Chapter 7
D inner was happening . When she woke from her hours long nap, Neon was gone, and there had been a dress laid out for her, as well as shoes.
She knew from the year before that dinner would be alone in the sitting room attached to her bedroom, and then she would have a few hours to rest, digest and relax before the main night would begin.
She had showered, dried her hair, and put on small amounts of makeup, then donned the slinky silk slip dress in emerald green, the slit over her leg rising all the way to her groin.
She felt sexy, and the silk against her body was sensual in a way she didn’t often feel.
She had slipped her feet into the shoes, open-toe wedges in green velvet, and shook out her hair before walking into the study, famished for dinner.
She smiled to see Stitches sitting on the table, a glass of something in his hand. “Hi.” She couldn’t seem to stop grinning. “This is a pleasant surprise. Did you pick this out?” She motioned to her body.
"Nah, I'd have put you in red," he admitted. "You look good enough to eat, though."
“You like red? I’ll have to remember that.” She grinned and walked toward him, taking the glass he offered her. “Thank you.” Taking a sip, she closed her eyes at the crisp flavor of the sweet wine. “How was your day? Get any sleep?”
"I slept like the dead." With an easy grin, he slid off the table and kissed her cheek before moving to one of the seats. "How about you? Did you sleep?"
She nodded. “I always sleep well here. I don’t know if it’s the bed, or whatever is in the tea, or the fact that the seven of you wear me the fuck out,” she gave him a cheeky grin as she settled into her own chair, “but I slept about five hours, then woke, had breakfast, a long soak in the tub,” where Neon had seen her through some wonderful time together, “and then took another nap. Woke up about an hour ago.” She lifted the lid on the meal in front of her and smiled.
A salad with pears and cheese to start, followed by grilled baby vegetables, quinoa, and mushrooms in a wonderful smelling broth greeted her. She was a vegetarian, and they clearly took that seriously. “Wow...” she offered and looked to him. “This smells amazing. Have you eaten already?”
"No, we all eat together in a bit. I just thought I'd sneak in and say hi...spend some time with you, now that I don't have to wear my mask." He paused, frowning temporarily. "I hope it goes without saying that you can't tell the others anything about this."
“Well, I could be coerced into not saying something,” she said cheekily, clearly teasing him. “Provided you tell me something.”
"What do you want to know?" he asked, sipping his drink. "I'm an open book."
“So many things...but we can start with your name?” She cut a piece of carrot and bit into it, closing her eyes at the incredible flavor. Whoever cooked this was a genius.
"Leo," he said, easily enough. "But you can call me whatever you want."
“You’re Stitches when you have the mask on,” she said to him as she took another dainty bite. “But you, you are Leo.” She nodded and accepted it. “You run with me in the morning. Are you all in my life in some way?”
"I can't tell you that," he hedged carefully. "In truth, I don't know all of it. But I can't tell you what I do know. It's not safe. It's one thing to know me and quite something else to unmask the others."
“That’s not what I’m asking. I was just thinking that if you were close then odds are the others are, too.
” She knew at least two of them were in her life, if not directly.
Neither had spoken to her before in real life, but they had been there.
“But it’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.
I would say I could answer questions, but I’m pretty sure you know everything about me,” she said wryly.
“So tell me about why we are in this in the first place. Some god?”
“The Dark God,” he confirmed. "He Who Sleeps.
We're part of a small but global organization that benefits from his powers, but in return, we must feed him the life force he needs to be sustained.
Until we met you, that was with human sacrifices.
Now, through our contract, we can harness the life force from your and our orgasms and feed him that instead. "
“And is that better? I mean is it better than just killing some rando girl?” She met his gaze directly. “I take it virgin blood isn’t something that He wants, considering what you guys to do me.”
"No, He just needs life force," he explained. "Doesn't have to be anyone special. Unfortunately, girls are easy targets in the city. Especially when you've got a handsome face." He grinned widely, winking at her.
“Gotta admit, if you wanted to lead me to my doom, I just might let you.” She winked back. Gods, she liked being there with him. “So, do you like to run or are you just doing it to see me?”
