The Guilty Innocent

by D N Simmons

  Xavier opened the front door and we all stepped inside. I looked around, it was true the mansion was in disarray. Artwork damaged, furniture strewn about, some in shambles. There was paper everywhere, no drawer was left unopened, no cushions left unturned. There was one thing I did not want to see and that was a dead body. Xavier had said that their human servants were slaughtered and I did not want to see one.

  I turned to Xavier. “Where are the bodies?” I asked, unable to conceal the nervousness in my voice.

  “What? Afraid you're going to get a little blood on your hands,” Elise stated smugly.

  “I'm not talking to you.” I hoped she got the message. What was with this bitch!? “You know what...I don't know what your problem is with me, but you need to calm down that attitude. I am not going to take any more of your snide ass comments!” I said, finally reaching my last straw.

  “Is that a threat? Is this the part where I'm suppose to shake in my three inch heels?” she asked, then she laughed outright, hand coming to her mouth coyly.

  I wanted to slap her, I think Xavier felt my anger and he pulled me out of the room. I would like to think he separated us for her safety, but I knew she had to be some sort of shape-shifter and my silver earrings wasn't a useful enough weapon to go against her with had we actually came to blows. It was a wise decision on his part.

  “What's with her, Xavier? Why is she picking on me!?” I asked him, hoping he could give some insight.

  “She and Darian were lovers,” he said. I had an inclination that they were lovers. I hoped they weren't lovers still, I decided to ask.

  “Are they still lovers?” I asked apprehensively. I wanted to know, but then I didn't. I would hate to find out that Darian was courting me, while sleeping around, that is a definite “no-no” in my book.

  “No. When he met you and decided he was going to court you, he had stopped seeing Elise. That is why she is giving you a hard time, but I'll talk to her.” Xavier said, then he looked around the room and frowned. “We cleared out the bodies earlier, why don't you look around, see if you notice anything that would form a good connection...or do you think the club would be a better location?” He asked, he searched my expression as if trying to ascertain my feelings at the moment.

  “Well, I'll look around the mansion, first. But I do think the club would be the better location,” I said. “Warren and I went there last night and earlier today. We checked the dance section, garage and Darian's car, but that was before the club was ransacked.”

  He nodded. “I should have thought of that earlier, it's just my mind...” his voice trailed off, he put his finger tips to his temples and closed his eyes.

  I suppose vampires can get headaches or at least frustrated to the point of discomfort just like humans.

  “Living here with Darian has been wonderful. Darian is always in control, the atmosphere which he controls is always perfect and now, without him here, we have this chaos. I've never had to deal with anything like this,” he looked at me and smiled sadly.

  “Everything will be alright, Xavier.” I said, trying my best to console him. Xavier was still worried that Darian would go rogue and everything that was once perfect would be destroyed. I did not want that to happen either, I really cared about them and I didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them.

  “Come on, we've got work to do.” Xavier said, perking himself up.

  I nodded and we walked out of Darian's and Xavier's bedroom, which was in perfect condition. Xavier led me to a room that looked a lot like a storage area.

  “As you can see, they searched this room thoroughly.” Xavier said as he surveyed the damage. “This is where Darian and I keep some of our personal belongs we don't have the heart to discard.” he chuckled but I could tell that he didn't think it was funny.

  It must be a horrible feeling to know that someone-a stranger has violated your space and all of your belongings. I ran my lingers over Darian's personal items, such as his watches, shoes, I looked into his trunks, both his and Xavier's beautiful clothes were tossed on the floor. These people who came here must have been desperate to enter the very lair of vampires and rob them while they slept in their beds. I wondered how they could do what they did without being caught.

  “Xavier?” I asked. He looked up at me from hiss kneeling position on the floor. He had been looking under a table for clues.

  “Yes?” he asked as he rose and began to walk towards me.

  “They were in here as you slept, I thought you could wake up during the day in case of emergency?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “Darian can, I can't...still not old enough for that little trick. I'm powerful but Darian has age and the skills learned over the ages on his side.” He continued. “These thieves probably do not know this and that is why they didn't take any chances by entering our bedrooms.”

