Stalkers: A Dark Romance Anthology

by Ally Vance

  Was it wise for me to veer off the path of only baiting employees of Evans Financial? It would be a huge risk, but if Griffin saw her for what she truly was, then maybe he would see that I can be more to him.

  I tossed back the rest of my drink and set the empty glass on the small wooden table beside the stairs. My hands were sweating as I wandered down the long hallway. I stopped twice to make chitchat with a few employees. Both times I managed to glance in the direction of Kathryn, and both times, she was eyeing me. I had been talking with a couple that was closest to Griffin’s den, and when I moved away, I decided that I’d just walk into the den and see if she appeared.

  Once I was inside his den, I looked around and remembered the last time I was in here. My eyes focused on the two chairs that faced one another by the window. I longed to sit there opposite Griffin and talk, or just stare at one another.

  “Hi,” a woman’s voice greeting me pulled me away from my fantasy and into the present. I turned to find Kathryn standing there with her arms behind her, holding onto the edge of the door. The placement of her hands made her fake breasts push forward, drawing my eyes to them.

  “Hello,” I politely replied, even though I wanted to call out everything fake about her. “You’re Griffin’s girlfriend,” I said as politely as I could, hoping she’d get the jab about me recognizing her as the girlfriend, but not the fiancée.

  “Yes, I’m his fiancée,” Kathryn said in a fake sweet tone.

  I hated this bitch.

  “You know, until the announcement at work, I had no idea he was involved with someone. He doesn’t have any pictures of you in his office,” I said smugly as she walked toward me.

  “Griffin is a private man. We go way back.”

  I turned my head to look around the den and smiled. “He doesn’t have any pictures of you in here either.

  “Like I said, Griffin is very private.”

  Kathryn’s pale red tongue poked out between her glossy, vibrant red lips and stayed pressed against her bottom lip. Her eyes dragged down my body to my groin. Was this going to be this easy?

  “Don’t you need to get back to your fiancé?”

  “He won’t notice if I’m gone for a little bit. What is it that you do for him?” Kathryn asked as she put her hands on my chest.

  “I just moved into a data entry position,” I proudly said.

  “So nothing, really.” She laughed. Fuck, I hated her. I wanted to tell her that her fiancé had fucked my mouth while I’d knelt on his office floor. “Griffin wouldn’t believe anything you said over me.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” I said, mirroring her shitty tone.

  “As I said, we go way back,” she reiterated.

  “Maybe I go way back with Griffin,” I said under my breath as she pressed her tits against my body.

  “Doubtful. No one goes as far back as I do with him,” she said with a shrug. “So do you want to give your hand a break tonight and get this hard cock of yours wet?” Kathryn ran her hand down the length of my cock that pressed embarrassingly against my pants. “You’re quite a bit younger than Griffin is, and I imagine you’re used to a quick fuck.”

  This lady was a piece of shit. I couldn’t wait to expose her as the trash she was. Kathryn pulled her dress up over her hips and then knelt on the armrests of one of the leather wingback chairs. It wasn’t a surprise to see that she wasn’t wearing panties. I reached for the condom that was in my pants pocket and quickly rolled it down my shaft.

  As soon as I got my cock in her, she said, “I hope you don’t mind if I rub myself while you do your thing. I’d like to make sure I get off.”

  “Get your dick out of her, Riley.” Griffin’s voice had been firm but completely calm.

  I quickly moved away from Kathryn, and while I tucked myself in my pants, my pulse sped up. He’d see her for the gold-digging bitch she was, right? Griffin crossed the room to Kathryn and took hold of the hand with the huge diamond engagement ring on it. He held it up and looked at me.

  “Does this mean anything to you, Riley?” he questioned.

  “Yes,” I said quietly as to not draw onlookers to the doorway of his den.

  Griffin shook Kathryn’s hand in front of her face.

  “I know this doesn’t mean a fucking thing to you.”