"I like to run. Mostly because I love doughnuts," he laughed. "You're a wonderful bonus."
She giggled and shook her head. “So tonight...”
"Oh, you know what I'm going to do to you tonight," he smirked. "Needles. Lots of needles. And red ribbon, the color of your blood. I don't know about the others, though. I know Devil is coming to you first."
So Devil was first... “And you? When we play, will you do it without your mask?” she asked and swallowed. Gods, did she want him to work on her as himself. “Or is the kink part of the mask/pact situation?”
"It was part of the kink at first," he replied thoughtfully. "But now...I don't know. I feel like maybe without the mask would be more intimate. What would you prefer?"
“Without,” she said with no hesitation. “Can I tell you something?”
"You can tell me anything," he replied, sitting down.
She got up off her chair and went to him, slipping into his lap.
“When you first did it, I was scared, but the care... It put me at ease. I have researched, and I have come to grips with the fact that I like it. I like being your little pin cushion; I like what you do to me...and last year it was really good.” She blushed and dipped her head, remembering how hard she had come for him.
“But it would have been perfect if you’d kissed me after. ”
"Then I can do that," he agreed, squeezing her close. "Thank you for telling me."
She leaned in and nuzzled his neck. “I like that I can. I like that you want me to,” she said softly.
“And I like that you do this to me, Leo. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to.
” And that was more than true. Each of them had their things, but to switch it up.
..she didn’t think she could handle that.
She heard about women that had just retreated into themselves to escape their trauma, and most would probably call what her seven did to Petra as creating trauma, but she didn’t think of it that way.
Not that first night, not now. She felt like she was made to find these men, to serve them how they needed.
She endured and she was rewarded. Tonight she would get the rest.
After tonight, she wouldn’t be alone anymore if she could swing it.
She could have Leo and Stitches. She could enjoy both—Leo all year and then Stitches these two days?
She could see it. Though she could get down with the mask through the year, too.
She still didn’t understand it all, but she was willing to play to be with them.
“Can I tell you something else?”
"Anything." He was gazing at her with unabashed adoration, and it was quite touching, despite the fact that she knew he was a cold-blooded killer.
“You make me feel safe,” she said softly and kissed him, snuggling close, wrapping herself around him. Lord but she wanted hours of making out with this man.
"You know I'd kill anyone that hurt you," he said bluntly when they came up for air.
"You're special to me, to us. You are safe within these walls.
We might come close to breaking you. We might leave you sore and bruised.
But our promise still stands—we'd never hurt you permanently, however much Plague wants to brand his name on you. "
She shivered with the idea of that. “I would take it, if it meant I could keep you all,” she said softly, knowing she could with him. “Because I know it’s not to harm me, but to own me. You all do already.” She kissed him again, nipping his full bottom lip.
"We're not going anywhere," he said, looking slightly confused. "We'll be here next year, and the year after. As long as you're willing to fulfill the pact."
She wanted more, wanted it all. “That’s the pact . I want you beyond that. Life gets lonely when I only feel alive for two days a year.”
"All of us?" To her surprise he didn't seem to be averse to the idea. He certainly wasn't freaking out the way Snake had.
She nodded. “You don’t think you guys consume my entire life? I can’t imagine my life now without the idea of you seven in it.”
"Well yeah, but we're also hard on you for the time we have you. Do you think, physically, you could take this every night of the year?"
“Do you think you would want to do this every night? You wouldn’t want just...I don’t know, to have time with me like we are now? I’m not against living this two-day life every day if I have to. It beats being lonely without you all.”
"Probably not," he said after a pause, and she appreciated that he was taking the time to give it real thought. "I don't know how it would work, though. We'd have to talk about it. Maybe weekends. You're going to have to sleep sometime."
She laughed. “Having the seven of you in my life all year...spending time with you...the naughty is a plus. I want to know you, and you know I’m trustworthy.
I want this. If I’m the one you come to for this, the one that welcomes it, and I do by the way.
..” she let it hang. “I want to be with you, for real, and not just as part of your pact, but as more.”