He strutted in like a true cowboy. All that was missing was spurs. He’s not half bad. Her tongue rolled across her bright poppy lips as she took him in. His boots clunked along in a slow, rhythmic stroll as he neared. He took a seat at the dilapidated bar. Removing his hat, he placed it on his knee. He ordered a beer and his lips surrounded the glass bottle with a thirst that matched her own.
Swallowing back her desire as her blood warmed. Something about him had her unnerved and her pulse quickened. She sat back down. The week so far had been a successful one. Why would this one be any different?
***
Last night Alexis had been left drained. She’d slept up until a couple of hours ago. “He” had taken a toll on her body. She found her last victim, in a movie theater—she never caught their names—it was easier that way. She feigned fright at the scary scenes of the Psycho remake or whatever it was. She truly wasn’t paying attention, it was so mundane.
He’d been an easy spot. He was slightly shorter than her and touted a small, pudgy belly. He had a small thin crown of walnut brown hair and a shiny bald spot in the center of his dome. His eyes were sunken into his weasley face.
Her hand coaxed him outside, rubbing enticing circles on his back. They exited through the grey door at the bottom of the dimly lit, carpeted walkway with the glowing red sign above the door. Once out the back of the theater, she pressed his wrists against the crumbling brick wall. His eyes were fueled with excitement.
The heat of the summer night made her blood awaken, as her wantonness rose within her. Her chest heaved and she noticed his eyes on her cleavage. She’d worn a thin white tank top and shredded denim cut-offs. Her beige wedge espadrilles added to her height over this man placing her bust in his face.
“What’s your name sweetheart?” His southern drawl made her cringe or perhaps it was his drooling and almost foaming mouth.
“Alexis,” she flashed her gleaming smile, ignoring the surging tearing disgust within her.
She began to hum a low melody as she held his wrists above him.
His eyes wavered into a soft flicker as if being lulled into a slumber. His life slowly came into focus. His pitiful life.
The beginning whizzed by: his birth into a normal family, siblings, two parents, a dog, etc. Then it moved into a wife and alcohol…alcohol was his Master. He began to beat his wife into submission. Fear and pain—Alexis could feel all of her emotions as if they were her own, while she slowly seeped his life away through his agape mouth into hers. The pain was body numbing and her bones ached, as his life was ending. Her throat burned, as if on fire and her belly turned into a mongering hunger of desire, a surging need to release.
Relinquishing his hands, she was mere centimeters from his stench of decay and vile unclean body. Watching, as his eyes changed from blue to black empty holes and the skin on his face began to sag and shrivel away.
Victims that matched her own horrid life—pedophiles and abusers, both drained her and gave her the most power, forcing her to rest for a couple of days.
She wondered if the tune she sang anesthesitized or paralyzed them, as it incinerated her victim’s insides, while she stole their essence. She told herself long ago she didn’t care. Flaring flames began at his feet as it always did. There was no movement, no thrashing, as his body was engulfed and turned to a pile of ash.
***
“So what are you doing here, Alexis?” The cowboy interrupted her memory.
She jumped. He’d snuck up on her, while she was lost in thoughts and somehow knew her name. Her “dates” where always something she was able to foresee in her mind before they’d meet.
He sat at the same dirty table as her, grinning arrogantly. Perhaps his intention was to take her off guard. No one knew her name, not unless she told them—and if she did that was right before she killed those bastards.
“Who says that’s my name?” she combed her manicured nails through her hair. Her looks had always captured the hearts of any man that she’d crossed paths with, not that she’d let any get that close to her. She had one mission in life.
“Don’t be coy. We both know it is.” His hands looked rough, but as they came in contact with her hand she flinched at the softness. He touched her ring. It was a gold knotted Celtic banding with a triangular ruby in the center.
“Don’t touch me.” She recoiled from him.
