Savaged Read online

  “I faked my own death to protect myself. And in my attempts to fool my attackers, I’ve been sitting in this room for two years,” I moan. “Rehashing things won’t change the fact that Anton has decided to show his face again. That means he’s up to something. I need you to find out what it is A.S.A.P.”

  Neil stands up, his shoulders cower when he says, “Tommy said he thinks it’s best to let the law handle this one, Mr. Kincaid.” Fear paints his voice, a contradiction to the eagerness there when he spoke to Tommy only moments before.

  Neil has only addressed me as Mr. Kincaid a handful of times. This can’t be good.

  “Tommy and his fucking department are still looking for a connection. I’m no police officer, but I can see the connection as clear as day. Anton sold guns. My father caught wind of it and ratted him out. Anton was pissed when he got out of jail and killed him! It seems like a pretty open and shut case. Hell, if the cops were even half competent, they would have arrested Anton before he got a chance to come after me!”

  My body shrivels a little when Neil doesn’t speak. “Are you deaf, Neil?” My anguish peaks, shattering the last shreds of my control. Quickly standing up, I march into my connecting bedroom. I can feel his eyes burning into my back, watching me intently. As I turn around, they widen when he realizes what I’m about to do. Without hesitation, I grip the edge of the long drapes and yank them back. The bright light attacks my senses as I stand directly in front of the window, baring myself in the most unendurable way. Struggling to breath, I try to make a point, one that I beg gets through to Neil.

  Opening my mouth, my voice sounds fragile and shaky, yet deep and determined, when I say, “Look at me. I’m a monster. These scars are never-ending reminders of what he took from me. The scars that his hands cut into me define me now. You should know better than anyone that this isn’t who I am, who I want to be for the rest of my life. Now, you’re going to help find out why someone wanted me dead, and more importantly, why Anton’s name appears around every corner!”

  The heat from the open drapes makes my skin feel like it is burning. But I keep them open, hoping it drives the message home. Neil stands, turns, and walks to the door. The sound of it shutting immediately urges my hand to drop, allowing the drapes to close. The darkness creeps its way back around me, enveloping me, consuming me, and protecting me from the truth.

  I’m ashamed to say, I’m self-destructing. The solitude I’ve been forced into has seeped so far into my bleak soul that the hope of finding the truth seems impossible and out of reach.

  I braced myself for the mess that I was about to walk into. Jarod cautioned me, his counsel ringing clear as crystal in my head, but it didn’t change my mind about returning to the estate. Niko pushed me away, and yet I yearn to help him—a complete stranger with a jaded past.

  I know with certainty that I have to go back. There isn’t even a question in my mind. He has no one, other than the staff that he pays. It’s not as if I’m being forced. I want to be there for him, just like I want to help Grams. The urges to help him and her go hand in hand.

  I drive up the long driveway toward the estate and park in the semicircle directly in front. I put the car into park and retrieve my bag from the passenger seat. As I get out, I notice how bright the moon is as it shines above my head, guiding my way up the large walkway.

  There is an eerie silence as I hold onto my bag with one hand; my palms are sweaty as I grip the leather handle. My feet carry me forward until I’m face-to-face with a large iron-rod door. This is the first time that I’m arriving unaccompanied. I feel a little odd and out of place.

  Do I just ring the doorbell like a normal guest would? Who will answer and will they even let me in?

  Fear stops people everyday from doing things that they want to do. I’ll be damned if I am going to let the fear of the unknown hinder me, not tonight. I’m on a mission. With the lace fabric of my garter belt and stockings riding up, I know I need to get upstairs and readjust myself. I’ve never dressed like this before; it is new territory for me. Truth be told, I’m not even sure I put the strange apparatus on correctly.

  Raising my right hand, I knock softly on the door. My heart pounds in my chest with every pounce my knuckles make. The silhouette of a woman approaches. She’s dressed in all black and her only accessory’s a feather duster. I can see the woman eying me through the door. She looks stunned. It’s nearly ten at night. Of course, the maid would be surprised that Niko has an unannounced visitor.

  I watch as she unlocks the door, cracking it just enough so she can speak. “Hello, may I help you, dear?”

