They surrounded me like dogs around a lamb.
My mouth ran dry, my throat closing over with a familiar, painful tightening. But my body’s reaction had nothing to do with fear. Everything grew loud, my senses sharpening. Still I waited, a predator’s instinct of dividing the weak from the strong in a herd. They thought they were dealing with the lamb, when actually they were dealing with the wolf.
“Go keep watch, Mitch,” Jordy said. “You too, Russ. I don’t need a goddamned audience.”
I’d been fighting this for so long, doing everything I could to take myself out of situations that elicited the blood lust. I’d even resorted to hurting myself in order to stop the urges. But right now, the feeling of power, and hate, and want, and need built up inside me. And I let it. I focused solely on the purple veins crawling the way up this man’s thick neck, pulsating slightly with the heart beat. The thump settled in my veins, my heart rate growing faster to align with his. I knew nothing else in the world except the feeling in my mouth, the thirst which hurt my throat, and the throbbing of this man’s pulse.
I hadn’t even noticed that he’d pushed me backward, while he finished unbuttoning his pants and unzipped his fly. The last thing I wanted to see was what he had in there.
My gaze slipped over to where the other two men had disappeared behind the wall, keeping an eye out for anyone who might help me, or report them.
“Come on, baby,” said Jordy, his upper lip curled. “You want to know what a real man feels like?”
I stared at him, cold, hungry.
The expression on his face changed. He opened his mouth to yell for his friends, but I didn’t give him the chance.
I shot forward, heading for the jugular. I had always thought I would experience some kind of shame or disgust, but in that moment I thought nothing. My mouth closed around the skin of his throat and my teeth—teeth that had once been small and blunt—clamped like a bear claw trap into his throat. Blood flowed, an iron river on which every sense I’d ever experienced was carried. Jordy gave a few strangled cries, but the sounds were no more than he might have made during orgasm—not that I had any experience on that front.
I sucked and swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed again.
“Jordy?” one of the men called out. “You done yet? We’re getting impatient over here!”
Obviously, they got no answer.
I lifted my face from his throat.
Jordy felt like a rag doll in my arms. With his blood flowing through my veins, I was stronger than I’d ever been. I barely even noticed I still held him up.
One of the guys, Russ, came around the corner.
His eyes widened in horror, and he staggered back. “Jesus Christ!”
Like a wild cat, I curled my bloodied lips at him, and snarled. He spun on his heels, almost falling, and reeled away from the scene in front of him.
I heard Mitch’s confused tone. “What’s going on?”
“Just get out of here!”
“What? What about Jordy?”
“Forget Jordy! Just go!”
Car doors opened and slammed, and the engine roared to life. The wheels screeched against the asphalt, and the sound of the vehicle faded into the distance.
I considered going after them, but my blood lust had been sated, and I wasn’t sure what I’d do with them even if I caught them. I had a body to deal with, and absolutely no idea what to do with it.
Would they go back and tell everyone what I did?
I lifted my hand and wiped my mouth. Red streaked my pale skin. Abruptly, I turned to one side and vomited, the blood projecting from my mouth as though a faucet had been switched on. I coughed and spluttered, my eyes streaming. I barked a sob. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I was a killer.
Blood was everywhere, seeping down my chest and soaking into the ground. I hadn’t made two neat, little puncture holes in the man’s neck. Instead, a huge chunk of his flesh was missing, leaving a bloodied, raw, gaping wound from which his life force still continued to ebb.
I wasn’t just a freak. I was a monster.
Memories came pouring back to me. I’d tasted blood as a child, too. I remembered.
Sinking to the ground, I cried until my throat hurt. I was waiting for the carny guys to come back and bring the cops with them. I would spend the rest of my life in jail.
I didn’t know how much time passed, the body of my victim rapidly cooling beside me. The moon crossed the sky overhead, the occasional voices or footsteps passing by me on the other side of the wall, before fading away. Until eventually, the hour grew so late—or perhaps so early—that the rest of the world slept.
The grumble of an engine lured me out of my grief-stricken haze. The sound grew louder as it approached, and then slowed and stopped on the other side of the wall. I steeled myself. This was it. They were coming to get me. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to fight any more.
I looked up to see who had come for me—Bulldog Mackenzie, or even the cops—but instead Riley stood before me in his leather jacket, his jaw-length hair hanging in his face, his dark blue eyes darting in horror between me and the bloodied mess of a body I had left.
“Jesus, Icy. What the hell happened?”
I stared back at him and then glanced at the body at my side. Jordy’s face was white in the moonlight, drained of blood, his eyes still open and staring. The gaping hole in his throat appeared black.
“He … He attacked me,” I managed, before the tears took hold again. Before I knew what was happening, Riley was at my side, crouched to my level. He gathered me up in his arms, pressing my face to his chest, so I inhaled the musty scent of his leather jacket.
“Shh,” he said, the palm of his hand pressed against my hair. “It’s all right. It’s all going to be all right.”
Why was he doing this, holding me? He should be running right now, and screaming like hell, letting everyone know about the monster in their midst.