  We searched the rest of the mansion for a few more hours. We were in the den when I decided to ask another question.

  “How old is Darian?” Xavier seemed a bit reluctant to tell me. “I'll keep his age a secret.” I promised, hoping to convince him to tell me.

  “Very well,” he sighed, smiling. “He'll be sixteen hundred and fifty years old on August 24th.” His smiled widened as he looked at me.

  My shocked expression must have tickled him pink, I could not help it. It's not every day you find out someone is over a thousand years old!!!

  “Damn! No wonder he's so jaded!” I exclaimed. “Yes, 'he's been there and done that', as they say.” Xavier said chuckling.

  “Sorry to break you two lovebirds up, but Sergio and I have picked up a few scents and we're ready to go to the club now.” Elise interrupted, she stood in the doorway, hands on her hips.

  “Good, let's go.” Xavier said, not wasting any time.

  We left the mansion and drove at neck-breaking speed towards Desires Unleashed. We walked inside the offices and saw that they were in the same condition as the mansion. It was a good thing Darian was rich, he was going to need the money to fix all the damages. We searched out the strip and dance sections of the club. Xavier even led us to a part of the club I had no idea existed. Dare I say it was a bordello! The lock was broken, and the door rested on one hinge. The four of us walked inside, the shifters immediately started scenting the room. Sergio chuckled but didn't say anything. After a few minutes they left and only Xavier and I remained. I looked around the room, it was decorated somewhat like a high-class salon. There were cushioned chairs in the waiting area. A customer service desk, where I supposed “appointments” were made. There was a big screen television and a rack with nothing but adult reading material.

  “I don't know quite what to think about all this.” I said as I surveyed the room.

  “Yes, it's a bordello, one of the best in the country thanks to our 'highly skilled' employees, if you catch my drift.” Xavier chuckled. “Come on, we have a long night ahead.”

  We entered several bedrooms, each had their own theme decoration. For example, one room was all red with a rotating bed...kind of cheesy, but some people might enjoy that. Another room, which I thought was pretty creative was almost like the universal vision of heaven. It was all white, the bed looked to be one big comfy cloud. There were sheer white curtains which really brought out the beauty of the room. All-in-all, it was a glitzy bordello, not that I'm the expert on adult “funhouses”.

  As I searched, I almost did not want to touch anything, but for Annette, I decided to bite-the-bullet. I made some connections, and we continued our investigation. Xavier led me to Annette's office as I looked around, I felt my throat tightened and I choked back the tears. Xavier pointed out the objects that Anthony used when he had the office. I touched the computer, the stapler, the movie memorabilia paperweight. The various items I touched sent little tingling sensation through my fingertips as connections were being formed with each contact.

  “Xavier, why haven't you called the police to report all this?” I asked.

  Xavier turned
around and looked at me. “Because the police would ask questions that I don't have the answers to. There would be too much speculation and we don't have time to deal with a police investigation right now. Everything has been dealt with accordingly.” He walked toward me. “What is the matter?” he asked inquisitively.

  “What did you do with the bodies?” I asked.

  “We have contacts that help us with this sort of situation, meaning the disposal of bodies. Those who had family members will be notified and funeral services for their loved ones will be held, paid for by us. Those who did not have family to contact will be buried on holy ground. The police cannot be involved at this point, our time is too precious...you do understand this, don’t you, Natasha?” Xavier asked me as he stared into my eyes. I nodded my head

  “Good, I didn't want to have to do any of this, but if we don’t work fast there is no telling what will happen in the next five days. Besides, all of the vampires in this mansion, including myself, would have ended up in a cell along with Darian for multiple homicides. Without substantial evidence pointing to alternate killers, we would be the first to blame. Come on, let's see what Sergio and Elise have discovered.” He led us out of Annette's office.

  I was relieved to leave the room, lest I would not be able to fight back the tears any longer. Elise and Sergio began walking towards us with catlike gracefulness. They appeared to walk in step with one another as if their every move was choreographed. They stood in front of us, Elise threw me a disdainful glance, then looked at Xavier.

