Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers)

by Narome, Casse

“Screw you. Don’t be an asshole, or I won’t introduce you to my sex pixie friend out there.”

  I bumped past him as I walked out the door. He followed close behind me.

  Tammy was easy to spot mixed in with the other customers. I waved at her when we spotted each other and Devon followed me over to the corner table.

  “Hey, Tammy, this is my boss, Devon,” I told Tammy. I turned to face Devon. “This is Tammy.”

  Devon shook his head at Tammy. “I am more than her boss. Mayne is just being Mayne.”

  He reached his hand out and shook hers. “Mayne was just telling me about your sexual reputation.” He winked at her.

  Tammy’s face reddened and she eyed me in horror.

  “He’s kidding!” I assured her. I faced Devon. “Tell her.”

  “I am kidding. She just told me the rumor she started.” He smiled at her.

  He was good. I saw her turning to mush in his hands.

  “Okay, Devon, you can let her go now and return to work.” I frowned at him and mouthed, What are you doing? at him.

  He shrugged and dropped her hand. Tammy grew uncharacteristically quiet. Devon must be making her nervous. A lot of girls found his creamy toffee skin, deep black hair, and sea-green eyes that seemed to be as fluid as water disarming. He and Dante looked a lot alike actually. They were both over six feet, had the same swimming, liquid eyes that looked at you as if you were truly the only one they could see without having to try that hard. With Dante, I knew it was true. Not only did his eyes tell me, but his posture, words, and actions told me. He was completely mine, and I missed him. I felt like I was betraying Eric the way my heart ached.

  I gulped, swallowing the pain. Devon watched me from the side of his eye as he turned his body slightly toward me, blocking me from the rest of the room. He leaned forward to whisper in my ear.

  “You okay?”

  I nodded. “I just realized that you and Dante look as if you two could have been twins.”

  “Yeah, me being the hot one, right?”

  I laughed and pushed him. “Go.”

  When Devon walked away, he rewarded Tammy with one last soul-snatching grin.

  I sat down. “Don’t even think about it. He is evil. He never settles for just one.”

  She waved my warning away. “I didn’t come here for your hottie boss. I spoke to Michael. He called me shortly after your lunch, which was interrupted. You want to tell me about this tatted-up bad boy who accosted you at Marigold’s today?”

  I sighed. “It wasn’t as bad as it looked. That was the ‘not so much involved anymore’ guy.”

  “You didn’t tell me he was badass! Girl, face tattoos?” She was doing her southern drawling like crazy.

  “I’m sure Michael made it sound worse than it actually was.” I brushed it off.

  “What he said was some crazy tattooed face man roughed you up then dragged you off while you let him, all the while looking terrified.”

  “I was not terrified. He didn’t rough me up, nor is he crazy. He did drag me away, and I did let him. He was extremely jealous and I didn’t want to give Michael any time to say something Michael-like.”

  “Is this guy stalking you?”

  “Yes. He was, but not so much now.” From the look on her face, she was horrified. “No, I can’t explain it. But, Tammy, seeing him today made me realize how much I want him back.”

  “Even if he says he went to counseling, most would advise you against returning to your abuser.”

  “Tammy, Eric has never beaten me and he never really stalked me.” Okay, technically he had, but the rules were different for him. But how could I explain this? I couldn’t. So I just left it alone.

  “Mayne—”

  “Tammy, just leave it. I am not going to defend it. What I do is my choice. I am not asking for opinions or advice on how I live my life.”

  “I was just trying to help. You’re my friend and I’m concerned. I don’t like men grabbing on women and dragging them like they are their property. It’s not right. But you’re right, it’s your life.” She leaned back against the chair and huffed, pouting.

  She was wrong, though. A part of me wanted to deny it, but I actually was his property and that’s how I wanted it. I wanted him to own every piece of me. I also wanted every piece of him. I wanted to devour him, every inch of him in my possession.

  “So, Sex Goddess, Michael has been all over you, right?” I said, trying to cheer her up.

  “He has. What the heck did you tell that boy I could do?”

  “I just educated him about the sexual prowess of those you would least expect. He saw my point. And if you disappointed I promised him a threesome with us.”

  “What!” she shouted, drawing the attention of those around us.

  “He knew I was kidding.” I shrugged like, ‘what’s the big deal?’

  “I have no idea what to say to you.”

  “Just say you love me and let me get back to work, babe.”

  We made plans to meet up the following night, she waved goodbye, and I returned to work. The rest of the day inked by, but it gave me time to try and figure out how to get Eric back. I know I was the one who decided we had to end it. Today had done a lot for me. Mostly it showed me that I had been fooling myself. I couldn’t live without Eric. Not for the rest of my life and not even for the rest of the day.

  I knew what I had to do. Once I decided it seemed so obvious.

  I had to die.

  Chapter 11

  There was no other choice. Eric would fall from grace if he got involved with a human, but if I were to die, maybe? I had to be sure and I knew who I had to ask. The fact that I hated him, and he made it completely obvious the feeling was mutual didn’t make it any easier. Actually, it did make it easier. I kind of enjoyed the idea. He would be enraged. He would be indignant. He would ask who the hell was I to summon him. After all, to him I was just vermin. The thought of his impending outrage brought a hint of a smile to my face. I was going to do this.