“It’s not okay,” I sniffed. I wanted to move away from him, but at the same time, I didn’t ever want to let go. “I killed a man.”
Riley leaned to one side to get a look at Jordy again. “And a damn thorough job you did of it too. How did you do that, Icy? It looks like you ripped his throat out.”
That’s ‘cause I did …
I forced myself to move away from him, though my soul cried out at the feeling of space between us again. “I can’t get you involved.”
“Don’t be crazy. I already am involved.”
“You should be furious at me. Why haven’t you called the police already?”
“It was self-defense, wasn’t it? Anyway, carny people don’t get the cops involved, ever. We handle our own business.”
I sniffed again. “But I’m not a carny.”
“No, I am. And you’re my business now.”
“Why?”
He scowled at me. “Stop giving me an argument every time I open my mouth. Now do you want help or not?”
“I want help,” I admitted, my voice tiny.
“Good. I know somewhere we can go to get rid of the body. Just wait here one minute.”
I didn’t want to be left alone again with Jordy’s corpse, but I forced myself to keep my mouth shut, not wanting to give Riley a quarrel, and so proving him right about my argumentative skills.
Within a minute, Riley was back, dragging his bike with him. “This is going to be awkward, and a bit gross, but I can’t think of any other way. We’ll haul him onto the front of the bike. I’ll sit behind the body, and you sit behind me, okay? You’ll have to hold on tight, ‘cause you’re not going to have any seat space, and we’re going to be off-roading. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I didn’t want Riley to mess up his bike with Jordy’s blood, though most of it was no longer in him. But I knew trying to convince him to do something else wouldn’t work, so I said nothing.
“How strong are you feeling?” he asked.
“Strong.” He had no idea how strong.
Together, we lifted Jordy and positioned his body over the handlebars, his torso slumping forward, arms hanging down, his fat ass positioned on the seat. Riley sat astride, having to effectively wrap his arms around Jordy’s body in order to reach the handlebars.
He kicked the bike into life, and I climbed on behind him. My stomach roiled with nerves.
Riley headed away from the wall and the road, crossing the scrubland and a field to head deeper into the forest. We bumped and jolted across the rough terrain, the body occasionally slipping so we had to stop and readjust it. Riley handled the bike with impressive skill, leaning when needed, slowing down or speeding up at other times, like a horse rider who understood his animal on an instinctive level.
I had to force myself not to take pleasure in my close proximity to Riley, knowing there was a dead man right in front of us, and that his blood still coated my clothes. It was hard work trying to have the reactions and thought processes of a normal girl, when every part of me knew I wasn’t.
Chapter
15
I barely knew the forests surrounding Sage Springs, but I trusted my sense of direction. Though Riley weaved the bike between the trees, often having to change his route due to a fallen log or a clump of bushes, I had a sickening sense that I knew exactly where he was going. Was I picking this off him psychically? It was possible, I was after all, physically closer to him than I’d ever been to another male—except perhaps my dad—right now. But I couldn’t help feeling as though the place itself was sending me a psychic calling.
Closer, you’re getting closer…
I clung tighter to Riley’s jacket. I wanted to tell him to stop, to go back, but I couldn’t. What would I say? That I had a strange feeling about the place I somehow knew he was taking me to?
Within half an hour, I was proven right.
Riley roared the bike into the clearing, and once again I was faced with those strange, glass-like pools. No insects buzzed around the water. Even in Riley’s bike headlights, where they’d been swarming on the drive here, attracted by both the light and the blood from the body, now there were none.
As soon as we stopped, the bike tilted to one side and Jordy’s body tumbled off, landing in a crumpled heap on the ground. Riley glanced back at me, and must have assumed my pale, worried expression was due to the presence of the corpse.
He placed his hand on my arm, rubbing me in comfort. “Don’t worry. He’ll be gone soon. He won’t ever bother you again.”
“Unless someone finds the body.”
“They won’t.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because things go someplace else when they’re here.”
Goosebumps crawled up my skin. “What are you talking about?”
“I just know that when things go into these pools, they don’t ever come back. Now give me a hand.” He bent to the body and started to drag it toward the nearest pool.
The place was beautiful, still and majestic, and otherworldly. Yet I sensed something predatory about the place. Like the vampires I was so familiar with, the clearing of pools seemed to lure unsuspecting people in with its beauty, only to bite when least expected.
“Riley,” I said, sudden panic heightening my voice. “Be careful.”
He misunderstood me. “Don’t worry. He’s dead.” I opened my mouth to try to explain, but I didn’t know how to voice my concerns. They sounded crazy, even in my own head. Instead, I bent to grab Jordy’s fat ankles, and, with Riley leading by lifting his arms, we dragged him closer to the nearest pool.
“Don’t get too near it,” I said. “You might fall in.”
He laughed, but the sound was cold. “I think that’s the least of our worries, Icy.”
I wasn’t so sure.
Riley dragged him the rest of the way, tipping Jordy’s body off the edge. The corpse dropped head first off the bank, slipping into the water like a seal off a rock.
Wouldn’t he float?
