Charlotte's Pact (Demons in New York Book 1)

by Laurèn Lee

  I’ll find you, baby. I’m coming, Charlotte thought as she tried to pull herself up.

  She could already tell she had a bruised rib or two, but nothing else seemed too serious barring any potential internal complications. Also, she was covered in broken glass and could smell the metallic scent of blood oozing down her face.

  Charlotte started scoping out the crash site to try and spot Liam amidst the destruction. She realized their SUV was severely damaged. Both airbags had deployed, the windshield was thoroughly covered in spider web cracks, and smoke was rising from the debris. She wasn’t sure if Liam was inside the wreckage, or if he too, had been launched into the soft, dewy grass.

  Several yards away, Charlotte finally spotted the dark, but motionless figure of her fiancé. She started to army crawl toward him, begging the universe to find him alive. With every foot Charlotte advanced, her heart pounded that much harder. Beads of sweat and streams of tears now mixed with the blood making its way down her cheeks.

  “Liam? Are you okay? Wake up baby, it’s me, Charlotte. I’m here, I’m here.”

  Despite her pleading, Liam remained silent. His chest rhythmically moved up and down, but he was out cold. All around them, creatures of the night rose from the silence and began making sounds; owls hooted, crickets danced, frogs bellowed, but Liam only breathed slow and shallow breaths.

  Shaking her out of her shock and desperation, Charlotte heard the distinct sound of her phone ringing. Help was near. This time, she was able to force herself all the way up and limp toward the beckon of hope.

  By the time she’d hobbled over to the phone, though, the caller had already hung up, but it was okay, she had a phone and could call ‘911.’

  Looking at her iPhone, Charlotte could barely see the lock screen through the shattered glass. It didn’t matter, though, she just needed to dial three simple digits.

  She pressed 9-1-1 and waited for an operator to answer, but after a few moments, Charlotte realized there wasn't dial tone.

  Cursing the sky above, she ended the call and looked down at phone screen; there were now zero bars of service.

  Charlotte began to panic even more. If Liam was badly injured or even dying, how could she help him? They had to be miles away from any sort of service station. Even if one was close, she’d have to scrounge up the strength to make it back up the dark, slippery hill and find it. No, searching for help wouldn’t be an option. Help would have to find her.

  “Oh my, God! What are we going to do? What are we going to do? What are we going to do?”

  A branch cracked behind her and Charlotte whipped around to look for the cause of the disturbance.

  Not too far away, Charlotte could see a figure coming closer and closer. The figure, dressed in all black, moved swiftly and carefully. All Charlotte could make of the man, or what she assumed was a man, were his malevolent red eyes staring back at her.

  “God can’t hear you, Charlotte,” he said.

  7

  Past

  “Char, are you seriously humming right now? Like actually humming?” Tori asked.

  “So what if I am? What are you going to do about it?” Charlotte responded, sticking her tongue out.

  “I guess I am a good matchmaker, after all,” Tori said airily.

  “Yeah, yeah yeah.”

  “So, give me the details!” Tori urged.

  “Can we talk about something else,” Charlotte said as her cheeks reddened.

  “Wow, Charlotte actually likes someone? Look out the window, there’s little piggies flying!” Tori danced around and obnoxiously jumped on her bed, squealing like a farm animal.

  “You are seriously missing some brain cells, Tori,” Charlotte chortled.

  “Well, are you going to see him again or what?”

  “I hope so, I gave him my number before we left the Albright-Knox.”

  “Did he kiss you goodbye?” Tori mocked as she turned around and wrapped herself in her arms imitating two people passionately embracing.

  “Tori, did your parents drop you on your head as a child? Geez Louise!”

  “I mean, they probably did, but answer the question!”

  “Yes, he kissed me goodbye. Happy?”

  “Eeeeeeek!” Tori squealed.

  Casually trying to change the subject, Charlotte asked, “Hey, did you get your Econ 301 grade yet?”

  “No, Professor Snot hasn’t posted them.”

