After Dark Read online

  Chapter 18

  I have no rhyme or reason for why I told Knox to meet me at the one place I want to be alone.

  Besides Baby Jane’s company, I really don’t care for anyone else’s.

  With a heavy sigh, I glance up at the time on the corner of the computer screen, then get to my feet. The chivalrous thing to do would be to show up and sit with him, but the animal inside of me knows the only way to get rid of this unwanted pest is to dispatch of him.

  I shake my head as I lock my computer screen and shrug my jacket on. I don’t want to hurt Knox any more than I want to keep him but he’s making the choice for me with as persistent as he’s being. He obviously can’t see monsters in the daylight, and if he chooses to walk among us at night, he’s being willfully blind to the horrors in this world.

  The only way to let him know is to show him—and it’s a weight I’m willing to carry for all of the other Knox’s I know I’ll come across on another night.

  Before I leave my office, I reach into the top drawer of my desk and pull out two pairs of latex gloves. One to keep his eyes from wandering to where they shouldn’t, and one for when it’s time to show him.

  I slide one pair into my pants pocket, then slip the other pair on, interlacing my fingers to make sure they’re firmly in place before I crack my neck and reach for my badge.

  I have no doubt that the wounded little puppy is probably waiting for me, eager to see my hands and hope that they’ll reach out to stroke him again.

  Baby Jane gives me a smirk when I walk into the diner and that takes me back slightly. I’m used to a smile, or even a nod when I enter the establishment, but not a smirk. However, when I follow her eyes as they wander to my favorite table in the diner, I have to stifle another sigh and remind myself to catch this fly with honey and not vinegar.

  I give Baby Jane a nod as I make my way over and take my regular seat which happens to be across from Knox tonight. He looks so relieved I’ve shown up that I’m afraid he’s going to fall over.

  “I’ve already ordered your dinner,” he begins eagerly, “meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a small bowl of rice, right?” I don’t react even though I’m now wondering just how long he’s been watching me to know the exact thing I order every time I come here. He couldn’t have picked all that up from the few moments he spent with me the first time we met, but instead of speaking, I nod and clear my throat.

  I want to have my meal in silence like I’m used to, but I doubt that’s going to happen tonight. Besides, after Sid and Daisy, I wouldn’t mind some mindless chatter—just not with Knox.

  “So, how’s your day—uh, night been going?” he asks, propping his elbows up on the table. I glance up at him and internally roll my eyes. His chin is resting in the palms of his hands and he’s looking at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. Almost like he’s in love, which would be moot at this point in whatever fictitious relationship he thinks we have.

  I turn my eyes away from him and glance over at the counter. Baby Jane is nowhere to be found and it would be so fucking easy to kill him right now, but I want to take him back home with me. I know he thinks there’s nirvana in the building I live in and that he has to climb a few steps to get there; I need him to see how wrong he is.

  “Nice night out, isn’t it?” he continues nervously.

  I blow out my breath and make fists of my hands which are still in my pockets. It’s obvious he’s not going to stop talking until I respond to him one way or another.

  “It’s not bad,” I reply quietly with a shrug.

  “Have I upset you?” he asks, his voice cracking slightly.

  I shake my head, “No. I just like to eat in silence.”

  He blanches as he begins to chew on his lower lip, his shoulders slumping slightly, and I sigh. “Just … I don’t mind talking, but not a lot, okay?”

  He nods, looking a little less dejected and I return the nod. Especially now that I can see Baby Jane heading my way with … two plates?

  “I’ll be back with your rice,” she says as she sets two identical helpings down, one in front of each of us. If he’s trying to unnerve me, it won’t fucking work; though at this point, I doubt Knox is clever enough to think of a tactic like this.

  “This looks great!” he says enthusiastically as he unfolds his napkin and drapes it across his lap.

  And this is the moment I didn’t even know I was waiting for.

  I clear my throat and finally remove my hands from my pockets, reach for my napkin and open it with a flourish. I can see Knox watching me with the fork in front of his open mouth, seemingly confused, and yet completely fascinated.

  Once I’m settled, I reach for my knife and fork and cut a piece of meatloaf off, smother it in gravy, then pop it into my mouth chewing thoughtfully.

