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Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 01

By: Totzman



Illustrations by LunA



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 01



"Something tells me Miss Pierson may have been operating outside the boundaries of the law," Grace remarked. "Otherwise I'd agree with you."

The detectives flipped through the documents, before Joe stopped to examine a black and white photo dated 1956.

"Whoa, who the hell is this babe?" Joe asked.

He showed the photo to Grace. The photo depicted a young woman with jet black hair down to her shoulders, standing in a cemetery. She wore an expensive looking jacket and skirt suit, and she stood alone in the picture frame, surrounded only by gravestones.

What Grace found most unsettling was the smug smile on the woman's face. She had the most disdainful look in her eye, as if she were looking down at the viewer, and she was somehow pleased about every unfortunate thing that had ever happened to anyone. Grace let go of the photo, but found she could not stop looking at it. She flipped the photograph around to read the back.

"This is Catherine Balko," Grace said. "Lukas Balko's sister."



* * * * *

The Blessed Hills Community Church girls choir group performed every Friday night. All in the community were welcome to attend; to enjoy the singing as well as the light refreshments in the Fellowship Hall afterwards. The choir group proved to be popular, with even non-churchgoers frequently stopping by.

At the front of the choir, leading the others, was Sarah Wainwright. Eighteen years old, Sarah had sung in the choir for nearly ten years. Her good looks and beautiful singing quickly launched her to the head of the choir, and her popularity among the church members and community in general grew over the years.

In addition to leading the choir, Sarah was also the president of the church's abstinence club, vowing to remain celibate until marriage. In spite of her beauty, Sarah didn't date much, choosing instead to devote the majority of her time to her schoolwork and her activities with the church.

On this particular night, the choir was singing especially vibrantly, and among the audience members was none other than Catherine Balko. She sat near the back, wearing an overcoat, hat, and sunglasses. To her right sat a young red-haired woman named Rose, who quietly watched the choir unflinchingly.

To Catherine's left sat no one. Catherine and Rose had the entire pew to themselves despite the relatively large audience in the church that night. Catherine set her eyes upon the singing Sarah, watching her intently.

"She's lovely," Catherine whispered.

"I thought you'd like her," Rose replied.

That was actually an understatement. In truth, Rose prayed Catherine would take a fancy to the beautiful choir girl. She breathed a sigh of relief as she and her wealthy employer continued watching.

"How long do you think it will take you?" Catherine asked.

"A few days should do it," Rose said.

"You have until tonight," Catherine said, not looking at Rose. Rose swallowed.

"It will be done tonight," Rose said, reassuringly. She could see a streak of gray running through Catherine's long black hair that hadn't been there a month earlier. It seemed to gradually grow over the past weeks, much like the knot in Rose's stomach that tightened every time she noticed it.

"And there will be no mistakes," Rose added, and immediately wondered if that was necessary to say. Catherine did not respond.

When the performance concluded, guests were invited to the Fellowship Hall for refreshments and socializing. Rose and Catherine walked in step into the hall, before Catherine whispered into Rose's ear.

"Get to it," Catherine said. That was all Rose needed to hear.

Rose grabbed a cup of coffee from the refreshments table, and casually made her way to where Sarah was mingling. She was still in her choir robe, and was talking and laughing with two other choir girls and a middle aged woman who was complimenting Sarah's performance.

"Nine and a half years," Sarah said. "I just love it. I've made so many friends here. You should definitely tell your daughter to join."

"Thank you, I will!" the woman said.

Rose smiled, and approached the group.

"Hi, Sarah?" Rose asked.

"Hi!" Sarah smiled, happily engaging the approaching guest.

"Hi, I'm Rose. I was just wondering, how would I go about joining the choir?" Rose squeezed her coffee cup nervously.

"Well, we have rehearsals every Wednesday at six," Sarah said. "Just come to one of them, and we'll work you into the group!"

Sarah and the other two choir girls smiled.

"Really?" Rose said. "That's awesome. I just loved your singing, and I've always wanted to be in a choir!"

"Well, you've come to the right place!" Sarah said cheerfully. It wasn't difficult for her to make friends anywhere she went.

Sarah's two friends scampered off, and the middle aged woman turned to speak with Mrs. Gregorich, the choir director. Seeing as she had Sarah's undivided attention for the moment, Rose edged her way closer to her.

"There's something else," Rose said, quietly. Sarah looked on with interest. "I heard you're also president of the abstinence club. I was also interested in joining that, too."

Sarah nodded.

"Yeah, we meet Mondays at five," Sarah said discreetly. "But we don't meet here. We usually meet at somebody's house."

Rose took a sip of her coffee.

"Could you tell me where? I'm excited about joining this club," Rose said.

Sarah paused.

"Well- it's at Kailey Truman's house next week. I don't know her address offhand-"

"Could you get it for me? Please?" Rose asked. Sarah cocked her head and smiled, dumbstruck at Rose's enthusiasm.

"Sure. Meet me in the dressing room after fellowship. Down that hall, last room on the left."

"Thanks so much!" Rose said.

The girls talked for several minutes before Sarah excused herself to mingle with other guests. Rose made her way back to Catherine to give her an update.

"She invited me into her dressing room," Rose whispered. "I'll get what I need there."

"I'll be in the car," Catherine said, coldly.

Rose gulped. She was not going to disappoint Catherine tonight. Rose would go to the choir girls' dressing room, and accomplish two things, and not leave until she had. She tossed her empty coffee cup in the trash and twisted the ring on her right hand apprehensively.

At the conclusion of fellowship, Rose reported to the dressing room as promised. She knocked on the door, and Sarah let her inside.

There were about twenty girls in the choir, and the dressing room was just big enough to accommodate them. A row of lockers lined the wall opposite a set of mirrors. An adjacent room looked to be a shower facility, which several girls looked to be preparing to use as they stripped out of their robes.

"So this is our dressing room, which is pretty rad," Sarah said. "The church really went all out for us. I can go to school, come here, shower, and get changed for choir without having to stop by at home. It's a real time-saver."

"I love it," Rose said, as she watched three naked girls make their way into the shower room.

Sarah removed her choir robe, and Rose was surprised to see she was wearing only underwear underneath. Rose admired Sarah's shapely body as she took a seat in front of the mirrors.

"Okay, I've got the address in here somewhere," Sarah said, digging her iPhone out of her purse. She flipped through the contents of her phone and read the address out to Rose.

"Thanks," Rose said, typing the address into her own phone. "Oh, and one other thing-"

Rose stepped towards Sarah closely.

"Do you HAVE to be a virgin to be in the abstinence club?" Rose asked quietly.

Sarah smiled, and shook her head.

"No. A lot of our members are secondhand virgins. What you've done in the past is in the past," Sarah said assuringly. "You just have to make a vow for the future."

Rose faked a sigh of relief.

"Good, because I have to admit, I'm not a virgin by any means," Rose chuckled quietly.

"That's totally fine!" Sarah said. "No one at the club will judge you. We just want to help you make your vow and we all encourage each other to keep ours."

"Well, that's good," Rose said. "But I have to ask, are you- a secondhand virgin too by any chance?"

Sarah blushed.

"No, I'm the real thing actually," Sarah said, lowering her gaze. "Never even kissed a guy."

"Really?" Rose said, astonished. She took a peek at Sarah's beautiful scantily-clad body, amazed that to date it had gone untouched by a man.

"Yeah, my parents brought me up to be a good girl," Sarah said, blushing.

"Okay, nothing wrong with that," Rose said.

"Well, I have to get in the shower now," Sarah said. "I'll see you Monday?"

"You can count on it!" Rose said with a grin.

"Great!" Sarah said. "It's really nice to meet you, Rose!"

Sarah wrapped her arms around Rose and hugged her tightly. Rose returned the hug, enjoying the feel of Sarah's mostly bare body. She certainly had an excellent figure. Sarah's breasts felt delightfully firm pressed against hers. Rose released Sarah's embrace.

"Well, see ya!" Rose said.

Rose turned to the door as Sarah unclasped her bra and set it aside. Rose looked on with interest as Sarah slid off her panties, and set both undergarments onto the stool in front of the mirror.

Seeing her exposed, Rose found herself enamored with Sarah's naked body. Beautiful round breasts, that had never felt the squeeze of a man's hands. Light brown nipples, that had never been pinched or sucked. Smooth vaginal lips, that had never had a throbbing dick pass between them. There was something Rose had to admire about that purity, in spite of the pity Rose secretly felt for her.

Rose waited for Sarah to make her way into the shower room before she made her move.

With the dressing room empty except for Rose, she quietly peeked into Sarah's purse. She snatched out Sarah's keys, and stuffed them into her own coat pocket. Rose hurried out of the dressing room, satisfied that she'd accomplished both of her objectives: steal Sarah's keys, and confirm her virginity.

It was very important that Sarah was in fact a true virgin. The black magic taught to Catherine by her brother Lukas required a virgin if she wished to maintain her youth and beauty- or so Catherine said. As far as Rose was concerned, confirming Sarah's virginity was just for a paycheck. At least, it was until recently.

Given the rapidly enlarging gray streak in her hair, and the crows feet forming across her face, Catherine was in no mood to delay her bathing ritual any longer. She intended to murder Sarah tonight, just as she had Jaclyn Becket, and thirty-seven other young women over the past sixty years. It was up to Rose to make sure this happened. She could not afford another failure.

Rose hurried out to the black Bentley parked in the church parking lot. Catherine sat in the backseat, patiently waiting. Rose climbed into the driver's seat.

"I got them," Rose said, holding up Sarah's keys. "Now we wait."

Rose turned to her twin brother, Kristof, who sat in the front passenger seat playing on a 1990s era game boy.

"Hey Bucko, you all done with your Yoo-Hoo?" Rose asked.

Kristof looked up from his game and smiled.

"Yeah, it was good!" Kristof said.

"Want another one?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, can I?"

"You can, but I need you to do something first, okay?" Rose asked.

"Okay."

"It's what we talked about before. Now get back to your game for now, and I'll let you know when it's time."

Rose waited quietly, while Kristof played on his game boy. Twenty minutes passed before Sarah came out of the church, and made her way to her car. Rose watched as Sarah fished through her purse looking confused. Rose took this as her cue to exit. She hurried towards the confounded choir girl.

"Sarah? Everything okay?" Rose asked.

"I- can't find my keys!" Sarah said. She fished through her purse again, as if they might show up if she checked again.

"Do you need a ride?" Rose asked, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

Sarah looked up at Rose, uneasily. She took a step backwards.

"No, that's okay. I'll get Mrs. Gregorich to drive me home."

Sarah gave Rose an odd look, and hurried back into the church. Rose returned to the Bentley.

"She knows something's up," Rose said.

"Handle this, Rose," Catherine said.

Rose looked at Catherine's reflection in the rear view mirror. The cold, penetrating stare in the wealthy woman's eyes compelled Rose to exit the car immediately.

Rose hurried across the parking lot, just as Sarah and Mrs. Gregorich exited the church.

"Did you drop them anywhere?" Mrs. Gregorich asked.

"I don't think so," Sarah said. "I'm sure I left them in my purse. They were there the whole time!"

"Maybe you left them in the dressing room," Mrs. Gregorich said. "Let's check and if they're not there, I'll drive you home."

Rose watched as the singer and director returned to the church. The parking lot was nearly emptied now, as the other choir girls and audience members had made their way home. The only remaining vehicle besides Sarah's car and Catherine's Bentley was a blue Ford Fusion parked right next to the entrance. Rose surmised this to be Mrs. Gregorich's car.

Rose dropped to her belly and squirmed under the car. Using the limited knowledge of cars she had, Rose located the gas line. Drawing a blade from her belt, Rose cut a small incision in the gas line, causing a small amount of gasoline to come piddling out onto the pavement. She cut the hole to ensure a slow but steady leak, and put her knife away. Quickly, she crawled back out from under the car and scurried back to the Bentley.

It took ten minutes, but Sarah and Mrs. Gregorich finally reappeared. They entered Mrs. Gregorich's car, neither of them noticing Rose watching from afar. Rose tapped her index fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.

When Mrs. Gregorich started up her car, Rose turned the key in the ignition, and carefully followed the choir director out of the parking lot. She maintained a steady distance from her target as she continued following them down the dark road.

Mrs. Gregorich immediately pulled into a side street, prompting Rose to worry that Sarah lived too close to the church for her plan to work. Rose's concerns were laid to rest when it appeared Mrs. Gregorich was simply taking a short cut and she pulled back onto a main road.

Rose followed the Fusion another block, afraid to take her eyes off the choir director's car for a second. She clutched the steering wheel with both fists as a police car passed them by.

No sooner did the cruiser pass that Mrs. Gregorich pulled in front of a house just off the main road. Sarah promptly stepped out of the car.

"Shit!" Rose cursed.

She casually drove past the Fusion, thinking desperately how she was going to fix this. She did have Sarah's keys. It would be easy to enter her house, but then she would have Sarah's parents and older brothers to contend with.

She watched from the rear view mirror as Mrs. Gregorich flipped on her emergency lights and exited the car as well. She could see Sarah still remained by the side of the car, not moving towards the house, the house that Rose now noted had a "for sale" sign on the lawn.

"We're in business," Rose said. She pulled over to the side of the road and turned to Kristof. "Okay, Bucko. You ready?"

Kristof nodded.

"It's time," Rose said.

Rose exited the car and made her way down the shoulder where Mrs. Gregorich was parked.

"Sarah?" Rose asked. "I just passed you by and saw you stuck here. You need any help?"

Sarah laughed with frustration.

"This has been a crazy night. First I lose my keys, and now we run out of gas."

"I don't know what happened," Mrs. Gregorich said. "I filled up just yesterday, I should-"

Kristof grabbed Mrs. Gregorich by her hair and swiftly jammed his pocket knife into her neck. Sarah screamed as Kristof twisted the knife and pulled it out, sending a spray of blood across the car's hood.

"Oh my God!" Sarah screamed. She backed away from the vehicle.

Mrs. Gregorich collapsed to the ground. Kristof then lunged for Sarah, who swung her purse at him as hard as she could.

Kristof overpowered the young woman, grabbing her arms and holding the knife to her throat. Rose grabbed Sarah's legs, and together, she and her brother carried the struggling choir girl back to the Bentley.

"What are you doing? Don't kill me! Please!"

Rose popped the trunk, and Kristof stuffed the screaming Sarah inside. Rose drew a syringe from her coat pocket, and lifting Sarah's skirt, Rose injected the contents of the syringe into the back of Sarah's thigh. It only took a few seconds for Sarah's shrieking and struggling to cease, and she lay perfectly still.

"That was fun," Kristof said, hopping up and down excitedly. "Is she sleeping?"

"Yes, she's sleeping," Rose said. "Now we have to get her back home before she wakes up, okay?"

Rose shut the trunk and she and Kristof quickly reentered the car. She sped off down the road, leaving the bleeding Mrs. Gregorich lying in the street sputtering and gasping.

* * * * *

Grace Dwyer sat in her bedroom, listening to a Counting Crows CD, when she heard a pounding on her bedroom door.

"Why haven't you started dinner, Grace?"

"I already ate dinner, Dad!" Grace shouted.

"Oh, of course. Little Miss Pretty Panties eats dinner with her handsome teacher and not her own family! Real classy babe you are!"

Ed Dwyer twisted the doorknob, and found it was locked. Grace looked to her sister, Nora, who sat on the bed next to hers. It was obvious Nora was as frightened as she.

"Why's this door locked? Open the damn door, bitch!"

Grace backed away from the door. She knew he would get in one way or another, but she would prolong the inevitable as long as possible. Nora hopped off her bed and crouched on the floor.

"I SAID OPEN THE DOOR!"

Ed kicked the door open, splintering the lock. With a beer bottle in one hand, he grabbed Grace's hair by the other and pulled her to her feet.

"Who the hell you think you are, huh? I'm your god damn father, you understand that?"

Crying, Grace nodded.

"Now get in the kitchen."

Grace hurried down the hallway into the kitchen, and looked through the cabinets for something to prepare. The pantry was mostly empty, but she found a package of noodles that she promptly began to boil. She could hear her father screaming at her sister as she stirred the boiling pasta.

A loud knocking at the front door broke her concentration. Grace jumped, and realized to her relief that whoever it was, it was not her father, being as he was already in the apartment. Grace peeked out the eye hole to see a policeman standing on the other side.

"Who the hell is that?" Ed demanded.

Grace turned to her father.

"A cop."

Ed's eyes went wide with rage.

"What the fuck! You get rid of him. You don't tell him a word about me!"

Grace dropped the wooden spoon on the counter.

"Why?" she asked defiantly.

Ed cracked his palm across Grace's face. He smashed his beer bottle on the counter and held the broken shards towards her.

"You want to know why? Here's why."

Ed stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Grace shaking and trembling. Ed returned moments later holding Nora by the arm. He held the broken glass bottle to Nora's throat.

"Cause if you don't, this little bitch, that your cheatin' whore of a mother is making me raise, is gonna pay for it. If I'm going down, she's going down, you hear me?"




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 01



The policeman rapped at the front door again.

"Yeah," Grace said.

Taking one last glance at her sobbing sister, Grace walked to the apartment door and opened it. She looked the policeman in the eye.

"Hello, officer," Grace said, calmly.

"Young lady, are your parents home?" the policeman asked.

Grace shook her head.

"Well, we've got a noise complaint from your neighbors. Lot of shouting and banging on the walls. Is there a problem here?"

"No, sir, it was just the TV," Grace said. She didn't break eye contact with the policeman.

"The TV?" the officer said, skeptically.

"Yes sir. I'll try to keep it down from now on."

The policeman eyed her suspiciously. Noticing he was looking at the cuts on Grace's wrist, she pulled her sleeve down to cover them.

"Is there anything else?" Grace asked.

"No Miss, just please watch the volume."

The officer walked away. Grace shut the door, and rested her head on the door frame. She'd done as she was asked, the policeman was gone. Yet Grace couldn't help but feel abandoned by the officer of the law. How could he have just walked away? She'd given him every reason to be suspicious, and he took her at her word.

Grace found herself contemplating who was truly at fault. Had she done something to deserve this miserable life? Was the policeman a cold, apathetic imitation of a true public servant, looking only to put in his nine to five before going home to whatever passed for his home? Or was her father simply a deplorable cancer to society, and Grace was unlucky enough to be his unloved daughter?

Those were the questions that raced through Grace's mind after the policeman walked away, and her father dragged her, kicking and screaming, back to her bedroom where he raped her.

* * * * *

It was one a.m. and Grace was still awake. Ted was sound asleep but Grace had too much on her mind. Her investigation into Catherine Balko had turned up exactly nothing, and Lukas might as well have been a ghost.

Grace questioned her abilities as a law enforcement official when she couldn't track down a 98-year-old serial killer who left his DNA on all of his victims, and managed to live in a nursing home for five years under an assumed name- without being discovered until he killed again.

Now Daniel Becket's son and daughter were likely dead, and Grace hadn't a clue how to stop Balko from killing again. Her various leads raced through her mind. Grace was considering all of her possible means to trace Balko's trail, when her phone rang. Grace leaped out of bed to answer.

"Harker."

Ted stirred, and rolled over to face his wife. In the darkness he could see she was nude, which excited him quite a bit.

"Where?" Grace asked. She grabbed a pair of pants and attempted to put them on with one hand while holding her phone with her other. She had to struggle a bit to get the waist up and over the curve of her butt.

"Just make sure the paramedics do what they can. I won't be long." Grace shut her phone.

"Another late night?" Ted asked.

"Homicide. I'll be back in the morning." Grace scurried around looking for a shirt.

She grabbed a shirt from her closet and slipped it on without a bra. Grabbing her badge and holster, Grace was out the door before Ted could blink. He sighed, rolled over, and tried to get back to sleep.

Less than ten minutes later Grace pulled onto the shoulder of the road. An ambulance stood by, however, the victim was declared dead ten minutes before.

Grace ducked under the police tape and approached Detective Pratt, who along with several officers examined the empty blue Ford parked on the shoulder, with its emergency lights blinking.

"What was it? Robbery?" Grace asked.

"Doesn't look like it. Nothing was taken," Joe said.

"Victim?"

"Ellen Gregorich," Joe said, showing the ID to Grace. "She' s the wife of a Reverend at a local church. Looks like she ran out of gas when she was attacked from behind. Knife wound to the neck. Killer was quick, strong, but inexperienced."

"Jesus," Grace said. "Some kind of gang initiation?"

"That's our best bet. One of the Bones, maybe?"

A cold chill went up Grace's spine. The Bones were a now-defunct gang that required its new members to attack an innocent person and cut off a body part to bring back as proof. They were the reason for Grace's worst day on the job. The day she reported to the attack on Melanie Trevarrow.

Melanie was a ballet instructor who stopped at a gas station one night. One of the Bones hid underneath her car while she paid for her gas, and slashed her ankle when she attempted to reenter her car. As she lay on the ground screaming, her attacker used a serrated blade to cut off Melanie's leg- her entire leg, sawing through the very top of her thigh along her bikini line.

Rumor had it the larger the body part the recruit took from his victim, the greater his status in the gang would be, and this particular recruit was the ambitious type. He hacked off Melanie's leg and ran off with it; still wrapped in a pink stocking, leaving Melanie to bleed to death.

Grace arrested a Bones member named Neil Corliss, whom she strongly suspected was Melanie's attacker. The lack of evidence led to Corliss being set free after five months with only minor B and E charges on his record.

Grace doubted Ellen Gregorich's killer was Neil Corliss, or any former Bones member for that matter, but she was troubled by the situation all the same. She stepped around the puddle of Ellen's blood and examined the nearby homes, the nearest being a foreclosed property for sale. Across the street was a strip mall, including a 24 hour supermarket equipped with security cameras.

"Joe," Grace said.

Joe walked to Grace's side.

"You think those cameras might have spotted anything?" she asked.

"I'll find out."

* * * * *

The manager of the E-Z Mart was very cooperative, and wasted little time bringing up a video feed at the time of Gregorich's attack. Joe and Grace studied the screen, praying that at least one of the market's three cameras saw something that could help them.

"There," Joe said, pointing at an object in the distance at the very top of the screen. Grace squinted, and could just barely make out the image of Ellen pulling her car to a stop on the side of the road.

"There was someone else in the car with her," Grace said, watching as a young blonde girl exited the passenger side of the car.

"I'll be damned," Joe said.

The detectives watched with baited breath as a dark figure of a woman approached the stopped car. Grace felt her blood go cold as a second figure attacked Ellen Gregorich, and then both figures dragged the young woman off screen.

Joe Pratt took out his radio.

"Nelson," Joe said into then mouthpiece. "Tell the Captain we've got a kidnapping on our hands."

* * * * *

Sarah Wainwright awoke in a place she didn't recognize. It appeared to be a dark, dingy basement. She lay on a wooden table, staring up at two blurry figures in front of her.

"I think she's awake," Kristof said.

Sarah blinked, and the two figures came into focus.

"Hi Sarah," Rose said. She held a pair of shears and was smiling cheerfully.

Sarah was suddenly aware she was not fully dressed. She was wearing only her bra and panties, and she could see the tattered remains of her blouse and skirt lying on the floor in the corner.

"What is this?" Sarah moaned, and found her throat was dry and scratchy.

"This is your last great adventure, Sarah," Rose said. "Kristof, take off her panties. Don't rip them, Miss Catherine wants them in one piece."

"Okay," Kristof said, delightedly. He grabbed Sarah's panties by the waistband, and Sarah found she was too weak to resist. Kristof peeled the undergarment off and pulled it down her legs.

Rose proceeded to clip the straps of Sarah's bra with her shears, and ripped it away, leaving Sarah completely naked.

"Rose? What are you doing?" Sarah cried. She realized she had a splitting headache, and she had little control over her arms and legs.

"Now check her pussy," Rose said.

Kristof grabbed Sarah's thighs and attempted to pull them apart, but Sarah mustered just enough strength to jerk them out of Kristof's grasp. She squeezed her thighs shut and looked at Kristof in terror.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," Rose said. "I know you promised me you were a virgin, but I can't afford to make a mistake. Now open your legs for me."

Rose grabbed one of Sarah's thighs, and Kristof grabbed the other. The siblings pulled her legs apart. From there Rose placed her index and middle fingers into Sarah's labia, and spread her lips apart. She could see a hymen covering the opening to Sarah's vagina, and she nodded in satisfaction. Rose and Kristof released their grip on Sarah's legs.

"I'm so sorry about that," Rose said. "I had to be certain. The last girl we had in here, well, I was pretty sure she was a virgin too. You see, my partner at the time, Violet, was in charge of making sure, but she didn't think it was necessary to check. Well, Violet is no longer with us, and I don't want to end up like her."

Sarah gasped and cried. She hoped this was a prank, but couldn't imagine anyone going to these lengths just to scare her.

"What do you want with me?" Sarah sobbed.

Rose leaned close to Sarah's ear.

"Ms. Balko needs a virgin so she can stay young and beautiful. The last girl messed everything up. It's up to you to set things right again."

Kristof wrapped a metal chain around Sarah's ankles, and bound them together.

"Nice and tight, Bucko," Rose said. She flipped Sarah onto her belly and tied her hands behind her back with rope. "All right, hoist her up!"

Kristof grabbed the handle of a crank, and turned it about. As he twisted it around, the chain lifted Sarah by her ankles into the air. With a few rotations of the crank, Sarah was completely off the table and hanging upside down.

"Let me go!" Sarah cried, thrashing about. "What do you want from me? Let me go! I'll do anything!"

Rose sauntered over towards Sarah and wrapped a cloth gag around her mouth.

"You don't have to do anything, Sarah," Rose said, tightening the cloth. "Just be a good girl and wait for Ms. Balko to get here."

Sarah whimpered and struggled, but found she was powerless to escape her predicament.

"Wht you gnng do to me?" Sarah mumbled through her cloth gag.

Rose ran her fingers through Sarah's long blonde hair, and rested her hand on the side of Sarah's face. She leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"Don't worry. You'll feel a little pain and then it will all be over," Rose said, running her fingertips across Sarah's cheek. "We're just going to put some nice cuts in your pretty skin, and Ms. Balko is going to bathe in your blood."

* * * * *

"Yee-ouch!"

Grace dropped the file folder on her desk, and winced as she looked at the deep cut in her finger. Blood trickled down the back of her hand. She searched around for a Band-Aid when Joe approached her.

"Sarah Wainwright," Joe said.

"Who?" Grace asked, fishing through her desk drawer with one hand. She'd been in such a hurry to get from the supermarket back to the station she'd carelessly cut herself on the folder. Grace grabbed a bandage from her drawer and looked up at Joe.

"She's one of Ellen Gregorich's choir girls, and she matches the description of the girl in the surveillance video," Joe said. "I just talked to her parents. She didn't come home tonight. Our unis spotted her car still in the church parking lot."

"Well, she's probably our girl," Grace said, opening the bandage.

"I think so too. Anyway, here's short list of some former Bones members. I thought we could pay a few of them a visit and see what they know."

"That might not be necessary. Take a look at this," Grace said, as she wrapped the bandage around her finger. She brought up the surveillance footage on her computer screen and rewound the footage.

"Look, the kidnappers drag her to the left. Presumably to a car. Maybe that car was on camera earlier," Grace said. She rewound the footage further, and played it.

Joe watched as a police cruiser passed by, and shortly afterwards, a black Bentley passed in the opposite direction.

"See that? A black Bentley! That's probably the one," Grace said.

Joe shook his head skeptically.

"Doesn't look like it. The Bentley didn't slow down. Look, it actually speeds up as it passes the Ford."

Grace played the tape again. She paused.

"You're right. But it's still the only car here," Grace said, baffled.

"But there's a side street right down the road. It could be parked there," Joe said.

Grace was silent. Something about this Bentley. The kidnappers would have been following Mrs. Gregorich's car, not lying in wait as if they knew exactly where she would stop. Grace played the tape again.

"Catherine Balko owns a Bentley," Grace said nonchalantly.

Joe tsked.

"I think you've been on that case too long. Why would she kidnap a choir girl? It's her brother we're after."

Grace looked at the Bentley again. It was too dark to see in the car windows.

"Look, Grace, we should go talk to these Bones members before Sarah gets gang raped. I'll be in the car."

"You go on ahead. I'll take my own car," Grace said, not taking her eyes off the screen. Joe shook his head and walked away.

Grace watched the footage again, studying the forms of the kidnappers on the screen. Who the hell were they?

* * * * *

Sarah could feel herself moving. As Kristof turned a crank, a dolly carried Sarah along a track mounted on the ceiling. Creakily, foot-by-foot, she drifted across the room.

She could see a vanity mirror mounted upon the back wall, with a sink in front of it. In the center of the room she could see a large washtub.

Her body gently swayed about like a pendulum as the dolly carried her across the room. She looked down at the dirty brick floor below, until she arrived directly over the bloodstained tub.



Sarah struggled with the ropes binding her hands behind her back, and the chains around her feet. Neither would give. The blood rushing to her head was giving her an intense headache. Sarah blinked her eyes uncomfortably and looked down at the empty bathtub beneath her. She thought of Mrs. Gregorich. How she bled out all over the hood of her car, and onto the road. Sarah surmised this was what they had planned for her as well. She wondered how they intended to make her bleed.

And then she spotted the scythe leaning against the wall. A sturdy wooden shaft, with a long metal blade. Sarah felt a cold sweat form across her back. The blade was at least an inch thick; the edge razor sharp. Sarah's breathing escalated as she tried feverishly to think of a way to escape.

"Okay Bucko, time to shake the sausage!" Rose said. She handed Kristof a small open clam shell, which he promptly set upon the sink. He stared up at Sarah and smiled.

"Yes, she's awfully pretty, isn't she?" Rose said. "Tight little ass. Firm titties. What a body."

Kristof nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll give you some privacy. You spank your salami and let me know when you're all done, okay?"

Kristof smiled happily. Rose skipped out of the room as Kristof unzipped his pants. He stared up at Sarah's quivering naked body and gently rubbed his penis.

Sarah shut her eyes, trying to block out the horrifying sight of the young man pleasuring himself to her situation. She could hear him stroking away and breathing heavily as admired her bare breasts, belly, and legs. He had seen very few naked girls in real life before, and was enjoying the sight quite immensely.

Curious, he edged forward, and stepped into the tub so he was at eye level with Sarah. With one hand, he softly caressed her breast, while squeezing his penis with his other.

"Soppp!" Sarah squealed, shaking her head. Kristof looked at her, sadly.

"Dnnt do thsss!" she said.

"What's wrong?" Kristof asked. Sarah looked back at the man in front of her, and she realized he did not comprehend what he was doing.

"Tkk my ggg out!" Sarah said.

Kristof pulled the cloth from her mouth.

"Hey, Bucko," Sarah said, hoping he didn't mind her calling him that.

"What?" Kristof asked. He looked around nervously, and then back at Sarah.

"Get me down from here. Please," Sarah begged. Kristof shook his head.

"I'm not supposed to," Kristof said, taking a step back.

"If you do-" Sarah started, and hesitated. "I'll have sex with you."

Kristof's eyes lit up.

"Really?" he asked.

Sarah nodded.

"Really. Just get me down. I'll do anything you want!"

Kristof eyed her suspiciously.

"Prove it," Kristof said.

He leaned towards Sarah closely. Bracing herself, Sarah closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against Kristof's. She kissed him softly, and as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she responded with her own into his. Neither of them had ever kissed this way before. Excited, Kristof grabbed both of Sarah's breasts and squeezed them between his fingers. He wanted to suck them, but he couldn't get his mouth that high. Instead he simply rubbed them all around, enjoying their softness and delicate shape. After several seconds of boob-fondling, Kristof lowered his hands.

"Now let me down. Please. And we'll have sex," Sarah pleaded.

Kristof hurried towards the crank, and with all of his might, he twisted it backwards, carrying Sarah back to the table where she'd been lifted. No sooner was she halfway there that the washroom door opened, and Rose entered.

"Kristof! What are you doing?" Rose demanded.

Sarah's heart sank. Kristof looked at Rose with guilt in his eyes.

"She said she'd have sex with me," Kristof said in a shame-filled voice. Rose walked directly towards him and smacked him across his face.

"You can NOT have sex with her!" Rose said. She walked over to Sarah and placed the gag back over her mouth. "Now put her back and finish jerking so Ms. Balko can take her bath!"

Kristof lowered his eyes and obeyed. Sarah sobbed quietly as Kristof cranked her back in place over the bathtub. Once there, Kristof proceeded to masturbate into the clam shell under Rose's watchful eye.

The humiliation of being hung upside down, naked, while being masturbated to reduced Sarah into a bawling mess. Disheartened by Sarah's emotional state, Kristof found he could no longer maintain his erection.

"Oh for God's sake, Kristof! Do I have to do everything for you?" Rose said, disgusted.

She dropped to her knees, took Kristof's penis in her mouth, and sucked it firmly and sensually. Kristof sighed, and closed his eyes. The touch of Rose's tongue, up and down his shaft, helped him block out the sounds of Sarah's whimpers. She sucked him faster, and when he was ready, Rose removed his cock from her mouth and squirted his man gravy into the clam shell.

Satisfied with her work, Rose placed the spooge-filled shell onto the sink and took her brother by the arm out of the washroom. Kristof shot one last glance back at Sarah before Rose shut the door behind them.

With her head in agonizing pain, Sarah quietly cried to herself. She'd abandoned all home of rescue, that was for certain. Nothing remained now but for her to await her imminent demise. She said a soft prayer to herself, and hoped that God would see to it she was shown mercy.

She waited for a reply, a sign, anything at all, but heard nothing. She'd either been forsaken, or this was the plan the Lord had in store for her. Sarah cried out for her mother, father, and brothers, but none of them answered.

She remained where she was, shackled and alone.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 01



* * * * *

When the washroom door opened again, Sarah could hear a pair of footsteps enter. They were soon followed by a second pair, and the door closed. Neither of the new arrivals said a word, and Sarah suspected neither of them was Rose or Kristof.

Sarah watched as a tall, dark haired woman took a seat at the sink in front of the vanity mirror. She proceeded to place her fingers in the open clam shell full of Kristof's semen, and smear the gooey substance on her face.

Sarah looked to the room's other occupant, a frail old man. He hobbled towards the wall, drew the scythe, and approached her. Sarah looked the man in the face, and he stared back at her with vacant, empty eyes. Sarah screamed.

The woman didn't react. When her entire face was covered with the white sticky substance, she rose from her stool and approached the washtub. Sarah didn't have to guess that this was none other than Ms. Balko.

Catherine removed her long black robe, and stood at the edge of the washtub fully nude. She climbed into the tub and lay on her back, looking up at the quivering Sarah. She smiled.

Sarah shook her head and squealed. The man raised the scythe, and pressed the blade tip against her hip. Sarah shrieked upon feeling the metal scratch her skin.

"Bleed this one heavy, Morris," Catherine said. "I'm going to need every drop."

"As you wish, ma'am," the old man said. He ran the scythe up and down Sarah's skin, only scratching, not breaking the skin. Sarah whimpered and cried. Catherine chuckled as Morris teased Sarah with the scythe. He placed the blade to her throat and held it there. Sarah squealed in terror, and Morris took the blade away.

Catherine laughed, and the old man showed a subtle smile.

As Sarah sighed in relief, Morris slashed the backs of her knees. First the left, then the right. Sarah screamed as she felt her blood dribble down her thighs and across her buttocks. In agony, she struggled even harder with the ropes around her wrists, but they would not loosen.

As Sarah's blood sprinkled down, she could see it settle upon Catherine's body. Catherine sighed as she rubbed the specks of blood onto her skin.

Morris swung the scythe swiftly across the backs of Sarah's thighs, inciting a squeal of pain as the metal cut into her skin. Her blood went flying and Catherine moaned as it sprayed her skin.

Morris immediately swung again, this time slicing the small of her back. Sarah could feel her warm blood trickle down her back and drip from her shoulders. Her open wounds burned with pain, and Sarah clenched her eyes closed to block out the agony.

Morris slashed Sarah's upper and lower back viciously, putting long, deep cuts throughout her flesh. Sarah thrashed about, and wailed through the gag in her mouth.

"Sopp! Sopp!" Sarah cried, but neither Catherine nor Morris were moved by her pleas.

She opened her eyes, only to see Catherine basking in her blood. Catherine rubbed the warm liquid all over her body, and appeared to be in ecstasy as she wriggled her body around and about in the bloodfall.

Sarah cringed as the scythe sliced her again, this time across her belly. Morris then cut her several more times on the bottoms of her breasts.

"Pleath! Pleath!" Sarah screamed, but her wailing only seemed to excite Catherine more. She grinned wickedly as she watched Sarah's breasts jiggle after each cut the scythe made in them.

Catherine was drenched in Sarah's blood, and Morris only cut her more. Sarah felt herself grow weaker as she felt the life drain from her body and onto the wicked woman below her. She prayed for death soon, feeling overwhelmed with intolerable agony.

"More," Catherine moaned, and Morris was all too eager to comply. He slashed Sarah across her face, across her chest, and up her sides, cutting deeper with each slash.

"NOOOO!!! STOP! STOP!" Sarah practically declared, as loudly as she could. Catherine chuckled.

"All right. Finish her, Morris."

Sarah felt her pulse race, causing her to bleed faster, and she realized with panic she likely had only seconds to live. Morris raised the scythe, and pressed the bloody blade to Sarah's throat...

* * * * *

Grace rubbed her neck uncomfortably as she sped down the road. The sun peeked up over the horizon, surprising Grace with the realization of how long she'd been working. Joe was probably already at Neil Corliss' residence, and she didn't want her partner confronting a former gang member alone.

The image of Sarah Wainwright's kidnapping played in her mind over and over again. Was Joe right? Did the Bentley speed up as it passed the Ford? Why would it do that if the driver intended to pull over?

Because Sarah got out of the car first. The kidnapper thought she was at her house.

"Shit!" Grace said aloud. She pulled a U-turn and sped off in the opposite direction.

The realization that the Fusion's emergency lights didn't come on until after the Bentley passed was everything Grace needed to know. The Bentley was the kidnappers' vehicle, of that Grace had no doubt. She knew Catherine was not the only person in the city with a Bentley, but she also knew gang activity was very rare in this part of town.

Catherine Balko lived only a few miles away. Deciding Joe could handle Neil Corliss on his own, Grace raced off to 2000 Blackwater road to have a word with Lady Balko.

* * * * *

It only took her seven minutes. The gate was locked, so Grace stepped out of the car and pressed the intercom button. She waited for a response.

"Hello?" a male voice responded.

"This is Detective Harker of San Amaury County Homicide," Grace said. "I need to speak with Catherine Balko."

The voice paused.

"She can't talk right now," the voice said tensely.

Something in the voice made Grace suspicious. Not just the fact that it was the voice of a young man, and Grace had previously encountered only two people on her last visit here, Catherine's blind and elderly butler Morris, and Catherine herself. It was also the voice's tone, clearly fearful and defensive. Grace decided to press him.

"Sir, I'm with the police, it is very important that I have a word with Ms. Balko right now. May I come through the gate please?"

There was a brief pause.

"Okay, but she can't talk to you," the voice said.

The response surprised Grace as much as the fact that the gate opened soon afterwards. Grace hurried up the slope towards the elegant home, feeling a compulsion to wipe her feet before she stepped foot upon the nicely varnished porch. Grace crept up the steps and knocked on the front door.

She waited a few seconds, and checked the time on her phone. Soon after, the door opened. Kristof peeked out of the door frame, glancing at Grace hesitantly.

"Hello, officer," Kristof said, meekly.

Grace eyed the young man suspiciously. He let the door open just wide enough to leave his head visible in the open frame.

"I'm Detective Harker of San Amaury Homicide," Grace said, holding up her badge for Kristof to see. "I need to speak with Catherine Balko."

Kristof looked at the badge and he visibly trembled.

