My heart lurched and nervous tingles spread through me. Or maybe I was just losing circulation due to the tentacles that were squeezing me, pinning me to the table.
Were they going to kill me tonight? I hoped so. It would be so easy—just a snap of the neck or the slash of my throat. Would it be fast and painless, or slow and agonizing?
“Not yet,” Kaz said with a laugh. I peered up at him upside down to find him raising a dark brow at me. “We haven't had enough time to savor you yet. A delicacy like you shouldn’t be gorged on, but rather sipped reverently.” His hands ran through my hair, and I closed my eyes, reveling in every touch, losing count of the points of contact. “You have more grief and rage bottled up inside you than any mortal I’ve come across, Iris. Tell us what did this to you.”
At his words, I went utterly still.
What did this to you?
Whatdid this?
What, notwho
Silence fell heavy around us as I tried to tame my heavy breathing. I still couldn't bring myself to say the man's name, not in this fucking house. His name deserved to be buried and forgotten.
"A monster," I said after a moment. "One of flesh, blood, and bone, like me, with pretty eyes and an infectious smile. He was the worst kind of monster, one who knew exactly how to trap someone like me. He took everything I loved and made me watch."
"So it's revenge you want," said Cyn. His palm ran up my inner thigh slowly. "Whoever this monster is, you wish to return the favor? We can help you there, sad one. Just say the word."
Kaz’s tentacle reached my core, grazing lightly over my swollen clit that pulsed under the thin material of my panties. I rolled my hips as pain lanced my chest at the memories.
"Not revenge," I said, shaking my head. Closing my eyes, I moaned as the tentacle slipped under the fabric, running its smooth surface along my heat. "It's too late for that now. All I want is for the memories to disappear. I just want it all to be over."
Back and forth, Kaz rubbed my clit, working me in small circles until my breath sped up and a sheen of sweat built on my brow. "Tell me why you rage inside, Iris," he cooed gently. "Tell me so I can make it all disappear."
Iris
Knock, knock, knock.
We all froze. Kaz had my panties halfway down my thighs, and Cy’s tongue was busy working my nipples while I squirmed in anticipation. For a second, I thought maybe I’d imagined it, but another set of knocks echoed through the house. I groaned as Kaz loosened his grip on me. Cyn and Cilas were backing away, the shadows behind them seemingly reaching towards them.
“I've seen this one here before,” Kaz said with an edge of irritation in his voice. He was glaring towards the front of the house, where the person knocked again, clearly impatient.
Sliding off the table, I fixed my underwear back in place and ran my fingers through my hair. “Who is it?” I asked him. I didn’t know anyone out here anymore, and I couldn’t imagine the neighbors working up enough courage to pay me a visit.
“Someone I’d very much like to drain,” Cilas hissed. He was halfway in the shadows now, his white eyes glowing and his teeth glimmering as he licked his lips.
“You’d better attend to your guest before he does,” Kaz suggested.
I sighed as I shook out my limbs, trying to get the feeling back into them after being effectively strapped down to the table. “What’s the point of having a big ass scary gate, if people are just going to waltz through it…”
Grumbling something about lady blue balls as deep monster chuckles followed me, I stalked back through the house, skirting around the mess I’d made. Plaster, dust, and shards of wood and glass were scattered all over the floor, and the holes in the wall were still crumbling off in pieces. Good. I hoped the whole thing rotted.
Throwing open the front door, I glared at the unfamiliar face on the other side, taking one guess at who this was. I wanted to be surprised to see her here, but I wasn't. She’d probably been expecting me to show up in town by now. “You rang?” I deadpanned.
The blonde woman in her late thirties looked taken aback by my ruffled and undressed state. A man stood beside her, young, handsome, and smirking, as he ran his eyes over me slowly, pausing for way too long on my boobs. I didn’t like the way he was sizing me up, and somewhere from of the deep recesses of the darkened house came a low, menacing growl. A thrill ran through me, knowing that my monsters were watching me even now.
My monsters…I liked the sound of that.
“Iris Cooper?” the woman asked, glancing down at her phone. I followed her gaze and saw a picture of my eighteen-year-old self on her phone, smiling brightly at the camera. I cringed. It’d been a long time since I’d felt that happy and content.
“Depends who’s asking.” I shrugged. “If you’re from the IRS, the police department, or Rent-A-Center, there’s no Iris Cooper here.” The man with her snorted, but the woman cut him a glare, shutting him down fast.
“Ashley Morris,” she said, sticking her hand out for me to shake. I stared at her hand, blinking at it as if I didn’t know what she expected me to do with it. Ashley dropped her hand, her cheeks heating. “We spoke on the phone a few days ago…about the deed to the estate?”
I snapped my fingers, pretending to recall. “Oh yeah, you’re the lawyer chick.” I narrowed my eyes on the man next. “And who’s this, your boyfriend?” Her cheeks heated again, this time a bright red that crept all the way down her neck.
The man puffed up his chest, looking like a doofus in his ill fitting suit. “Chris Caldwell. I’m new to the firm, so I’ve been shadowing Miss Morris.” He didn’t bother trying to shake my hand. Instead, he let out a low, appreciative whistle. “Nice house you got here. You must be old money then.”