That pompous smile returned and she saw his necklace, it too had a Celtic knot, but his gem was green. Who was he? Her victim was now turning into a mystery—one that seemed to be eyeing her body all over and taunting her wordlessly.
“What do you want?” She crossed her arms and dug her nails into her own flesh, reminding herself to maintain control.
“You,” he said as he leaned back and his legs slid forward. He crossed them lazily and his arms across his chest.
If he knew who she was or if he knew what she did. How could he just sit there so… so-
“What no sassy retort?” His eyebrow quirked up.
“Who are you?” she asked a little louder than she’d intended, as her anger flared.
He laughed and brought his hat over his face in mock embarrassment. “I guess my reputation precedes me.” He stood and held his hand out to her in a sweeping gesture.
“What?” she scowled.
“A dance,” he offered.
“I don’t trust you.”
“Good, that makes two of us.” He winked. “Cole,” he nodded and toyed with the brim of his hat as he stood before her. “Cole Brackton,”
Alexis’ eyes flashed wide and her heart danced wildly.
“Ah!” he laughed. “So you have heard of me. So a dance?”
She knew he wouldn’t use his powers on the dance floor, but he could drain hers. She figured his plan was to kill her, but her senses weren’t clear. She stood and her stomach churned uneasily. She took his hand and let out a little cry when he pulled her harshly to his chest. Flush filled her cheeks as a throbbing sensation began between her thighs.
“Why now, that wasn’t so hard was it?”
Her breath was as a near pant as she tried to keep pace with him. His movements were graceful. She refused to look up at him, as racing thoughts of worry plagued her mind. And her body began to betray her with a feeling of arousal she’d never experienced. Her nipples tightened and she was thankful for the darkened material of her dress.
“Stop doing that,” he said sharply.
“What?” She gave him an equally harsh look, confused about what he was saying.
“Biting your lip like that. It’s,” he squirmed a little.
She grinned at his obvious discomfort.
“It’s what?” she cooed into his ear and stroked his sideburn with her nail, slicing down through the coarse hair delicately. She relished watching his body shiver and his neck muscles flex. She knew those movements all too well—attempting to maintain control.
“Just, stop. I wanted to offer you a deal.” He gripped her biceps, holding her at bay.
She pointed her gaze downward to his ratted jeans. She wanted to see just what sort of effect she was having on him. The corners of her mouth quirked up and her eyes danced in excitement at his bulge.
His feet shifted and he shook her. “Alexis, focus!” he growled.
“Hmm, someone’s a bit cranky.” She glinted her eyes at him as she licked her full lips. And remembering his weakness, she tugged at her bottom lip with dramatic flare.
A noise in his throat emerged, one she’d heard once before—an animalistic charge of lustful wanting. He wrenched her to himself, but her hands found purchase between them.
She dug her blood red nails into him. The very tips of her index nails were sharpened and small razors had been inserted. She tasted his blood in the air, the bitter copper and her tongue instinctively flicked out. The scent only fueled her excitement.
“Argh,” he grunted and his head fell back slightly.
Death dealers are self-healing, she told herself. He’
ll be fine.
His face changed and he reached for his hip.
Fearing a magical weapon, she moved swiftly. “Don’t even think about it. And in front of all this people?” she shook her head, making a tsk tsk noise. “Male’s,” she scoffed, turning to leave him in his frozen state of embarrassment. “Never were very good at their job.”
She could feel his eyes boring into her back for her rejection and insult. Her heels echoed loudly in her ears as her pulse quickened. For a few beats she found herself holding her breath. She exited the building and the sweltering summer heat washed over her. Where was he?
The heat heightened her senses. He was near and he was angry. She walked cautiously toward her car, but as she scanned it she saw a heat signature. It wasn’t the normal red in the center and rainbow pattern flowing outward. It was blue with violet around it. This assailants’ scent was strong and alluring. She tried to take calming breaths as her arousal began to take flight.
“Come out, fight me like a man!” she taunted him.