  Griffin stared at me with furrowed brows and then glared at Kathryn. With her hand in his, he looked at me and told me to follow him. I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest as we walked down the hallway, past the formal living room and dining room, and then outside.

  “Griffin, my shoes!” Kathryn bitched as we walked along the back of the house toward the path that led to the small dwelling.

  I began to sweat, and my nerves started to get the best of me as the path took us on the other side of a sparse section of trees. Though it wasn’t a dense thicket, it still masked our presence.

  “Just walk, Kathryn,” Griffin said sternly.

  We stopped at the weathered and splintered stairs that led to the brown metal door of the little shed. Griffin let go of Kathryn’s hand and effortlessly took two steps at a time to get to the top of the steps. He put his thumb on a fingerprint reader for a moment before I heard a clicking noise. Pulling a key from his pocket, he then unlocked the door’s standard lock, pushed it open, and then came back down the rickety steps to take hold of Kathryn’s hand. The open door revealed darkness and uncertainty.

  “Get inside, Riley.”

  I stared at him and then into the darkness again. Apprehension and an all-around bad feeling filled me. Why all of the security? Why was the door metal? Griffin climbed the steps with Kathryn by his side, and he called out to me with a phrase that made me feel like he remembered me.

  “Come on, Wolverine.”

  My stomach dropped when he said that. They disappeared inside, and when Griffin flipped on the dull light, I climbed the steps and joined them. I was tackled immediately and went to the floor with Griffin. We struggled for a few moments as he pressed his weight down on me while he held a cloth doused with a chemical over my mouth and nose.

  The last thing I remembered feeling was that I started to get a hard-on as Griffin pinned me to the floor. It didn’t seem like much time had passed when I came around. I was sitting upright and naked, chained to a metal chair. Kathryn was naked, gagged, and chained to a chair close to me. On the verge of panicking, I glanced around the shed and quickly discovered that this wasn’t a typical gardening or maintenance shed. Various knives, hatchets, and axes hung on the wall behind where Griffin stood.

  A shelving unit along the wall with the door had several bottles of bleach, folded plastic tarps, and towels. One of the other walls had carabiners, chains, whips, paddles, and a shelf lined with dark glass bottles with lids. A cultured marble shower and sink were in the corner behind me, along with a black rolled up rubber hose. Close to the center of the room was a thick wood stock with two wrought iron rings toward the top of it.

  “Griffin—” I began.

  “Quiet, Riley!” Griffin cut me off. When I turned to look at him, he was walking toward me.

  “Wait, Griffin! I’m sorry! I was just trying to show you—” I tried to explain.

  “Shut the fuck up, Riley! I know what you were doing. You were showing me something that I should have seen.” Griffin shrugged nonchalantly while he continued to advance on me. “My grandfather, my father, and my uncle-in-law all warned me not to trust women.”

  Fearing for my life, I blurted out the only thing that I thought might save me.

  “Uncle Lars,” I muttered and swallowed hard.

  Epilogue

  Griffin

  Adrenaline and a thrill like I’d never felt before rushed through me as Riley uttered my uncle’s nickname. I told Kathryn and Riley that I’d return after the party, and I calmly returned to my guests.

  While I slowly made my way around the party, all I could think about was how perfect all of this had gone. Riley had eagerly picked up every
single bread crumb that I had left for him. All the years I’d spent grooming him had paid off, and he walked right into my hands.

  After my guests left, I settled behind the desk of my den with a decent amount of whiskey. I retrieved the notebook from the drawer that had been used by all the men in my family who had come before me.

  Carefully, I flipped the delicate pages until I found the one for Kathryn Adams that my uncle-in-law had started for her twenty years ago to this day. Her selfish actions tore a family apart, and now it was time for her to pay. I added my notes as the excitement coursed through my veins.

