The rumors and theories Marco dished were all comical and borderline absurd. Leave it to those whispering hyenas to come up with something so outlandish it still lingered in the back of my mind.
Probably because I knew. I knew bored, rich housewives who had nothing better to do but look for gossip and spot scandal were sometimes terrifyingly right.
But Audra… a killer?
The huntsman knew your name. Knew where to find you in the park. Told you to never go home again.
Could it be?
48
Neo
* * *
I avoided everything and everyone, choosing instead to take job after job and pickpocket in between.
The fish market wasn’t the only odd/unwanted job in this city. Bike messengers made good money because the job was hazardous. Some construction crews took walk-on men when their projects were busy and they couldn’t keep up. The pay was under the table and all in cash, just the kind I liked.
I worked all day until it was well past dinner and my stomach demanded fuel. Tucking deep into my jacket, I walked with a bowed head, not having to look at where I was going because I knew these streets like the back of my hand.
My stomach grumbled loudly the second the obscure noodle place was in reach. Lifting a hand to the woman behind the counter, I pulled out a nearby chair and sat down.
I was used to being tired, but this was a new kind of exhaustion. The kind that weighed me down, left me feeling out of sorts and somehow lost. Though I’d worked all day, the way I felt was not from labor.
A large white ceramic bowl with steam curling from the top slid in front of me. The spice of the sauce prickled my nose and woke me up just a little.
Straightening, I smiled widely at the woman. “You know just what I like, Nettie.”
Beaming, she tapped me lightly on the cheek. “Added an egg for ya, on the house. You look worn out.”
“When are we gonna get married and run off to the Caribbean?” I asked, taking her hand and holding it like I might propose.
She giggled like the schoolgirl she no longer was. “Hush now and eat it all.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Releasing her hand, I unwrapped a pair of wooden chopsticks and snapped them apart to dig in.
This place was tiny, old, and off the map, but it had the best ramen in the entire city.
When Nettie brought me a glass of water, I glanced up, slurping some of the long noodles hanging from my lips. “Yhank yhou,” I said around the food.
She giggled again and went back to the counter.
I ate in peace for long moments, letting the spice burn my tongue and make my nose run. The over-easy egg on top added extra flavor to the already flavorful dish.
Nearby, there was a small TV mounted on the wall, and a flash on the screen caused me to look up.
The food in my throat stuck there like a rock. The noodles still between my lips dangled forgotten and no longer as tasteful as before.
She filled up the screen, making my heart jump a beat and something inside me yearn. She appeared almost unreal. My skin suddenly tingled, reminding me with stark clarity she was very, very real.
Even though she scared me like hell, even though staring at her on TV right now reminded me we were from different worlds, I couldn’t deny how we’d been together just last night.
Ivory stood outside, the bright sky making it obvious this was a playback from earlier in the day. Reporters and people crowded around, hanging on every word she said, cameras flashing left and right, but she didn’t flinch at all.
Poised and composed, she stood, somehow large despite how small she really was. White high heels raised her off the ground, and the light-blue one-piece outfit she wore sparkled when the sunlight hit it just right, making her sparkle like a diamond.
The top had thin straps, exposing her collarbones, making me want to demand she put on a jacket but, at the very same time, graze them with my teeth.
A delicate necklace hugged her throat, and her hair ruffled in the breeze, brushing her neck.
She’d wasted no time at all putting herself back together again and stepping in front of the camera. I expected this to make me angry, for my cynical heart to sneer.
But I wasn’t.
I already knew this was who she was. I couldn’t hate her for it. How could I blame her for moving through her day just as I had done?
I watched her lips move, the volume too low for me to hear what she said. I didn’t need to hear her words, though, to see what apparently no one else did.
She was exhausted just like me. The world she knew was altered just like mine. It didn’t matter that she went back to normal because that normal no longer existed.
The chopsticks made a distinct echo when I placed them over the edges of the bowl, pushing the partially eaten ramen away.
Picking up the water, I downed the glass, eyes never once leaving the TV.
She smiled. She spoke. She posed.
Ethan stood off to the side, wearing a dress shirt and tie.
She was telling everyone she was back and safe. She might have even been recounting some of her ordeal. She was assuring her stockholders that business was wonderful and their precious money would remain piled in their accounts.
Her dazzling beauty captivated everyone.
But underneath the beauty, Ivory was frightened and felt alone.
The camera zoomed in, Ivory looked up, and I felt her eyes like a punch in the gut. The empty glass hit the tabletop, one of the chopsticks falling onto the floor. Scraping back the chair, I dug into my pocket, tossing down some cash.
Nettie called out, but I didn’t turn back.
The sun was gone again, the dark alive.
49
Ivory
* * *
The tweed Balmain jumpsuit was tucked away in my collection. The white pumps lined up beside the rest. My skin was fragrant with the scent of fresh jasmine, and though I had a closet filled with glorious nighttime attire, I was wrapped up in red flannel.
