No. He had to be careful, plan his next movement, and be patient. Jessica would pay for her betrayal of him, would suffer the worst of his fantasies before he killed her. Attacking her at the college had been a mistake: too many witnesses. He’d been expecting a visit from the police since that day but nothing. She hadn’t pressed charges. Maybe she thinks I should be grateful enough for that, he mused, smirking. Not a chance, bitch.
He dressed quickly and strode down the hallway. Camilla was talking to a delivery man at the front door and Jules rolled his eyes as he pushed past her. He’d only been half-serious when he’d told her to get out the other day; anger made him forget just how well she ran the estate, took most of the toil from him so he could continue playing the way he wanted to. He knew she thought he was disgusting; what on earth would she say if she ever found out what he used to do to Jessica when she was a kid? Jules smirked as he jumped into his car. Who cared what that old spinster thought? Jessica was his, had always been his and would always be his.
Even after she was dead.
Her possessions looked pathetic next to the opulence of Theo’s home and she felt somewhat ashamed of what her life added up to. Few clothes, more books, and art supplies. Theo had unpacked her books and had lined up the battered paperbacks and textbooks next to his on his shelves and now she was in his bedroom – their bedroom, she supposed now – procrastinating over unpacking her clothes.
She didn’t hear Theo come into the bedroom behind her and started as he slid his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to her neck.
‘Hey, beautiful…’
She turned in his arms and tilted her head up so he could kiss her mouth. Theo moaned slightly as his lips moved against hers. ‘God, you taste so good.’ His hold on her tightened and Jess felt her pulse quicken. God, would she ever not want this man?
Theo slowly drew the straps of her dress down her shoulders, trailing his lips across her skin. The dress fell to the floor and she sighed as he picked her and laid her down on the bed, stripping off his sweater. Her hands went to the zipper on his pants and soon they were both naked, kissing, caressing. Theo moved down her body, the tip of his tongue circling her nipples, dipping into the deep hollow of her navel. Jess gasped as his teeth grazed her clit, his strong fingers spread the folds of her labia apart so he could taste her. She closed her eyes as he bit the tender flesh of her inner thighs, and his fingers slid inside her, one by one until only his thumb remained to stroke her clitoris with increasing pressure. Theo shifted so that he could kiss her mouth as he penetrated her, his fingers probing and stroking her until she was shivering with pleasure.
‘You like that?’ Theo asked her softly but his eyes were intense on hers and she nodded, unable to speak, her fingernails digging into the smooth hard skin of his back. He chuckled softly, dipping his head to take her nipple into his mouth, flicking the tongue around the sensitive nub before gently biting down on it. Jess gasped out ‘This is too much, too much…’ But she pressed herself into his touch, grinding herself down onto his hand, still buried deep in her. Theo teased her nipples with his mouth then pressed his lips into the valley between her breasts.
‘Come for me, Jessie…. that’s it, give yourself to me…’ The pressure on her clit became almost unbearable and her back arched upwards violently as she climaxed, only Theo’s sheer weight keeping her from bucking herself off the bed. Theo didn’t give her time to recover before plowing his diamond hard cock into her and Jess thought she might die from the explosion of sensations ripping through her body. Theo clamped her hands above her head and began to thrust mercilessly, fucking her hard, ever thrust going deeper and deeper. Her hips screeched with pain and Theo forced them wider to gain access to her. Their eyes locked on the others as they slammed against each other and she was coming again and again as she felt Theo shudder and spasm, his cum shooting hard into her. Jess was on the verge of passing out but she never wanted it to stop.
Theo flipped her over and before she could catch her breath, his cock was pushing deep into her ass, so slowly and deliciously that she gave a long, delirious moan.
‘God, when you make that sound, Jessie… you make a man almost want to…’ Theo didn’t finish his sentence but she felt him bite down hard on her shoulder and she cried out with pleasure. His lips were at her ear then. ‘You like it when I hurt you, don’t you?’