  “Hi, I’m Cambree Evans. I’m Mr. Mark’s guest.” It sounds strange using his alias, but that’s what the contract said. It makes me wonder if he’s always so trusting of his “service” women, or do they usually address him as Louis, too. I shake my head.

  The maid’s brows bunch together in question. “I didn’t think that he had a guest tonight. Please come in and let me place a call upstairs.” Opening the door wider, she gestures me inside.

  The house is strikingly bright other than the few dim lights illuminating artwork hung on the walls. A fire burns bright in the great room to my left. If I didn’t know any better, I could picture Niko sitting in front of the fireplace enjoying a glass of scotch while reading the newspaper. A large picture sitting on the mantel over the fireplace catches my eye. I glance to my right, toward the kitchen. The maid is not in sight. Taking a small step, I tiptoe quietly into the room, toward the frame. I’m oddly curious as to whose face is in it.

  My fluid steps lead me to the edge of a large rug, directly in front of the wooden frame. I can see my face reflecting in the glass. It’s that shiny.

  The picture is of two people, one male and one female. They look like they are both in their mid to late forties. The woman is wearing a red dress. Her hair is dark and long. It looks like silk waves as it rests on her shoulders and cascades down her chest. The woman’s skin is a light olive color. Yet, she looks dark compared to the man’s complexion. He has salt and pepper hair and a smile that goes on for days. He definitely paid someone for those teeth.

  “Miss Evans, I’m sorry to intrude. Mr. Marks will see you now.”

  Biting my lip, I look away from the couple staring back at me. “Thank you,” I mutter as I turn on my heels and start for the front door where I left my belongings.

  “You can call me Ruth. If you should need anything, there is a phone located in each one of the guest bedrooms. I will turn down a bed for you. Please do not hesitate to call me. Breakfast will be ready at eight.”

  We share a small smile before Ruth turns and leaves me standing alone. Picking up my bag, I walk toward the large familiar steps. Climbing them one by one, I’m startled when I run into someone at the top. Jarod.

  “I see you did indeed decide to return,” he says, studying me thoughtfully for a moment.

  “That was the plan. To come back.” I shrug my shoulders. “Do you mind showing me to a room?”

  “Follow me.” He frowns as he turns away from me. Neither of us speaks as we stroll down the hallway. It’s odd. Jarod is normally so friendly with me. I feel like I angered him.

  “This is it. If you need anything…at all, call me. Day or night, okay? My room is only down the hall.”

  “Yeah, sure, but I think I’ll be fine. What’s the worst that can happen, right?” I let out a small laugh. Jarod freezes. “Is something wrong? You seem a little off. Have I upset you by coming back?” Nailed it.

  “You could never upset me, Bree. Now go on, get reacquainted with your room. I’ll see you for breakfast.”

  Our weird exchange throws me off guard. I had mentally talked myself up for tonight while I was getting ready and during the entire drive here. Now, I feel as if I’m an intruder. Like no one wants me here. Niko wants me here. After all, he hired me, and tonight he would have me as long as my insecurities don’t hinder my plan. I know it isn’t healthy to use sex as a coping mechanism. I
might have learned the hard way, but I was at a loss on how to help Niko break out of his shell. I’m going to fuck him into oblivion and then talk to him when he is at his weakest, in a sex coma.

  Laying down my duffle bag, I unzip it and pull out a small bottle of perfume. Spraying it on my wrists, I rub them together, and then, using my left wrist, I rub it across the base of my neck. Looking in the mirror, I readjust my undergarments and then open the bedroom door.

  I’m a bundle of nerves as I saunter toward Niko’s room. My chest rises and falls at an alarming rate, but it isn’t just nerves that has my stomach doing somersaults. I’m excited to see him again, and it shakes me all the way to my core.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Planting my feet on the carpet, I’m as quiet as a mouse. No one comes to the door. I knock again, only this time harder. Again, no one answers. Feeling a surge of sexual disappointment rush through my veins, like a girl who got stood up on prom night, I twist the knob on the door. To my surprise, it’s unlocked. Cracking it open, I wait for the scolding tone in Niko’s voice to chastise me for coming in without permission. There is only silence. It urges me in. There’s something so surreal about intruding on God knows what. I’m asking for trouble and I don’t even care.