The press conference was successful, stocks already starting to rebound. I knew it would be a few weeks of damage control, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
Then why do I feel like this?
Lights sparkled across the city, creating a one-of-a-kind view that never looked quite the same.
A low knock echoed through my home, making me glance over my shoulder.
Rap, rap.
Rotating, I padded through the penthouse lit only by burning candles placed here and there. Leaving the chain on the door, I pulled it open, peeking out.
Luminous onyx eyes.
Shadowed jaw.
An unspoken question.
The door clicked closed when I pushed against it, and I paused to press against the thundering in my chest. My hand was unsteady when I reached to slide the chain free, fumbling twice before finally getting it to give.
I opened it only enough for him to slip inside, silently watching him replace all the locks.
The loud slap of his jacket hitting the floor made my eyes go wide, but they melted shut just as fast because the second he touched me, I turned soft.
The tip of his nose was cold when it pushed into my neck, and the sound of him breathing in deep made the rhythm of my heart heavy.
He was wearing another flannel, this one green and black.
When I slipped my fingers into his hair, they bumped against the bandage covering his stitches.
Distracted, I glanced down to frown. “You haven’t changed this yet? I’ll do it now.”
“Later,” he purred, grazing his lips across mine.
We stumbled into a deep kiss, our bodies tumbling into bed. His tongue was balm to my ache, the weight of his body grounding me in place.
The way he nibbled on my lower lip before capturing the top to do the same made my toes curl and body arch.
The flannel rode up on my hips, revealing my thighs. His body sank into mine, making me gasp against his mouth.
&
nbsp; His erection was already pulsing, and we moved together despite the barrier of clothes. Delving under his shirt, my nails dragged lightly over his skin. The little shiver I was rewarded with made me do it again.
When he flicked his tongue against mine, a hint of spice burst across my mouth, making me tug at his clothes. His glittering stare never left mine when he pulled back to disrobe. Neo wasn’t a huge man, but he was well defined and lithe. The sinew of muscle under skin sent my tongue sweeping across my lips, wanting to taste.
When the button on his jeans popped open, I pushed forward, grabbing the waistband to help work them down. When he was free, his throbbing length stood out, promising pleasure, making my lower belly quiver. Too beautiful to be ignored.
I wrapped my hand around his girth, sliding slowing up his length and back down again.
Before I could go farther, he pushed me down, slowly unbuttoning the flannel before parting it to finally reveal my skin.
Trailing his lips down my body, he dipped his tongue into my belly button before continuing its venture.
Thick, warm fingers parted my folds, making me squirm, the room filling with my breathy gasps.
I was so exposed with him, not just in this bed, but in all ways. I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to see this much of me, but with him, it was like I didn’t even have a choice.
A long, thick stroke up my center chased all thought from my mind.
I moaned, my thighs coming together, but Neo pushed them open, licking me again.
Settling into a rhythm, he treated me like some kind of meal, a meal so good it made me want a bite.
I was shaking with need when he lifted his head, sliding up my body and leaning down. His tongue stroked over mine the way it had in other intimate places. I could taste myself, a taste I never wanted until now, until he fed it to me.
With a single thrust, he sheathed himself inside me, our moans breaking our mouths apart.
Tears pressed against the backs of my eyes when he pushed his arms between my back and the mattress, holding me tightly against him.
His breathing echoed against my ear. Our bodies moved as one. Too soon, bliss came to claim me, making my nails dig into his back.
Not slowing the rhythm or changing pace, Neo turned his head and kissed my temple.
Fireworks exploded, unexplainable pleasure rocking my every cell. I clung to him as wave after wave of climax pummeled me and then as it washed over him.
His grunts and moans against my ear were almost as satisfying as the orgasm that just ripped through me as well as the warm throbbing I felt between my legs.
We lay together in quiet bliss for a long time, sticking together with sweat, sharing the same air.
“Shower me,” I demanded but in a very undemanding tone.
Hair fell into his heavy-lidded eyes, and his lips were plump from kissing. “Shower you?”
I nodded.
His brow lifted. He was so roguishly handsome. “And why should I?”
“Because you’re the one that made me a mess.”
He smirked at that, not at all sorry, if anything, entirely proud. Sliding down my body and off the bed, he wrapped his hand around my ankle and tugged.
Blankets fell into a heap on the floor, but I never did. Neo lifted me against him, carrying me into the shower.
“This shower is bigger than our entire bathroom,” he said, sitting me down in the center.
I hit a few buttons, and water sprayed from several angles. Grabbing a bottle of body wash and a loofah, I thrust it at him.
While we washed and rinsed, we got to know each other’s bodies in ways we hadn’t even in bed, touching everywhere, lips lingering. Steam from the shower filled the air around us, offering a buffer from the rest of the world, giving us a gift I hadn’t realized we needed.