  “Still mad he called you out for napping in his class?”

  “Why is it so bad that I took a tiny little cat nap in his class? I mean, all the notes are online and at least I showed up!” Tori threw her hands up in the air.

  “Tori, you were snoring and your desk was covered in drool,” Charlotte added.

  Tori covered her ears, pretending not to hear her, “La, la, la.”

  Charlotte shook her head and pulled out her MacBook. She opened Google’s search bar with a concentrated stare.

  Tori happened to peek over, always in need of a distraction from doing her own homework, and noticed the web page.

  “What are you doing, Charlotte? Stalking?”

  “Mind your own business,” Charlotte playfully sneered, “I just want to do a little fact-checking. I am a journalist, ya know.”

  Charlotte typed Liam’s name into the search bar.

  “Hmm, that’s weird,” Charlotte noticed.

  “What’s weird? Is he a pedophile? Does he have a criminal record?” Tori sounded way too enthusiastic.

  “Tori, you watch too many Criminal Minds episodes. It’s nothing like that, I’m just not getting any search results.”

  “Did you spell his name wrong?”

  “No, I did not spell his name wrong! Don’t you have homework to do?”

  “Yes, but this is way more entertaining,” Tori said.

  “Okay, let me try looking up his family’s company from back in England,” Charlotte said, typing.

  “Anything?” Tori asked eagerly.

  “Nothing. What the hell! I must be typing it wrong,” Charlotte said, defeated.

  Then, a harsh knock at the door made the girls jump and Charlotte slammed her laptop down.

  “Inspection!” an RA called from the hallway.

  “Jesus, could they be any more obnoxious?” Tori hissed.

  “Just think, by this time next year, we will be living on our own and won’t have to deal with room inspections, unnecessarily tiny beds and people boning on the couch in the common room,” Charlotte laughed.

  “Amen, sister!” Tori cheered while making sure all of their wine bottles and glasses were properly hidden in the hamper.

  …

  Later that evening, Charlotte’s phone rang loudly as she was working on a paper for her Media Law class.

  “‘Ello, beautiful. I miss you already!” Liam said.

  Charlotte’s body ignited. She remembered the Google search from earlier, but promptly shook it out of her head.

  “Hey stranger, it’s been far too long. We haven’t spoken in what, like 10 hours?”

  “I apologize, love. I promise to make it up to you,” he said smoothly.

  The fire inside her burned brighter and deeper.

  “What do you have in mind?” she asked coyly.

  “Get dressed, I’ll pick you up in less than an hour.”

  “An hour? As in tonight? I’m working on a paper that’s due Monday. I can’t put it off any longer,” Charlotte whined.

  “The paper will be waiting for you after our date, love. I’m hanging up now, but make sure to wear something warm and comfortable.”

  Full panic-mode set in as Charlotte stepped away from her desk, and began to root through her closet for the perfect outfit. Tori was out with Adam, so she couldn’t ask her for advice.

  In the end, she chose her favorite black skinny jeans, a plaid infinity scarf and a comfy cardigan. Once she dressed and applied her makeup, she started pacing around her room. Charlotte checked the time on her phone every minute or so.
>
  As the 59th minute had passed since their call ended, a knock rapped on the door. Charlotte peered through the door’s peep hole and saw Liam standing there, handsome as hell, holding something behind his back.

  Charlotte swung the door open and smiled brightly. Liam returned her smile, kissed her on the cheek and handed her a dozen roses already prepared in a beautiful glass vase.

  Charlotte squealed like a child on Christmas, “Liam! These are beautiful, you shouldn’t have!”

  “It was a selfish act really, I just wanted to see you smile,” he admitted.

  Charlotte set the bouquet on top of her bookshelf, grabbed her purse and locked the room behind them.

  “So, where are we going this time, Romeo?” Charlotte asked.

  “I actually prefer Don Juan,” Liam winked, “But, this is a surprise too.”

  They drove into the night and Charlotte marveled at his luxurious car. Tori wasn’t lying when she said he was wealthy.

