by Bryan Smith
Her breath was hot against his ear as she whispered, “Get your keys and meet me down at the van.”
Then she was gone. Chuck turned away from the door and stared after her retreating form. She cut an amazing figure in that tight black dress, with curves much more pronounced than Zoe’s. She started down the stairs to the first floor, disappearing from view within seconds.
Chuck stared at the empty space where she’d been a moment longer.
I shouldn’t do this. It’s not right.
But then he thought about Zoe and how cold she had become. It’d been more than a week now since they’d last had sex. Hell, wasn’t it possible they’d already fucked for the last time?
He thought about Emily.
That killer figure.
Those long, long legs…
He went back into his room and retrieved his keys from the nightstand. Zoe was still locked away in the bathroom. If she’d been waiting for him in bed, his ultimate decision might have been different. He loved Zoe. He wanted to fix things between them. But he knew it wasn’t happening.
So he went downstairs.
Emily was leaning against the van. She looked up and smiled as he approached. “When you’re inside me, think about how much it’d hurt Zoe to know about this.”
Chuck grabbed her and kissed her. She hooked a leg around him and they writhed against the van for several moments. She felt so good. So alive. So hot. He whimpered as she reached into his jeans and seized his erection. At last they broke the embrace and Chuck fumbled with the keys. The electronic lock beeped and he threw the side door open. Emily climbed into the van’s dark interior and shoved the seat back to make room. Chuck followed her inside. Emily was already tugging his pants down as he slid the door shut. He peeled his shirt off and fell atop her. The clingy black dress came off after she rolled him over and straddled him. She wasn’t wearing panties. Of course not.
Then he was inside her and groaning.
And he did what she said.
He thought of Zoe.
The experience was agony and ecstasy intermingled and overlapping, and it ended with Chuck crying as Emily held him and laughed softly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
March 22
They stopped for the night shortly after crossing the state line into North Carolina. Rob was pretty sick of driving by then, but the relief he felt at the prospect of being off the road was tempered by a deep anxiety over what she had in mind for him now that this leg of the journey was done. He had watched her kill five people. He had no illusions. He was nothing to her. Just one more corpse-in-waiting. Roxie was remorseless and ruthless. A monster hiding in a pretty girl’s skin.
After leaving the interstate, they stopped at an ATM first to drain some money from Rob’s checking account. Roxie pocketed the thick wad of twenties and directed Rob to a motel a mile down the road from the ATM.
They pulled up at the curb outside the lobby. The Weaver Inn was a dump. Rob didn’t need to see inside the rooms to know that. The poorly tended grounds were evidence enough, as was the building’s grubby exterior. The nearly empty parking lot was another strong indicator. The place was seedy.
Roxie took the key from the ignition. “Sit tight and keep your mouth shut. I’ll have an eye on you the whole time. Anybody tries to talk to you, you don’t respond. Let them think you’re a rude asshole. You listening to me, Robin?”
That again.
The bratty little insult. The intent was to emasculate him. That was a joke. Hadn’t she already thoroughly unmanned him? Now she was just being a bitch and rubbing it in. He felt a little flare of anger, but it fizzled quickly. He was no match for her on any level. Taking the bait would only get him in a world of hurt.
He forced a nod. “I’m listening.”
“Good. Hey, Robin?”
“Yeah?”
“Fucking up isn’t an option. Draw attention to yourself, try anything dumb, and I start killing every motherfucker in sight. And that definitely includes you. Okay?”
What else could he say? He shrugged. “Okay.”
Roxie got out of the Galaxie and kicked the door shut. The male desk clerk’s gaze was riveted to her from the moment she stepped out of the car. He was a young guy. Barely more than a teenager. Like Roxie. His mouth hung open as he watched her push one of the glass lobby doors open and strut right up to the desk. Even though she’d traded her goth goddess outfit for more subdued garb, she was still sexy as hell. But it was a dangerous kind of sexy. The swivel of her hips in those tight jeans. The way the equally tight, low-scooped T-shirt emphasized her jutting breasts. It was a lethal package, the kind that renders most guys instantly helpless, rendering them vulnerable to just about any level of temptation. The kind that made happily married men break wedding vows without a second thought. The kind that would make some men willing to die for her. Or even kill for her.
