by Emma Luna
“I’m going upstairs to bed. You take care of this and when you are finished, you may join me. After a bit of sleep, I will be ready to take your cock again,” says Piper as she walks towards the staircase. She is completely naked and walks with confidence because she knows her body is perfect.
I have heard these instructions many times before and never questioned them, or really even took in what she said. I have always just been hypnotised by her sexy body and filled with the desire to please her. Not to mention that the quicker I get the job done, the quicker I can get my dick wet. Now, it’s like I am seeing things clearly, having taken off my rose-tinted Piper glasses. Now, all I hear are demands and blackmail. She is allowing me the pleasure of hiding the murder, disposing of the body, and cleaning up after her. She makes it sound like I am doing it for her and as a reward, I get to have sex with her. But what she is really saying is that after a bit of sleep, she will be horny again, and my dick is better to ride than her dildo. Fuck, I didn’t realise how under her spell I really was, and partly still am. I know that because my dick is rock hard at the idea of her waiting pussy. I mentally chastise myself and put a fake smile on my face so Piper doesn’t suspect anything is wrong. The fact my dick is hard actually adds to the effect because she thinks I am still under her spell.
“Okay, baby. You go to sleep and I will sort out here. I will put Reggie to bed for you too. I have everything here, so nothing for you to worry about. Just rest and I will be up to bed before you know it,” I reply, gesturing towards Reggie's cage. The fact that I have thought about her baby clearly gets me bonus points because instead of going up the stairs, she walks towards me. Shit, this wasn’t part of the plan. Did I do something wrong? Does she know I’m up to something?
She stops just in front of me and her hand reaches up to stroke the hair out of my face. Piper looks into my eyes lovingly, with a heat that I have never experienced before. She isn’t looking at me with the fire and passion that is usually present when she wants to fuck, instead it is almost like love. It’s gone in a flash and I question whether it was even there, and if it was, there’s no way it was love. I recently realised that she isn’t capable of love. But in this moment, surrounded by the tenderness she is showing me, my brain wants to believe that she is capable.
When she smiles at me, that smile I know is real, I can’t stop the way my stomach flips or my heart starts to race. I wasn’t kidding around when I said I loved her, I just needed to know how she felt. Her initial reaction told me everything I needed to know. I want to believe that the affection she is showing me here is real, but I don’t know if she is just doing it because she knows it's what I need. She is the master of reading people.
“Thank you,” she says as she rises up on tiptoes and gently places a kiss on my cheek. The heat of her lips sends shockwaves through my cheek and I can’t help but shudder. It’s not a kiss of passion, it is one of adoration and it is confusing as hell.
“What for?” I ask, baffled. She looks away from me shyly, like she was hoping that I wouldn’t ask her this question. It's a weird side of Piper that I have never seen before.
“For loving me. I don’t think anyone ever really has done it before. You know that I struggle with feelings and I know that you are probably hurt that I couldn’t return the words to you, but if I had, that is all it would have been. Simply me reciting a line for you to hear. I don’t want that for you, you deserve honesty. You have always given me every side of you and I wish I could do the same. But I want you to know, Ollie, I am trying. When I say that I trust you, I want you to know that for me, that’s an even bigger statement than saying that I love you. Love is such a trivial thing, it doesn’t really mean anything. But to have trust in someone means that you give them a part of yourself, a part of your power. I do not trust anyone, I never have. But recently, I realised that I do trust you. I have no idea what that means, or if that's enough, but for now, it will have to be,” says Piper in such a trivial manner. Her words stun me and instantly make me rethink my plan. As she strokes my hair, stares lovingly into my eyes, and talks about trusting me, I feel my resolve start to break. My love for her overruling my head, which is clearly making more sense.
But I know that I can’t leave her. Not only does she need me, but I need her. I know what it is like to feel for the first time, to trust for the first time. I refuse to be the person who breaks that trust.
I feel like there are two sides of me that are at war in my head. The logical side and the loved-up side. The loved-up side is whispering sweet nothings in Piper's ear and peppering kisses along her neck in thank you for the beautiful words she just spoke, but the logical side will not be won over so quickly.
“Now that we have got that out of the way, I’m going to bed. Make sure Reggie and the rats are comfy and then sort out this mess. I will see you later, okay?” she says almost robotically as she walks away from me. All of the love and adoration she was just showing me, now replaced with her normal mask. The look of normality, like it is an everyday occurrence asking a naked guy in your basement to put the rats in their cages and dispose of the body.
Finally, both sides of my brain are working as one when we realise that Piper played us. She did exactly what I thought she would do, she told us what she thought we needed to hear. She played us perfectly and if the brain side hadn’t seen those files, the heart side would have won out easily. But, betrayal and the woman you love plotting to kill you, is not exactly something you forget.