There was no movement from behind the car. Slowly she made her way around her beat up Saab. A man jumped from the shadows at an alarming rate and toppled Alexis over. He held her down with one hand on her wrists.
“Get off of me!” she screeched.
“You know what I want.”
“No, I don’t. Now get the fuck off of me, before I-” his backhand slammed across her face with a force she’d never felt. Her eyes jostled in her head.
The man, who now she could tell wasn’t a man at all, but a demon of some sort was tugging fiercely at her finger. He was trying to pull her ring free.
“We’ll have to cut it off,” he looked up to someone else.
“No good. She needs to give it to us.” Another voice rang in, one she recognized. Alexis looked at the man.
“Cole?” she said softly. “Why?”
But before she could say another word a cloth was put over her face. An acrid smell and taste poured into her nose and mouth, as she gasped for air. Air, sweet air. Just a…taste. Alexis’ world of blackness and stars spun, before she lost consciousness.
***
Whenever she slept, she was taunted by horrific dreams. In her unconscious state a victim came into view. One she’d seen repeatedly in her dreams. Although she’d sucked the life from that piece of shit, he took parts of her soul each time she re-lived it. He’d bought children. One’s abandoned or sold by parents for their next hit.
There was too much evil. She knew she’d never catch up to them all. But this one—he was a particular breed of ugliness. The kind of despicable that would make you want to: gouge your eyes out, stab yourself in the ears, and just plain rip out your own heart—believing that there could be no love if there could be such evil.
He raped babies. Torturing, burning, cutting, and sodomizing them with all sorts of sick instruments. Her mind replayed some of the scenes and their helpless cries. His twisted evil grin on his face repulsed her, as he recorded it all for “data”. Book after book filled with “data”, were strewn about his trailer.
She had a morbid fascination with this lunatic and she couldn’t figure why. Perhaps it was because it took her two weeks to recover from him. Or maybe it was his sickening eyes when he stared at her, ready for her. They were black holes of hell staring back at her. Vertigo struck, as she held him down to his bed. His place held a pungent stench of mothballs and bleach. It burned her nose and eyes with every breath, but she dared not release him from her sights.
He was scrawny; his black shoulder length hair fell in greasy strands and his lips were crusted white from his multiple bites and licks from his tic. His overalls were dirtied at the knees and bib. She’d spent time looking in the backyard and around his trailer to see if he buried something. Her gut told her he was hiding something—that he was waiting for her. Perhaps he knew she was coming for him that day.
She’d left an anonymous tip with the police, pretending to be a victim that got away. In the newspaper she read about jars of parts in formaldehyde: nipples, lips, penises and parts of the vagina. And they found the remains in the freezer. It appeared he re-used them—frozen.
***
She awoke a little while later with her hands tied above her head. Shuddering, as the memory raked over her with an uneasy wave of nausea. She blinked several times. Not only due to the drowsiness that clung to her, but her surroundings seemed unreal. The floor was made of red dirt and there was a single torch lit on the wall across from her. There was a doorway carved out next to the torch.
She tried to move and her body ached from hanging by her wrists; attached to a wall of red clay. She used her feet to brace her weight, groaning as her stiff muscles awakened. How long was I out? She contorted her head to see that iron shackles held her hands. She tried to swallow, but the dryness in her mouth was painful. Her tongue tingled when she moved it. Rubbing it around her mouth trying to get her body working again, but even that was a failed attempt. The soft tissue of the roof of her mouth stuck to her tongue.
“Gross,” she said hoarsely. It was as if a cat crawled into her mouth for a nap. She huffed at her predicament.
She balled her fists and tugged. She tried to wrench her hands through the silver rings, twisting them into inhuman forms. Irritated, she let out a stifled scream. Using her feet as leverage, she climbed up the wall until her heels were level with her butt. It seemed to be futile; her shoes couldn’t grip to the crumbling wall. Pushing and pulling with all her might, she grunted and growled. It was no use and now her wrists were battered and bruised, throbbing painfully. Her body was self mending, but she stewed in irritation and gritted her teeth.
