Taste the Dark (Elwood Legacy Book 1)

by Nicola Rose

  He laughed, a soft chuckle with a wry smile, which softened the hard eyes for a moment. “That’s not hard to believe. Listen, you’ve already noticed that I’m a little weird. I have good senses. I can read people really well,” he paused, uneasy. “Sometimes, I can get the gist of what people are thinking.”

  “Like a psychic?” Excitement tickled under my skin.

  “Yeah, if you like.”

  “So, you can read my mind?” I sat forward eagerly, already lost in the thrill of that idea.

  “Are you not even a little bit freaked out by this?” he frowned, shaking his head. “I was bracing myself for a big problem convincing you that I’m not mental.”

  “No way, I love all that supernatural stuff! I go to a psychic back home and… I’ve had weird experiences myself that I can’t explain. I believe in forces outside of what we know. I mean, I don’t believe in God as such, but I believe in the soul. There has to be some spark that makes us what we are, right? And that spark can’t just disappear?”

  His face darkened. I went on, hoping to get the smile back, even if only a half-hearted one. “And I believe that once upon a time we probably all had extra abilities in our minds. The brain has these bits that we don’t even use. Some people are probably better at tapping into that than others. Extrasensory Perception.”

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting it to be this easy. I wonder if I should be done with it and tell you all my other secrets, too?” There it was, the half-smile. Even that was dazzling enough to blind me with awe, his full grin would surely be atomic. Maybe I’d get lucky and see that one today, too.

  “There’s more? Don’t tell me you can use telekinesis?” I laughed, despite my head telling me to quit giggling like a love-struck schoolgirl and start demanding answers.

  “No.”

  “What then?”

  “Nothing. I’m just kidding. This is enough isn’t it?” he asked.

  “It’s awesome! Tell me what I’m thinking now.”

  “It doesn’t work like that. I can only usually hear thoughts that concern me. And even then I can’t always hear them. They come to me sometimes.”

  “Oh.” My cheeks felt hot, remembering all the dirty fantasies I had about him each day.

  “Yeah, those are the ones,” he laughed.

  “Bloody hell, stop it at once!” I pushed him, expecting him to stumble sideways, but found myself up against a brick wall, his arms wrapped around me.

  “You’re strong,” I whispered. He was hugging me gently, but I had the feeling I could snap at any moment if he tightened his arms.

  “Don’t be embarrassed, I love those thoughts. You have an extraordinarily imaginative and dirty mind.” He leant his head into me, as tension dropped over him again. “There is something else we need to speak about, though.”

  Crap. That didn’t sound good. I didn’t want to ask him all the questions. Now that his arms were around me, I didn’t want the answers. I knew I wouldn’t like them. And he felt too good to let go now. I tried to kiss him to shut him up, but he dodged it.

  “My brother, Alexander. You need to keep away from him,” he said.

  Memories from the other night flooded through my mind, like an unwelcome guest that you just can’t help warming to. Initial thoughts were of fear and hatred, closely followed by desire. Images swirled of him sucking on that girl’s neck, in public, so erotic. His appearance after the fire. The way he made me feel when he looked at me, sparks throbbing between my legs.

  I shook my head to clear it and took Zac’s hand in mine, because he suddenly looked mad as shit.

  “You’ve spoken with him?” his voice low, threatening.

  “Kind of. He acts like you – irritatingly evasive.”

  “You won’t ever find me over the South side. Don’t go there again.”

  “Yes, boss,” I said with a mock salute.

  “I mean it,” he tried to smile as he pulled me back close. “I don’t get on too well with my brother.”

  “So I hear. Who exactly is he? Because it sure looks like he’s involved in some bad stuff, like a pimp maybe, I don’t know. Do you know? Because if you do, what does that say about you? You’re hiding so much from me. I wish I could walk away,” I blurted in a constant stream of babble, needing to get it all out before I looked into those eyes again and forgot all my worries. Was he drugging me? I looked at my drink and set it down on the table.

