by Eden Laroux
"Simple. The whispering thing told me. It tells me a lot of interesting things. Which reminds me..." Buffliro paused long enough to look up at Erickson, who winced at the man's gaze. "Do you really think you should be one to be handling a gun? It's a bit of a temptation for you to pull the trigger, isn't it? Not that it makes you any different from everyone else in this room. What concerns me more is that you've lost to your temptations before. I don't blame you for pulling the trigger. He was a sicko."
"Shut up!" Erickson hissed.
Frowning, Eli glanced over at Erickson. The younger man was shaking already. Whether from being unnerved or angry, Eli wasn't sure. He foresaw a problem either way.
"Maybe you should leave," Eli said.
"Yet, you battle with yourself constantly over what you did. Conscience gets to the best of us, I guess," Buffliro continued.
"I said shut up!"
"Erickson, stand down!" Eli ordered.
Erickson ignored the order and kept his gun aimed at Buffliro, even though that aim was shaky. Buffliro clearly knew he was in danger but kept his gaze on Erickson and kept talking.
"So, are you going to pull the trigger now? We all know you want to."
Whatever self-control Erickson had left was gone. Ignoring Eli and Rhodes, who now made a move to stop him, Erickson started to pull the trigger.
Suddenly his grip loosened on the gun and he was staring in the dark with wide eyes.
"What is that thing?" Eli heard Erickson whisper.
Eli saw nothing but the dark. Yet, he knew hell was about to break loose.
And it did.
Chapter Ten
ERICKSON SCREAMED SUDDENLY, his hands reaching out to his neck. If not for that action Eli might not have noticed the pin-prick bites that just appeared in Erickson's neck. Though small, any man could see the green venom droplets oozing from the wounds.
"Shit!" Eli heard Rhodes exclaim as Erickson dropped to the ground and started to convulse.
Only minutes later, Erickson stopped thrashing and it was clear he was dead. Already, his skin was turning that odd green tone. There was no time to mourn the man before a gunshot was heard and Rhodes went down.
Buffliro stood holding the gun Erickson had dropped only moments ago. And it was now aimed at Eli.
"Nothing personal," Buffliro said. "But I really need to have a talk with my son. And since he won't come here... well, you get the idea."
Eli said nothing.
Not even when he thought he glimpsed the whispering thing just moments before he was shot.
THE CHILDREN'S ROOM in the library was blessedly silent and empty that afternoon. Tony felt more at ease when searching the web without prying eyes. Not that anyone would see what he was looking up as wrong, or even know why he was looking it up.
From what the librarian had told Tony, there were not many copies of the book that had brought Bruce into existence. Only three libraries in the area carried it. Two, if he kept in mind the fact he had ended up keeping the copy he had gotten from his library.
Finding contact information for Miss Deborah was easier than Tony had anticipated. Her website, though appearing to have been set up during the nineties and not updated much since then, was informative.
Her picture showed a woman in her fifties with a large dog sitting next to her. An expression of amusement was on her face. Even the dog seemed to have a glimmer of something that suggested a mischievous nature. As if both knew something he didn't. It seemed right for a writer of a book about imaginary friends.
Finding the e-mail address was easy, too. How to compose this e-mail was an issue though. It wasn't as if what he wanted to know was normal. Even though he had the suspicion she knew what would happen when the poem was read aloud, it didn't mean it was true.
So the question of if he should even send the e-mail came up in his mind many times. And no matter how many times he reworded the e-mail, it still sounded strange.
He realized that no matter how he wrote it, the whole story was going to sound like the ravings of someone who was not one hundred percent there.
What would be the harm in just deleting the text and forgetting this whole silly idea?
For all he knew, she couldn't help him even if she knew about the effects of her poem. It was the possibility of knowledge, though, that kept him from abandoning the whole thing.
Knowledge that could help Bruce, and possibly Meg as well.
As awkward as it was, he had to take this chance.
He hit the send button. Dread formed in the pit of his stomach seconds later.
What if she thought he was insane? That, itself, would be bad enough. It was worse than not getting the answers he was seeking.
But nothing could be taken back now that he had sent it.
***
Next Book in the The Whispering Series:
QUESTIONS AND WHISPERS
Bullfiro, Tony's abusive father, has escaped, and the news devastates Meg. How she will be able to protect Tony until Bullfiro's back behind bars, she doesn't know. She does know she has Bruce's help. Two adults ready to lay their lives for this one special child should be enough, right?
But she still does not know about the strange deaths that progressed until Bullfiro's escape.
She did not know about the mystery behind each death, or that Tony's father has his own imaginary friend, the one he called The Whispering Thing, who knew about people's darkest, ugliest secrets. Obviously, this imaginary friend is the opposite of Bruce.
Meanwhile, in Tony's little world, he is busy plotting out his guardian's love lives. He has everything in bullet points in his notebook. Such tenacity should bear fruits. Right? Especially when it's obvious, even to him, that Bruce and Meg are right for each other. Right?
