Beyond The Mask (The Beyond Book 1)

by Hunter, Aubrianna

  After a time, she heard his footsteps falling closer, finally walking into the office.

  "Jade?" he asked, stepping almost cautiously into the room.

  She knew the moment he saw his computer open on the desk. He paced toward it, seeing the file she'd left open on his screen.

  Confess

  Or die.

  She had expected to see a quick flash of fear. Granted, she was a ghost, but she had figured out enough to leave a note. He had no way of knowing that was about her only real trick thus far.

  Imagine her surprise when he not only didn't look afraid, but he actually began to laugh.

  Stepping back from the computer, he smiled, a slow little grin settling in after a full, deep chuckle. As the laughter slowed, he mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear. "You little minx."

  More than a little unnerved by his reaction, Jade fled. She might need to gain a few more skills before she returned here. She somehow felt that Nik knew something she didn't. Still.

  Okay, retreat and regroup. Exiting the house she headed toward home, surprised to find it was already dark. Time really seemed to have no meaning to the dead.

  Chapter Sixteen

  He clung to the shadows of the buildings, careful of his every footfall. Ahead of him the creature sought a victim of opportunity in the alleys. They often prayed on the weak of mind or the sick found on the streets of the city. Occasionally they even tried to prey upon him. Gunny stifled a chuckle. Biting off more than they could chew in his case.

  Creeping around the corner he located his target once again, having lost visual contact for a moment. He had been forced to abandon his cart six blocks back, and now he sought an opportunity to get close. Dumbass! You are the opportunity.

  How he had overlooked the obvious was beyond him, but deciding upon a course of action, he slumped against the wall. Coughing loudly and staggering as if intoxicated, he awaited the return of the beast. He had not waited long when it crept around the corner, eyeing the alley to ensure there were no witnesses.

  A fraction of a second later it was on him, eyes glinting with ill intent and thirst. Gunny struggled with the beast, but without fear he reached out one hand as the demon reared its head back, ejecting its fangs for the bite.

  Grabbing its throat with one hand, Gunny plunged his weapon into the creature’s chest with his other, stopping as the tip cut into its heart.

  “Listen here ya soulless fuck,” Gunny whispered hoarsely as the beast froze, realizing its predicament. “Ya got two options, you see, either answer my questions or I make a popsicle outta yer heart. Got it?”

  The once human being nodded slightly, not wanting to accidentally impale itself further upon the wooden stake.

  “Good. Let’s start with an easy one then. What are you doing hanging around these parts?”

  “I was told to keep an eye on someone,” the vampire replied, anger and thirst in his voice.

  “Why were you watching him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Gunny twisted the stake, holding the freak firm with his opposite arm.

  “My master told me to learn as much as I can about him that’s all, I swear!”

  “Your master, huh? Let me guess, pretty guy, big mansion, blonde hair?”

  “Yes…yes that’s him. Nik told me to watch the human and let him know if he was on to us.”

  “Nik, huh? How much does he control?” Gunny asked, hoping to get more than he actually needed.

  “The whole city, he’s got his hands in everything, he’s been here since the city was founded,” the dark haired vampire replied.

  Gunny could tell he was young. He still had imperfections of the skin and eyes. The virus had not been in him long. He was perhaps a decade into his new life, but Gunny doubted even that long. Eventually, if given the opportunity to keep living, if that’s what you called it, all of the imperfections would fade. The older vampires were flawless. Without a constant heart beat to spread the virus it took nearly a century to fully spread to every cell in a vampire’s tissue. As it spread, the tissue was renewed, or regenerated. Though vampires did have a pulse, their hearts only beat a few times per minute when they were young, and for that reason their bodies were colder than a humans. The older the vampire the further the virus spread and the faster their heart beat. He wondered just how old this Nik was. The older they were, the faster they healed, the faster they moved, the harder they were to kill.

  “How many suck heads are there?”

  “In Detroit?”

  “Yeah, how many?”

  “I dunno, a few hundred?”

  “Fuck!” Gunny swore. He had probably seen every one of them just a few nights prior. At least all the older ones. He could have ended nearly the entire infestation of the city in a single night but he had been too concerned about his friend.

  Gunny shoved the stake in further, plunging it through the heart of the soulless beast. Bowing his head momentarily, he whispered a prayer to the Creator, for it was only in God’s name that a vampire could be killed. Black blood dribbled from the wound as he lowered the vampire to the ground. Already the corpse began to rapidly decompose. In an hour or so all that would be left would be a pile of dust and the stake.

  He needed to get back to his cart. It would be a day or two before Nik realized his man had been killed and sent another. Gunny needed to find out what the suck head wanted with Derek and Jade. It had to be more than just a meal. He should have asked if this suck head had been alone. Now he had to go keep an eye on Derek again, try and keep him out of harm’s way. Damned sheep, always stumbling right in on their own slaughter. Someone needed to constantly guide them to safety. He had too much shit to do. He couldn’t keep a constant watch on Derek. He needed an ally.

