The Midnight Club

by Love, Michelle

  Trembling, she walked slowly towards it and then yelped in shock.

  The man in her kitchen turned and smiled at her. “Hey sleepyhead, I was wondering when you’d wake up.”

  Sarah felt her head swirl, her stomach roil and black spots appear at the corners of her eyes, and in the second before she passed out, she heard him say. “I’ve missed you so much, my darling…”

  It was Dan.

  Maggie brought Isaac a steaming cup of coffee and a handful of messages. “The press,” she said, rolling her eyes, “they’ve gotten hold of your and Sarah’s story. They want to know – and I’m quoting, so don’t shoot the messenger – they want to know “Who tried to kill the Billionaire’s Beauty? I swear to god, five of them said those exact words to me.”

  “Shit,” Isaac sighed and sat back in his chair, “Well, it was only a matter of time. They won’t get anything from me, though except a blanket Thanks for your concern, this matter is private.”

  Maggie looked skeptical. “Yeah, that’ll calm them down.”

  Isaac grinned at her sarcasm. “Haven’t I fired you already today?”

  Maggie laughed. “Twice. But seriously, boss…”

  “Isaac leaned back in his chair and gave a frustrated hiss. “Let me talk to Sarah. For now, if you can, just tell them there’ll be a statement but stress this is a private matter.”

  “Gotcha.”

  When she’d gone back to her desk, Isaac spun his chair and gazed out of the window. The city was gray with rain, sheets of it falling, a low rumble of thunder. Thank god he’d paid for a private room for Sarah. They were well versed in keeping the press out. He wondered if he should hire security for her room – then pushed the thought away. She’d be mortified at the fuss and anyway, with any luck, she’d be released from the hospital soon.

  Later, walking back to the parking garage, he swung past a jeweler’s and looked at the engagement rings. He knew Sarah wouldn’t care about a ring but he did. He wanted something unusual, something as beautiful as she was. He’d bring her here and they’d choose together. Soon, he thought, soon.

  Finn shifted with irritation. He wanted to get out of this house, away from this woman. He wanted to call Isaac, find out how Sarah was. Caroline took her time reading the divorce papers. She looked up at him in surprise.

  “You’re admitting adultery?”

  He nodded. “Caroline, I don’t care who takes the blame, I just want out. I don’t care that you screwed Dan Bailey.” He added as her head shot up. She composed herself and smirked.

  “I was screwing him long before he “disappeared” too.” She muttered.

  “Oh, I know.” Finn’s face was set with a grim smile. He leaned down to study her face. “I’ve always known. But the truth is I cheated long before that. Before we even got married. Not physically, no. But emotionally. I realize now I’ve been in love with Sarah since the day I met her and I never stopped. Not for one heartbeat.”

  Caroline sneered. “You think I don’t know that? But I don’t believe you didn’t fuck her all those years.”

  Finn’s face was cold. “Believe what you want. I was too blind to realize it, then too stupid to do anything about it. This is how adults are supposed to act, Caroline. Sometimes we don’t get a happy ending – or rather – we get a different one to the one we planned. Mine will be leaving you and finally being free of your disgusting presence. Sign the papers.”

  Caroline got up and got a cold beer from the fridge. She cracked it open and took a swig. “What if I don’t?”

  “You will. Because if you don’t, I’m going to arrest you for criminal conspiracy.”

  Caroline blanched and Finn smiled.

  “What?”

  He moved so he could look down on her. She had fear in her eyes as she registered his anger.

  “I said, I will spend every waking hour proving that you were a co-conspirator to Sarah’s attack. That you stole police property when you sold that story to the papers. Until my last breath, Caroline, I will make sure you pay for what you did to her.” Finn managed to control his temper but his voice was low and furious.

  Caroline swallowed another gulp of beer and moved around him. She was shaking. Sitting down, she scrawled her signature where Finn had indicated. She handed him back the papers. Finn nodded.

  “Thank you.” He turned to leave.