I voiced my thoughts to Riley, but he shook his head. “Not here. Nothing floats here. It’s like the water sucks them down.”
“I knew I didn’t like this place,” I muttered beneath my breath.
The rest of Jordy’s body vanished beneath the water. I had to admit, I was pleased to see him gone.
Riley turned to me. “Now your clothes.”
I gaped at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
“You’re covered in blood, Icy. You need to get rid of those clothes.”
He was right. “Shit.”
“Keep your panties on,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips, a teasing note to his tone. “I mean that literally, of course. There won’t be any blood on them.”
I wore jeans, which were soaked through. The blood may have made it down to my underwear, but I prayed it hadn’t. I huffed air out through my nose.
“Okay, fine. But you’re lending me your jacket, okay?”
“Sure. You in your panties and my jacket sounds good to me.”
I glared at him, but there was nothing else I could do. “Turn around, will you?” I snapped.
He gave me that knowing look again, and slowly turned his back to me. I glanced back at the pool nervously, half expecting the waves to start back up, or for Jordy’s body to float slowly and silently to the top, his eyes glassy and staring. But the water remained still.
“Hey,” I hissed at him, remembering something. “Your jacket.”
He turned back to me, grinning, and shrugged off the leather coat. He took a couple of steps toward me, and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said, though my gratitude was begrudging.
“Any time.” He stood there, grinning at me.
I widened my eyes. “Turn around!”
He laughed, but did as I asked. Even so, I was horribly aware of his presence, perhaps even more so than the presence of the pool directly behind me. I quickly pulled my top over my head, and glanced down at my bra. Dammit. The white lace was pink with blood. I had no choice but to take it off. Before I did so, I kicked off my sneakers and yanked my jeans down my legs. The material had grown hard and crusted, and I struggled to get them off my thighs. Anxiously, I checked my panties for any sign of blood, twisting my head around and arching one leg to try to get a decent look at my ass. As far as I could see, the blood hadn’t made it through the thick denim.
A breeze stirred around me, ruffling my hair.
“Throw the clothes in the water,” Riley called out to me.
My heart almost stopped. Had he been watching me after all? But no, his back was still turned.
“Shit,” I said again. I gathered up my clothes and dumped them into the pool, being careful to keep my toes away from the edge, still worried something would reach out and grab me, or else the water itself would suddenly rise in a wave and wash me in. The jeans and shirt quickly sank into the still depths. I hesitated and then reached around my back and unclipped my bra. The cool night kissed my skin, making my nipples pucker. With one arm covering my chest, I threw the bra into the water to join the rest of my clothes.
I snatched Riley’s jacket up from where I’d let it drop. It was big on me, thank goodness, big enough to hang just past my butt, and cover some of my thighs. I zipped it up, covering my exposed breasts, thankful for my return to modesty, and comforted in the feeling of being covered by Riley.
I blushed at the thought. “Okay, I’m done.”
He turned back to me and smiled, his gaze traveling up and down my body. “Looks good on you, Icy.”
“Oh, shut the hell up.”
I glanced down with sadness at my much loved sneakers. The soles were covered in blood, the canvas tops saturated. They wouldn’t be coming back with me. I sighed and bent to pick them up, before slinging them into the water to join the rest of my clothes, and the man I had murdered.
“Come on,” said Riley, jerking his head toward his bike. “Let’s get out of here.”
Barefooted, I ran back toward his bike. Riley s
wung his leg over the seat and kicked the bike into gear. I hopped on after him, able to scoot closer on the seat this time, and wrapped my arms around his waist to hold on. The position made the jacket ride up, so it sat at my hips, and did nothing to cover my thighs or panties. I couldn’t worry about that now, though Riley glanced down to give my naked thigh an appreciative stare.
The bike jumped forward, and Riley turned the machine in a tight circle, before heading back the way we’d come. We were able to make faster progress this time, and we bumped and lurched across the uneven terrain, causing me to hold on tighter. I couldn’t help myself. I pressed my face against his back, feeling the heat of his skin through the thin t-shirt he wore, the only item of clothing covering his torso now that I was in possession of his jacket. The roar of the bike through the otherwise silent forest sent nocturnal animals skittering for cover. The bugs were back again, flitting in the headlights of the motorcycle. I took comfort in their return. We had moved beyond whatever strange realm of power the pools held.
It was the early hours of the morning by the time we made it back to campus. I didn’t want to have to go to my room, but I didn’t want to go to the carnival with Riley either. People would start to notice Jordy missing. In fact, I was amazed the other two men hadn’t already reported his murder, if not to the police, then to Bulldog Mackenzie. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if a gang of the carny guys were laying in wait for me.
Riley pulled over the bike, and the engine died. I climbed off the back, my heart dipping at the space my movement had created between us.
“Well, thanks,” I said, glancing at the ground, shuffling my feet. Did ‘thanks’ cover it when someone helped you cover up a murder?
Riley swung his leg over the seat, to stand beside me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Taking you back to your room. What do you think?”
“I can get back to my room just fine.”
“Crap. You’ve been through a trauma. You’re not fine, even if you keep pretending you are.”
Twisted Dreams Page 12