"She's in the bath right now. She can't talk."

"That's fine, I'll wait until she's out. May I come in?" Grace asked. As she did, her phone chimed. She checked it, to find she had a text message from Joe that read "at Corliss place where are you?"

Grace almost considered turning around. Joe was waiting for her, while she was here chasing after a suspect from an unrelated case, but something in Kristof's demeanor told her she should stay.

Grace was about to type out a reply to Joe, when Kristof opened the door fully.

"Okay," Kristof said, stepping aside. Grace lowered her phone and entered the house.

The nicely furnished old-fashioned home looked the same as it did weeks earlier when Grace questioned Catherine Balko in the disappearance of Dylan and Jaclyn Becket. However, Grace did not recognize the young man standing before her.

She could hear the blare of the television in the den, but otherwise the house sounded empty. Kristof shut the door as Grace made her way through the foyer. He stared at Grace's figure as she walked.

"Will you have sex with me?" Kristof asked.

Grace looked at Kristof, confounded.

"I beg your pardon?"

Kristof lowered his head.

"My sister wouldn't let me have sex with the other girl, so I thought maybe we could, you know..."

"What other girl?" Grace asked.

Before Kristof could answer, a pair of feet descended the stairs.

"Kristof, who are you talking to?" Rose said, hurrying down the stairway. She was dressed in a green bikini with a pair of tanning goggles around her neck. An iPod was tucked into her bikini bottoms with the ear buds dangling at her knees. Rose stopped midway down the stairway and looked at Grace.

"Who are you?" Rose asked.

Grace held up her badge.

"Detective Harker, Homicide. I need to speak with Catherine Balko."

"She's not here right now," Rose said, smiling.

"This young man here said she was in the bath," Grace said.

Rose laughed.

"Of course. Catherine is in the bath. At the spa. Kristof, don't mislead the poor detective."

Rose stepped down the remaining stairs and stood face to face with the detective.

"She'll be back in a few hours," Rose said. "Try back maybe one, two, o'clock?"

Grace folded her arms.

"I'm actually in kind of a hurry," Grace said. "Could you tell me where this spa is?"

Rose turned her head and bit her lip.

"You know, I haven't actually been there, so I don't know," Rose said.

Grace faked a smile.

"Then I'll just have to wait here then," Grace said. Rose's face sank as she realized Grace had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Grace looked around the foyer of Catherine's home, and back at Rose.

"So, tell me, who are you two?" Grace asked. Rose answered quickly before Kristof could respond.

"I'm Rose, this is my brother Kristof," Rose said. "We're Catherine's personal assistants. Her butler is getting up there in years so she thought it might be good to get some young blood in this house; to keep things running smoothly."

"Are things running smoothly?" Grace asked.

Rose's answer was cut off by the sound of a muffled scream.

"What was that?" Grace asked, looking around.

"Must have been the TV," Rose said. "Kristof likes to leave the sets on all over the house, so who knows?"

Grace stepped into the den, grabbed the remote, and shut off the TV. Rose quickly followed her, with Kristof trailing behind.

"Detective Harker, is something wrong?" Rose asked innocently. Another muffled scream emanated from the basement. Grace drew her sidearm.

"Both of you, take a seat on the couch," Grace said.

"Detective-"

"NOW!" Grace shouted. Rose quickly planted her bikini-clad butt on the sofa, and Kristof took a seat beside her. Rose watched Grace warily as the detective made her way through the den and into the dining room.

An open door, just beyond the dining room, led to a set of stairs leading down. Grace hurried down the stairs as the shrieks became increasingly louder. Grace took out her phone and made a call to dispatch.

"Detective Harker, requesting backup at 2000 Blackwater road. Hurry."

At the bottom of the stairs Grace found herself in a wine cellar. The room contained four wooden shelves stocked with expensive wines, and nothing more. She searched the room again, frantically searching for a door, a passage she missed, but the room contained nothing but wooden shelves and old booze.

She heard another scream, and it seemed to come from beyond the wall. A second basement? Accessible from some other place in the house? It seemed unlikely to Grace. She peered at the shelf against the wall, and noticed a sliver of light peeking between the top shelf and the brick wall. A secret passage.

With all of her might, Grace pushed against the shelf, and found it rotated to its side, revealing the hidden compartment. The compartment looked to be bigger than the wine cellar itself, as Grace discovered a hallway with several doors on the other side of the shelf.

A light bulb dangling from the ceiling lit the dank corridor dimly. Grace could see five doors, two on each side of the corridor, and one large metal door at the end of the hall. The first room to her right had no door, so Grace cautiously peeked inside.

A nearly empty room, lit solely by candlelight, contained a number of metal hooks mounted on the wall. Hanging from each hook was a pair of panties. Well over two dozen pairs of women's underwear, all hanging in a row. Given the candlelit setting and the way the panties were displayed, Grace surmised this was not Catherine's laundry room. This was a shrine.

"Stop right there."

Grace turned to the doorway, to find Rose standing there, holding a .38 Special. She aimed it directly at Grace.

"Put down your gun," Rose commanded. Kristof appeared behind her, brandishing a pocket knife. The screams from the nearby room continued, and Grace could hear a woman's laughter as well.

"I've already called for backup, you pull that trigger you're in jail for the rest of your life," Grace said.

"I'm already a prisoner," Rose said. "I have something much bigger to fear. Now put the gun down, or I swear you'll never leave this room alive."

Grace squeezed the handle of her Glock. Something in Rose's words told her this was not a bluff. Rose was terrified, and not of her. If that was the case, Grace was dead either way.

"Kristof, would you kindly relieve Detective Harker of her weapon?" Rose asked. Kristof nodded, and moved towards Grace.

"Kristof, don't," Grace commanded. He stopped.

"Kristof, if you get that gun away from your sister, I'll have sex with you," Grace said.

"Really?" Kristof said, perkily.

"Don't listen to her, Bucko!" Rose snapped. "Now get her gun from her!"

The screaming in the next room led to howling. Grace could made out a few words.

"Pleath! Pleath" the voice cried. It sounded as though it was muffled by a gag of some kind.

"Bucko, get her gun," Grace said sweetly. "And I can be yours."

Grace rubbed her hands over her shirt, and cupped her breasts with her palms. Kristof's jaw dropped.

"You can't have sex with her, Bucko, now do as I say!" Rose demanded. Kristof looked over at Rose, confused.

"Kristof," Grace said, "if you do what she says, your sister will never let you have sex with anyone. Ever."

Kristof looked at Rose angrily.

"She's right!" Kristof said. "You're always bossing me around! Why can't I do what I want?"

"I am going to count to three, Detective, and whether my brother listens to me or not, if your gun is not on the ground you're a corpse! One!"

"Kristof, please," Grace pleaded.

"Two!" Rose shouted.

Grace lifted her shirt, baring her belly for Kristof. He stared at her body hungrily. Grace was glad she was not wearing a bra, so she could flash him a bit of underboob. She briefly considered showing her nipples, but decided teasing him was her best bet.

"Do it, Kristof. For me," Grace said, and puckered her lips.

"Three!" Rose shouted. Kristof plunged his pocket knife into Rose's back, and she let out a loud wail. Her scream was drowned out by the wailing in the next room, leaving Grace to wonder just how awful a fate the poor girl in that room had befallen.

Grace ran to the door and pulled the .38 from Rose's grasp, as the redhead toppled to the floor in agony. Grace gasped when she saw that Kristof had driven the blade directly through Rose's spine in the small of her back.

Rose rolled to her side and gasped. Blood trickled from her open wound and onto the floor.

"Help her! Don't let her die!" Grace shouted, as she fled from the room. Kristof stared at Grace, confused, and looked down at his bleeding sister.

The blood-curdling screaming in the next room continued as Grace raced towards the metal door at the end of the hall.

"NOOOO!!! STOP! STOP!" the frantic female voice shouted. Grace sprinted to the door, with her sidearm at the ready. She heard a woman's voice reply to the screams.

"All right. Finish her, Morris."

Grace struggled with the handle on the door. She twisted the handle, pulled the door open, and her eyes went wide with shock.

Hanging from the ceiling, upside down and naked, was a bleeding young woman. Next to her was Catherine's butler, Morris, holding a scythe to the woman's throat. Beneath the hanging woman was a bathtub filled with blood. It looked as though someone was lying in the tub, but all Grace could see was the back of a head, with blood soaked hair.

"Don't move!" Grace shouted, aiming her sidearm at Morris. "Put down the- oh God, what the hell is that?"

Morris lowered his scythe, turned towards Grace, and his blind empty eyes stared through her. The head in the tub turned around to face her, and Grace recognized it as the blood-soaked visage of Catherine Balko. She stared at Grace with a scowl.

"Finish her Morris, finish her now!" Catherine demanded.

Morris raised the scythe to the hanging woman's throat, and without hesitating, Grace fired. The bullet hit Morris square in the chest. He froze, and Grace fired again. The second shot knocked him on his back, and he dropped the bloody scythe to the floor as he fell.

Grace hurried to Morris' side, and looked up at the hanging woman. Seeing the woman's body up close, sliced and bloody, summoned the contents of Grace's stomach up and onto the floor beside the bleeding butler.

Grace gagged, and summoned all of her strength to raise her head and look the bleeding girl in the eye.

"Sarah?" Grace asked, panting. "Sarah Wainwright?"

The girl nodded.

"Help me!" Sarah cried. "Pleath, help me!"

Grace pulled the gag from Sarah's mouth.

"Help is on the way, Sarah," Grace said, praying it wouldn't be too late.

She looked down at the blood-drenched body of Catherine Balko, who cowered in the bathtub.

"You-" Grace hissed, aiming her gun at Catherine. "You don't even move."

* * * * *

Eleven squad cars were on Catherine Balko's front lawn within twenty minutes. The ambulances arrived shortly afterward.

Joe Pratt hurried down the stairs into the basement until he was at Grace's side.

"Grace! Grace!" Joe shouted. He wasn't sure whether to hug her or spank her for going into Catherine's house without backup, but was relieved to find her alive either way.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Grace said, still heaving. Joe stared into the bloody bathtub, and found himself retching at the sight. The EMTs had unchained Sarah and were dressing her with gauze while she lay on a stretcher nearby.

"Is she alive?" Joe asked, incredulously.

"For now. They'll rush her to Cloughmont. God, I hope she makes it," Grace said, wiping her brow with a towel.

Joe looked around the dank washroom, now swarming with police officers. Through the dense crowd of busy lawmen, Joe could see four officers guarding Catherine Balko in the corner. She was still wearing nothing but Sarah's blood, and stood with her hands against the wall. One of the officers approached Grace.

"Detective, Ms. Balko is asking if she can get washed and dressed before we cuff her and take her in," the officer said.

Grace shook her head.

"So she can wash off all that evidence? Absolutely not," Grace said. "Put a raincoat on her and get her down to county."

"Yes, ma'am," the officer said, seemingly delighted at Grace's reply.

Joe and Grace walked with the EMTs as they carried Sarah's stretcher out to one of ambulances.

"Hang in there, Sarah, these boys are going to take good care of you," Grace said as they walked up the stairway. Sarah reached out with one hand and clutched Grace's. Grace gave her an assuring squeeze.

The first ambulance, which carried Rose, sped out through the open gate as the EMTs carried Sarah out the front door and into the second. As soon as they loaded her in, the second ambulance disappeared in a cloud of dust as well.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 01



Grace looked to the doorway to see Kristof being led out in handcuffs. He looked at Grace, with disappointment and anger burning in his eyes.

"You lied to me! You lied to me, you bitch!"

The officer shoved Kristof into one of the cruisers, where he continued to curse at Grace while the officer drove him away.

"Boy, they come in all types, huh?" Joe asked.

Grace said nothing. She hadn't yet mentioned to anyone how she'd coerced Kristof into helping her, and she wasn't looking forward to that part of her statement.

An officer handed Grace and Joe cups of coffee, which they graciously accepted.

"Sorry I didn't listen to you before," Joe said. He breathed in the early morning air, taking in the sights of the busy crime scene. For him, this was home.

"No sweat," Grace said, holding the cup to her lips. "It was a wild hunch, anyway."

"But it was the right one."

Grace looked back to the doorway, where Catherine Balko appeared. She was covered in black garbage bags, one around her torso and two duct taped to her legs. Her face was still drenched with blood and semen. She looked directly at Grace, with the same smug disdainful smile she had in the old photo Grace saw in Dylan Becket's file.

The arresting officers led Catherine into the back of a police car, where she shot one last defiant stare at Grace. The officer shut the door and drove her off to the station.

"We should get back," Joe said, looking at Grace. "The captain wants to have a word with you."

* * * * *

The mutilated corpse of Jaclyn Becket lay in the washtub, soaked in its own blood. Rose and Violet stood at the tub's edge, looking down at the messy task that awaited them.

"I hate this part," Rose said with a sigh.

"Don't be such a baby," Violet said, giving Rose a playful shove. Rose scoffed.

"Like you didn't throw up the first time we did this," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"Let's just get this over with. Faster we're done, faster we get paid."

Violet removed the white terrycloth robe she was wearing and let it fall to the floor. Rose smiled at Violet's naked body and removed her robe as well.

The two naked girls each grabbed themselves a long serrated hunting blade and climbed into the bloody bathtub.

They made quick work of their task, beheading and dismembering the body and stuffing the amputated body parts into the black trash bags they'd set at the tub's edge. They'd found it was easier to simply tune out what they were doing, engage each other in conversation, and the unpleasantness of the task did not overwhelm them.

Violet sang along to the cheerful melody of the Tokyo Police Club that played on the radio as she vigorously hacked off Jaclyn's limbs.

"..and I wonder what you're doing tonight..."

Rose joined her for the chorus.

"I burn the house down and I leave it behind / I didn't need the money but the money was nice / I need a countdown when the fire is high / sitting on the curb and it's hot tonight."

Somehow it made it easier. Rose made sure not to look Jaclyn in the face after she'd removed her head. She made that mistake twice before and not only lost her lunch but had nightmares for weeks.

Instead she simply grabbed the head by the hair and tossed it into the very bottom of the bag, and made sure never to look inside the bag again.

"If there was ever a reason not to stay a virgin, this is it," Violet mused.

She looked at the nails on Jaclyn's hands and compared them to her own. She liked the style, and made a mental note to look for that shade of polish as she tossed Jaclyn's forearms into the trash bag.

"You checked her, right?" Rose asked, as she tied the first trash bag closed. "Made sure?"

Violet shrugged.

"Luke said she was. He saw her cunt what, a day ago?"

"Well it's just-" Rose started, and paused. Jaclyn's torso was all of her that remained in the tub. Rose knelt beside the dismembered torso and examined it closely.

"What?" Violet asked.

Rose spread apart Jaclyn's labia, and saw a very much broken hymen inside. Violet tsked.

"That's nothing. The hymen can break over anything. Luke said she was-"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth when a glob of semen dribbled from Jaclyn's vulva. Rose looked up at Violet in shock.

"Oh, shit," Violet said.

* * * * *

On her way back from Captain Pillar's office, Grace stopped outside of the holding room where Catherine Balko was meeting with her lawyer.

"Fifty bucks says she pleads insanity," Joe said, rounding the corner. He had a file folder tucked under his arm and his usual sarcastic grin.

"Judge Getty would buy it, that's for sure," Grace mumbled. She stared dejectedly at the closed holding room door before making her way back to her desk. "So what do you got for me?"

"Rubena Selimaj," Joe said, handing the file folder to Grace. "That's the girl who tried to shoot you back in the bitch's basement. Originally from Ukraine, she emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1999. Then she, and another girl, Jolan Demachi, came to the U.S. in 2012, both to live with and work for, one Catherine Balko."

Joe tapped his finger on the folder for emphasis. Grace took a seat at her desk and looked over the file.

"Any clue where this other girl might be?" Grace asked.

"Alpert is questioning Kristof as we speak. He says the kid seems a few aces short of a deck. It sounds like he had no idea what he was into."

Grace looked over the file intently.

"Rubena and Jolan both attended college here. We need to question their professors, schoolmates, everyone who knew them. Maybe somebody can point us in the right direction."

"Couldn't agree more," Joe said, crushing a Styrofoam coffee cup in his fist. He tossed the wadded up cup into the trash can. "Three points!"

Grace yawned and stretched her arms over her head. She would have loved to curl up next to her husband back in bed, but knew that sleep was a luxury she would not enjoy for some time after the events of today.

"And the panty shrine?" Grace asked. "Anything with that?"

"Forensics is looking into it."

Forensics did. Of the thirty-nine pairs of panties hanging in Catherine's basement, one was personally identified by Sarah Wainwright as belonging to her. After several blood transfusions and extensive surgery, Sarah's doctors were confident she would pull through, although she would bear extensive scars across her body for the rest of her life.

Through DNA evidence, forensics matched another one of the thirty nine panty trophies to Jaclyn Becket, strengthening Grace's suspicions that Catherine, not Lukas, was responsible for the disappearance of Jaclyn and likely her brother Dylan as well.

Grace's attempts to question Catherine were put to a standstill by Catherine's lawyers, but after she was out of surgery, Grace received permission to question Rubena Selimaj.

Rose was handcuffed to the hospital gurney, in spite of her doctor's estimation that she would never walk again. She lay helpless, filled with needles, IVs, and a breathing tube in her nose. She jerked upright when she saw Grace and Joe enter her hospital room.

"Hello, Rubena," Joe said as they entered. "Can I call you that?"

"I really couldn't care less," Rose muttered.

Grace took a seat by Rose's side, while Joe paced at the foot of the bed. Grace grabbed a tray of uneaten food from the bedside, and slid it away out of Rose's reach.

"Rose then," Grace said. "Rose, can you tell me anything about Dylan and Jaclyn Becket?"

Rose stared at Grace contemptibly.

"They've both been missing for weeks, and we'd like to find them. It might help your case if you cooperated with us," Grace said.

"It would really help my case if I didn't," Rose said.

Grace looked at Joe. He peered at Rose suspiciously.

"Is someone threatening you?" Grace asked. Rose did not reply but instead looked Grace in the eye.

"We can protect you," Grace said. "All we want is information. Dylan, Jaclyn, and Catherine's brother, Lukas. Can you tell us anything that might help us find them?"

Rose laughed, then cringed painfully. Her heart monitor spiked, and she clutched her belly. She looked up at Grace with a mad grin.

"Let's be honest with each other. In all likelihood, I'm going to be dead very soon," Rose said. "How merciful my death is, depends on how quiet I keep."

Rose breathed slowly, and she held onto her belly tightly until her heart monitor gradually returned to normal.

"Listen honey, you help us find the bastard that raped and killed three women that we know about and we got you witness protection guaranteed," Joe snapped. "You want to play hardball, we'll leave you in this hospital to rot, now what's it gonna be?"

Rose broke into a painful laugh. Joe stared out the window angrily.

"You CAN'T stop him! He will kill ALL of you, don't you get it?" Rose grunted. "You back off now, maybe he crawls back under whatever rock he came from, but if you go after him, he goes after you, you got it?"

Rose broke into a coughing fit. Grace waited for her coughing to subside before she continued.

"What about Jolan Demachi?" Grace asked. "Can you tell me about her?"

Rose looked at Grace sadly.

"Violet," she said, softly. Her eyes followed the length of the catheter that fed its life-saving fluids into her veins.

"Was that what you called her? Violet?" Grace asked. "What happened to her?"

"She fucked up," Rose said. "I guess I did too. But you won't find her either. I made sure of it."

Grace sighed. She looked at Joe, who only shook his head.

"Tell me something, Rose," Grace said. "If Lukas is so dangerous, why are you here? Where was he when you were being stabbed and Catherine arrested?"

Rose shrugged sheepishly.

"He only comes out at night."

* * * * *

Violet didn't tell Catherine about her find, and neither did Rose. When Jaclyn's body was disposed of, Catherine paid them in cash and the college sophomores were on their way.

They spent their weekend shopping and getting high. It was their way of lying low. It wasn't long before Detectives Harker and Pratt showed up on Catherine's doorstep, and when they did, Rose and Violet were glad they were not present during the visit.

The very next day, Catherine invited the girls to dinner. Wary about being seen near Catherine while she was under investigation, the girls parked down the road and sneaked in through the back gate.

For dinner, Morris served a meal of Okroshka soup and baked veal.

"So, what's the occasion?" Violet asked, as Morris placed a glass of red wine in front of her.

"I'm buying a new house for Lukas," Catherine said. "He won't be staying with us much longer."

Rose and Violet exchanged glances.

"Well... that's good," Rose said.

She took a sip of her wine and continued her meal. The three ladies ate in silence while Morris washed the dishes in the next room. Rose glanced at Violet, who shot her a bemused expression at the curiously low-key celebratory dinner they were enjoying. Violet sipped her wine and looked at Catherine, who calmly ate her meal without uttering a word.

Finally Catherine broke the silence.

"So who's job was it to ensure Jaclyn was a virgin?"

Rose and Violet looked at each other in panic. Finally, the purpose of the occasion revealed itself.

"Ma'am, it was both our responsibilities," Rose said. "Your brother said Jaclyn was a virgin two days before; we both assumed nothing had changed!"

Catherine laughed.

"Ah!" she said in sarcastic understanding. "You 'assumed'! Well, that's perfectly fine then! You know, I'm glad it was both of your responsibilities, because just one of you is going to pay dearly for your assumption, and I don't know who it will be."

Rose stopped chewing and placed her fork onto the table slowly. Catherine removed a small vial of liquid from her brassiere and placed it onto the table.

"Do you know what this is?" Catherine asked. She looked to Rose, and then Violet. "This is an elixir I purchased from a witch doctor in El Salvador. He didn't tell me exactly what it does, but I instructed Morris to pour some in one of your wine glasses, and serve it to one of the two of you at random."

Rose swallowed and gagged momentarily. Both girls' faces went pale.

"Ma'am, we are SO sorry!" Violet pleaded. "PLEASE let us make this right!"

Catherine stared into Violet's eyes coldly.

"Oh Violet. You ARE making this right!"

"Ms. Balko, please!" Rose shouted. "Please give us a chance! I know a girl who-"

Rose's words were cut short when Violet clutched her throat and gasped for air. Catherine grinned wickedly as Violet rose from her seat, and promptly lost her balance. She clutched the dining room table with both hands, keeping her from toppling to the floor.

"What's happening to her? Ms. Balko, help her please!" Rose pleaded.

Violet gagged violently, before vomiting blood onto the white satin tablecloth. Rose looked on in horror as Violet emptied the contents of her stomach, along with pint after pint of blood, onto the table and carpet.

Her eyes glazed over, and the color of her bright healthy brunette hair faded into a sickly yellow before Rose's eyes. Deep boils formed on the side of her face and forearms, prompting Violet to scratch viciously at her skin.

"Get them off me! Get them off me!" Violet screamed, and tore her clothes off, revealing bright red pustules forming all over her naked body. As her boils grew in both size and numbers, Violet savagely clawed at her skin, tearing off long strands of epidermis with her newly painted fingernails.

"Ms. Balko please!" Rose cried. "I can get you a new virgin! I'll get her tonight! But I need Violet's help! I can't do it without her! Help her!"

Violet collapsed to the floor. Black tar-like mucus gushed from her eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ears as her body thrashed about on the floor. Rose was on the verge of a nervous breakdown herself as she looked at Violet's writhing body and up at Catherine, who sipped another spoonful of her Okroshka slowly, savoring the flavor.

Almost as an afterthought, Catherine glanced at Violet thoughtfully, and up at the sobbing Rose.

"If you want her suffering to stop, there's only one way to do it," Catherine said, and plunged her spoon back into her soup bowl.

Pausing to comprehend her employer's words, Rose rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a butcher knife, and returned to the dining room, where she squatted over Violet's thrashing body. Violet's eyes had sunk into her skull, leaving empty black pits in their place, and her skin had faded into a coarse gray, leaving the stark outline of her skeleton visible through it. She let out a pitiful wail, while flailing her stick-like arms in the air at some unseen foe.

Not wanting her friend to endure another moment of agony, Rose plunged the butcher knife into Violet's chest, sinking the blade in all the way to the handle. Black blood gushed from the wound. Violet gagged, and her body went still.

Rose let out a terrified cry as she released her grip on the knife handle. Violet lay motionless, her body nothing more than a gray skin-covered skeleton with black mucus slowly draining from every orifice.

Rose looked up at Catherine, who remained seated at the table. Catherine paid no mind to Rose or Violet, and instead helped herself to another delicious spoonful of Okroshka and calmly finished her meal.

Judge Getty accepted Catherine's insanity plea.

TO BE CONTINUED...



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



Illustrations by LunA





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



"No, Ellie last saw her around eight," Tracy said. "Three hours later she checked again and Catherine was gone."

"Let me in her room," Grace said.

Tracy unlocked Catherine's room and Grace went inside. An open pair of handcuffs lay on the floor, and the door showed no signs of forced entry. Grace checked the bars on the window. They remained solid and sturdy.

"Damn it, where the hell did she go?"

Grace hurried down the hallway. She passed by an officer guarding the door to the stairwell and headed up to the next floor.

"Grace!"

It was Joe's voice. Detective Pratt hurried up the stairs.

"How'd I know you'd get here first?" Joe asked sardonically.

"I think she's still in the building," Grace said.

"Did you check the-"

Joe was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. The detectives hurried up the stairs, with their guns drawn and ready. They found George Buttrey lying on the landing to the next floor- in a puddle of his own blood. Grace gasped when she saw one of his eyes hanging from its socket. His other eye lay on the floor.

"THAT BITCH! THAT BITCH SCRATCHED OUT MY EYES!" George screamed.

Grace's jaw dropped open, and she covered her open mouth with her hand.

"Whe- where did she go?" Grace said, stammering.

"I DIDN'T FUCKING SEE HER, YOU CUNT!" George screamed. He writhed around, soaking his scrubs in blood and clutching his bloody eye sockets with his hands.

Joe took out his phone.

"We need an ambulance! Tell them to get up here to the fifth floor, now!"

"She can't have gone far! Stay here with him," Grace said.

George screamed and wailed, as he writhed around on the blood-soaked floor.

Grace hurried up the stairs. It seemed counter-intuitive for Catherine to go upstairs rather than down, but she did want to avoid the police. Grace spotted a drop of blood on the next landing and knew Catherine was not far off.

Grace arrived at the top floor, and stopped. Following a hunch, Grace went through a door marked "roof access." She was hit by a gust of cool winter air as she stepped outside. The door slammed behind her, leaving her in near darkness apart from the moonlight.

She spotted something lying nearby. It looked to be a gold chain, lying across from the doorway. Grace ignored it and continued searching the rooftop, sensing what she was searching for was nearby.

Grace almost didn't recognize her. Her hair, which had been mostly black just a few months before, was ghost white. Her powerful stature had diminished into an exhausted slump. She stood at the ledge, staring at the flashing sirens below.

"Stop right there, Catherine!" Grace shouted. She trained her Glock on the withered old woman; ready to fire the second Catherine gave her an excuse.

Catherine slowly turned to face the detective. Grace gasped when saw the toll her time in Havenswood had taken. Varicose veins snaked up her legs, which were barely covered by the flimsy gown the facility provided her. Her hands were little more than skin and bones. Wrinkles lined her face, disclosing her advanced age for the first time in decades.

"She wasn't a virgin," Catherine said, shaking her head. "It has to be virgin blood. Or it won't work. That damn whore lied to me!"

"Move away from the ledge, Catherine!" Grace commanded.

"Or what?" Catherine asked.

Grace paused, realizing Catherine had the upper hand, however insignificant it was. Catherine simply breathed in the cool air.

"He's going to find you, you know," Catherine said. "Lukas likes his privacy. If you keep coming after him, he's going to come after you."

"Unless I find him first," Grace said firmly.

Catherine gave just a hint of a chuckle.

"You might. But it will cost you everything," Catherine said, knowingly. "Your career. Your marriage. Your home. Even your daughters."

Grace arched her eyebrow.

"My daughters?" Grace asked, curiously.

"Yes. Kayla, and the one inside of you right now."

Grace backed away a step.

"I'm not pregnant," Grace said.

"You're not far along," Catherine said. "But you are. And if you care about your childrens' lives, you'll leave Luke alone."

"Not a chance," Grace said. Catherine smirked, almost as if she'd been hoping Grace would ignore her warning.

"DON'T MOVE!" Joe shouted. He hurried across the rooftop and stopped next to Grace, training his gun on Catherine. His arrival didn't alarm Catherine in the slightest.

"Well detectives, I think it's time I said farewell," Catherine said mournfully, turning to face the ledge. She raised her arms like wings; with George's blood still dripping from her fingernails. "I do hope you'll consider my warning, Harker?"

"DO NOT JUMP!" Grace screamed. "DO NOT JU-"

Catherine closed her eyes, and let her body gently fall forward. Grace and Joe rushed to the ledge. Catherine was already on the pavement by the time they saw her. She lay lifelessly on the walkway as a pool of blood grew around her.

"Damn it! You okay?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," Grace said, holstering her weapon. Joe hurried downstairs, and Grace followed.

She reached the roof access door, and stopped. Lying in front of the door was the gold chain she'd noticed before. Curious, she picked it up. She could see a brass key attached to the chain, with the emblem of a skull on the handle. Grace stuffed the key in her pocket to log into evidence.

Catherine was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:12am. Grace sighed and slumped to the ground as she watched the paramedics drape a cloth over Catherine's body.

Joe leaned against the wall next to where Grace sat. He popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit the end.

"Hell of a way to close a case, huh?" Joe asked. The paramedics slammed the ambulance doors shut.

"I could think of worse ways," Grace said.

* * * * *

Grace arrived home hours later. She crept into the house quietly to avoid waking her family. She could hear Ted snoring peacefully in the master bedroom, so she let herself into the bathroom and softly shut the door.

As Grace emptied her pockets onto the bathroom counter, she realized she still had the brass key she picked up from the hospital rooftop. She'd completely forgotten to log that into evidence.

Cursing quietly, she vowed to turn it in the following day and pray the captain would be understanding.

Her encounter with Catherine had rattled her. Not just because she'd killed herself, but what she'd said to her before. Grace should have known better than to let Catherine get inside her head, but she made a stop at a 24-hour drug store to be certain.

Grace removed the pregnancy test from her shopping bag, which she'd hidden inside her jacket in case Ted was awake. She knew it was crazy. She knew there was no way, even if she was pregnant, that Catherine could accurately know that. But she also knew she'd been feeling ill lately, had cramps, a slight weight gain, and her period was overdue. All of those things could have been because of stress or lack of sleep, but there was no harm in testing.

Grace dropped her pants and sat on the toilet, and urinated onto the strip. She could feel her heart pounding; somehow she found herself dreading the result. When she finished, she tapped the strip onto the toilet seat, and waited patiently for the result. While she waited, she looked at the brass key that lay on the counter top. The red eyes stared back at her knowingly. The key looked old, expertly crafted, possibly a valuable antique- and it gave her the willies. Grace stuffed it into the top drawer and shut it tightly.

When five minutes had passed, Grace examined the strip. Negative. Grace let out a nervous chuckle and tossed the strip into the trash. She crumpled the box and decided to tell no one about this. She couldn't afford to appear unstable again. Not while she was on a case this important.

Content with the pregnancy test's answer, Grace stripped out of her clothes and turned on the shower. The ceiling lights flickered momentarily. Grace grabbed her silver wedding band and pulled it from her finger, and found it would not budge. She considered perhaps if her weight gain was to continue she would need to get it re-sized.

Deciding to leave the band on, Grace stepped into the shower and basked in the warm spray. The water washed across her body and soothed her nerves.

The lights flickered once again, and suddenly the room went dark.

"Damn it," Grace whispered, and wondered if she kept a spare flashlight in the cabinet. She was about to check when a candle resting on the bathroom shelf suddenly ignited. Grace looked around the room, confused. There was nothing that could have lit the candle, which now illuminated the room with a dim glow.

Grace.

Grace heard her name, not with her ears, but in her mind.

"Who's there?" Grace called out, her voice cracking.

All she could hear was the spray of water splashing into the tub. She grabbed the shower curtain nervously. She was nearly about to exit the tub when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

Grace squealed, and turned to face her intruder. There was a man, a naked man, standing in the shower with her. He stared at her and smiled wickedly.

There was no mistaking who this man was. Dark eyes, narrow brows, he was the same man Grace had been tracking and investigating for the past three months.

"Hello, Grace," Lukas said.

Grace felt her heart come to a standstill. Lukas stepped towards her. He did not flinch when the water sprayed him in the face. He stepped through the stream until he was mere inches away from her.

"Oh my-" Grace began, but was at a loss for words. This man was Lukas Balko, no doubt. But Lukas Balko was ninety-eight years old. The man standing before her looked exactly as Lukas did- in the 1940s.

He was strong, solid and muscular. His abs were toned and well defined. She could see a scar on his chest; it looked as though a crucifix had been branded onto his pectoral muscle. She didn't dare look down, but through the corner of her eye, in the dim light of the candle, she could see the silhouette of his penis, long and thick, hanging between his legs.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Grace," Lukas said.

"You're... you're-" It took a moment for Grace to register the magnitude of how much danger she was in. She opened her mouth to scream, but Lukas placed his finger to her lips.

"Shh. You don't want to wake your family. I didn't come here to hurt them."

Grace trembled.

"What- do you want from me?" she stammered.

Lukas chuckled.

"Grace. You know who I am. You know what I do."

He was right. She knew exactly why he was here. The images of Gabby Becket's and Riley Pierson's crime scene photos flashed in her mind. Their twisted, naked bodies sprawled across the floor. Brutal scratches in their skin. Semen leaking from their orifices. And their blood drained from their bodies.

Grace knew exactly why Lukas was here. He intended to rape and murder her, and leave her bloodless body for her husband to find.

"No! Please don't!" Grace cried, shaking. Years as a detective, and here she was reduced to a blubbering mess when actually confronted by a monster. She wondered if the coroner would know how frightened she was when he examined her corpse tomorrow.

"Grace. Please," Lukas said. "If you care for your family's lives, you'll remain quiet and obedient. And let me-" he placed his hands on Grace's hips, "-do what I do."

Grace's body trembled within Lukas' grasp.

"Do not worry," Lukas said. "They will sleep soundly, the best sleep they've ever had. And they will discover your body in the morning, when I'm long gone. This will happen, if you submit to me, and let me do what I do. Will you do that for me, Grace?"

Grace felt her heart race as she looked up to meet his gaze. He was strong, far too strong for her to overpower him. The autopsy photos of Gabby Becket and Riley Pierson flashed in her head once again. They were not weak women. Both were athletic, healthy and young, yet Lukas had raped and sodomized both women before he'd murdered them, and drained every drop of blood from their bodies. Now, he intended to do the same to her. And to protect her family, Grace was going to let him. She looked Lukas in the eye and nodded.

His penis swelled with excitement at this. He loved the complacent, submissive expression on a victim's face when she accepted her fate. It was almost as enjoyable as the act itself.

"Good. Now, on your knees," Lukas said.

Grace knelt down, bringing herself eye-level to Lukas' penis. It was large, much larger than her husband's was, and uncircumcised. She grabbed the penis, and marveled briefly at the size, before pressing the tip to her lips.

She sucked it, slowly but briefly, before Lukas spoke.

"All the way in, Grace."

Grace paused, tentatively, before sliding the erect member all the way into her mouth. She licked the head and sucked the shaft as she always did, but reluctantly, for the good of her family.

Lukas moaned, basking in the erotic touch of Grace's lips. Precum seeped from his penis and onto her tongue. It tasted like her father's semen, foul and rancid, but Grace continued on anyway. This wasn't the first time she had subjected herself to rape to protect a loved one, but at least it would be the last.

She sucked him for several long minutes. She hoped he would cum soon, and dreaded it just the same. Lukas then stopped her, and removed his swollen phallus from her mouth.

"Rise," he commanded.

Grace wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and rose to her feet to face her tormentor. He leaned in close to her, so she could feel his cold breath on her neck.

Surrender to me. Give me your soul. Give me everything.

Grace felt her body go limp. He grabbed her by the hip with one hand, and her shoulder with the other. He held her against the shower wall and stepped towards her.

Tears poured from her eyes as she felt Lukas move into her. He penetrated her vagina quickly and fully, leaving her gasping at the sudden violation of her body. He rubbed against her viciously, like a wild beast devouring its prey. Grace let out a cry of despair, which led Luke to silence her with a quick hand across her mouth.

"Quiet now, quiet now," Lukas whispered. "You must endure this. You'll be in Hell with the other girls soon enough."

He treated Grace to a vision. She could see dozens of naked women being consumed by fire. They screamed and wailed, writhing about on the burning ground, as fire licked their flesh and filled their bodies with eternal agony. She recognized Gabby, and Riley, and many, many others.

Soon, Grace, soon.

Lukas ended the vision, and brought Grace back to reality, the reality of being savagely raped. Grace sobbed, and begged for mercy. Her cries fell on deaf ears. Lukas was in full beast mode, devouring his prey and savoring her flavor. Grace could do nothing but endure it.

"Stop!" Grace begged. "Please stop, please!"

"Never," Lukas said with glee. He continued to thrust inside her, growing more and more excited the more Grace sobbed. She cried until she could cry no more. It was only after she went silent that Lukas finally withdrew, and stared at her hungrily.

"Turn around," he said.

Obediently, Grace did as he asked.

"Bend over."

Grace nodded. Not even her father had ever raped her this way, but with Lukas, Grace knew it was inevitable. She rested her forehead against the shower wall and stuck out her bottom for Lukas to claim.

It didn't hurt as much as she expected. He slid inside her with relative ease. But when he began to thrust, the discomfort was near unbearable. Grace squeezed her palms against the shower wall and prayed he would finish quickly.

Lukas grabbed Grace's hips, and massaged her buttocks as he rubbed his member between them. He could have ejaculated any time he wished, but held back. Her pitiful crying, her squirms of discomfort, all of it prolonged his enjoyment and intensified his pleasure. He wished he could do this to her forever. When he got her to Hell, he promised himself he would.

His excitement reached a crescendo, and he exploded inside her anus. Grace could feel his cool cream fill her rectum, and she let out a relieved sigh in the midst of her tears. Lukas withdrew his penis, letting some of his aftercum dribble down her thigh. Grace stood up, but felt Lukas' arms pull her towards him.

"It's time," Lukas said. Grace felt hope seep from her body, as Lukas placed his lips to her neck. "It's time to say goodbye to this world, Grace. You will be very useful to me in the next."

She tried to think. She tried to summon a way to fight him, or stop him, but she was empty-handed and in the beast's grasp, and she could not fathom a way out. Lukas sprouted a set of fangs, and Grace felt a shock wave through her heart. She struggled to escape her imminent doom, but Lukas held onto her firmly, and sank his fangs into her throat.



Grace went still. She could feel her blood leaving her body; she could feel Lukas sucking it from her, like a vortex absorbing her soul. Her strength diminished with every passing second, until she could no longer stand, but simply hang in Lukas' grasp.

Feeling as though she was not long for the world, Grace took a final gasp of air, and readied herself for death.

No, she decided.

Not yet.

With all of her might, she raised her arms. They felt like they were made of cinder blocks, but Grace lifted them up. She grabbed Lukas' arm with her right hand, and pulled with all of her remaining strength.

His arm did not budge. It was as if he was a statue and she were a flea, powerless to budge him. Grace pulled hard, but what remained of her strength gave out. The more blood of hers he drank, the stronger his grasp became. Grace grabbed him one last time, first with her right hand, then her left.

Her silver wedding band hissed as it touched Lukas' skin, and he let out an inhuman howl. He immediately released his grasp, dropping Grace into the tub. She used her limp arms to break her fall, but was too weak to pull herself up again. Reaching behind her, Grace grabbed Lukas' ankle, and he screamed again, and leaped from the tub.

