Death Love Lust: A Naughty Bedtime Story Anthology (Naughty Bedtime Stories Book 4)
Page 15
“Will it hurt?”
I shook my head. “No. It will be like falling asleep. And then no more pain. Only good things.”
Did that make me a liar? I didn’t care. I would be her friend and comfort her. Even if I wasn’t sure I was telling the truth.
Her eyes closed. “I’m glad I have a friend.”
Tears blurred my vision. I was glad to have a friend too.
***
I sat in my car for a long time. A little soul in the purse next to me. I put my face in my hands and cried.
When I finally came up for air, I didn’t bother to look at the book. I drove straight to Kelly’s. She was waiting there for me. She had on a Dr. Who nightshirt and was ready with coffee.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi.” She hugged me tightly and led me to her couch. She sat down in front of me. I watched her. Unsure of what to expect. She did the last thing I expected.
She pulled out a little black book. It could have been the twin of the one I had been carrying around. She placed it on the table between us.
I stared at it. This strange alien thing that had been leading my heart around for the last three months. I didn’t comprehend all of it right away. I just stared. I didn’t dare look up. I didn’t have the guts. I was too afraid to connect her face with the truth.
Finally all I could muster was one word.
“Why?”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Because it had to be you.”
I wanted to yell. Scream. Throw something. Tear my heart out of my chest and show it to her for her to see what she had done to it.
“No matter what you are thinking,” she said. “I want you to know I really do love you. Finding you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
I couldn’t find my voice. It was better that way.
She reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’re a wonderful man. You’re heart is the reason why I chose you.”
What about the other Death? Did she get rid of him to be with me? She must have seen something in my face as she shifted uncomfortably.
“He wanted to retire. I called him out to my apartment to discuss the future. He was looking into my apartment to see if you had arrived yet.”
Oh. It just so happened I got the drop on him instead.
“Were you two...?”
She shook her head. “Business only. I never dated until you.”
“How long?”
She frowned. “That I worked with him?”
“No. How old are you?”
“Twenty-seven. Same as you.”
I wondered if I believed her. “How did you become, well, whatever you are?”
She tossed her hair and smiled slightly. “It was passed to me not unlike the way it was to you.”
“You killed for it?”
Her mouth dropped open. “No. Wait, is that what you think you did? You are not a killer. If anything you’re an angel of mercy.”
I laughed. It was a hollow, unfeeling laugh. “Now that’s rich,” I said. “For the last three months I’ve taken so many lives. I thought I was keeping you, me, us, safe. Turns out you were the one telling me to kill those poor people.”
Her gaze narrowed at me. I was used to Kelly being cross. I wasn’t used to seeing this new person. Were they one and the same? Where did one begin and the other end? Was Kelly even real?
“James,” she said. “Listen to me. What we do needs to be done. Just as there are those who bring life to this world we balance out the suffering when its time. People are born. People die. But you and I,” she squeezed my hand again. “We’re together in this until death.”
I dropped her hand and stood up. She looked at me helplessly. “Please don’t go,” she pleaded.
Where could I go? Where could a person run from death? Life and death. What was it? Was it just some twisted game of the gods? Were Kelly and I destined to perform on a macabre stage to please invisible hosts?
I thought about her words. My mind wandered through the myriad of faces of the people whose souls I had taken. Some hadn’t wanted to go. I still didn’t know where the souls went once I put them in the soul purse. But so many were glad it was their time. Their suffering was finally over. I had done that.
Kelly had opened a door. But I walked through. I glanced down to her pleading, tear-filled eyes. They didn’t belong to a killer. They belong to the same girl I had fallen for. The one who had encouraged me to become the compassionate man I am.
I laced my fingers between hers.
“Until death, we won’t part.”
DEATH LOVE LUST
AUTHOR PAGES
CATHERINE STOVALL
Catherine Stovall is the author of many fiction works in the horror, steampunk, paranormal, fantasy, new adult, dark fantasy, and young adult genres.
Catherine is a fearless creature who surrounds herself with the joys of life both in and out of her fictional worlds. She lives in Southeast Missouri with her husband, three children, and pets. When not writing, she spends her time riding motorcycles, wearing elaborate hats, and genuinely enjoying the oddities in life.
A lover of social media, she encourages her fans to reach out to her through Facebook, her website, and twitter, so they can share in the experience of publishing and creating.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorcatherinestovall
Website: www.catherinestovall.webs.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cathstovall
AURELIA FRAY
Aurelia Fray is the naughty Hyde side of a rather ordinary woman. She lives in London, England and loves the age-old city. She loves the bustle and the narrow streets, the crazy pigeons, and the history.
Author of The Tienimi Club Series and frequent contributor to erotic anthologies, Aurelia adores penning salacious stories and suspects that her foray into romance and erotic literature will be a titillating adventure for author and readers alike.
Facebook: Http://www.facebook.com/Aureliafrayauthor
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8206839.Aurelia_Fray
Amazon Author Page:http://www.amazon.com/Aurelia-Fray/e/B00KPD30D6
VICTORIA KINNAIRD
Victoria Kinnaird is a 28 year old, tattooed music lover who started writing when she was 15. She is best known for The Red Sun Rises Series, a set of LGBT YA paranormal romance books that have dominated Amazon UK's LGBT YA chart. The series has been nominated for the Young Adult and Teen Readers Best Book Couple award while "The Red Sun Rises: Fire and Ash" won The Kindle Hub's Best LGBT YA award in 2014. When she's not writing, Victoria likes to travel around the world with her sister to see her favourite bands play.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/victoriakinnairdofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/v_kinnaird
Official website: www.victoriakinnaird.com
LIBBY BISHOP
Libby Bishop is a paranormal romance and erotic romance author. She loves reading, writing, movies, Lindt dark chocolate, autumn, the SyFy Channel (Haven and Bitten!), and spending time with friends and family. She has one fat, fluffy, cat who thinks she’s queen of the house…and really, she is.
