Cado

by Dyllin, D. T.

  Bert sat back in his chair and sighed. “Why are you here, Tiffany?”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. I hated when anyone called me by my real name at the club, and for that reason I went to great lengths to make sure that no one knew it. The exception was Bert since I had to tell him to be a legal employee. Some strip clubs didn’t care, but Club Elite was on the up and up…unfortunately for my name security. “Karma. It’s Karma here,” I finally snapped, unable to hold it in. “I want to know if I can see the security feed from the night I was last here. Specifically from the camera outside the changing room.”

  “Sorry, no can do,” Bert said, ignoring the correction of my name. “We checked the footage and nothing.”

  I stood, leaning forward on his massive oak desk, my fingers pressing into the wood so hard they tingled. “Nothing? What does that mean, nothing?”

  “Just that, there’s nothing there but snow. The thing is, it was only like that for a short period and then everything goes back to normal. It was basically a blip of a malfunction. I had someone come in to check the equipment and he claimed everything is fine.”

  “Nothing? I don’t understand,” I muttered to myself. I flicked my gaze back up to meet Bert’s. “So basically you’re telling me there’s no record of me leaving that night? I have no way of getting any clues from you?”

  “Are you in some kind of trouble?” Bert asked, worry etched into the lines on his face. “If you are you need to tell me.”

  I raised my hands in the air and backed towards the door. “I really don’t know. That’s kind of the problem.” I paused. “I still have a job, don’t I?”

  Bert sighed heavily. “Yeah, you do. I can’t afford to fire you right now with how short staffed we are…after…everything.” I turned to leave as Bert called out, “Buuut—you need to go on tonight. You may not be on the schedule but I don’t care. Be ready to go on in an hour.”

  My shoulders slumped. I’d been afraid of that. “All right. Fine. I need to swing by my place real fast to pick up my stuff and then I’ll be back.” I shoved out of Bert’s office in a foul mood. I ended up having more questions than when I’d gotten there. What the hell was going on? I had absolutely no theories and no leads. Could I just give it up and move on, hoping the missing days and security feed were a one time anomaly?

  Of course I couldn’t. There was just no way I was going to let it go. I’d just have to think of another way to go at the puzzle of my missing days. Maybe something will come to me while I dance tonight.

  I hurried out of the club to retrieve my stripper gear.

  On my way into my apartment, I brushed against a guy on the way out the front security door. I wasn’t on the prowl for a victim at the moment, nor did I really have the time for one, but the images came all the same. I saw the man in my mind’s eye beating a small puppy to death. Each blow reverberated in my chest, squeezing my heart painfully. The poor thing had cowered in the corner of a room, not fighting back until it was dead—loyal until the end even in the face of such cruelty.

  I choked back a sob. People that hurt animals and small children deserved their very own special place in Hell. A special place where the flames were hotter and the torture more gruesome… If I believed in such a place as Hell.

  I whirled around to trail after the guy. He was average build and height, although from behind it was hard to guess his approximate age. Not that I cared. His pants were a little too baggy and his sweatshirt was dirty, although I was about to make it a bit more so.

  “Hey,” I called. “Hey, you.” He stopped and turned slowly towards me. “I need your help.” I ducked into an alley between two row houses, hoping he’d follow. I was guessing he would, the piece of shit that I knew he was. He would see it as an opportunity to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation. He liked to prey on the weak and defenseless. Wouldn’t he be surprised when he got a load of me? I bit my cheek to keep from smiling with anticipation.

  I slid the small knife I always carried on me from my back pocket. I clicked it open with one hand and waited. Sure enough, the bastard came loping into the dark alley in search of me. “Over here,” I said, hoping to bring him closer to me without arousing suspicion. I wanted to do my dirty deed in the cloak of darkness therefore as far away from the streetlights as possible.

  As soon as he was in arms length I swooped down in a graceful move, taking me within striking distance of his femoral artery. I slashed quickly, smoothly, and lethally. He made a shocked grunt, the pain probably too excruciating to handle, and crumpled to the ground, blood spurting into the air. I dropped down to finish the job, slitting his throat from ear to ear.