Bullfiro and The Whispering Thing are coming.
Then a visitor in the middle of the night brings with her a secret that will tell what really are Bruce and The Whispering Thing.
***
~ ~ ~ ~
Read the next book by Eden Laroux:
If you like this book, you will also like Beloved Soul Mates: Witching Call and A Holiday Fairy Tale Bundle 1...
Witching Call Part 1: Soul Mates Kiss
A LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS TIME
Lola Ravensworth is a reluctant but powerful witch, while Marcus Swan was an orphan who knew there was something different about him, but never guessed it was a warlock bloodline.
Lola, a reluctant witch, is on the hunt for Marcus, an ignorant warlock, to bring him to the Council of Witches and Warlocks to be educated about his powers.
She goes to New Orleans to find him. He is a surprise--handsome, young, filthy rich and couldn't be more perfect. She has to head back to New York on her birthday--the eve of Samhain, when news of the strongest flood Louisiana has ever seen is broadcasted on TV. The weather turns in favor of fate instead of her wishes.
Stranded with Marcus in his castle until the storm passes, there is no way to escape the growing physical attraction between them. And on the eve of Samhain, they kiss!
That kiss is the portal to their other lives as soul mates.
A Holiday Fairy Tale Part 1: Whisper a Wish
WILL EVERYONE’S CHRISTMAS WISH COME TRUE THIS YEAR?
December is Chrystal Seabell’s most favorite time of the year. The snow is falling, the air is crisp, and love is abound. It’s the time of the year she’s been waiting for, and nothing’s going to stop her from making if perfect.
With her heart set on making this Christmas extra special, Chrystal directs all her efforts into throwing a Christmas party for the children. All her family and friends are on board with this too, and she couldn’t be happier.
Chrystal had the feeling that Travis will pop the big question to top off the holidays. She should be looking forward to starting her life with Travis, but somehow a proposal is the last thing on her Christmas list. She would never want to hurt Travis, but she can’t keep leading him on, especially when he’s already thi
nking about the future.
With Christmas fast approaching, will Chrystal be able pull everything off for a picture-perfect holiday?
Unravel more of this fascinating book, continue reading Beloved Soul Mates: Witching Call and A Holiday Fairy Tale Bundle 1...
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Wrong Number
Devon wakes up to the news that her husband was involved in an accident that left his wrecked car at the bottom of the river, with no body to be found. Followed by a series of mysterious phone calls asking for Dan that send chills down Devon's spine, she knows something just isn't right. But the worst is yet to come...
* * *
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Wrong Number
Finally! Devon thought as she sat down on the couch in her new apartment.
Moving was never easy, but she had done it so many times now that it was becoming somewhat of a routine. However, this time it was different. She wasn't going to be moving again in the near future, if ever. It had taken a while to save the money she needed, but now she had her very own book shop. Even better, her spacious apartment was right over the shop, which meant that she had everything she needed conveniently within reach.
The first order of business had been to get her belongings moved into the apartment. Tomorrow, Devon would begin unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves of her shop with the help of Janina, the girl she had hired to help her. Together, she hoped that they would be able to get most of it all done within a couple of days. She really wanted to have her grand opening by the end of the week. Saturdays were usually excellent days to hold them because people would be looking for something to do on the weekends.
Devon had planned it all out beautifully. She did her research and found that this tiny coastal town on the east coast would be the perfect location for her book shop. Crystal Cove was small enough to be quaint, but large enough that tourists visiting nearby beach resorts would be able to find it easily enough. In fact, tourism was a large part of the town's income. When she found Crystal Cove, it boasted one casual dining restaurant, one fine dining restaurant, a Victorian bed and breakfast as well as a small but elegant inn. There were other necessary businesses in town but there was no book shop. That's where Devon came in.
She was going to be selling all sorts of books. There would be sections for romances, mysteries, occult, research materials, and even a children's section. That was going to be set up as a story time area. Her favorite part, though, was in the back of the shop. That's where Devon would be offering Tarot readings in a private and specially decorated area. No one had to know that her information came from sources that had nothing to do with the Tarot. She had been playing that off for years so that people didn't become afraid of her and her abilities.
Well, Devon thought. I can't just sit here daydreaming. I've got to get busy. Her electricity, water, and landline phone were all turned on and she could now stay here. The movers were due to arrive in a few hours to bring in her furniture. One thing at a time, she thought. She got up and started to do some cleaning and measuring so that she would know where she could put what.
This is going to be amazing, Devon thought. Dan would have loved it. No, I'm not going to think about him right now. It's only going to make me sad and I can't afford to get depressed right now. She went into her sunny kitchen and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. Stocking the refrigerator had been something she had had the foresight to do. She would get her bed set up and at least be able to eat something in her own home tonight.
Just as she popped the top on the soda, her phone rang. Startled, she nearly spit out her swallow of diet coke. It had to be a wrong number, she thought as she went back into the living room to answer the phone. Picking up the phone, she said a cautious but cheery "Hello." At first, no one said anything.