  Caroline’s eyes filled with tears. “Did you ever love me?” She asked in a whisper.

  Finn didn’t hesitate. “No.”

  Caroline stared at him for a long minute.

  “Finn? What now?”

  He didn’t look at her. “We sell the house, split the profit. You get the hell off my island. I never want to see or speak to you again.”

  “Finn…” Her voice shook. He looked at her then, disgust, contempt in his eyes.

  “Goodbye Caroline.” And he walked out in the afternoon a free man.

  Sarah backed away from the ex-husband, her breath hitching and catching in her throat. His smile was friendly enough but his eyes were flat and dead. He looked changed. Harder. His once slim face was pudgy and his hair was thinning.

  He stepped towards her, put his hands her shoulders when she tried to shake him off, his grip tightened.

  “Don’t be silly, Sarah, why do you look scared? It’s me.”

  His voice, god, even his voice frightened her, as soft as it was, almost a tender whisper. She could smell his pine soap.

  “Dan…what do you want?” Even more than “where the hell have you been?” she wanted to know this. What did he want?

  Dan leaned in and kissed her softly before she could pull away. He ran a finger down her cheek.

  “Isn’t it obvious, my darling baby girl? I want you, Sarah, I want you back”.”

  Sarah stared at him in horror and her heart pounded against her ribs. “No…no…”

  His eyes went dark, his smile flattened into a thin line. “We are husband and wife, Sarah.”

  She yanked herself free and went to press the call button. “We are divorced, Dan. I divorced you after you faked your own death and left me. Get out or I’ll have security throw you out.”

  He stepped towards her, backing her against the wall, pinning her with the weight of his body; she could feel his body heat, smell his skin.

  “Dan…please”

  “Sssh baby girl, sssh. You know how this has to be? I’ll forgive spreading your legs for the rich man but now, let’s be honest….” His smile was terrifying. The fear was icy cold in her veins.

  “You are mine, Sarah, mine forever...I won’t let anyone else have you, my darling, not ever…”

  And he pressed his lips against hers…

  Chapter 3

  Gone, Tomorrow

  Sarah backed away from her ex-husband, her breath hitching and catching in her throat. His smile was friendly enough but his eyes were flat and dead. He looked changed. Harder. His once slim face was pudgy and his hair was thinning.

  He stepped towards her, put his hands on her shoulders; when she tried to shake him off, his grip tightened.

  “Don’t be silly, Sarah, why do you look scared? It’s me.”

  His voice, god, even his voice frightened her, as soft as it was, almost a tender whisper. She could smell the pine soap on his skin.

  “Dan…what do you want?” Even more than “where the hell have you been?” she wanted to know this. What did he want with her now, this second?

  Dan leaned in and kissed her softly before she could pull away. He ran a finger down her cheek.

  “Isn’t it obvious, my darling baby girl? I want you, Sarah, I want you back.”

  Sarah stared at him in horror and her heart pounded against her ribs. “No…no…”

  His eyes went dark, his smile flattened into a thin line. “We are husband and wife, Sarah.”

  She yanked herself free and went to press the call button. “We are divorced, Dan. I divorced you after you faked your own death and left me. Get out or I’ll have securit
y throw you out.”

  He stepped towards her, backing her against the wall, pinning her with his entire weight; she could feel his body heat, smell his skin.

  “Dan…please”

  “Ssh baby girl, ssh. You know how this has to be? I’ll forgive you for spreading your legs for the rich man but now, let’s be honest….” His smile was terrifying. The fear was icy cold in her veins.

  “You are mine, Sarah, mine forever...I won’t let anyone else have you, my darling… not ever…”

  And he pressed his lips against hers.

  She pushed him away, the violence of her revulsion giving her strength. “Don’t you ever put your hands on me again…Raymond.” She spat the name out, her eyes flashing with anger.

  Dan just grinned. “So you’ve been doing a little snooping, huh? Well…” He sat down on the bed. “Guess I should come clean then.”