"You little bitch!" Lukas hissed. He stared down at Grace threateningly, hunching like an animal.

Grace clutched her neck with her right hand, desperately trying to keep the remainder of her blood inside her, and grabbed the tub rim with her left. Lukas backed away when he saw the silver ring come near him.

"I'll tear off your hand!" Lukas cried, his voice hoarse and demonic.

The bathroom door burst open, and Ted Harker stood in the doorframe wielding Grace's Glock. His jaw dropped at the sight of the naked man in his bathroom with blood dripping from his lips, and of his wife with blood gushing from her throat.

Lukas hissed at Ted. Trembling, Ted aimed his gun, but did not fire. His hands shook. His finger was on the trigger, but he could not pull it. Lukas simply leered at him menacingly. He turned his attention to Grace, dismissing Ted's presence as a mere distraction.

"You'll pay for this, you bitch!" Lukas screamed at the cowering Grace. "Everyone you love will pay!"

Lukas charged out of the bathroom, knocking Ted to the floor as he did, and galloped away like a feral horse. The subsequent sound of smashing glass made evident that Lukas had escaped out the Harkers' living room window.

A loud cry came from Kayla's bedroom, prompting Grace to pull herself up from the sticky puddle where she lay. She only caught a glimpse of the massive pool of blood beneath her, that coated the entire bottom of the bathtub with a bright red glow, when she passed into unconsciousness.

* * * * *




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



She dreamed she was at her grandparents' cottage. She looked to be around ten, her sister a few years younger, as they played in the backyard. Grace ran to the cliff side, looking down at the waves crashing against the shoreline several dozen feet below. She was careful; her grandmother warned her about getting to close to the edge to the cliff, but the beauty of the crashing waves from this distance was too great for Grace not to look.

"Grace! Nora! Dinner!" her grandmother shouted from the kitchen window.

Grace and Nora hurried back to the house, racing each other as they had so many times before. Grace arrived at the doorstep first, as she always did when Nora didn't have a head start.

Grace opened the front door to see her grandfather seated in the easy chair. He smiled at the girls as they walked inside, while he cut a small block of wood into the shape of a soldier with his pocketknife. Grace and Nora ran to the kitchen where their grandmother set dinner onto the table.

It was one of the few places where Grace was genuinely happy. Here she felt loved, and protected. Being at the cottage meant one thing: her father was in jail. Grace and Nora came here every time Ed Dwyer was in lockup.

A dark cloud approached ominously from the ocean.

"Storm's coming," her grandmother said, shutting the window. "You girls might have to stay in tonight."

Grace didn't mind. The storm would pass.

Here, she was safe.

* * * * *

Grace awoke, and heard a heart monitor spike as she did. A breathing tube was in her nose, and an IV was in her arm. Grace looked around the room to see flowers on the windowsill, and a "How are you feeling?" pain chart posted on the wall of this unfamiliar room. She felt little pain incidentally, but instead found she was extremely groggy.

Grace could hear someone to her right. She turned to see who it was, but the bandage on her neck prevented her from moving her head.

Whoever it was knew she was awake, and walked to her bedside.

"Hey there, sunshine!" Nora said.

Grace broke into a full smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, incredulously. She cringed at the raspy sound of her voice. It hurt to talk, but she was too happy to remain silent.

"A girl's got to look out for her big sister," Nora said. "How ya feeling?"

Nora squeezed Grace's hand and gave her a smile.

"Like I got hit by a train," Grace said. She had to think for a moment why she was here.

Sensing her confusion, Nora replied, "You were attacked. Stabbed in the neck, twice. You lost a lot of blood. Fortunately, I had some to spare."

Grace noticed a sticker reading "Be nice to me. I gave blood today" on Nora's blouse. She also noticed Nora was wearing a pencil skirt and high heels.

"Did you just get off work?" Grace asked.

Nora chuckled. "Like, four hours ago. I was hoping I'd be here when you woke up."

Grace was grateful she was. She looked around the room; trying to take in everything at once and feeling exhausted as she did.

"Where's Ted?"

"Down the hall, sleeping. He's been up all night. His parents are watching Kayla."

Grace breathed a sigh of relief.

"Will you let him know I'm awake?" Grace asked.

Nora nodded.

As she stepped out of the room, Grace looked at her hands, and found, to her horror, her wedding band was gone.

"Oh my God," Grace panicked. "Where is it? WHERE IS IT?"

A nurse entered Grace's room, and smiled as she saw Grace was awake.

"We were worried about you!" the nurse said.

"Where's my wedding ring?" Grace demanded.

The nurse stopped.

"The doctors had to remove it. Whenever a patient is brought in, we-"

"Give it back! I need it!" Grace cried. She was in near hysterics.

The nurse hurried over to the far end of the hospital room and opened the top drawer. She removed a clear plastic zip lock bag and handed it to Grace.

"I'm sorry. The doctors were unable to remove it, so they had to break it," the nurse said.

Grace examined the plastic bag to find her silver wedding band broken in two pieces.

"No-" Grace stared up at the nurse, pleadingly. The nurse shook her head sadly.

Grace removed the broken ring from the bag and squeezed both pieces in her palm.

"The doctor would like to speak with you," the nurse said, consolingly. Grace nodded to let her know she was ready to hear from him.

The doctor arrived, accompanied by Nora and Ted. Ted rushed to Grace's side and took her hand.

"You gave us quite a scare," the doctor said, smiling. His shiny bald head glowed in the dimly lit hospital room.

"How long was I out?" Grace asked.

"Two days," the doctor said. "You suffered severe blood loss. Fortunately you got some donations, and we were able to save the baby as well."

"What?" Grace asked.

The doctor looked at Ted.

"We weren't sure if you knew," the doctor said. "You're pregnant. Just a few weeks along. Hopefully too early for any damage to the baby."

"Oh my God," Grace said. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

The doctor shook his head.

"Too soon to tell. For now I want you to get some rest. When you're feeling up for it your partner wants to ask you some questions."

The heart monitor spiked. Thousands of thoughts poured through Grace's head. A baby. She was going to have a baby. The news was a shock, and yet it wasn't. Somehow she knew. Catherine. Catherine had known. How could Catherine...

The doctor left, and Nora raced over and gave Grace a warm hug.

"Congratulations!" Nora squealed.

Ted had tears in his eyes as he gave Grace a long kiss on her lips. He stopped, only to see Grace looking back at him, terrified.

"Ted," Grace began, "what are we going to do?"

* * * * *

The hospital had a playground just outside the rear entrance. After taking a few days to rest, Grace was able to walk down to the park to watch Kayla play while she spoke to Detective Pratt. Joe took a seat on the park bench next to his recovering partner.

"We confirmed it was Balko," Joe said. "The DNA he left on you, it matched him at near a hundred percent."

Grace stared off into the sky.

"It was him. I'm sure of it," she said.

Joe flipped through a few papers in the folder he carried.

"There's just one thing though," Joe said. "Your husband said he saw a young guy. Late twenties. But Balko is ninety-eight according to our file. How the hell is that possible?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Grace said. She took a sip of coffee as she watched Kayla scurry across the playground. Kayla tripped, prompting Grace to jump in panic until she saw Kayla climb to her feet and continue running.

"Try me," Joe said.

Grace looked Joe in the eye.

"Balko can assume the form of his younger self. My husband aimed a gun at him and it didn't even phase him. The only thing that hurt him was when I touched him with my wedding ring. The silver- I think it burned him. That's why he ran away."

Joe stared back at Grace.

"I'm supposed to put this in my report?" he asked.

Grace sneered at the accusation. Joe sighed.

"Look, you were bleeding pretty bad at the time. Do you suppose it's possible- you imagined some of what happened?"

"Ask my husband if I imagined it," Grace said.

"I did. He thinks the guy was on drugs. He guessed bath salts."

"I can only tell you what I saw," Grace said.

Grace couldn't blame Joe for having trouble accepting her story, but it hurt her all the same. Her memory of Lukas biting her neck and sucking her blood was ingrained in her memory; and she did not accept the possibility she'd merely imagined that. Until she could get proof, Grace saw no use in trying to convince Joe of what she already knew. Lukas was a living demon.

"You know, I've had this theory," Joe said. "What if we got it wrong? That the guy we're chasing isn't Lukas Balko? Maybe some guy who lived with him, a family relative? It would be easier to explain than a centenarian raping all those women."

Grace shook her head mournfully.

"It was him, Joe. I saw his eyes."

Joe sighed, and slapped his folder on his lap.

"Okay, if you say so."

"Uncle Joe, will you give me a push?" Kayla shouted, sitting on the swing set.

Joe looked at Grace.

"Go for it," Grace said, smiling.

"Sure kiddo!" Joe said. He ran towards the swing set and gave Kayla a mighty push, sending her soaring into air and swinging back again. As Joe pushed Kayla again, Ted approached the bench, and sat down next to his wife.

"You tell her about the baby yet?" Ted asked.

"Soon," Grace said.

* * * * *

Going home didn't feel like going home. Grace didn't feel safe in her own house. The entire ride back from the hospital, Grace found herself remembering the Beckets' home. How Dylan and Jaclyn had mounted a cross in every room of their house. She remembered the broken window in Jaclyn's bedroom. It was when Ted pulled into the driveway and Grace saw the broken front window of her own home that it all came together.

Dylan and Jaclyn had been attacked by Balko. They'd fought him off somehow, only to die soon afterward at the hands of his sister. But they'd found a way to keep him out of their home.

Grace made a trip to the local Christian community store and stocked up on wooden crosses and holy water, and got her wedding band repaired and re-sized to fit her new pregnancy-sized fingers. When Lukas came back, and she was sure he would try, she would be prepared.

Ted walked in the front door to see Grace nailing a cross to the wall of the house and guffawed.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Grace turned to her husband and sneered.

"Clearly I can't count on my husband to keep fucks out of my house."

Grace swung the hammer and missed, and slammed it down against her thumb.

"God damn it!" Grace squealed.

Ted stormed out of the room. Grace dropped her hammer, and grabbed her swollen thumb painfully. She shouldn't have said that, she knew it, but when everyone including her own husband had dismissed her, she could only contain her temper so much.

She hurried to the bathroom to grab a bandage. She felt a sense of unease walking into the bathroom again. There was still a faint orange tint in the bathtub that she would need to scrub out when she got the chance.

She opened the top drawer, grabbed a bandage, and wrapped it around her thumb. It was then that she remembered the key. The one she'd found on the roof of the hospital when Catherine jumped. Grace remembered she had brought it home, and placed in the top drawer.

Grace looked in the drawer again, only to find the key was gone. She searched every drawer, and the pockets of the pants she wore that night, but found no trace of it. Had Balko taken it? Or perhaps the police took it when examining the scene? Grace made a mental note to inquire the next time she went to work.

With a cross mounted in very room, and a glass of holy water on every windowsill, Grace felt a shade safer. Praying her new home security system would even be effective; Grace checked and double-checked the cross she'd mounted in Kayla's room. No doubt Balko would come after her, if he couldn't have Grace. She placed a small silver-plated cross necklace around her daughter's neck, and prayed that would keep the young toddler safe.

For now, all she could do was wait.

* * * * *

A month passed, and Balko had yet to exact vengeance on the Harker family. While Grace took this to mean her home defense was effective, Ted was more of the opinion Balko was biding his time. Both he and Grace slept better knowing Grace's sidearm was not far from her bedside, but only Grace feared the gun was not the weapon that would help them. She kept her silver wedding band on at all times, even when she showered and slept, waiting for Balko to strike.

Ted crept into Grace's office one night, unsurprised to find that once again she was on her laptop, scouring the Internet for clues to Lukas Balko's whereabouts. He rested his hands on Grace's shoulders. She flinched momentarily, then relaxed after recognizing her husband.

"Sorry," Ted said. "Any luck?"

"Nada," Grace said. She rubbed the side of her neck where her twin scabs were gradually healing.

Ted kissed Grace on her cheek, and slowly ran his palms down her sides.

"Ted, no!" Grace snapped. She grabbed his hands and pulled them from her.

"What the hell, Grace!" Ted snapped. "It's been a month! What's it going to take to get my wife back?"

Grace spun around in her chair shot a glare at her husband.

"I was raped, Ted!" Grace snapped. "That bastard was going to-" she trailed off, breaking into tears.

Ted stared out the window.

"I know. It was a month ago, and you won't get counseling, you won't talk to me about it, you won't-"

"It doesn't work!" Grace shouted. "I got counseling when I was a kid. It didn't help me then; it won't help me now. This is just something I have to deal with!"

In spite of her husband's, and Joe's insistence, Grace had put off getting any professional help after her attack. The hours she'd wasted as a teenager, struggling to make her therapist understand what it was like being abused by her father left her more angry than comforted.

Being a detective was the only therapy that worked for Grace. Using her wits to track down criminal scum and slapping handcuffs on them did more good for her mental health than all the hours talking with a shrink ever had. If her family and friends could understand this, Grace wondered if that would be enough to make her all right again. She would never know.

"What am I supposed to do?" her husband asked. "How can I help you?"

"You can stay out of my way," Grace said. "Things will get better. I promise."

Ted snorted.

"I'm going to the gym."

He slammed the door on his way out.

* * * * *

The Harper Hills Fitness Center was open twenty-four hours a day, but after ten p.m. on weekdays there were few patrons. The parking lot was empty save for a bus when Ted pulled up. He grabbed his gym bag and headed inside.

The facility was equipped with a gym, pool, and an outdoor track behind the building. It looked as though the San Amaury University women's swim team was practicing in the pool, leaving the gym empty.

Ted made his way into the locker room where he quickly changed into a T-shirt and shorts and stashed his gym bag into a locker. He slammed the locker shut, and winced as the sound echoed throughout the locker room.

He was glad he was alone. If he stayed around Grace any longer, he would have said something he would have regretted. Instead he would take his anger out on the exercise machines.

Ted started on a chest press machine. He took a seat, grabbed the handlebars, and pushed them forward. Steadily, and repeatedly, he pushed the bars forward and backward, lifting the heavy weight behind him.

He was a few lifts into his set when he noticed he wasn't alone in the gym. A few rows in front of him, a young woman ran on a treadmill. She wore a black tank top and yoga pants, and had her brown hair tied into a ponytail.

Ted watched her as she ran. Her ass- she filled out her yoga pants so nicely with her round, firm ass; bounced pleasantly with each step she took while her ponytail bobbed up and down. He found himself imagining how her ass would feel cupped in his hands- if he could only run his palms across her cheeks and squeeze them.

He would squeeze them together, pull them apart, and rub them up and down. He loved to touch his wife's ass this way while she lay on top of him while they made love. But this woman's bottom was just a little bigger, and a little curvier; it would be such a pleasure to explore something new after four years of marriage, especially when the intimacy had been a bit lacking as of late.

Ted got up and moved to a different machine to get a better view of the running babe. The excitement of watching her ass move about kept him exercising longer than he'd normally be able. He thought he might have topped his best time, but he hadn't been keeping track on account of being distracted.

The woman stopped the treadmill and hopped off. In a stunning display, the woman peeled off her tank top, revealing a tight sports bra underneath. Panting, she carried her tank top in her hand and made her way down the aisle to the elliptical machine.

For the briefest moment, their eyes met. The woman shot him a smile, a warm, sweet smile. It made Ted's heart skip. Her breasts were large, at least a D cup, perhaps more. Her sports bra didn't quite contain the massive mammaries, as quite a bit of cleavage peeked out the top. Ted certainly wouldn't have minded if the woman had elected to dispense with the bra as well.

As his energy gradually wore down, Ted lifted extra hard, hoping to impress his sexy gym companion, but the woman had already averted her gaze. He continued anyway, hoping she might look his way before he wore out.

Several lifts later, Ted was finally feeling the strong burning sensation in his arms and decided to take a rest. He stole another glance at the exercising lady, admiring her ass as well as her firm muscular thighs. With her energy, Ted was certain she had to be a wildcat between the sheets. She definitely knew how to keep her body looking good.

As it was, she was not the only woman in the gym who knew how to look good; the swim team was finally making their way out of the pool. Ted took a swig from his water bottle as he casually watched through the window at the assortment of blondes, brunettes, and a few redheads climbing out of the water, drenched in their uniform blue and white one-pieces. Their wet swimsuits clung to their curvy figures tightly, while their bare legs glowed under the bright fluorescent lights.

If Ted were a few years younger, and not married, he would definitely have been in there getting phone numbers. Instead, he simply watched; his college days long behind him.

It was then that he realized he was sporting a rather sizable erection. His shorts did not conceal it well. The bathing beauties were making their way to the locker room and unable to see him, and the yoga pants babe was still exercising, but Ted felt it necessary to be wary in any case.

He headed outside, and hit the track, running as quickly as he could.

All of his frustration came out in one long burst of energy, sending him storming down the well-lit but empty track under the starlight. He ran lap after lap, reflecting on the gorgeous women parading into the locker room where their bathing suits would soon be removed.

Between them and the yoga pants babe, and the lack of privacy at home, Ted found himself seriously considering masturbating in the gym locker room. His erection was not going to go away on its own tonight. Even after a long run the adrenaline rush would stay with him. He would have to do it. The alternative would be lying awake in bed next to his unresponsive wife for the rest of the night, and being exhausted in the morning.

With his mind made up, Ted headed back inside. The gym and pool were both empty, so Ted would have the locker room to himself. He could do it in the shower. Perhaps he would be able to overhear the women through the ventilation shaft and stroke himself to the sound of their laughter while they showered. Ted smiled to himself at the thought.

Before he made his way into the men's locker room, Ted grabbed a cup of complimentary decaf provided by the gym. There wasn't much left in the vat. He squeezed the very last of the warm liquid into a paper cup and headed into the locker room, taking small sips as he went.

Ted quickly stripped and stuffed his clothes into his locker, while leaving his coffee on the bench. He still had a semi-erection, and determined he would take care of business before washing himself off and heading home.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



Wearing only flip-flops, Ted headed towards the shower with his towel in hand, when he noticed a purple gym bag lying on the floor. It wasn't there when he arrived.

And then he heard the shower turn on.

Ted edged towards the shower and peeked inside. There he saw the yoga pants woman, no longer wearing her yoga pants or anything for that matter, standing under the shower nozzle and basking in the warm stream.

Ted let out a gasp, louder than he intended, and the woman turned around. She screamed, covered her large breasts with her palms, then awkwardly shot one hand downwards to cover her well-trimmed pussy with one hand while attempting to cover both breasts with her other.

"I- I am SO sorry!" the woman squealed. "I- the ladies shower was completely full, and, I thought you'd left, and-"

The woman looked Ted in the eye, then her eyes drifted downwards at his penis, and quickly shot back up to his face.

"Sorry!"

She scampered out of the water and quickly wrapped a towel around herself.

"There's usually no one here this late! I-"

"It's all right!" Ted chuckled. He wrapped his towel around his waist; not realizing his erection still protruded through.

"I'll be out of here in just a second!" the woman said. Ted was about to tell her it was fine, and she was welcome to stay, but stopped, realizing the invitation would be inappropriate. She picked up her gym bag and set it on the bench, accidentally knocking over Ted's coffee. The brown liquid spilled onto the tiled floor.

"Oh God!" the woman cried out. "This is not my night! Let me get you a new coffee!"

"It's all right! I'm going home soon anyway," Ted assured her.

"I am so sorry about this," the woman repeated, as she opened a locker. She quickly stuffed the contents inside her gym bag, while Ted stepped into the shower to turn off the water. It was then that he noticed the pink rubber dildo resting on the soap shelf. He glanced back at the woman, who looked first at him, and then at the dildo.

Her face dropped. She opened her mouth, as if to say the rubber phallus wasn't hers, and then shut her mouth, and her face glowed deep red. She hurried into the shower, grabbed the dildo, and stuffed it into her gym bag.

"Don't judge! My husband is NEVER around!" the woman said, defensively.

"Don't worry. My wife hasn't touched me in weeks. I know the feeling."

They stared at each other, neither saying a word.

"So, you come here at night to work out?" the woman laughed, nervously.

Ted smirked.

"Yeah, that's how these things go."

She shrugged understandingly.

"Listen, let me buy you a new coffee. It's the least I can do."

"That won't be necessary. I'm just going to get showered and head home."

"Maybe some other time," the woman said. "I'm here most nights. Days too."

Ted detected a trace of hopefulness in her voice.

"Hope it won't be too awkward running into me again," he said. The woman laughed.

"I'm Liana," she said, extending her hand. Ted shook it.

"Ted. You take care of yourself, Liana."

"I will," Liana said, finally smiling. She hurried out of the locker room, still wrapped in only a towel and carrying her gym bag. As she left, she passed two young men entering.

"Sorry!" she said to the men, and scampered out of the room.

The two men looked at Ted, impressed.

"It's not what you think," Ted said.

* * * * *

He arrived home shortly after one. Grace winced when he opened the bedroom door, shining the hallway light in her face. Ted quickly shut off the light and slid under the covers next to her. Grace rolled away from him. He hadn't masturbated in the shower on account of the two men arriving, and now being in bed next to his wife, he found that his erection had returned.

He rested his hand on her hip, and gently tugged on her panties. She responded by grabbing his wrist and pushing his hand off her.

Ted sighed, and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, while visions of Liana's naked body played in his mind. He didn't sleep a wink the entire night.

* * * * *

Kayla hopped onto the seat next to her mother and held her head to Grace's belly.

"I don't hear any baby!" Kayla said.

"It's still too small," Grace said, patting Kayla's blonde hair understandingly. The obstetrician handed Grace an envelope.

"Here's your copy to keep!" the doctor said. Grace opened the envelope and showed the contents to her daughter.

"There it is!" Grace said, holding the ultrasound image for Kayla to see.

"That's a baby?" Kayla asked, incredulously.

"It's still growing," the obstetrician said, smiling at the little girl. "A few more weeks and it will start to look more like a baby."

Kayla examined the grainy ultrasound image carefully.

"When will she be born?" Kayla asked.

"Well, we don't know if it will be a boy or girl yet, but right now, the due date is October 31. A Halloween baby!" The obstetrician chuckled.

"Wow, I hope she's born in time to take her trick or treating!" Kayla exclaimed. Grace and the doctor laughed.

"Well, take care Grace, and I'll see you in a month!" the obstetrician said. He walked out of the room, and Grace slipped the ultrasound image back into the envelope.

As Grace walked Kayla out of the obstetrician's office, Kayla turned to her mother.

"Can we name her Kristina?" Kayla asked.

"Maybe. But it might be a boy, Kayla."

"I think it will be a girl," Kayla said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh? And why is that?" Grace asked.

"The lady in my closet told me," Kayla said, casually.

Grace looked at Kayla, disconcerted.

* * * * *

With a baby on the way, the Harkers determined it was time Ted found a job. A second stream of income would be vital for the growing family, particularly when it was time for Grace's maternity leave.

To Kayla's great displeasure, this also meant the little girl would need to be enrolled in daycare.

"Daddy! I don't want to go!"

"Kayla, we talked about this," Ted said, kneeling down to face his tearful daughter. "Besides, look at how much fun it is here!"

Kayla turned to look at the other young children running around the play area. She had never been left in the care of anyone she did not know before. She clung to her father, and refused to let go.

"Kayla, you'll be fine," Ted said. He checked the cross necklace around Kayla's neck. "You still got the necklace mommy wants you to wear?"

Kayla nodded.

"Keep that on, and you'll be safe here. I promise."

Kayla bid her father a tearful goodbye as he made his way out the door. Jenny, the daycare assistant, gently took Kayla's hand.

"Hey there! You ready to play musical chairs?" Jenny asked the anxious toddler. Kayla walked apprehensively with the assistant and joined the other children.

Ted had an interview at a marketing firm called J.T. Levinson. It was his first interview in years, and he clearly needed practice. Ted fumbled his response to a few of his interviewer's questions, both in part due to his lack of interview practice and his being distracted by the interviewer's very attractive secretary.

Ted never did get the opportunity to squeeze his sausage after his night at the gym, and that was a week earlier. Nor was Grace receptive to any of Ted's attempts to initiate sex in the meantime, leaving Ted high and dry.

It was little surprise that when Ted caught a glimpse of the leggy blonde in the tight miniskirt passing by the office door that Ted found himself incapable of concentrating.

At the end of the interview, Ted shook his interviewer's hand, and was told he would be contacted soon regarding his decision. Ted forced a smile, trying not to disclose his disappointment at clearly not passing the interview.

Ted sneaked another peek at the secretary as he exited the office, but all he could see was her tight round behind as she was bent over her filing cabinet. Ted averted his eyes and quickly made his way out of the building, trying to conceal his erection along the way.

He was in a nervous sweat when he re-entered his car. He unzipped his dress slacks and let his throbbing penis out for air. Ted let out a deep breath. He hadn't been this sexually frustrated since he was a teenager.

As he stared out the windshield across the crowded parking lot, Ted caught sight of a billboard across the street. The billboard depicted a stunningly sexy woman in a string bikini and large bold letters reading "TOP CATS: GENTLEMEN'S CLUB" and below that: "TOTALLY NUDE DANCERS."

Ted pulled the sun visor down to block his view of the billboard, and promptly took out his phone. He entered Grace's number on the speed dial and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?" Grace greeted.

"Hey hon, what'cha doing?"

"I'm at the station, closing a case. How'd your interview go?"

"It went well," Ted replied, trailing off. "Listen, you think you can sneak out of the station for a bit?"

"What for?" Grace asked.

"Well, Kayla's at day care, I thought maybe we could meet up at home for a bit for a quickie?"

"Ted, I'm at WORK!" Grace snapped.

"I just thought, maybe, you could find some time..."

Ted stopped talking when he realized Grace had hung up on him. He slammed his phone down angrily on the passenger seat. He lifted the visor and looked back at the billboard. Below the bikini-clad dancer's busty breasts were the words "OFF ROUTE 9."

Ted started his car and sped out of the parking lot. As he waited for traffic to clear, he deliberated which direction to turn. As a semi passed, and left the nearest lane open, Ted pulled into the street, and took the exit to Route 9.

* * * * *

A sultry brunette in a ripped belly shirt and pink thong had her legs wrapped around the pole when Ted walked in. Ted took a seat at an empty table and watched the sexy stripper twirl around and around, sending the aroma of her sweet perfume in his direction. He inhaled deeply and felt his penis twitch.

Spinning, the dancer descended the pole, until she lay flat on the stage. Rolling over seductively, she crawled on all fours towards the edge of the platform, where a grinning patron had a dollar ready to slip into her garter.

Ted found himself reaching for his own wallet when he saw a cup of coffee placed on the table in front of him.

"On the house," the server said. Ted looked up to see a familiar face smiling sweetly at him.

"Liana!" Ted said with surprise.

Ted's unexpected shower companion from the previous week took a seat beside him.

"I did owe you a coffee, didn't I?"

Ted chuckled.

"I didn't know they served coffee in strip bars."

"It's from the employee lounge," Liana said.

Ted looked Liana up and down. She was in a cleavage-baring blue dress with a sparkling necklace resting on her delicate shoulders.

"You- work here?" Ted asked, incredulously.

"My husband is the owner," Liana clarified. "He's usually out with one of the dancers, hence my need to engage is certain activities when I get some alone time."

Ted smirked.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be. I shouldn't have been in there anyway," Liana said.

Ted turned his attention to the stage to see the brunette dancer had shed her belly shirt and bra, leaving her large breasts to swing about in rhythm with her twirls around the pole.

"How about you? Things any better with the wife?" Liana asked.

Ted turned his attention back towards Liana, and shook his head.

"She's been so tired lately. With her pregnancy and being busy at work, she never has the energy when we finally get to bed."

Liana touched Ted's arm sympathetically.

"That's terrible. You're a man. You have needs."

Ted shrugged.

"Yeah, it's not easy being a father."

"Would you like me to arrange a private dance for you with one of the girls?" Liana asked. "Anything goes behind closed doors."

Ted stopped.

"I- don't know if I want to take that step. I came here, just to, you know, look-"

Liana nodded in understanding.

"You want to be faithful to your wife," she said, sounding almost impressed.

"Yeah," Ted sighed. He watched the dancer on stage remove her g-string and toss it across the bar. It landed on Ted's table. She shot Ted a wink and continued wiggling her bare ass.

"I think Destiny's taken a shine to you," Liana said. "You can have her for $300. I've been told she gives phenomenal blow jobs."

Ted slid his hand into his pants pocket and gently caressed his penis. He let his eyes wander around the establishment until they settled on a tall blonde strutting around the bar wearing nothing but high heels and a garter around each thigh, both of which were stuffed with bills.

"That's Blossom," Liana said. "So called because her pussy lips blossom open like a flower when she gets wet."

Ted sneaked a peek at Blossom's clean-shaven pussy as she walked his way, and marveled at her thick and plump labia. It certainly would be a pleasure to feel those juicy lips around his throbbing hard dick- if he weren't married.

Ted looked back at Liana.

"How much for just a private dance- no extras?" Ted asked.

"Fifty," Liana said.

Ted drew a Grant from his wallet and slid it towards Liana. She picked the bill up and held it in her hands.

"Which girl would you like?"

"Surprise me," he said.

* * * * *

He sat quietly in the booth waiting. On the table to his right was a box of tissues and a bottle of KY jelly. He was glad for that; he might need both if the show he was about to get excited him enough.

He could hear talking just outside the booth. Ted poked his head out the curtain to see two dancers discussing their plans for the evening. He wondered if either of them was the one Liana had assigned to him, but he doubted it.

The table had some adult magazines underneath. Ted grabbed one and flipped through it, and admired the beautiful nude women inside. Since he was waiting, Ted went ahead and unzipped his pants, and took out his penis, which was gradually growing erect. He gently stroked his member as he admired the beautiful babes in the magazine in front of him.

He had just gotten into his masturbation session when the curtain pulled back, and a lady entered. She wore a black kimono and a cat mask over her face. Ted quickly put away his penis and zipped up his pants.

"Leave it out!" the lady giggled.

Ted declined her invitation, and sat back in his chair.

She removed the kimono, revealing her body clad in beautiful black lingerie; bra, panties, and stockings. She removed her mask to give Ted a view of her face. It was Liana.

"Surprised?" she asked.

"A bit."

Liana giggled and switched on a boom box. Sultry, sexy music played as Liana proceeded to gyrate her hips back and forth. Ted watched Liana's body move as she performed a sensual lap dance. Working her way between his legs, Liana leaned towards him, grabbed his tie, and pulled him towards her until her breasts were inches from his face.

Ted simply enjoyed the view as Liana took his hands and placed them on her hips. He slipped his thumbs into the waistband of her panties and tugged at them as she swayed her hips left and right.

Slowly, she took one of her stockings and slipped it down her thigh, inch by inch, teasing Ted as she revealed more and more bare thigh. She lifted her leg high in the air, rested it on his shoulder, and invited him to remove the stocking.

Ted was all too happy to comply. He pulled the nylon from her leg, only for her to invite him to repeat the gesture with her other leg. He did, and Liana draped both of the empty stockings over his shoulders as she continued the dance. She had Ted's full attention when she did.

Her panties hugged the curves of her ass so nicely. He wanted to chuck a dime at one of her firm little cheeks, just to see if it would bounce. He had little doubt it would.

She sat upon his lap, and pressing her buttocks between his legs, she vigorously wiggled her butt against his groin. He was already excited, but this got his johnson standing at full attention. Feeling the protrusion through his pants, Liana swept her hair to the side.

"Do you see the fastener on my bra?" she asked.

Ted gulped, and nodded.

"Unhook it for me."

Ted's mouth was dry as a bone. His hands trembled, but he was able to get the clasp unfastened in decent time. Liana let go of her hair, and pulled the cups from her breasts.

Feeling his heart pounding a mile a minute, Ted ran his hands up Liana's hips, up her sides, and cupped her breasts in his hands. He palmed them, felt their soft, firm shape in his hands, and squeezed her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Liana moaned.

"If you want to take this further..." she said, and removed a condom from her panties and held it between her index and middle fingers for him to take.

Ted stared at the condom.

"I- I can't."

"She doesn't need to know." Liana giggled, and wiggled her hips again. Ted's penis throbbed. "It can be our little secret."

Ted could feel sweat forming on his brow. Liana's body felt so sweet and sexy against his.

"Come on, baby. You know you want to stick it in this," Liana said, edging her panties slightly downwards. She pulled them down as low as they would go without her rising from his lap.

"Yeah, it's just-" Ted stopped. He could feel Liana's hair brushing against his face. She smelled so sweet; her scented hair, her perfume, it was positively intoxicating. He placed his hands upon her hips and tugged on the waistband of her panties.

"Do it, baby. You know you want to. I need your dick. I'm so wet, I need you to fuck me," Liana moaned.

Ted grunted. His erection throbbed so hard it was almost painful. Liana turned around, wrapping her soft thighs around his waist, and let her large bare breasts hang directly in front of his face.

"Please?" Liana asked. "Please fuck me?"

Ted's hands trembled. He thought about pushing her off him. About walking out of the booth, out of the club, and never returning. He thought about going home, and not having sex with Grace. And he thought about staying, and having sex with Liana.

"Pleeeease?" Liana asked one last time, batting her eyelashes.

Ted took the condom from her hand.

"Yes," he said.

* * * * *

Ted was white as a ghost when he walked through the front door of his house. Grace was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, when Kayla charged past her father and ran to give her mother a hug.

"Mommy!" Kayla shouted.

"Hey, baby! How was daycare?" Grace asked.

"It was so much fun! We sang songs, and we ate snacks, and we played this game where one boy hid a ball and we all had to find it!"

"Well, it sounds like daycare isn't so bad, is it?" Grace asked. She looked up at Ted, and her expression melted.

"Just a second, princess," Grace said. She followed Ted into the living room, where he sat down onto the couch.

"Ted, you okay?" she asked.

Ted found it impossible to look Grace in the eye. He gave a barely audible "mm hmm" and stared at the evening news on the flat screen.

"I made pork chops for dinner. Your favorite," Grace said.

"I'm not very hungry," Ted said.

"You feeling all right?" Grace said. She placed her hand to his forehead. "Oh God, you're burning up. Let me get the thermometer."

Grace hurried away, and returned with the thermometer, and placed it underneath Ted's tongue. As she returned to the kitchen, Ted sat, stewing in his own guilt. He had fucked Liana.

She'd given him an incredible blow job, and then sat on his lap and he'd fucked her. Then he sucked her tits for ten minutes, and then he slipped another rubber on and fucked her again. He fucked her doggy style, wheelbarrow style, missionary, and doggy style again. He came a total of three times inside her, completely draining his balls.

When he picked up his daughter from daycare Ted felt physically sick. When he saw his wife when he arrived home he felt ready to vomit.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



His marriage would never be the same. Whether Grace found out or not, Ted would never feel the same around her again.

Grace removed the thermometer from his mouth and checked it.

"You've got a fever, mister," she said. "You better take it easy for the next few days. You don't want to mess up your chances for that job."

Ted nodded.

"I don't want to get you sick," Ted said. "I think I better sleep on the couch tonight."

* * * * *

Within two days Ted felt much better. He'd spent a full day resting, and after taking a long hot shower and vomiting several times, the memory of what he'd done with Liana felt like a distant memory.

He finally was able to look his wife in the eye again, and she didn't appear to be suspicious of him. He breathed a sigh of relief, praying that perhaps he would get away with his crime.

"You're looking better," Grace said, as Ted walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, just needed to sleep it off."

Ted poured himself a cup of coffee and froze as he stared at the mug in his hand.

"Something wrong?" Grace asked.

"No," Ted said, and sipped the coffee. He would put his affair behind him. He would have to.

Ted took his coffee with him to his computer, while Grace sat at the kitchen table. She spied a few drawings Kayla brought home from daycare resting on the table. Grace smiled, and looked the drawings over.

One showed the entire family. There was Ted, Grace, with a bump on her belly with a tiny stick figure baby inside it, Kayla, and another person. It looked like a lady, drawn with a black crayon.

"Kayla, who's this?" Grace asked, when her daughter came skipping into the room.

"That's us!" Kayla said. She pointed at each figure in the drawing. "That's Daddy, you, Kristina," she said, pointing at the baby, "and me!"

"But who is this?" Grace asked, pointing to the lady drawn in all black crayon.

"That's the lady in my closet," Kayla said, nonchalantly. Grace eyed her daughter uncomfortably.

She prepared a bowl of cereal for Kayla, and plopped her in front of the TV to watch cartoons. She knew it was crazy, but Grace had to check. She crept down the hall into Kayla's bedroom, and opened the closet door.

It looked as it always did. Kayla's clothes hung on wire hangers, and a box full of her toys rested on the floor below. Grace looked between the hanging clothes, and then searched the toy box on the floor.

There were several stuffed animals, a pretend plastic oven and a dollhouse. Grace peeked inside the dollhouse when she spotted something. A key.

Grace removed the key from the dollhouse and examined it. It was the one she found on the rooftop of the hospital. The brass skull, the crimson eyes, it was the exact one.

Grace took the key back the living room.

"Kayla, what was this doing in your closet?"

Kayla looked at the key in Grace's hands.

"I found it in the bathroom," Kayla said, putting a spoonful of Fruit Loops in her mouth.

"Why did you take it?" Grace asked.

"The lady in my closet said she needed it. So I gave it to her."

* * * * *

Ted was in the bathroom when Grace stepped out of the shower. She gasped for a moment.

"Sorry," Ted said. "Just making sure you're okay."

"Thanks." She smiled.

Ted looked on in interest as Grace pulled open the shower curtain, and admired his wife's naked body.

"Your breasts are getting bigger."

Grace tsked.

"Please. I'm getting fat, that's what's happening."

She covered her breasts with one arm and grabbed a towel with the other. She tied the towel around her torso and grabbed a second to dry her hair.

"It's pregnancy weight," Ted said. "And it's sexy as hell."

He grabbed the towel around her torso and pulled it from her body, exposing her. She did not try to stop him. He stared Grace's form up and down; noting what pregnancy was doing to her body.

Her belly had just a slight bump, but not quite visible yet to others when she was clothed. Her thighs had become thicker. Her butt had grown just slightly rounder; more plump.

"You are so beautiful," he said.

Grace smiled, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I really needed to hear that," she said.

Ted hugged her tightly, and as he did, let his hand wander down her backside so he could give her butt a firm squeeze.

"Mmm, Do that again," Grace murmured.

Ted squeezed her butt a second time, noting as he did, that her nipples stiffened. Ted leaned towards her and whispered into her ear.

"The Princess is fast asleep. I think it's time we took this to the bedroom."

"Actually, I think I'm going to sleep in Kayla's room tonight."

"Why?"

"I'm worried about her."

"Why?"

Grace stopped.

"It's probably nothing- I just want to make sure she's safe."

"Babe, she's fine!" Ted said. "Come on, let's have a good romp in the sheets, it's been too long!"

"Not tonight, Ted!" Grace snapped. She grabbed the towel, wrapped it back around herself, and stormed out of the bathroom.

Ted snorted.

"Whatever. I'm going to the gym."

* * * * *

He was only half-hoping she would be there, and half-hoping she wouldn't. After he'd gotten past the guilt of their first tryst, Ted found he couldn't stop thinking about her.

His eyes scanned the gym as he entered, and to his disappointment he didn't see her anywhere. There were a few men exercising in the gym and a small group in the pool area, but Ted did not see Liana or any other women anywhere. Ted made his way into the locker room and opened a locker.

As he changed into his gym clothes, Ted took a glance in the shower where he'd first seen Liana naked. She wasn't there now, but seeing the exact spot where she'd been filled him with excitement. He wanted to see her again. He couldn't deny it.

When he stepped out of the locker room he stopped dead in his tracks. She must have been underwater before, because now Liana was climbing out of the pool. Step by step she ascended the ladder, water dripping from her bikini-clad body. She spotted him immediately.