But not me, Rob thought. I’m a more or less normal guy caught up in something I can’t control. I’m many things, but I am not a killer. There’s a limit to what I’ll endure or do for this girl.
Roxie leaned precariously over the desk, presenting her breasts in a way that ensured the clerk’s attention was on nothing else. She laughed at something he said and her breasts jiggled. The poor desk clerk looked like he might faint. The kid wiped sweat from his brow and gave Roxie something to sign. Roxie signed and peeled some twenties from the wad of Rob’s money. The kid took the money but didn’t bother to count it—he was too entranced by the sight of Roxie’s round behind as she strutted back out of the lobby.
“You made that kid’s day with your sex-kitten routine,” Rob said when she was back in the car.
Roxie pulled the door shut. “I know. We’re in room one nineteen, down at the end.”
She put the key in the ignition and gave it a twist. The engine came vibrantly to life, filling the lonely patch of rural night with its throaty roar. Rob put the car in gear and drove down to the far end of the lot, pulling into a space directly in front of room 119. Roxie took the key from the ignition again and dropped it in her bag. She then dug another key out of a pocket and unlocked the handcuffs. The handcuffs also went in the bag. Rob groaned and rubbed his aching right wrist.
Roxie smiled. “Oh…was that too tight? Did I hurt you, Robin?”
Rob didn’t say anything. He stopped rubbing his wrist and stared at the door to 119. They’d be inside the room within moments. He took a look around, checking out the withered shrubs lining the sidewalk, the sliver of moon visible in the clear night sky above him, and the wavy outlines of dark trees in the distance. It was possible these things constituted his last glimpse of the natural world. The motel room’s interior could well be the last thing he ever saw. Not a terribly inspiring possible final vision. He didn’t want to get out of the car.
Roxie said, “Get out of the car. Now.”
His hand went to the door handle ahead of any conscious thought. Then he thought of something. “Oh, wait.”
He pushed a button inset in the dash just below the steering wheel, triggering a grinding, ratcheting sound that made Roxie gasp in surprise. But she relaxed when she saw the car’s top unfold from the back and stretch out above them. The top thunked down. Rob pulled it into place and secured the corner on his side with a latch. They got out of the car after Roxie fastened the latch on her side.
Rob took one last wistful look around and followed Roxie across the sidewalk. She unlocked the door to room 119 with an old-fashioned metal key, the Weaver Inn apparently being too poor to invest in electronic-card lock technology. Rob followed her into a cramped space furnished with a single queen-size bed, a recliner, a small table, and two rickety chairs.
Roxie closed and locked the door. She set her bag on the table and looked at Rob. “Get on the bed. Lie flat on your back.”
Rob’s breathing quickened. “Wh-what…? I don’t—”
She came at him fast, too fast to react, slamming a fist into his solar plexus. It was a devastatingly ha
rd blow, her strength and fury stunning him again. In the instant before he toppled backward, he saw her eyes and got a look at that same wild expression he’d glimpsed as she’d bludgeoned that guy to death in the gas station bathroom.
This is it. I’m about to die.
Then his back hit the mattress and he bounced. The bed squeaked and the brass headboard thumped against the wall. Roxie moved to the side of the bed and stared down at him. “What have I told you about not doing what I say?”
Rob grimaced as another knot of pain formed in his gut. He groaned and writhed slightly. “Oh, God. That fucking hurts. I learned my lesson. Swear to fucking God.”
She smirked. “Good.”
She grabbed one of the chairs from the table and set it on the floor next to the bed. She straddled the chair and wrapped her arms around the back of it. “We’ve got some things to talk about.”
Rob groaned again and looked at her. “Yeah?”