  “You’re right, he’s dangerous. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

  “And what about you? Are you dangerous?”

  “Yes,” he said simply.

  I caught movement over his shoulder and noticed for the first time that Leon and another follower were loitering nearby.

  “Can’t you go anywhere without them? What are they? Bodyguards?!”

  He scoffed, “I don’t need bodyguards. They’re pretty adamant I need protection from you though.”

  I laughed. He didn’t.

  “You’re not without your own dangerous secrets,” he said. “Since we’re opening up here, are you going to tell me about yours?”

  I laughed nervously and bit my lip in hesitation. “I don’t have any.”

  He cocked his eyebrows.

  “I don’t know what happened on the beach, if that’s what you mean. That’s the truth. Do you believe me?” I asked.

  He paused, thinking, rubbing his delicious bottom lip between thumb and forefinger.

  “There are things you still haven’t told me, but yes, I believe you don’t understand it,” he shrugged, like we were talking of not understanding a math problem, as opposed to a conjured sand monster.

  “Shouldn’t you be the one freaking out then? Running from me? That’s what usually happens…”

  “I don’t run. In fact, want to go for a ride?” he asked with a sudden happiness. “We need to get away from here, and I know an amazing place that I’d love to show you.”

  “It depends. Will you kiss me there?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I do believe I will.”

  We left the bar holding hands and as we approached the bikes I was filled with dread at the sight of another piece of paper taped to the seat. At least it put him in the clear about doing it.

  Zac quickened his pace to get there first and made a funny noise beside me. Was that a growl?! He snatched the paper and screwed it into a ball.

  “Hey! That was for me. I want to read it,” I said.

  He reluctantly uncurled his fingers and handed it over.

  HE’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK HE IS. YOU DESERVE MORE.

  Well, I guessed it ruled out Danny, too. He’d been at the bar the whole time, burning a hole through Zac with the evil eye.

  “They’re trying to freak me out. They obviously don’t know that you’ve already told me about the psychic thing. Although, we still haven’t established who they are?”

  His face burned with an urgent intensity as he sat himself astride his chopper. “Later. Come on, I still have something to show you.”

  Well, where’s the fun in tall, dark, strange men if you don’t allow yourself to be whisked away by them?

  15

  Zac

  The sound of gravel crunching under the wheels as I pulled my Harley into the driveway was not unlike the static rage noise that filled my head when I was struggling to keep cool. The constant swirl of a hundred different noises in the world around me, stirred up with my anger and my animal. Sometimes those noises threatened to send me crazy, because ironically, that would actually calm it all. The release of the darkness would wash over me and soothe it all away.

  That’s right. Go ahead, let me out.

  Some days it was worse than others. Since she arrived it had mostly been worse. And now this. Whoever they were, they were pushing their luck with those ridiculous notes. I needed to find them and fix the problem, fast. I’d just have to add it to the list of big fucking problems that needed my immediate attention.

  “Is this where you live?” Jess asked, dismounti
ng and strolling towards the large sweeping steps of my veranda. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, it’s impressive, but I don’t generally find houses that exciting.”

  She gave me a playful look over her shoulder and paused, hand on her hip. My cock twitched. Damn that big seductive smile. “Then again, it depends on what happens inside The Bachelor of the Island’s pad. I imagine all sorts of mischief could happen in there.”

  Yeah, best you don’t know. I grabbed her hand and led her around back. “I said we were going for a ride, I didn’t say it was on the motorcycle. Come on.”

  “Are you shitting me?” she stopped dead in her tracks with a hand over her open mouth, staring at the helicopter. I loved that mouth. So big and beautiful, her whole face was all about the mouth. When she smiled it made me forget, just for a moment. I could forget Selena, the Bael, Alexander. I could imagine happiness without fear.

  By the time we were settled into the cockpit she was still jabbering like she’d had a wrap of speed, with ‘ooooohs’ and ‘aaaaaahs’ and pointing at buttons. It was infectious, and thankfully helped to distract me from the inappropriate notions of her mouth on my cock.

