Killer Love (17 page)

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The scents of pine and honeysuckle floated in the frigid air. Her loneliness eased somewhat as a sense of calm settled over her.

Then her treacherous mind let thoughts of Luke Butler sneak in. How dare he accuse her of being involved with Bryce? The sonofabitch had almost
killed
her. Did Luke think they’d planned it together? Yeah, like she’d have gone along with
that
.

What really sucked was that, in spite of the accusations, in spite of his attitude, some small, secret part of her had been thrilled to see him. And that really pissed her off.

He hadn’t answered her question but she was certain the Marshals’ office had no idea he was here. For now, she wouldn’t say anything, but if he continued to accuse her, if he caused her any trouble at all, she’d rat him out in a New York minute.

After a few moments, the cold penetrated deep inside her jacket. She shoved her hands into her pockets, her body shivering. She wasn’t ready to go inside yet but she was freezing. She still wouldn’t be able to sleep, but maybe now that her head was clear, she could get some work done.

She stepped back inside, startled when she heard a knock at the front door. For a moment, she foolishly hoped it was Luke, although she couldn’t think of a reason in the world for him to be at her door at three o’clock in the morning. Of course, she couldn’t think of a reason for
anyone
to be at her door at three o’clock in the morning.

“Jenna, let me in!”

Dennis. Apparently, he’d been released from jail but what the hell was he doing at her door? She didn’t answer, hoping he would think she was asleep. No way in hell was she letting him in.

“Please. I know you’re awake. It’s an emergency. Something’s wrong with Ashley. She’s not breathing. Deb’s not home and we don’t have a phone. I don’t know what to do.”

All caution fled as Jade rushed to the door on legs that felt like rubber bands. “Hold on,” she shouted. Numb fingers fumbled with the lock. It seemed to take an eternity but finally, she managed to open the door.

As soon as she did, Dennis shoved his way inside. She stumbled back and gaped at him. He didn’t seem concerned at all. His eyes were blood-shot and he reeked of alcohol. Swaying, he narrowed his eyes and gave her an unsteady glare.

“Ashley...” she said, even though she knew it had been a trick.

“She’s fine, you stupid cunt. The whole famdamily’s sound asleep. I jus’ got home an’ saw you out there.” His head jerked toward the balcony. “Thought it might be a good time for you and me to be alone.”

“Get the fuck out,” she screamed, backing away from him.

He kicked the door shut and came at her. Before she realized what was happening, he doubled up his fist and punched her in the jaw. Her head snapped back and pain exploded in her ears. She grabbed her face and glared at him, ashamed of the tears that instantly filled her eyes.

“You need to learn somethin’, bitch. Put yourself in a man’s place and you’re gonna be treated like a man,” he growled, staggering towards her. “Understand?”

“And I’m sure that ordinarily you’re a perfect gentleman.” Her words were distorted because her jaw was on fire, but apparently he understood her.

He snorted and shook his head. His eyes took on a feral gleam as he moved closer. “You’re a mouthy bitch, aren’t ya? I can think of a better way to put that mouth of yours to use.”

On legs that trembled with fear, she continued to retreat. He came toward her unsteadily, his hands jerking at his belt buckle as he advanced. Her back met the dining room wall.

His mouth split in a parody of a smile, revealing a black gap where a tooth should have been. No great loss. The remaining ones were crooked and stained. The missing one probably hadn’t looked any better.

“I’ve been wantin’ to do this since the first time I saw you. At first, it was cause you’re fucking hot.” His eyes dropped to the scar on her throat and he shrugged. “Even with that bride of Frankenstein shit you got goin’ on there.”

He was so close now, she could smell him. The stench of cheap cologne, body odor and booze assaulted her nostrils. Her throat closed and she tried to make herself breathe through her mouth.

“Get out!”

He shook his head. “Don’t think so. Ya see, now I wanna fuck you so I can show you how much of a man I really am. Last time we saw each other, you had doubts, right?”

He lunged at her, pressing his lower body into hers. He jerked her jacket off her shoulders, then pulled it down around her wrists and held her captive with one hand.