Wrapped up in oversized white towels, I directed him to sit on the upholstered bench while setting out everything I needed to take care of the wound on his head.
I didn’t ask if it hurt because he’d just lie, and the little hiss he gave when I started to clean it was answer enough.
Actually, there were a lot of questions I wanted to ask. There were a lot of words we needed to say.
I said nothing. He said nothing.
But the way I felt when we were finally back in bed and I was curled up tight against his chest?
It said so much.
50
Neo
* * *
I left again before she woke, leaving behind another flannel, knowing it wasn’t enough but unable to do anything else.
51
Ivory
* * *
Thunder growled overhead, the ground vibrating under its threat. Impenetrable clouds crowded the night above, trapping every bit of heat and moisture in the air. Humidity so thick and stagnant tried to choke me as I ran, feet slapping against the pavement, joints aching with the furious pace I set.
I was sticky with sweat and fear but pushed on, cutting through the clingy atmosphere, wondering if it was an accomplice to the figure giving chase.
Clad in a long, concealing cloak, the figure blended in with the night and moved at an unhurried pace, causing excess panic because no matter how fast I ran, they still managed to be right behind, and no matter how well darkness concealed, I still saw.
A violent neon bolt of electricity cut down from the sky, the cracking sound so brash I tripped, slamming into the ground. Burning with new scrapes and cuts, my arms shielded my face as the sky shook with thunderous delight.
Even after the bolt faded, the sky still glowed portentously, electricity lingering in the air. Sheets of icy, stinging rain released from the clouds, drenching everything they touched. Shaking and nauseous, I pushed up to run again, but the fall removed any lead I’d managed to gain.
A strong but oddly bony-looking hand clamped down on my shoulder, my yelp surely muffled by the monstrous storm. Flipping me onto my back, the huntsman hovered close, staring down from inside the opaque hood.
“Who are you?” I screamed, anger making me lunge.
Both my wrists were caught in just one of his hands shackled around me like mighty chains.
And then I was flying.
Falling.
My body suspended by nothing as it spiraled through the pounding rain and flashing lightning.
Slamming into something hard and unforgiving, back bowing, body arching, feeling like I might break in two.
Deafening silence enveloped me, the storm raging no more, the huntsman nowhere in sight.
Instead of falling, now I was floating, enveloped in some kind of void where everything was muffled and dark. In the murky light, a pale hand drifted close. I stared, transfixed by how white it was, almost as if it were nothing but bone.
Bubbles filled the space around me, bursting from my nose and mouth.
Realization smacked hard and panic seized my chest, forcing my mouth open. Water gushed its way down my throat.
Flailing, I struggled and searched for the surface but only sank deeper. A car appeared, half submerged in water, taillights looking like two menacing red eyes.
Pushing through the water toward the car, I beat a weak fist on the window.
“Help!” I screamed, the dense water seizing the sound.
Ignoring the heaviness in my limbs, the burn in my lungs, I hammered on the glass, begging whoever was inside for help.
Something came to the window, long dark strands of hair swaying with the current, swimming without care.
“Hey!” I screamed again, just wanting them to see me.
The body turned, hair still slithering around her like snakes and parting to reveal a child.
Skin as fair as snow, hair as black as night…
A bloodcurdling scream ripped free, a shriek so fierce it was no match for the water. Images burst behind my eyes, flickering so fast it was hard to even comprehend them all.
Rain. Night. Car. Woman…
Death.
The force of m
y gasp shot my entire body up off the bed. Tears streaked my cheeks, dripping onto my chest. Sweat clung to my skin, and my throat burned as if I’d been screaming for real.
A dream. It had only been a dream. A nightmare.
The horrible images and indescribable fear still clung, lingering just below the surface of my mind, promising they weren’t finished with me yet.
Shuddering, I turned toward Neo, craving his security, desperate to feel safe.
My arms met air.
My heart nearly broke.
A sob ripped out of me, echoing through the empty room. He’d done it again. Come to me in the night and left at the break of day.
How could he make me feel so incredibly secure but be so ridiculously fickle?
I need him.
Something I didn’t want to admit. Something I didn’t even like.
It didn’t make the need go away. It didn’t make me want him less.
The change I recognized in myself? It was him.
Did he not feel the same? Was I just someone to visit in the night? Someone to find pleasure with between the sheets?
He’s scared. Just like you.
But why won’t he reach for me like I just tried to reach for him?
More tears slipped free. Lingering fear mingled with fresh hurt as I sat in the center of my empty bed.
One teardrop fell from my damp lashes, splashing against my chest, against the green material buttoned up around my body.
He left another flannel.
Why bother leaving behind a piece of yourself if you didn’t want to stay?
52
Neo
* * *
My hand froze just before connecting with the solid wood of the door.
I knew it was wrong to be here. I couldn’t stay away.
Ivory White : A House of Misfits Standalone Page 26