  “We've picked up the same scent here that was at the mansion. So what did little miss psychic here find out?” Elise asked.

  “Natasha has to be asleep to see her visions, at least that is the way it is at this moment,” Xavier replied.

  “Oh lord!” Elise said exasperated. “Do you mean to tell me she is only useful in her sleep.” She looked at me with a sneer on her lips. “I hope you're sleepy...pathetic!”

  That was it! “You know what, you're supposed to be a supernatural, but I don't see you coming up with any plans or answers, so you can just back off, bitch!”

  She took a step closer to me. “Is this you trying to put me in my place?” She asked arrogantly.

  “No, this is me, getting ready to put my foot up your ass!” I said, I had had enough of her attitude. She had been giving me a hard time since the first moment we met.

  “Cool it, Elise! If you're going to hinder this investigation, you can go the fuck home!” Xavier warned.

  Elise seemed to be taken aback, insulted even. Sergio began to smile then he turned away, I suppose he was trying to hide the fact that this situation was humorous to him. I myself was thrilled that Xavier put her in her cage. I was also shocked that he cursed. I've never heard him curse before...well at least not the big bad words. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a cream puff when it comes to cursing, I've been known to sling some terms here and there. It was just a surprise coming from Xavier, it also made him even sexier to me than he already was. There was just something insanely masculine about a man who can successfully use the word “fuck”.

  I looked at Elise, even though I fought the smile that wanted to spread across my lips, I let my eyes do the talking. And my eyes were saying “ha ha!” she sneered, then turned away from us. Xavier leaned over and kissed me on my temple softly, it was a comforting gesture. We walked out of the club, Elise and Sergio climbed back into his car and he pulled alongside Xavier's as we climbed inside. Elise lowered her window and spoke.

  “Call us tomorrow, let us know what your plans are. I want to help Darian.” She said finally, then Sergio drove off. Xavier drove me to my apartment. After searching the mansion and club for hours, I was looking forward to going home. I invited him up and this time, he accepted my offer. The apartment was silent...too silent, it felt uncomfortable, lonely. I turned on the lights as I walked towards the kitchen. I reached into the refrigerator and began to pour myself a glass of water. I drained the glass then sat it down on the counter. I looked at the god awful yellow garden patterned wallpaper that covered the kitchen walls and I felt the tears flow down my cheeks. I did not want to fight them any longer, Annette favored this wallpaper, I had wanted to take it down, now I found myself wanting to hold on to the ugly pattern. Fond memories surrounded everything about the apartment. I sat down in the chair and looked around the kitchen, crying freely. Xavier walked into the kitchen and kneeled down in front of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pick me up out of the chair easily and carried me to my bed, laying me down and climbing in beside me.

  “It's okay,” he whispered. “I know you miss her, you're suppose to miss her. Annette was one of a kind, I was fond of her as well.”

  “She didn't deserve this, Xavier. She was so caring, young and beautiful!” I sobbed.

  “No, she didn't deserve this. Nevertheless, there are many wonderful people who do not deserve the bad things that happen to them. Natasha, I know that you are a religious person...” He lifted my face so that our eyes could meet. “...If you truly believe in the infallibility of God, then consider Annette an angel who has been summonsed home. You'll miss her company, her vibrant personality, that was her physical form. You now have the real Annette and you always will, in here,” he said with the upmost sincerity as he pressed his hand gently over my heart.

  The tears began to pour. I could hear my own choking sobs deafening my ears as I held on to Xavier, my head pressed to his chest. What Xavier was saying was hitting home. I still felt a sadness for the loss of my best friend, but I was beginning to feel a strange peace at the thought of her resting in heaven. She wouldn't want unto be tormented by her death, she wouldn't want me depressed or unhappy.