  I glanced at my clothes, the dark red stains weren’t visible in the dim light but it’s why I chose to wear black most of the time. When vigilante justice was a way of life, one never knew when you would have to move quickly with doling out the punishment. I didn’t enjoy killing, not the actual act. The first time I’d done it, I’d tossed my cookies and spent a few hours in the shower trying to ‘cleanse my soul’. But the feeling of—justice—redemption—not for me, but for the victims of the pieces of shit that I killed—nothing could compare. I also didn’t kill everyone that I punished. I tried to let my sentences fit the crime. Sometimes I got carried away, like with my latest victim. I hadn’t been able to contain my wrath over the way he’d beaten the puppy to death. The horrific image of its crumpled body still hovered in my mind. Anyone who harmed such innocence deserved death. Probably worse, but I wasn’t delving into torture.

  “A bit sloppy, don’t you think?”

  A shiver raced up my spine and spread throughout my limbs, affecting my entire body. My eyes slid shut on their own volition, but only for a second. Then my gaze was gliding over Lucian hungrily. He stood just a few steps away from me, nearly touchable—touchable but beyond my reach somehow. His hair was shorter, darker too, and he wore another custom tailored suit. There was suddenly too much saliva in my mouth. I swallowed convulsively. There was a dead body at my feet and the only thing I could think about was running and jumping into Lucian’s arms, the very realistic figment of my imagination.

  “Nobody asked your opinion,” I forced myself to say.

  He chuckled, his laugh both dark and alluring. “I could help you.”

  “A figment of my imagination isn’t going to do much of anything actually helpful.” I scanned the alley looking for somewhere to stash the body. It would be found, but not until after I was long gone. Nothing would link me to him, and frankly in a neighborhood like mine, no one would do much digging. At least I hoped. If any of my DNA was found on him, however unlikely, I could always claim he’d been a customer at Club Elite. Being a stripper was more of an alibi than most people would think.

  Lucian chuckled again, sending more shivers throughout my system. “What must I do to convince you that I am as real as you are? I would have thought someone with your unusual…talents, would be a lot more open minded.”

  He appeared directly in front of me, scant inches away. Yeah, because that’s going to convince me. His full lips tipped up into a sardonic smile, a sneer almost. “I know,” he murmured. “How about this?”

  His mouth pressed against mine, parting my lips forcefully, laying siege in a manner that both weakened my knees and shot lust pumping through my veins. I clutched at his shoulders to keep from falling, but his arm had already snaked around my back to provide support. His taste was lush, decadent, a flavor just beyond definition, and yet it was familiar and welcoming. I swear I would have done him right there in the alley, dead body lying there and all, if he hadn’t pulled away from me.

  Belatedly, almost as if my body was just coming back online, horrific images assaulted me. People screaming, dying, being tortured… I had no idea what it all meant. It wasn’t the normal way I saw things. Normally my visions were whispers in my mind or flashes, sometimes not even in color. But these—these were painted with all the colors of the rainbow. Bright and bloody—ter
rifying. And it was as if Lucian was present in the visions—but not. It was all so much. Too much. I nearly fainted. Instead I dropped to my knees, hitting the pavement painfully.

  Glancing up at Lucian I shuddered. There was death in his eyes. A darkness I didn’t understand. And yet…yet a part of me didn’t care. I wanted him. I wanted what he was offering even though I wasn’t sure what exactly it was. Is he real? Everything about him feels real.

  He leaned over in front of me and stroked one long elegant finger down my face. His gaze bore into mine, twinkling with mirth. “Did that feel real enough for you, Tiffany?” It was as if he’d read my mind and asked the question only because he already knew the answer. His finger continued its journey from my face down my neck, and further still. I was frozen, caught in the tractor beam of his azure death-laden eyes.

  He stood abruptly, his attention focused in on something behind me. “Time for us to go.” Lucian snapped his fingers and just like that we were back at my apartment.

