Page 5 of The Devil After Dark
“Liana, may I come in? It will only be a few minutes, but we should probably talk in private,” Rome continued.
I glanced around the empty hallway with only one other condo door. My neighbors weren’t here, like usual, but I wasn’t going to be rude. I opened the door further and let Rome into my condo. I had been in such shock the night of the shooting I had not realized how tall and fit he was. Or maybe I had just been more focused on the man who had almost been shot instead. Rome’s light brown hair fell over his forehead. It had that effortlessly casual look to it and his honey brown eyes were oddly intense. He was handsome and had a swagger like he knew it too. “Thank you, Liana. Do you mind if we sit at the table?” Rome asked as he pulled out a chair for me then another for himself.
I sat.
“Did you find out who is responsible? Or do you have more questions about what happened?” I asked cautiously.
“No and no,” he said simply. Okay, I could appreciate the bluntness. “Unfortunately, another one of the witnesses was killed in their home last night.” My eyes practically bulged out of my head in shock at what he had just said and my mouth instantly dried. “We are not sure if it is related to the shooting or not, but I am here to inform you we will be doing patrols outside of your building. You might start noticing unmarked cars parked around as well. This is for your safety.” I didn’t even know what to say. A witness had been killed and they clearly thought more of us were in danger if they were putting patrol cars outside our homes. Rome slid a business card across the table to me. “I don’t want you to be scared. Here is my card and you can call me or the emergency number at any time.”
“Okay, ummm …” I was still nearly speechless as I instinctively pulled his card closer to look at it. “I take public transportation to work, should I be worried about doing that?” I was never going to look at an SUV with black tinted windows the same—I already got heart palpitations when I saw one. What if they were killing everyone who witnessed the shooting? They could just drive up and shoot me while I walked to the bus stop or, even worse, what if they killed me and everyone else at the bus stop in a drive-by shooting like they had done to Cassio and his friends?
“You should be fine, we would not expect them to try to come after you in the daylight. That would just create more witnesses,” Rome said and it was not reassuring. So they would come after me in the dark and likely in my home. I just nodded as my imagination went completely wild. “Keep your door locked, but your complex has decent security. I really do not want to worry you. Most of this is just precautionary.” Rome reached across the table and his hand covered mine in what was clearly meant to be a reassuring gesture. I only looked down at his hand blankly. “Do you have any questions? Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked as his fingers brushed along the back of my hand. I shook my head, no. He tapped his card with his number on it. “You can message that number too, if you get frightened or see a car that you aren’t sure about. You can always call, but you can also just send a quick message.”
“Okay, thank you, Officer Hawthorne,” I said flatly. I was trying my best not to have a complete panic attack. Instead, I forced myself to stand up to show him the door. Rome stood slowly and kept his eyes on my face like he was trying to read me. “I’ll be fine,” I said with a small smile, even though he hadn’t asked.
I opened my door for Rome and he paused in the doorway. “Message that number, any time of day or night, Liana. I’m not going to let anything happen to you and I don’t want you to let something little spiral you out. Just send a message and I can let you know if things are good or if I will send the flashing lights.”
“Thanks,” I said softly. Rome nodded and crossed the hall to the stairwell. I watched him close the door behind himself before closingand locking my own front door. How was I supposed to sleep after a conversation like that?
I found myself peeking out my full length windows and trying to see over my balcony railing to the street a few minutes later. There was an unmarked dark car parked in the shadows, one I had not seen before, but that did not mean much. Maybe it was the patrol Rome had said would be driving through and sitting outside at times. I had the urge to close all of my curtains—if I had curtains on all of my windows. This side of my home was nearly invisible from the street and the expansive view I had did not actually have any other buildings that would put someone in a place where they could see in. Still, the darkness of the night and with the lights on inside, it made me feel like I was in a fishbowl for anyone to see.
Turning off the lights, I grabbed my wine and my book from the end table by the couch and headed to my bedroom. At least I had some curtains I could close in there. My eyes caught on the single deadbolt as I passed my front door and walked down the hall. Would simple locks be enough?
eight
LIANA
I tuggedat my comforter as I tried to pull it back up. When it did not comply, I let out a huff and rolled over to try from a different angle. A small deep chuckle from near my closet made me completely freeze. I could not move. I could not even look to see where the sound had come from.Was someone in my condo? In my bedroom?Finally, I summoned enough courage to glance over at my closet door. Only a small whimper left my mouth as I saw a shadowy figure sitting on the chair outside my closet and across from my bed.Someone was in my room.“Don’t scream,” a deep voice said.
I yanked my covers up to my chest as I tried to make myself as small as possible against my headboard. I was definitely going to scream, but nothing would come out. “Do as I say and I will leave,” he said to me, his voice was eerily calm. There was silence between us. I was still searching for my voice to scream and the man was just silently sitting there.
“Who are you?” I finally blurted out.
The man chuckled and stood up slowly. As he crossedthe room towards my bed, I saw he wore a mask and gloves. The mask completely covered his face—even his eyes were hidden behind black mesh. White and red paint covered the mask in crude markings. This was how I died—Murdered by a masked man in my very own bedroom. “Do as I say. Do you understand?”
I swallowed and nodded, yes. My body was already shaking and I could not control my breathing. “What do you want?” I whispered. Surely if he was here to kill me I would be dead already—unless he liked playing with victims first. I imagined that if whoever had done the shooting was trying to get rid of witnesses, they would do it quickly … not leave room for error.
The masked man held up a small card between his gloved fingers. “You do not call him, you do not message him,” he said and slowly tore the card into four small pieces before tossing them on the bed.Him?“Do not call the emergency line either,” he continued. Oh gods he had just shredded Rome’s card. He was talking about the police. “Not everyone at the police is trustworthy.” What the fuck was happening? Of course there were dirty cops, but to tell me to not call the emergency line and to follow it up with that?
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked, my voice breathy.
He only chuckled before he responded, “No. Don’t call him. Don’t message him. Don’t call the emergency line. Can you follow those instructions?” I slowly nodded my head yes and to my horror watched his masked face tilt to the side like he was looking over me. I clenched the covers more tightly over my body. Thank the gods I had worn pajamas tonight. I hate pajamas, but I personally did not want to die naked. “That’s my good girl. Now take off your covers and let me see you.” A pathetic cry spilled from my lips as uncontrollable tears started to fall down my face. The masked man raised his gloved hand to my cheek, wiping away one of the tears. “Shh, baby. I am not going to do anything you don’t want me to.”
“What?” I gasped. How was this stranger who broke into my house not going to do something I didn't want? He had just told menot to call the emergency line. Wasn’t that code forI am going to kill you?
“Mmm,” he groaned as his head tilted to the other side. “I play and you cum for me. That’s all there is to it. Can you do that for me?”
“No,” I breathed. “No. What the fuck?”
His hand closed around my jaw and forced my head up a little. “You dream about being completely dominated and wake up wholly unsatisfied by your own hand. This is your chance, baby. Do what I say. I know you are going to like it.”
“No,” I whimpered as my hands grabbed his forearm, trying to move him.
I cried out as he ripped the covers off me and he had my back pressed against his body a moment later. His hand on my jaw and the other on my waist held me tightly against him. I thrashed and he gave me a firm shake back. “Stop fighting,” he growled.
I could feel his warm breath against my neck. Warm breath that made my entire body light with arousal. I was about to die, to be murdered, and was so sexually deprived that warm breath on my skin turned me on? “Why should I let you do this?”
He chuckled again and it sent heat straight between my legs. “How about this, baby? You give it a try. If you don’t like it, you’ll never see me again. If you do like it, well, I will come back for you.”