She nodded and shivered through another orgasm as Theo gave a low, almost dangerous chuckle.
‘Jessie… I’m going to take you away somewhere, somewhere private and we’re going to try some things that you’ll like, and I’m going to have complete command over your glorious body.’
He pulled out and turned her to face him. His green eyes were dark with passion and danger and her breath quickened under his gaze. He bent his head to kiss her neck, her breasts before shifting to bury his face in her belly. For a second she just felt his hot breath on her skin then he looked up at her, a wicked grin on his face.
‘I’m going to fuck you in so many different ways, Jessica Wood, until you beg me to stop.’
She smiled, her skin damp with sweat and glowing. ‘I’ll never want to stop.’
Theo smiled. ‘Good. Because this body is mine. These breasts –‘ He nipped at her nipples with his teeth making her squirm with pleasure, ‘this belly…’ He traced a circle around her navel and she felt her eyes roll back into their sockets from the sensation.
‘Theo…’ Her words were a sigh and then he was kissing her mouth tenderly, lovingly.
‘You are my life,’ he said and the softness, the truth in his voice made tears roll down her cheeks and she pulled his head down to kiss him.
Jess looked out of the small airplane window down at the island. Theo’s island, she thought to herself and shook her head, grinning. My boyfriend owns an island. She didn’t know why this shocked her but because she had always insisted on going Dutch with him when they went out, and of course, from the obvious opulence of his homes, she’d never been this aware of his great wealth until now. Something about it bothered her, she could feel it but she pushed that thought away. For once, just don’t overanalyze, just enjoy, sister. She smiled and turned to Theo. She took a moment to take him in as he tapped away on his laptop next to her. That face – all fierce angles that were so quickly softened by his boyish smile, the way his eyes would almost disappear when he laughed. She loved it all, the way his dark hair curled slightly around his ears, the hint of five o’clock shadow.
Theo sensed her scrutiny and looked up with a smile. ‘Okay, baby?’
‘Very, very okay. I love you, Theodore Storm.’
Theo smiled and closed his laptop, shoving it to one side. In one movement he had pulled her onto his lap, winding his arms around her waist, pressing his lips to hers. ‘And I you, beautiful. Excited?’
There was something burning in his eyes and she smiled enjoying the double meaning in his words. She nuzzled his neck. ‘God, yes…’ she whispered and felt his chuckle rumble through his chest.
‘Not long now…’
Jess stroked his face and then glanced around the private jet’s cabin. ‘We’re all alone now…’
Theo said nothing, but a small smile played on his mouth. Jess slid from his lap and knelt between his legs. She reached for his fly, freeing his cock and stroking it gently.
‘Put your head back, Theo, relax…’
She took him in her mouth, her soft lips parting and gliding over the wide crest of him, the soft skin of his cock feeling like silk against her tongue. She traced the delicate veins with her tongue and traced tiny circles around the tip, feeling it harden and Theo drew in a sharp breath. Jess moved slowly, drawing the shaft in and out of her mouth, teasing him. Theo closed his eyes and leaned his head back, sucking in air between his teeth as she worked.
‘Jessie…’ He tangled his fingers in her hair and began to massage her scalp, sending shivers of pleasure down her body. She hollowed her cheeks, sucking gently on him, feeling his cock
quiver and swell. Theo groaned and she could taste salty pre-cum. She smiled – quite a feat considering his cock was now so huge in her mouth she had to stretch it so wide it started to hurt.
Then he was groaning and coming, shooting into her mouth over and over and he collapsed back into his seat, pulling her into his arms.