  * * * * *

  Derek sat himself in the same stool he had the day before, and without so much as looking at the bartender, a shot was placed before him. Apparently he was remembered. The room around him felt darker, smaller, and heavier, but he knew that with each shot those feelings would go away, just as they had the night before. Along these lines of thinking, he quickly tossed back three shots in rapid succession and called for a fourth. Less smoke inhabited the bar this evening, and for that Derek was thankful. He had awoken today with a dry mouth and a throat that made him think of mummies. Hours passed as he tried to drink away the fear and anxiety and eventually he felt he could think clearly once again.

  He had nearly lost it earlier. The apartment was not a safe place for him right now. At least not sober. His characters agreed. They each reassured him that a few more hours of drinking would make it all more bearable. They even cited references. They were becoming more convincing by the day.

  It was odd, the interaction with the characters. Usually they stayed away from him, at the edges of his consciousness. Usually they would not interact without inspiration. Jade’s inspiration. Now though, they came freely, only they acted peculiar.

  In the past they had not talked to him, but only to each other. He simply recorded what he saw as their intermingled stories played out. Now though, they spoke to him, as if they knew his needs. It was both frightening and intriguing, but in either case he had more important things to worry about.

  At this very moment, for instance, he felt eyes upon him and wished he had chosen a darkened corner to sit in. Uneasily, he turned slowly on his stool to seek out the eyes that bored into him. As it turned out, they were not difficult to locate, for they were large and pretty eyes in a common shade of brown.

  Grinning awkwardly, Derek raised his most current shot towards the woman who had obviously taken an interest in him before turning back to face the bar. That was stupid. The characters disagreed. He gulped down the shot.

  No sooner had he decided that it was time to leave, than the woman seated herself beside him, turning in his direction to cross her long, bare legs. She was not unattractive, with bleach blonde hair and ruby red lipstick to accompany those long, long legs. Maybe it was the h
eels she wore, but Derek was sure her legs were disproportionate to her torso. He tried not to stare, and turned his eyes back beyond the bar in front of him.

  Without warning a gentle touch upon his hand required his attention, and he turned again in her direction.

  “Hi, I’m Heather,” said the long legs with a face.

  “I’m Derek.”

  “You here alone or waiting on someone?”

  “No, my girlfriend just died.”

  What the fuck? Did that just spill out of him? Who says that? Even if it is true, that is heavy shit to dump in a stranger’s lap. Derek berated himself silently. Heather didn’t want to hear that, and he shouldn’t even be talking to her. She wasn’t Jade and she never would be... couldn't be.

  “I’m sorry hun, that must be rough,” Heather said, placing her hand atop his once more.

  Derek felt comforted by the gesture, it was genuine, and he could sense it in her voice.

  “It’s been rough.”

  “I bet it has,” she replied, giving his hand a squeeze. “Let me buy you another drink and see if we can’t make it feel better.”

  “OK,” he replied simply.

  Though it was not his custom, Derek managed to listen to her small talk for the better part of an hour, and she managed to keep his tiny glass constantly filled. Though he didn’t say much in return, he learned a great deal about Heather. Such details included things about past boyfriends, her daddy issues, and how she had been injured earlier in the year in a pole-dancing incident.

  Though he really didn’t care, he listened intently as he realized that so long as her lips were moving, the characters were quiet. Did they like her? He had no real way of knowing, but before long she was leading him out the door, his arm around her waist as they strolled down the dark empty streets.

  One moment they were walking and the next Derek was closing the door of his apartment behind them. He had somehow lost several minutes, as if his brain had shut down temporarily. Odd.

  Without warning she was on him, pressing him back firmly into the door, her mouth seeking his, her tongue brushing his flesh. With her attention, the characters began to act. He watched them a moment within his mind, auto-piloting through life, half experiencing both worlds he inhabited.

  As she pulled his shirt over his head, he kissed her neck roughly, wrapping his fingers in her hair. She wasn’t Jade, but the characters were responding. It was a small measure of normalcy, but one he needed to get beyond the pain he was suffering.

  He grasped the straps on her dress and pulled them down off her shoulders, allowing the garment to fall to the floor. Beneath the dress that had matched her ruby red lipstick, naught but a lacy black thong and matching bra remained to compliment her heels. It was a good look and one that worked well for him. Reaching behind her he cupped one cheek of her ass in his left hand, and smacked the other hard with the opposite hand.

  A tingle went through him. He could already feel his pulse in his cock. If she was gonna dress naughty, she would have to be punished.

  * * * * *

  The blonde wrapped herself around Derek.... the slutty little whore! Jade watched her strip and scoot her high-heeled ass even closer to her man. What the fuck was Derek thinking? How dare he cheat on her!

  Just as Jade was ready to grab the stupid blonde by her shoulders and rip her off of Derek, it occurred to Jade that he wasn't cheating. She was dead. He could bring home as many trashy blondes as he wanted to and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

  Not that she could have even if she'd been alive. Hadn't she been killed because she'd done the same thing? She'd had random sex with some blonde and it had literally ended her life.

  He deserved at least this. No, more... he deserved everything.

  She fought down the anger, literally biting her cheek to distract herself, and she moved toward the couch, settling in to simply ignore the scene in front of her. It wouldn't be too long before Derek moved things into the bedroom. She'd been on the receiving end of those kisses a time or two.