Ted couldn't walk away. She'd seen him, and now she was walking towards him. He couldn't even avert his eyes, finding himself stunned by her beauty. She flashed him a sweet smile and when she was close enough, she placed her hand on his arm.

"Hi there!" she said.

"Nice seeing you again," Ted said. He wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or lying.

She brushed her fingers through her hair.

"I was hoping you'd come see me again."

"Liana- I made a mistake."

"Did you?"

Ted stopped. Liana was right- she'd made him far happier than he'd been in a long time. Being the husband to an obsessed detective admittedly hadn't made Ted feel especially fulfilled.

"I have a wife."

"Who doesn't treat you right." She stared into his eyes longingly as she spoke, and softly stroked his arm. Ted felt himself melt under her touch.

"Grace is-" Ted started, and struggled to think of how he wanted to finish his sentence, "-trying her best right now."

"I'm trying my best," Liana said.

"I know."

For several long seconds neither of them said a word.

"If being faithful to your wife is what you want, go home to her," she said. "But there aren't any women in this gym tonight. I'll be in the ladies locker room all alone. So, IF- you change your mind, I'll be in there waiting for you."

Ted gulped.

Liana turned away and sauntered sexily into the ladies room; her hips swaying gently back and forth as she walked. She unfastened her bikini top before she was even inside, giving Ted an eyeful of her bare back. She slipped down her bottoms just as the door swung closed behind her, robbing Ted of his view of her lovely bottom.

The images of her naked body flashed through his head. The last time he'd made love to her replayed in his mind. Her beautiful sensuous body, her delectable curves, every detail of her form tantalized him. His hands shook, a layer of sweat formed across his back. He tried to think of all the women he'd laid in his lifetime. Breanne, the head cheerleader in high school. Allison, his first steady girlfriend in college. His wife, Grace. None of them measured up to Liana.

No woman had ever captured his imagination this way.

With his beating heart echoing inside his skull, Ted broke. In a near sprint, he burst into the ladies locker room, not even pausing to check if anyone was watching. He scampered around the corner, and stood in the doorframe to the showers.

Liana turned to him and smiled.

He was on top of her in a second. She lay onto a changing bench and immediately opened her legs for him. He quickly eased his throbbing member inside her, not even stopping to put on a condom. Liana moaned and thrusted back at him, and his eyes went wide.

"Oh God!" Ted screamed.

"Oh Ted, I'm so glad you came for me!" Liana moaned.

Their bodies writhed about, thrusting, grunting, and wailing. Ted grabbed the bench for support as he watched her large breasts jiggle and bounce around with each thrust.

"I want you!" Ted screamed.

"Give it to me! Give it to me, Ted you want this!" Liana screamed.

"I do! I know I do!" Ted cried. He rubbed himself inside her, back and forth, as hard as he could. Her body felt too good to stop. What surprised him the most was how much she rubbed back against him. Her body had so much energy; she was like an animal he couldn't tame.

"Oooh, Ted! Give me more of that cock! It feels soooo good!" she moaned.

He gave it to her. He gave it to her as hard and as fast as he could, and she only seemed to want more.

"I- I- I'm going to come!" Ted moaned. "I need to pull out."

"No! It feels too good!" Liana whispered.

Ted almost withdrew, but Liana wrapped her legs around his waist and held him in place. She squeezed her thighs around his hips, and Ted burst inside her. A shot of cool cream filled Liana's warm pussy, and Ted melted in ecstasy. Cumming inside her, without protection, sent a wave of pleasure coursing through both his body and soul. He felt something leave his body, he wasn't quite sure, but he felt lighter somehow. It was as if he were somehow less than he was before.

"You are mine," Liana hissed in his ear. "You are mine, forever."

* * * * *

With each passing week, Grace's belly grew, and Ted's trips to the gym became more frequent. Ted gradually lost interest in his wife, and found seeing Liana at the gym, or wherever she wished for them to meet, be it the strip club or a motel room, was all that interested him.

Grace would have been more concerned, if not for her preoccupation with her daughter, whose frequent mentions of "the lady in her closet" left Grace uneasy and afraid. She held onto the key she'd found in Kayla's closet. The investigation had concluded Catherine Balko had used a stolen key from the hospital to escape from her room, and Grace saw no need to hand over something she felt so closely concerned her immediate family.

Grace continued sleeping in Kayla's bedroom, and Ted had stopped complaining.

The first time they both knew something had changed was during the drive home from one of Grace's obstetrician appointments. Grace insisted on driving, leaving Ted sitting in the passenger seat half-wondering if he was even necessary to her anymore.

"Looks like Kayla was right," Ted remarked.

The doctor had just confirmed it. Grace was having a girl. Grace was silent.

Not receiving a response, Ted added, "I guess our daughter has good instincts."

Grace finally responded.

"How could Kayla have possibly known that? I mean, she was certain!"

Ted shrugged.

"A good guess, I mean- babe, can you slow down?" Ted clutched his forehead painfully.

Grace swerved around a slow moving Volkswagen.

"Ted, something's wrong with Kayla!" Grace slammed on the gas.

"Because she knew the sex of our baby?"

"Because she claimed a lady in her closet told her!" The traffic light turned yellow, and Grace sped through. "Last night I woke up to see her standing in front of her closet door staring into it, mumbling something!"

Ted grabbed onto the door handle, feeling overcome with dizziness. A throbbing pain in his head intensified.

"Kids have imaginations, and- babe, seriously, can you stop driving like a maniac?"

"I drive just fine!" Grace snapped. She switched lanes and passed another vehicle. "She never used to sleepwalk, or talk to imaginary people, or-"

"I'm just- Oh God, pull over!"

Grace hadn't even gotten to the side of the road before Ted erupted vomit all over the inside door of the Jimmy.

"Honestly, Ted!" Grace shouted, disgusted. "Ever since you started going to the gym all the time you've been getting sick constantly! You're pushing yourself too hard there!"

Ted grunted, and opened the door. Ted's lunch dribbled down the car door and onto the pavement below.

"Will you just help me clean this up?"

* * * * *

They spent the next evening painting.

Grace had already moved out of her home office, and now that the gender of the baby was determined, Grace and Ted proceeded to paint the room pink for the little girl that was on her way. With Ted holding a can of red paint, and Grace holding a can of white, they carefully poured the contents into an empty can and proceeded to mix the two together.

"Hey, what do you think of Kristina?" Grace asked, rolling a coat of pink up and down the wall.

"Who?"

Ted rubbed his roller in the paint tray, coating it thick.

"As a name. For the baby."

Grace envisioned pasting the letters of her younger daughter's name over her bedroom door.

"Fine by me," Ted replied. His phone chimed. He took it from his pocket to see a text message from "Larry," the name he'd put in his phone for Liana's number. The text simply read, "tonight."

"Who is that?" Grace asked.

"Larry. He wants to go bowling tonight," Ted said, without missing a beat. He quickly put the phone back in his pocket and continued painting.

Grace eyed Ted suspiciously as she ran her roller up and down the wall.

"Why haven't I ever met this Larry?" she asked.

"Cause he'd just stare at your tits and try to get you to sleep with him. I can't let a guy like that near a beautiful woman like you!"

Ted rubbed his roller in the paint tray several more times than necessary as he spoke.

"You've been spending a lot of time with this guy. I feel like I should get to know him."

Ted placed his roller onto the wall, and misjudged the distance and almost let it slip out of his hand.

"Are these paint fumes bothering you?" Ted asked, wobbling slightly.

"No, but I'm serious," Grace said. "I want to meet Larry."

Ted's pulse raced. He struggled to think of something to say to Grace to placate her, or better yet, make her forget about "Larry" altogether, and found he was becoming more lightheaded by the second as he racked his brain trying to come up with an answer.

"Yeah, sometime, sometime you can-"

He lost balance and fell to the floor, knocking over the half-full can of red paint as he landed.

"Ted!" Grace shouted. She rushed to his side and righted the can, but not before it sent a large crimson pool across the floor. "Are you okay?"

Ted sat up, panting. Red paint dribbled down the left side of his face. He groaned, and grabbed a nearby rag to wipe his face.

"Don't know. Just passed out for a second."

"You need to see a doctor!" she barked. Ted winced at her shrill voice.

"I'll be fine," Ted grumbled, and climbed to his feet. He trudged out of the room to the bathroom and got into the shower.

* * * * *

He waited until Grace was asleep.

Ted knew he'd gone too far. He didn't know what was causing his recent sickness, but it started when he began seeing Liana. It had gotten out of hand; the lying, the deceptions, and Ted was ready to call it off.

He grabbed his keys and quietly crept out the house, praying Grace would not wake before he returned. He would never be able to explain to her why he'd left the house in his condition, but he needed to let Liana know it was over, sooner, rather than later.

He pulled into the parking lot of Top Cats, as Liana had mentioned to him she'd be there tonight. A petite blonde in daisy dukes and a plaid denim bra twirled around the pole as he entered. Ted took a second the ogle the girl's long legs before taking a seat at the bar next to a gentleman in a leather jacket.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked, her lip-gloss shimmering in the dim light.

"I'm just here to see Liana," Ted replied, trying to be heard over the booming music.

"Who?" she asked.

"Liana! The boss'-"

"He'll have a gin and tonic," the gentleman in the leather jacket interrupted. "On me."

The bartender mixed up a gin and tonic and placed it in front of Ted.

"So you're banging the boss' wife?" the leather jacketed man asked.

"I'm just here to talk to her," Ted snapped. He didn't look the man in the eye. He didn't want to be recognized here.

"Sure you are. Like any man could resist that piece of ass."

Ted didn't respond. He didn't feel like arguing, not now. He wanted to tell Liana what he needed to tell her and never come back to this place.

"Well, there she is," the man said.

Ted turned to where the man was looking, and he saw her. Liana entered from the back room, wearing a pair of high heels and nothing else. Ted's mouth fell agape.

She was stunning. Her bare skin glowed under the dim neon lights, beckoning all eyes onto her. Her bare breasts bounced pleasantly as she strode confidently into the room, and made her way directly to Ted.

"Hey stranger," she chirped sweetly.

Ted opened his mouth to reply but found he was speechless. All he could do was stare at the perfect female form before him.

"I- uh- we need to talk," Ted finally eeked out.

"So let's talk," Liana said. She rested one hand on the bar and the other on her hip as she leaned towards Ted invitingly.

"In private."

Liana grinned. "I like where this is going."

She led Ted into the back room and invited him into one of the booths. Ted shut the curtain and looked Liana in the eye.

"Why?" Ted asked, incredulously.

"Why, what?" she asked innocently.

"Why are you naked? You're not a stripper."

"My husband owns this club. I can dress however I like. Sometimes I like to be naked."

Ted swallowed, unable to think of a reply.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, flirtatiously.

The sweat on Ted's back spread to his arms, and was now dribbling down his palms. She was sexy beyond words. Her body paralyzed him to the point of near entropy.

"I can't do this anymore," he said.

To say she looked hurt was an understatement. Liana looked at Ted as though he'd slapped her.

"Why?" she asked. She looked at him pleadingly, rolling her shoulders back as she did so her breasts protruded towards him.

"Look- can you put something on?" Ted asked. He hated asking that question because she looked damn good dressed just as she was.

"No. If you're going to break things off with me, you'll do it while I'm nude. You need to know what you're losing."

Ted wasn't entirely certain he could go through with it if Liana was nude. Her body was too tempting. He had to muster all of his resolve to say what he needed to her.

"The time I've spent with you has been-- amazing," Ted began.

"Then why stop?" Liana asked, running her hand up his arm.

"It's destroying me. It's making me sick. I'm married, I have a daughter, and a baby on the way. I can't do this anymore."

Getting the words out made Ted almost as sick as before. Liana cocked her head and stared sweetly towards him.

"That's not the life for you, Ted," Liana pleaded. "You need me. I give you what you need; your wife doesn't."

"Yes, she does," Ted said, exuding more confidence than he really had. Liana smirked.

"What, did she start doing anal?"

Ted shook his head. Liana smiled.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 02



"Well then, maybe what you need is..."

Liana sauntered over to the small end table next to the lap dance chair and bent over, grabbing the table edge with her hands. She aimed her round derriere at Ted and wiggled it.

"Come and get it," she teased.

Ted froze. If she was really offering what he thought she was, she might break him.

"Go on! Stick it in!" Liana prodded. She swayed her hips temptingly.

"I- I-" Ted stammered.

"Ted," Liana said. "This is what you want. Come over here and stick it in my butt."

Ted stared at Liana's bare ass, and Liana's bare ass stared back at him. Her cheeks were divine mountains, and the further she bent over, the more they parted, like an invitation begging him to accept.

"Do it," Liana pleaded. "Please."

His penis throbbed. He could barely keep it inside his pants, and he could forget about sleeping tonight if he didn't bust his nut.

"I-" Ted trailed off, not knowing what to say. Sweat dripped down his forehead. His hands shook. His penis was ready to burst out of his pants.

"You know you can't resist me. Don't try. Come on, just give in." She swayed her hips back and forth, teasing him, tempting him, whittling away every ounce of resolve he had.

Ted swallowed, and unzipped his pants.

"Look. Just this once," he said, more to himself than to her.

"Of course, Ted. Just this once," she repeated, giggling.

Ted grabbed the bottle of lubricant and oiled up his throbbing penis. He wasted no time positioning himself behind the teasing temptress and grabbing her hips. He had never made love to a woman this way before, and he prayed it would feel as good as he imagined.

Liana opened her legs just a bit, and her cheeks opened.

"Go on. Put it in," she said.

Ted ran the head of his penis up and down the crack of her butt; just he enjoyed doing to his wife. He loved the feeling of a woman's cheeks parting as his cock passed between them, hugging it from both sides. He slid his penis up and down between her buttocks gently, leaving a long trail of precum throughout her crack as he did.

At last, he stopped just outside the most forbidden of holes. He paused tentatively. This was the moment where his wife would always tell him to stop. Nothing to see here, move along. And he always would.

"There it is. Go on. Give it a push," Liana urged.

And he did.

Ted pushed, and his penis slid inside her, and damn, did it feel good. Far tighter than any pussy he'd ever fucked, Liana's anus hugged his throbbing dick like two long lost friends meeting one last time.

Ted groaned, and rubbed his cock back and forth. Liana responded, rubbing against him as he did. He felt his penis grow even larger inside her, and her moaning and thrusting turned him on even more.

"You did the right thing, Ted. It feels SO good!" Liana moaned.

Sighing, Ted thrusted more and more, building his excitement. He could hate himself later; right now, he just needed to enjoy Liana's impossibly tight ass. The more he pushed and pulled, back and forth, the more he lost himself in the erotic ecstasy of the moment, surrendering his grip on reality.

He heard the curtain pull open. He would have turned to look, to see who the newly arrived person was, but he couldn't bring himself to turn away from Liana for even a second. He was far too into the moment.

He continued pounding her, rubbing back and forth and back and forth all the while sensing the presence of someone behind him, someone who did not speak, or make a sound. They simply watched, while Ted furiously ravaged Liana's backside.

His curiosity to the voyeur's identity grew as he continued, but it still could not overcome his urge to continue pounding Liana's behind. As uncomfortable as Ted felt being watched, he was too far invested in his activity for him to investigate until he'd finished, and Liana's ass was filled with cum.

"Ooh! Fuck me, Ted! Fuck me! Fuck me harder!"

Ted did exactly as she commanded. He spent only a brief second questioning whether Liana was aware they were being watched, and he committed the remainder of his brain activity to fucking Liana harder.

Gritting his teeth, and clutching his sweaty palms to her hips, he savagely thrusted his organ deeper and deeper into her ass.

"Cum inside me baby. Let it all out," Liana said softly.

"I will, I will," Ted said, panting.

"Let's see if you can handle this!" Liana chirped. Shifting her weight to one leg, Liana bent her other leg at the knee and used it to tickle Ted's scrotum with her toes. Ted gasped.

It was enough to break him. Ted immediately ejaculated, one burst after another, directly into Liana's rectum. She giggled, and moaned as the cool cream filled her bottom.

"I knew that would get you!" she chuckled.

Ted let out a long breath, and finally turned around, only to see no one stood behind him. He hadn't heard anyone leave, but he was far too into the moment to be paying enough attention.

He removed his penis from her bottom, and saw a thick stream of semen leak out as he did, and dribble down her thigh. He quickly zipped up his pants as Liana stood up to face him.

"Come back for more later," she said, sweetly.

Ted didn't reply. He hurried out of the booth, again feeling sick to his stomach. He was disgusted with himself at failing to break it off with Liana when that was specifically what he'd come to do, and the mystery of who had been watching him ate at the back of his head. Was it a nosy customer, a curious dancer, or God forbid, his wife or Liana's husband?

The thought sent Ted directly to the men's room, where he quickly released the contents of his stomach into the first available toilet. Liana watched him scurry in as she made her way back behind the bar, where she poured another glass of vodka for the man in the leather jacket.

"It's almost too easy," she said, sliding the glass towards him.

"It's always been easy for us. The hard part is quitting," Lukas said, downing the shot in one gulp.

"Then why quit?" Liana asked. "Why not embrace who we are? Feed the hunger?"

Lukas stared longingly at the dancer on stage, who twirled around the pole dressed in a sexy schoolgirl uniform. Liana leaned towards Lukas closely.

"She lives alone. I can give you her address if you like," Liana whispered.

Lukas fiddled with the empty shot glass between his fingers as he watched the schoolgirl lift her skirt and flash her panties at her captive audience. He licked his lips hungrily.

"A tempting offer. But I will finish what I began. Grace Harker will be next. However long it takes."

He slammed the empty glass on the bar.

"You might need to feed the hunger sooner," Liana said. She took out a bar napkin and scribbled the dancing schoolgirl's address on it.

"In case you change your mind." She slid the napkin to Lukas. He looked at it for three seconds, and stuffed it into the pocket of his leather jacket.

He turned to see Ted, white as a sheet, hurrying out of the men's room and out of the bar.

"I'm surprised he didn't recognize you," Liana said.

"He won't recognize his own wife when you're done with him," Lukas grinned. "Or when I'm done with her. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Lukas rose from his barstool, and approached the stage, where the sexy schoolgirl danced about. She lifted the back of her red and black checkered skirt and wiggled her butt, clad in lacy white panties, for two young men seated at her feet.

Lukas stepped up behind them and drew a one hundred dollar bill from his pocket and held it up for the dancer to see. She stuck out her hip, lifted her skirt, and Lukas tucked the bill into the waistband of her panties. She winked at him and let the skirt fall back down.

Lukas nodded at the schoolgirl and she resumed her dancing. Lukas watched her knowingly, and made his way out of the bar.

TO BE CONTINUED...



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03



Illustrations by LunA.





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03



"Twelve," Grace said. She sorted through the mountain of papers in her file cabinet, frantically searching for the one she needed.

Ted approached, holding a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Breakfast?" he asked, amused.

Grace grabbed a handful of bacon and took a bite, leaving the rest on the plate.

"That's right, twelve," Joe said over the phone, unsure what Grace was getting at. She pulled a folder from her cabinet and slapped it on her desk.

"I have here an invoice, dated December 5, 2009, listing the transport of thirteen coffins to Catherine's house. Thirteen! It looks like we're one short."

"I don't see how this helps us," Joe said.

"It means there's something in Catherine's house we haven't found yet. We find it, maybe we find what brought Lukas back there."

"Grace..."

"I'll see you there." Grace hung up. She looked up at her husband, who stared back at her. For the first time, she was suddenly aware she was naked.

"Shut up," Grace said.

* * * * *

"We never actually went down into the basement," Paul LeClair said. "We were too disturbed by what happened down there. Now I kind of wish we'd taken a closer look."

He seemed to be stalling for time. Grace could tell Paul really did not want to go down into the basement. Her heart ached for the poor widower.

"We don't know for sure if anything's there, Mr. LeClair," Joe said. "My partner's acting on a hunch, that's all."

"Well, anything that might help you find the son of a bitch who killed my wife," Paul said. His face sank when he realized he couldn't delay the inevitable. He led Grace and Joe down into the basement, and was shaking as he went.

"You don't have to come down with us if it makes you uncomfortable, Mr. LeClair," Grace said.

"I'll be all right," he said. The house was eerily silent except for their footsteps. Paul was grateful for the company of the two detectives, as he hadn't had any visitors all day.

He flicked on a light switch, and illuminated the dim cellar. The wine shelf concealing the hidden passage had been removed, giving the detectives a clear view down the corridor.

"Let's go have a look," Grace said. She took the lead; Joe followed, while Paul remained a safe distance behind. She made her way to the end of the wall, and opened the large metal door leading to Catherine's washroom.

After turning a switch, the lights flickered and illuminated the large dank washroom. The sturdy chain still hung over the empty bathtub, which sat ominously in the center of the room, stained with the blood of thirty-eight virgins.

Paul gasped.

"I have to get out of here," he said, cupping his hand to his mouth. He hurried out of the basement and rushed upstairs.

Grace and Joe searched the room, examining every corner. The screams of Sarah Wainwright echoed in Grace's head, and she said a silent prayer for all of the other girls who'd met their end in this room.

"We're not finding what we need here, Grace," Joe said. Grace glared back at him.

"There's something here. We just have to find it."

"Where?" Joe threw up his arms. "We searched this place inside and out after the arrest."

"Where were the other coffins?"

"In the storage room back there. It's empty now."

Grace proceeded to the washroom exit and Joe reluctantly followed. She stopped outside the first door on the left and pointed. Joe nodded.

The storage room was empty as Joe assured her. Grace shined a flashlight around the room, inspecting every corner. Only cobwebs and footprints in the dust remained. Still, Grace could not get over the feeling she and Joe were not alone in this room.

"Evidence took all of them out. There's nothing left in here," Joe said.

Indeed, the room was empty. But she had to be certain. Grace shined her flashlight across the floor, and stopped.

"Does that look like a bloodstain to you?" she asked.

Joe knelt down and examined the dark spot on the concrete floor, near the edge of the wall.

"Yeah." he said. "Looks like it leaked out from the wall."

Grace knelt next to Joe and examined the concrete wall. She ran her fingers between each brick, and realized they were not held together with mortar.

"It's a false wall," Grace said.

"You got to be kidding me."

Grace pulled the wall apart, brick by brick until she uncovered a secret compartment behind it. She shined her flashlight inside.

"Take a look," Grace said.

Joe ducked his head and peered inside the hidden room. There was a wooden coffin.

"Shit. You were right."

Grace shot Joe a defiant stare and attempted to crawl into the small compartment. She stopped.

"I can't," she said, clutching her belly. "Get it out for me?"

Joe crawled on his hands and knees into the compartment and pushed the wooden coffin. He grunted. It was heavy, definitely not empty. Joe grabbed the coffin by the edge with one hand and the side with the other and yanked it hard, sliding the heavy casket across the concrete floor and out through the false wall. It took three hard pulls, but he finally slid it out into the storage room. He stopped, panting.

"Something's inside, that's for sure."

Grace wasted no time opening the lid. She pulled the coffin open and peered inside, and gasped.

Joe looked into the coffin and felt a pit form in his stomach.

"It's him," he said.

There, in the coffin, was Lukas Balko. His hair was snow white, his skin dark gray. He did not breathe or twitch as Grace shined her light across his face. Still, Joe was compelled to take his pulse.

"Nothing," he said. "He's dead. You found him, Grace."

* * * * *

Grace was greeted with applause the next time she walked into the station. Everyone, from every department, had gathered around and clapped loudly the moment she stepped inside.

Captain Pillar stepped forward, and extended his hand.

"Fine work, Harker," he said, shaking her hand. "You're a credit to the force."

Grace reluctantly shook his hand back.

"We, uh, still have a lot of work to do," Grace said. She looked at the crowd of faces; coworkers, friends, acquaintances, all happy for her.

"Of course," Pillar said. "But you found your man. A six-year-long manhunt ends today. That's commendable."

Grace blushed and thanked the captain.

"Now you can take your maternity leave without this hanging over you," Joe said, chuckling.

An officer held up her hand, and Grace high-fived her.

"Go Grace!" another officer shouted.

"Excuse me," Grace said.

To everyone's surprise, Grace hurried away to a walk-in storage room, and slammed the door. She let out a long breath, and cried silently to herself.

They were going to close the case. She knew they would. They would close the case, and Lukas was still going to be out there, because he wasn't just dead. He was undead. She couldn't prove it, but she knew it was true.

She took out her phone and dialed her husband. The phone rang seven times before he answered.

"Hello?" Ted said, panting.

"I just want you to know, I won't be coming home tonight," Grace said. "We had a breakthrough on a big case, so there's a lot of work to do. I'll be here all night."

"Okay, I'll take Kayla out for burgers when I get home."

"You at the gym?"

There was a pause.

"Yeah. Just got a set done. About to hit the showers," Ted said, still sounding a touch out of breath.

"Don't push yourself too hard. How are you feeling?"

"Great. I think I might be beating this thing."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you, too. I love you."

Grace hung up her phone. There was something off about Ted's voice. Grace couldn't place it, but his voice seemed higher pitched than normal. She could tell there was something he wasn't telling her. Most likely he wasn't being upfront on the real status if his health. He'd been assuring her for months he was getting better, and was instead growing gradually worse.

Grace decided she'd have a talk with him when she got home, in the morning.

She was thumbing through a copy of her newly purchased book, The Kiss of Death: Twenty-One True Accounts of Succubus Seductions, when Joe Pratt stopped by her desk carrying a bag of takeout Chinese.

"Nothing like a little light reading after a long workday?" Joe smirked.

"You might find it enjoyable if you ever tried it," Grace shot back, then smiled. Joe held up the bag.

"Brought you some late lunch," he said. Grace immediately slammed shut her book.

"You are a lifesaver!" she said. Quickly, she tore open the bag and dug into a container of chicken lo mein.

"Guess that was the right call," Joe chuckled. "Pregnant girls sure love food."

"We also have an acute sense of smell. That cologne you're wearing reeks," Grace mumbled between bites.

"Does it really?" Joe asked, sniffing himself. "I'm meeting my girl after work. The saleslady at Macy's said this stuff was guaranteed to drop her panties. Well, not in those words, but-"

"Your girl? Not 'a' girl?" Grace asked, feigning confusion.

"Yeah, smartass," Joe said, taking a seat beside her. "We've been going out a few weeks now. I like her a lot."

Grace looked up at her partner.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Joe Pratt?"

Joe grabbed an egg roll from the container and took a bite.

"Her name's Erika. I met her barhopping. But- she's not the kind of girl that normally does that. Her friend made her go."

Grace smiled.

"Well, I can't wait to meet the girl who made Joe Pratt decide to settle down. She must be one special lady."

Joe gave her a slight nod of agreement.

"And she's got the finest little ass, too." He grinned.

Grace rolled her eyes, realizing she was talking to the real Joe Pratt after all. She took another bite of her food.

"Ted been doing any better?" he asked.

Grace's expression immediately turned to a scowl.

"I'll take that as a no."

Grace let out a long sigh, and Joe braced himself for a rant.

"The man barely has the energy to get out of bed, but somehow can make it to the gym every other night." She slammed her food container on her desk.

"You don't think he's... stepping out on you, do you?"

Grace shook her head.

"Ted's just not the type. Any other guy I could see it, but Ted's always been on the level with me."

Grace regaled Joe with a story from three years earlier. Ted attended a bachelor party for one of his college roommates. Dewey Whitton, the groom's brother, had gone all out for the party. Las Vegas suite, open bar, with four exotic dancers, two of whom were Playboy centerfolds. During the party, one of the playmates offered Ted a complete package. Her and him, alone in the bedroom, anything he wanted. Ted simply held up his left hand, said "married" and walked out. Dewey approached Grace at the wedding the next day and told her "you've got a hell of a man" and told her what happened.

To Grace, it simply wasn't possible, even in light of all of Ted's peculiar behavior, that now he might be pruning a neighbor's bush. She had the kind of unshakable trust in her husband that most women couldn't dream of having.

"Ouch!" Grace clutched her side painfully.

"You okay?" Joe asked.

"Just pregnancy pains. I'll be fine." She rubbed her belly and winced. "I try to ask Ted, I BEG Ted, to rub my belly for me, and he can't go ten seconds before claiming he's too tired."

Joe glanced around, and saw the station was emptying out for the night.

"If you want, I'd be happy to."

Grace looked at him.

"I don't know if that'd be a good idea."

"Just offering." Having finished his food, Joe rose to his feet. "Enjoy your dinner. I'll see you in the morning."

As he turned to leave, Grace stopped him.

"Joe?" He turned to face her.

"Could you?"

He nodded. He returned to his chair and slid up to Grace's side. She lifted her shirt, exposing her round and full belly. Joe rested his palms on her, and gently kneaded her flesh between his fingers. Grace let out a relaxed breath.

"That does feel good," she muttered.

He rubbed his hands around and about, gently caressing away her aches and pains. Grace sighed, pleased to finally be able to indulge and relax for the first time in ages. As Joe continued rubbing her, he soon felt a kick from the nestling baby within.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Joe asked.

"I'm not telling you if I wear thongs to work."

Joe smirked.

"Is your husband circumcised?" he asked, running his thumbs around her belly button.

"Yeah."

"You ever done it with an uncut guy?"

Slowly Grace nodded.

"Only if you count... Balko." It was painful saying his name.

"I don't. Sorry, didn't mean to bring that up."

"Why do you ask?"

Joe sighed.

"Erika. She's- well let's just say, not a fan of the foreskin. She wants me to get mine removed."

"Tell her to jump in a lake," Grace said. "There's plenty other tail out there."

Joe shrugged.

"She's not the first girl to say that to me. Plus, I actually kind of like her. A lot. I'm actually thinking about doing it."

Grace let out an amused giggle.

"You really have changed!" Grace laughed. "I can't believe YOU, of all guys, would cut off part of your dick just to please a chick! You dumped that one girl, Roxie, or Rozzie, because she didn't like your shirt!"

"I know. I just- want to know what you think."

Grace took another bite of her lo mein.

"I think you should do what you want."

"Of course. But, I'm asking you, as a woman, what do you prefer?"

Grace folded her hands.

"Cut."

Joe nodded. "My sister said the same thing."

"It is a popular opinion," Grace said. "But it's your choice."

His phone chimed. He took it out and read it.

"It's her. She's downstairs waiting for me. Want to meet her?"

Grace sat up and pulled her shirt back down, concealing her belly.

"I really have a lot of work to do here. Rain check?"

"I'm sure you'll get a chance."

He got up from his chair as Grace thanked him for the lunch, and watched him leave the station. Quickly, Grace gathered her belongings and crept out of the station as well.

"Go home, Harker," Captain Pillar said, as he passed her in the hallway. "You've earned a night of rest."

"Right behind you, Captain," Grace said. With her book under her arm, she discarded her takeout box in the trash and made her way to the exit. Rather than take a right to the parking lot, Grace took a left: to the station morgue. She flashed her badge and the attendant let her in.

The cool air of the morgue sent a tingle up her spine when she entered. The fluorescent lights flickered above her, illuminating the cold room. Grace put her nervousness out of her head as her shoes clicked on the hard tile floor below, echoing down the hallway.

There were three bodies laying out on examination tables. One was a victim of an armed robbery. Another was Marianne LeClair. The third was Lukas Balko.

Grace pulled the sheet back from Balko's body, and stared at the killer's corpse. The preliminary report listed his cause of death as heart failure. Grace was not so easily convinced.

He still had the crucifix-shaped scar on his chest as he had the last time she'd seen him. While he looked significantly older, and much less alive, he did look to be the same man who attacked her in the shower eight months earlier.

Grace stepped away and walked towards the other bodies. Only one table over lay the body of Balko's most recent victim: Marianne LeClair. Almost without thinking, Grace nudged the table holding Marianne's body, putting a few more inches of space between the killer and his victim.

She pulled back the sheet covering Marianne's body, and gasped at what she saw. Just like Riley Pierson, Balko's previous victim, Marianne's skin had gone pale white after just a few hours. Her blonde hair had lost its luster, and had become stiff and brittle. Her lips, fingernails, even her nipples, had become as colorless as the rest of her body. Grace stared at Marianne, reflecting on what a beautiful woman she had once been.

Grace pulled the sheet back over Marianne's body, and turned her attention back to Lukas. An inspection inside his mouth showed normal teeth; nothing that matched the deep fang marks on Marianne's neck. She hoped that Lukas' autopsy would uncover some clue as to how this was possible.

"Chilling, isn't it?" a voice said.

Grace jumped as she turned to face Dr. Newbern, the attending doctor. He held up his hands.

"Didn't mean to startle you!" he said. "Just here to put the bodies away."

She watched as Dr. Newbern put Lukas, Marianne, and the robbery victim's bodies into separate refrigeration units.

"I'm closing up for the night. You coming out?" he asked.

"Right behind you, doc," Grace said.

She waited for him to leave, and took a seat on the stool next to the morgue door. Grace stared unflinchingly at the refrigerator door that held Lukas' body. She drew a crucifix from her purse and laid it on the table next her. No matter how long she stared, the refrigerator door did not budge. Grace remained where she was.

She sat in that stool for the entire night.

* * * * *

She must have nodded off, because when she opened her eyes, the refrigerator door was open, and Lukas' body was gone. Her heart skipped three beats, and she reached for the crucifix she'd left nearby. It was also missing.

Her heart raced as she scrambled to her feet. Not only was Lukas missing, she could see Marianne and the armed robbery victim were no longer in their units either. Instead they both stood across the room, staring at her. Their dead eyes, devoid of pupils, glowed in the darkness.

Grace reached for the light switch, but found none in sight. She turned the doorknob, and found it was locked.

Marianne and the other dead man walked towards her, slowly, one step after another, directly towards Grace. As they stepped out of the shadows, she caught a glimpse of the face of the dead man. He looked chillingly like Officer Benny Mitchel. Her former partner.

"No!" Grace screamed. "Get away from me!"

She flipped over an empty table, blocking their path towards her. She turned and ran.

"Grace!" she heard Marianne moan. Grace ran faster. She'd taken only two steps before feeling something grab her hair, and she couldn't move.

Struggling, Grace reached for her gun, and noticed not only that it was missing, but that her shirt was stained with blood. Lifting it, she found to her horror, a large gash ran all the way from the top of her belly to her pelvis, and was sewn together crudely with stitches. Her swollen pregnant belly was now flat.

"Oh my God!" Grace cried with horror.

She turned to face the person or thing that was grabbing her hair, and found it was Lukas, who had blood and gore dripping from his mouth and covering his chin.

"How do you like that?" Lukas hissed.

Grace screamed. Lukas grabbed her by the throat and held her down on an examination table. Marianne and Benny held down her arms while Lukas produced a dagger in his hand, that seemed to materialize out of his flesh.

"No! Oh God, help me!" Grace wailed.

"He can't help you now!" Lukas growled.

Struggling and screaming, Grace lay helplessly as Lukas plunged the dagger into her chest. She could feel it sink through her rib cage and directly into her heart, and felt pain and agony overtake her entire body.

"Grace!"

Grace opened her eyes. Joe stood in front of her. The lights were on. Lukas and the other bodies were still locked away. She looked to her left, and found the crucifix still in its place. Her belly was full and pregnant once again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Joe asked. Grace stared back at him, confused. "Were you here all night?"

She nodded. Joe shook his head, exasperated.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03



"Grace, the guy is dead. What are you doing here?"

Grace glared at the refrigerator.

"Making sure he stays that way."

* * * * *

Ted awoke that morning, and felt a warm body snuggled up behind him. Her arm was wrapped around his torso, her hand on his chest. Her smooth bare leg lay on top of his own leg. For just a moment, Ted considered the possibility Grace had chosen to come home, and join him in bed.

Yet when he rolled over to face his bedmate, he was not surprised to find the woman lying there was not his wife.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Liana said.

His head felt foggy. He honestly couldn't remember inviting her over the night before. The last thing her remembered was Grace calling him, telling him she wouldn't be home that night. And Ted's first thought: he could see Liana again for more extramarital misbehavior.

From the looks of it, they had. Liana was naked, so was he. She smiled sweetly as she ran her palm in gentle circles across his chest.

"My wife might be home soon. You should go," he said.

"We still have some time," Liana said. "A few more minutes?"

She batted her eyelashes, and Ted couldn't say no to her.

He placed his hand on her neck, and leaned in for a kiss. She pulled away.

"Why?" Ted asked.

"It's not the right time," Liana said. She sat up, pulling the sheet from her body.

"It's never been the right time. We've had sex how many times, and we've never kissed."

He ran his fingers across her bare back.

"Kissing is special to me," Liana said. "I only do it with certain guys. Maybe when you finally work up the balls to tell Grace it's over, then maybe I'll make with some kisses."

Ted nodded glumly. He knew it was past time for him to make his choice between leaving his wife and ending things with Liana. As much as he wanted to stay with Grace, Liana was far too tempting for him to simply walk away. He hoped he would be able to make a definitive decision soon. The sneaking around was wearing on him, and he suspected, even making his illness worse.

"I'll do it soon," he said, unsure if he really meant it or not.

"I know you will," Liana said, smiling.

Ted placed his hand on Liana's arm, and traced his fingertips across her body. He caressed her shoulders, around the curve of her breast, and pressed his thumb on her nipple. She smiled.

She lay onto her back, and opened her legs. As she did, he caught a glimpse of a mark on her inner thigh. He'd noticed it before, but now, with the morning light illuminating her body, it was the most noticeable. It was the letters "LB" printed into her flesh.

"Hey, what's that?" Ted asked, pointing.

"It's my vagina, silly," Liana laughed. Ted chuckled.

"No, I mean the letters. It says 'LB'. What is that?"

"Oh this?" Liana asked. "It's a brand. Like a tattoo you can feel. I always wanted one, so I figured why not my initials?"

Ted's eyes went wide.

"Did it hurt?"

"Horrendously. Now, are you going to make love to me, or do I have to beg for it?"

Ted glanced at the clock on his nightstand and saw it read "7:46." He shook his head.

"My wife-"

"-is a very busy woman. She won't bother us."

Liana grabbed Ted's penis and gently tugged it. She shot him a seductive come-hither stare. With every tug she drained Ted of his reservations of sleeping with her, and soon he was on all fours climbing over the seductress and easing his fully erect member inside her.

She had that power over him. Every time his penis found that special sweet spot inside her, his mind went blank. He had completely forgotten about his wife, who might be home at any time; of his daughter, who slept soundly in her bedroom just down the hall. He had completely forgotten about everything but how good it felt to be inside Liana's pussy.

He thrusted, repeatedly and desperately; each thrust leaving him craving the next one. Liana moaned with each one; deep sexy moans that kept Ted wanting more of her delicious body.

"Ooh! Harder, Ted! Harder!"

Ted was all too happy to comply. He pumped in and out, faster and faster. Liana's large breasts jiggled about, arousing Ted further. Slowly but surely, Ted edged towards orgasm. He might have reached it, if he hadn't noticed Grace's Chrysler pulling into the driveway. He immediately froze.

"She's here," he said, dread in his voice.

"You can finish. There's still time," Liana said.

Ted attempted to withdraw, but Liana wrapped her legs around his waist and held him at bay.

"Ted. Cum inside me. Now."

Ted was speechless at Liana's audacity. Grace was getting out of her car, and Liana had no intention of leaving his bed until he'd released his load. Realizing he was on the brink of orgasm in any case, and in fact quite turned on by the danger of his possible imminent discovery, Ted resumed his thrusting, even as he heard the front door open.

"Mommy!"

Ted could hear his daughter rushing to greet his newly arrived wife, buying him precious seconds.

"Hey baby, where's Daddy?" Grace asked.

"He's still sleeping," Kayla said.

Ted pounded Liana faster, desperate to finish his deed.

"Uh oh. He's not sick again, is he?" Grace asked.