‘Do it. Kill me. Run me through. Stab me to death. I’d rather that a million times over than your revolting prick inside me ever again.’ Jules sighed. She was calling his bluff. Wrong move, Jessica. Very, very wrong. ‘Oh, why must you make me do this?’ He turned and thrust the blade into her belly. She gasped, shock, terror. He stabbed her again. ‘Ungrateful little bitch. Don’t you know what I’ve done for you?’ He twisted the blade, feeling her hot blood pumping over his skin. ‘This could have all been so different.’ Jules smiled, caught her as she fell, laid her on the floor. ’No, no, please…’ She was staring at him, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief as he brought the knife down again and again and again…
Jules’s fingers twitched on the steering wheel as he drove towards the city. The consuming rage when Jess had challenged him still flowed through his body, making his skin itch, his fingers pulse with every heartbeat. Disobedience, the ingratitude. It always started like that, the resistance, the arguments until he was forced into disciplining her. Sometimes he had dealt with her quickly, taken her violently, letting her know he was, in every way, her superior. He had decided, however, he would try again with her. She was special. He would give her one more chance to come to him and be his forever. But if she resisted, he decided, he would devise a punishment for her that would be beyond comprehension, something unimaginable.
But first, he wanted to know everything about the prick that had his hands on her now, Theo Storm. He imagined the devastation on that bastard’s handsome face when he found the love of his life stabbed to death, slaughtered by her one true master. Maybe he would make him watch her die. Whatever, he would destroy both of them, psychologically and emotionally before finally killing Jessica. He would make them learn about loss. I will give them a world beyond pain, he thought and with a grim smile, he hit the gas and sped into the city.
Theo drove the hire car along the island’s coast road. Jess was already overawed with the beauty of the island, heavy with colorful and fragrant flora; hibiscus, bougainvillea, mandevilla as well as lush green grasses. The air was heavy with heat but along the road, through the open windows, Jess could feel a cool breeze coming from the salt water.
Theo looked over at her and she smiled at him. He grinned, sliding his free hand onto her belly. ‘Not far now, gorgeous.’
She put her hand over his, enjoying the feel of his skin on hers. Theo turned down a sandy track, almost overgrown with vines and creepers. A ways down the track, he nodded in front of them. A sprawling single level home lay in front of them, wood and glass, the windows wall to ceiling.
They got out of the car and Theo opened the door for her. He led her hand-in-hand through the silent house, pulling open the large glass doors and now she could see that outside the largest, outside the living room was the beach, silky white sand and the azure, teal, turquoise ocean crashing waves gently onto it.
Jess realized she had been holding her breath. ‘I think I’m in a dream,’ she breathed and Theo laughed, wrapping his arms around her.
‘All very real, my love, and we have it all to ourselves as long as we want it.’ He brushed his lips against hers. ‘Are you tired?’
She shook her head, meeting his gaze. ‘No…’
He grinned, kissed her and then said, ‘I bet you’re hungry, though…’
Jess groaned and laughed. ‘Well, now I am…’
In the kitchen, they found the refrigerator almost overflowing with good food and soon they were enjoying soft bread and fresh cream cheese, succulent peaches which dripped juice down their fingers. Theo opened a bottle of champagne and Jess swooned at the heavenly taste of their feast.
‘I could get used to this.’ She caught a dribble of juice that ran down her hand and Theo leaned over to kiss the juice from her mouth.
‘Tastes like you,’ he murmured then took another peach from the bowl, splitting it into two with his long fingers. Keeping his eyes on her, he ran his tongue along the soft flesh and Jess’s stomach dissolved with desire. Theo knew exactly what he was doing, she knew, but she didn’t care.
Theo casually reached over to her and started to unbutton the bodice of her dress. She watched him lazily, spaced out with desire. He ran the peach down her skin, leaving a trail of juice down her belly then followed it with his tongue. Jess felt drunk and she was floppy in his arms as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. He stripped her of the rest of her clothes then stood.
‘One second,’ he said before disappearing. He was back in an instant with the half empty bottle of champagne. ‘Lie still for me, beautiful.’