Roxie smiled. “I’m gonna ask you some questions. I expect absolute truthfulness. Remember what I told you earlier. I hate liars. Here’s a fact. I can tell when people are lying. I am never fucking wrong. I’ll hurt you every time you lie to me. Lie enough and I’ll fucking kill you. Clear?”
Rob let out a big breath. The pain in his gut was beginning to recede. “Crystal. I’m all out of fight, I promise.”
She laughed. “Really? Oh, by fight, do you mean that tendency to run your mouth you had before I put you in your place?”
“Yeah. That.”
Another laugh, very amused this time. “Okay. First question. You’ve been gone all day. Who’s gonna miss you first? Look me in the eye when you answer.”
Rob looked at her. He cleared his throat and spoke in a calm, measured tone. “My roommate. Lindsey.”
Roxie arched a brow. “Your roommate’s a girl?”
“Yeah.”
“And she’s just a roommate. Not your girlfriend?”
Rob shook his head. “No.”
“You’ve never fucked her? Not even once?”
Another shake of his head. “No.”
Roxie frowned. “Why not? Is she ugly?”
“No. She’s very cute.”
“Are you fucking gay?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the deal? Something doesn’t add up.”
Rob shrugged. “I just…well, we’ve known each other forever. Since we were kids. We’ve just always been great friends. I like being friends with her. I’d hate to ruin it by…well, you know.”
Roxie made a face. “Does she have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“You’re an idiot.”
Rob didn’t say anything.
Roxie’s look of disgust deepened. “Jesus. You fucking moron. Anyway. I’m gonna need you to call her. Think you can come up with a good cover story for your absence?”
“Probably.”
“Good. We’ll take care of that in a few minutes. Next question. I assume you have a job. Did I cause you to miss going in, or were you off today?”
Rob opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated a beat. Roxie noticed it. Her eyes sharpened. He saw her muscles tense and knew she was on the brink of another violent explosion. He quickly decided against the lie he’d briefly considered telling. “I was off today. I work tomorrow. It’s my uncle’s company. If I don’t call him with some excuse, he’ll worry. He’s the closest thing I’ve got to a parent these days. So he’s pretty lax with me, far as the job goes. I could tell him I decided to take off for a bit and he’d probably buy it.”
Roxie unclasped her hands and drummed her fingers lightly against the back of the chair. “Hmm. Okay. So you’ll call him, too. Tell him something believable. Something to buy us enough time to change cars and get farther down the road.”
Change cars?
Rob was bewildered.
His car was the whole reason he was on the road with her in the first place. He could see her wanting to ditch the Galaxie. It was too conspicuous. But wouldn’t that mean his usefulness to her was over? Maybe not. Because it sounded like she meant to keep him around a while. He couldn’t figure it out. To what end?
Or maybe, he thought, she just put it that way to put my mind at ease while she figures out her next move.
She opened her mouth to ask another question, but a tentative knock at the door caused her head to snap around. “Who is it?”
There was the muffled sound of a throat clearing. “Uh…it’s, um…me.”
Rob didn’t recognize the voice. He frowned. “Come on, you’re not really expecting anyone out here in the middle of nowhere, are you?”
“Shut up.”
Roxie got up and went to the door. She peered through the peephole and grinned. She glanced back at Rob. “It’s party time.”
She opened the door and Rob saw the awkward, lanky desk clerk standing there. Roxie seized him by a wrist and pulled him inside. She threw the door shut and pushed the boy toward the bed.
“Hey, honey…”
Rob guessed he was “honey.”
So fucking weird.
What’s going on?
“This is Billy. He works here. I told him he could party with us tonight. You don’t mind, do you?”
Rob had no idea what to say. Not a clue what her expectations were. “Um…yeah. Whatever. I guess.”
Billy wasn’t paying any attention to him. He was too busy ogling Roxie’s tits. “Yeah…uh, I called this guy, Earl. He works here, too. Days. He came in to cover my shift. But I didn’t mention you, like you said. Told him my brother was in the hospital.” He forced himself to look at her face. “So I’m now free to, uh…party.”