  I scoff when I notice that he hasn’t shoved his first forkful into his mouth, so I reach across the table and give his hand a bump with the back of mine. It seems to work and he comes back to life, taking his first bite of the meal.

  Baby Jane slips in almost completely unnoticed by him as she places two small bowls of rice on either side of our plates then walks away.

  “You alright?” I ask him as I cut another piece of meatloaf away, wondering if his flesh would give so easily under a knife.

  “Yeah,” he replies quickly. Too quickly—like he wants to please me more than he wants to tell me the truth.

  “So,” I begin as I pull my napkin off my lap and use it to dab my mouth, “do you want to come back to my place after we’re done eating? I mean, it would have to be when I get off of work, but I’m sure you already know when that is.”

  Knox gives me a sheepish smile and I shake my head ruefully. The only thing he doesn’t seem to fucking know about me is my social security number, though I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

  “That would be great,” he says softly.

  I nod, “Then finish eating and come find me after work. You know where I live and when I get off.”

  He nods enthusiastically as he finally digs into his meal with the tenacity of a starving man and I smile despite myself.

  This is going to be much easier than it should be.

  Chapter 19

  After I left the diner, I went home and showered. He was acting a little strange during dinner. I’m sure he was still angry, but I’m hoping if he sees that I am making an effort to look nice for him it may make him understand that I am serious about my feelings.

  He was right when he said that I know what time he gets off of work; four AM. I learned that the first week that I started watching him. He was trying to make me feel bad about the fact that I’ve been watching him, but I just can’t. It’s who I am and I can’t change that. I tried, but I just couldn’t. When I see something I like, I have to have it. It eats away at me until it’s mine.

  Right around four-fifteen, I see him walking down the street and my heart starts beating a little faster. The fluttering starts in my stomach. My cock grows hard as I think about the last time I was in his apartment. I would give anything to be underneath of him again tonight. I wonder if he would let me on top sometime. I am usually the dominator, but I liked when he took control of me. It was new and exciting.

  “Hi,” I say to him as he gets to the set of two concrete steps leading to the door of his building.

  “Hey,” he answers without a smile.

  I notice he’s wearing another pair of latex gloves, just like at dinner. If he thinks that’s going to keep me from enjoying the sight of them, he’s wrong. He unlocks the door and holds it open for me to go in first. Following me up the stairs, I move out of his way so he can unlock the door. Once again, he holds the door open, letting me walk in before him. I unzip my jacket, but don’t take it off.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asks.

  “No, I’m okay. Thank you.”

  I wipe my clammy hands on my jeans. I don’t want him to cringe when I touch him, if I touch him, with sweat covering them. He
pours himself a glass of water and turns around, leaning up against the counter. He doesn’t say anything; he just stands there and stares in between each sip.

  “Um, thank you for inviting me over. I want you to know I don’t expect anything from you. Anything like last time, I mean. Although that was wonderful and I certainly wouldn’t mind doing it again. I mean, if you wanted to?”

  I didn’t mean to phrase it as a question.

  “You talk too much,” was his only response.

  “I know. I don’t mean to. I’m just nervous,” I say, hanging my head and closing my eyes.

  I don’t hear him as he walks over. I only know he’s there when he places one of his hands on the side of my face. I lift my head and lock in on his gaze. I’m sure he doesn’t miss the hope in my stare.

  “Last time was fun. I think this time will be even better.”

  His soft lips meet mine and he pulls me into his room, backing me up against the bed. We kiss a little longer and then he pushes me backward.

  “Take off your clothes,” he commands.

  We watch as one another strips down to nothing. His body is just as gorgeous as his hands and I can’t wait to touch it again. He reaches down and strokes his cock, getting himself hard. I mimic his movement even though there’s no reason to; I’m still hard from when we locked eyes downstairs.

  “You don’t have a problem being a little adventurous tonight, do you?” he asks.

  I wonder what he means, but then I see him pull out two pairs of handcuffs from his dresser drawer. He climbs onto the bed and lays down next to me.

  “No,” I swallow, “sounds like fun.”