  I closed up the tattered journal and returned it to the desk. Taking a long sip from my glass, I sat back in my chair and pulled out my cell phone. I pulled up the picture that I had taken of Riley at his graduation. I zoomed in and looked at the pride in his eyes as he held his diploma. The fact that I had him naked and locked up in my shed was almost too much for me. I had waited so long for this.

  I had needs to take care of, and Riley was going to help me with them. In the process, he’d learn that all families had dirty secrets.

  About Cole:

  Cole Denton is an ocean lover who finds joy in almost all physical activities. He is especially passionate about baseball and surfing, indulging in them every chance he gets.

  His other passion is writing. It began at a young age and followed him through to his time at a university in SoCal where he majored in screenwriting.

  After moving to Sin City itself, Cole has put his knowledge and talent as a writer to work by pursuing a career as a dark fiction author. Cole is enjoying testing his kinky side, in pursuit of all things pleasurable.

  Books by Cole:

  Forged

  The Queen

  Oxygen

  Claimed

  A Sin Cave Happy Ending

  C. Firecox

  Introduction to Sin Cave

  Sin Cave is a global organization owned by four influential families, each of whom takes responsibility for a single arm of the business.

  Sin Cave Fantasies—A members-only club that meticulously designs sexual fantasies to their clients’ specific requirements. You won’t find evidence of their locations online, but they’re there—in every major city in the world. Membership is strictly by invitation only.

  Elite Brides—Future wives of the world’s elite, these women are provided with the best education money can buy, including a warfare-style program on elegance and societal expectations. In later years, they receive extensive education on the sinful deeds husbands enjoy behind closed doors.

  Elite Maidens—Trafficked virgins who are put through a series of tests by a member of the Sin Cave Elite, including their tolerance to pain and sexual deviancy. If they meet the stringent expectations, they join “The Elite,” a club with enormous privileges, where they are matched with a small selection of men whom they serve. Those who fail the tests are sold into brothels, where they will remain for the rest of their lives.

  Ecstasy—A high-end chain of nightclubs catering to the rich and famous. Those deemed worthy are invited to become members of Sin Cave Fantasies or, in rare cases, to The Elite.

  Welcome to Sin Cave.

  You are about to enter Elite Maidens.

  A world not for the fainthearted.

  You have been warned.

  Chapter One

  Hawk

  Twigs snap beneath my feet as I creep through the dense woodland, the only light afforded me coming from the partial moon hanging from the inky black sky. I spare a glance to my left and acknowledge Baron with a curt nod, then point to the back of the one-story property. He returns my gesture with a thumbs-up, then edges forward, curving to the right before disappearing from view. I don’t need him, really, but he’s learning the ropes and there’s no one better to learn from than me. Besides, there’s no harm in having an insurance policy, just in case things don’t go according to plan. Not that I expect anything to go wrong. It hasn’t until now, and I’ve been doing this job for ten years.

  I head to the front, cautiously stepping up onto the wraparound porch. The wood creaks and I freeze. Being discovered isn’t the end of the world, but I’d rather slip in and out unnoticed than get into an altercation. There are few who are as good as I am at identifying, stalking, and then capturing the right kind of merchandise, and I’m handsomely rewarded for my services.

  As expected, the front door is locked. I crouch down, and in less than ten seconds, there’s a click, and the door opens inward. The hinges are well oiled and don’t make a sound. I steal inside, closing the door behind me. Darkness swallows me up, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve studied the inside of this house more than enough times to find the right room without trouble.

  My target is curled into the fetal position, covers pulled up to her chin, fiery red hair splayed over a crisp white pillow. An innocent beauty with smooth, creamy skin, a dash of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and jade-green eyes currently hidden from view. I loom over her, ready to move should she awaken unexpectedly.

  Four weeks of watching her every move, satisfying myself that she meets the strict criteria required by The Elite, the organization I work for. There’s one final check that a doctor will carry out—that she’s a virgin—then she’ll be put through a night of rigorous testing. If she passes, she’ll enter The Elite Maidens program. If she fails…

  She’ll pray for death to take her.

