Page 34 of Devour

Slowly, I pull away. “Let’s get cleaned up.”

I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never dealt with after the fact, but it feels like I should do something. A lot of firsts this weekend for me. All with Maeve.

After I take her back to the bathroom and use a warm cloth to clean her, I give her one of my shirts. I feed Maeve strawberries and chocolates in bed. We laugh and cuddle. I even endure a ridiculous romcom or whatever that shit was. Maeve eventually falls asleep in my arms, snoring softly. Little does she know, this is the first time I’ve allowed any of this to happen. Maybe because I know tomorrow it’ll be over. For now, I’ll simply enjoy the fact that I’ve got a beautiful woman wrapped in my arms.

I wake before my alarm to an empty bed. That’s a painful first. I’ve never had someone sneak out on me. And I slept through it. That’s even more disturbing. I find a note on the pillow.

Thank you for everything. I took another outfit. Hope you don’t mind. This was the best business deal ever.

Good luck with everything. Try not to kill anyone.

Sincerely,

Little She-Wolf

There’s an ache in my chest and a sour feeling in my stomach. She’s the first one to ever leave me. Usually, I’m the one either sending them away or sneaking away. Refusing to dwell on the matter, I get out of bed and prepare for today. I have a meeting and need to get the wheels rolling for the casino in West Memphis.

My men are in my office when I arrive. We go through business with little to no idle chit chat. Nobody mentions Maeve and neither do I. After they leave, I pull up all the information Ihave on the KO Club. I find the PR company they use, which is interesting because it’s not based in Little Rock where the club is. Maeve mentioned working in PR.

Stop.

I shouldn’t care. It was business, and we both got what we wanted. I’m not going to look for her… I’m not… Why would I? With a feral growl I slam my fist on my desk.

Quickly I search the PR company’s website, and there on my screen smiling back at me is Maeve Goodman.

Once again we’re playing a game of hide and seek. And looky there…

I found you.

Nineteen

Maeve

Iglance back over my shoulder as I keep moving forward. Nobody is there yet fear builds with each step I take. Only a few more feet and I’ll be safe. It’s been forty-five days, nine hours, and two minutes since the weekend we do not speak of – even though I constantly think about it. A certain gorgeous and dangerous man – whom I refuse to name – keeps making appearances in my dreams every single night. It’s making me insane, to the point where paranoia is beginning to set in. I keep hearing the sound of footsteps. From time to time, I get tingles on the back of my neck from the sensation of feeling eyes on me. But who would be watching me? People have better things to do than creep on me.

At least I hope they do.

Whenever family calls, I lie. I don’t tell them my fears that someone is lurking about, because I know they’ll swoop in. I crave my independence too much. That’s why I moved away from my family to Collierville, Tennessee. But I’m still close enough to run home with my tail between my legs if needed. It’snot like I don’t have plenty of people I could call. I have friends. Co-workers. I could even call my cousins who live a little over two hours away, but Vincent and Tristan have been busy with Mark and his big fat Greek family drama.

The real reason for not calling anyone is my pride. My stupid ego will not allow me to call my cousins after being such a ditz by jumping into a stranger’s car without checking their identification. That’s not me. What if I do call and it turns out I’m being paranoid? Which is possible. My head has been in the clouds ever since that weekend.

That stupid weekend that won’t stop haunting me. That’s what it is. I’m being haunted with memories and fantasies. I’m not the type to fall for criminals. The man physically killed someone in front of me and then I went ahead and allowed him to murder my vagina. Figuratively speaking as to my vagina. Although I do think my soul left my body a few times during those orgasms.

I’ve always been strictly a rule follower, but that weekend I was drawn to danger. Maybe it’s a family trait. My cousins are shady businessmen. I must be hardwired to be attracted to the morally grey areas of life. It gives me a little comfort to blame genetics rather than biology. The idea that my body lusts for the bad man who did wicked things to me. I’d never trade my lifelong values for a couple of hours of lustful desires – unless I was left with no other choice. Which isobviouslywhat happened. He called out to the deepest and darkest part of my soul. Nicholas Deschamps shook me to my core. My skin still tingles everywhere he touched me. I’d never met a man so magnetic – or deadly.

I hurry inside and lock my door behind me. Then I double check the locks. Paranoid or not, I won’t ignore my instincts. But I will quiet my brain and dull my senses now that I’m securely locked away. I pour myself a glass of wine and releasea heavy and overdramatic sigh. I need to get this man out of the forefront of my mind. It’s over. He’s in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I’m in Collierville, Tennessee. Construction has begun on his new casino in West Memphis, Arkansas. Not that I’m keeping up with it. I don’t care if the new casino could bring Nicholas so close. I’m sure a powerful man such as Mr. Deschamps is far too busy to oversee the construction.I only drove by once just to see.I was heading that way anyways.I need help.But he will come for the grand opening. I down the rest of my wine and pour another glass. A part of me wants to go, but I see his red flags. They’re kind of hard to miss. I will never be anywhere near him again. He will remain only in my dreams as a dark fairy tale.

Two things happen at once. A loud banging sound startles me to the point of almost shitting myself and causes me to jerk up, making me painfully aware that I’ve, unfortunately, made a terrible mistake. Drinking a whole bottle of wine to fall asleep started out great but now I’m inebriated and my eyes are not adjusting to the darkness.

Someone is here. Maybe not in this room, but they’re close.Focus. Focus.

“Hello?” I try to speak, but it comes out as a groan. Please be a friendly serial killer. Silence. “Rude.”

I’m struggling to make out sounds over the pounding in my head, but I think there’s a low chuckle. A part of my brain is screaming at me that this is my cue to panic. The other side isn’t catching up because it’s lost in a cloud of fog. My hand blindly reaches for my phone on the night stand but pauses when I hear the front door slam shut. The silence that follows stretches until finally I can’t sit upright anymore. As soon as my head hits thepillow, my heavy eyes fall shut as I give myself over to the dark abyss.

The obnoxious sound of my alarm has me forcing my eyes open. Sun rays peek through the blinds. I blink several times but full panic settles in. Oh shit! Someone was in my house. I jump up, immediately regretting that move, but I keep going. I rush through the house, looking for any signs of an intruder. Everything is in its place. All the windows and doors are still locked.

“I’m insane,” I say aloud to myself. Further proving I’ve officially lost it. I had been drinking so I either imagined it or it was a vivid dream. But the chuckle. I know I heard a chuckle. Coffee. I need coffee. It has magical beans that refuel the body and clear the head. After two cups of coffee and a shower, I’m beginning to function somewhat normally. Which is good since I need to get to work.

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