Roxie beamed at him. “That’s so awesome!”
Billy grinned back. “Hell, yeah.”
His gaze went helplessly back to her tits.
So of course he never saw it coming.
Roxie punched him in the throat and he crumpled to the floor, gagging as he curled into a ball.
Rob sat up. “Jesus, not again. Don’t kill him!”
Roxie glanced at him. “Sit back like a good little bitch and watch the show. Unless you want this to be you.” Her smile was broad, a gleaming display of perfectly aligned white teeth with only the faintest hint of nicotine staining. “Is that what you want?”
The boy on the floor was crying softly.
Rob looked at him.
Then looked at Roxie—and saw the deadly eagerness in her eyes.
His shoulders sagged.
Roxie laughed. “That’s what I thought.”
She went to the table and took something from her bag. Rob saw what it was and squeezed his eyes shut. He did not want to see this. Not one bit of it. He’d seen enough terrible things today.
“Watch.”
A command. Disobedience was not an option.
He opened his eyes.
Watched.
And felt another indelible stain form on his soul.
CHAPTER TWELVE
March 17
The first thing she was aware of as she returned to consciousness was pain. Her head hurt and her jaw throbbed. One of her teeth felt loose. She probed it with her tongue and whimpered at the fresh jolt of agony this triggered. Her eyelids fluttered and she saw the hazy form of a man looming in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, opened them again, and the image crystallized.
It was him.
Her mouth opened wide.
“Scream and the lights go out again.” He cocked a fist and moved a step closer. “Maybe forever.”
Julie closed her mouth.
And in the next moment she became aware of several other things. It had all really happened. John, Karen, and Nancy Lee were all dead. She had killed a man, this psycho’s partner. And now here she was. Naked. Tied to a chair. She flexed her wrists, testing the bonds. Electrical cords or cables, felt like. He’d cinched them painfully tight, making the flesh bulge at her wrists and ankles.
She scowled at him. “Why am I naked?”
“Perv. Did you rape me?”
The big man smirked. “You’d know if I had.”
Julie’s face crinkled in disgust. “Gross. So you didn’t…right?”
The man shook his head. “I wanted to, but Lulu forbade it.”
“Who the fuck is Lulu?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” His smile was bitter, devoid of humor. “But she’s the reason I haven’t shoved a knife up your cunt.”
Julie gulped.
Yay, Lulu.
“Where is she? I want to talk to her.”
The man stared at her and didn’t say anything. He was still naked. His body was covered in dried blood. He was well into middle age, a fact betrayed by the gray hair and the deep lines in his face, but his physique was impressive. Thick musculature just about everywhere, but with a small bit of flab through the middle. She studied his face and decided it might have been sort of handsome twenty years ago, with that square jaw and those piercing eyes. But now he was old. He was one of those hard-living scumbags who looked old before his time. He had a destined-to-die-on-skid-row-in- a-puddle-of-piss kind of vibe. And he was a fucking pervert. He was licking his chapped lips and looking her up and down, his cock stiffening as he scrutinized her.
“You want me to suck that for you?”
Please say yes, you fucking freak. I’ll bite that nasty thing clean off.
His nostrils flared. “You know I do. But Lulu won’t allow it”
“Yeah. And speaking of her…you didn’t answer my question. Where is she?”
“Ya can’t see her.”
Julie stared at his swollen cock. The guy was jerking it right in front of her. She didn’t want to stare, but it sort of compelled the eye. It was huge. “Why not?”
“You just can’t, that’s all!”
Julie sighed. “Okay. Fine. Whatever. You’re in charge here.” She smiled and looked him in the eye. “Look, you can tell her I said it was okay. I wanna do it. Or if she’s not around, we just won’t tell her. It’ll be our little secret. What do you think?”
He grunted. “Hold on. Can’t think straight. Be right back.”