  When it was time for me to get off work, I walked to the alley behind My State of Mine. I leaned against the brick and crossed my arms.

  “Valience, come here!” I wasn’t sure if he heard me. I have no idea how this worked. Would this even work? It did.

  He was standing two feet from me staring down at me with those wicked blue eyes. I still stood leaning against the wall nonchalantly. Somehow I just knew that it was pissing him off.

  “What do you want?” His voice dripped with contempt.

  “Hey, here I thought we bonded last time when you sought me out for no reason. I thought we were buds.”

  He rolled his eyes. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall too. “You really must want me to snap your neck. You may not die but it would be fun and sure will hurt a whole hell of a lot for you.”

  “Sweet talker.”

  “You are annoying me. Why did you call me?”

  “I need your help.”

  “I will not help you do anything,” he snarled.

  “You don’t even know what I need help with. I want to be with Eric. I need you to tell me how I can do this without risking him. So that’s all. Easy, right?”

  Our stance was identical to one another except he pulled off menacing while I suspected I just looked bitchy. Passersby might see us as a couple who came out of the bar to argue. No matter what they thought, no one would dare come over and interrupt.

  “So, will you help?” I finally broke the silence after he kept staring at me like I would soon grow an extra head.

  “No,” he said plainly.

  “You really suck. Did anyone ever tell you that? Of course not, you’d probably just butcher them.”

  He sneered and his eyes actually went colder. I had no i
dea that was possible. Now I did.

  “Careful, because I can still do the same to you. You have no safety attached to you.”

  “Oh, I thought I proved last time we met that I actually do. You might want to be careful. You threaten me quite often. What if I return the favor? I could refuse to remember any more people? What will that do to the Grand Design? I don’t know but maybe you do? Will this perfect plan that God made way back before I, or anyone in my time line, was even thought of have to be revisited and revised? Sounds like an awful lot of work to me.”

  Valience’s eyes were slices of blue as he stood ramrod straight. I’d gotten to him. He was getting it. I was serious and wouldn’t back down.

  Something new lit his eyes. “I want to kill you.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  “You wouldn’t do this. You know how important this is, how no one truly dies because of this design.”

  “Won’t I do it? Do you really want to gamble on this? Why put all this on someone as fleeting and fickle as a lovelorn woman such as I?” I batted my eyes, doing my best southern belle.

  “What do you want? Eric?”

  I shook my head as my heart screamed, yes, yes, yes! “To be able to die.”

  His eyes narrowed to slits. “What?”

  “I want to die. And I know no one better for the job who would be willing to do it with no regrets. You have no idea how it feels, the pain—to lose and keep losing. When you murdered Dante, I wished you had killed me. Before Dante died, it was my parents, my brother, and then every single guy I took to my bed. Then it stopped. Only because I closed myself away. I guess not completely. There were people I would see at the store who’d have a heart attack, things like that happened too often to be a coincidence. I thought it was me all this time. I was cursed and causing all these people to die. I see the point in my job, but the very least you guys can do is let us know that we are not the reason.”

  Valience raised his brow in interest, but I continued.

  “Thanks to Eric, I understand my place as a Memory Keeper. I love him and I don’t think it’s fair for him to have to second guess his job because it hurts me. I don’t want him to suffer. I only want a way to be with him. My dying maybe that way.”

  Valience leaned against the wall. “I may have underestimated you. Tell me what you know about why you cannot die.”

  “Eric assumed it was because my duties weren’t done yet.” I shrugged.

  “That may be the reason, but I am not sure.” He paused as he pushed away the wall to examine me like he saw me for the first time. “I must say, I am now beginning to see what Ectain might see in you. You are brave, maybe to the point of stupidity, but I guess he can see beyond that.”

  I took it as a compliment, as much as being called stupid could be taken as one. I also took it as a concession. “So does this mean you will help me and no longer threaten to kill me?”

  “It seems you should have died but have escaped death and I do not like that. I am willing to help you, which means I am threatening to kill you. I will not fail. Out of the small respect I am developing for you, I will ask this only once. Are you sure this is what you want?”

  ”I do if Eric is the one who calls me in the end. You figure out how I can die, but I don’t want you to be the one to do it.”

  “I can agree to that. Is that it?”

  “Will I be able to be with Eric?”

  “It always comes back to this for you. You are a Memory Keeper. You decide what happens in your afterlife. You can go to Heaven, Sheol, or until you pass your kept memories to the next memory keeper you can remain here.”

  I left Valience feeling I had accomplished something. I would be with Eric in the end and that is all I wanted. I decided I would hurry home and give Big Jim a long walk. I was in a good mood and he deserved it. Maybe we’d even cuddle up and watch a movie. It felt like it had been forever since I curled up with Big Jim for a night in. Our regular routine had been shaken up in just a few short weeks. Eric had come into my life and shown me all the things I had been missing. I never knew that I could love again, let alone feel again, and not be terrified of losing it to death. I had friends, a life that was worth it. My personal boogeyman turned out to be the love of my life. I grinned and unlocked my door, pushing it open.

