source reliable?”
There was a brief pause. “Yes.”
“You don’t seem so sure.”
This time, Shadow responded without hesitation. “No, my source is very reliable. They’ve never lied to me before.”
“So what happens when Lincoln steps on that plane?”
“I can only assume that we’ll never see him again.”
I swallowed hard. Shadow must have noticed the look of concern on my face.
“Don’t worry. As I mentioned, I have a plan in place. I already know the time and the location: This Thursday at midnight, Moral City’s island airport. Before Lincoln boards that plane, we’re going to move in and extract him.”
“You’re making it sound easier than it’s going to be. I think it’s safe to say that Calisto will bring an army with her to that airport.”
“She probably will, but we have the element of surprise on our side. She won’t know that we’re coming for her. If we’re lucky, she might be stupid enough to make an appearance herself. We can finish this once and for all that night.”
“There’s only six of us Shadow, six against an entire army.”
“I’ll need you here that night, helping Reiko,” he said.
“What? What do you mean? I want to come along and help.”
Shadow shook his head. “Believe me when I say you’ll be doing the lion’s share of the work helping Reiko out tha
t night. We’re going to need to hack into the grid and shut off all electricity to the sector that feeds the Island Airport. I remember you logging into Calisto’s security system at her condo. You’re a computer whiz, Aria. With you and Reiko both at the controls of this operation, I have nothing but confidence.”
He had a point. I was and still am good with computers.
“So then five against an army,” I pointed out.
“Six,” Shadow corrected me.
“Who’s replacing me on this suicide mission?”
Shadow swallowed. “Beau’s brother, a.k.a. Donald’s other bastard son. Beau and I are going to Oakridge County tomorrow morning to meet him in person.”
“I’m wary of bringing more outsiders into this thing of ours,” I said. “Trust is a hard thing for me to grasp these days.”
“Do you trust the people we have right now?”
I wanted to say yes, but I had to be honest with Shadow—I didn’t.
I shook my head.
“Neither do I,” Shadow frowned. “I’ve seen Isadora standing alone, muttering to herself at times. I know you’ve explained to me already how she’s talking to her dead wife—as strange as that is—but sometimes, I can’t help but think she’s talking into a wire, and at the other end of it is my sister.”
“I trust Isadora,” I stated. “She saved me, Shadow.”
He looked puzzled. “She did?”
Was there any point in telling Shadow how at the lowest point in my life it was Isadora who had reached deep into my heart and mind and tore away all the darkness that anchored me down?
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“Of course. You don’t even have to ask.”
“Then trust my judgment. Isadora won’t betray us.”
Shadow pursed his lips, and finally agreed. “Okay.”
“What about Cairo and Reiko?” I asked.
I hadn’t a chance to spend any time with them. After their spat at the dinner table where Reiko dropped the bombshell that she had slept with Lincoln, prior to dating Cairo, they had mostly kept to themselves. It was noticeable that they were keeping a distance from each other.
Revenant (The Midnight Society #3) Page 2