Suddenly, a noise outside the door alerted her to someone coming. She froze.
“You thought I wouldn’t know Cole?”
Cole’s body was tossed on the ground and bounced hard on the brick colored dirt.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sneered, trying to turn his head back to his assailant.
“You two are trying to pull a fast one. That’s what I’m talking about. Roark told me you were dancing with her, kissing her.”
“That’s a lie!” Alexis’ screamed and spat out. “I didn’t kiss that fool. I was dancing with him to merely figure out his game, who he was. What the hell do you want from me? You know you cannot have my gem. If you take it off me, it’s worthless and you know it.” She spoke viciously.
Cole looked up at her with pleading eyes. She was unsure why.
Smack!
Alexis saw those preverbal stars people always talk about. This man whacked her hard across the face and her body was still registering it. Tears threatened, but she fought them off. She refused to show anything to these brutal men.
“What I want is your ring. I’m a merchant and I want to sell it,” he said with an excruciating grip on her chin. “Boss wants you for something else.”
She winced under his hold, but refused to let him get under her skin. She opened her mouth, as if to say something. Perhaps she could use her power on him.
“Uh, uh, uh, beautiful, I have protection from your soul sucking power,” he said and pulled out a medallion. It was a round onyx stone, imbedded into an intricately carved piece of silver, with snakes, both eating each others tails.
She wanted to use her siren powers, something she figured they weren’t aware of, but there were too many of them. Two goons hung at the door, the demon from earlier and another that had actual horns protruding from his head. The demons’ skin was tinged orange like a cantaloupe. She shuddered at his physical appearance.
Plus there was Cole. She still wasn’t sure about him. Was he a friend or foe? Why do I care? She let out a large breath of air, irritated at her concern for him. His blue denim shirt was now colored with the red dirt and open. It exposed his chest which was riddled with many scars, including the ones she’d inflicted earlier with her nails. Hmm, so he’s not a death dealer? What is he?
The man with the horns walt
zed across the room with eerie stealth and took Cole off the floor with an astonishing amount of strength. He had a pair of silver cuffs with long stakes in one hand.
“Be still or I’ll knock your hand into a pancake,” his words came out like a rumbling mass of steel.
Alexis held her breath. Watching, as he used his hand like a hammer. This man was pushing the spike into the wall with brute force and determination. She couldn’t tear her eyes from the maddening scene. The ease of the manner in which he did it made Alexis think she was dreaming. She shook her head, readjusting her eyes.
“Now you two play nice, while the boss decides what he wants to do with you sweetheart,” the demon looking man said, as he gripped her chin. She tried to pull away from him.
Alexis’ powers strengthened with each soul she took. One ability she had was being able to tell about the soul of the being. Why can’t I figure Cole out? After they left she concentrated on him. Was he using his power on me? What is this feeling? Her heart raced and she was sweating in this cool room. What’s wrong with me? Taking some deep breaths she looked up toward the ceiling.
“You alright?”
“Yeah fine,” she scowled.
“Look at me?”
She twisted her head with a fierce glare.
“Haha, you’re in heat,” he laughed.
“What? What are you talking about?”
He looked at the door, and seemed to listen.
“They are upstairs or whatever, they aren’t there.” She shook her head with an annoyed look like it was obvious.
“Well, soooorrrry. I don’t have the same powers as you princess.”
She inhaled sharply through her nostrils. “Just shut up.” She turned her head so she didn’t have to look at him.
“So no one told you that when you meet your mate that: your eyes will dilate, your heart will race, and it will be hard to breathe? You’re in heat.”
“Shut up, just shut up,” she cursed him and looked back at him again.
Grave Hauntings: Where Sexy and Sinful Meets Dark and Chilling Page 10
