Page 40 of The Sea Witch's Son

“Isn’t it?” I purr into her ear, “Are you scared I’m going to hurt you? That I’m going to stretch your tight pussy until it fits my cock?”

She squirms against me, “I do everything I can not to think about you.”

“That’s not a denial, little saint.”

The shadows stretch across the walls, unseen faces watching us from a distance. Our united silhouette cuts through them as I dance Melody around the room, gracefully gliding past fumbling drunks nearby.

Melody sighs, “People are staring.”

“I would hope so. I’m holding you with one hand.”

“You could always put me down.”

I shift her lower on my hips so she can feel the bulge pressing against my dress pants.

“When I’m just starting to enjoy myself? I don’t think so.”

She mutters a curse and falls silent. I study the way her eyes flick from my face down to my chest. She cannot bear to look at me yet cannot bring herself to look away.

“Why did Arielle St. James choose a career in songwriting instead of singing?” I stroke the tender flesh of her fingers, “She had the face and the voice of a performer.”

“You know about my mother?”

“The voice of a siren lost at sea with a bleeding soul to match.” I pause to spin us around a disorderly couple, “TheRolling Stonesarticle was quite thorough.”

“She hated that article. Said it made her sound like an old spinster.” A wry smile hits her face, “Arielle loved to be a part of the creation of music, but not the entrapment of a recording studio. She liked the idea of her lyrics being free and open to adaptation.”

“An unusually laid-back approach for the music industry. It’s a wonder she was successful in the first place.”

“Her first husband had a lot of connections. Helped get her feet off the ground without the gruelling marketing process.”

“Her first husband died rather unexpectedly, did he not?”

Melody nods stiffly, “He died of a heart attack.”

“Terrible tragedy, especially for a man in the prime of his life.” I tilt my head with a frown, “Although it is a curious situation. No records of heart disease in the family, the man was a dedicated vegan and had completed a marathon one week prior to his death. One might say your father was in perfect health when he died.”

“He’s not my father.”

“Your birth certificate says otherwise.”

Those bright blue eyes latch onto mine. She’s glaring at me again, but this time I can see a thread of fear slipping through the cracks.

“There are only two reasons people come to Wolf Hollow. To pursue an ambition of the darkest sort or to outrun a crime left behind.”

Her fingers flinch against mine.

“We had nowhere else to go.”

“A believable lie, given the state of your financial situation, and yet I find myself dissatisfied with that answer.” I tighten my grip until she winces, “Try again.”

“It’s the truth.”

I smile, “Do you believe me to be a fool, little saint?”

She lets out a cry when I crush her fingers between my own.

“If you were wearing a skirt this would be much more enjoyable.” I use the hand cupping her ass to squeeze it, “Now, tell me. What are you doing in Wolf Hollow?”

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