“They backed off immediately, except for Tri. Tri did what feisty, little children who’ve learned to stand up for themselves often do, he yelled back. Tri pointed the black plastic toy gun at Ray and screamed something in Vietnamese. The toy made little pop sounds as he pulled the trigger at Ray as though shooting him.

“I’ll never know what Ray was thinking. Perhaps he forgot to take his antipsychotics that day.”

“Ray swatted the gun out of Tri’s hand and pulled his own pistol and shot the boy point blank in the chest. Lia was in the fray a second later, screaming like a madwoman as she leaped on Ray. He shot her twice in the gut by the time I could disarm him and get Lia out of the way.”

“I’m not proud to admit this, but I did it. I snapped Ray’s neck and tossed him aside. Lia was a mess, screaming as she crawled to Tri. The boy had died instantly. I had to get away before the police arrived, and I just couldn’t leave Lia behind to die, so I took her with me.”

“She begged me to go back for her brother, but I can’t be tangled in police affairs. As you’ve probably figured out by now, I don’t do daylight. Being arrested or even detained would quickly become a serious problem. Officers would be killed, very messy. I’m not the kind of man you want to put in a corner.”

“Lia was dying. She lost consciousness within a couple minutes. I made a decision, probably the wrong decision. But I did it out of love. I did it to save her life. I never asked if it was what she wanted. Truly, I did it for myself. I cared too much. I didn’t want to lose her. I felt guilty for not being able to stop Raymond in time. I brought Lia into the fold, made her what I am, which also made me her master. The process created a link, a psychic bond. She is my servant. The nature of our bond allows me to force her submission.”

“Lia never really survived. The woman I loved died that day. Tri was everything to her. She didn’t want to live without him. He was all that had ever been good and decent in her life. The Lia you see today is a wholly different creature. She seems near incapable of forgiveness or compassion. She hates all men, I am merely tolerated. You know she prefers women intimately.”

“She blames me for a large part of what happened that day, for not reacting fast enough to disarm Raymond, for not letting her recover her brother’s body, for not letting her die. Her primary grudge now is the power I hold over her, which she forces me to exercise regularly to keep her violent tendencies in check. The old wounds are mostly healed, but a shadow of it remains.”

“Then there’s you, a whole new reason to resist me, and of course to hate you as well.”

I found myself damn near sitting in Enrique’s lap. I couldn’t stay away from him. I decided to give into my impulse for the moment. I slid my hands over him – it just felt right.

“Wow. That’s … really harsh, but it does explain things. So … ah … do you to sleep together?” I tried to pretend like it didn’t matter. For some stupid reason it did matter. I already knew the answer, but I had to hear it from him.

“Yes … we do sleep together, and we’re sexual partners, if you could call it that. It’s more mercenary than anything. Something like you and I last night – she likes it rough, violent.”

“I’m not like that, and don’t compare me to her! Ever!”

“You don’t like it rough? You don’t want me to fuck you till you can’t walk?”

“I’m not into pain. I can take it, don’t get me wrong. Whatever you dish out I can take, but I don’t get off on it.”

“And how are you feeling tonight? Sore? Tender? A little hard to walk?” He smirked at me. But the funny thing, I didn’t really hurt. Maybe a little sore, but no big deal.

“No … I’m okay … If that’s what you expect from me, I’ll be fine.” I tried to play tough. I’m tired of showing him weakness. No more crying.

“For your information, that is not what I like. I don’t enjoy hurting you. And I know for a fact I did hurt you. I did it to show you how dangerous this life can be. I did it on purpose to give you a glimpse of what can happen when we lose control.”

* * * *

Chapter 9

“I know you did it on purpose. I was the one underneath you getting pounded. And it did hurt, but I’m okay now. I can handle it. I prefer to take a good pounding, knowing it’s for real. I prefer that to lies. If you want to hurt me, then do it. Don’t lie to me. Don’t pretend you really care. I’m the Energizer Bunny, takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’. All I ask is that you tell me the truth, keep it real. I’ll take a grudge-fuck any day of the week over death.”

He shook his head at me. I had climbed into his lap completely, sitting spread-eagle on him. I rotated my hips back and forth to grind down onto the lump in his crotch. As usual I was in my silk bathrobe with no underwear. My uniform. Nothing had changed much in my life. The only major difference, my body was Enrique’s exclusive property now.