  “Hey, how can a college student afford to buy such a sexy car, huh?” Charlotte teased.

  “My grandparents bought it for my 18th birthday,” he said.

  “Lucky guy! I wish my family was in the investing industry!”

  “What?” Liam asked, confused.

  “I said, I wish my family could spoil me like yours,” she reiterated.

  “Oh, yeah! Hey, I like your outfit tonight,” Liam mentioned, changing the subject.

  Charlotte smiled and thanked him. However, she also tried to shake off the suspicious vibes oozing from Liam’s demeanor.

  After twenty minutes, they pulled into a grassy parking lot; they were the only car in sight.

  “Why are we here? Isn’t the beach closed?” Charlotte asked.

  “Well, that’s the fun of it, inn’it?” Liam said, smiling mischievously.

  They got out of his Mercedes, and Liam popped the trunk.

  “I hope you don’t have a dead body in there,” Charlotte teased.

  “Oh no, love, something much more exciting,” Liam promised.

  He pulled out a beautifully woven picnic basket and a fleece blanket. Charlotte buzzed with anticipation. She was always a rule-follower, but to be here, at Woodlawn Beach at night with Liam, felt exhilarating, dangerous and spontaneous. They could be caught at any time if a police officer chose to patrol the area.

  They walked together through the entrance, past the “Woodlawn Beach” sign and down the boardwalk, toward the beach. Naturally, it was deserted, all except for the glowing moon and the rush of waves against the sand.

  “This is so romantic, I’ve never done anything like this before,” Charlotte confessed.

  “There’s a first time for everything, love. Help me straighten out the blanket?”

  Within a few minutes, the blanket had been spread out, the picnic basket had been unloaded and wine was poured.

  “Oh, la, la! Real wine glasses, so fancy,” Charlotte cooed.

  Liam smiled and Charlotte swiveled around, checking the surrounding area for the umpteenth time.

  “Charlotte, no one is out here but us,” Liam reminder her, reassuringly.

  “I know, I just don’t wanna get busted,” Charlotte said, blushing.

  “Don’t worry, all is well. And, I brought snacks!”

  “Chocolate and cheese? You know me so well already.”

  “Well, I can’t take all the credit. Tori helped point me in the right direction.”

  Charlotte mentally reminded herself to thank Tori later.

  In this moment, the exact moment, Charlotte felt truly happy. She was on the beach with a glass of wine and an amazing guy by her side. She thought even if she and Liam didn’t end up together, this would remain a memorable night.

  Liam started checking his watch fairly frequently now.

  “Is everything okay?” Charlotte questioned.

  “Oh yes, of course! Just, um, waiting for the next surprise,” he said.

  “There’s more?”

  “Oy, look up into the sky, Charlotte,” Liam pointed excitedly towards the moon.

  Unbeknownst to Charlotte, tonight happened to be a meteor shower. She burst out laughing, “Am I dreaming? This can’t be happening!”

  Liam pulled her closer, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

  “What do you mean? Of course, it’s real.”

  “This is unbelievable, it’s like we are in a cliché chick-flick,” Charlotte said as she looked toward the meteor shower.

  Liam smiled, “That may be so, but at least I’m here for the show with you.”

  Now it was confirmed, this had to be a dream. Liam pulled her even closer until they were nose to nose. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments until Charlotte leaned in, and touched her lips to Liam’s. She pulled away quickly, shocked at what she had done. Liam wasn’t going to let her get away so easily, though, and pulled her toward him again.

  “Don’t think,” he whispered and took his turn to lean in for a kiss.

  Their embrace started off slowly enough, but quickly matured into something much more. Liam’s hands were woven through Charlotte’s ash-blonde hair and Charlotte’s hands were holding his back tightly. She wasn’t sure how far she was going to let this go, but she felt determined to listen to her heart and her body.

  Suddenly, large lights appeared to be scanning across the beach and loud voices were calling out, “Who’s there? The beach is closed, you’re trespassing!”