  Sarah gave a hollow laugh. “You know what? I don’t care. I don’t care what your real name is or where the fuck you’ve been these last two years. Our whole life together was a lie and a mistake I’ll never repeat.”

  The man she was married to was a stranger and now, that stranger stood, a smile on his face, his aggression seemingly gone. “I can see you’re upset, darling. I’ll come back when you’ve calmed down.”

  “Don’t bother. My fiancé will be here soon.”

  “Your fiancé,” he scoffed. “Whoring yourself for a billionaire, oh yes, you’re all class, Sarah. Guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  Crack! Her palm made contact with his face and his head snapped around. He grabbed her wrist, murder in his eyes. “Watch yourself, Sarah. My patience has a limit.”

  “Get. Out.” The adrenaline pulsing through her body made the words a growl. Dan smirked, dropped her arm and turned to leave. At the door, he stopped and his eyes swept up and down her body in a way that made her feel sick.

  “Fine. For now, I’ll stay away. When you’re feeling better, we’ll talk. We have so much to talk about, my darling. So much left to say.”

  The second he left, Sarah collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard, her mind delirious with panic and fear and sadness and she managed to press the call button again just as she succumbed to a full blown panic attack.

  Isaac was listening to the accountants drone on when Maggie, her face tense and worried, knocked on the door. Isaac excused himself and walked out into the corridor with her. Without a word, Maggie handed him a copy of an email. He read it through twice before looking back at her.

  “Shit,” he breathed. “This is the last thing I need right now.”

  “I know. Isaac, listen, there’s something else: the hospital called a few minutes ago; Sarah’s had a little setback. Now, don’t panic, she just got upset about something but she won’t say what. They’re not sure if something happened or it’s a result of her concussion. They said there’s no need to worry and she’s okay now but they thought you ought to know.”

  Isaac felt his stomach clench and he looked back at his colleagues, waiting expectantly for him. He couldn’t ditch yet another meeting. He sighed. “Look, I need to get back in there. Cancel the meeting with the marketing guys, that can wait, and as for this…” He screwed up the email. “I’m all for ignoring it.”

  He could see Maggie’s lips pursed with disapproval but she nodded and went back to her office. Isaac moved to return to his meeting, but at the door, he paused for a moment. Damn it, damn it. Not now, he thought, not while all this crap is going on. The email would haunt him, he knew that, but as long as only he knew about the contents of it, everything would be fine.

  He told himself that was true, took a deep breath and went back into the meeting.

  Despite her panic attack, Sarah was discharged from hospital the following week. She hadn’t told Isaac about Dan yet – she wanted to be at home with him when she did – she was scared of him blowing up and making things worse. All she wanted for the moment, was for his arms to be around her, to feel his skin on her skin, for the rest of the world to go away.

  Isaac took her back to his apartment – “our apartment” he insisted with a smile – and she’d spent a blissful couple of weeks recovering, reading, chatting with a visiting Molly and Finn. Now Isaac and Sarah were in his vast bathtub, candles guttering on the window sill. She lay back against his solid chest, feeling it rise and fall with his breathing, his cool lips at her temple. Her bruises were healing and her head felt clear. Only an occasional dizzy spell reminded her of the attack but now, with Isaac’s arms around her, she felt better than in weeks.

  She turned her head up to kiss him. “Your arms feel so good wrapped around me, but I think your hands need to be busier.”

  Isaac gave a throaty chuckle. “You do, huh? Like this?” He traced a circle gently around her belly and she shivered.

  “Yes just like that and maybe the other hand could go further down south?”

  “Hmm, Mexico?” He traced the line of her pubic bone, grinning as she wriggled with pleasure. “Or were you thinking more of Peru…” His hand slipped between her legs and moaning as he thumbed her clit, she opened her thighs wider.

  “Sarah…are you sure you’re up to this?”