  It didn’t take any effort on my part to impress women, I certainly didn’t need a helicopter to do it, but pleasing her was fucking wonderful. I wanted to make an effort. Seeing her eyes alive with excitement, and her juicy lips in that mischievous grin.

  Pathetic, cock-sucking, dickhead.

  Once we were airborne she managed to start stringing together words, even whole sentences.

  “Why on earth do you have a helicopter?” was of course the first question she asked.

  “Business trips,” I replied, leaving out the part about how living in one place meant our hunting choices were limited and so we travelled out of state a lot.

  “What sort of business? I thought you played poker?” She looked at me doubtfully.

  “I do. There are other casinos around the country, you know. They get so suspicious of me I have to move around. Besides, I have my teeth into a few other projects, too.” I touched her leg to distract her away from the topic. Turned out no distraction was necessary.

  Her response was, “Hey, if your business gets me flights in a chopper, I don’t care what it is.”

  She might change her mind about that. When would that time come, I wondered? When would she find out?

  Leon was knocking on the edge of my consciousness, asking to be let in. Now that Jess was absorbed by the twinkling city lights passing below I dropped the barrier without any enthusiasm.

  “Yes?” I asked, my lips not moving.

  “With respect, Zac, I wanted to ask if you know what you’re doing?” Leon’s voice drifted into my mind.

  “I have no idea, but I’m going with the flow.”

  “Do I need to remind you that this could play out really badly?”

  “No, you don’t need to remind me of anything. In fact, with respect, you should watch your step. I already warned you all.”

  “I’m here as your friend. Are you asking me to sit back and watch you burn?”

  “I’m asking you to have faith in me. I can’t stop, Leon, not even if I wanted to. I’m too drawn to her. It’s agony trying to stay away.”

  “Which is precisely why you should stay away. She could undo so many years of being clean.”

  I raised the barrier back up and blocked him out, ignoring the scratching in my head as he tried to get back in. Jess was still mesmerised by the view and I decided to surprise her with a little more of the thrill that she so craves.

  “Do you trust me?” I asked.

  “Hell no!” she snorted. “I barely know you. You’re freaky, and a stalker, and into some dodgy business.”

  I returned her grin and banked the chopper sharply upwards into a vertical rise before flipping it over several times, then nose-diving towards the earth. I let us drop way lower than a human pilot could before pulling back up from the dive. Not many helicopters can go upside down, but I have the money to buy the best.

  She screamed. And screamed some more. My teeth tingled.

  “What’s up?” I asked as I flipped us round again. “I thought you were an adrenalin junkie?”

  “Oh… my… fuck… stop it!” she spluttered.

  I levelled us out. She looked as white as me, but then a smile crept back on to her face.

  “Holy fuckbuckets! Do it again!” she laughed.

  I complied, and the fear and excitement rushed off her, bouncing around the cockpit. The beat of her hammering heart went right through me. Her blood smelled so hot and sweet, surging around that delicate body.

  The Beast emerged from the shadows within, silent and predatory, stealthily creeping to my core and testing my resolve. My mind swirled with the torment of one half wanting to touch her and the other half just wanting to rip her throat out and drink her dry. Her jugular was pulsing so loudly, it hammered in my ears like a passing train.

  Louder and louder… my vision darkened at the edges. I poked upwards with my tongue to try and stop my fangs from dropping, but they were half out and showing no signs of retreating.

  She’ll taste so sweet. Sweeter than any other. Drink from her. Savour her. Add her to the basement and feast on her daily until she’s an anaemic, withered soul like Selena.

  The aerial stunts were clearly a mistake. The last thing I needed was the increased appeal of her pulse racing, as if the temptation wasn’t great enough already. We still had a couple of hours of flying and I couldn’t afford to lose focus up here. A crash wouldn’t likely kill me but it wouldn’t do her much good, assuming I hadn’t already killed her before hitting the ground.