  I am a little nervous being locked up. It’s too similar to what I do to those I take. But I don’t want him to change his mind about tonight.

  “First, I want to feel your mouth on me,” he says.

  I’ve never gone down on a guy before, but I don’t hesitate. Moving down the bed a little, I lick my lips and place them over his cock. It’s warm, and hard, and I know I’ll never be able to get enough.

  He places his hands on my head and gently pushes himself further into my mouth. I can taste a little bit of precum and I swirl my tongue around his tip, licking up all of the salty liquid.

  He grunts a little as I do so and my heart soars knowing I’m making him feel good. He starts fucking my face a little faster and I want to make him come, but I also really want him inside of me.

  After a few minutes, he stops.

  “I’m not ready to come yet. There is something else I want to do first. Come back up here.”

  I crawl up his body and place a kiss on his lips as I stroke his cock. He flips me over onto my back and sits on my chest. He grabs my hands and secures them to the headboard behind me.

  “I want to do it like this, this time. I want to see your face.”

  He positions himself between my legs, sitting back on his heels. I smile up at him, happier than I can ever remember being before. Placing his hands under my ass, he lifts my legs onto his thighs. He spits into his hand and rubs it over my ass, lubing me up before he enters.

  Pleasure flows through me as he slides past the bundle of nerves and deep inside of me.

  “Ahhh…” I moan. “You feel so, good.”

  “I’m going to make you feel really good tonight.”

  There is something in his stare, something dark and dangerous. I get an uneasy feeling, but it doesn’t stick around for long. It feels too good.

  He pumps in and out, slowly at first until I loosen up a little bit. Then, he really starts fucking me; fast and hard. It feels so good, I don’t ever want him to stop.

  “I’m close already. Please, don’t stop!” I beg him.

  “I’m going to do something to make it feel even better,” he says.

  He leans over me, pushing my legs up to my chest. Then, he traces his hands up the sides of my stomach and my chest, and rests them on my throat.

  The harder he fucks me, the tighter his hands get. The dangerous look in his eyes from a moment ago is more pronounced now. My heart starts racing and it’s not because of the pleasure any more.

  “What are you doing?” I manage to get out.

  “I didn’t want to. There was a moment or two that I actually pictured us together, but we’re just not meant to be.”

  “No… please! Don’t!” I barely get out.

  But he doesn’t stop.

  All I can think about as white dots begin to cloud my vision is how ironic my life turned out. I’ve taken the lives of many people in the exact way my life is being taken.

  As the blackness sets in, I think about Jessa and how no one will ever find her. It’s only a matter of time, but she is going to die out there. I’ll never see her again, but if I’m honest with myself, I will miss her music more than I will miss her.

  But the worst part is that this is the first and only time I ever put myself out there. The one time that I thought I could be with someone, not by taking them, but because maybe they wanted to be with me too.

  The last thought that floats through my head as my life has nearly finished draining out of me is that if I am going to die at someone else’s hand, I can think of no one I’d want to take it more than him.

  I can be at peace with that.

  About Yolanda Olson

  Yolanda Olson is an award winning and international bestselling author. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT where she currently resides, she usually spends her time watching her favorite channel, Investigation Discovery. Occasionally, she takes a break to write books and test the limits of her mind. Also an avid horror movie fan, she likes to incorporate dark elements into the majority of her books.

  You can keep in touch with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  About Murphy Wallace

  Murphy Wallace is an International Bestselling Author with works in several different genres, but most of her work as been in Dark Romantic Suspense.

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  She currently resides in a small Eastern Florida town with her husband, who doubles as her best friend, and their two boys.

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  When she's not getting in touch with her inner child at Disney World, or enjoying everything that Florida has to offer with her family, she enjoys writing and watching true crime documentaries.

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  She has a cat named Maisy who is her constant writing partner.

  Also by Yolanda Olson

  Inferno

  https://mybook.to/Inferno_

  Death Blooms

  http://mybook.to/deathblooms

  Scavengers

  http://mybook.to/scavengers”

  Also By Murphy Wallace

  Sorrow’s Queen

  Stolen Love

  With Love