"Hi, is anyone there?" Devon said.
"Hi," a deep male voice said. "I guess I must have the wrong number. I was trying to get in touch with Dan, but you're obviously not him."
"Dan?" A little unpleasant shock ran through Devon's body. "How do you know Dan?" "Hey, I'm really sorry for bothering you."
Before she could say anything else, her caller had hung up. She checked the caller ID and saw Unknown Number registered there. How odd, she thought. There wasn't enough time left to dwell on it, though, because at that moment, the movers pulled up. She was distracted for the next couple of hours with supervising the unloading of her furniture and boxes of things.
As she had promised herself, Devon got her bed set up and a path cleared so that she could eat a simple dinner in her very own kitchen. She nibbled on a salad and an avocado and bacon sandwich when she remembered the odd phone call from earlier. That really had to be a coincidence, she thought. It did make her miss Dan even more than ever. That feeling was especially bad at night. She tended to remember the way he used to make her body absolutely sing with pleasure. No man had ever been able to do that for her before or since. In fact, Devon was pretty much afraid that she would never meet another man that would do that to her.
Suddenly, she realized just how tired she was. She got up and changed into her pajama pants and spaghetti strap t-shirt. Washing her face and brushing her teeth completed the bedtime ritual for tonight. She slipped into her bed and turned out the lamp on her nightstand. Just as she was dozing off, her telephone started to ring. Fortunately, she had an extension sitting on her nightstand so all she had to do was reach over and pick it up.
"Hello," she said.
"Hi, is Dan there?" came the same male voice from earlier.
"It's you again," Devon said accusatorially. "Who is this and what do you want?" "Oops, I've got a wrong number again! So sorry!" And with that, the connection was broken.
Dammit! Now, Devon would never be able to get to sleep. What the hell was going on? Was someone trying to play some sort of joke on her? If so, it was a very cruel one and she didn't appreciate it. Dan was gone and he wasn't ever going to come back. She had only recently begun to accept that and now, some asshole was trying to rattle her cage. Of course, she could be crazy. It could just be that it was an honest mistake. Dan was a pretty common name, after all.
Common, however, was the last word that would ever have described her Dan. Laying back onto her pillow, she could see his tousled black hair, high cheekbones, blue green eyes and sexy sideways smile. God, how she missed him! No one was ever going to take his place and she knew it. Her body still missed him every night. Even right now, when she was tired and hot, her body wanted Dan to be touching her, kissing her, and making love to her. Finally, she turned over on her side and went to sleep with a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Wake up, sweetheart. Devon, open your eyes and look at me."
"Mmm but it's so wonderful to lay here like this with you, Dan. Do we really have to get up now?"
"Yes, darling. I would love nothing more than to hold you in my arms all day, but now isn't the time. There's something I must tell you and it's important that you pay attention."
"Of course, Dan, I'm listening. What is it?"
"You need to be careful. I can't protect you from where I am but you need to know that you're in danger."
"Danger? Who on earth wants to hurt me?"
"Shhh, don't speak. I'll tell you everything."
There was a ringing sound in Devon's ears suddenly. She was trying so hard to hold Dan's face in her mind but he was fading very quickly. The ringing became louder and more insistent. Devon's eyes flew open. She realized that the telephone was ringing on her nightstand. The sun was
shining brightly and streaming through the partially opened curtains. Her bedside clock read 8:35 AM. Who the hell could be calling her at this hour? Reaching over, she lifted the phone and mumbled into it.
"Good morning, is Dan there, please?"
This again! She didn't even bother trying to carry on a conversation. Simply disconnecting the call would have to do. Devon didn't have the time, patience or energy for this. However, she was awake now and had a full day ahead of her. A shower sounded great to her at that moment so she got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.
Minutes later, she was stripped and standing under the refreshing spray of water. Picking up the tube of shower gel, she squirted some into her hand and started to move her soapy hands over her body. As she passed over her full breasts, the unexpected stimulation caused her to emit a gasp. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had experienced any sort of sexual pleasure. Her toys had even been neglected because she just hadn't felt the need for them. Now, however, as she absently lightly pinched her nipples, she felt a jolt of sexual electricity move through her body.
Closing her eyes, she continued to tease her nipples until the ache had moved directly to her clit. Without seeming to be aware of her actions, Devon slid one hand down over her stomach to her nether region. With a single minded motion, she parted the folds that revealed her clit that stood out like a tiny erect cock. Stroking it only brought her a more exquisite and torturous need for release. As she continued, that special sensation started to creep over her before slamming into her violently. Devon cried out as she rode her hand, moving the other one down so that she could slip two fingers deep inside of her soaking and spasming pussy. Just as she was coming down from that orgasm, she felt it rising inside her again. Before she returned to herself, Devon had reached a total of four intense orgasms. Now, she was weak and her legs were barely holding her up. Giving into the afterglow of the moment, she slid down the shower walls and sat under the cascading water.