by Mia Allen
Rina leaned in for a brief kiss and replied, “I had an excellent time. You indulged my every whim. I am glad you liked it too. Edward asked me to express his thanks as well. Let’s eat. Sadly, I must go to work soon.”
As Samuel dressed to leave, his cell phone rang. Mr. Nakamura requested his presence at his office to go over the terms the lawyers had put into the merger agreement. Samuel asked for a couple of hours to shower and dress, explaining to Mr. Nakamura he had been celebrating all night. The CEO laughed and promised he could wait until 2 p.m.
Suzette was still in the hotel lobby when Samuel returned. She noted his wrinkled clothes with disdain. She wanted to confront him over what she saw as his cheating ways, but that wasn’t in the plan. She waited until he came back downstairs clean and dressed in a suit, then followed him to Mr. Nakamura’s office. Suzette figured he would be in the building for quite a while and decided it was the perfect time to go home and clean up too. She could also pick up more of the drug for Rina on the way. It was plentiful if you knew where to look.
Suzette wore her most conservative outfit to the club that night. She didn’t want to draw undue attention to herself. The black pants and matching silk blouse made her blend into the shadows of the dark club. She had tucked her blonde hair into a cute cap, effectively hiding its brightness. Suzette was tingling with excitement. She had found something better to give Rina than the drug she had meant to drop in her drink. No one would turn over a glass and save her this time. The syringe in Suzette’s pocket kept her from having to be seen by Samuel. He would never know she was at the club that night.
It was a slow night for Rina, so she spent time with Samuel. She sat in his lap drinking sake and laughing at the bartender’s jokes. Edward joined them whenever his duties allowed. There was no tension among the group. They were relaxed and friendly. Others envied the friendship that was clearly visible between them.
Rina asked to be excused. She made her way to the ladies’ room, stopping a few times to check on the club patrons. Suzette moved along the walls, hiding in the darkness. Rina stepped from a stall, checked her makeup and bent to wash her hands. She paid no attention to the woman that walked up to the next sink. Respecting privacy was a requirement of the club. She felt a small prick on her neck, but before she was able to turn and confront the woman, a dizziness came over Rina.
Suzette had to hurry. The drug worked fast. She couldn’t allow Rina to pass out just yet. She needed her to be able to walk. Suzette wasn’t strong enough to carry even Rina’s slight weight. Suzette guided the staggering Rina from the ladies’ room to the back exit of the club. Luck was with her. No one came down the hallway. The door opened easily from the inside, but once it closed, it was impossible to get back in. Rina was collapsing. Suzette hissed in frustration. The drug had worked faster than she had expected on Rina’s small body. The car was too far away. She saw a storage shed at the next business and dragged Rina’s now limp body to it. It smelled nasty inside, but Suzette didn’t care. She dropped her burden on the floor and closed the door. She looked around for something to slide into the rings meant for a padlock and found a metal bar. It worked perfectly. The storage shed was made of brick and would muffle any cries from Rina. Maybe she wouldn’t wake up at all, Suzette thought. After all she had given the tiny woman a dose big enough for a man. She gleefully went home for the night. As she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she made as much noise as possible. Her singing and bumping into walls was heard throughout the building. This was perfect. Her neighbors could testify that she had returned home early and quite drunk. Who would suspect someone as sweet and innocent as Suzette could be a kidnapper? If they only knew the truth of her identity there would be fear in their hearts. Suzette took pride in her ability to hide in plain sight. She had killed many times to get what she wanted and she would continue until her own death. She planned to go out in a blaze of glory, even if she had to cause her own demise. She curled up on her couch and imagined Samuel’s panic when Rina never came back and the torment that Rina would go through in the stifling hot building if she woke up. Suzette lifted her shot of whiskey and toasted to Rina’s hopefully painful death.