  I felt the gentle touch of Xavier's strong hands caressing, me, I began to feel a stirring inside and goosebumps began to rise to the surface of my flesh. I raised my head and looked into the warm expression of Xavier's eyes. I felt my heart skip a beat. Xavier wiped away my tears with his thumbs as he smiled sweetly at me. I kissed his soft full lips, gently at first then more passionately. His lips parted as his tongue slid into my mouth. He was an excellent kisser, I could not help but wonder who I should credit for his skill. He shifted his position putting his body over mine, he broke our kiss and began to plant delicate pecks down the length of my neck sending tingles throughout my body. I could feel the heat rising in my body as his fingers began to undress me, removing my shirt, then my jeans tossing them to the side. He buried his face between my bosom, his strong hands began to remove my bra. I could feel his wet mouth on my left breast, the feeling was amazing. With each stroke of his tongue, I felt little exquisite tremors between my legs.

  His hardness brushed along my thigh as he massaged and suckled my breast causing me to gasp at the sensation.

  Xavier slowly slid down my body, licking along my skin, his fingers trailed downward tickling my flesh, causing me to giggle. He looked up at me and smiled, his grey eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “I see that you are ticklish,” he teased. “Maybe a little.”

  He smiled playfully, his eyes bright. He then lowered his head and began to suckle my flesh, his tongue darting out to lick my navel as his fingers pulled down the band of my white lace panties, slowly removing them and tossing them on the floor next to my clothes. He sat up on the bed then began to undress himself, I stopped him. Xavier smiled down at me as he lowered his arms. I looked up at him, never had I beheld a man so masculine, so powerful, yet so very gentle and patient. Slowly, I pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor next to my own pile of discarded clothing. His torso was beautiful, a light dusting of brown curly hair layered his chest then formed a thin trail over his flat, muscular stomach down to his crotch. I ran my fingers down the ripple of his abdomen until the tips of my fingers brushed the fabric of his jeans.

  “Do you like what you see?” Xavier asked in a soft and passionate voice.

  “Yes.” I replied, never taking my eyes from his. Xavier
smiled as he watched me unbuckle his jeans then pushed them down past his thighs. He assisted me by standing on the floor and sliding them off completely. He didn't wear underwear and his manhood jutted up, pointing directly at me, hard and ready. Xavier slowly climbed back onto the bed and push me lightly on the shoulders until I was laying on my back. He peered into my eyes, I could feel his passion as he pressed himself against me. The stirring sensation between my legs grew, it pulsed as I melted in the heat radiating from his body.

  “From the first moment I laid my eyes upon you, I have wanted to take you into my arms,” he whispered sensuously.

  I was at a loss for words, my breath caught in my throat. He slid lower and began to kiss the top of my foot, slowly working his way up my leg. His finger tips tickled the back of my knees, causing me to yelp and giggle, lie chuckled and continued lo lick my inner thighs, moving closer to my heated passion. I felt his tongue enter me, I gasped in amazement, my eyes widened. My hands gripped the sheets as I felt his tongue explore me. I had never had a man do this before. My last boyfriend never wanted to, but he always wanted that of me, needless to say, we were at a stalemate. Xavier had no hang-ups about pleasing me, I never knew men like he, Darian and Warren existed...well they existed in the supernatural world, but do they exist in the human one as well?

  I was seized by the incredible pleasure Xavier was causing. My muscles tightened and my breathing began to grow frantic. Xavier increased the gentle pressure of his tongue and the speed of his strokes. I arched on the bed as I began to feel my orgasm forming. Xavier's tongue worked faster to bring me harder as his strong hands held me firmly on the bed. My climax ripped through me and I cried out, my fingers gripped handfuls of Xavier's silky brown hair as I rode the tidal wave of pleasure. Xavier held on, never easing up, causing my body to jerk and spasm uncontrollably. The pleasure was almost too much for me to bear. He knew the perfect moment to pull away, looking up at me, he smiled, his hand coming up to wipe his mouth. His tongue snaked out to lick the back of his hand, tasting the wetness, he smiled sensuously. I could feel my face flush, I had to catch my breath. The pleasurable assault on me continued as Xavier mounted me, burying his face between my breast again. I could feel his tongue on my erect nipple, sending more tremors throughout my limbs. I felt him enter me slowly, he was a comfortable size, he filled me nicely. Xavier began to stroke inside me with a smooth paced rhythm.