  I really hope she makes it. She’s far too stunning a specimen to end up working in a filthy brothel where she’ll spend her days and nights drugged and fucked by ten or more men a day. By comparison, Elite Maidens live a charmed life. Maybe not one they’d pick for themselves, but in a straight shoot-out, the maidens program is fucking paradise, relatively speaking.

  She stirs, her eyes moving behind her closed lids. I briefly muse on what she’s dreaming about. I’d lay odds on it being far from what’s about to happen. I caress a lock of her hair, feeding it through my fingers, then let it fall away.

  With great care, I slip my hand into my pocket and remove the small bottle. I unscrew the cap, and keeping it at arm’s length, I hold it beneath her nose. It should only take five seconds to render her unconscious for at least six hours, more than enough time to transport her to the facility, but I leave it there for another two seconds anyway.

  I secure the cap and put it back in my jacket pocket. Using my thumb, I ease back first her left eyelid, then the right. Yeah, she’s gone.

  Slipping my arms under her knees and around her shoulders, I lift her easily, and in less than five minutes, she’s unconscious in the back of my truck. I cover her over with a blanket and climb into the driver’s seat.

  “Any problems?” Baron asks, running a hand through his blond hair, his blue eyes questioning.

  “No.”

  I move the stick into drive and, under cover of darkness, snake back onto the main road. Baron twists in his seat and stares at our new captive, but as I catch him out of the corner of my eye go to touch her, I snap my hand around his wrist.

  “She’s not for you.”

  He pouts in a childish manner, which causes me to grind my teeth. I was set the task of mentoring Baron a couple months ago, and this is our third pickup where I’ve allowed him to shadow me. The jury is out on whether he has the right temperament for this job. Our role is to source, watch, and take the women who fit the strict criteria we’re given. Sometimes there’s a demand for skinny brunettes, and other times, buxom blondes. This time I was asked to find a willowy redhead. I’m not the only one who does this. There are several of us in each region where The Elite operate, but I’m the best at it. I haven’t yet received an order I couldn’t fulfill.

  Our role is not to sample the goods. Not even a taste, a lick, a brief touch of tight, youthful skin.

  The Elite would take great pleasure in making our death a slow and painful one if we laid a single finger on these women. There would be no escape, nowhere to hide that these powerful men cou
ldn’t unearth. Once you step out of line and break their rules, that’s it. You’re done.

  “Spoilsport,” Baron says with a grin.

  I don’t respond, and once he realizes that, he falls into a petulant silence.

  Yeah, I’m definitely having a conversation with Viper, the head trainer at The Elite facility here in Denver. It doesn’t matter how much mentoring and guidance Baron receives from me; he doesn’t have the right attitude for this gig. I know what that means for Baron, but it doesn’t concern me. He knew what he was getting into. It’s not my fault he can’t hack the requirements to excel as an Elite Tracker.

  It takes us more than two hours of careful, law-abiding driving to reach our final destination on the outskirts of the city. Baron holds the door open while I carry the woman inside. She’s still deep under the influence of the sleep agent I gave her, and probably will be for a few more hours yet. I prefer to err on the side of caution and give them enough to cover unforseen circumstances such as a wreck on the highway that might hold me up for a decent stretch.

  I head straight underground to the medical facility, Baron hot on my heels. The doctor greets us and directs me where to put her down. There are ten beds in this ward, and eight of them are already occupied, the women in varying states of consciousness, but none are fully with it. They’ll be kept under some form of sedation, although fully cognizant of the examinations they’ll undergo. Those who are discovered not to be virgins—it happens, although not often, considering the amount of time given over to selecting the right kind of target—are immediately packed off to a brothel. The Elite have contacts all over the globe. The women could end up five miles away from here, or five thousand miles. Not that it matters. They’ll never see the light of day again.