“Hope … you’re missing the point, several points.”

“I have the point right here, and I’m about to get it good.” I shoved down hard onto his erection. He pitched a tent in his pants, obviously ready to pound me again.

“Oh you’re gonna get it all right. Let’s get a few things straight. One: I’m not going to kill you. Two: I don’t enjoy hurting you, you provoked me. Three: you should be in pain right now, but the benefit of my bite allows you to recover quickly. That’s why you’re still tickin’ and headed for another lickin’.”

I was so damn hot for him. I can’t get near him without wanting him to fuck me and bite me. It was so much more than desire. I needed him like a priest needs donations.

“Please! Stop talking! Give it to me!”

He had mercy on me. In a flash we were up off the couch and down on the floor. A second later his pants and everything else came off. Before I could take hold of him he slammed up in me. All the way to my limit. God it was so wonderful! I wanted him buried in me for eternity. He so owned me. I wanted to be fucked to death.

He gave me the most intense sex, like nothing I’ve ever known before. I couldn’t get enough of him. I loved every minute of being his slave, wished it would never end. I wished he’d never leave my side. It seemed different this time. Forceful, but he held back just a little. He cared enough not to hurt me. Though he knew I’d let him, and I suspect he wanted to, he was careful enough to avoid hurting me.

Well, it did hurt a little, the good kind of hurt. The kind that had me screaming, clawing his back, begging him not to stop. Then he bit me, the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, the whole purpose of my existence.

“Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”

And he didn’t, not until I fainted. I woke up sometime later with an IV tier setup next to the bed. Two bags hung in the air, a clear bag of saline-glucose, and a little red pouch of blood. No sooner did I wonder where Enrique had disappeared to, I had a sense he was coming to check on me. He walked through the door to my room – very freaky how well we are connected. But I still couldn’t read a single thought in his head.

“So I suppose you’re gonna try to convince me this was all an accident. You don’t really want to kill me.”

“I thought you couldn’t read my mind.”

“Ha! That’s funny. If I wasn’t so busy dying I might have time to laugh.”

“Damn it, Hope! If I wanted you dead it would be over!”

He moved so fast I could barely see him until he stopped at the point his fist smashed down in a hammer strike on my beautiful oak coffee table. The table exploded into pieces, shattered, splinters. Nothing but firewood now – kindling. He stared at me with that intense look, a fierce animalistic thing. I was shocked, squeaked in surprise, but stupid enough to poke at the lion – and this one wasn’t caged.

“I’m harder to kill than the coffee table – furniture doesn’t hit back!”

Luckily for me I made him laugh. He chuckled. The intensity dropped a few notches.

“What am I going to do with you Hope?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. It was an accident. I get caught up in the moment. You’re a little too passionate for your own good. This is the risk I spoke of when you overheard that nasty conversation with Lia. Your health could be compromised unintentionally. You understand this was not planned? Nothing with you has been planned. It all just happened, and here we are. We have to make the best of it.”

He slid his hand across my cheek. “Stop provoking me. Stop with the accusations. I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you healthy. Look how quickly you’ve recovered. I’ll bet you feel fine right now, a little dehydrated, but none the worse for wear.”

I did feel okay – thirsty, dry mouth, a slight headache, but I didn’t feel like I was dying. Perhaps I had overreacted. Maybe just a little.

“So … can I get something to drink?”

He handed me a glass of orange juice. I downed it all in one. That hit the spot nicely. He proceeded to feed me ice cream, something with fudge and caramel from Ben & Jerry’s. I felt like a little girl pampered by daddy. A handsome, sexy, well-endowed daddy. I can’t recall the last time a man fed me ice cream, maybe never. It was strangely romantic.

“Are you trying to fatten me up for the slaughter?” I poked at the lion again, but he took it good-naturedly.

“Of course, you’re too thin. We need to put a little meat on your bones before the ritual sacrifice of the solstice.”

“What, no sheep or goats?”

“That’s so Old Testament. Besides, I’m really not that kinky. Bestiality isn’t my thing.”

“And how am I to be murdered? Death by grudge-fuck?”

“Well if it’s really necessary I suppose we could use the ritual dagger. I happen to have one from Haiti, very authentic.”