You can currently read the first two books of the Revenant Investigations series—Ghosts of Kingston Cottage, and the newly released Ghosts of Trenton House. Also available are the first two books in the Green Mountain Shifters series—Claimed by the Bruin and Claimed by the Catamount. You can also read her stand-alone short story, An Island Christmas. All published by Evernight Publishing.
She also writes dark fantasy/paranormal/horror under the name October Weeks.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LibbyBRomance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libbybishopromance
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/octoberlibby/
JEN L. JOYAL
Jen L. Joyal lives in North Carolina with her husband for the last 15 years. A proud mother of four daughters and one son. She has also been blessed with six beautiful granddaughters who are the light
of her life. She is employed as a Publicist at Hot Ink press. A job that she truly enjoys.
Over the past year she has written 4 poems. All that have been published with Crushing Hearts Black butterfly Publishing House. This has given her the encouragement to continue writing. Recently she has written a short collection of poems ‘ Doorway To My Soul’ that was release on July 28th of 2015.
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Jen-L.-Joyal/e/B012F2QROS
Author page: https://m.facebook.com/Jen-L-Joyal-111718279163089/
Twitter: https: https://twitter.com/jen_joyal
LILY LUCHESI
Lily Luchesi is a paranormal, horror, and erotic author. Her debut novel Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Series Book One), was published by Vamptasy Publishing on May 19th, 2015. Book two, Miranda's Rights, was released on January 8th, 2016.
She has a short story, "Undead Ever After" in the CHBB anthology Love Sucks (released on June 13th, 2015). Her first erotic short story, "Have No Fears", was published in the Hot Ink Press anthology Naughty Bedtime Stories: In Three Words on October 10th. She will also have a short erotic horror story, "The Devil's Dozen", in the upcoming Hot Ink Press anthology Death, Love, Lust, which will be released in February of 2016.
http://lilyluchesibooks.wix.com/lilyluchesi
http://facebook.com/lilyluchesi
http://twitter.com/LilyLuchesi
JENN NIXON
Jenn's love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.
She often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.
www.jennnixon.com
PATRICK TUMBLETY
Patrick Tumblety's work has been described as being able to deliver both "genuine fear and genuine hope." (Amy H. Sturgis - Award Winning Author and Professor of Narrative Studies)
Mr. Tumblety's first published release was 2012's Dark Passages, a collection of original thrillers. Since his debut, his work has been featured in a variety of notable publications, including Ross E. Lockhart’s Tales of Jack The Ripper from Word Horde Press, Miseria's Chorale by Forgotten Tomb Press, and Fossil Lake from Sabledrake Enterprises, edited by Christine Morgan.
Mr. Tumblety's work also appears in film, television, and photography. He currently lives in Delaware with his wife, Kathleen, and their cat, Dusty.
http://www.amazon.com/.../B00D6X.../ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1...
JACLYN OSBORN
Jaclyn Osborn is a bestselling author of male/male romance and was born and raised in the state of Arkansas. Her days mostly consist of writing, reading, and having epic Lord of the Rings watching marathons. All types of genres within the m/m world interest her, in both reading and writing, and she hopes to delve into a few of them in her writing career.
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Jacly.../e/B010BU5K76/ref=sr_tc_2_0...
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/JaclynOsbornAuthor/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jaclyn_osborn
ISKRA RYDER
Iskra Ryder writes paranormal erotic romance. She is a graduate student living in Chicago with a roommate, a cat, and a hedgehog
iskraryder.com
https://www.twitter.com/iskraryder
iskraryder.tumblr.com
CHARLOTTE ONDAC
A writer of erotic horror with a loving partner and two children, heavily inspired by writers such as Anne Rice. Especially focused in the myth of vampires and dark beings, and the erotic nature of these beings.
A practicing pagan, Charlotte has a deep interest in the occult and ancient mythology, and wishes to explore how these mythologies can affect our world. Wishes to explore all erotic natures of dark creatures.
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Ondac/e/B00NVBMRWE/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_4
EMMA MICHAELS
Emma Michaels is the bestselling author of the Society of Feathers series. As an avid reader she started her book blog in 2009 (www.EmmaMichaels.com) and over the years has received numerous short story publications in addition to her full-length novels. Working to help Indies and small presses from around the world she has received the nickname 'The Mad Hatter' for her versatility in graphic design, publishing, marketing, and blogging.
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Emma-Michaels/e/B004FVEL1E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1453570148&sr=8-2
MICHAEL CROSS
You can find more of Michael’s work in Mystical Bites, A CHBB anthology.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Bites-Anthology-Lexi-Ostrow-ebook/dp/B013TPFL8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453570310&sr=8-1&keywords=mystical+bites
OLIVIA HARPER
Olivia Harper is an editor for Hot Ink Press and has worked on many of their releases. In addition, she is the acquiring editor for a number of Hot Ink Press and Encompass Ink Anthologies. For more information please visit
http://www.hotinkbooks.com/open-call-anthology-submissions.html
OR
http://www.encompassink.com/open-call-anthology-submissions.html
Email Olivia Olivia@HotInkBooks.com
Naughty Bedtime Stories Anthologies
First Taste: http://smarturl.it/NaughtyBedtime-HIP
Second Chances: http://smarturl.it/NBSSecondChances
In Three Words: smarturl.it/InThreeWords
***
Complicated Steps: http://smarturl.it/ComplicatedSteps
* * *
[1]