Chapter 11 #2
“As long as you’re not ignoring anything important for me.”
“You’re important too, and it’ll save me some time having to come back to fill out paperwork if someone breaks in.”
I chuckle, scrubbing a hand over my face. “That’s true. Give me like two minutes.”
“I’ll be here,” he preens.
I shut the door, locking it, and quickly turn around. Gareth stands in front of the kitchen sink, gawking at me. “Who was that?”
“A cop friend who’s helping me out with something.”
“I don’t remember you having any cop friends before.”
“Because I didn’t. He’s . . . I met him after the accident. He saw my window was broken and offered to fix it the next time he was nearby.”
“Oh, I see. The old ‘in the neighborhood’ trick. I could have fixed the window.”
“You were supposed to, months ago.” I stand awkwardly, shifting my feet.
“Ah.” He blows out a breath, slipping his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “That was then, though. I have nothing but time now.”
“I told him yes before I knew the spell would work.”
“I told you it would when I said soon.”
“What do you mean?” My heart stammers.
“Everything alright in there?” A voice cuts through the door. “I can promise you I’ve seen worse.”
“Yeah, I’m coming, sorry.” I look back at Gareth. “You go back to the room, now.”
“No. I think I’ll stay right here and watch.”
“Gareth. Please don’t do this right now. When I said no one can see you, I meant no one. Now go.”
“Fine. But he better not overstay his welcome. He fixes that window and leaves. No inviting him for cake or coffee.”
“Good thing I don’t have cake to offer him then, huh?”
“Just don’t keep him here longer than needed.”
“Okay. Go.” I usher him toward the hallway.
“I’ll be listening from the other side of the door just in case.”
“That won’t be needed. He’s a cop. What’s he going to do?”
“Anything he thinks he can get away with,” he says, turning around and heading in the direction I keep nudging him in.
“I’ll be fine, baby.”
He pauses in front of the open doorway, craning his neck to grin back at me. “I like when you call me baby. He did too. We were wondering when you’d do it again.”
“And now you don’t have to.” I snap my fingers and point at the room.
“Yeah, yeah.” He tosses his hands up in defeat and disappears behind my bedroom door.
I look down at my clothes and turn back to the door, stepping forward slowly. I stop in front of it, taking a breath before welcoming Jeff inside.
He squeezes past me carrying a metal toolbox, smiling and with his gaze circling around the living room. “This is a nice place you have here.”
“Thanks. It could use an update.” I motion to the outdated couch’s throw pillows.
“I like it. It’s very cozy. The soft tones are calming.”
“Yeah. It’s kind of what I was going for. Gareth and I worked pretty demanding jobs, so it made it easier to relax when we came home after a long day.”
“I can see that.”
“Oh . . . the window is over by the TV.”
He nods, rocking back on his heels before stepping forward. “How long has it been like this?”
“Longer than it should have been.” I chuckle half-heartedly and he lowers himself to the ground, looking up at me.
“We’ll get it all fixed up, and then it’ll be one less thing for you to worry about.”
Little does he know, it’s been the last thing on my mind with everything else I have going on. He tugs at the window, grunting when he can only get it to slide up a little. “I’m going to guess it’ll take me around an hour. Shouldn’t be more than that.”
“Okay. Would you like something to drink or some pizza?”
“I’m fine for now but thank you. But if you want to go eat, you’re welcome to while I work on this. I’ve noticed how your eyes keep lingering back on the table.” His lips turn halfway up.
“I was that obvious, huh?” My face heats.
“Yeah, and I think I even heard your stomach growling once or twice at the door.”
“Okay, now I know you’re overexaggerating.”
“Okay, fine. It was only once.” He laughs at me rolling my eyes at him and turns toward the window again, lifting a wrench from his bag.
“I’ll be at the table if you need me,” I say.
“Sounds good, and I’ll be crouched at your window. Sounded less creepy in my head.” He waves the wrench around, looking briefly back at me.
“I’m sure.” I move toward the table, smiling when I see the plates and cups Gareth set out for us.
More for me than anything. Eating human food does nothing for him.
A pitcher of lemonade sits in the middle of the table and I lift it, filling one of the cups before taking a seat in the closest chair.
Tools clack and bang as I lift a slice of pepperoni pizza onto a plate, and my eyes fly to the door when I swear I hear the knob turning.
Jeff is looking flustered with his tongue partly hanging out of his mouth as he removes the bottom of the window’s glass.
He adjusts the frame and examines it closer, tightening screws before slowly sliding the glass back into place.
A clicking sound comes from the other side of me again, and the food I swallow is like glass in my throat. Please stay in the room. Don’t come out yet. My heart is like loud thundering in a storm.
“Almost,” Jeff says, feeling around the corners of the glass. “Just making sure it stays in place before I see if it’ll go up and down like it should.”
“That was fast.”
“Maybe for you.” He shoots me a look, pressing on the center of the glass. “I don’t think it’s going to move anywhere, how about you?”
“Only one way to find out.” I lift my cup to my lips.
“Want to come do the honors?” I keep my eyes on him, trying hard not to look at the bedroom door again, to not make it obvious someone is in there waiting to come out. I can feel him from where he is. He really doesn’t approve of some random guy being here.
“Sure. I’ll be the one opening it after today anyway.”
“You will.” He nods, leaning away from the window. “Come on over here.”
