Chapter 9

Styx

Gideon was standing outside his vehicle making a call.

Why did I have the feeling a dangerous game was being played and I'd been drawn into the middle of it? That pissed me off. Maybe it was time I eliminated the players myself. Yes. Then I could feel damn good about saving the damsel in distress.

I stood in the darkness just far enough away from the security cameras that I wouldn't be detected, bringing the binoculars to my face once again. The two men assigned to guard my perfect budding flower were still walking the grounds. As if they had the power to protect her. Amateurs. They were the same ones from the night I'd seen her first, the two goons barely able to keep up with her.

I'd watched the taillights of the bright red Ferrari fading into the distance as Gideon left the premises, hating the man more than I'd felt before. He was the worst of mankind in my mind, a corrupt bastard who'd managed to keep his hands free of blood, while convincing more than one of his enemies to take his own life after losing everything.

Ruthless wasn't the word for Gideon's actions.

Even though I hadn't formally accepted the contract, I'd still taken time to learn all about the man and how he handled business. I'd known some details before, but I'd used a man in my employ, a damn good hacker, to find out every scrap of information out there. What a colorful life filled with blackmail, extortion, and murder. Three things I knew far too much about.

While I killed people openly and without any regret, he did so without getting his hands dirty, always finding someone else to do the work for him. In my mind, that made him a fucking sewer rodent, completely devoid of integrity. At least I owned up to my kills and would happily do so if I was caught by any member of law enforcement.

Which was highly unlikely.

I was too damn good at what I did.

Then again, the men trying to hire me to destroy Gideon in an entirely different way were no better. Oh, they hid behind their philanthropic behavior just like Emily's father, giving to countless charities, acting as if they were decent human beings, but they were just like Gideon in every way. They were the kinds of organizations that attempted to rule the world with the stroke of a pen instead of a weapon. At least out in the public eye. Either people were stupid or determined to turn a blind eye to what they were really doing behind the scenes. Their complete lack of courage repulsed me. However, I'd heard through various grapevines that Zeus and his buddies were finally in talks with another party to handle their business.

That's why taking Emily as my own was the best option.

Maybe I'd plant a little seed, allowing Gideon to believe his daughter had been kidnapped by his current number one enemy while enjoying the spoils of taking something so precious. So valuable. Only instead of treating her like shit just like her father had done, I would treat my captive like a queen. Yes, playing the two against each other could bring back the joy in my profession. They could kill each other in a bloody event that I had nothing to do with. That would alleviate two crime syndicates. A win in my mind.

But first things first. I'd need to encourage my lovely angel to surrender to me completely in body and soul.

Everything was ready on the island, my beautiful new possession becoming the finest treasure of all.

I turned my attention to the single light on in the window upon the second floor. It was her room, my beautiful angel. I'd been inside several times, easily disabling the security system and avoiding the guards Gideon employed to keep watch. I could tell her father had been nervous tonight, keeping the two in their positions long after normal hours. No matter. I knew my way around the house and grounds like holding a map in my hand.

I'd touched everything inside her closet, her bathroom, leaving her small tokens of appreciation. I'd wanted her to know her savior was coming. My. Wasn't I the evilest man of all?

Maybe Gideon was finally nervous given the recent murder occurring near his precious daughter. He should be. Tonight was the night. I couldn't wait any longer. After the light went out, I waited another fifteen minutes, enjoying the sound of the approaching storm. As the lightning began to flash across the sky, I studied the area once again before heading toward the junction box. All I needed to do was to knock out the electricity, the tool made just for me allowing a disruption of service from over a hundred feet away.

Meanwhile, the two guards had moved toward the back porch under cover as soon as the rain had begun to fall.

It was a mistake that would cost them more than just their jobs.

I held the mechanism directly in the line of sight of the panel box, allowing the beam to flow. If the bastards noticed the single infrared beam, they certain didn't react. When the power cut, I was free to roam the property.