  “Enough of that,” I said, facing away in case she saw my teeth. “Don’t want to give you a heart attack.”

  “Yes, if I’m going to die up here there must be better final moments.” She leant over and rubbed my dick. Was she crazy? Had she already worked me out? And if so, why on earth was she doing that?

  That was also a terrible idea at any time of day, but especially at five thousand feet in a confined space. My erection was instant and the darkness on my periphery closed in, fangs entirely out, throbbing and aching. I hadn’t realised that I was holding my cell until I looked down and found it shattered and crushed in my fist.

  I hastily dropped it down the side of the seat. In a moment of ludicrous madness I’d been about to call ahead and book us a hotel room.

  She looked out the window as she stroked and rubbed at me, playing a game of ‘who can act the most casual despite the ridiculously raised tension?’ Oblivious to the imminent danger. She was perilously close to either being screwed senseless or sucked dry. Or, let’s face it, both at the same time.

  Her thoughts swirled with sex. There was a small amount of underlying fear. Unfortunately it wasn’t a big enough part to make her act on it and get the hell away from South Padre. The idea alone sent another wave of pain through me.

  The Beast snarled in anticipation. I grabbed her hand a little too roughly and stilled the rubbing, as hurt and rejection swept across her face.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I need to take it slow.”

  “Sure,” she muttered, quickly withdrawing her hand and placing it in her lap. “You must be the first guy to ever say those words to me. What’s your story? Messy break up? Are you on the rebound?”

  “Messy life. There’s a lot to work through.”

  “Sounds familiar,” she sighed, resuming her scrutiny of the view from her window.

  She was quiet after that. The silence brought a calmness back over me and I managed to contain myself for the rest of the flight. Still, I must admit, I was taken aback when I landed her safely on the old cracked helipad.

  “Where are we?” she asked, rousing herself from a half-sleep.

  “Pittsburgh. Have you been before?”

  “No.”

  “Good.” I led the short way to a parked car and opened the door for her.

  “You have a car waiting
? That doesn’t look good, you know. Exactly how many ladies do you bring here?”

  “You’re the first, honestly. I called earlier and had the rental company leave it here for me.”

  “Slick,” she said, stroking my face as she slid past and climbed in. Ten minutes later we were at the top of Mount Washington.

  She gazed out at the spectacular night skyline from the viewing platform. I gazed at the spectacular view of her body. My heart aching and breaking, demons scratching and gnawing. I was totally unprepared for feelings like this to surface. Where did she come from? Why was she here, tormenting me?

  We sat down and drank in the view together. The panorama of downtown was something else. The Golden Triangle skyscrapers lit up, dazzling, where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers flow together creating the Ohio. The whole town shimmered and sparkled; glass, steel and concrete, lights, bridges and water.

  In the forties it was a different scene; the Smokey City. The heavy industry smog was sometimes so thick that the streetlights were left on during the day. It was one of the few places I could wander in the daytime without that niggly dulling of my senses, the undercurrent of pain, the aching uneasiness.

  I returned my attention to Jess, who sat leaning on her hands, so that her back was arched and her… assets, were out. I couldn’t help thinking about how they’d fit so perfectly in the palms of my hands. It was chilly up here and her nipples poked at the fabric of her top. I’d have offered her my coat if I’d been chivalrous enough to remember to bring it, but my mind had been preoccupied with other ideas for keeping her warm.

  I couldn’t do that though.

  Then again, I couldn’t not do that eventually. Catch 22.

  The breeze changed direction and her scent caught in my throat, setting it on fire. “You’re so beautiful, you take my breath away.”

  She laughed, her mouth overtaking her whole face. Radiant.

  “That wasn’t supposed to be funny. Was it too cheesy?” I was no good at this.

  Loser.

  “No, it’s not that,” she said. “It’s just that I’m sure you were only speaking romantically, but you literally do take my breath away. I’m frequently dangling on the edge of consciousness around you.” She looked away, flushing pink. “As you well know.”