His fingers dug into her face and her injured jaw flamed. He planted a hard wet kiss on her lips. Her throat constricted with the urge to vomit. She almost wished she would. Maybe then he’d back off.

She tried to pull away, tried to fight him but her hands were trapped behind her. He was incredibly strong to be so skinny. He released her face and grabbed her pajama top. He ripped it open, scattering buttons, exposing her breasts.

God. He was going to rape her.

She screamed. His filthy hand clamped over her mouth.

“Shut the fuck up if you know what’s good for you. Right now, I just want to have a little fun. You keep screaming and I’ll knock your ass out. No telling what I might do to you then. Know what I mean, missy?”

Icy needles of fear danced on her skin. Panic surged through her and she struggled like a wild animal.

He released her face and used both hands to pull her arms together behind her back. The pain was so severe and so sudden she gasped.

He laughed. “No fighting this time, babe. Tonight, I’m the one in charge.”

There was something about his lack of hesitation. Something about his attitude. Something about his out and out
glee
. And somehow, she knew. He’d done this before. And he would do it again.

The nameless, faceless victims flashed through her mind. Dennis’ victims. Bryce’s victims. All of them caught unaware. All of them at the mercy of these sick sonofabitches. Had this slime ball touched Ashley like this? Was she his victim too?

No more.

No fucking more
.

She made her body relax. He froze for a second, caught off guard. Then he eased his grip on her arms, still pressing his body against hers. He grinned and grabbed her breast. Her skin tightened, recoiling from his touch. His fingers dug painfully into the soft flesh.

“You decided to play along, huh? Ready to find out what it’s like to be with a real man?” Lust gleamed in his muddy brown eyes. But it was more than just lust. He was enjoying her fear.

With his other hand, he gripped the top of her pajama pants and tugged. Before he could get them past her hips, she made herself gag, loudly and deeply in her throat.

“What the fuck? You’re not going to puke are you?” Then he shrugged. Maybe he was accustomed to that sort of reaction from women.

Her head fell back. He leaned in close, his hot fetid breath on the skin of her neck. She snapped her head forward and clamped her teeth down on his cheek. She didn’t let go. Even when his guttural cry split her eardrums. He tried to pull back but she bit down harder.

Her teeth split flesh and she tasted blood, old sweat and booze. Now she gagged for real.

She released him and he stumbled back, still howling, his hands pressed to his mangled cheek. He stared at her, his eyes glazed with shock and pain. “Ya fuggin bith...galdan fuggin bith...”

She couldn’t call the police. Once had been enough. Too much attention wasn’t good. Especially an attempted rape accusation. The media in this one-horse town would be all over that. Besides, jail didn’t seem to have much of an effect on this piece of shit.

She pulled her jacket back on and zipped it shut. She ran into the kitchen and spit into the sink, then rushed into the bedroom and came back with the Ruger.

Dennis was on the floor now, hunched over. He rocked back and forth, still cradling his wounded cheek. She hurried in front of him and kicked his shoulder hard enough to knock him over on his back.

She straddled his thighs, one knee on either side and shoved the barrel of the gun against his crotch.

“Here’s how it’s going to work, motherfucker. You’re going to disappear. Completely and totally disappear.”

His wide-eyed stare fastened on the gun.

“That’s right. Mine’s bigger than yours, you sonofabitch, and I’ll tell you a little secret. I’m not afraid of you. You got that? So you’re gonna go. If I see your sorry ass around those kids, their mother or this town.” She shoved the gun more deeply into his groin. He let out a yelp. “I’m going to blow your useless dick right off. You got that?”

He nodded hard, his greasy blond hair flipping back and forth in his eyes.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she repeated. “Not fucking
afraid
.”

“Ok, ok, ok. Juth let me outta here, you crazy bith. You won’t see me again.”

“Don’t go back to Ashley’s tonight. I’m going to check and if you’re there...” She let the words hang in the air. He nodded more vigorously.

She climbed off, still aiming the gun at his crotch. He jumped to his feet but hesitated at the door. His eyes gave off more hate than she’d ever seen. But there was fear there too. He glared at her briefly and then was gone.