  My gut rolled with anxiety. I’ve lost my mind. It’s finally happened. None of this can be real. I need to—

  “Shhh,” Lucian murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “You’re not insane. This and myself included—it’s all real, I can assure you.”

  “Where was I for two days?” I blurted, unable to help myself. I didn’t know what to think. He was right though; someone like me with my abilities shouldn’t be so close-minded when it came to things out of the ordinary. What if Lucian was unusual like me, but with different talents? However unlikely, it was plausible, right? If I could exist, then Lucian could exist as well. I didn’t even really know what he was capable of. Maybe he simply had some kind of mind control, or brain fogging skill.

  “You were with me, of course.” He flashed me a panty-wetting smile before disappearing, leaving me standing alone in my apartment, with very real dried blood caked all over me.

  I had no idea what to think, so I did what I usually did when I didn’t have a clue about something. I just rolled with it. I slid my phone out from my pocket and checked the time. I needed a quick shower before I headed back to Club Elite. I couldn’t exactly go on stage wearing my latest victim’s bodily fluids. I had a feeling that might cause a few heads to swivel my way and not in the good way. I would shower and then simply carry on with my evening like nothing strange had happened. Denial is my friend tonight, just like it always is.

  5

  “You’re late,” Bert snapped at me practically as soon as I stepped foot into Club Elite.

  “No, I’m not,” I grated. I was not in the mood to deal with Bert’s grumpy attitude at the moment. I was trying—very unsuccessfully—to not think about Lucian, or the incident in the alley. And also not the dead body I’d assumedly left behind. I was rolling with everything, but not very smoothly.

  “I told you to be back in—”

  “I ran into some unavoidable complications…” My voice trailed off as two Pittsburgh Police Officers strode towards Bert, and therefore me. I immediately recognized one to be Officer Hotty. My chest tightened with anxiety. Maybe someone had seen me with the body. “I’m just going to head up and change.”

  “Tiffany!” Officer Hotty called out to me as I tried to make my escape.

  I hated that he knew my real name and was using it for all to hear. I swore under my breath before turning towards him, a fake smile plastered on my face. “Oh hi—Officer Moretti.” It was then I realized that I didn’t know his first name. It would be nice to know the name of the man who was about to fuck me, and not in a pleasant way. Although my lady bits tingled with excitement in his presence letting me know that they weren’t opposed to the good or possibly amazing kind of fucking. “Umm…what can I do for you?” I quirked my eyebrow and licked my lips suggestively. It was like my body was a separate entity from my mind. I really need to get laid.

  He scowled down at me as he approached. “I just want to talk to you for a sec.” He herded me backwards by using his large frame to corral me, and yet there was no contact between the two of us.

  I glanced around him to see the other officer chatting with Bert congenially. “What do you need? I have to get ready to go on.”

  “We found a body in your neck of the woods, just a few buildings down from your place in an alleyway.”

  That was too fast of a discovery for someone not to have seen me. My heart tripled in time and I had to force myself to take in deep, normal breaths. “Okay? So why are you telling me? I don’t live in the best neighborhood. Shit happens.” Easy now. Act casual—natural. You’ve been through this kind of thing before.

  He shifted uncomfortably, flicking his gaze away from mine. “We were passing by and I thought I’d give you the heads up to be extra careful. I have a weird feeling about this one.”

  I wanted to sag in relief. He knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. Thank God. “Oh well…thanks.” I snaked my hand out to touch his chest but he grabbed my wrist before I could make contact.

  “That wasn’t an invitation,” he rasped, his jaw ticking with tension. I’d seen it a thousand times before. He wanted me; he just didn’t want to want me. I was back in familiar territory—the position of power. My favorite.

  I tilted my head and feigned confusion. “Wasn’t it?”

  “Don’t play with me.” Officer Hotty’s voice dipped to a low rumble and his grip tightened on my wrist to an almost painful level. But he didn’t let go. He didn’t let go because he wanted to touch me, no matter how much he hated that fact.