She gasped at the cold liquid as he poured champagne into her navel and then she giggled as he chased it with his tongue .as it dripped down her sides. Theo put his mouth over her navel and drank the champagne from it, his tongue delving deeply into the hollow of her belly. He took a swig from the bottle then and pushed her legs apart. Jess gasped as he took her clit into his mouth, the champagne bubbles bursting against it. She moaned at the feel of it, and of him as he traced every part of her sex as if it were that same peach, biting gently down on the soft folds of her labia then his tongue was deep inside of her. Theo poured more champagne onto her skin as he pleasured her and Jess knew she would do anything for this incredible man, her insatiable, skilled lover…
Jules tied her to the chair, the bindings biting into her skin. Jess knew now it was hopeless. Jules was going to kill her, now, today, in the next few minutes and she would never see Theo again. Was it really only hours ago they had been in his bed, delirious with happiness, making love with careless abandon?
And now she was about to be murdered. Stabbed to death by her own step-brother. Her tormentor. Her rapist. Now he was about to become her killer.
Jules smiled down at her as he cut her thin shirt away from her body. ‘You can scream if you like. No-one will hear you here.’ He threw the scraps of material away then ran his fingers down her belly.
‘Christ, you are perfect,’ he said, almost tenderly. He leaned over and kissed her and she felt the cold steel against her. ‘Oh, Jessica…my love, my love…’
The blade slid through her flesh like butter.
Jess screamed – not the sudden awakening from sleep in a shock type of scream, but a deeply visceral, desiccating howl of agonizing terror. She felt hands on her and incredibly the panic increased, a berserk fear ripping through her.
‘Sweetheart, sweetheart it’s me…’
Jess struggled to regain her countenance, make sense of the world she had awoken to.
‘Theo?’ Her voice cracked.
‘Yes, darling, it’s me, it’s me…you’re okay, you’re okay. You just had a nightmare…’
All the adrenaline left her body and she slumped into his arms, weeping. ‘Sorrysorrysorry…’ she was babbling she knew but the dream had so real. She still felt the pain of the knife, of her skin being torn open, her insides cut to pieces, her blood gushing out of her…
‘Sssh.’ Theo was rocking her and for the next few minutes, he just held her while she calmed down. Eventually, she wiped her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
‘Sorry. Stupid dream.’
His eyes were concerned as he brushed the damp hair away from her forehead. ‘Tell me.’
Jess drew in a couple of lungfuls of breath. ‘He had a knife.’
She knew she didn’t have to say any more than that. Theo’s arms tightened around her and he pressed his lips to her temple.
‘I will never, ever, let him hurt you again.’
She so desperately wanted to believe him.
Max had dinner done ready for when Josh came home – it was his turn and he’d missed the last few. So it was his t
urn and lord knew he wanted a quiet evening in with Josh after the day he’d just had. He poured himself a glass of wine, checking the chili was bubbling away nicely and headed into the living room. He flicked on the television, putting a comedy show on for background noise.
Max watched it for a couple of minutes, knowing he wasn’t taking it in then, sighing, he lifted the heavy file from his bag. The file on Julien Gachet. Since he heard what the old cop had said about Jules’ history, he hadn’t been able to get it out of his head. Max wasn’t stupid – he’d guessed that Gachet’s preoccupation with Jess hid something far more insidious, far more disturbing. He’d talked a psychologist friend of his who had run several ideas past him. The one he couldn’t get out of his head was that Jules had made Jess his sexual obsession.
‘Not when she was a kid?’ Max had asked his friend, appalled. His friend had nodded, his eyes angry and sad.
‘Probably. Has she said anything of the kind to you or Theo?’
But he couldn’t ask Theo. Theo had expressly forbidden him to look into Jess’s background but without doing so, he wouldn’t have found out so much about that son-of-a-bitch Gachet. Max felt a roiling hatred inside of him for the Frenchman. How dare he treat Jess like that? He had to find out their family dynamic before he would risk going to Theo. He opened his laptop and found the map to Jules’ home. The house where Jess grew up.
Max decided then and there to go there – and find out just what sort of childhood his friend had… and what Jules had done to her.
The Midnight Club Page 65