I have a normal plan to dispose of the body, a way of ensuring that no DNA evidence can tie him to the rats Piper owns, or Piper herself. Burning a body and scattering their ashes is a lot harder than you would think, but after the first couple of times, I became an expert, but this time I need to do things differently.
When I am sure Piper is fully asleep I set my plan in motion, after I have got dressed, obviously. I take pictures of everything, before putting all the rats into their cages. I load the body into the van like I always do, but this time I am not going to the bonfire pit. This time is different. I grab the bag I left hidden in the corner of the room and throw that into the van too. Grabbing my hoodie and throwing that on, I look around the room. The pull to go to her is so strong, I can’t risk going up into the main house. That’s why I packed everything beforehand.
I take the letter I wrote out of my hoodie pocket and read it one more time. I don’t know if it tells her everything it needs to but I hope it will be enough. I don’t want to be on the run for the rest of my life.
Piper,
I am really sorry that it has come down to this. Please know that I genuinely meant it when I said that I love you and that this is the reason I have to leave. I know you will never be capable of loving me in that way and I deserve that. I told you when we first met that I was in search of a family and I really hoped I had found it with you, but we both know I haven’t. While you still see me as one of your pets, you would never have been able to see me as your partner.
I know what happened with your other pets, and I know it probably wouldn’t be too long before I am met with the same fate. I can’t let that happen. I want you to know that I am not a danger or a threat to you or your mischief. Please know that I love you enough to always keep my silence about what happened during our time together. But there is something I expect in return for my silence, freedom.
I know that you like to be in control, Piper, and the very thought that I have been the one to initiate our separation will be irking you severely. But let me be very clear here, I know about your plans for moving to a new home and that you never take your pets with you. I know what you do to them so you don’t have to take them. I will not be your victim. You already destroyed my heart, let that be enough.
Just in case you need some incentive to let me have my freedom, I want to give you one final Chance to do the right thing. I say Chance because it is important. I have taken everything I need from the house, everything of importance. I will make sure to keep it
safe and that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands as long as you do not look for me. Let me have my freedom and I will keep anything you don’t want others to see hidden.
By the time you read this letter, I will be long gone. Please, do not try to look for me. Take me at my word when I say that I will never tell anyone about our time together. But also believe me when I say that if I even suspect that my freedom is in danger, I will take a Chance and expose everything. Do you understand what I am saying, Piper?
I hate that it came to this, but I can’t be your next victim. I really do love you.
All my Love,
Ollie xx
The letter is in code in case anyone finds it before Piper. I don’t want to incriminate myself in anything, but I know she will know what it all means. I hadn’t meant to tell her that she broke my heart, even though it is very fucking true. The pain I feel as I drive away is unbearable and for the first time since my parent's death I feel like I might actually cry. I push those back and drive to the lock-up as quickly as I can.
I hired the lock-up after my parents died to hold all of their things, the things that I couldn’t bear to part with. Recently, I bought a very large chest freezer and tonight, I added in the body of Chance Reighton. Sitting on the floor surrounded by my parents things, I can't help but feel despair at the situation. I have been very purposefully trying not to think about how my parents would feel about Piper. I hoped they would see the good; she took me into her home, made me a part of her mischief, and showed me how to love. But as my parents, I know they would have been able to see all the bad too. The way she gave me commands rather than asking. She never really loved me, using how I feel about her to her advantage and as a way to manipulate me. Oh, and let's not forget the fucking murders she got me to not only be a part of, but also dispose of the bodies and destroy evidence. Ironic isn’t it that I was sent to Piper to keep me out of jail and she is the reason I am now responsible for several major murders. I am sure my parents would not see that as a laughing matter at all.
I don’t know how much time passes as I am sat on the floor, dwelling on what the fuck just happened. I was so busy thinking through how I could get away that I never really thought about what the fuck I would do when I was free. I had nothing except a few grand that I saved up from working in the tattoo parlour. Those guys were my only friends, but I couldn't go there because that is exactly where she would go to look for me first. I need somewhere Piper would never think of looking, but I don't think I know of anyone and I start to panic. I could stay at a hotel for a while, but that means digging into my money unnecessarily. I need to make it last.
My head is swimming with possibilities and plans when I hear the beep of my ring tone and the vibration of my phone in my trouser pocket. I pull the phone out and find a text.