I moved into the darkest part of the forest in their direction, sliding both the handheld control mechanism and the small binoculars into my pocket. I wouldn't need them any longer. Darkness was my friend, my comfort. And the great equalizer.

The two men were conversing, smoking cigars that they'd likely stolen from Gideon's office. At least the two men had balls. I'd give them credit for something. I moved closer, studying them from just a few feet away.

While I was in the mood for a hunt, the kills that much more enjoyable, I was even more eager to have my beautiful angel in my possession. My cock ached just thinking about what I was going to do to her once she was safely locked away. She would soon learn the meaning of the word passion.

I studied them, listening to their jokes and rambling about whatever crap they had going on in their lives. Finally, I grew bored, pulling out another nifty little weapon in my collection. The smoke bomb was harmless but had come in handy more than once. I pulled the pin, tossing it twenty feet away from the jokers, waiting as it went off with a rather subtle but effective boom.

Their reaction was classic but certainly faster than the typical slovenly male. They bolted toward it, the smoke giving a perfect cover screen. That allowed me to advance, easily wrapping my arm around the first guard's throat, jerking him completely off his feet. Without hesitation, I sliced the sharp blade across from ear to ear, tossing him aside like a rag doll.

Then I advanced to the other, but he was quicker than the first and heard me coming. When he spun around, he was ready to fight, his weapon in his hand. I kicked out, knocking it aside, pleasantly surprised when he lunged for me, throwing a punch. I did so prefer someone with verve.

"Come on, buddy. Come and get it," he growled. Good for him.

We shared a couple of blows back and forth, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It had been a long time since I'd had a worthy opponent. However, all good things had to come to an end.

He managed to connect with my jaw one more time, but that was the last strike he'd get. I jammed the knife under his jaw, pushing up with enough force he was pitched into the air like a skewered pig.

As I twisted the blade, his choking sounds became such a sweet reward for a hard night's work.

When his body went limp, I tossed him aside just as I'd done the other fucker.

Now there was nothing standing between me and my sweet angel.

"I'm coming for you, Emily. Are you ready?"

Emily

Boom!

I jerked up almost immediately, the light slumber I'd been in fraught with ugly thoughts and desires that I'd had no control over. As soon as I sat up, a flash of lightning tore across my window. I'd forgotten I'd left the blinds open, staring up at the stars as if they were a beacon of hope. God, another freaking storm.

A strange foreboding sense tore through me as a rumble of thunder shook the house. Or maybe it was my imagination. The number of storms we'd had in Boston lately had kept me rattled, more so than before. It felt hot in the house, as if the air was off, beads of perspiration almost instantly forming over my top lip.

I scanned the darkened room. My door was still closed, no sounds inside other than my scattered breathing filtering into my ears. But I could swear I'd heard a creak of the floors outside my room.

My instinct told me I'd been right in my thoughts before. Tonight was the night. I was positive of it. Why was a small part of me excited, the longing returning? I should feel disgusted, not euphoric.

"You're imagining it," I said in a hushed whisper, clutching the sheets closer against my chest. Another bolt of lightning pushed an ugly whimper up from my throat. I had a sense something was very wrong. I crawled out of bed, reaching for the small lamp next to my bed. When I turned the switch, only darkness greeted me. "It's just the storm."

Still, a cold shudder washed through every muscle as I threw back the sheets, holding my arms even though the humidity was thicker than normal. As soon as I moved to the window, peering through the blinds, another flash of bright light assaulted my senses. What the fuck? I could swear the dancing blue neon highlighted something odd in the back yard. Was I crazy?

My God. It appeared to be a body.

That was impossible. Both Jessup and Carson carried weapons and knew how to use them. I'd known that for years. Yet on this moonless night, I couldn't shove the horrific thoughts from my mind.