  “Niko, you here?” I call out. One foot in front of the other, I move farther and farther into the room.

  A line of bright light illuminates a closed door. I can hear the sound of running water. It reminds me of a fountain. Images of Niko naked, his abs being doused from the faucet, make my legs weak. This is so not like me. I haven’t thrown myself at someone in years. There’s no denying my attraction to him. Although, it may be to a man I’ve never really seen before, I’m drawn to him. Money or not, an escape is exactly what I think we both need.

  “Cambree?” I hear him question as the sound of a door creaking startles me. Silently, I try to pull my raging hormones together and stow them.

  “The one and only,” I say, and then cringe immediately as Niko snickers. How lame? The sound almost feels familiar, like I’ve dreamt about him laughing, acting carefree. I’ve lost it. Completely fell off the deep end.

  “You’ve come back. Why? Are you here to continue or terminate the terms of the contract?”

  My eyes dart to the towel around his body. Although the bathroom light is dim from where I’m standing, I can just make out the material wrapped around his waistline.

  He coughs. “Cambree? I’ve let the rules slide more than I ever have. Either we can keep up this friend charade, or we can fuck. The decision is all yours.”

  I came here with the intentions of screwing him, but hearing him say it—offering his body to me—sounds so naughty and delicious at the same time. I’m flabbergasted as I stand, mouth gaping open.

  “Do you mind turning around?” he asks. His voice is instantly lower. The bathroom light flickers off, and once again darkness creeps its way around me, enveloping me for the umpteenth time.

  His footsteps patter against the hardwood as I listen tentatively, trying to gauge how close he is. Goose bumps break out all over my body from head to toe.

  “We don’t need to fight this thing any longer. My body craves you, and by the way you’re dressed, I can only assume your pussy has been weeping for me too.”

  Heat steals my face. I feel like lurching forward. His magnetism is that potent.

  MY EYES, HUNGRY WITH DESIRE, rake over Cambree’s clothed body as I near her. A growl rises in my throat. I plant my feet firmly on the ground, as the sound of my towel hitting the floor fills the air. A cool breeze from its impact is felt all the way up my groin. A delightful shiver of wanting runs through me. After the shitty day I’ve had, sex is the only cure. I’ve already tried drinking. Downing a half bottle of my most expensive bourbon didn’t help. It numbed my mind, but didn’t quench what my body craves.

  I crave Cambree. Her legs parted, her most sensitive area exposed, the dampness caused by just my mere presence. I want to devour her mind, spirit, and body. I want to break her, claim her, and then do it all over again until she is nothing but a heap of flesh and bones.

  “Cambree.” My voice sounds pained, only it’s not pain echoing as I speak; it’s an ache for her. I call out, wanting nothing more than to beg her to fuck me, to help clear my mind. All I can get out is her name—a plea for her to fill a void I didn’t know existed before.

  “Shh,” she whispers and walks closer to me. I can feel her presence filling the remaining distance between us. “You’re right. I didn’t come here to talk. Not today. I think we both know that already, though,” her voice purrs like a kitten.

  I swallow. Hard.

  My gaze drops from her eyes to her shoulders, to her chest that is almost on display. The deep V that dips in between her breasts shows off her ample mounds. Like a horny mutt, my mouth starts to water, wishing my lips were already sucking on her nipples. I can only imagine how perfect they are. How they taste.

  Not that she can even see me clearly, but I can feel her eyes on me. There is a deep significance as we talk without words. I’ve wanted her since the moment I met her. Since the first time my hungry eyes surveyed her deliciously curved stature, I’ve wanted to claim her. A nagging voice rings in my head, reminding me that I’m not worthy of her heart. That’s off limits. Her body, by the way she is dressed and the divine smell of perfume that lingers between us. Yes, her body is fair game tonight.