Ted couldn't hear his daughter's reply, but he thrusted and thrusted, until his arousal reached a crescendo. He felt his penis explode with desire, as he emptied the contents of his balls inside the naked woman below him. He let out a soft moan, and wondered if he might be heard. Liana stared him in the eye, grinning, as she released the scissor grip she held around his waist and let her legs fall to the bed.

Quickly, he withdrew his penis from Liana's drenched vagina, and noticed to his dismay, the sheets beneath her were soaked with her juices.

"You have to go. Now!" Ted barked, trying to express the urgency with his tone while keeping his voice down to a whisper.

Liana cocked her head.

"Give me a minute to get dressed."

"She's going to be in here any second!" Ted whispered.

Liana frowned at Ted indignantly, and climbed out of the bed. She slipped into a black dress, forgoing a bra and panties which she'd apparently not brought with her. Ted could hear Grace's footsteps approaching from down the hall.

"You need to hide!" Ted hissed.

"Don't rush me!" Liana snapped. She fumbled with the zipper on her dress as the bedroom door handle began to turn.

Liana ducked behind the bed just as the door opened. Grace entered, and looked at Ted with fatigue in her eyes.

"Oh Ted, you're drenched with sweat!" Grace cried. She hurried to the bedside and put her hand to his forehead. "Were you at the gym yesterday?"

Ted nodded. He kept the covers over his chest to conceal his nakedness. He hoped his clothes were not lying conspicuously anywhere nearby.

"That's it. No more gym for you. That's final."

Ted let out a disappointed sigh.

"I'm sorry, but I can't deal with a pregnancy and you being sick every other day. Now, I need to take a shower."

Grace walked off to the bathroom and slammed the door.

Liana stood up. When he heard the shower switch on, Ted spoke.

"I'll need a new alibi if I'm going to be able to see you."

"No, you need to ask her for that divorce," Liana said. "If you don't do it soon, I will."

Ted felt his throat tighten at that suggestion. He didn't want Grace to ever find out about Liana, divorce or not. He felt a weariness in his head and lay down, his energy drained. Liana paid him no mind as she walked out of the bedroom and out of the house.

He had to muster all of his strength to pull himself out of bed and get dressed before Grace was out of the shower. He quickly removed the sheets from the bed and stuffed them into the washing machine before starting the load.

Kayla seemed content watching her cartoons on TV and eating her cereal, and did not appear to have noticed Liana leaving the house.

The act of starting the laundry left Ted drained completely, and he quickly returned to bed and collapsed into a deep sleep.

* * * * *

Grace stayed home that night. There was no indication Lukas was anything but stone dead, other than Grace's gut instinct. Night after night passed, with no sign of disturbance.

As Grace feared, the department closed the case on Lukas Balko. The coroner could not identify a specific cause of death, but given Balko's advanced age, no questions were raised. Balko was interred at his family crypt.

Grace spent some time reading her new book, The Kiss of Death, and found herself intrigued and disturbed. The first story described a man who led his family to financial ruin in his efforts to please his mistress. This mistress bore a strong resemblance to the wife of a baron who had murdered her decades earlier.

Another chapter described a captain of a ship lost at sea, who'd slaughtered his entire crew. He claimed a siren who wandered in the ocean had demanded he do as she asked if he ever wished to return to shore. The same siren had been described by three other seamen who'd committed similar acts.

One chapter in particular caught Grace's eye. It chronicled a man's affair with a wealthy widow. Over the course of several months, his health deteriorated until he was in a near vegetative state. He married her just days before his death, and soon after, the twice-widowed woman vanished along with all of her newly acquired assets. The same woman was recognized by both of the man's sons a half century later, without her having aged a day. Grace looked at her emaciated husband as he slept beside her and slammed the book closed, deciding she'd done enough reading for the night.

As Grace lay awake that night, she was awoken by "Ride of the Valkyries." Ted rolled over to grab his phone. Feeling rage overcome her, Grace grabbed the phone out of Ted's hand. The call ID read "Larry." Grace answered it

"Who is this?" she demanded.

There was silence on the other end. Grace could hear breathing, and nothing more. The caller hung up.

"What the hell you doing?" Ted mumbled.

"Why is 'Larry' calling you in the middle of the night?"

Ted rubbed his forehead. He suddenly realized he had a pounding headache, and being woken up and interrogated by his wife was not helping the matter.

"Maybe he's drunk and needed a ride?"

Grace shook her head. She slammed Ted's phone on the nightstand and went back to sleep. Ted peered over his wife's sleeping body at his phone resting by her side.

Shit, Ted cursed quietly to himself.

Grace's suspicions about her husband's fidelity waned over the next few days, in main part due to his declining health. Ted had dropped over seventy pounds over the past seven months, and was now little more than skin and bones. Even when Grace initiated sex with him, Ted was never able to perform. Not to mention, his penis seemed to have decreased in size. As his weight came down, his penis became shorter and slimmer with each passing week. He became very defensive when Grace mentioned it, and she never brought it up again.

Her thoughts drifted back to Lukas Balko, as she debated what his next move would be, and what hers should be. It seemed to her, if Balko was smart, he would seize this opportunity to stay hidden from the public eye and let the world assume him dead.

But Balko would not do that. Grace was certain. His hunger was ignited when he killed Marianne LeClair, and he would need to feed again. He would come after Grace for sure. He'd already tasted her blood, and he would need to finish her. It was simply a matter of when.

It occurred to Grace that she had the upper hand in this stalemate. She knew where Balko was, and she knew for the time being, he couldn't come after her. In spite of the perpetual torment she felt each day anxiously dreading Balko's next move, the ball was actually in her court.

The thought filled her with both elation and terror. She could end this. Today.

The moment she opened her eyes, and felt the dawn of a new day seeping into her bedroom, Grace knew what she needed to do.

* * * * *

"Ted."

He grunted, and opened his eyes. Grace stood before him, dressed in dark jeans and a leather jacket, with an old knapsack slung over her shoulder. It was nearly four in the afternoon, and Ted had been sleeping on the couch most of the day. His head still felt swimmy, and he was unable to pull himself from the living room couch where he'd been lying most of the day.

"What?" he grunted, his voice hoarse and raspy.

"I need to go out for a bit. Do you feel well enough to watch Kayla?"

Ted unleashed a loud, phlegm-filled cough. He nodded yes as he reached for a glass of water on the end table. He took a long gulp of water and set the empty glass back on the coaster.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"In her room, watching Frozen."

"Okay. I'll turn the game on. It should keep me awake."

He reached for the remote, but it slipped out of his hand. Grace retrieved the remote from the floor and clicked on the flat screen for him.

"I'll check on you when I get there. Where's your phone?"

Ted looked around, and immediately felt dizzy.

"It's- somewhere..."

"I'll call the land line then," she said, checking to see that the phone resting on the end table was plugged in and working.

"Could you get me a glass of water, please?" he added. She took his empty glass and refilled it from the tap.

"I'll just be a few hours. Hang in for me, okay?" She placed the glass on the end table.

He nodded, and pulled himself into a sitting position, groaning in pain as he did. Grace looked into her husband's glossy, bloodshot eyes one last time before she left. She couldn't be certain, but a feeling deep inside her told her there was a chance Ted's health would improve once she'd done this deed. Many things would improve once this task was done.

Grace dropped her knapsack into the passenger seat of her Chrysler, and started it up. She entered the address for St. Harold's Memorial Cemetery in her GPS, and was on her way. Now, it was Grace who was on a quest for blood.

She was not gone ten minutes when Ted heard the front door open. Ted opened his eyes and realized he'd already slipped into slumber in front of the TV.

"You forget something?" he mumbled, forcing himself to sound more awake than he was. He turned his head to see Liana standing in the doorframe, wearing a long overcoat and high heels. She shut the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"It's time for you to make a choice, Ted. Me, or your wife."

Ted felt his stomach tighten.

"Look, I will, but not now. She can't-"

"No, Ted, now," Liana said. "Or you'll never get to see this again."

She removed her coat, dropped it to the floor, and revealed her beautiful body clad in erotic black lingerie. She walked over towards the couch and took a seat next to Ted, letting her hip press snugly against Ted's as she did.

"We're going to wait for your wife to get home. And when she does, you'll tell her everything. About our affair. And your intention to leave her. Unless it's me you want to leave?"

"No!" Ted replied sharply. "I'll divorce her. Just don't leave me!"

Liana smiled, and touched her finger to the tip of his nose.

"That's what I like to hear."

* * * * *

When Grace pulled in front of the cemetery, the anxiety that gripped her felt like a weight on her chest. She needed a minute to calm her nerves before she could even exit the car. It only took a glance at the long stretch of gravestones just beyond the iron fence to remind her of why she needed to be here. Grace climbed out of the car and hurried through the gate.

Most of the graves were over twenty years old. The cemetery had been around for more than a century and was coming close to capacity. Grace held her left hand under her belly as she crept down the gravel path, searching for her destination. She passed an open grave and felt a wave of goosebumps across her flesh.

It was near the back of the cemetery that she found what she was seeking. The Balko Family Crypt towered over the other crypts in the vicinity, standing as a constant reminder of the power and status that money could bring.

Grace looked over her shoulder and saw that the graveyard was mostly deserted. She could hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind, and nothing more. Confident that she would not be spotted, Grace sneaked down the cement steps, feeling the crunch of the recently fallen autumn leaves beneath her boots.

Not surprisingly, the crypt door was locked, prompting Grace to grab the skeleton key she kept around her neck. She eased the key into the sturdy brass lock and turned. The crypt door opened.

Grace smiled. She'd tested the key on every lock in her home beforehand, and to her amazement, it worked on every one. Praising her good luck, Grace slipped inside the crypt and shut the door behind her.

She fumbled around inside her knapsack until she found the flashlight, and flicked it on. Nearly a dozen caskets stood motionless in the dim light. Swallowing, Grace took one step forward, and then another.

Each of the caskets had the entombed's name engraved into the cover plate. Edwin Balko, Lukas' father. Genevieve Balko, his mother. Annabelle Balko, his wife. Catherine Balko; Grace shuddered as she passed by the casket of the wicked murderess.

Finally, entombed beside his long deceased wife, was Lukas Balko. Grace shined her light across the inscription again, just to be certain. This is where he lay.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She was certain she was being watched, or that someone or something was aware she was there. She could feel her unborn daughter kicking her from within her womb, as if she were begging her to leave this place.

Grace took a crowbar from her knapsack, and carefully wedged it underneath the coffin lid. She pulled down, hard. For a moment she worried it wouldn't budge at all, and she'd have to find another way in, but the seal broke, and Grace was able to pull the lid open.

Grace.

She turned around suddenly. Something had whispered her name, but she couldn't tell where it had come from. She shined her light inside the coffin and saw him there.

He looked the same as he had in the morgue. He was now dressed in a fine black suit, adorned with shimmering white buttons down the front. His face was the same pale, lifeless corpse he'd always been. Grace grabbed her crucifix and squeezed it tightly.

She was most afraid of this part, and hoped she'd be able to follow through. From her knapsack, she produced a sturdy wooden stake. She found a branch from her back yard that looked long and thick enough, and with a trusty pocketknife, she'd whittled it down into a deadly spike that would make Buffy proud.

Holding the stake in her left hand, she took a mallet from her knapsack with her right, leaving the flashlight balanced on the coffin's edge. Holding the stake as steady as she could, she placed the point directly over Lukas' heart. Mustering all of her courage, she raised the mallet in the air.

And then she heard "Ride of the Valkyries."

Ted's ringtone. She checked her knapsack to see if she'd accidentally taken it with her. She didn't. Searching around, she realized to her discontent the tune was coming from inside the coffin. From Lukas. Grace opened Lukas' suit jacket, and there, in the inside pocket, was Ted's cell phone. The Call ID read "Larry."

Grace felt the air leave her lungs. The feeling she had before, the belief that she had the upper hand, vanished. Somehow, someone had known she would be here. And that someone was prepared.

Grace picked up the ringing phone. She answered it.

"Hello?" Grace greeted, her voice trembling.

"Hello, Grace." It was a woman's voice. A voice that was familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place.

"Who is this?"





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03



"I'm with your husband," the voice said. "Would you like to talk to him?"

Grace nodded; too rattled to realize the caller couldn't see her. The caller seemed to get the idea anyway and handed the phone to Ted.

"Grace?" he said, his voice still hoarse and weak. The caller took the phone back.

"He's with me, Grace," she said. "I suggest you leave your tools where they are, and come home right now. We'll be waiting."

She ended the call. Grace stared down at the sleeping vampire in front of her, and felt her arms shake.

"Damn you. Damn you if anything happens to him," she said to the corpse in front of her.

Leaving her knapsack behind, Grace took Ted's phone with her and raced out of the crypt.

* * * * *

Ted awoke again, realizing he'd once again fallen unconscious. He awoke to find his head on Liana's lap. She smiled at him.

"It won't be long now," she said.

Ted sat up, in a panic.

"You need to-" he coughed, "-go. She'll be back soon."

Liana brushed her fingers through Ted's hair.

"Oh Ted, you've forgotten? You agreed to tell Grace the truth. We're going to tell her together. As soon as she gets home."

"No!" Ted mumbled. "She can't find out! It's our-"

"Shh," Liana said. "She's here."

Ted realized to his horror Grace had just pulled into the driveway.

"You need to go. I'll tell her, I will, but you can't be here!"

"It's too late," Liana said, calmly. "She's already here. It's time."

Grace burst through the front door with her Glock drawn. Liana rose to her feet and turned to face the panicking wife.

Grace's face dropped.

"Oh my God!" she said, lowering her weapon. "Mrs. Becket!"

"Nice to see you again, Grace," Gabby said.

Grace dropped her Glock to the floor, and fell to her knees as she vomited onto the carpet. The crushing realization hit her all at once. Daniel Becket, asylum patient, had been telling the truth. He'd been telling the truth about Balko being an inhuman bloodsucker, and he'd been telling the truth about his wife returning from the dead to prey on mortal men. Grace stared up at the woman she saw standing before her, in the vain hope that her eyes had been playing tricks on her, but they hadn't. This was Gabrielle Becket, dead for six years but still walking the earth. Not only had she not aged a day since Grace had last seen her seventeen years earlier, she actually appeared younger.

Grace heaved deeply, overcome by Gabby's intimidating presence. Gabby grabbed the handgun and tucked it into the waistband of her panties. As she did, Kayla came running into the room, and gasped when she saw Gabby standing before her.

"Mommy!" Kayla screamed. "That's her! That's the lady in my closet!"

"Kayla, go to your room!" Grace shouted.

Kayla stood in stunned silence.

"Kayla, go!" Grace repeated. Gabby looked at Kayla understandingly.

"It's okay, Kayla. Go on," Gabby said.

Kayla reluctantly returned to her room. Gabby watched her as she left before turning her attention back to Grace.

"Ted has something to tell you," she said.

Grace looked at Ted, who'd gone pale white when he realized his wife and the woman he'd known as Liana were in the same room.

"I- Grace, I-" he stammered.

"Ted and I have been sleeping with each other for the past seven months. Today, I've given him an ultimatum, you or me. So what have you decided, Ted?"

Ted let out a long, pathetic whimper.

"Grace, I'm sorry!" he wailed. Grace looked up at him, and at Gabby, with disgust filling every fiber of her being.

"He picked me, Grace. He's mine," Gabby said.

"What have you done, Ted?" Grace cried.

Gabby knelt down to face the shaking woman.

"This is what you did, Grace. You were warned. And now you've lost your husband. There's nothing you can do about that. He's made his choice, so tonight I'm going to come for him, and you will never see him again. Leave Luke alone, and this will be the end of it. Otherwise, you will lose Kayla, your unborn daughter, and everything else you hold dear."

Grace pulled her crucifix from her pants pocket and showed it to the evil succubus. Gabby chuckled and took it from Grace's timid grasp, patting her on the head as she did.

"These don't work on me," Gabby said sweetly.

With that, she tossed the crucifix into the empty fireplace, where it burst into flames and disintegrated. Grace's eyes went wide with terror as the flames that engulfed the crucifix expanded, and tore a hole in the fabric of reality. A fiery portal formed in front of the fireplace, and through it, Grace could see a passageway straight into Hell.

"I will see you tonight, Ted," Gabby said, forebodingly.

With that, she walked into the fiery portal, where the flames consumed her black lingerie and Grace's gun instantly. The last thing Grace and Ted saw was Gabby's naked body disappearing into the hellfire before the portal sealed closed.

* * * * *

"The patrol car is out front. You'll be protected throughout the night," Joe said.

Officer Taylor and Officer Perry carried the Harkers' suitcases into the safe house, setting them on the floor outside the bedrooms for the family members to divide up.

"What about the back?" Grace asked.

"We have motion detectors and alarms installed. No one's getting in here without us knowing," Joe assured her.

Grace wanted to believe him. She'd requested safe house protection as soon as Gabby left, describing to her fellow officers her husband's affair and her stolen weapon. What Grace left out was the identity of the woman and the fact that she left the house through a demon gateway. Grace suspected she might have some difficulty staying out of Havenswood if she made such claims.

A sketch artist seated across from Grace held up his work. His drawing strongly resembled Gabby Becket. Grace described her to a T, leaving out the fact that the police already had a photograph of her on file. She couldn't risk being dismissed as a lunatic. Not when her family's lives were on the line.

"That's her," Grace said.

"We'll distribute this to all the officers at the precinct. Meanwhile I'd like to talk to Ted if he's up for it," Joe said, taking the sketch from the artist.

Grace led Joe down the hallway to one of the bedrooms, where Ted lay unconscious.

"Jesus," Joe remarked, seeing Ted's malnourished and emaciated state. "Should I come back later?"

Grace shook her head.

"He's been asleep for hours. I don't see him getting better any time soon."

Joe looked around, and walked into the room.

"Mr. Harker?" he asked. Ted did not respond.

"Ted!" Grace shouted.

Ted opened his eyes, and looked at the two detectives in front of him. Grace turned on the light switch, prompting Ted to squint and cover his eyes.

"Detective Pratt needs to ask you some questions," Grace said, sharply. "Tell him EVERYTHING you know about that woman."

Ted groaned.

"Woman?" he asked, his eyes half open. His face was soaked with sweat, and his voice was hoarse with phlegm.

"Yes! The woman you've been sleeping with who's not your wife!" Grace shouted.

Grace felt a tug on her arm.

"Mommy?" Kayla asked. "I'm hungry."

"Okay sweetie, I'll get you something."

Grace picked up her daughter and carried her to the kitchen, while Joe began questioning Ted.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. We've been so busy getting us moved in here," Grace said, setting the girl down in front of the kitchen table.

"Why do we have to be here?" Kayla asked.

Grace opened up the cabinets, and searched for something Kayla would like. There was only a small supply of canned food that had been recently purchased. Grace grabbed a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and peeled off the lid.

"That lady in your closet is trying to hurt Daddy," Grace said. "I think she's the reason he's been so sick."

She dumped the contents of the can into a glass bowl and placed it into a microwave.

"Does Daddy still love us?" Kayla asked. Grace paused.

"Of course he does! He's just very confused. He's so sick he doesn't know what he's doing. If we stop this lady maybe he'll get better."

She turned on the microwave, praying she was not giving false hope to her daughter- or herself.

"Daddy's not going to get better," Kayla said. "He's going to go with that lady. He said so."

Grace stared at the knife handle protruding from the nearby knife rack. Off in the distance, a train whistled.

"He said that?" Grace asked, suppressing the rage in her voice.

Kayla nodded sadly.

"He said it while he was sleeping."

* * * * *

It was nearly midnight. Ted and Kayla were sound asleep. Grace stood by the living room window, staring out at the patrol car parked in front of the house with her hand on her newly issued sidearm.

Joe was parked in front of Top Cats, while another patrol car was staking out the Harper Hills Fitness Center. After heavy questioning, Joe had managed to get Ted to reveal where he'd met "Liana" and where they most frequently met.

Joe had his bulletproof vest on, but was anxious all the same. It wasn't often that someone on the force was the victim of a home invasion and a threat against a family member, so San Amaury Homicide took the threat on the Harkers very seriously.

Officers Ken Russell and Lisa Linedecker were stationed inside the club. Russel posed as a customer, seated in the corner with a view of the entire club. Linedecker posed as a dancer. Dressed in high heels, a g-string, and a two-way transponder in her ear, Linedecker was able to communicate directly to Joe everyone she saw enter the club. So far, there was no trace of Liana.

Joe smiled; remembering when Grace had done a similar undercover assignment. A strip club owner was suspected of human trafficking, and Grace had agreed to go undercover in his club as a nude dancer. Joe had been shocked at Grace's (who was new to the force at the time) eager willingness to bare all to help catch the alleged sex slaver. Grace had delivered, found proof of what the club owners had been doing, and given Joe some stunning material for his spank bank for years to come.

"Team check in," Joe said into his walkie.

"No sign," Russel said.

"Linedecker?" Joe asked.

"Nothing," Linedecker said.

Joe watched with weary eyes as a group of men entered the club. He hadn't seen a woman enter the club all evening. He took a sip of his coffee, when he heard the music stop over the transponder.

"What happened?" Joe asked into the walkie.

"We have a situation," Linedecker said.

Joe was immediately out of the cruiser. He and three officers hurried into the club, with their guns drawn.

The dancers screamed at the sight of the armed policemen entering the club.

"Everyone against the wall!" Joe shouted. The patrons and dancers followed his instructions, backing out of the way while Joe and his cohorts searched the club. The semi-naked dancers huddled together, covering their breasts and private parts with their hands.

Officer Linedecker emerged from the backroom.

"Detective Pratt!" she shouted. "This way!"

Joe and the officers followed Linedecker into the back room, noting with little surprise that her g-string had accumulated a number of bills during her brief undercover stint. She hurried along, unconcerned with her lack of attire, and led them up a set of stairs to a second story office. A dead man lay on the floor inside.

"Who's that?" Joe asked.

"Caleb Brighton," Linedecker said. "He's the owner."

* * * * *

Grace rubbed her eyes, weary from exhaustion, but determined to stand watch the entire night. Her plan, as best as she could construct, was to stand guard and keep her family alive until dawn. With Kayla and Ted both under police protection, she'd return to the Balko crypt in the morning and finish what she'd begun. It had to work. Her only other choice was to live in fear for the remainder of their lives.

For now, she just had to stand watch. She'd already mounted her crosses in every room of the safe house. That would at least protect them from Balko. Gabby on the other hand, was a different matter, and Grace had yet to determine her weakness.

She checked in on Kayla, who was sleeping soundly. Grace grabbed Bernie, who as usual, had made his way onto the bedroom floor. She grabbed the bear and put it back under her daughter's arm. She kissed Kayla softly on her cheek.

She checked Ted afterward, only listening to the sound of his snoring to know he was alive. The knowledge that he'd been unfaithful to her had not yet had the chance to sink in. The fear of Balko, and learning Gabby Becket still walked the earth overshadowed her other concerns. When Lukas and Gabby were both dead, or gone, if that ever happened, Grace might finally be able to confront her husband and determine what future, if any, their marriage might have.

As she shut Ted's bedroom door, he rustled, and turned over, in a half awake daze.

Ted.

He stirred. He heard someone call his voice.

"Hello?" he called out.

Ted, wake up.

"Liana?" he called.

Yes, Ted. It's me. It's time. Come to me.

Ted climbed out of bed, and immediately collapsed to the floor.

Come to me Ted, now. Before she can stop you.

Ted struggled to pull himself off the floor. He couldn't see her, or tell where her voice was coming from. Mustering all of his strength, he climbed to his feet and slowly trudged to the door.

As he did, Grace's phone rang, and she answered, not hearing Ted's bedroom door open.

"Harker," she greeted.

"We just found the owner of Top Cats," Joe said.

"What did he say?" Grace asked.

"Nothing. He's dead. No apparent cause. Not a mark on him."

Grace felt a chill rush up her spine.

"Did you find his wife?" she asked.

"Doesn't look like he's married. Either Liana was lying about being married to him, or your husband's brain is more scrambled than we thought."

"Either one is a real possibility," Grace said. She peered out the window, and spotted a silhouette of a man standing in the yard across the street, watching her. Her hand went for her gun.

"Where are you?" Grace asked.

"In the office at Top Cats. None of the dancers saw anyone suspicious all night. I showed your sketch to a few of them, and one of them said-"

Joe's words were cut short when the safe house security alarm blared loudly. Grace heard a scream from Kayla's bedroom.

"What the hell happened?" Joe asked.

"Joe, I'm going to have to call you back," Grace said, and immediately pocketed her phone. Officers Taylor and Perry immediately emerged from their cruiser, and hurried into the house. Grace ran straight to Kayla's bedroom, with her gun drawn.

"Mommy! What's happening?" Kayla cried as her mother entered her bedroom. Grace was relieved to see Kayla was in the room alone.

Grace holstered her weapon and pulled her daughter into her arms.

"It's all right, sweetie, everything will be fine!" She sat down onto Kayla's bed and squeezed her tightly.

"Harker! Your husband is missing!" Officer Taylor said. He stopped in the doorway of Kayla's temporary bedroom, out of breath.

Grace released her grasp on her daughter.

"Perry, stay with Kayla! Taylor, help me find Ted!"

"Mommy! Don't go!"

Grace turned back to Kayla.

"I won't be gone long, sweetie. I just have to find Daddy."

Kayla shot one longing look at her mother. Grace rushed out the back door, searching the back yard and seeing no sign of Ted. Officer Taylor was right behind her.

"We should check the neighbors' yards," Taylor said. "You take left I'll take right!"

Grace and Officer Taylor ran off in opposite directions. Grace ran from house to house, combing the neighborhood and not seeing a trace of her husband.

"Ted!" Grace screamed. Only the quiet nighttime sounds of chirping crickets and hooting owls responded. She let out a frustrated scream, trying to put the thoughts of what Gabby Becket might be doing to her husband out of her mind.

She spotted Ted stumbling into the woods. He was wearing only his boxer shorts, and Grace could see his frail, bony figure shivering in the night air.

"Ted!" Grace repeated, and was in fast pursuit. Ted didn't seem to hear her and disappeared into the dark cluster of trees. Grace followed, and clutched her belly as it began to ache. Catching her breath, she hurried into the woods.

Only darkness greeted her. She trudged through, holding her arms out in front of her, blindly avoiding the cluster of trees. The sounds of crushed pinecones cried out from beneath her shoes. Twisted, gnarled branches snagged her shirt as she stumbled through the forest.

"Ted, where are you?" she shouted hopelessly. She listened. An owl hooted.

And then only silence.

She caught a glimmer of light ahead, and quickly made her way in its direction. A street lamp on the other side marked the edge of the woods. Grace hurried towards it, praying it might help her spot her husband. She'd nearly gotten to the edge when she saw a man standing in the opening between two trees, silently staring off into the night sky.

"Ted!" she screamed.

The man turned around to face her, and her heart stopped cold.

"Hello, Grace," Lukas said. He was still wearing the suit he was buried in, and appeared to have just awoken from death itself.

Grace froze. Not letting her fear show, she raised her left hand.

"You'd best get out of my way, Balko. Unless you want a taste of this again!"

Grace's silver wedding ring shimmered in the dim light of the street lamp. She swung her hand in a karate chop motion, fully prepared to grab Balko's arm, press the metal against his skin and send him into a world of agony. Balko looked at the shining ring and smiled.

"You won't be needing that soon, Grace," Balko said. "I understand you may not be married much longer."

"My marriage will survive longer than you ever will," Grace retorted.

Lukas titled his head.

"Then you'd better get to him now."

He exploded into a puff of black smoke, and a bat emerged from the cloud. It flew towards her, barely missing her head before fluttering off into the dark.

Undeterred, Grace hurried out of the woods and searched the horizon for her husband. She could see an abandoned factory to her right, a cluster of apartment buildings to her left, and a bridge in the middle leading to the next town, but not a soul in sight.

She did not want to go back into the woods. It would be too difficult to search there, and she suspected Ted would have emerged from it by now anyway. She elected to run towards the bridge, in the hopes that Ted had done the same.

It wasn't until she was nearly halfway across that she could see that the bridge ran over a set of train tracks that spanned as far as the eye could see in both directions. The street lamps lining the bridge gave her a decent view of the area below.

Peeking down over the bridge's edge, she spotted Ted. He was stumbling along the train tracks, mumbling to himself as he did.

"Ted!" she screamed.

Ted didn't seem to hear her. She peered down into his face and saw his eyes were glossed over. He stared off into the distance, oblivious to Grace or anything else around him.

Ted, come to me.

"Liana?" Ted called out, picking up the pace of his clumsy stumbling. "I'm here!"

Come to me, Ted. I want to give you a kiss. Isn't that what you wanted?

"Yes! I want you! Where are you baby, I'm coming!"

Grace watched in horror as Ted stumbled along the tracks, calling out to his unseen mistress. As he disappeared underneath the bridge, Grace ran to the opposite side just in time to see him emerge.

And then she spotted her.

Off in the near distance, Gabby Becket walked along the tracks as well, directly towards Ted. She strode confidently between the rails, without a stitch of clothing on, with her arms outstretched welcoming him. Ted stared at the nude beauty before him, and he hurried towards her as fast as his debilitated body would allow.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 03



"Ted, NO!!!" Grace screamed.

Ted seemed aware of no one in the world but the succubus who was welcoming him into her embrace. He stumbled, one sickly step after another, desperate to have her in his arms. He didn't seem to notice his bruised and bloody feet, or his desperate wife calling for him. He didn't even hear the whistle of the train off in the distance, coming ever closer.

"TED!!!"

Grace hurried off the bridge, looking for some way to get down to the tracks. There was a rocky incline between her and the rails; leaving Grace no choice but to carefully climb down and hope she would not trip and fall.

"Ted, come over here!" Gabby called out, sweetly. "Come give me a kiss!"

"I'm coming, baby, I'm coming!" Ted cried out, exhausted but unwilling to rest for even a second.

Grace carefully squirmed down the rocks, struggling to maintain her balance. To her fortune, most of the rocks seemed steady and solid, allowing her to easily make her way down the incline with her hands and feet without slipping.

She had nearly reached the bottom when the rock beneath her right foot gave away, and sent Grace tumbling to the ground. Panic struck her, and fear for her unborn baby kicked in her maternal instinct. She cushioned her fall with her open palms, cutting them deeply with gravel as she did. She rolled over onto her butt and saw Ted and Gabby had almost reached each other.

"No!" Grace screamed. "Don't kiss her! Ted, do NOT kiss her!"

The spotlight of a locomotive appeared on the horizon, and grew steadily brighter as the train whistle became louder.

"TED, GET OFF THE TRACKS!" Grace screamed at the top of her lungs. Groaning, she pulled herself to her feet.

Ted stumbled forward, letting nothing stop him from reaching his queen. She smiled lovingly as he took her into his arms.

"Ted, you came to me!" Gabby cooed. "Come, give me a kiss!"

"TED, NO!" Grace screamed. She hurried towards the embracing couple.

Ted placed his lips upon Gabby's, and the two lovers shared a long, passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, and squeezed her body as they slipped their tongues into each other's mouths. Ted kissed her long and passionately, oblivious of the oncoming locomotive speeding towards the very spot where he now stood.

Grace's mouth fell open in shock as the train sped closer. She ran towards her husband as fast as her pregnant body would allow.

Gabby pulled her mouth from Ted's and stared at him with pure red, glowing eyes.

Now you're damned!

It was the voice of not a woman, but a demon. She vanished into nothingness, leaving Ted clutching empty air. He looked up just in time to see the train, one second before it hit him.

Blood and body parts splattered in every direction, coating Grace in the pieces of her husband as she approached. The train came to a squealing halt, but too late to spare the hapless victim who didn't see the oncoming death machine until it was too late.

Grace dropped to her knees, opened her mouth, and let out a silent scream.

TO BE CONTINUED...



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



Illustrations by LunA.





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



Grace said nothing.

"He's facing charges," Joe added.

Grace stared off into space.

"Balko has his ways," she said, solemnly. She knew Joe would not understand. He hadn't yet looked death in the eye. He saw every problem as one that simply needed handcuffs put on it, and the day was done. The days when it was that simple for Grace were long over.

Joe held her hand for an hour, neither of them saying a word. She appreciated it, but it didn't make her feel safe. Not truly. Still, it was far better than being alone.

When Joe got up to leave, Grace finally spoke.

"You believe me, don't you?" she asked. Joe stopped, and turned back towards her.

"Just get well, Grace."

* * * * *

She stayed the night in the hospital, and by the next day she was ready to go home. Joe dropped her off in front of her house.

"Call me if you need anything," Joe said.

Grace looked at him and nodded. He didn't drive away until she was inside. She didn't cry, not even after she watched him disappear down the road. She walked from room to room, in a dazed, near-sleepwalk state.

Her crosses were still mounted on every wall, yet it was increasingly starting to seem there was little for them to protect. Half of her family was now dead. She walked from the living room to the hallway, accidentally tipping over an end table as she went. She didn't bother turning it upright again.

Down the hall, looking into each room, seeing it empty; she continued on. The bathroom. Kayla's room. And finally, Kristina's room. Grace paused tentatively, and went inside.

It was fully decorated. Grace's former office had been cleared out. The walls were pink. The bright colorful plastic letters of Kristina's name were mounted over the door. An empty crib sat expectantly by the wall, waiting for an occupant that would never come.

It was then, that Grace let out a scream. The scream led to a howl, and Grace knocked the crib to the floor, and kicked it hard, smashing her foot through the wooden bars. She kicked the crib again and again, smashing it to pieces, not caring if she lost a foot in the process. When the crib was no more than kindling she kicked the walls, the door, and ripped the letters of her never-to-be-born daughter's name from the wall.

When she had no more energy to spare, and the room was demolished, Grace collapsed to the floor and let out a long wail. She clutched her arms to her breasts and cried, pulling her knees to her chest and shaking.

"Grace?"

She pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"Who's there?"

Nora stepped into the room, and gasped at the broken crib and smashed walls. She wore a thin beige jacket tied tightly around her figure, and she was wringing her hands hesitantly.

"Grace, I-" Nora didn't know how to continue.

"How long have you been here?"

Nora swallowed.

"Just a few minutes. I brought Kayla home, and when I heard you screaming I told her to wait in the car."

"Bring her in," Grace said, still crying. She jumped to her feet and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and put on as cheerful smile she could muster for her remaining daughter to see.

Nora prepared dinner for the three of them. There was plenty of food; Grace had an abundance that had been dropped off by sympathetic friends and coworkers.

"Are you feeling better, Mommy?" Kayla asked, as she chewed her macaroni and cheese.

"Yes, honey. I won't be able to go back to work for another few days, but I'm much better now."

She prayed Kayla would not hear the anguish in her voice.

"What happened to the baby?" Kayla asked.

Nora, noticing the uncomfortable look on Grace's face, stepped in.

"Kayla, we talked about this. Your Mommy was in an accident and so the baby won't be born now."

"Sorta like Daddy? Is she dead like he is?"

"Yes, like that," Nora said. She took Kayla's plate away. "I think it's time you got off to bed, young lady."

Nora led Kayla of to bed while Grace attempted to finish her meal. Grace almost wished she hadn't, even if she found Kayla's questions disturbing. It was comforting to see her curious daughter alive and well.

"It's not going to be easy explaining everything to her," Nora said, returning to the kitchen. "Poor thing is so young to have to deal with this."

Grace stirred her food with her fork.

"Do you remember how to get to Grandma and Grandpa's cottage?" Grace asked.

"No clue," Nora said. "Been so long since we've been there. It was impossible to find to begin with."

Grace leaned back in her chair.

"I've been thinking. That might be a good place to get away. Take Kayla away from here. Stay there for a while."

Nora smiled.

"It was a great place," she said, reminiscing. "Every crappy thing that happened to us as kids went away when we were there."

Memories of Grace and her slipping into their bikinis and running down to the beach played in her head. She'd met a lot of cute boys at that beach. She even got her first kiss there.

"You know of any way to get directions there? Would Aunt Janie know?"

Nora shrugged. "I doubt it. The place has been abandoned for years anyway. It's probably all in shambles."

"No, Janie said Uncle Tommy rented the place out only two years ago. Right before he died."

"Well, he's the only one who'd know how to get there," Nora said. She thought for a moment. "I do have my diary still, the one I kept when I was a teenager. I might have some notes in there that might help find it. I'll let you know if I find anything helpful."

"Thanks," Grace said.

As she ate her food, she looked up at her little sister, and smiled with admiration.

"So how are you?" Grace asked. "You've been looking after me so much lately, I never seem to look out for you anymore."

Nora chuckled.

"Oh, same old. Booking agents driving me crazy at work, the usual. Which by the way, you want concert tickets, let me know, I'll hook you up."

Nora worked as a manager at the Hudson Hall Pavilion. More than once she'd gotten Grace and Ted free basketball tickets, even a skybox on one occasion.

"How are things with Evan?" Grace asked.

Nora sighed.

"They- could be better. I don't know what it is. I try and try, and it's like this with every guy. They disappear on me, in the emotional sense. Yesterday I ask Evan to take me to the Five Gardens, and he's like, busy going bowling with his buddies. They go bowling every week! I got to say, I really envy what you had with Ted. With you, it lasted. Tell me something Grace, what am I doing wrong? Why don't guys open up with me?"

Grace tried to hold her tongue, as she had many times before when having this conversation with her sister, and this time decided against it.

"You push them away," Grace said, and immediately regretted it.

Nora set her fork down.

"I do?"

Grace tried to find the right phrasing.

"Yes. You find a guy you're into, and you don't let up. Every time, you're all over him, acting like his wife when you haven't dated more than a few months. Guys can't deal with that."

Nora looked at her as if Grace suggested unicorns were real.

"They can't deal with closeness in their relationship?"

"I'm just saying, you should give Evan some space. I can tell he likes you. Let him have his bowling nights, and he'll make time for you too- when he's ready."

Nora looked at Grace skeptically.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Good, cause I don't want to lose him. He's not the best talker, but the sex is just- mmm!"

"Okay, that's a little TMI," Grace said, chuckling.

They both giggled.

After they finished eating, Nora stayed for another hour. She got Grace's spirits up, the best way she knew how. Laughing and joking, just as they had when they were teenagers.

"I can stay the night, if you need me," Nora said, standing by the door.

"I'll be fine," Grace assured her.

"You sure?"

Grace nodded. "I'm tougher than you think."

The two sisters hugged. As she headed out the door, Nora checked her phone.

"My battery's dead. You wouldn't happen to have a charger?"

"I left mine in the Jimmy. Another thing I have to take care of tomorrow." She sighed, dreading having to look at the totaled Jimmy in the morning.

"It's fine. I'll charge it when I get home. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

They hugged again, and Nora headed out the door. Grace watched longingly at her little sister as she drove away, and she walked back to the kitchen. The truth was, she wanted Nora to stay. She just didn't want Nora around if the worst happened. And Grace wanted to be ready for the worst.

She opened the hall closet, and rooted around through the boxes stashed away inside. One was filled with Halloween decorations. It was only two days away, and Grace hadn't gotten them out yet. She noticed the goblin mask Ted picked up the previous year. Many times she'd been tempted to throw it out, and now she saw it more as a precious keepsake. A reflection of the kind of man Ted was, at least before he was perverted by Gabby Becket.

Grace pushed the Halloween box aside, and found another box behind it. This was the one she wanted. She sorted through the old mementos inside; things from her childhood. High school yearbooks, a photo album, a trophy she'd won playing soccer in fifth grade. Her father had broken it in an alcohol-fueled rage, but she'd glued it back together.

At the bottom of the box, wrapped in newspaper, and wrapped again in a shirt, was the item she sought. Grace unraveled the old flannel shirt, and peeled away the newspaper. It was still there, after all these years. The dagger. It still had traces of her father's blood on it. The police had taken it after her father's death, and when Daniel Becket had been cleared, the knife was returned to her. Grace never even told Nora she had it; it was too painful to talk about, yet she couldn't bear to get rid of it.