  Charlotte looked at Liam with the eyes of a deer caught in headlights. He smiled, and put his finger to his mouth signaling her to remain silent. Liam then pointed toward her purse and nodded his head for her to follow him.

  Charlotte felt sheer terror and visualized the police slapping shiny cuffs around her wrists for trespassing. How would she tell her parents she was arrested? Who would bail her out?

  Liam stood up slowly, crouching low and pulled Charlotte up to follow suit.

  “We know you’re out there!” The voices continued to call out, becoming louder and less distant.

  Liam stood up to his full height and whispered to Charlotte, “Run!”

  They were racing away from the beach now, and Charlotte felt thankful she had run track in high school, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to keep up with her date.

  The patrolmen’s voices finally became a faint echo and Liam’s car came into view. They finished their sprint, Liam unlocked the car and they jumped in. He started the ignition and drove away honking enough times to thoroughly antagonize the police officers.

  If the officers managed to discover the location of their evening rendezvous, they’d only find a sandy blanket, an empty bottle of wine and a nice wicker basket.

  “That- was- incredible!” Charlotte panted, as she leaned over to kiss Liam once again.

  “I can’t tell if my heart is beating this fast because I’m out of shape or because you’re constantly taking my breath away,” Liam gasped.

  “I think I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s me.”

  “I think you’re right,” Liam agreed.

  They sped farther away from the beach, Liam holding Charlotte’s hand tightly in his.

  8

  Present

  “Hello, Charlotte.”

  “How? How do you know my name?” Charlotte quivered.

  The deepness of the stranger’s voice confirmed he was indeed, a male.

  “Oh, I know things. For example, I know Liam is bleeding internally and doesn’t have much time to live.”

  Charlotte frantically turned to Liam, she grew hysterical and shook uncontrollably as she lay across his body.

  “Baby, wake up. Liam, wake up,” she urged trying to rouse him to no avail. “Who are you? What do you want? Help us, please!” Now, she directed her words toward the stranger.

  “Tut, tut, so many questions. However, I am not at the liberty to give you any answers quite yet.”

  Charlotte inched closer to Liam, whether it was for her safety
or his, she didn’t know. She continued to stare at the dark figure, though, waiting for him to presumably either kill her or help her. Again, she noticed his fiery crimson eyes, it was as though his irises contained flames and they swirled around his pupils.

  “Well, then, what can you tell me?”

  “I can tell you I may be able to help you and your darling fiancé.”

  “You can? How? I’ll do anything, please! We have money—,” Charlotte began, now pleading to the stranger.

  “Slow down, Miss Harper. And please don’t insult me. I don’t want your money,” he spat.

  “You don’t want money,” Charlotte began, “That’s okay, we have other things we can offer you.”

  The stranger crept even closer to Charlotte and Liam. She could see him more clearly now. His hair appeared dark as the night and lay messy upon his head as though he just rolled out of bed. The mere look of him sent chills down her spine. He continued to stare, ominously.

  His face reflected a sinister sneer, it said, ‘Don’t cross me.’ She had never seen him before in her life, but somehow, someway, he knew who they were.

  Charlotte realized all the sounds around them had ceased once again. No animals cried out, the insects’ sounds disappeared and even the wind had tapered off.

  “Are you here to hurt us?” Charlotte asked, shivering.

  “Not yet.”

  9

  Past

  “It’s moving day!” Charlotte called out to Liam, rousing him out of his deep slumber.

  “Wow, am I excited to wake up to this the rest of my life,” Liam teased sleepily, trying to shield his eyes from the sun flowing through the windows.

  “Hardy, har, har. Just think, though, now we will be able to see each other every morning and every night!”

  “Don’t we do that already?”

  Charlotte started staying with Liam in on-campus apartment only a few months after they began dating. She only returned to her dorm room to spend time with Tori or to grab a new set of clothes to bring back to Liam’s.

  “I mean, yeah, but now you really won’t be able to get rid of me,” she teased.