  I slid closer to him, tilting my head back so I could retain our eye contact. “No playing. I want you. I’m not toying with you in any way. Just say the word and you can have me.”

  “I told you—”

  “Yeah, yeah, you don’t fuck strippers. But you don’t have to fuck me. I’m more than happy to fuck you.” I laughed at his tortured expression. Shaking his grip loose I backed away from him. “You know where to find me when you change your mind.” I whirled around and headed for the changing room, making sure to sway my hips a little bit extra for antagonistic purposes. I could almost feel his eyes burning into my ass. I bit my lip to keep from openly laughing again. He’d be back, of that I had no doubt.

  “Karma, please, I need you,” Ollie said in a high whining voice.

  I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Ollie had quickly become a regular of mine in the short time I’d been working at Club Elite. If I had to guess I’d say he was in his late twenties to early thirties. He was tall, skinny, pale…harmless. He was cute in a geeky kind of way. Unfortunately, he’d convinced himself that he was head over heels in love with me. He’d already proposed several times. In truth, I kind of felt sorry for him. He was a nice guy. I wasn’t sure why he wasted all his time on me. I was pretty confident that there were plenty girls that would be happy to settle down with Ollie. I knew he did something with computers that made him a lot of money. He might even own his own company, to which I would know if my eyes didn’t glaze over every time he talked about his job.

  “What do I need to do to prove myself to you, Karma?” Ollie reached for his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll—”

  I gripped his wrist and pushed his money away. Oh, I wanted it, and I’d taken it plenty of times before, but tonight I just wasn’t in the mood. “Look Ollie, you’re a nice guy and I like you. I enjoy spending time with you when you come in to see me.” I stood and straightened my nearly see-through gown. His dark eyes followed my hands sliding down my curves. “But I don’t love you. I could never marry someone I don’t love.” I leaned into him and he inhaled sharply. “Maybe you should ask a girl out who wants a relationship. I just want to see you happy, baby.”

  Ollie sighed. “But I want you.”

  “You can’t always get want you want, but if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need,” I sing-songed the quote from The Rolling Stones.

  Ollie slumped in the velvet lounge chair and frowned. “H
ow about another lap dance?”

  I shook my head. “No, not tonight. It’s no fun for anyone if you’re pouting at me the entire time.” I spun around and pushed through the curtain.

  I gasped as my face almost connected with a finely tailored suit encasing a masterfully sculpted chest. “Lucian,” I murmured as my eyes traveled up the length of him to settle on his chiseled face.

  He leaned down and slid his hand into my hair, tugging my head to the side, his lips brushing against my ear. “Since you already know my name, what’s puzzling you, is the nature of my game.”

  I sucked in a shaky breath. Being so close to him made my mind go straight into the gutter. For a brief second, I actually contemplated pulling him into a private room for a little follow up on our recent kiss. “That’s not how the song goes. It—”

  “I know,” Lucian said as he let me go and stepped back. “I was paraphrasing. Do you like that song too?” He tilted his head, his cerulean eyes sparking with something unreadable before darkening.

  “What? Sympathy for the Devil? Yeah, sure, it’s a good song too.” Where is he going with this? And why is he here? He’d obviously been eavesdropping on my conversation with Ollie. How’d he even get into the VIP lounge without being escorted by a dancer? Or know where I was? All of it was beyond weird, and creepy.

  “Do you? Do you have sympathy for the devil?”

  “Ummm…I guess I never really thought about it. You know, since he isn’t real.” My gaze had settled on his large hands. I was betting they would feel magical sliding all over my skin and I wanted to feel them—What the hell am I thinking? Creepy, creepy, creepy… He’s creepy not sexy. He could use those big mitts to choke the life out of me.

  “You don’t need to believe in something for it to be real, Tiffany. Personally, I think the devil is misunderstood. He’s not the bad guy. Maybe he just seeks to punish sins in the same manner you do.” He paused, stepping back into me. He wrapped some of my long hair around his fingers, tugging playfully. “Come, I want to show you something.”