Chapter 9
Edward was summoned to a table where an argument with a waitress had ensued. Samuel looked around expecting to see Rina returning. When more time passed and she didn’t appear, he left the bar and wandered to the hallway that contained the restrooms. Rina wasn’t in the hallway. He asked a young woman that was entering the ladies’ room to check on Rina. The woman looked inside and said the room was empty.
Samuel decided to return to the bar thinking he must have missed her in the crowd. Edward was back and pouring fresh drinks. He hadn’t seen Rina either. They began to worry. The bouncers were summoned and asked to search the club. Edward and Samuel went upstairs and checked out every room. Rina was nowhere and she didn’t answer her phone. A waitress discovered the ringing cell phone in the ladies’ room, under a sink. Edward called the police.
The law enforcement arrived and listened to Samuel and Edward’s stories. They were not impressed. Rina was an adult. She could have simply gone on a walk and forgotten her phone. There was no sign of foul play. What did the men expect them to do? Edward was furious and lunged at the policeman. Samuel held him back, knowing that an attack on law enforcement would only make things worse. Until Rina had been missing for 48 hours, Edward and Samuel were on their own. They started by questioning each club patron before they allowed them to leave. Free drinks were handed out to insure cooperation. No one had seen Rina leave. The last ones to see her at all were already gone from the building.
Edward pulled all the discs from the security cameras and took them into the control room. He and Samuel watched every one of them. They saw Rina enter the hallway. A dark form entered behind her. It was impossible to tell whether it was a man or woman. Neither Rina nor the other person came back out. Edward again called the police and informed them of the recordings. He was told that without any sign of foul play, they would do nothing. Rina may have left with the other person but it was probably of her own accord.
Samuel called Mr. Nakamura and enlisted his help. He was a powerful man in Tokyo. The police were sure to listen to him. Thankfully, it worked. Mr. Nakamura was able to force the police to get involved. They searched all surveillance camera footage available in the area around the club. A figure dressed in black was seen following Samuel into the club. The same figure came from the alley behind the club only a few minutes after Rina was reported to have gone to the ladies room. It was the same person Samuel and Edward had seen in the club’s recording.
More surveillance footage was pulled up further down the street. The police watched the person traverse the streets until it reached Samuel’s hotel. The figure came to a stop and removed the cap, allowing bright blonde hair to escape. When Samuel was shown a close up of the smiling face that the hotel’s camera had caught, he gasped. It was Suzette.
Officers were sent to search the alleyway behind the club. Suzette had left by the alley and since Rina had never come back into the club, she had to be somewhere in that alley. The officers had almost given up when a faint scratching sound was heard coming from a brick storage unit. Expecting to find mice, they opened the unit and discovered Rina. She was drenched in sweat, dehydrated and her fingers were bloody from trying to scratch her way out, but she was alive. An ambulance was summoned and she was rushed to the nearest hospital. Samuel and Edward followed the ambulance closely.
Suzette’s picture was run through a police database and her picture was a match for a murderer named Felice Carson. She was wanted for killing her husband and numerous women in America, Australia and Japan. She had many aliases. It was believed that she killed to obtain the boyfriends of the women. The men still rejected her even after their lovers disappeared, never realizing that she was the reason for their disappearance. Suzette didn’t wait around. She moved on when the police got close to arresting her.
Samuel and Edward were questioned about Suzette as they waited to hear news of Rina’s health. Samuel was able to give the police an address for Suzette. A tactical team was gathered to storm the building.
Rina was in a deep sleep when the men were allowed in to see her. She was being pumped full of fluids to flush out the drug, but at the moment, it controlled her body. Samuel kissed her forehead and each man took one of her hands, entreating her to survive. They refused to leave her side.
Mr. Nakamura arrived with several bunches of flowers. He felt a responsibility toward his new partner and wanted to help in any way possible. He sat vigil in the waiting area, surrounded by the flowers that could not be delivered to ICU.
The tactical team quietly emptied the apartment building of all tenants. The tenants had confirmed that Suzette was home and she closely matched the picture the police had shown them.