The inscription on the blade reassured her, "silver plated." Perhaps not as effective as solid silver, but it would hopefully serve as an adequate weapon now that her wedding band was gone. Grace swung the blade around in her hand, and mimed stabbing motions. She prayed that when the moment came, she would have the nerve to stick it in Balko's chest when he gave her the opportunity.

She packed the boxes back in the closet, keeping the dagger tucked into her pants. Even with her crosses and holy water around the house, Grace would not feel comfortable taking a shower without the dagger within arm's reach.

After locking the door tightly, Grace stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, placing the dagger onto the soap dish. She sighed deeply as she let the warm water drizzle across her body. It seemed like ages since she last had the opportunity to simply relax. Kayla was sound asleep in the next room, her coworkers and family had gone, and Grace now had the opportunity to enjoy the silence in peace.

When she shut the water off, she heard a distinctive rustling in next room. Her heart skipped a beat, and she grabbed the dagger and braced herself. She listened, and heard nothing.

Grace stepped out of the shower and quickly grabbed a bath towel, and wrapped it tightly around her body. She turned the sink faucet on and let it run as she quietly opened the bathroom door and shuffled out, dagger in hand.

Water dripped from her soaking wet hair and body, leaving wet footprints in the carpet. She peeked into Kayla's room, just to confirm the noise she heard was not her. Seeing her daughter sound asleep, Grace continued down the hall.

She heard footsteps in the kitchen, and was now certain she hadn't imagined the noise. Quietly, Grace tiptoed down the hallway, keeping her back to the wall and the dagger raised and ready to strike. She stood directly outside the kitchen and held perfectly still. The sounds of footsteps were coming closer to her, and she tightened her grip on the dagger's handle as they did.

When the footsteps stopped, Grace whirled around the corner and swung her weapon, and stopped mid- swing when she saw her intruder's face.

"Mr. Becket!" she exclaimed.

"Grace!" Daniel replied, taking a frightened step back. "I'm sorry. I knocked on the door but you didn't answer. So, I let myself in." He took out the skeleton key from his pocket.

Grace looked at Daniel open mouthed at his appearance. He was still in his white hospital jumpsuit, riddled with mud and grass stains. He looked exhausted and starved, and he looked to Grace pleadingly.

Grace dropped the dagger and wrapped her arms around him tightly, nearly squeezing the air out of his lungs.

"I'm so glad you made it," she whispered into his ear.

He could feel the rounded bulge of her breasts through her towel, and it was actually making it difficult for him to breathe. Daniel pulled Grace's arms from him, actually feeling lightheaded from her iron grip, and he grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and collapsed into it.

"Oh, you poor thing! You must be starved! I have plenty of food, let me make you something!"

"Thank you," Daniel said. Simply saying the words seemed to drain him.

The towel around her torso slipped a bit, and Grace became suddenly aware of how exposed she was.

"If you'll give me a minute to get dressed..."

Daniel didn't respond as Grace disappeared down the hall. She shut the water off in the bathroom and quickly dried herself with the towel. Hurrying to her bedroom, she slid her feet into a pair of slippers and wrapped a white terrycloth robe around her naked body.

"I can make you a sandwich or some soup," Grace said, hurrying back into the kitchen.

"Anything would be great," Daniel said.

Grace quickly assembled a sandwich and warmed up a bowl of chili, and placed the meal in front of the exhausted former teacher. Daniel ate the food up quickly and gratefully.

He regaled her with his tale of how he escaped from Havenswood. The skeleton key was useful for acquiring a car, which he soon had to abandon when a police car attempted to pull him over. He narrowly escaped into the woods, where he remained hidden for most of the night.

Thank you, Grace," he said. "You risked your daughters' lives for me."

Grace froze, and her hands shook. Daniel stopped, and suddenly realized Grace's belly was not as large as it had been the last time he'd seen her.

"Oh, Grace, I'm so sorry..."

Grace sobbingly told Daniel what Lukas had done.

"I'll kill him. I swear, Grace, I'll make him pay."

Grace made him seconds and thirds, and when he was full, she invited him to use her bathroom to get cleaned up. She provided him a fresh razorblade as well.

"I can give you some of Ted's clothes. You two are about the same size."

Daniel accepted her offer and made his way to the shower. As Grace looked through her bedroom for clothes, she spotted her Glock resting on the nightstand. Gabby Becket's voice echoed in her head.

You will kill him. And Kayla will be spared.

Grace pressed her forehead to the wall.

"Oh, Mr. Becket. Why did you have to come here?"

A tear trickled down her cheek and the reality of what she had to do sank in. She could kill him right now. He was in the shower; she would have the element of surprise. Grace reached towards the Glock, and when she felt the cold metal against her fingers she pulled her hand away, as if she'd been burned.

"How could I do this?" Grace cried to herself. She was about ready to tell Gabby, and Lukas, to go fuck themselves, but she thought of Kayla, sleeping soundly in the next room, and of how easily Lukas had tracked her down and taken her unborn baby from her minutes after helping Daniel escape.

She had to. There was no other choice. Not when Kayla's life was at stake.

Grace quickly changed into a shirt and pants, and picked out a belt, a pair of Ted's jeans and one of his shirts for Daniel to wear. She tucked her Glock into the back of her pants, and carried the clothes to the bathroom. She stood outside the bathroom door and waited.

She heard the water shut off, and Daniel step out of the shower. She readied herself as the bathroom door opened.

Daniel stood before her, naked, with his beard freshly shaved off. She had to avert her eyes, trying not to stare at him, and she handed him the clothes. He accepted them and quickly put them on.

She could do it now. But the sound would wake Kayla, and Grace did not want that. She could wait until they were outside. Maybe then, Kayla would not hear it, if she muffled the barrel.

When Daniel was dressed, Grace handed him some money, and drew him a map to St. Harold's Memorial Cemetery.

"The Balko Crypt is near the back," Grace said, handing him the map. "You can use the skeleton key to get in. When you're there..."

She gave Daniel a knapsack with a stake, mallet, crowbar, flashlight, and cross inside.

"...everything you need is in here."

Daniel slung the knapsack around his shoulder.

"I'll do it first thing in the morning," Daniel said, nodding to her.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you."

Grace wanted to hug him, but stopped herself.

"Let me walk you outside."

Daniel gave Grace an odd look, and the two of them made their way out of the house. Once they were on the front porch, Grace shut the door behind her, and drew her gun. She aimed it at Daniel. He turned towards her.

"Grace, what are you doing?" Daniel asked, staring at the barrel aiming at him.

Tears poured from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Becket."

Her hands shook; her entire body trembled. Daniel took a step back.

"Grace, I- you know I'll take care of this. You don't have to do this."

Grace shook her head.

"I can't take the chance!"

Her hands trembled so badly she realized it was likely that she might not even hit him if she fired.

"Grace, what do you think will happen if you shoot me?" Daniel asked.

She'd barely given the idea any thought. She would shoot Daniel. She'd go to jail. Nora would raise Kayla. If Balko kept his word, of course.

"If you kill me, Balko will win! You know that!"

"He's gonna kill Kayla if I don't!" Grace sobbed.

Daniel sobbed, and hung his head.

"Do it then."

Daniel faced her, with his arms outstretched to his sides. Grace felt her soul break into pieces. She couldn't bring herself to even raise the gun now, let alone shoot him. She let out a whimper.

"Damn it, Grace, do it already," Daniel demanded.

Sobbing, Grace shook her head.

"I can't," she mumbled.

"You have to," Daniel said.

"No, I can't," she said, and threw the gun into the bushes. "Go kill Balko. Do it now. I'll get Kayla out of here."

"Grace..."

"GO NOW!" Grace screamed.

Daniel turned and ran, and as he disappeared down the street, Grace hurried back into the house.

She worked quickly, grabbing a travel bag and stuffing it with clothes. She hurried into Kayla's room and turned on the light. Kayla awoke.

"Mommy?" she asked.

"Kayla, we have to go now. Get dressed."

Kayla rubbed her eyes. Grace grabbed some of Kayla's clothes and stuffed them into the travel bag. As she did, she heard the shatter of glass coming from the living room. Grace froze in shock.

"Oh, God" she said to herself. "He's here already. Kayla, we have to go, now!"

Kayla clutched her teddy bear in her arms. Grace slung the travel bag over her shoulder, grabbed her purse, and then her daughter, and hurried down the hall. As she hurried down the hallway, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The living room carpet was on fire. The window broke again, and what looked like a Molotov cocktail came crashing through, landing onto the sofa and igniting it.

"OH MY GOD!" Grace screamed. Kayla burst into tears.

Grace peeked out the window, and she saw a young man, barely eighteen, standing in her front yard igniting something in his hands. He threw the flaming object at Kayla's bedroom window. Grace heard the shatter of glass coming from Kayla's room and the sound of a fire igniting.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



She scoured the living room for her gun, but remembered she'd thrown it into the bushes outside. The silver dagger still lay on the floor, right where she'd dropped it. Grace grabbed the dagger, tucked it into her purse, and hurried out the back door with her sobbing daughter in her arms. Quickly she raced around the side of her house, praying the attacker would not see her.

When she rounded the corner and reached her driveway, she saw the young man had circled around the other side, and was now lobbing Molotovs through the side windows.

Grace unlocked her car and put Kayla in the backseat. She quickly got into the driver's seat and started the car, not even pausing to lock her seat belt. As she backed out of the driveway, the car came to an abrupt stop, knocking her against her headrest. It was as if she'd backed into a solid brick wall. Frantically, Grace pressed the gas pedal, only for her wheels to spin in place. Something was stopping her from moving.

A glance in the rear view mirror revealed nothing. Panicking, she pressed the gas pedal harder, but to no avail. Her tires squealed against the pavement, but the car remained immobile. Grace turned to see what was stopping her from moving, and saw, to her horror, Lukas Balko standing behind her car. He held his palm open-fingered upon her trunk lid, laughing sadistically as he held the one and a half ton automobile in place. Grace screamed.

So this was his plan. Recruit some hapless teenager to drive them out of their home so he could prey on them as they attempted to flee. It might have worked. If Grace hadn't been armed.

Grace reached into her purse and drew the silver dagger. She opened the car door, only to see Lukas opening the passenger side rear door- and reaching for Kayla. The toddler screamed. Kayla kicked and wailed as Lukas reached for her, with pure malice in his glowing red eyes.

"Get over here! It's time for you to join your daddy!" he hissed at the sobbing girl.

Grace swung the dagger, and slashed the vampire across the wrist. He screamed and jerked away.

"You BITCH!" he growled, his eyes glowing with rage. Grace pressed on the gas again, speeding down the driveway and knocking the vampire to the ground as she did. She'd never peeled out of the driveway so fast in her life; waking up half the neighborhood as she did.

Lukas jumped to his feet and scowled hatefully as Grace sped away.

I'll find you, Grace, she heard him say, somehow sending the words directly into her mind.

You'll have to sleep sometime. I'll find you wherever you run.

* * * * *

His tires squealed to a stop in front of her house. Joe's mouth dropped when he saw a burning wreckage where Grace Harker's home had once been. Firetrucks were already on the scene, and while the fire was almost out, Grace's house was nothing more than a pile of charred bricks and ashes.

He leaped from his car and ran towards the ruins.

"Pratt!" Captain Pillar pulled himself away from the arson investigator when he saw the desperate detective running towards the burning remains. He was worried he might run inside, but Joe stopped at the edge of the foundation and stared hopelessly at the ruins.

"Pratt!" Pillar repeated. He grabbed Joe's arm, and only then did the detective face his captain. "The inspector said no bodies were found inside. Her car is gone too. We can assume Harker and her family weren't here."

"Where the hell is she?" Joe asked. He'd made ten calls to Grace's cell phone on his drive over, and each one went straight to voice mail.

"We don't know," Pillar said. "We've been trying to reach her all night. She hasn't been answering."

Joe cursed, and paced back and forth in the driveway. He knew this was no accident. He found himself wanting to kill whoever had done this.

"Who did this? It was Liana, wasn't it? Killing her husband wasn't enough!"

"Neighbors say they saw a teenage male throwing burning jars through the windows. Probably a pre-Devil's Night prank."

Joe shook his head. Grace's words echoed in his mind. It was Balko. It didn't add up. Balko was dead, yes, but there was so much to explain. How such an old man had managed so much destruction when he was alive. He'd had help, that was certain.

Joe spotted something in the driveway, and picked it up. It was a small necklace, with a cross on it.

"This was Kayla's," Joe said, showing the necklace to the captain. "Grace had her daughter wear it all the time. I've never seen her without it."

"Maybe they left in a hurry."

Joe knew the captain was probably right. Still, it infuriated him that Grace wasn't answering her phone. One call, one text, letting him know she was all right was all he wanted. Until then, all he could do was wonder.

Joe looked at the necklace again, and back at the smoldering home.

"God, I hope they're okay."

* * * * *

Grace awoke with a startle. An 18-wheeler roared past her car and rumbled towards the highway. She looked in the backseat to see Kayla was still asleep. Grace breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the warm morning sunlight shine through the windshield of her car. She'd survived the night.

She set the silver dagger aside, having slept the entire night with her fingers wrapped around the handle. Grace pulled her seat back into a sitting position and pondered what to do next. She was parked at a rest stop off Route 101 without a soul in the world knowing where she was. At least she prayed so. Knowing Lukas and Gabby's abilities, she would soon be found if anyone at San Amaury Homicide were to discover where she was. For now, she would keep them all in the dark.

Quietly, she climbed out of the car, trying her best to keep from waking Kayla. She stretched her arms and let out a yawn. She had a long drive ahead of her and would not have many opportunities to stretch her legs. It made all the sense in the world to go to her grandparents' cottage now. It was off the grid; no one would know how to find it. She and Kayla could hide there until Daniel Becket took care of Lukas.

She slipped the batteries into her phone and turned it on. She'd removed them the night before to keep the police from tracking her; she would do the same now as soon as she listened to her voice mails.

Twenty-six unheard messages. Grace's heart sank realizing how many people were trying to find her. Nearly half of them were from Joe, begging her to return his calls and let him know she was all right. More were from the police, Ted's parents, some even from friends she hadn't spoken to in years.

There was only one message not fueled with panic and asking where she was; it was from Nora, but calling from a number she didn't recognize.

"Hey sis, just wanted to let you know I found my old diary. Didn't have any maps or anything, but I did find one note. It mentioned getting off on Route 1. Hopefully that can help get you on your way. Maybe you'd recognize the roads when you get up there. By the way, I tried what you said. I promised Evan some space, and he totally warmed up after that. He's taking me to Five Gardens tomorrow, and everything's cool. I can't thank you enough; you really have the magic touch. Let me know how your trip goes. I can't wait to see you again. Love you, bye."

Grace let out a smile. She might not have been born into the best family, but Grace could always count on Nora to be there for a favor or emotional support, and right now, Grace needed both.

She shot Joe a quick text message: "I'm okay. Lying low for a bit" before taking the batteries out of her phone again. He'd hate her for it, but she at least let him know she was well. She prayed no one would find her before Daniel found Balko.

Kayla was awake when Grace got back into the car.

"Mommy? Can we go home?" she asked, sleepily.

"Not yet honey, but hopefully soon." She noticed then that her daughter's neck was unprotected. "Kayla, where's your necklace?"

"I don't know."

"Damn it," she whispered to herself, praying Kayla would not hear. She at least had the silver dagger. It remained her sole means of protection if Balko- or anyone for that matter, found her.

"I'm hungry," Kayla moaned.

"Okay, we'll get breakfast now," Grace said. She'd stopped at a 24-hour ATM after leaving her house the previous night and now had plenty of cash on hand. She would have to avoid using any credit cards from this point on if she wanted to stay off the map.

Grace started the car and headed towards a McDonald's up the road, ordering a small breakfast for herself and Kayla from the drive-thru and quickly eating their meal in the parking lot. When they were done Grace got back onto Route 101 and made her way up the highway towards the Route 1 exit.

Traffic slowed to a crawl. She found herself in bumper-to-bumper traffic, edging on at a snail's pace. Grace sighed; frustrated at how a day she expected to spend driving was starting. She hoped to make it to the cottage before nightfall but it looked doubtful if the traffic jam did not let up soon. Briefly reassured by a sign reading "Route 1 exit, ¼ mile," Grace patiently continued on.

She heard sirens wail in the distance. Red and blue lights flashed in her rear view mirror and she instinctively froze; worried that she might have been recognized at the McDonald's or tracked via her cell phone.

The police cruisers sped past her in the emergency lane, and Grace breathed a sigh of relief. Two more cruisers, followed by an ambulance soon followed, quickly passing her by.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Kayla asked.

"There must be an accident up ahead, sweetie." Judging by the number of police cars, it looked to be a bad one. Grace hoped Kayla would not be subjected to a gruesome accident scene when she finally passed; praying the accident occurred after the Route 1 exit so she could bypass it entirely.

Traffic barely moved. Grace considered looking for an earlier exit, but knew of no other way to get to Route 1. If she weren't trying to stay invisible, she'd normally pull a U-turn at the emergency turnaround and use her badge to get out of any trouble, but today that wasn't an option. She would just have to wait it out.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before Grace was able inch forward enough to reach the crest of an incline in the highway. From there she would be able to see the accident up ahead.

The police cars numbered over a dozen. Officers were directing traffic through a single lane, yet there appeared to be no car accident. Instead, she could see what appeared to be a person hanging from the exit sign. The passing cars came to a standstill as their drivers stared up at the horrific display above them. Grace let out a scream.

"Kayla, cover your eyes!" Grace demanded.

"What's happening?"

"DO IT NOW!" she snapped.

Oh God, please don't let it be her.

Grace's fears were realized when she edged closer to the exit. The person hanging from the exit sign was Nora. She was wearing her beige coat, and what looked like nothing underneath. A noose of barbed wire was around her neck, suspending her blood-drained corpse from the sign reading "Route 1: exit right." On the sign, scrawled in blood, were the words "NOWHERE SAFE HARKER."

She later wondered if the scream that escaped her lips at that moment was loud enough that even Balko might have heard it, wherever he was.

He did.

* * * * *

"Come on, come on," Joe murmured impatiently. One by one, the copier spat out page after page of what to Joe was more important than the Holy Bible to the Pope.

An intern passed by in the hall and Joe immediately stopped her.

"You! Your name?"

"Me?" the intern asked, looking behind her, surprised to find he was actually addressing her. "I'm Stacy."

"Stacy, take these," Joe said, grabbing the stack of copies and handing them to her. "Post them at every coffee shop, gas station, college campus, and Internet cafe in the tri-county area!"

The documents read "MISSING: DETECTIVE GRACE HARKER" followed by a number to call to report her whereabouts. A photo of Grace in her officer's uniform was prominently displayed below the header.

Stacy looked at Joe, confused.

"Am I supposed to do that? Lieutenant Fabian doesn't usually have me leave the station."

"Of course you're supposed to do that! Why else would you be here?"

Frazzled, Joe hurried away and picked up a phone resting on his desk, leaving Stacy to clumsily carry the stack of copies back to her desk.

"I sent you the fax!" Joe screamed into the phone. "Did you get it now? What do you mean? Then get it from his office, I can't do everything for you!"

He slammed the phone on the receiver. He collapsed into his chair, exhausted. He hadn't slept a minute since learning Grace was missing, and absolutely nothing had been going his way all morning. He felt his eyelids, heavy as anvils, creeping down despite his best attempt to keep them open. Joe realized if he was to continue he would need some fuel.

Too much anxiety for breakfast, Joe headed to the break room to pour himself a coffee. The coffee at San Amaury Homicide was notoriously bad, but today, it would have to do. He gulped down the stale black liquid from a blue and white Dodgers mug as Officers Manning and Warner entered and poured themselves cups as well.

"That's a real shit sandwich Harker got served last night," Manning said, dumping a cream into his coffee mug. "Would not want to be that gal."

"She's been off the deep end ever since she saved that girl last year," Warner said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she finally snapped and burned her own house down."

Joe squeezed the handle on his mug and gritted his teeth. He was used to shit talking and misogyny in the station most of the time, he even spewed some of it himself some of the time, but today he was not in the mood. He counted backwards from ten, and prayed they'd be done by the time he hit one.

"She's definitely got herself into something over her head. Probably stepped on some toes she shouldn't've."

"No shit, right? Spent so many nights here barking up the wrong trees, no wonder her husband stepped out on her."

Joe slammed his coffee mug on the counter. He hadn't reached one, but they'd gone too far this time.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

Officer Warner took a step back. Joe looked him square in the face and puffed out his chest.

"Sorry Pratt. I'm just sayin'"

"Saying what?" Joe snapped. He glared at Warner, and stared him straight in the eye.

"Forget it, Pratt, we're just talking shit," Manning said.

"Well shovel it somewhere else! Harker's missing and no one in this station but me seems to give a shit!"

"Relax Pratt, you sleeping with her or something?"

Before he could blink, Officer Warner was on his ass with blood gushing from his nose. Manning immediately restrained Pratt before he could land his fist in Warner's face a second time. He wrestled Joe away from Warner and were it not for another passing officer to assist him, Joe would have likely put Warner in a coma.

"You son of a bitch! Get the fuck off me!" Joe screamed, struggling to break free of Manning's hold. Hearing the commotion, Captain Pillar hurried into the break room.

"What the hell's going on here? Pratt, get up!" Pillar shouted. He stared down at Warner's bloody nose in disbelief, and then looked back at Joe. "In my office. Now."

Joe did his best to explain to Captain Pillar why he attacked Officer Warner, and realized, after giving his explanation out loud, he might not have been in the right.

"He disrespected Detective Harker while she's missing and her life is probably in danger! I lost my cool, all right!"

Pillar took a seat at his desk and shook his head tiredly.

"Pratt you've been off your game all morning. I admire your dedication, but you need to step back."

"I'm trying to find a missing detective and we don't even have a clue who burned her house down!"

"We picked him up, Pratt," Pillar said. Joe stopped.

"You did?"

"We found him at a halfway house a half hour ago. He claimed a woman dressed in black offered him sex if he burned Grace's house down. He didn't even know who she was. Grace or the woman."

"It was Liana. It has to be her." Joe paced around Pillar's office, looking like he was ready to knock the plant over.

"She matched the description," Pillar said. "But- you're taking the rest of the day off."

"But I'm the most-"

Pillar cut him off. "I can't have a detective wound as tight as you around today. Warner's nose is testament to that. Go home. Relax. We'll talk about when you can return to work tomorrow."

Joe was about to protest, but stopped himself.

"Yes, sir," he fumed. He stormed out of Pillar's office, closing the door a bit harder than necessary as he left. He could feel the judging stares of his fellow officers and detectives as he grabbed his jacket from his desk.

Warner gave him the stink eye while he wiped his nose as Joe walked past. Joe simply ignored him as he got into the elevator and left the station for the last time in his life.

* * * * *

A memorial statue stood at the entrance of the station. On it, the names of police officers fallen in the line of duty were engraved. Joe passed it as he did every day, but this time he paused to give a reverent acknowledgment. One name stood out to him in particular. While Benny Mitchel was Grace's partner at the time of his death, secretly Joe blamed himself for Benny's death. It was a burden Joe and Grace both carried. Joe briefly wondered if Grace's name might be on this statue soon. He prayed he would find her before that happened.

As he walked away, his cell phone rang. Although he was inclined to ignore it, the possibility it might be Grace led him to answer it immediately. He looked at the Call ID. It was Erika. Frowning, he answered it anyway.

"What?" he snapped.

There was no response. He could hear shuffling in the background, but no one said a word.

"Erika, you there?" he asked.

Erika didn't respond. He was about to dismiss the call as a mere pocket dial, until he heard Erika grunting in the background.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh baby!" she cried.

Now it was a bit clearer what had happened. Erika often kept her phone in the back pocket of her work slacks; clearly she was engaged in a bit of physical motion that had triggered her phone to dial him.

"Oooh! Oooh yes Tyler, give it to me!" she shouted.

Tyler? Joe thought. Tyler Hambly was Erika's boss. Joe had taken an instant disliking to him when he picked Erika up from work one day. Tyler seemed to leer at her every chance he got. Joe had even caught Tyler checking out her butt while Erika was bent over fishing though her bottom desk drawer, and Tyler didn't even seem to care. Not that he blamed him for that, Erika's ass looked great in the tight skirt she was wearing, but Tyler hadn't even bothered to be discreet in front of him.

"Oh, you like that baby, don't you?" he heard Tyler say.

Joe squeezed his phone tightly. He wondered if it truly was a pocket dial or if Erika was looking to make him jealous. Either way, Joe found himself unable to end the call, and instead stayed on the line while he listened to Tyler pound his ex-girlfriend on top of her desk.

Her moaning got louder and louder, and soon he heard her climax into a powerful orgasm. What made it worse was that it was a sound Joe had never heard before. He and Erika hadn't made love during the time they dated. She'd given him a few great hand jobs, but was put off by the foreskin on his penis. She insisted he be circumcised before they made love, and Joe had obliged.

Joe hung up his phone and hurried into the men's room. After locking himself in a stall, Joe unzipped his pants and removed his bandage-coated penis. There was another reason he was so on edge today, besides his partner's disappearance.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



It had been over a month since he'd gotten circumcised. He was now nearly healed and the woman he'd done it for had dumped him. Not having had sex with Erika prior to his operation either, Joe had been celibate for coming up on three months. He'd told no one he'd actually gone through with the operation besides Erika, who showed little sympathy for his predicament. With adrenaline surging through his veins, and anxiety overtaking his mind, one thing was very clear to him at that moment: Joe Pratt needed to get laid.

Joe peeled the bandage from his penis, and saw that he had healed up nicely. His tool was ready for use.

Captain Pillar told him he needed to go relax for the afternoon, and Joe thought he needed to get laid. Fortunately, Joe knew of a place where he could do both.

He got into his car and drove a few blocks east, and arrived at his destination: the Better Health Asian Massage Spa. Joe learned of this particular establishment years earlier when he was in Vice. Rumors had been going around that the ladies of Better Health were offering more than just massages here, and Joe had been assigned to go undercover to investigate.

His suspicions had been confirmed. After receiving a relaxing massage from a cute Korean girl named Kiki, Joe was asked if he'd like any services below the waist for an additional cost, and it was at that moment the badge came out and Kiki's wrists were in handcuffs.

The spa's owner, Suni Li, made a desperate plea to Joe to not press charges against her or her employees, and the two came to an agreement. Joe did not arrest anyone that day, and in return, he was welcome to all of the spa's services at no cost. It was an arrangement that worked out for the both of them in the years to follow.

He didn't know for certain if today he'd actually get his dick wet. He knew he would most likely get at minimum a satisfying hand release. Most of the girls at Better Health only offered hand jobs, but sometimes, when customers tipped well, more was available. In Joe's case, generally all he needed to do was let them see his penis. Joe was a rather well-hung guy, so once the ladies got a look at Joe at full staff, more often than not their panties would drop soon after.

Suni was working the front desk when Joe entered, and greeted him with open arms. She had on a tight white dress that clung to her curvy figure nicely, and was short enough to show plenty of leg. Suni gave him a warm embrace, a kiss on both cheeks, and Joe slipped her a hundred-dollar bill. He didn't need to do this given his special law enforcement privilege, but he was happy to show his appreciation to these ladies nevertheless. Suni smiled, lifted her dress, and tucked the bill into her red lace panties. It was her way of letting Joe know that once the massage was finished, he would be getting very lucky with her today. He was glad he remembered to bring his condoms.

Suni led him to a room and shut the door. Joe knew the routine. He got undressed, and lay face down onto the massage table while he waited for Suni to return. He did not cover himself with a towel; lying nude and undraped was the accepted signal that a customer was interested in more than the standard therapeutic massage.

Soft music began to play over the speakers, and soon after, Suni entered the room, quietly tiptoeing up to the table where she softly ran her palm up the back of Joe's leg and across his butt. Joe chuckled, enjoying the sensation of Suni's soft hands caressing his erogenous zones. She gently spread his legs, pressing her hand to his inner thighs as she did. Suni was quite adept at getting blood pumping to a man's nether regions, and she knew it.

The massage was not entirely sensual though. Suni gave Joe a wonderful therapeutic massage, squeezing his shoulders and working out the kinks in his back. The stresses of his life; losing Erika, Grace's disappearance, lack of sleep from sex deprivation; Suni worked them out of Joe's body, one knead at a time.

She was as good with her feet as she was with her hands. Grabbing a support bar that was mounted several feet above the table, Suni walked across Joe's back; her slender bare feet firmly inching along his backbone from his neck to his waist. She was a small woman, but able to put a tremendous amount of force into her back walking. Joe found himself nearly out of breath as she ground the soles of her feet into his back, but he felt years younger as a result.

She walked from his back all the way down to his glutes, and rubbed them around and about. Joe let out a long sigh. He loved the way she would run her toes down the crack of his butt. Suni knew exactly how he liked it, and that was why she was his favorite girl at Better Health.

When she was finished with the back walking, Suni climbed down from the table, and grabbed a bottle of warm oil. Slowly, she dribbled it across his shoulders, over his back, and onto his butt. She set the bottle aside and firmly ran her palms and forearms across his skin, and coated his entire backside with the slippery oil. She even slid her fingertips up between his butt cheeks; she knew how much that excited him.

Joe let out a long, deep breath. He was wound tight; the captain was not mistaken in that assessment. If he felt as good when he got back to the station as he did now, Joe considered making a formal apology to Officer Warner and the captain, and hoped the trouble he'd gotten himself into would go away.

Suni grabbed a warm wet towel from a heating unit on the floor and draped it across his body. The heat made him wince, but it soothed his muscles greatly. Suni rubbed the towel across his skin and vigorously wiped off the oil, throwing the greasy towel into a hamper when she was done.

It was at that point, that Suni dimmed the lights, and Joe knew the fun was about to begin. She sensually ran her fingertips across his skin, giving him the softest feather-light touch across his back, arms, legs, and butt. Her long hair brushed across his skin, leaving him feeling excited and tingly. She ran her middle finger along the crack of his butt and tickled the back of his scrotum and taint.

He remembered when Kiki had done that on his very first visit to Better Health, and how tempted he'd been to let her proceed with the happy ending rather than arrest her. She was such a cute, friendly girl just trying to give him a good time so she could make some extra money. He truly felt awful closing his handcuffs around her hands instead of letting her close her hands around his penis.

Joe was pleased that this time he did not need to turn down the service that was soon to follow; he honestly felt denying himself the pleasure of Suni's body after such a tease was as cruel to himself as it was to arrest her.

Joe arched his back to allow Suni some reaching room, and she did not hesitate to do so. She slipped her hand underneath his waist to better tease his balls. As she did, his penis swelled with excitement. She tickled his testicles for several seconds, and with her other hand, she lightly swirled her middle finger around his anus. Around and around, she very lightly teased it, and gently touched the center of his anus with her finger and wiggled it gently.

This made Joe's cock throb with excitement, but she didn't grab it yet. Her fingers brushed against it several times but never did she grab it. It was practically a policy at Better Health. Before any stroking, there had to be a tease.

At last she finally grabbed it, just with her index finger and thumb, and it seemed she was just checking to see if it was erect yet. Not only was it already erect, he was leaking pre-cum from the tip. Suni giggled and tugged on it just once.

It was at that moment that the front door chimed.

"Excuse me," she said, and excused herself from the room.

"Shit," Joe whispered to himself. Every girl in the shop was in a room with a client, which meant it was up to Suni to greet incoming customers to let them know there would be a wait. Of course that meant there was going to be a wait for Joe as well, a very unpleasant one at that. He felt his penis, and was shocked at how incredibly large it felt. Suni had somehow teased him into some kind of double erection, making it longer, thicker, and more sensitive than usual. Of course his having gone without orgasm for over a month could have played a role in that as well.

Joe waited patiently for Suni to return. He could hear her talking to the newly arrived patron, but he couldn't make out what she was saying, and he couldn't hear the customer at all. She talked for several minutes, and while her tone did not suggest she was making idle chit-chat, she did seem to be taking an awfully long time.

Joe felt his penis; it was still throbbing and leaving a small trail of pre-cum on the towel underneath him. He hoped Suni would hurry up. He wished she would understand that he really needed to shoot a load, preferably in her, but if she didn't come back soon he might need to take matters into his own hands.

No, he said to himself. He kept his hands off his dick. He would wait.

Finally, he heard the door to his room open, and a pair of footsteps enter. She shut the door and tiptoed back to the table.

"Sorry," she whispered, and proceeded to softly caress his back.

They didn't feel like the same hands, and while it was hard to tell, the whispering voice did not sound like Suni either. She picked up right where Suni left off though, softly running her fingers between his butt cheeks and tickling his taint.

"Turn over, please," she whispered.

Joe was all too happy to do this. He flipped onto his back, and she was ready to plant a pillow underneath his head, but he was unable to see her face with her standing at the head of the table. With his erect penis pointed at the ceiling, the woman gently massaged his chest; occasionally bending forward and letting her breasts touch his face.

Her breasts were large, like Suni's, but he still couldn't be certain if this was Suni or a different girl she sent in to finish him. Suni had the largest breasts out of all the girls in the shop if Joe remembered correctly. He remembered when she got her implants. He'd asked her why, remarking that he thought her breasts were just fine as they were. She'd told him she'd gotten much bigger tips after getting her implants, especially when she gave happy endings while topless.

"Hey," Joe said.

"Hmm?" the girl responded.

"How about losing the top?" he asked.

The woman said nothing, but he heard what sounded like the woman pulling her top down, and the next time she leaned over him the breasts touching his face were bare. Joe grinned, and his penis throbbed in excitement even more. She massaged his chest for several minutes, and continued to repeatedly touch his face with her bare breasts as she did.

The woman then climbed onto the table, and slowly crawled over him. He was now certain this was not Suni; this woman was wearing black yoga pants and a white top, not the white dress Suni had been wearing before. The woman straddled his chest, so her ass was directly in front of his face, and she sensually massaged his belly and thighs in this position with her hands occasionally grazing his penis and scrotum.

If Joe was not turned on already, he would have been now. He could see the contours of the woman's beautiful firm ass inches from his face, garbed in the greatest material known to man: yoga pants. He stared at her ass intently, unable to see anything else anyway; while feeling her long hair and soft hands brush against his swollen hard cock.

He could feel her touching his penis; he wasn't sure with what, but it felt like her lips or tongue. She touched only the tip, and he could feel her softly blowing air upon it. Many girls at this spa did this; he remembered a few years earlier a new girl named Cici had been softly blowing upon his penis while stroking it with her well-oiled hands, and he'd suddenly burst before she was ready. His load hit her right on her lips, with some of it even getting in her mouth. Cici was not too happy about that and Joe never saw her again, though he secretly hoped it would happen again.

As the woman softly ran her tongue in circles around the very tip of his swollen glans, Joe tried to will himself to ejaculate, but he couldn't. She would pause between licks, and they were such well-timed pauses that she was able to delay his orgasm continuously for several minutes. At one point she pressed her lips around the head of his dick and just kept them there, unmoving. He tried to cum, he tried his absolute hardest, but just when he felt it stirring inside him, she somehow sensed it, and released her lips. She waited ten seconds before touching it again and by then he was no longer ready.

She repeated this, again and again, keeping him on edge longer than he'd ever been in his life. He looked at the clock, and realized he'd been in the room for nearly two hours when he'd usually been ushered out after one.

"Just let me cum already!" Joe pleaded.

"Not yet. Teasing. You need more teasing," she said.

Joe wondered how much teasing he could possibly take. He could feel her close her hand around his penis, not touching it, but holding it close, so close he could feel the warmth of her skin radiating against him, but she would not touch it. He could just feel the tip of her finger running from the base all the way up to the tip. She touched her tongue to the tip and tasted the pre-cum.

"Mmm, I think it's ready," she said.

Joe sighed with relief. Finally, he said to himself.

But she didn't stroke him. He waited, while it sounded as though she was fiddling with something. He wondered if she was unwrapping a condom to put on him, but instead he could feel her placing his testicles into a container of some kind, and then he felt her slide his throbbing penis into a tube. He heard a click, and he heard a contraption snap shut.

"What-"

"Wait!" she said. "One more thing..."

He heard the sound of a lock snapping shut, and she finally climbed off the table. He looked down at his penis to find it was inside a metal cock cage, held shut by a small but sturdy padlock.

"What the hell?" Joe asked. He looked up at the woman, seeing her face for the first time, and recognizing her. "I know you..."

"I'm sorry, Detective Pratt. You won't be getting an orgasm today," Gabby Becket said.

"You-" Joe said. He sat upright, and stared the Caucasian woman in the eye. "You're Liana."

Gabby laughed. She still had her shirt lifted, and her bra pulled down so that her large breasts were hanging out and exposed.

"That's one name I go by," she said. She pulled her bra back up to cover her breasts once again.

Joe leaped off the table and grabbed his badge from his pants that was draped over the nearby chair.

"You're under arrest," Joe said, holding the badge in front of her face. Gabby looked at the badge, and back at him. She rested her hand on his forearm softly; sending tingles all up his arm.

"Let me have that badge," Gabby said sweetly.

Joe looked at Gabby quizzically.

"Did you hear what I just said? You're under arrest."

"Give me that badge, or you're not getting the key to that cock cage," she giggled.

Joe stared down at the cock cage helplessly. Gabby took the badge from his hand and tucked it into her cleavage.

"I'll be contacting you soon," she said, pulling her shirt down to cover her chest, and she quickly walked out of the room.

Joe couldn't bring himself to follow her out of the room wearing only a cock cage. He looked to his pants, then back at the open door, and back to his pants again, too much blood in the wrong head for him to even think clearly.

Joe sat down onto the massage table, hearing the ding of the front door as Gabby left. He stared back down at the cage, with his very desperate penis trapped inside.

"Fuck," he said.

* * * * *

She decided to take the exit anyway.

Not right away. She needed time to think, and the police blocked off the exit anyway. Grace continued down the expressway, got off at the next exit, and pulled into the parking lot of a family restaurant and cried for a very long time.

Thankfully Kayla had not seen the horrific scene; she'd kept her eyes covered just as Grace had asked. Grace didn't know how to tell Kayla what had happened, but having recently lost her father, Kayla seemed to understand.

When she let all of the tears out, Grace had time to think. She realized Lukas, in all likelihood, did not know where the cottage was. He wanted to find her, and warning her not to go to a place where he could find her did not make sense. Lukas was somehow able to hear the voice mail Nora had left her. That explained everything.

When all was said and done, the cottage was still the safest place for Grace and Kayla to hide. It had to be; she had nowhere else to run. Grace would go there, and first, her phone was going in the trash. She couldn't risk being tracked, not by anyone.

Nearly five hours passed before the police reopened the exit, and Grace was able to continue her trek down Route 1. She'd lost too much time to be able to make it to the cottage by nightfall, and Grace was not driving after dark. At night she was playing by Balko's rules, and Grace was not having that. Just thinking about driving at night made her belly ache.

She decided to stop at a motel for the night. It would keep her off the roads, and hopefully there would be a Bible in her room. That had to provide some protection against Balko. She had to hope it would.

As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, and seeing her gas gauge nearly on "E", Grace took an exit where she saw a sign advertising a motel just off the highway. It appeared to be a quiet, rural town where it was unlikely anyone would be looking for her. It seemed a safe place to stop for the night, and she could fill up at a nearby gas station first thing in the morning.

As she rounded the exit ramp, she spotted a red pickup stalled on the side of the road. Normally she would stop and help a stranded traveler, but today she was short on both time and a willingness to make face time with a stranger when she was the object of a manhunt.

She slowed down as she passed the stalled pickup, and as she did, the truck's owner, who was slouched over the open hood, turned to look up at her. He was not a complete stranger after all.

Grace recognized him as someone she'd personally put in handcuffs three years earlier. A thug who'd hacked off a woman's leg to earn admittance to the Bones gang. Neil Corliss.