  She caught her breath as his fingers slid inside her. “Very sure,” she breathed and moaned softly as he moved his fingers in and out of her. She could feel his cock thickening, its hot length pressing against her back. He caught her earlobe between his teeth, nipping it before giving a low laugh.

  “You feel so good,” he murmured, “so, so good…my cock wants to be inside you, baby, so hard for you, can you feel it?”

  She nodded, almost as turned on by his dirty talk as she was by him stroking in and out of her.

  “Good,” he said, “Now turn around, baby. I want to suck on your nipples while I fuck you.”

  Heart thumping, cheeks flaming with arousal, Sarah did as he asked, scooting round and straddling him. His cock stood ramrod straight up his belly and she stroked it while he spread the soft, wet folds of her labia and positioned her above him. The smooth, wide crest of his cock nudged at the entrance of her cunt, teasing her. Sarah dug her fingernails into his pecs as he grinned at her impatience then gripping her hips, he impaled her onto himself hard. He took her nipple into his mouth as they moved slowly, sucking on it, drawing the sensitive nub out, feeling it harden under his flicking tongue.

  Sarah, one arm curled around his neck, her fingers tangled in his hair, reached down with her free hand to cup his balls, massaging them gently. As her excitement grew, she began to move faster, thrusting herself onto his cock, wanting to take him in, feeling the enormous size of it stretching her, fucking her, drilling into her. Isaac suddenly moved, keeping her clamped to him, tumbling them out of the tub, pressing her slippery wet body down onto the cool tile of the bathroom floor, his hands planted either side of her head, ramming ferociously into her. Their eyes locked and in the instant, nothing else in the world existed.

  “Come on my skin,” she whispered then her back arched up into him, her belly against his as she gasped and moaned through her orgasm. Isaac felt himself peak and withdrew, pumping creamy white semen onto her skin, the soft skin of her belly and the ripe fruit of her breasts. He massaged it into her skin at her request before they entwined their bodies together.

  They lay together, not caring that they were getting cold; the heat from their sex-addled bodies was enough.

  Isaac stroked a finger down her face. “You know what? I was going to go the traditional root and go down on one knee to ask you to marry me but I’ve decided that the only way to do it is when I’m inside you.”

  Sarah grinned up at him. “If there was a way your cock could be inside me all day every day, I would be very happy.”

  Isaac laughed. “How would that work, exactly?”

  She considered. “We’d walk like crabs.”

  “And wear a big sheet with a hole in the top for our heads.” They both imagined what that would look like and burst
out laughing.

  Sarah sighed happily. This, this was what was real. She and him. Him and her. Isaac and Sarah. That was her story from now on.

  Later, when Isaac was asleep, Sarah stared up at the ceiling and wondered if it would be easier just to leave the island. Leave everything behind. Even the coffeehouse. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t afford to start again – she had finally consented to hearing George’s will read. She had inherited everything: his house, his business, and the small fortune he had left her. That had been the biggest shock. She’d walked out of the lawyer’s office if not quite a millionaire then very close to it. A generous offer had been made on the restaurant and she’d accepted it, somehow wanting to be rid of the extra commitment it gave her.

  She’d discussed selling the coffee house to Molly before – when Dan had first gone missing. She had wanted to run away from the stares and gossip. Now, though, she thought, with George’s money, she had other plans, plans that had formulated over her time in the hospital. Isaac had asked her to move into this apartment with him and she’d agreed – on condition that she paid half of everything. Isaac had rolled his eyes – and she knew somehow he’d wriggle out of that one – but now, after the attack, she didn’t care about anything but getting away, starting over. She would give the coffee house to Molly – her friend deserved every bit of good fortune that came her way. As for the house – if Dan kicked up a fuss about the divorce settlement, she would tell him he could have it. She never wanted to be back there again. If Dan didn’t want it, then she’d sell it. Finn could have George’s home if he wanted it. At the moment, he was living in the cramped apartment above the coffee house where they kept the supplies. Sarah smiled to herself – he was free of Crap-o-line at last.