  Staring at a wall, trying desperately to ignore the sounds of sex going on right beside the couch, she thought she might just have control of her emotions...

  Then she heard the slap.

  Derek had smacked his hand against blonde bimbo's ass.

  Her head swung around, her eyes riveting to Derek's hands, now resting on that very same ass. She could see a little red streak peeking out below where his hand gripped.

  He'd never slapped her. Why hadn't he? Was that just a fluke, his hand landing too heavy in his haste?

  Now that she had cooled her emotions, she recognized this as the distraction technique it was. Derek was looking for an escape, a chance to forget reality for a short time.

  Another slap. Even before she looked, she felt the shiver running through her.

  There was no way that it was an accident... twice?

  In a movement that was both fast and fierce, Derek spun the blonde, pressing her forward over the arm of the couch. The arm of the couch that she was sitting on.

  The only bonus was that the blonde’s face was somewhat buried in the sofa cushion. At least for the moment. She started to twist, lifting that head and turning to face Derek.

  "No, Heather. Stay down."

  Of course her name was Heather. What else could it possibly be?

  Bitch.

  Before she could do more than contemplate how much energy she would have to focus to suffocate Heather with that pillow, her attention was pulled away. Derek had removed his shirt.

  She let her eyes wander, starting at his face, his dark hair hanging in waves over his eye. She loved that it was always a little too long, a little messy. His gorgeous blue eyes were dark with desire. A little blurred from alcohol, but the intensity couldn't be missed.

  The tendons in his neck stood out in stark relief, the strain of arousal showing even there. His chest muscles flexed as he undid his belt, tossing it off to the side, toeing off his shoes. He stood before her in just his jeans and socks, and for just a moment, Jade forgot. She forgot she was dead, forgot he couldn't see her. Forgot about the slutty blonde hanging over the couch.

  "You are going to stay right there, and I am going to spank this ass. When it's nice and red, I'm going to fuck you senseless. Any problem with that, you can leave now."

  If she'd still had a body, she would have been wet just from his words.

  Apparently Heather agreed, if her moan was any indication.

  Whore.

  With the first slap, the moans increased in volume. And again with the second.

  By the third Jade was able to ignore the blonde. Instead, she focused on the play of muscles across Derek's chest as he pulled back and struck her. Each slap was a blend of force and control. The look of absolute pleasure on Derek's face almost brought tears to Jade's eyes.

  The complete and utter control he showed with each move told her that this wasn't the first time. He had done this before. This wasn't new. Each move, each slap was designed to bring just enough pain to maximize pleasure.

  Lucky, lucky girl.

  She could also tell by the clenching and unclenching of his jaw that he had been needing this for awhile. Yet, he'd held back with her. That told her just how much he had truly loved her. Enough that he would deny himself something he wanted, something he needed, to avoid hurting her.

  Damn him. She would have loved to share this with him. To meet all his needs.

  Another swat, probably close to ten now. She could imagine the sting of those hits, slicing across her ass. Even now her body started to heat, to tingle, her moans matching the blonde’s with every slap.

  This was wrong... she should leave them alone, go into the bedroom, leave the house. Something, anything. She shouldn't be spying on them and she damn sure shouldn't be aroused by it. She was a ghost, for God's sake. She didn't even have a body!

  Yet she couldn't seem to move. She just sat there, watching every hit, wishing it were her. Jus
t one more chance to touch him, to kiss him.

  When he ripped his jeans down, freeing his cock, she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her. She wanted that inside her. Omigod, this was fucking crazy.

  He ripped open a condom, slid it in place, and thrust into... Heather.

  Bitch, slut, whore!

  "Oh, yes... Fuck me, stud."

  Stud... really? She had actually just called him stud? Dear God, maybe the blonde wasn't a bleach job after all.

  Nonetheless, Jade completely agreed with the sentiment.

  Once again she blocked out the bimbo, instead focusing on Derek. His body was strung tight, every muscle working as he thrust into her at a brutal pace. Sweat was trickling down his chest, pooling in his navel for a moment before sliding further south.

  As his orgasm neared, she saw his eyes slide closed, his jaw tighten, the muscles working as his teeth ground together.

  Despite her current condition, she could somehow feel pleasure rushing through her. Her memories, combined with the scene in front of her, were actually pushing her toward her own pleasure.

  The body beneath him screamed out her release, some stupid high-pitched squeal that sounded like someone was killing a dolphin.

  It must have been enough for Derek though, because he joined her a moment later, his body stilling for just a moment before resuming a furious pace, he threw his head back and yelled out, "Jade."

  The tingle started at her toes, working through her entire being in a rush. Hearing her name had been enough to push Jade into remembered pleasure. Her whole system felt as if she had been zapped by a live wire, the electric surge pulsed through her in waves. She simply let it wash through her, enjoying even a moment of something that was almost normal in this crazy world she had found herself thrown into.

  By the time she had managed to gather her wits, Derek had his pants back up and was handing blondie her clothing. She dressed quickly and headed out the front door, leaving Jade gaping. She hadn't even heard Derek say so much as goodbye. Literally just a quick fuck and you're out the door.