Suzette noticed that the building was too quiet. Normally, she heard every footstep on the creaky staircase and voices through the thin walls. Suspicious, she glanced out of her tiny window and spied someone in a tactical uniform hiding behind a dumpster. They had done the impossible and found her. The building would be surrounded, leaving Suzette no escape route. The time had come for desperate measures. She was ready for this in so many ways. Tired of running, she had planned different scenarios for her death. As the police got ready to storm the apartment, Suzette dressed for her final exit scene.
Chapter 10
Rina was finally awake and aware of Samuel and Edward. She smiled weakly and squeezed their hands. She had come very close to dying, but her strong will to live had proven too powerful for the drug. The doctor came in to perform more tests and sent the men out for some much needed nourishment.
Samuel had some questions for Edward. He asked the first cautiously, “ Are you in love with Rina?”
Edward considered the question before answering, “ I love her as a very special friend, but not as a man should love a lifelong mate. I do not believe she loves me in that way either.”
Samuel took a moment to let Edward’s words sink in and asked another question, “Do you often share Rina with other men?”
Edward assured him, “You are the only one we have allowed into our relationship. Rina felt drawn to you and requested a threesome. It was a first for me too, but as I told you, I like to indulge her wishes. What about you? Are you in love with Rina?”
Samuel reluctantly replied, “I honestly don’t know. I care deeply for her and enjoy her company immensely. The sex was mind blowing. But love, I don’t think so. At least not yet.”
The conversation was interrupted by Edward’s ringing phone. The police were informing him that Suzette had been located. The tactical team was closing in at that very moment. They promised to keep him updated.
The men returned to ICU and found Rina was being moved to a regular room. She was recovering quickly. Mr. Nakamura and his flowers were already waiting in her new room.
The tactical team kicked in the door to Suzette’s apartment. She stood in the middle of the room wearing a wedding dress and smiling contentedly. A large syringe of liquid was held against her neck. A team member lunged to grab the syringe, but she plunged it into her neck saying, “Goodbye.”
Samuel was pleased to see a healthy Rina return to the club. The only signs of her ordeal were the bandages on her tiny hands. The tips of all her fingers had been shredded as she tried to scratch her way out of the storage shed. A waitress had helped Rina dress and fix her hair for the triumphant return. She was dressed in a kimono and her hair was pinned atop her head. She looked very Japanese and completely perfect. Patrons greeted her with hugs and kisses. She was loved by all. Rina had missed her job. She truly enjoyed mingling with people from all over the world and she was very good at it. She was capable of making anyone feel comfortable in any situation. She would need to take it easy tonight, so she sat at the bar and held court. Her laughter was a welcome sound as it once again rang out in the club completing the joyful ambience.
Samuel’s days in Japan were coming to an end. He spent many hours with Mr. Nakamura, setting up a detailed plan to bring the American side of the new merger to Japan. Samuel was beginning to see the personable CEO as a friend instead of just an associate. He was happy to realize how many friends he had made here. It would, however, make it harder to leave.
Samuel spent every available minute with Rina. Edward gave her several days off to explore Japan with Samuel. The days were filled with walks through the streets of Tokyo, discovering hidden treasures in small shops unknown to tourists. Each night they dined in a different restaurant, trying new dishes and laughing at themselves when a dish turned out to be too disgusting to eat. A deeper feeling began to grow between the pair.
On Samuel’s final evening in Japan, Edward joined them for a spectacular performance at a theater. Dressed in their finest, the trio sat in box seats, high above the crowd. The lights dimmed and the colorful performance began. Rina cried when the heroine died in the arms of her lover. She later confessed that part of the tears were due to the thought of saying goodbye to Samuel. Edward agreed that it would be difficult to see his new friend leave.
