Chapter 13 Chapter 13
Audrey
I changed the locks.
It was the only thing I could think of doing because what had happened last night cold never happen again. Waking up from yet another dream drenched in my own release was one thing but it was quite another to feel the soft lips of the man you had been dreaming off circling your clit and licking and sucking you straight back into another earth shattering orgasm.
It wasn’t a dream. I think I had known that long before I had become fully awake.
And what was worse was that I hadn’t fought against his touch, in fact I had ground myself against him. Needy for the release those lips promised and greedy to feel alive under his hands.
I hadn’t just enjoyed what he had done I had been craving it for days.
The man I met under the apple tree was real and last night had proved it.
It proved something else as well.
I was completely warped. What woman in her right mind would welcome that kind of intrusion?
A fucked up one that’s who.
But then wasn’t that me all over. I’d always craved what I couldn’t have. Ever since that night. When I had seen the boy under the tree. With his sad eyes staring up at me.
His sad blue eyes.
Sitting on the top step of the front porch I jerked upwards. “Fuck.”
Behind me, the locksmith turned. “Excuse me?” His voice was gruff.
“Sorry.” I mumbled and fell back on the step. The old wood splintering and poking through the seat of my tights. Wrapping my arms around I shivered. The weather really was turning colder now but it wouldn’t last. We had at least a week of summer sunshine before the weather really closed in.
It had been a week I was looking forward to. A last chance to wander the grounds and catch the low hanging ruby red apples from ku favourite apple tree.
My eyes skimmed across the lawn. That damn apple tree. And there damn blue eyes that had looked at me from beneath those heavy branches all those years ago.
I’d seen those eyes once before. Last night.
They had stared at me from the darkness. The blue in them so intense it was impossible to look away. He was the one who had disappeared.
Was my stalker, the demon that roamed these old halls and feasted on my pussy until I begged him to let me cum the same broken boy I had seen all of those years ago?
“Coral.” My grandpa’s voice was firm but quiet. Barely audiable from my place hidden at the top of the stairs. I was meant to be in bed but there was no way I could sleep after what had just happened.
“Calm down. We don’t know what she saw. Sending her away now will just make it worse.”
My ears pricked up. Sending me away? Why would they be sending me away because a boy smiled at me? Johnny smiled at me all the time and all they did was roll their eyes and mutter something about puppy love,
I didn’t love Johnny, he was cute that’s all,
So why were they sending me away?
“We both know she saw something and she’s already asking questions. We can’t hide the truth from her anymore Calvin. We were probably stupid to even try this long. She has to go. If she gets on their radar even for a second then this cycle will never end. Is that what you want for her? Is that what you want for our Avery?” My grandmas voice rose to shriek.
“You know it’s not.” Grandpa sounded defeated. “Fine , have it your way coral. But you know she will be miserable there.”
“Better unhappy than dead or worse.” Grandma said sadly, “I’ll start making the calls. She should leave in the morning.”
Up on my feet I bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. “No.” I screeched as I skidded to a halt in the open parlour doorway. Both my grandparents turned in shock.
“You’re meant to be asleep Audrey ,” my grandmother admonished.
“You’re not sending me away.” I aimed my yell at my grandfather. He looked away guiltily, “I won’t go, this is my home.”
“I know sweet girl. And we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have any choice but it’s time you spent some time with your mother.”
I clenched my hands into fists. My mother was a stranger. More consumed with her party life style that she had ever been with me as a baby. And then later with the rich husband she had landed herself. She didn’t have any use for a whiny teenager ruining her life and I had even less use for her.
The only family I had ever really known were the two people who were standing in front of me, and even they didn’t want me now.
Was I so wrong? So disgusting that not even my own family loved me enough to keep me around?
My shoulders slumped . Catching my look and reading my thoughts my grandma tucked me into her side, “we love you, Audrey. We will always love you.”
“You’re grandma is right. We are sending you away because we love you. This isn’t the place young girls should grow up in. There’s too many ghosts here.”
“If it’s because of the boy-?”
“There was no boy Audrey, All that’s here is ghosts.”
She was lying I had known what I had seen. She was sending me away because of a boy.
Something heavy smashed against the solid wood door and my grandmas eyes widened in shock.
“It’s just the wind.”
It happened again. Louder this time. Someone was knocking on the door at two am.
“Calvin?” My grandmas voice shook
“Upstairs and into bed now Audrey.” There was no arguing when he used that tone of voice. I scurried away. Better to behave now and hopefully talk them around in the morning.
I rushed up the stairs but I didn’t head to my room. Instead half way up I turned and squinted down into the hallway as they opened the door.
A man stood on the step. The wind whipping his hair behind him.
“I think-“
“It’s under control. She didn’t see anything and she will be leaving to go back to live with her mother tomorrow. She’s not going to be a problem.”
“I hope your right Coral. I’ve put a lot of trust in you and your family over the years.” A gruff voice said slowly I felt by heart beat speed up. It wasn’t what he said but the way he said it.
I was only fifteen and I already knew it was a threat,
Just who was this man? Coming into my grandparents house and threatening them?
“You have my word Mr King, Audrey will not be a problem.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
I blinked rapidly. “Excuse me?”
The locksmith eyed me like I was crazy and maybe I was because it was all rushing back to me now. The Kings. My neighbours.
I’d only ever met one of them. The one who wanted to buy my house. His name was Michael.
Well technically I had met two, kind of. Michael and my demon. The one with the blue eyes and wicked tongue. They were both Kings and the Kings had always been here. Shaping my life, dictating what had happened to me throughout the years.
Right from the beginning, from the night I was sent away they had been there playing me like a puppet in the background.
Holy fucking shit, how had I forgotten?
Years of therapy , that’s how. Almost a decade of doctor and doctor telling me how this was all in my head because I needed something to grab hold of.
Every single person who had ever loved had tossed me aside or left me. Everyone but him.
The King with the blue eyes.
“You were talking to yourself.” The locksmith moved around me and down the stairs. “Something about the Kings.” Dark bushy eyebrows shot down. “You stay away from them girl. No good can come from knowing them.”
It wasn’t the first warning I’d had about them since I’d got here. “Why?” Climbing to my feet , I held out my hands so he could drop the brand new keys into my hand.
He shook his head. “Not my place to say. But mark my words a girl like you should leave this place. Find yourself a nice city fella and pop out a few kids.”
My nose wrinkled.
“Or concentrate on your career and travel the world. It’s no skin off my nose what you do. Just don’t do it here.” Like he couldn’t stop himself his eyes swept up the house and a line appeared between his eyebrows as ge frowned.
A wave on unease swept over my body. I turned to see what he was frowning at. My bedroom window was completely bare. Just the lace curtain billowing through the open window like a ghost.
There was nothing there. So why were all the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention?
Shaking his head he walked away and he didn’t look back.
“Who are the Kings?” I called out after his retreating back.
“Forget the Kings, forget this place.” He still didn’t look back. “Leave Audrey, run and don’t come back.”
He drove away, speeding down the drive like he had just told me I should do but how could I do that when all the answers were right here?
The people in town all told me to stay away from the Kings but no one would tell me why.
Digging into my pocket I found my car key and stared at it.
Well maybe one person would. If I could find him.
He