  “Big Jim, Mommy is home. Are you ready for the longest walk of your life? I have some extra energy to burn off—” I hit the light and standing in front of me was the sexiest man in the world. He was holding my dog and being treated to Big Jim kisses.

  “I know another way to burn off energy,” he said in response.

  Chapter 12

  “I lied.”

  “What are you talking about?” I’m sure I looked as confused as I felt.

  “I can’t do what you asked of me. I love you and I don’t want to be away from you.” Eric put Big Jim down on the floor and Jim scampered off to the kitchen.

  I shook my head. “I have no idea why you would listen to me in the first place, Eric. In all your years of secretly stalking me, haven’t you figured out that I never know what the hell I’m talking about?”

  Amusement brightened his face and my heart thumped at the beauty of it. “I just realized that fact. Now come here.” I hesitated. “Now.”

  I rushed to him and he pulled me into an embrace. His body met mine and his kiss crushed my lips to his. He was hungry. My body felt complete and thrilled at his touch after our time apart.

  He withdrew from the kiss, his warm breath at my ear as he whispered, “I also lied when I said we would go no further until you changed your perspective on the night we were interrupted. I don’t care. Tonight, either way.” He paused and my heart raced, filling in the empty seconds. “Tonight, we are going further.”

  My hands moved to the back of his neck so I could lead his lips back to mine. “No, you didn’t lie about that. That hasn’t been an issue for a very long time.” My lips melted against his. Scorching hot, our tongues tangled. My mouth allowed for his to invade mine. He explored every single inch of my mouth with his wondrous tongue.

  His hands moved to my waist and yanked me tighter into him. I could feel just how hard he was. I wiggled against him in excitement. His fingers dug into my hips.

  His mouth trailed from my lips down my neck, nibbling at my collarbone. I moaned my appreciation. His tongue moved against my skin as one hand tugged my shirt loose from my pants and glided over my skin under my shirt to cup my breast. His thumb made small circles on my left nipple and my back arched in response pressing them harder into his hand in response.

  I whimpered my protest when his hand left my breast and traveled down my stomach. Soon it was at my belt buckle. He tugged and then it was undone, as were my pants. They fell to my feet and I stepped free of them, kicking them away from my feet so they wouldn’t entangle me later. Before I could do anything more, he gripped the bottom of my shirt and raised it up over my head. I stood in front of Eric in my bra and panties. Thank God I put on matching ones this morning.

  He stood in front of me taking my body in. The hollow of my neck, the crest of my breast, then down to my stomach and even lower still to where my panties hit low on my hips. His eyes took me all in. They made their way to my smooth, latte-colored thighs, and I saw a seductive smile dance on his lips. His golden amber eyes sparked with desire and his jaw worked as he concentrated on me causing the tattoo there to move in a fluid motion.

  My God, he is beautiful. Warmth spread all through me, radiating from my heart. With anyone else, I would probably be feeling more than a little bit self-conscious, but not with Eric. I was completely confident with him. I love him.

  “You have the most amazing body I have ever seen.” His chest rose and fell with every deep breath. His body was tense with hunger.

  My God, I wanted this man. I wanted him
to take me on the floor, up against the wall . . . yes, up against the wall. My mind started playing dirty little movies of the two of us—Eric’s hand holding my leg up as he pounded me up against the wall. I squirmed a bit in excitement.

  Eric reached for me, and I was back pressed against him and I could feel how badly he wanted me.

  His rough clothing scratched and pressed against my bare, soft skin the sensation was enough to drive me insane with lust. But I wanted to see that stomach of his that I desperately wanted to kiss and trail my tongue down.

  “Get out of that sexy head of yours and pay attention,” Eric whispered to me. His breath caressing my ear followed his tongue softly tracing the curve of my earlobe.

  Yes, sir. My mind snapped to attention and my body took over, or rather, my mouth.

  “Take off your shirt, mister.” I stepped half a step back, not waiting for him to make the move to do what I commanded. I took the bottom of his shirt and started to pull it off for him. He quickly took over and tossed it over to where his jacket lay draped on the recliner.

  Reaching out my hand, I dragged one finger slowly down his stomach, making it quiver jump with every slow inch until it dipped below his beltline. I hooked my finger on the button and tugged until his pants were gloriously open. That was a little trick from my earlier days.

  I grinned as I felt him staring at me in wonder. I didn’t stop there. I slid my hand down into his pants and underneath his boxer briefs, very sexy, and took hold of his stiff cock. It jumped in my fingers as I tightened my firm grip. Eric’s breath quickened.

  I stroked him from base to tip in firm, slow motions. Eric’s head fell back. I slid my free hand beneath my panties and traced along my clit until I coaxed pleasure from myself. Eric’s head snapped down. His face was handsome with arousal. He grabbed me by the shoulders so I could no longer move. He shook his head.

  I was confused with being so close to climax that I did not understand what he was saying no to.