Samuel pulled Rina in close and kissed her. He held her in his arms and confided to her and Edward, “ I will be returning in three months to work on the new merger. In fact, I will be in Japan often over the next few years. I have cherished my time here and found such wonderful friendships. I hope that I will be welcome once again when I return.”
Rina jumped up and down in excitement declaring, “We can have more adventures! I am not sure where our relationship is going, but I want to find out. Perhaps we will fall in love someday. You would be okay with that wouldn’t you Edward?”
Edward laughed and said, “Of course my dear. I enjoy indulging you remember. If you fall in love, I will happily provide the wedding!”
***
Suzette did not get her dramatic death wish. She was revived and sent to jail awaiting trial. For months she sat brooding over her failed attempt at suicide. Her plan had been perfect. How had it gone so wrong. She had always gotten her way.
Edward, Samuel and Rina were in court to hear the sentencing. Suzette was given five consecutive life sentences. She would spend them on suicide watch, alone in a padded cell. Her anger knew no bounds. She would find a way out, no matter who she had to kill.
Rina did get her adventure. Samuel and she became engaged. She would be moving to America and opening her own club. Samuel was making a name for himself in the business world. His dreams of money by the tons were fulfilled. His American boss and Mr. Nakamura were very grateful. He would build Rina a mansion befitting her beauty and together they would fill it with happiness and children.
Edward fell in love with an actress and married her within weeks. They were now expecting a baby. Rina and Samuel would be its godparents.
THE END
Bonus 3 of 20
My Two Vampires
Description
Maurice has been dead but still walking the earth for nearly a century. But when he rescues the beautiful Rhea from a band of late-night, human attackers, he finds himself feeling like a human again. However, his clan leader soon sets his sights on Rhea to be his next bride, and this vindictive man will tempt Maurice into a ménage just to keep Rhea in his arms. Will Rhea succumb to the power of the vampire leader, or will Rhea and Maurice be able to break free of his spell and be together?
Chapter 1
***Rhea***
I hated having to walk home after a late shift. I worked at a casino in Reno, and I often got off in the wee hours of the morning. Most of my colleagues had cars that could get them home safely. They would have someone walk them to their car and then get in and drive off. They didn’t know how lucky they were.
I was twenty-two and thrown out into the world on my own years ago. I had finally gotten to a place where I could do some online schooling to become something more, instead of couch hopping. I had to choose be
tween things like a car and being able to feed myself and being able to pay for college or having nice furniture.
On the outside, nobody knew exactly what my struggles were. I looked like anybody else, maybe even better. I was pretty like my mother had been; I knew that. My appearance belied the struggles when I walked out the door of that casino and into the desert night. I had to walk two miles in order to get to a home that was much less than perfect. But at least I was no longer subject to my father’s drunken episodes and my brother’s torture. I was free.
It was around two in the morning when I began my journey, walking away from the bright lights of the casinos around where I worked and into the dark alleys of the city. I had been safe doing this for almost a year now and had gotten quite lucky. I hadn’t ever had to use the pepper spray I carried with me at all times. Though, I knew it was only a matter of time until someone took an interest in a young girl walking alone at night in the city.
I wasn’t surprised, only anxious, as I felt this odd feeling like I was being watched or followed. I began to hear the occasional footstep behind me, but I just kept walking. Part of me hoped it was my imagination running wild on me like it did sometimes, and the other part of me knew my best defense was to keep walking and hope I could get to anywhere where there would be witnesses. If I made it that far, either someone could save me, or whoever wanted to do something to me might change their mind. Looking back and acknowledging the person would only incite them to attack.
All those ideas came crashing down when I began to hear a second set of footsteps. There was more than one person following me now, and I was about halfway through my journey home. There were plenty of places around here to pull me into the dark where no one would see or hear me. I reached my hand in my bag and clutched onto two things: my pepper spray and my keys. A key could do a little damage, and so could the small knife I kept on my keychain. I didn’t know how these things would hold up against more than one attacker, but I had to at least try.