Something was out of place, as if my world was about to be torn off its axis. I turned around, studying the shadows, moving toward my closet and grabbing a pair of shoes. I had to see what was outside. Before walking out of my room, I grabbed a flashlight from my dresser drawer. As soon as I flicked the switch I groaned. How long had it been since I'd changed batteries?

At least it was enough light to provide some sense of seeing where I was going. I grabbed my phone, sending a quick text to Jessup. Only then did I notice there were no bars. With the power out, the internet was as well. Damn it. I had no choice but to venture outside the room.

I moved toward the door, pressing my ear against it, listening for any sounds whatsoever. There were none. Very slowly I turned the handle, trying to keep my cool before flinging it open, immediately shining the limited light into the darkened hallway. There were no monsters in the shadows, only a reminder that the huge house was empty.

The rumble of thunder continued, the bright purple light of Mother Nature powering in through the oversized arch top window at the end of the hall. I suddenly felt as if I was a part of a horror movie all over again, the damsel in distress locked inside a dungeon of doom. As I took a single step down the stairs, I was certain I heard a thumping noise. Where was it coming from?

I took another step then another, finally racing down the stairs. The front door was still closed and locked, although the blipping lights of the security system were dark. Of course. The power. My breath remained rattled as I moved through the house, trying to remember where the housekeeper had placed the drawer full of batteries. I rushed into the kitchen, doing everything I could to keep from hyperventilating, yanking open one drawer after another until I found what I was looking for. I plopped the flashlight onto the counter, torn from the idea of turning it off for even a few seconds so I could replace the batteries. There was no other choice. The light was already dimming even more than before.

Humming softly to myself, my fingers felt stiff as I tried to switch out the batteries. Now I was almost grateful for the additional light outside even though I jumped every time another bolt flashed across the sky. When I was finally finished, I swung the flashlight toward the back door. There was something odd outside, smoke appearing from somewhere.

Was something on fire?

Oh, God. I'd told myself I wouldn't be terrified but right now, I could barely move without fear crushing my system. I headed toward the door, swinging the flashlight back and forth. Something caught my attention, but I couldn't tell what it was through the haze. As soon as I opened the door, I gathered a stench of smoke. However, it wasn't from a wood burning fire, the stench more chemical in composition. Burning wires maybe?

I sucked in my breath, tired of being frightened of what could turn out to be my imagination only.

Then where did the roses come from?

Again, I couldn't put it past Mr. Romero to do something so disturbing. He was creepy as hell in a leisure suit kind of way. Most people thought him harmless. I knew by his lecherous actions and the way he'd always dragged his tongue across his bottom lip when I was in the room that he'd led everyone to believe he was a decent guy.

Great. Inventing stories to try to keep the paranoia from getting the better of me. This was exactly the kind of darkness that had consumed me after my mother's murder, my imagination turning into bouts of horror and make believe, insisting there were boogeymen inside the house when there hadn't been what Jessup would call a snowball's chance in hell of them getting past the cavalry.

My father hadn't been patient with my antics, even considering having me admitted to a restful facility, as he tried to explain to me. I'd learned to hide my fear, bottling my depression.

I took a deep breath, easing outside onto the covered porch, swinging the flashlight from one side to the other. The rain was picking up in intensity, which was at least starting to clear the air. "Jessup? Carson?" I called, although I wasn't certain the meager sound of my voice carried over the rumbles and pelting against the roof of the porch.

There was no obvious sign of a situation or danger, but I was cautious as I moved closer, sucking in and holding my breath.

"Guys. Are you out here?" Why couldn't I see anything? I found myself shuffling my feet, which was completely ridiculous. What was that going to accomplish? If the big, bad wolf was hiding in the shadows, I certainly wasn't going to stop him by acting like stupid B-rated movie scream queen.

I almost laughed, which I did when I was extremely nervous before forcing myself to walk to the edge of the patio. I blinked several times, the smoke continuing to clear. It dawned on me that it reminded me of a smoke bomb used in television shows and movies. This time, I couldn't keep the snort from escaping.