I set my cup down, fighting the urge to look back when I hear a heavy weight pressing on my bedroom door. I walk across the room and Jeff steps out of my way as I place my hands on the bottom of the window.
“Go on,” he encourages with a wide smile.
I lift the window slowly, stopping and looking at him before shoving it all the way up. I close it seconds later and hit the lock into place. “It’s like it was never broken.”
“Yeah. Have anything else you need help with while I’m here?” He steps closer, the toes of his shoes almost touching mine.
“I don’t think so.”
“You sure?” He licks his lips, his gaze heavy as it trails my body. My stomach shifts.
“I’m sure.” I back up and he sucks on his bottom lip, closing the distance again.
“I feel like you’re not being truthful. It must be super lonely to be in here all by yourself every day.”
“It’s been fine,” I say with a nervous tremble in my voice.
“I know how bad it can be. Especially when it gets too quiet. I’ve been there before, remember?” His fingers graze my hips and my jaw draws tight.
“You’re probably starting your shift soon, aren’t you? I’d hate to keep you longer than I already have.”
“No need to worry about that. I have two hours to kill before then.”
“I think you should go.”
His eyes darken and I get a sickly feeling coming over me the harder he stares. “I’m not ready to go yet. I don’t think you’re ready for me to go either.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I attempt to turn away and he snatches my wrist, pulling me to him.
“Let me change your mind, then.”
“You won’t. Please let go.” My spine tingles, my throat going dry.
“Is that how you thank the people who take time out of their day to do you favors?”
“Don’t,” I plead as his lips brush against mine.
“I told you having a broken window could get you in a lot of trouble, didn’t I?”
“You don’t want to do this.”
His lips turn up into a half grin mixed with a sneer. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I hear you here sometimes, through your bedroom window, moaning and getting yourself off.”
“You . . .” My eyes bulge, heart hammering against my ribcage. “You’ve been hanging around my house?”
“Yes. You made me too curious to walk away for long the last time I was here. So I came back the next night, holding back from taking what I wanted too soon.”
“You’ll regret this,” My words are unsteady, legs shaking as he pins me to the nearby wall, his hard-on digging into my hip. “I mean it.”
“You mean what?” He licks my cheek and my eyes water as I look at the creaking door behind him.
“You’ll regret this,” I say again.
“I highly doubt that.” His tongue snakes between my lips, his hand slipping inside the front of my pants. He doesn’t get far before being yanked away by the back of his shirt.
“What the fuck?”
“He was right. You are going to regret that.” Gareth grinds his teeth, lifting Jeff high in the air. The jerk kicks his feet, slamming his hands forward, but he’s no match for Gareth’s strength. “Should have chosen another broken window, asshole.”
Jeff squirms, screaming out as Gareth sinks his teeth into his neck.
Blood goes everywhere and he gnaws on the side, ripping out his jugular.
It’s a fucking massacre in my living room and I can’t look away, sinking back onto the floor as ripped flesh flies everywhere.
Cutting open his shirt, Gareth pushes a hand through the hard wall of his chest and tears out his heart.
He sucks on it, blood soaking the beige carpet as his razor teeth chomp down.
My throat tightens, my eyes rounding in horror. I can’t speak or move. The smacking of lips and crunching of teeth sounds around me. It gets louder before going quiet. Gareth wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, turning his gaze on me. “I told you not to let him in.”
“I know.”
“It’s okay. You have me here to keep you safe again. You won’t have to worry about men like this trying to hurt you ever again.”
I look down at the unmoving corpse on the floor, barely unrecognizable with blood smeared over his face. “You’ll have to clean this up.”
“I will. I’ll go run you a bath, and while you relax in the tub, I’ll get this living room looking the way it did before that asshole tainted it with his scent and Old Navy khakis.
He walks around me, opening and shutting the door. Water runs from the en-suite bathroom and he hums, continuing the soft sound as he returns to where I am. “Won’t be long now.” He licks his lips, and I scoot back as he closes in on me.
He glances down at his clothes and frowns. “Sorry, baby. Once again, I’m not thinking clearly. Let me get these clothes off.”
I shuffle to the couch, pressing my back to it and then rocking forward.
This is my life now. Wondering when my husband will eat someone who gets too close to me.
This man was dangerous, though. I don’t feel any kind of remorse for him at all, and that scares me.
He was still a person. A person who was going to rape me and do who knows what else.
He’s a person who used his power to get what he wanted.
Gareth was right about him. If I’d listened, then .
. . then Gareth wouldn’t have had anything new to eat aside from me and the people I care about the most.
He strips out of his clothes and tosses them into the fireplace. The cop’s pants and shirt go in there next, then his phone and wallet. Gareth laps at his fingers and washes up at the sink, using napkins to dry off before coming over to lead me to the tub.
It’s half full when we reach it. Lifting my arms like I’m some lifeless doll, he helps me out of my clothes.
“Do I need to put you in the tub too, baby?”
I shake my head, holding on to his hand as I step in the water. I lower myself all the way and he adds bubbles after letting go of me. Candles are lit around me, and the ceiling lights are dimmed.
“When you’re done, I’ll tuck you into bed, and when you wake up, it’ll be like nothing happened.”
I stretch out my legs, plopping my arms into the water as I sink lower. I’m ready for it to all go away now—the blood, the man in my living room who took advantage of my ignorance and kindness, and my husband’s hunger that might one day be too much for either of us to keep satisfied.