Piper: Nobody fucking leaves me, Ollie. You better do what I told you to do and get your arse back here. All of this drama because I couldn’t tell you that I love you, really? We are so much more than that. Why couldn’t you see? You started off as a pet, yes, I admit it. But that ended a long time ago. When I said I trusted you, that wasn’t a lie. Honestly, it scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know what to do with it, and it did cross my mind to end this, but stupidly, I couldn’t. You see, I decided a long time ago that you would be a perfect part of my mischief, the partner I had spent so long looking for. I showed emotion towards you that I have never felt with anyone else. That tells me that we are meant to be. So hear me when I say this, Ollie, if you do not come home and continue to run, I will find you. You belong with me. You are part of my mischief and wherever you go, I will be there. You will come back to me because if you don’t, you will regret it. See you soon, Ollie xxx
Fuck! That was not at all what I expected from her. I don’t know if I believe her, and because there are enough of me that want to, I know I have to run, but I have no idea where to go.
As I go to put the phone back into my pocket, I realise that something is stuck to the back of the phone. I obviously hadn’t even realised when I was engrossed in reading Piper’s message. A soggy bar mat is stuck to the phone and when I pull it off I can’t help but smile. I have never been a lucky person, but right now, I feel as though my luck has just turned. Right there on the tatty bar mat, written in black, crooked handwriting, is the answer I have been looking for. I quickly dial the number written on the mat, not even caring that it is almost four in the morning. I pray to anyone who is listening, that the phone is picked up and really is the life line I hoped it is.
After several long rings, I am close to giving up. But before my finger can reach the call end button, the ringing stops and is replaced by a rugged, sleepy voice saying, ”Hello.”
“Erm… hi. It’s Ollie, you gave me your number earlier when you were working behind the bar. You said that if I ever needed it then I should have it. I know I said I had a girlfriend and that I would never need to call, but I was wrong. I have nowhere else I can go. Please can you help me, Lena?” I ask hopefully down the phone. Knowing that Piper will never even know about Lena is reassuring because not only can she not find me, but Lena isn’t in any danger either. I wait for Lena to reply and the silence is deafening. This could be my only option to get away.
“Yes, of course,” she says and I release the breath I didn’t even know I had been holding. After numerous thank yous and her giving me the address, I walk out of my storage container, happy that I have a plan. Leaving the van in the lock-up for safe keeping, I move towards my newest acquisition. I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend lots of money or buy any big ticket items, without Piper noticing. So I decided to play some poker, which I happen to be amazing at, and as a result of winning several underground games, I am now the proud owner of a Honda CMX500 Rebel.
I climb on and feel it purr beneath me. Stupidly, my brain instantly flies back to how much Piper would love this. I don’t know if she has ever been on a motorcycle before but I just know she would love it. As I put my helmet on, I give myself a little smack around the head. No more thinking about Piper. If she leaves me alone then we can all go about our business and I can forget everything about my time with Piper. But if she doesn’t, then I am ready for a fight. No matter how much I love her, I will take her down if I need to.
I get on the bike and drive off in Lena’s direction, leaving Piper firmly in my rear view mirror. I just hope that's where she will stay.
To be continued...
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Acknowledgments
I have so many people that I need to thank for helping and supporting me throughout this book. Piper is one of my favourite characters to write and I really hope that you all love her and her crazy ways as much as I do.
To my Jamie - thank you for always supporting me through everything I do and putting up with my laptop being ever present. I couldn’t do any of what I do without your love. You’re my rock!
To my Mischief - you may all be slightly crazy but you are mine and I am so lucky to have you all. Thanks to Reggie for the inspiration!
To Sam - you becoming my PA was the best thing that ever happened to my author career. You are super organised and a truly beautiful person. As well as gaining a kick-ass PA, I also got a great friend!
To Abri - you are not just my awesome
beta reader, you are my sounding board, the person who talks me off a ledge when I am panicking, and my friend. Thank you for all your love and support!
To my Beta’s - Alayna, Jackie, Amanda, Laura, Carol and Tanisha you guys are amazing and you help me to make my words better.
To my LUNAtics - I have some of the best readers and supporters that I could ever ask for. Putting all the thoughts that I have in my head onto paper and hoping that you can get on board with my crazy ideas is so scary but you never fail to dive right in. I love that you are all as crazy as me. Thank you for being so amazing and supportive!
About Emma Luna
Emma Luna is a midwife and lecturer who lives in Cambridgeshire, UK, despite her heart still very much being Northern. She lives surrounded by her crazy family; her Mum who is her best friend and biggest fan, her Dad who helps her remember to always laugh, her Grandparents and Brother who can never read what she writes, her gorgeous Nephew who lights up her world, and her long suffering man-child Boyfriend who she couldn't live without (but don't tell him that!).
In her spare time she likes to create new worlds and tell the stories of the characters that are constantly shouting in her head. She also loves falling into the worlds created by other authors and escaping for a while through reading.