My steps still tentative, I moved away from what seemed like the security of the portico, determined to find my bodyguards. My heart was thudding so rapidly that even though the rain was pelting against my face, I could still hear the rapid beating as echoes in my ears.

With another two steps taken, I swung the light once again. A slight glint caught my attention. What was that? I took another step, tripping over something. Down I went.

Hard.

The light slipped from my fingers, pitched forward and rolling several feet away. Ouch. A pain tore through my hip, my leg stuck on something. My palms were also muddy, the slick substance covering them. Where had that come from? My father insisted on perfect grass, which is why he'd hired a full-time landscaper. I held them up, finally turning my attention to the light.

Then I let out a bloodcurdling scream, the wide beam illuminating a face and haunted eyes. "No. No. Jessup." I struggled to get up, realizing only seconds later I'd stumbled over the body of Carson. I spun around on my knees, issuing another horrific bellow. As I held my hands into the air, the sudden stench wafting into my nostrils was unmistakable. Blood.

It soaked my skin, dripping down my arms in strings of dark red and pale pink as the rain mixed in. Carson's throat had been slit from ear to ear, his mouth still open in his own scream of shock and horror. Just like Tyler's had been.

I did my best to crawl backwards in the muck and blood, sliding then falling directly on Jessup's dead body. "Oh, no. No. No. No." I pressed my hand against his face, the gaping hole at the base of his chin making me sick inside, lightheaded from the horrific wave of nausea. A sudden desperate need to survive kicked in, especially when I head a cracking noise as if someone was clearing the trees.

Every inch of my body shaking, I managed somehow by the grace of God to jerk up, tumbling backwards, fighting the urge to vomit all over the ground. After having the common sense to scoop up the light, I was ready to bolt toward the house but I was wrong about where I'd heard the noise.

As if taken off a screenplay for a horror movie, the moment I flashed the light toward the back of the house, a figure stepped into view. He or it was too far away for me to make out any features, especially since the person was wearing a hoodie, but there was no chance I could return to the house. Not through the door I'd come out of anyway.

"What do you want?" I called, fighting laughter. As if the monster was going to tell me.

"You."

The shock of hearing his voice once again was like a knife being shoved into my gut. I hadn't been dreaming. He'd been in my room. He'd spanked me and fucked me and… Oh, God. The rush of fear finally outweighed the ridiculous desire. "No. I… Go away. Go away from me." I took several steps backward, narrowly avoiding tripping over Jessup's lifeless body all over again.

"Emily. Don't run from me or you will be punished. And I assure you that it will be much worse than you received before."

I wasn't imagining anything. This was real.

This was dangerous.

This was my life.

Oh, fuck, no.

"You bastard. You've been in my house!"

He laughed, the sound wrapping around me softly. "Did you enjoy our sinful encounter?"

"Get away, you freak."

I backed away more defiantly this time, uncertain what I could do. Except I knew of a road few people knew about less than a mile from my father's house. I had to go through a small river on the back of the property but there was no other choice. Not if I wanted to live.

I took off running, fighting my way through the terror and images that would never leave my mind. It was him. I was certain of it. He'd come for me just like I knew he would.

But he was a monster after all. Just like the rest of them. Just like my father. My heart continued to pound, my mind a horrific blur as I ran and ran until my legs ached, refusing to look behind me.

Until I heard a sound.

Laughter. Deep laughter. I slapped my hand across my mouth and headed behind a tree, cutting the light. I couldn't breathe, wasn't entirely certain where I was. But I had to keep running. I had to get away. Did my father know this was happening? Was this why he'd left? I counted to five, fighting the nerves before taking off running again. If I wanted my freedom, I'd need to fight for it.

So I took off running again. No horrible monsters were going to prevent me from getting away. I sprinted, proud of myself for keeping on without losing what might be left of my mind. I didn't care if I was soaked to the bone or that low tree limbs were slapping me in the face. There was no pain or maybe I should recite the mantra I'd adopted years before.