The gun slipped from her fingers. She barely made it to the toilet before she lost the contents of her stomach. She sat slumped on the floor, arms wrapped around the toilet, and continued to dry heave for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the nausea passed. She got to her feet and filled her mouth with Scope.

She swished it around while she went into the front room to lock the door. She really wasn’t afraid. She hadn’t lied about that. But she desperately needed a shower and what kind of idiot would she be to get in there without locking the front door? Especially after what had just happened.

She knew she could have killed him. Would have killed him without a qualm. And that scared her a little.

Standing under the hot spray, she scrubbed her body over and over again. She could still feel his hot breath on her. Still smell him. She scrubbed again but couldn’t get the oily feel of him off her skin.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing under the water when the trembling started. She couldn’t stop shaking. Her mind was calm, but her body was a mass of quivering nerves.

Above the sound of the shower, above the noise of her teeth rattling together, she heard knocking. Someone was at the door.

Dennis. Sorry sonofabitch.

****

Keeping one hand inside the pocket of his jacket, fingers curved around the butt of the gun, Luke pounded on Jade’s door.

His heartbeat dialed up a notch for each second that had gone by since he’d seen the blood trail. Not a lot of blood, but it was fresh...and it ended at Jade’s door.

Earlier, he’d checked into a hotel, eaten some tacos, showered and gone to bed. But after an hour of tossing and turning, he knew there was no way he was going to fall asleep.

Feeling restless and claustrophobic, he dressed and went for a drive. And ended up back at Jade’s. He’d seen the light on and decided to investigate. He hadn’t planned to actually knock on her door, just wanted to see if he could overhear something. Maybe catch someone leaving her apartment.

Then he’d seen the blood. He thought about calling 911 but wasn’t sure if there was reason for concern. The boulder-sized knot resting in his gut told him there was. Ten more seconds and he was calling.

He barely completed the thought when the door swung open. Luke wasn’t sure who was more surprised, him or the wild-eyed half wet woman standing in the doorway with a gun in her hand.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

He stepped inside and gently took the gun from her. His eyes searched her body but she didn’t appear to be bleeding. “Are you okay?”

She looked at him without moving, without speaking. Then he noticed she was shaking like someone in the grip of a seizure.

He shut the door and put the gun down on the coffee table, then put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the couch. He draped an afghan over her, not only for warmth, but also because he didn’t think she wore anything beneath the blue silk robe. An added layer between him and a naked Jade was probably a good idea.

He wanted to put his arms around her, hold her until the shaking stopped but he knew she wouldn’t let him. It wasn’t wise anyway. She was too tempting and smelled too damned sweet. A light citrus fragrance mingled with the damp warmth from her shower and played on his senses like a drug.

“What happened? Where did the blood come from?” he asked, ignoring the sudden heat that drummed through his body.

She drew the afghan more tightly around her shoulders. “I asked what you’re doing here.”

He didn’t want to answer her question so he asked one of his own. “Was Bryce here? Did he do something to you?”

She turned her face away from him. Moonlight filtered through the window and cast shadows on her profile. Slowly, she shook her head. “No. Bryce wasn’t here.”

“Then who was? What the hell happened?”

“I had a run-in with a neighbor, but everything’s fine now.”

She turned to look at him and he saw that an ugly red welt had bloomed on her cheek. He gripped her chin and turned her face to the light. He felt his jaw muscles clench. “Some asshole did this to you?” Spots danced before his eyes. Fury heated his veins but he managed to keep his voice calm. “Where is he?”

“It’s nothing. I already took care of it. He won’t be back.”

“How do you know?”

Her mouth turned up in the ghost of a grin. “Because that was his blood out there, not mine.”

He returned her grin, his chest muscles relaxing as anxiety left his body. Gently, he brushed his thumb along her cheek. She flinched and pulled away.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” she said, but he saw in her eyes that he had. And that a lot of others before him had too.

He felt like a jerk but the suspicion was still there. She wouldn’t tell him what had actually happened and he couldn’t shake the feeling it might have something to do with Bryce. One thing he knew for sure. She was holding something back from him.