Grace could tell he recognized her as well. She immediately broke eye contact and continued driving, feeling his icy cold stare on her as she sped by.

She arrived at the Shady Woods motel, just a mile away from the nearest Route 1 exit. It appeared to have a pool open; she could see someone swimming as she pulled into a spot. There were only five cars in the parking lot including hers, reassuring her there was likely a room available.

Grace and Kayla hopped out of the car, and both were happy to stretch their legs after a long day of driving. Grace examined the motel carefully, considering her exit plan if she needed one. The motel looked to be a double story, with twelve cabins on the upper floor accessible via a balcony that overlooked the pool, and twelve cabins underneath on the ground floor.

They made their way into the motel main office. A banner reading "Happy Halloween!" in orange and black letters hung on the wall of the main office. A pumpkin-shaped bowl of candy rested on the counter.

"Mommy! Look! Candy!" Kayla squealed, pointing at the pumpkin bowl.

"Not now," Grace said, quietly. She rang the bell on the counter, and waited to be greeted. It took a few minutes, but soon after, a man in a wheelchair rounded the corner, and rolled his way up to the front desk.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



"Good evening!" he greeted. "Can I get you a room?"

"One night, please. Preferably the room furthest from the pool," Grace said.

The man nodded.

"It hasn't been too noisy lately. My daughter's the only one who's used that pool all day. Let me get her for you."

He wheeled himself towards the window.

"Haley!" he shouted. "You've got guests!"

Grace looked to the pool to see a young woman climbing out. She looked about nineteen, with long brown hair and a beautiful young body. She wore a red and white striped bikini that framed her ample breasts and curvy hips quite nicely. The girl grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her soaking wet body and scrambled into the office.

"Hello!" she said, smiling at Grace and Kayla as she stepped in.

"They'd like a room furthest from the pool, one night," her father said.

Jim Farough had been in a wheelchair ever since he lost his left leg in the first Gulf War. He and his wife opened and ran the Shady Woods motel after he returned, with the help of their two daughters. After his wife Debbie died of cancer two years earlier, and his older daughter Heather moved away to attend University, Jim ran the motel with the help of his younger daughter when she wasn't attending classes at a local community college.

"Driver's license, please," Haley said.

Grace calmly reached into her purse and handed Haley her driver's license. If Haley recognized Grace from the news, she didn't show it. She went into the backroom, made a copy of Grace's license, and gave it back to her, smiling as she did. Grace watched Jim closely, wondering if he'd spotted any of the news reports about her disappearance. He smiled back, a genuine smile, and Grace felt that was a promising sign she would not be getting a visit from the police tonight.

"One night is forty dollars," Haley said. Grace handed her two twenties from her purse, and Haley handed her a key. "You're in room twelve, upper floor, last one on the end."

"Can I have some candy?" Kayla asked, reaching towards the pumpkin.

Haley laughed. "If your mother says it's okay."

Grace looked at her daughter, annoyed that the girl had put her in the "make mommy look like the bad guy" spot once again.

"One piece," Grace said.

Haley held the bowl out for Kayla to help herself. She snatched up a chocolate bar.

"Thank you," Kayla said sweetly.

"You're welcome!" Haley laughed.

Noticing a kiosk of travel maps, Grace grabbed one. She led Kayla to their room while the little girl munched on her candy bar. Grace had a good feeling about this motel. It seemed safe, secluded, and unlikely that she would be spotted here by anyone who might be looking for her. She took Kayla by the hand and led her up the stairs to their room, blissfully unaware that in just a few hours, two people in this motel would be murdered.

* * * * *

"God fucking damn it!"

He sped down the road, frustrated and furious. He grabbed at the cock cage through his pants, wondering how the hell he was going to get it off. The station had a professional lock picking kit, but he wasn't welcome there right now. Not to mention, he was going to have a difficult time explaining to the captain how he lost his badge. That was a conversation his career couldn't afford right now.

Before he left Better Health, he learned what had happened. Suni left Joe's massage room to answer the door. To her displeasure, she found a woman waiting in the lobby. It was never a good sign to see a woman walk in her doors. Nine times out of ten they were jealous wives looking to start trouble; otherwise they were naïve would-be customers looking to get a legitimate message, which meant a very unsubstantial tip.

Suni tried to convince Gabby to leave, but she was insistent. After being bribed with a large bill, Suni led Gabby to an available room, and the next thing she knew, she awoke on the floor. Confused, Suni hurried back to Joe's room just as he was getting dressed to leave.

Suni profusely apologized, offering Joe bareback sex (a service she never offered anyone, requiring condoms even for fellatio) as a consolation. Joe would have accepted but the new equipment his genitals now sported made that impossible.

Suni begged Joe for forgiveness but Joe stormed out of the spa furious, not telling her the real reason for his anger. Now he was going to have to figure out how to get his badge back and the cage off, preferably without getting anybody from work involved.

His phone rang, and to his displeasure, the caller was Erika. He answered.

"What do you want Erika?"

"I miss you," she said.

"Is that right?" he scowled, and sped down the road. He hoped to find a hardware store or some place that might sell something he could use to remove the damned cage.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you before."

"A bitch? That's a bit of an understatement."

Erika sighed.

"I know. I know you got your operation because of me, and we never had sex, so I thought I might make it up to you now. If you want."

"Oh, I see. You want me to come fuck you now, before the cum Tyler shot in you is even dry yet?"

Erika gasped.

"You- you know about that?" she sounded mortified.

"You butt dialed me, Erika!" he sped through an intersection. "I heard everything that dirt bag did to you!"

Erika tsked.

"He was a mistake! I'm sorry Joe, will you give me another chance?"

Joe laughed.

"Okay. I see how it is. You hook up with your douchebag boss not a week after we split, and now that you figured out you're just a piece of meat to him, you come back to Joey."

"It's not like that, Joe! Please. Come to my place now. I'm waiting for you. I'm wearing that sexy little pink thong you like. No bra. Want to see?"

The truth was, he did want to see. But until he got his cage off, there was little he could do about it.

"You're too late, Erika." He hung up. He pulled into the parking lot of a Lowe's and shifted into park. As he got out of his car, he got a picture mail.

The photo was of Erika, taking a selfie in front of her bathroom mirror. She was wearing her pink thong, and pulling the material to the side to give him a peek at her smooth shaved pussy. Joe felt a surge of blood rush to his penis. He had to be honest; he would not have been opposed to breakup sex, if he were not trapped in his cage. He was so enamored with the sexy photo he almost didn't notice he had an unread text from Grace. Relieved to see Grace was okay as of that morning, Joe took another minute to enjoy the picture Erika sent before heading into the store.

* * * * *

The motel room was small, but seemed fairly clean. There were two beds, a TV, a round table with four chairs, and a small bathroom. Through the window she could see straight over the pool and into the parking lot, and any vehicles approaching from down the road. It seemed like a safe place to stay.

There was a bit more daylight left, so Grace took Kayla out to get some dinner. Haley was closing down the pool as they left, and she gave them a friendly smile. Haley was hoping some cute guys would come by, and a few did earlier. When she got them settled in their rooms she slipped into her bikini and headed to the pool in the hopes one of them would come out to talk to her, but so far, they hadn't.

Haley was a virgin throughout high school and hadn't ever had a serious boyfriend. She didn't have much time for a social life since she had to spend most of her free time helping her dad run the motel. For that reason, Haley felt she could be forgiven for occasionally trying to hook up with guys who stayed at the motel, and often, she did. Her father didn't necessarily approve of it, but there was little he could do, particularly when he had to practically beg her to stay with him after her sister moved away.

While Grace knew about none of this, she still nodded back in understanding at Haley as she passed her by. There was a small sandwich shop just down the road from the motel, so Grace ordered dinner for Kayla and herself. Kayla asked for a peanut butter and jelly, which the chef was all too happy to prepare for her. Grace ordered a tuna sandwich for herself, along with an iced tea and an apple juice for Kayla.

They ate back in their motel room. Kayla watched cartoons on TV while Grace looked over the map she picked up from the motel office. It had been over ten years since she'd last set foot inside that cottage, and she had no clear directions, but she was hopeful she could somehow piece the route together from her memory.

She followed Route 1 along, checking which roads sounded familiar. San Nicholas, no, Mesa lane, no. But she was sure it was around there somewhere.

Oak Creek. That was it. She had to get off on that road. Then it was straight west until she hit Harmony road, and then a dirt path though the woods would take her to the cottage. She grabbed a pen and drew a line along the roads between the Shady Woods motel and the path to the cottage, marking it with a square with a large X going through it. She hoped her memory served her well enough. Until then, the best thing she needed was a good night's rest.

Grace tucked the map and pen into her purse, ready for the next day. After giving Kayla a shower and changing her into her Spongebob pajamas, Grace showered herself. She didn't have anything to wear to bed except her silk nightgown that Ted had given her on their first anniversary. It wasn't the ideal piece of clothing to bring on a road trip, but she'd left the house in such a hurry she didn't have time to pick and choose. She was glad she'd kept it in any event. It brought back nice memories.

She remembered how much she loved when Ted would run his hands across her body, feeling her figure through the smooth silk. How he would pull the straps from her shoulders aside, and pull them down to uncover her breasts, one by one. How he would lift the hem above her waist and slip one of his hands down into her panties, and give her butt a firm squeeze.

It wouldn't take long before Grace was on her back with her legs spread, and Ted was between them, pumping her full of cum and impregnating her with a beautiful baby daughter. Yes, the nightgown had very pleasant memories for Grace, and she was happy to wear it.

With her nightgown on, and seeing Kayla with Bernie tucked under her arm, Grace crawled into bed beside her and turned off the bedside lamp. Grateful to have such a terrible day behind her, Grace soon was fast asleep.

* * * * *

Her hips swayed gently back and forth as she sauntered into the restaurant, catching the eye of every man in the waiting area. The maitre d' smiled as she approached him.

"Good evening, ma'am," he said, unconsciously giving her a slight bow as he did.

"Table for two," Gabby said, squeezing the strap of her purse.

"Right this way." He led Gabby through the restaurant and out onto the patio, where he seated her beside a large fountain. The flowing water shimmered in the moonlight as it blasted from the spigot on top and cascaded down to the basin like a waterfall. Flaming torches encircled the patio; providing illumination for the nighttime diners.

"Gabby?"

She turned her attention to a man seated at the bar just inside the restaurant. He hopped off his stool and hurried out onto the patio until he was at her side.

"Gabby Wilson? It is you!" he exclaimed. "God, it's been forever, hasn't it?"

Gabby gave the man a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry, do I-"

"Trevor Freeman," he said, nervously. "We, uh, dated in high school."

Gabby nodded in recognition.

"Of course. How are you, Trevor?"

"I've been- well, okay. Just got through a divorce, but all things considered, I'm good. How are you? You married Dan Becket, right?"

"We- were married, yes." She folded her hands under her chin.

"Well, sorry to hear things didn't work out there for you either. Listen, if you'd like, maybe we could-"

He was cut off mid-sentence by a slap on his shoulder. Trevor spun around to see Lukas Balko standing before him.

"Holy shit!" Trevor shouted, clutching his hand to his chest. "I didn't even see you there, man!"

"No worries," Lukas said, smiling. "I saw you." He stared at Trevor momentarily. Trevor stared back at him; his heart still pounding. After pausing, Lukas added, "now, if you don't mind, I'd like to share some words with my lady friend here."

Trevor took a step back. He took a glance at Gabby, and then back at Lukas. Lukas stared at him; without blinking. Trevor turned and walked away, feeling Lukas' gaze burning a hole in his back as he hurried back into the restaurant. Lukas waited until Trevor was out of sight before he took a seat across from Gabby.

"I don't suppose that happens to you much, anymore?" Gabby remarked, amused.

"You might be surprised," Lukas said. "There was a fellow at Bellbrook who was convinced I was an old army buddy of his. I think it was just the dementia talking."

Gabby chuckled. A waiter approached.

"Good evening! My name is Pierre, and I will be your server this evening. Can I interest you in some wine?"

"A glass of Chateau Latour for the lady. Nothing for me," Lukas said.

"Right away," the waiter said.

Lukas turned his attention back to Gabby. "So... did Daniel Becket give you any trouble?"

Gabby cocked her head coyly.

"Lukas. You should know me better than that. He is but a toy." She reached into her purse, and removed the skeleton key, and laid it upon the table. "He had this on him. I thought you might like it back."

"Keep it," Lukas said. "I'd like you to pay a visit to your new pet tonight. See how he's liking his new cage. Do what you do best."

Gabby placed the key back into her purse. "There's still the matter with Harker. None of the boys seem to be able to find her. She's disappeared."

"Harker's been smart. She's covered her tracks very well. But she's going to slip up soon. I can feel it. And when she does, I'll be on top of her before she knows it."

Gabby giggled. She slipped her foot between Lukas' legs and rubbed his crotch with her toes. The waiter returned with a wine glass, which he placed in front of Gabby. He filled it up with Chateau Latour, smiled at Gabby, and retreated back into the restaurant.

Lukas admired the fountain beside them.

"You know, that fountain looks just like one I saw in Rome back in the late sixties," Lukas said, fondly.

"Popular design?" Gabby asked.

"That's not the half of it. I was there on business for a weekend, but took some time to see the sights as well. I picked up a prostitute and took her back to my room for the usual. And she tells me, that her father was an architect, and he designed that fountain. While the original was destroyed in a bombing in 1943, the same design was used for multiple fountains all over Europe and North America. And, she sounded truly proud of that; being related to such a renowned architect. So, out of a sense of, I don't know, familial obligation, I decided to leave her body in that fountain when I was done with her."

"How sentimental of you," Gabby said, sardonically. She took a sip of her wine.

"Well, you know I'm nothing if not sentimental. Funny thing was, the girl was lying. You know I can always spot a liar, it's one of my gifts after all, but in this case, I happened to know she was lying because I knew that architect personally. I went to university with him in the 30s. He died childless."

Gabby let out a long laugh. She threw her head back and cackled. "What a poor, poor, girl!"

Lukas nodded in agreement. "Well, I decided to throw her in that fountain anyway. I figured, why not let her fib dictate her final resting place? If it made her feel important?"

Gabby shrugged. "You know, Ted Harker told me he was a star quarterback in high school. Maybe I should have left him in the end zone."

Gabby laughed again, and Lukas smirked. She leaned in close to him.

"So, what would you like me to do with Daniel Becket?"

Lukas stared her in the face.

"Would it be a problem if I asked you to kill him?"

"Of course not." She said it without flinching.

"He was your husband."

Gabby looked Lukas square in the eye. "Gabby Becket is dead. I am your wife now, nothing more."

Lukas raised one eyebrow.

"Lukas Balko is also dead. But when he held his sister by her ankles off the roof of a Paris hotel and threatened to let go, he didn't."

Lukas paused, and added; "but between you and me, if I'd known she'd send me to a psychiatric facility I most certainly would have. The point is, Gabby, some of us retain a bit of humanity after death. Some of us more than others."

Gabby swished her wine in her glass and took another sip.

"You needn't worry about me. You are the only man in the world to me. The others are just pets. Playthings. I wouldn't hesitate to put a single one of them down for you."

Lukas smiled with satisfaction.

"My dear, you may well be ready to earn your horns."

The suggestion made Gabby giddy with excitement. She grabbed her wrists and squeezed her breasts together, giggling. She'd been waiting a long time to hear him say that.

"So- do you want me to kill him?" she asked.

"No," Lukas said. "I want to see him for myself. Take me to him."

He took a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and laid it on the table. He and Gabby rose from their table and made their way out of the restaurant.

It was a short walk from the restaurant to St. Harold's. When they arrived at the Balko Family Crypt, Gabby unlocked the door with the skeleton key.

"I hope your temporary resting place is adequate," Gabby said, as they stepped into the crypt. She picked up a torch from the crypt wall and ignited the end with a lighter from her purse. "Once Grace has been found we'll have you back here where you belong."

"Indeed." Lukas approached the casket where his wife, Annabelle lay. He rested his hand on the dusty wood, and stared at it in despair.

"My love," Gabby said. "He's over here."

Lukas tore his hand away from Annabelle's casket, and turned his attention to his own. Gabby opened the lid to Lukas' casket, where Daniel Becket lay struggling inside. His hands and feet were bound, his mouth was gagged, and he stared up at Lukas and Gabby as though they were the grim reapers themselves.

"Hello, Mr. Becket," Lukas said, grinning. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you again."

* * * * *

A loud rapping on the door woke her up. Grace sat up in bed, unsure if she had dreamed it or if it had actually happened. Her question was answered when she heard it again. Panic seized her body. No matter who it was, Grace was certain it wasn't good. She reached to her bed side and grabbed the silver dagger, and clutched it closely.

"Mommy, what's that?" she heard Kayla ask.

"I don't know, sweetie, let me check."

Grace climbed out of bed and tiptoed towards the door, holding the dagger behind her back. She peered through the peep hole.

She could see a young woman on the other side. She didn't look like motel staff. The woman wore a red tank top and had blonde hair with pink highlights, with dark mascara around both eyes. She didn't look like anyone Grace had seen before. Grace considered ignoring her, hoping she'd go away, but the woman knocked a third time, sounding more insistent.

"Hello! I need to speak to you! It's important!" the woman shouted.

Please go away; please go away, Grace whispered to herself.

The woman knocked again.

"Hello! Can you answer me? I'm calling the police!"

Shit, Grace thought. This was going to spiral out of control.

"What do you want?" Grace shouted.

"Can you open the door?" the woman asked.

Grace sighed in frustration.

"Just a moment!" she shouted. Grace hurried to Kayla's side. "Kayla, I need you to hide under the bed for me. Do not make a sound. Don't come out until I say it's okay. Can you do that?"




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04



Kayla nodded. Grabbing her teddy bear, she climbed under the bed and stayed hidden.

"Don't come out. Not until I say," Grace repeated.

She walked to the door, and to her dismay, it did not have a chain latch. Holding her knee against the door, she unlocked the dead bolt and let the door open just wide enough to make eye contact with the woman on the other side.

"Hi," the woman said. "Are you the owner of the gray Chrysler out in the parking lot?"

"Yes," Grace said, squeezing the dagger behind her back.

"I'm so sorry, but I kind of hit your car while I was driving in. It was dark, and I was distracted, and it looks like your front fender is caved in."

Grace cursed silently, and the woman shrugged sheepishly.

"Listen, I can pay you for the damages. I can get my dad on the phone and he'll wire you however much you need."

"Let me- let me just see how bad the damage is," Grace said. She opened the motel door all the way and stepped outside. She took one step onto the balcony and had a gun pointed at her temple. Neil Corliss stared Grace straight in the eye and smiled.

"What's up, Harker?" he mocked her. "Hands up. Now."

Not even thinking, Grace raised both hands in the air, with the dagger in one.

"She's got a knife!" the young woman said.

"Drop it!" Neil said. Grace dropped the silver dagger onto the balcony. "Bethany, pick it up."

The woman picked up the dagger.

"Now get her purse." Bethany went into the room and Grace felt another stab of panic shoot though her chest. Bethany walked to the very edge of the bed. Kayla could see her feet, no doubt. Bethany grabbed Grace's purse from the nightstand.

"Look, just take what you want, I'm not a cop any more," Grace said, unsure if she meant that or not. Bethany hurried out of the room with Grace's purse in her hand.

"Keys in there?" Neil asked. Bethany fished them out. "All right, let's go. Harker, you're coming with us."

"I'm WHAT?" Feeling the situation run from bad to worse, Grace almost contemplated telling them about Kayla. She decided against it, not wanting to put her daughter in harm's way as well. Neil shoved the barrel of his pistol against Grace's back, and nudged her forward.

Bethany walked in front, while Grace followed with Neil's gun against her. Grace shivered in the night air, feeling a gust of wind rush up her nightgown and leave a wave of goosebumps on her thighs. They hurried down the steps and as they passed the main office, Grace noted with some optimism that the open sign was still on.

"Don't even think about it, Harker," Neil said. He walked Grace out into the parking lot and stopped when they reached Grace's car. It was, of course, undamaged. "Open the trunk."

Bethany rummaged through Grace's keys and slipped one into the trunk lock. The trunk popped open. It was mostly empty with the exception of a few boxes of Ted's belongings Grace had been meaning to donate.

"Now get in," Neil demanded.

Grace once again contemplated telling them about her daughter, back in the motel room, hiding under the bed. Her mouth went dry and she found herself unable to speak.

"He told you to get in the trunk, bitch," Bethany snapped. Neil aimed the barrel of his pistol between Grace's eyes.

"I'm getting in, I'm getting in!" Grace assured them, her voice wheezing with panic. She climbed into the trunk and lay on her side, bringing her knees to her chest. She pulled the hem of her nightgown forward, but it wasn't quite long enough to conceal her panties in this position. Neil leered at her and shut the trunk.

It was as if he'd shut a coffin lid closed on her. Panic gripped her, and the possibilities of what Neil had planned for her played through her mind. She heard Neil and Bethany climb into the car and start the ignition, and soon after, they drove out of the motel parking lot.

Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, she prayed to herself.

As they drove down the empty road, Grace agonized over what they could possibly want with her, and the only scenario she could imagine was that they wanted her dead. She tried to plot an escape, but was at a loss of ideas. The box in the trunk with her had nothing but clothes and baseball cards. Not even Ted's baseball bat; that she'd considered donating but thought better of it. As far as she could tell, she was defenseless.

They drove for what seemed like ten minutes, when she felt the car pull over to the side of the road, and heard the engine shut off. Grace waited.

She heard Neil and Bethany approach the trunk, and unlock it.

"Get out," he said as soon as he lifted the trunk open.

Grace climbed out of the trunk and saw he had stopped in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but trees on both sides of the road, spanning as far as the eye could see in both directions. Realizing this, Grace was very, very afraid.

Neil put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He appeared neither happy nor upset; this seemed to be a routine situation for him. He was dressed in ripped dirty jeans and a black T-shirt. Stubble lined his face, hardened by years of living on the streets. Bethany looked to be a few years younger than Neil; pretty, and not the type she would have expected to fall into a life of robbery and murder.

"Into the woods. Let's go," Neil said.

"No, please!" Grace cried, hysterically. "I have a daughter! Her name's Kayla, she's four years old! She's back in the motel room right now, please don't kill me I'm all she's got!"

"Bullshit," Neil said. "There wasn't nobody back in that room."

"Yes, my daughter was there! She was hiding under the bed! Please, my husband died last week, don't kill her last parent!"

"Walk to the woods, bitch." Neil pointed his gun at her.

"She's got a daughter, Neil," Bethany said. Grace thanked God she might have a chance if Bethany took pity on her.

"No she don't. She's lying. Just like she was lying when she said she wasn't a cop."

"I'm not lying! For God's sake there's a car seat in the back! You can see for yourself!"

Neil eyed her carefully. He took two steps to his left and glanced into the back seat of the Chrysler.

"Shit," Neil said, and bit his lip.

"It's okay, Neil," Bethany said. "Let's just leave her here. We'll be gone by the time she gets back."

Neil shook his head.

"No, she seen our faces. She knows our names. We can't let the cops find out we did this."

"They already know!" Grace said. "My daughter knows how to call 911. She would have done it as soon as we left the room. You kill me, you WILL get caught, and it'll be life for you this time."

Neil lowered his gun. He knew Grace was probably bluffing. But he'd been outsmarted by her before.

"All right. I'll let you live."

"Thank you," Grace said, trying to stifle her tears.

"But first," Neil said, aiming his gun at her again. "You're gonna strip."

Grace looked at Neil, shocked.

"What?"

"You heard me. Take off that dress."

Trembling, Grace pulled her nightgown over her head, and Bethany took it from her. She folded it neatly and placed it in the trunk. Neil kept his gun on Grace as he waited for her to continue.

Grace carefully unclasped her bra and handed it to Bethany as well. She placed it in the trunk.

"Everything, Grace," Bethany said, eyeing the last article of clothing Grace had on her. Grace slid her panties to her ankles and handed them to Bethany, who tossed them into the trunk and shut it.

Grace stood naked, covering her breasts with one arm and her private area with her hand. Neil stared her up and down, smiling.

"Come on, Neil, let's get going!" Bethany said.

"Get in the car, bitch!" Neil snapped. Bethany sneered at him and got into the passenger seat. Neil took a step closer to Grace. "So, you wanna walk away from this alive?"

Grace nodded. Neil unzipped his pants and took out his penis.

"Get on your knees, and suck my cock."

Grace shut her eyes. She wasn't sure if she could endure another rape. But she would have to. If it meant keeping herself alive for Kayla. Sobbing, Grace walked towards him, and knelt down, cringing when she felt the hard gritty asphalt on her knees. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she leaned towards him and readied herself to take his disgusting member into her mouth.

"Ah, fuck it," Neil cursed, and slapped Grace across the head, knocking her to the ground. "I don't want a blow job from a bitch who's gonna cry."

In an unfathomable display of generosity, Neil dropped the motel room key onto the ground in front of her. He got into the driver's seat of the Chrysler, and started it up.

"Don't ever let me see you again," he barked back at her, and squealed the tires, flinging gravel into her face as he drove away in the direction he came.

Grace cried for several minutes, and shivered. Grabbing the key, she pulled herself to her feet, and stared down the dark, empty road. She had no money, no car, and no clothes. With no other choice before her, Grace walked down the deserted road back to the motel, naked and alone.



TO BE CONTINUED... 



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



Illustrations by LunA.





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



She passed a sign reading "PRISON AREA: DO NOT PICKUP HITCHHIKERS" and lamented how much worse her luck could possibly get.

Thoughts of Kayla raced through her mind. She told Kayla to stay put; she knew Kayla would, but for how long? How long before the frightened preschooler decided to leave?

Please stay put, Kayla; Grace said to herself as she ran faster down the road. For the love of God, please just stay where you are.

* * * * *

"So you actually spoke to Detective Harker?" Lukas asked, as he pulled out of the gas station. Bethany sat in the passenger seat of his station wagon, while Neil sat directly behind Balko, with his Beretta aimed at the supposed detective's back and ready to fire the moment things went south.

"Not for-" "Well we-" Bethany and Neil answered simultaneously.

"One at a time, please," Lukas said, amused. He turned to Bethany, prompting her to answer first.

"Yes, we did," Bethany said. "We just struck up a conversation with her while we- I mean, she- was filling up. And she mentioned she was staying at the Shady Woods."

They'd told Lukas their pickup had broken down, and they'd arrived at the station on foot when Grace was at the pump.

"Did Harker suspect you were tracking her?" Lukas asked.

Bethany shook her head.

"No, we actually started talking before I saw her on that sign."

"Well, isn't that fortunate?" Lukas remarked. "Did she happen to say where she was headed? After staying at this motel?"

"We didn't talk long," Neil answered quickly, before Bethany could get a word out. She was starting to worry what Neil might say to her once they were alone, and decided she should refrain from talking to the detective much more.

She looked around the vehicle, and noticed the rear view and side mirrors had been removed. Lukas drove with his eyes focused on the road in front of him, only occasionally averting his gaze to look at her. He turned the wheel with expert precision, keeping the car in the center of the lane and never once drifting to the left or right, even an inch.

"Detective, do you have a bandage?" Bethany asked, holding up her cut finger.

Lukas took one glance at Bethany's bleeding finger, and nearly drove off the road. He gripped the steering wheel and scrambled to turn the car back on course, panting heavily.

"What's the matter? You don't like blood?" Neil asked. Lukas coughed.

"It- makes me- queasy," Lukas said, sweat dripping from his forehead. He looked at Bethany, with her low cut top and her tight jeans. Her full cleavage peeked out of her tank top invitingly. A small rip in her jeans revealed just a few inches of bare thigh. She would be a delicious feast; that was for certain.

No, he said to himself. He was here for Harker. Everyone else could wait; the next woman he killed had to be Harker.

Lukas got a hold of himself, and his vehicle, and pulled into the parking lot of the Shady Woods. He looked around the half-empty lot, making a note of all the cars he could see.

"I don't see Harker's Chrysler here," he said.

"Maybe she's just not back yet?" Bethany suggested innocently.

"Perhaps. Let's have a talk with the motel staff," Lukas said. He stepped out of his car and Neil and Bethany followed him into the main office. Neil holstered his weapon as he exited the car, and pulled his jacket forward to conceal it.

Haley Farough was at the front desk, with headphones on her ears blasting loud music while she worked on her calculus homework. She didn't look up when Lukas walked in. Lukas tapped on the desk and got her attention, and she quickly removed her headphones.

"Oh, hi! Sorry I didn't hear you. Can I help you?" Haley asked.

"I hope so," Lukas said, taking Pratt's badge from his pocket and showing it to her. "I'm Detective Joseph Pratt, of the San Amaury police. I'm looking for this woman, have you seen her?"

Lukas removed a photograph of Grace from his suit jacket and showed it to her. Haley gasped.

"Yes, she's staying here now!"

"Wonderful. Could you give me access to her room?"

"Of course, I- is she dangerous?"

Lukas shook her head.

"No, not at all. But it is very important that I find her immediately."

Haley got up from her seat and removed a key from a rack on the wall. She handed the key to Lukas.

"She's in room 12. Second floor, last room on the end."

"Thank you kindly," Lukas said. He smiled at Haley, admiring the young woman's shapely figure. He considered also paying this young woman a visit after Harker was dead if he was still hungry.

He left the office, and Neil and Bethany followed.

"So, you think we can get that reward money?" Neil asked.

"In due time, in due time," Lukas said. "First let's see if Detective Harker is indeed in her room."

They ascended the steps and walked down the balcony, stopping when they finally arrived at room 12.

"You think she'll be here?" Bethany asked.

"Let's find out," Lukas said, and unlocked the door.

He flipped on a light switch, and looked around the room. Grace's travel bag still lay on one of the beds. There was no sign of anyone.

Bethany peeked under each of the beds. As she stood up, Lukas faced her. She stopped.

"Well?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, nervously.

"Is she hiding under the bed?" Lukas asked. Bethany shook her head. Lukas smiled, and looked under each of the beds himself. Both beds were empty underneath. Bethany felt a cold chill as he stood up again.

Neil opened the closets and checked inside, while Bethany looked in the bathroom. Neil shoved past her and pulled back the shower curtain, revealing an empty tub.

Lukas waited outside the bathroom while Neil and Bethany searched inside. He found it nearly impossible to concentrate with the aroma of Bethany's blood filling his nostrils. He could kill her now. Neil wouldn't be able to stop him.

"There ain't nobody here," Neil said, walking out of the bathroom.

"Quite all right," Lukas said. "I'll tell you what I'll do. You two have been immensely helpful, so I'll give you half of the reward money right now. I'll give you the other half after I find Detective Harker."

Lukas removed ten 100 dollar bills from his pocket, and Neil snatched them from his hand.

"Come on, Beth, our guy is waiting." He took Bethany by the arm and led her out of the room. Lukas watched the pair hurry down the balcony, and he looked out to the main road that passed by the motel. He knew Grace was out there; he could sense her. It wouldn't be long now.

Lukas shut the motel room door, and turned out the lights. He sat down onto the bed, and waited.

* * * * *

Grace was almost out of breath when she spotted the motel in the distance. The neon VACANCY sign flickered in the night, and she felt a wave of relief. A layer of sweat formed across her body, causing her to shiver as her pace slowed, so she ran faster again. Squeezing the motel room key in her fist, she scampered across the grass, avoiding passing by the main office and feeling relief from having her bare feet slam against the hard concrete any longer.

"Please be here Kayla, please still be here," she said to herself. The grounds outside the motel were deserted, and Grace breathed a sigh of relief that no one would see her before she could make it back into her room. She rounded the pool area, and as she approached the stairs to the second level, she came to a stop. A small brown teddy bear lay on the ground. Grace picked it up. It was Bernie, Kayla's bear.

"No, no, Kayla, you didn't!" Grace cursed. She looked all around, not seeing a sign of her daughter anywhere.

"KAYLA!" she screamed, no longer caring who might see her. She spun around, looking to the main office, and briefly considering running inside and asking if anyone had seen a little girl. She didn't. She could at least return to her room first. Get some clothes on, and see if Kayla went back there.

Grace hurried up the steps with the teddy bear and the room key in her hands. When she reached the second floor, she paused. Something felt wrong. An oncoming sense of dread overtook her. She suddenly wanted to leave, to get as far away from this motel as she could. But she couldn't. Not without Kayla.

Ignoring her gut instincts, Grace hurried down the balcony, hearing voices coming from behind and beneath her. It sounded as though some motel guests on the first level might be exiting their room.

"Woah, check it out!" a voice said.

Grace turned around to see two young men on the ground level looking up at her.

"Hey sexy!" one of the men shouted. "Lose something?"

Grace covered her breasts and privates with her arms and hurried down the balcony. One of the men took out his cell phone and quickly snapped a photo of Grace's bare behind as she ran down the balcony. She heard the men laugh and walk away.

Grace quickly unlocked the door to her room and let herself inside.

The room was completely dark. Grace felt around for a light switch, feeling all along the wall trying to find it. She brushed her palms up and down the wallpaper until she finally felt the switch and flipped it.

The room was empty. He travel bag was still on the bed. There was no one in sight.

Grace immediately looked under the bed, and saw Kayla was gone.

"Damn it, Kayla!" Grace cursed. She fished a T-shirt out of her travel bag and quickly slid it on. She grabbed a pair of underwear and put it on as well, when she suddenly heard a knocking at the door. Grace peered through the peephole and saw no one.

"Who's there?" she shouted. No answer.

She knew it was a bad idea. She knew opening the door to a stranger tonight was the worst possible thing she could do on a night like tonight, but at this point, she had nothing left to lose. Grace opened the door. It was Kayla.

"Kayla! Where the hell were you?"

Kayla burst into tears.

"I waited for you and waited and you never came back so went to look for you and I got scared so I came back but I couldn't get inside!"

Grace wrapped her arms around her crying daughter and took her inside.

"I'm sorry, Mommy I was so scared! Please don't be mad at me!"

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay, I just didn't know where you were!" Grace suppressed her own tears, not wanting Kayla to see her crying.

"I couldn't get inside so I hid by the corner!"

Grace hugged her tightly, tighter than she had in her entire life.

"Listen Kayla, I don't think we can stay here tonight. It's just not safe here anymore."

"Where are we gonna go?" Kayla squealed. It was a fair question. Grace had no car, and no money. But she couldn't risk Neil and Bethany coming back. And she couldn't risk the possibility that Neil and Bethany would get caught driving a stolen car tonight. That might lead the authorities back to her.

Grace looked out the motel room door, checking to see if the peeping toms had left yet. She didn't see anyone, but could hear voices coming from the office.

"So, you think we can get that reward money?"

Grace froze. It was Neil Corliss' voice. He'd come back.

"In due time, in due time. First let's see if Detective Harker is indeed in her room."

The panic in Grace's heart magnified tenfold. It couldn't be. It couldn't be him.

"Kayla we have to go NOW!" Grace hissed, and snatched Kayla up from the floor. There was no time to grab her travel bag.

Grace switched off the lights and hurried out the motel room, shutting the door behind her. Lukas, Neil and Bethany were making their way up the stairway. The only stairway up to the second level. Grace rounded the corner, and found the balcony came to an end after just a few feet. There was a safety rail guarding her from a twenty-foot drop to the ground below. Grace backed against the wall and held Kayla in her arms.

"Kayla. Don't. Make. A. Sound," Grace whispered. Kayla whimpered, prompting Grace to wrap her hand around her daughter's mouth.

"You think she'll be here?" she heard Bethany ask.

"Let's find out," Lukas said. She heard him unlock the motel room door and the three of them went inside.

Grace wrapped her palm across Kayla's mouth tighter than a bear trap, and her heart shattered as she felt her daughter's tears dribble down the back of her hand.

"It'll be okay. Just be quiet, and I promise it will be okay," Grace whispered into her ear. Kayla squeezed both her bear and her mother's legs.

She could hear them through the wall rummaging around her room, and Grace wondered if now was the time to make a run for it. They would likely not see her as she and Kayla ran past the door. But would she make it across the balcony, down the stairs, and off the motel grounds before Balko and his new friends left that room? Grace was filled with too much doubt to consider moving from where she stood.

The motel room door opened, and Grace went stiff. She prayed they would not hear her heart pounding. She heard at least two pairs of footsteps walking across the balcony and down the stairs. She heard the motel room door close.

Grace waited.

Two were gone. One was left. And she had a good idea of which one was still here.

She wondered if Balko knew she was here. If he was just waiting, torturing her, loving the thrill of the chase. She listened, and heard nothing.

Grace released her grip on Kayla's mouth, and Kayla let out a quiet whimper.

"I'm sorry," Grace whispered. Carefully, she peered around the corner, bracing herself to find Lukas' grinning visage in her face.

There was nothing. She could see Neil and Bethany at the far end of the parking lot, making their way down the road on foot. Lukas must still be in the room. She couldn't risk checking to find out. Grace took Kayla by the hand, and they quietly tiptoed down the balcony, hurried down the stairs, and made their way behind the motel.

"We can't take the roads," Grace said, more to herself than to Kayla. She looked at the foreboding forest behind the motel. "We have to go through the woods."

"No, Mommy, I don't want to go in the woods!" Kayla cried.

Grace hugged her daughter.

"I'm sorry. I wish there were another way, but there isn't. We have to go. We have to walk for as long as we can, or they'll find us. You'll have to be really brave for me, okay? Can you do that?"

Sobbing, Kayla nodded.

Grace took Kayla by the hand, and together, the two barefoot females disappeared into the pitch-black forest.

* * * * *

"I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna do it."

Joe Pratt mumbled to himself and he downed his fifth whiskey- or was it his sixth? - and slammed the empty shot glass onto the bar.

"Yeah, I got it," the bartender said. "You aren't gonna do it. You've been telling me all night you aren't gonna do it."

She was in her forties, auburn-haired, and looked as though she might have been hot in her day, but had been a bartender for more years than she would have liked. She wiped a spill off the counter top with a rag.

"She wants me to do that? She's fucking crazy. I'm not giving into that bitch." Joe grabbed onto the bar, feeling as though it might float away if he didn't keep a firm grip on it.

"Buddy, take my advice. Leave the whore. You're not doing yourself any favors putting up with that."

"Oh, I would if I could," Joe mumbled at the bartender, but not looking directly at her. "Gimme another."

"I think you've had enough."

"Gimme another or I'll-" Joe reached into his jacket to remove his badge, but found it was missing. The events of the day played back to him and he lowered his arm, depressed.

"Damn it. She took it," he groaned. He looked up at the bartender. "Gimme another drink."

She walked away, shaking her head. Joe looked around the room; half expecting to see Gabby seated somewhere nearby, chuckling at him. Instead he saw a group of women, so many sexy women. His dick throbbed inside its prison. He touched the barstool next to him, and felt something in his hand. A pair of black panties. He groaned; remembering the opportunity he'd just missed.

He'd just arrived at the bar of the Blue Lion Hotel when an attractive blonde had begun flirting with him. Even though Joe was a handsome man, and it was not terribly unusual for women to flirt with him, Joe had felt especially lucky that this young fox had appeared to have eyes for him. He'd bought her two drinks before she excused herself, and Joe decided it was just as well, being as he wasn't going to be having much fun with anyone given the metal prison on his penis.

To his surprise, the blonde returned a few minutes later, and dropped her panties on the bar in front of him. Smiling sweetly, she then slipped her hotel room key into his jacket pocket. She winked and walked away, and Joe could do nothing but watch as she wiggled her tight ass inside her even tighter black dress as she walked out of the bar.

She'd been willing to fuck him. Joe thought of all of the vile, perverted things she would likely have done for him in that hotel room, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He wondered if Gabby had somehow put the woman up to it, just to torture him, and he realized she likely hadn't. If Gabby wanted to torture him like that, she would have simply done it herself.