No pain, no gain.

The last stupid psychiatrist had said just that in jest to try to bring me out of the darkness when everything else the ugly little man had tried had failed miserably. I continued my round of hatred for him as I powered through to the back of the property, able to hear the water of the river tumbling over the rocks. All I had to do was make it to the other side and turn right, heading toward the Millers' property. They were a nice older couple, although they hated my father, but they'd help me. Right?

I kept my legs going, envisioning the way the doctor had looked at me the last time I'd stormed out of his office. As if he'd visit me in a loony bin in a few short weeks. I'd turned all my fear and hatred into my love of music, able to pull myself out of the darkness within weeks.

A feat I was proud of.

The skills I'd learned from being a sick little girl were invaluable. I would get through this.

I found myself at the riverbank's edge, shuddering as I heard a loud howling sound. It was eerie, a wolf baying at the dark sky. Or was it human instead? It didn't matter at this point. Whoever or whatever it was should be considered dangerous.

I trudged off, thankful I knew almost every rock and crevice in the river having explored it dozens of times in my effort to find peace and tranquility. If there was such a thing.

Somehow, I made it through, falling on the opposite bank not once but twice. But I crawled and fought my way to the other side, dropping the flashlight only once. Powering forward, I still fought to catch my breath as I rushed back into the last line of forest keeping me from reaching the road.

When I finally burst through the trees, I laughed and fell to my knees briefly, gasping for air.

Keep going. Keep going. He won't leave you alone. He'll find you.

Another rush of adrenaline finally kicked in, propelling me forward. Nothing was going to stop me.

All the crazy thoughts about wanting love powered into me.

I wanted something real and special.

The kisses.

The passion.

The teasing.

The arguments.

But most of all, I wanted my music. Just to play. Just to make magic.

I could see his face everywhere in the shadows, even though I had no idea what he looked like. I pushed harder, moved faster, refusing to allow the exhaustion to steal a second of energy away from me.

The house was right there. Right there in front of me. All I had to do was race down the long driveway.

That's exactly what I did, reaching the front door in no time. Without losing a blip in time, I started pounding on the door. The bastard wouldn't dare try to attack me when I was standing right here in front of a stranger's house.

I pounded again, my hands aching. There were still covered in blood. I could feel it. Oh, please. Oh, please. Oh, please.

After ringing the doorbell at least ten times, sheer desperation kicked in. They weren't home. I'd break in. Yes. That's exactly what I'd do.

Ready to jump off the front porch, I suddenly noticed headlights coming up the driveway. Thank God. Thank God. I huddled in the rain, shivering to my core as my neighbor slowly made his way in front of the house. A dark vehicle. That's what they drove. I almost fell to my knees in thankfulness as the driver's door was opened, the person getting out.

"Mr. Miller. Thank God. I need your help. Someone killed my bodyguards and no one was there to help and our electricity is out. Is yours? Oh, God. How would you know? You've been gone. Please help me." I bounded off the porch toward him, eager to get inside in the light. As he rounded the back of the vehicle, I realized he hadn't cut the engine or turned off the headlights.

Mmmm…

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

I shook my head, backing away, but it was too late.

A hand was wrapped around my throat and I was pulled against a very hard body.

"You're coming with me, sweet angel. What you don't seem to understand is that I'm your savior."

Savior. Was the horrible bastard kidding me?

As a strange pinch sliced into my neck, a warmth unlike anything I'd ever felt swept through me. I blinked several times, trying to understand what was going on. But the darkness was too much of a draw, the sweet release of peace beckoning.

I started to feel sleepy, so very sleepy. "Who… are you?"

He chuckled in the same dark and seductive tone I'd heard before so many times.

In the woods.

In my room.

In my dreams.

"Who am I, angel? That's easy. I'm your knight in shining armor."