  With the lights off, I feel safe. I have the upper hand in this situation, just as I do every time. As long as I’m in control, I revert to my old self. The man I was before I became a recluse was a player who made women beg until they were so aroused they came just from a swipe of my tongue. Make no exception; I was good at fucking women, but even more so now. Sex is my biggest hobby, and I’m ready to get crafty.

  Passion radiates in the air, hanging thick between us. We both want the same thing, yet neither of us makes a move. It isn’t like me to be so consumed with one woman, I think as I take a step toward Cambree. There is no going back. I have to figure out what it is that is drawing me toward her. Maybe the sex will suck, or it might rock my world and leave me utterly speechless. Both ways, there is an opportunity dangling in front of me and I would have to be damn stupid to pass it up.

  “I have a certain way of doing things. I play by my rules and my rules only, do you understand?” I ask, standing only a few feet away from her. Hot breath seeps out of my mouth. I’m fully naked and she is still fully clothed. I need to rectify that and fast.

  “Take me however you wish. Tonight is about you. I want you to feel comfortable with me.” Her voice is strong. She sounds very content. Much more than I would have ever suspected. She wants this just as badly as I do.

  “I want you to do something for me though.”

  “Okay.” There is a small ounce of uncertainty present in her voice.

  I pull a black blindfold from my nightstand and then place it in her hand. She fumbles with the string on her finger and holds it up.

  “A mask? Are you kidding me? I’ll close my eyes if you want, but a mask is a little extreme.”

  “You said you’d play by my rules. Now, put it on. Please, for me,” I plead, not able to explain exactly why I want her to wear it. As I take a step toward her, my cock thickens. It becomes fully erect as I stand merely centimeters in front of her. In one forward motion, I wrap her body in my arms. Her body, like foam, molds to me. Bending my head down, I place my face at the crook of her neck and breathe her in. The warm scent of apple on her skin greets my nostrils.

  The room is silent other than the sounds of me inhaling deeply. Sinking into my cushioning embrace, Cambree sighs against my chest. It causes my shaft to pulsate. My hands lock at her waist, my fingertips gently rub her soft skin. I slowly unzip her dress, unwrapping her like the most delicate candy I’ll ever eat. Inch by inch, the material becomes looser. I’m undressing her, another rarity. Most of the women I’ve been with were barely clothed and might as well have been nake
d or not wearing anything under their brown trench coats when they arrived.

  If I had any belief that Cambree was like them in this moment, I am proven wrong. As my hands inch her shoulder straps down her arms, the faint touch of my fingers grazing her skin causes goose bumps to rise across her forearm. The dress falls to the floor in front of me, but my eyes are focusing on the beauty that’s standing only inches away. I notice her undergarments, the way that her full breast fills the cups. Instantly my shaft throbs as more blood rushes through its vessels.

  My hands explore the hollows of her naked back. Her skin feels like silk as I rub it, careful not to move too fast. I slowly caress her. Leaning forward, I whisper into her ear, “You are so breathtakingly beautiful, Cambree Evans. Your scent drives me insane. Your presence makes me weak.”

  I can feel her eyelashes flutter against my cheek as her limbs tremble. My hold on her tightens, pushing my erection against her core. Feeling like I’m going to spontaneously combust, I rake my hands up her arms to her bra strap.

  Niko bends down in front of me, causing my pulse to race as I envision his face between my legs. The mere touch of his hand around my upper thigh sends shivers down my spine. I feel like I’m going to collapse from his touch. My heart pounds wildly out of control with the anticipation of being with him completely. My nipples pucker as I slowly slide my stockings down my legs. I may be making a complete fool out of myself, but I’m trying to be as sexy and passionate as possible. The feeling of his firm, manly hands stroking my legs is gratifying. It’s praise for my proper undressing etiquette.

  Waves of hair hang over my shoulders, stopping right below my breast. It’s a strange feeling, being blindfolded, but it makes sensing his presence in front of me as I bend back up that much more erotic. The blindfold blocks my vision, heightening my other senses. I can smell him, feel him, and hear him. Feeling jealous of the body wash that was lathered all over him before I arrived, I breathe him in and picture him naked at the same time. If only I didn’t have to wear this stupid thing, I could see him and not just imagine the perfect lines of his stomach.