Joe could do nothing but set the panties onto the stool next to him and begin drinking shot after shot, and that's what he did for the next two hours. He wanted out of that cock cage more than he wanted to breathe. But Gabby's condition for releasing him was out of the question. Joe would sooner die.

"Time to call you a cab?" the bartender asked.

Joe shook his head.

"Nah. I got a room," he said, holding up the blonde's room key.

He stumbled out of the bar; tossing the room key into a potted plant in the hotel lobby, and made his way out to his car. He got it unlocked on his third try, and once he was inside, he immediately passed out. He lay sprawled across the driver's and passenger seats, sound asleep.

He dreamed of Gabby.

* * * * *

Music blasted over the speakers while Neil slouched on the motel bed with the neck of a beer bottle on his lips. He took a swig as he watched Bethany dance on the table, wearing nothing but her high heels. Her hips swayed gently back and forth to the beat of the music, and she danced facing the window since she knew how much Neil loved watching her shake her ass.

Neil was certainly enjoying the view. He was only in his boxers, and he'd been sporting a stiffy ever since Bethany climbed onto the table and her clothes started coming off. He leaned over the nightstand, where he'd used the silver dagger to spread an ounce of cocaine into several thin rows. He took a rolled up bill and snorted one line of the fine powder and inhaled deeply.

"You know, I'm thinking about keeping this thing," Neil said, admiring the silver blade in his hand. It certainly was useful, both for spreading coke and intimidating sellers into giving him a better price. He slammed the blade point down onto the nightstand and grabbed a cigar, which he'd also purchased with his reward money.

"How about letting me have a hit?" Bethany asked.

"Get your ass down here if you want some," Neil said, lighting his cigar.

Bethany stepped down from the table, her large breasts jiggling as she did. She had a light tan across her entire body except for her bikini area, where she was still quite pale. She had naturally large, full breasts which contributed heavily to her success as an exotic dancer until the day she ran off with Neil.

She wore a metal stud in each nipple as well as one in her belly button and clitoris. She was only eighteen when her brother's best friend convinced her to let him pierce her clit himself. She liked what he'd done and got the rest of her piercings done by a professional a few months later. When she started stripping, she found the piercings were an attractive bit of flair. After dropping her panties, she liked to lift one leg above her head so her clit stud would shimmer at the guys seated at the very back of the bar, inviting them to come closer. More often than not they would, and she'd get a few bills stuffed in her garter for the trouble.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



Bethany walked to the nightstand, and bent over to sniff a line of coke. As she did, Neil walked behind her and dropped his boxers, and quickly slid his erect cock into her pussy.

"Neil!" she shouted, the sudden intrusion interrupting her hit. Neil grabbed her hips to keep her from slipping away, and began to thrust inside her. Bethany didn't fight him. He was usually quite forceful when they had sex, and Bethany had since learned to simply go with it when he wanted to get his dick wet.

Neil grabbed the ashtray from the nightstand and set it on Bethany's back. She held it as steady as she could to keep it from sliding off, so Neil had a place to tap his cigar ashes between thrusts. He pushed into her, pounding her wet cunt harder and harder. Bethany moaned, and clutched the nightstand with both hands as her boyfriend ravaged her lady zone.

It wasn't enough for her. She lifted her right leg and rested it on the bed, so Neil could penetrate her even deeper. He didn't quite hit her g-spot, but it felt damn good, and she felt herself nearing her climax.

She edged closer and closer, and the ashtray toppled off her back as Neil exploded inside her. She sighed as she felt Neil's cool cream fill her pussy. He grunted, and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. To Bethany's displeasure, Neil pulled out without letting her climax, and causing a thick glob of semen to dribble down her thigh as he did.

He let out a breath and collapsed onto the bed, satisfied with what he'd done. Bethany hobbled off to the bathroom to grab some toilet tissue. She grabbed a few squares and wiped up the gooey mess from her thigh and labia.

When she came out of the bathroom, Neil was sound asleep. He lay on the bed, still naked, with a bottle of beer in one hand and a lit cigar in the other. Bethany took both from him, putting the cigar out in the ashtray which she picked off the floor, and she placed the beer bottle onto the nightstand. While it was a chore to look after him, Bethany actually liked when Neil was passed out. It was the only time she ever seemed to get some peace and quiet.

Bethany turned the music off, and with the sudden quiet, she heard a knocking at her door. Curious, she peered though the peephole. It was Balko.

Looking at the nightstand covered in cocaine, Bethany quickly swept the incriminating powder into the top drawer. Lukas knocked again, prompting her to respond "just a moment!" She put Neil's boxers on him, and grabbed the nightgown she took from Grace and slipped it on over her own naked body. Satisfied, she opened the door.

"Detective Pratt! Did you find Detective Harker?"

"Yes, I did," Lukas said with a smile. "She's with one of my fellow officers right now, but we found her thanks to your tip. I thought now we should discuss the rest of your reward?"

"Yes, we'd really appreciate that," Bethany said. She turned to look at Neil. He snorted and rolled onto his side.

"May I step inside?" Lukas asked.

"Of course," Bethany said. She opened the door and invited him in.

"You'll have to accept my apologies," Lukas said. "I don't have the cash on me at this time. But I do want to let you know you will receive the full amount of your reward, I promise you."

He stared at Bethany's figure in the sheer white nightgown. He could smell Grace's scent on it.

"Do you need my cell number? I can give it to you," Bethany said.

"That would be wonderful," Lukas said. He watched as Bethany retrieved a notepad from Grace's purse and scribbled her number on it. She tore off the note and handed it to him. "Thank you, so very much for your assistance in this matter." He tucked the note into his suit pocket.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Bethany asked.

Lukas smiled. He looked her up and down.

"I see you finally got a bandage for your cut," he said. Bethany looked at the Band-Aid on her index finger. She'd bought them at the gas station after she and Neil had gotten their reward money. "Might I have a look?"

Bethany held out her hand. Lukas took her wrist with one hand, and peeled the bandage off with his other.

"It's important to change bandages often. You wouldn't want to get an infection, would you?"

Bethany shook her head. Lukas stared hungrily at the open cut on her finger. Bethany took her hand away, and went to grab Grace's purse again. As she looked inside, Lukas came up behind her and rested his hand on her hip. She froze.

"You have- a lovely body, Miss Dutton," he said.

"Thank you," she said, softly. She fished through the purse for another Band-Aid when she felt Lukas slide his hand down her hip and onto her bare leg. She looked over at Neil, who was still unconscious on the bed.

"I- have a boyfriend," Bethany said.

"And he is sound asleep," Lukas said. He slipped his hand up her gown and squeezed her bare ass.

"No!" Bethany shouted, and pulled his hand away. "Leave me alone!"

Grabbing the bandages, she ran to the bathroom and shut the door. She turned to the mirror when she felt Lukas' hand on her shoulder. She screamed.

"I don't take no for an answer," Lukas said, grinning. She felt her heart race. How did he get into the bathroom so quickly? She hadn't even heard him open the door.

"You're not a detective, are you?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not."

"What are you?"

"I think you know." He took a step closer to her. Bethany looked in the mirror, and saw only her own reflection, looking terrified. She looked at Balko, clearly standing in front of her. Her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Balko indeed had no reflection.

"Oh my Go-" Lukas put his hand on her mouth.

"I don't want to hear that name."

Bethany's heart raced. Lukas tugged on her shoulder strap and Bethany watched in the mirror as the strap fell to the side, as if by itself. He tugged at it further, revealing more and more of her left breast until the nipple was exposed. She pulled his hand from her mouth.

"Let me go," she cried, meekly. He put his hand on her bare breast and squeezed it.

"LET ME GO!" Bethany screamed. She kicked Lukas hard in the knee, and ran from the bathroom; her exposed breast jiggling with each step. "NEIL! HELP!"

Neil stirred, but did not awaken. Lukas grabbed Bethany by the neck and shoved her against the wall.

"WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT HARKER?" he demanded.

Bethany shook in terror.

"Wha- what?" she asked. His fingers squeezed her throat as he pressed the back of her head against the wall.

"Harker never came back to that room! How did she know I was there! You LIED to me!"

Bethany stared into Lukas' eyes and saw them glow brighter and brighter red. She felt a pit of dread form in her heart.

"I- I- we robbed her!" Bethany cried. "It was Neil, mostly Neil! He stole her money and her clothes and we left her on the side of the road!"

Lukas cocked her head.

"WHERE DID SHE GO?" he squeezed her throat harder.

"I don't know! I- I thought she might go back to her room because she said her daughter was there!" Bethany broke into tears and prayed she would leave the motel room alive.

"WHERE IS SHE HEADED NOW?"

"I don't know! She didn't say!"

"You stupid BITCH! I could have had Harker tonight!" He was squeezing her throat so hard her face was starting to turn blue.

"There was a map! She had a map in her purse!" Bethany choked out.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" he released his grip and Bethany scrambled onto the bed. She fished the road map out of Grace's purse and gave it to Balko. He examined Grace's markings on the map and dropped it, letting his eyes go back to Bethany. Her left breast was still hanging out of her nightgown, and he was fixing on doing the same with her right.

"I wanted Harker tonight! I suppose you'll have to do!"

Bethany screamed, and tried to scramble away. Lukas reached over the bed and grabbed her ankle.

"GET OVER HERE!" He pulled Bethany towards him. She kicked and struggled as Lukas lifted her nightgown above her waist, exposing her belly, thighs, and shaved pussy. He unzipped his pants and took out his erect member. She squealed and tried to squirm away. Lukas pulled her legs wide open and she was powerless to move.

Her right breast was still covered by her nightgown. That was something Lukas needed to remedy before getting down to business with her. He reached for her right shoulder strap, and she seemed to realize what he was trying to do because she crossed her arms over her shoulder. She was feisty; Lukas mused.

He grabbed her arms and easily overpowered her. With her shoulder unprotected, he grabbed her nightgown and pulled it down, and her right boob popped into view. Satisfied that Bethany was adequately exposed, Lukas climbed on top of her plunged inside of her. He cringed once he did, feeling Neil's sticky semen on his own penis. He hated sloppy seconds. Feeling around her backside, he poked his finger into her asshole. Pleased with its tightness, Lukas flipped Bethany over onto her belly and slid his cock into her anus.

Bethany screamed. She looked over at Neil, who snored loudly while Lukas pounded Bethany's tight young ass again and again. It occurred to Lukas that just a day earlier, he'd been doing the same to Grace's little sister, exploring all of her tight little holes while her boyfriend slept soundly next to them. Nora had been a rush job though; he needed her killed quickly to make sure he could have her hanging on the expressway sign in time for Grace to see her.

Lukas hadn't gotten to really enjoy a victim since Marianne. He'd taken his time with her, teasing and tormenting her for hours before finally granting her the sweet gift of death. He hoped to spend just as much time with young Bethany.

She sobbed loudly while Lukas savagely pumped himself in and out of her delicate anus. She begged and pleaded for him to stop, but this only made his cock grow harder. She grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it, praying for it to soon be over. Lukas pumped and pumped, and when he finally reached his threshold, he unleashed a powerful spray of cum inside her rectum.

Bethany felt a chill as Balko's semen filled her. She could feel his cold breath on the back of her neck as he ejaculated, and the cold liquid summoned goosebumps on both of her butt cheeks. Balko withdrew from her, and rolled her over on her back.

Bethany looked up into Lukas' lustful eyes, and trembled. She could see the hunger in his face, and she knew he was looking to satisfy that hunger with her. He stared down at her breasts, admiring her glimmering nipple studs.

"Your jewelry is quite fascinating," Lukas said. "I wonder if I might- play with it?"

Bethany winced as Lukas reached for the stud in her left nipple, and pulled on it. He pulled hard, hard enough that it tore through her tender flesh. Bethany squealed.

Blood trickled from her ripped nipple, and Lukas grinned as he placed the bloody stud to his lips and licked it clean. He grabbed the stud in her right nipple, and ripped it out as well. Bethany let out another shriek.

Lukas giggled as he watched the blood trickle from her cut nipples down the curve of her breasts, and he licked the right stud clean as well, tossing it aside when he was done. He placed his finger to her chest and slid it down her torso, over her nightgown, and stopping at her belly button. He fiddled with the stud in there with his index finger and thumb.

"No please! Not that one!"

Lukas yanked it hard. He had to pull much harder, as her navel stud was embedded in the thick scar tissue of her belly button. Bethany let out a shrill scream as he pulled it though her skin, ripping it open. Blood spattered Lukas' face as it did, forming a dark pool of blood in Bethany's belly button. He sucked the navel stud long and lovingly and tossed it behind him.

"Just one more..." he said, and Bethany's pain turned to panic.

"No! NOT that one! Oh please, don't!"

Lukas was having too much fun to stop. He grabbed Bethany's clit stud, and pulled hard. Bethany grimaced, grabbing Lukas' arms in a futile attempt to stop him. The stud tore through her clitoris with ease, causing Bethany to whimper and sob in agony.

"Please stop!" she squealed, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please!"

"You really should save some of those screams, Miss Dutton," Lukas said, licking the clit stud. "Things will get much worse for you soon."

"NO! Kill me! Please, just kill me!"

Lukas chuckled.

"That's what I like to hear. Soon, Bethany, soon." He licked the blood that leaked from her nipples, navel, and clitoris; moaning in pleasure with each drop of blood he tasted. "Now, sit up, dear."

Bethany sat up; resting on the edge of the bed and letting her feet touch the floor. Lukas sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He brushed her blonde hair to the side, exposing her neck.

"You're going to feel a sharp pain on your throat," Lukas said, softly. His voice was gentle, almost hypnotic. "It will be intense, but it will pass. You will feel a tingle; it will spread from your neck, through your head and throughout your entire body. You will feel woozy, and light-headed. Then you will feel very sleepy. Just close your eyes, and embrace it. You will pass into a deep sleep and you will never awaken. Do you understand, Bethany?"

Bethany nodded, too frightened to scream or speak.

"Good. Now I'd like you to remove your nightgown for me. I like my ladies to be fully nude while I feed on them."

Although she was mostly exposed already, Bethany took to her feet, and slipped the nightgown, now spattered with blood, to her ankles. She turned to face Balko, only to see Neil stirring and sitting up.

"What the fuck?" Neil asked.

Lukas turned to face Neil.

"Well, look who's joined us," Lukas said, as if he were amused Neil would be witness to his girlfriend's demise.

Neil looked at Balko, and then at Bethany's bleeding and naked body before immediately reaching under his pillow for his Beretta. In his drunken stupor, he didn't aim quite where Balko was seated; in fact his first shot missed him completely and instead grazed Bethany's temple. His second two shots hit Balko square in the chest, and the vampire toppled to the floor.

Bethany screamed and crouched to the floor. Neil rounded the corner of the bed; his gun still aimed and ready to finish him. Rather than finding Lukas cowering on the floor, he instead saw Balko take to his feet and stare him square in the eye.

Black blood gushed from the two bullet holes in his chest, and Lukas grinned wickedly. Neil was barely able to get out the words "what the-" when Lukas' grabbed his wrist, and twisted it, hard and fast, instantly snapping the bone in his forearm. He dropped the Beretta and let out a scream, a loud desperate scream for mercy.

Lukas released him, but only so he could grab him by the hair on his head. He lifted the screaming thug off the floor, letting his feet dangle while he felt his scalp slowly separate from his skull.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Neil screamed and let out a desperate howl.

"How does that feel?" Lukas hissed. "It's a lot worse in Hell!"

As if he weighed no more than a throw pillow, the vampire threw Neil across the room, sending the two hundred pound man crashing against the wall and landing headfirst onto the floor with a distinctive snap when he landed. He did not move.

Lukas diverted his attention back to Bethany. She cowered in the corner, covering her nakedness with her arms. Lukas licked his lips and strode towards her. She desperately scanned the room; searching for anything she might use to defend herself, and spotted the dagger. It was still stuck in the nightstand.

Bethany scrambled across the bed on all fours, prompting Lukas to grab the covers and yank them, pulling Bethany along for the ride. She rolled off the bed and made a reach for the dagger, just as Lukas got close enough to grab a fistful of her hair.

"Get over here, you little bitch!"

She reached it just in time. She pried the dagger from the nightstand, and in one fluid motion, jabbed the blade into Lukas' side.

His scream was inhuman. He released his grip on her hair, but his hand remained frozen in a grabbing position. His wolf-like howl petrified her; she backed away as he slumped to the floor, staring in shock at the gaping wound in his rib cage.

"You BITCH!" he hissed. He tried to lunge at her, but winced in pain as soon as he moved. He clutched the knife, and his fingers hissed the instant they touched the metal, causing his to howl yet again.

Bethany didn't know how she'd done it, but she appeared to have bought herself precious time. She grabbed the nightgown from the floor and immediately slipped it on. Lukas groaned at seeing his prey cover herself. She stopped only to grab Grace's purse, which had fallen to the floor.

She had to hop over Neil's body to get to the door. The thought might have disturbed her more if she'd had time to think about it, but her racing heart told her to run, far away from this motel and never come back. Without waiting a second longer, she opened the door and ran off into the night.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Lukas screamed. His side throbbed in agony. He tried to grab the dagger; he very carefully wrapped his fingers so they would only touch the handle, but found he'd lost the strength to pull the blade from his body. Black blood, the essence and life-force of his un-death, seeped from his wound and dribbled to the floor, draining his strength and will with it. Even the bullet holes in his chest, which had been rapidly healing the moment he'd been shot, had slowed their rate of repair the instant the silver entered his body.

He tried to fathom how this had happened. He hadn't foreseen this. The future had always given him little glimpses of what was yet to come, but it hadn't shown him this. He'd foreseen Grace's flight from home, he'd foreseen the call from Bethany to the police, so he made sure he had a vehicle ready, he even foresaw that Neil and Bethany would lie to him, but foolishly he'd allowed it to play out.

Now he had no further visions of the future. Nothing indicated he would survive this- unless...

He saw the phone on the nightstand. He was just close enough he might be able to reach it. He raised his arm, and burning anguish shot throughout his body. This was the second most painful thing he'd ever endured.

He reached over, straining, willing himself to overcome the agony in his body, and grabbed the receiver off the phone set. He pressed zero on the number pad and held the phone to his ear.

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.

Lukas cursed. Her headphones probably drowned out the sound. He never had this problem in the 30s.

At last she answered, and her sweet voice was a welcome sound for sore ears.

"Shady Woods motel," Haley greeted.

Lukas tried to disguise the agony in his voice the best he could.

"Good evening, this is Neil Corliss in room 3. My apologies, but, I seem to have made an awful mess. I'll need a new set of bedsheets. If you could bring them, right away, I'd be most grateful."

"You need a change of bed sheets?" she asked.

That's what I just said you vapid cunt!

"Precisely. Please bring them. Immediately."

He dropped the phone. He didn't hear her response. He breathed slowly, closed his eyes, and prayed his plan would work.

Hurry, young girl.

* * * * *

"Darling, I'm home," Lukas said.

He held a bouquet of petunias in his arm, her favorite. He'd been doing that often lately. It was strange, being in love. While just as pleasurable, it was different from taking a life. Annabelle had made him see the world in a new light.

Lukas had smelled the flowers when he purchased them, and found the aroma intoxicatingly wonderful. It was something he never could have appreciated as a young man. Annabelle had taught him there was joy in appreciating life, not just destroying it.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



She knew what he was. He'd let her know, and yet somehow, she'd looked into his eyes and saw not a monster, but a man she could love. He was forever grateful to her for that. She showed him the joy that could come from enjoying a home cooked meal, of sleeping in a bed, of feeling the sunshine. He had to take special elixirs to survive the sun's rays, and while the discomfort was still considerable, Lukas had grown accustomed to its warm presence, and even come to enjoy it.

He'd given all to Annabelle; he'd even sworn off drinking blood. While he would no longer retain his eternal youth, and had begun to gradually age as the years passed, so did she. Lukas found he was perfectly happy with the thought of growing old with Annabelle, and dying a mortal's death. Coming home to have his loving mortal, human wife greet him made it all worthwhile.

He walked through the parlor, not hearing a sound.

"Darling?" he repeated. Nothing.

He walked from the parlor to the den, and through the dining room. It was curious to hear the home so quiet. He set the petunias on the dining room table as he caught sight of someone in the kitchen.

"Darling!"

Annabelle Balko lay on the kitchen floor, lifeless. Lukas turned her on her back, and saw the distinctive twin holes in her neck. The same vicious holes he'd put in so many young women in the past. But never into her. Never to this woman. He felt Annabelle's skin. She was stone cold.

His vampiric senses told him Annabelle's killer was still in the house. Closer than that, perhaps. He turned around, and was treated to the grinning face of his oldest friend.

"Beautiful, wasn't she?"

Aleksei was slouched against the oven, basking in the afterglow of his meal. Aleksei Orlov. The man who'd given Balko his old life. They'd met as young men, and together they'd gone into business, becoming successful entrepreneurs even after the crash of 1929. At night they'd murdered dozens of young women, and pledged their souls to the Devil in exchange for eternal life.

At the time, that was appealing to Lukas. He'd come to revel in destruction, but as he'd gotten older, he'd changed. He and Aleksei both had dabbled in life in the straight and narrow, but for Aleksei, the draw of murder and blood was too immense. In the end, Annabelle, whom Lukas had met through Aleksei, had chosen Lukas as her one true love and a heartbroken Aleksei had gone back to his blood-feeding ways for good.

"Aleksei. Why?" Lukas asked.

Aleksei shrugged.

"With a body like hers, how could I resist?"

Lukas bared his fangs.

"You pathetic mongrel. You just couldn't stand to see my success! You couldn't handle that I've out-shined you in every possible way!"

Aleksei scoffed.

"Success? Is that what you call theft? Everything you have you took from me. Even her. I never should have invited you into the Blood of Seven."

Lukas shook his head.

"You and your ego. I always knew it would be your undoing. I just never imagined you'd put it above her."

Aleksei climbed to his feet.

"To hell with you, Balko. 'Til we meet again," he mimed tipping his hat.

Lukas was on him before he could take another step. Aleksei, prepared for the attack, was ready to sink his fingers into Lukas' face. He clawed and slashed, while Lukas shoved the older vampire's body into the wall.

Aleksei wrapped an arm around Lukas' neck, and held him in a chokehold as he wrestled him towards the counter. He was strong, almost a match for him. But Lukas couldn't imagine Aleksei even thinking he could best him in a fight. Not until he'd wrestled him onto the counter.

Now Lukas could see how Aleksei planned to walk out of his home alive. On the kitchen counter was a silver candlestick, with a center mount that had been sharpened into a point. Lukas wondered how Aleksei had gotten it into his home without burning himself.

Aleksei twisted Lukas' body, pushing him hard until his neck was directly over the candlestick blade.

"Don't worry Luke. You and Annabelle will be seeing each other very soon. Very soon indeed!"

Aleksei shoved Lukas' head down, the silver blade puncturing Lukas' chest. Steam shot from his wound as Aleksei pushed harder, forcing Lukas to sink deeper and deeper upon the silver blade.

"Dearly beloved! We are gathered here today to mourn the death of one Lukas Balko. A good friend. A loyal husband. A successful businessman. He will be sorely missed!" Aleksei taunted.

Lukas tried to scream, but the silver entering his body paralyzed him. He couldn't move or speak, and could only reflect upon the bitterness of the betrayal of his dearest friend in what were likely his last moments.

With his last ounce of strength, Lukas seized the candlestick with one hand, scalding himself as he did, but managing to pull it from his chest and toss it aside. He tried to throw it at Aleksei but was in no position to hit him. Upon losing his weapon, Aleksei choked Lukas harder, squeezing him, forcing the black blood to ooze from the open hole in Lukas' chest.

Lukas reached for the nearby knife rack. Gasping, he grabbed the handle of the butcher knife and removed it, holding it tightly in his free hand. With one hard swing, he spun around and thrusted the blade into Aleksei's chest.

The stainless steel would have done nothing to Aleksei, but Lukas pushed it in hard. Hard enough and deep enough that the wooden handle sunk into Aleksei's heart. His eyes glowed deep crimson, and smoke emanated from his hair. His skin, formerly pale and white, turned to an ashy gray. Slowly, Aleksei's body disintegrated into pure soot, leaving Lukas alone with a pile of dust before him.

He ran to Annabelle, held her body in his arms, and he screamed. He'd been a vampire for years, but it wasn't until this moment, that he truly became a monster.

It was forbidden for one of the Blood of Seven to kill another. It was no surprise to Lukas that he was summoned before the High Council to atone for his sin. Lukas pointed out that it was also forbidden for a member of the Blood of Seven to kill a family member of another member, however the Head Warlock Baylor declared that Aleksei was exempt from this rule, as he and Annabelle had fornicated.

Upon hearing the word "fornicated," Lukas lunged at the warlock, and had to be restrained by three fellow vampires. Lukas vowed in that very moment to kill the wives, sisters, and daughters of every Blood of Seven member, and to "fornicate" with each unfortunate lady first so he could be exempted as well. He knew they would possibly take vengeance against Catherine if it weren't for the fact that it was widely known among the Blood of Seven members that at the time no one wanted Catherine dead more than Lukas.

To Lukas' dismay, Aleksei was kept on as an honored member of the Blood of Seven posthumously, while Lukas had his membership revoked. He was sentenced to forty days in the Box, the most hellish torture a vampire could endure.

The coffin was made of solid silver, and Lukas was to remain locked inside for the duration of his sentence. It was as good as a death sentence; no one expected Lukas to survive. He was first injected with a syringe of garlic, weakening him to a point where he could be handled by a sextet of mortal monks who'd been entrusted with the secrets of the Blood of Seven. The men laid Balko into the Box, and sealed him inside.

Being inside brought him an agony greater than an acid bath for a mortal man. His skin peeled from his body; his bones were charred; he resembled a corpse that had been doused in kerosene and set ablaze.

He owed his survival to the last person he would have expected. She opened the casket his first night, and placed a cup of fresh blood to his lips.

"Catherine," he gasped.

She'd saved the blood from one of her bath girls, smuggled it into the warlock's temple under her coat, and brought it to her dying brother. She remained with him, soothing his burns with a wet towel and promising him he would survive. She returned the next night, and the next, each time bringing him young virgin blood to drink, and encouraged him to fight on.

No one could believe their eyes when Lukas Balko climbed out of the Box after that fortieth day, undead and well, and no one dared question his threats against them. Yet Lukas did not follow through on his threats. From that day forward, he no longer wished death upon his sister, and would not invite vengeance upon her.

He left the temple that night and fled to the United States, never to be seen by the Blood of Seven members again.

* * * * *

The motel room door opened, but Lukas was too weak to open his eyes. In his weakness, he found himself hoping it was Catherine. It took him a moment to remember that she was dead. Thanks to Grace Harker. He cursed Harker's name again.

He heard a girl scream in fright, and he thanked the Devil his plan had worked. Haley dropped the folded stack of bedsheets as soon as she saw Neil's broken, twisted body lying on the floor. He feared she might leave, so Lukas called out to her.

"Help! Help me! Please!"

Terrified, Haley stepped around the bed, and gasped when she saw Lukas lying on the floor, with a dagger protruding from his side.

"Oh my God!" she cried.

Lukas winced.

"Please. Help me," he repeated. He reached out to her.

"I- I'll call 911," she stammered.

"There's no time," Lukas gasped. He spat black blood onto the carpet. "You need to pull it out."

Haley took a step back.

"I- don't have training to do this!"

"Just pull it out!" Lukas cried. "You have to! Pull it out now. Or I'll die."

Haley looked around the room; anxiously realizing the burden of saving this man's life fell upon her shoulders. Trepidatiously, she stepped towards the incapacitated vampire, and knelt beside him.

"Do it," Lukas said. "Just grab it. And pull."

"I'll try," she said, uncertainly.

Haley gripped the handle of the dagger and pulled. The dagger easily slid out from Lukas' damaged flesh, sending a splash of black blood onto Haley's legs. She squealed, feeling the cold, tar-like liquid cling to her thighs, and she tossed the bloody dagger aside. She was glad she was wearing shorts; if she'd been wearing long pants they most certainly would have been ruined.

Lukas breathed a sigh of relief. He was still drained and weakened, but the paralyzing pain was lifted the moment the dagger left his body.

"I'll call you an ambulance," Haley said, unsure if she should wash her hands first or not.

"No," Lukas said. "They can't help me. Only you can."

More anxiety gripped her.

"How am I supposed to help you?" She found herself contemplating the man dying because of her medical incompetence, and panicked even more.

"C-come here," Lukas whispered. "I'll tell you."

Haley leaned towards him.

"Closer," Lukas said reaching out with one sticky hand and beckoning her towards him.

Haley took another step closer to the wounded vampire, until her ear was just inches from his mouth. Lukas grinned. He grabbed Haley by the back of her head, and sank his fangs into her throat.

* * * * *

Darkness enveloped her.

Nothing, not even the light of the moon lit her way. Grace squeezed her daughter's hand as they trudged through the forest, feeling branches snag their hair and meager nightclothes.

"Mommy, let's go back! I'm scared!" Kayla cried.

"We can't sweetie, I'm sorry! We can't let those people find us!"

Grace had to admit, she wanted to turn back badly. She was no longer certain she was even headed in the right direction as she headed further and further into the forest. The fear, the gripping terror, of Balko finding her, of finding her daughter, chilled her blood to a standstill. Grace would rather be lost in the forest forever than let that happen.

Reaching out with her left hand, she felt in front of her as she proceeded, step-by-step, through the forest. Every time she felt a tree, she would guide Kayla a little to the left and continue, praying they would not fall into an open well or any other danger this forest held.

Her feet were in agony. Both she and Kayla were barefoot, treading across the forest earth and stepping on branches, pine cones, and needles, making their trek just a bit less bearable with every step. The thought that they were leaving a blood trail leading directly to them led Grace to continue faster, and pray she could outrun the hungry vampire on her heels. She knew he could not be far behind.

A loud howl broke the silence of the night, a wolf or coyote by the sound of it. Kayla squealed, and wrapped her arms around Grace's leg tightly. The source of the howl came from nearby. In the direction they were headed.

"Maybe we better stop for a bit," Grace whispered, grateful to have an excuse not to continue.

She sat down onto the ground, finding a sturdy tree to lean against. Shivering, she pulled her T-shirt down, trying to cover her legs, but it wasn't quite long enough to reach beyond the top of her thighs. Kayla took a seat on her lap and curled into a ball, and that seemed to keep her warm. They would just take a moment to rest, Grace decided. Just a few moments, and they would continue on, not be delayed by fatigue or fear of the forest when so many more terrifying things were behind them.

Grace took a deep breath and let her shoulders settle upon the tree behind her. It was not comfortable, but the momentary rest was a blissful recess from her trek though the darkness. She rested her palm on Kayla's head, feeling the young girl drift off into slumber. She could wait a bit longer, just so Kayla could get a little rest. Grace took watch, scanning the darkness for danger. She sat and she watched, and before long she too, had drifted fast asleep.

* * * * *

The gas station was abandoned. Grace, nor anyone else for that matter, was anywhere in sight. Joe slowed to a walk as he hurried into station area, out of breath. Nothing but dense fog lingered in the air wherever he looked.

"Grace!" he shouted, hearing nothing but his own voice echo back at him. He dropped his arms to his sides, helplessly.

He walked between the gas pumps, hearing the faint drizzle of gasoline filling a container. Walking from pump to pump, between the seemingly endless rows of them, he found a faceless stranger standing at one of them. The stranger held the pump and squeezed the nozzle, draining gasoline into a metal drum.

"Excuse me, have you seen this woman?" Joe asked, showing the stranger a photo of Detective Harker.

"She's gone!" the stranger murmured, despite having no mouth, or other facial features for that matter. The stranger walked away with the can of gas in his or her hand; Joe couldn't tell the stranger's gender, and disappeared into the fog.

He looked around hopelessly. He couldn't see or hear anyone, even the gas station looked to be unattended. He hurried to the gas station door and peeked inside.

There was pure darkness inside. Joe grabbed the door handle and pulled hard, and slowly, the door creaked open. Hesitantly, Joe stepped inside.

All he found inside was a morgue. No one appeared to be working, but he did see two bodies laid out onto examination tables, both covered with a sheet. Joe pulled back the sheet on one of them.

Grace. She lay on the table, cold and still. Her empty eyes stared back at him, unmoving.

"I'm so sorry, Grace. I tried to find you. I'm so sorry," he whispered.

He looked to the other body. It was much smaller, clearly a child's body. Joe couldn't bring himself to look at that one. He walked away from the examination tables, and noticed something hanging over the sink. A key.

Joe hurried over towards the sink and grabbed it, and quickly dropped his pants. The key easily unlocked the cock cage, and he removed it, breathing a sigh of relief at having his penis and balls free once again.

He turned back to the examination tables, only to find the bodies of Grace and Kayla were missing. Instead, only one body was present. Gabby Becket lay nude on one of the tables, uncovered by a sheet. Slowly, she sat up, and smiled at him.

"Hello, Joey," she said sweetly. "You're free. I set you free, Joey."

"Thank you," Joe said, unable to take his eyes off her beautiful body. Her soft skin seemed to shine under the illumination of the overhead lights.

"Will you make love to me?" she asked. She opened her legs invitingly, bending one at the knee and letting the other hang over the table's edge.

Joe stepped towards her and took her in his arms. He kissed her passionately on the lips, and climbed onto the examination table on top of her.

"Take me, Joe. I'm all yours. Take me now."

He slid his penis inside her. She moaned deeply as his cock found its place inside her warm, wet pussy. He began to thrust, slowly at first, and building speed as his excitement grew.

"It's been so long since you've gotten laid, hasn't it?" she asked.

Joe nodded. He pounded her harder, basking in the ecstasy of the moment. Relief consumed his being. Relief at having control of his own penis once again. Relief at finally having a female body to touch and hold. Relief at finally having an opportunity to release. He was fast approaching it.

"Ooh, Joey, give it to me! More!" she moaned. He was all too happy to oblige. He squeezed her supple body in his hands and ravaged her, feeling himself grow larger and larger inside her.

"Give it to me give it to me give it to me-"

Joe awoke with a start. He lay face down in his car, with a pounding headache while his cell phone buzzed. He sat up, realizing he was still in the parking lot of the Blue Lion. He felt down into his pants. The cock cage was still there.

"Fuck," he cursed. He didn't need Gabby torturing him if his subconscious was going to do it for her.

He took out his phone and answered it.

"Pratt," he said after a beat, needing a second to remember how he should answer the phone.

"Double homicide at the Shady Woods motel in Mount Franklin," Captain Pillar said.

"Mount Franklin?" Joe asked. He rubbed his hand against his forehead. "That's- out of our jurisdiction."

"We got a dead girl. Raped. Blood drained. They requested someone who worked the Balko murders. Right now, that's just you."

Joe looked at his watch. It was barely dawn.

"Well, if I leave now, I might be able to get there by um, noon?" he said, phrasing it as a half-question.

"I'll tell them you'll be there at eleven-thirty," Pillar said.

"All right." He paused. "Hey. Did they find Harker?"

Pillar sighed.

"The uni showed up to the gas station where she was spotted. No one was there."

"Fuck," Joe said.

"You'd better get going."

"Does this mean I'm back on?" Joe asked, but the captain hung up on him. Joe put his cell phone back in his pocket, sighing. He would have to make a stop at a drug store if he was going to survive this day in his current condition. Reluctantly, Joe started up his Impala and headed to Mount Franklin.

* * * * *

He arrived at the Shady Woods just after eleven. He checked his hair in the rear view mirror. It was still a bit messy, but he hoped it hadn't been obvious he'd spent the night passed out in his car. It occurred to him that he still didn't have his badge. That might be a problem at a crime scene with several detectives who didn't know him.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



Joe stepped out of his car and scanned the scene. The parking lot was packed with police cruisers. Joe surmised this was likely the most traffic this small-town motel had ever seen.

He caught sight of someone in the pool area. A woman lay on a towel, face down, sunning herself. Joe thought that odd, wondering how relaxing it could be tanning with so many police cruisers around investigating a double homicide. Joe wasn't particularly surprised when the sunbather raised her head and looked at him. It was Gabby. She smiled at him.

Joe stepped through the gate into the pool area. Gabby had her bikini top undone, allowing her bare back to bask in the late morning sun. Joe walked to her side, checking out the sizable side-boob visible underneath her arms.

"I have something for you," Gabby said.

"I hope it's my badge, because I need it, being I'm at a crime scene."

Gabby looked up at him.

"Be a dear and grab that lotion. I think I need another coat."

Joe shook his head.

"I don't have time for this."

"You do if you want your badge."

Joe bit his lip. The fact was, Gabby's body looked awfully inviting. But he didn't like being toyed with, even by a gorgeous women.

Joe grabbed the bottle of suntan lotion and squirted a glob into his palm. Rubbing his hand together, he smeared the cool liquid across Gabby's back. Her skin was warm and sensual. He glided his palms up and down her spine, savoring her luscious physique. He noticed her skintight bikini bottoms hugged the rounded swell of her buttocks perfectly, and he couldn't stop looking at it. As he ran his hands around the curve of her hips, he could feel his cock twitch inside its cage.

He knew exactly what she was doing. Every time she teased him like this, she was drawing him further into her fold. He felt his hands tremble more and more the longer he touched her skin.

"Don't forget my legs," Gabby giggled.

Joe gulped. He knew if he put his hands on Gabby's soft, supple thighs he may become too aroused to even think clearly. Gabby seemed to intuitively know this, and she wiggled her butt a bit to coax him on.

Feeling his heart sink, he coated his hands with another glob of lotion, and rubbed them up and down her legs. He kept his hands to her outer thighs, prompting her to spread them slowly apart, inviting him inward. Unable to resist, he gently let his hands wander to her inner thighs, causing his dick to throb in excitement. As he ran his hands higher up between her legs, she closed them, trapping his fingers between her firm thighs. She giggled, and opened them again.

"It's all right if you want to cop a feel," she said. "I don't mind."

Against his better judgment, he slipped two of his fingers underneath Gabby's bikini bottoms and let them graze her butt cheek. The blood rush to his head when he felt her sensuous ass almost made the agony of his sexual frustration worth it.

She arched her back, and slipped her bikini bottoms down to her thighs, baring her beautiful ass.

"Want to give my cheeks a squeeze?"

He did. He truly did. Without even pausing to apply more lotion, Joe pressed both of his palms to Gabby's bare cheeks and squeezed her twin mounds, reveling in their sensual softness. Images of himself having wild, uninhibited sex with this woman played in his head, while he pined for release from his penis prison.

Gabby rolled onto her back and stared up at him. He stared lustfully back at her, seeing her large breasts exposed and awaiting his attention.

"Well, here you go," Gabby said.

He was about to reach for them when he suddenly noticed his badge tucked into the front of her bikini bottoms. He'd been too distracted to notice it. Joe grabbed the badge and tucked it resentfully into his coat pocket.

"I'm gonna need that key as well."

Gabby chuckled.

"You'll get that AFTER you do what we discussed."

Joe took a breath.

"Not happening," Joe said, wavering. It was hard to be confident when talking to a woman who demonstrated time and again that she truly owned him, more and more with each passing hour.

"Then the cage stays on. It's not like I need it back. It was made especially for you, after all." She laughed.

Joe made fists and fumed.

"Detective Pratt?"

Joe looked up. He saw a short man in a suit standing on the balcony overlooking the pool.

"Yeah?" Joe replied.

"We're in here," the man said.

Joe looked down to see Gabby was gone. She, the towel, and the lotion bottle had vanished. Had he imagined her? Joe checked his pocket to see if his badge was there, and it was. It smelled of her pussy.

Realizing how silly he looked standing by the pool alone, Joe hurried through the gate and up the stairs. The man led him into one of the motel rooms.

"Everyone, this is Detective Pratt, from San Amaury Homicide. He's worked all of the Balko murders and is hopefully going to give us some insight into what we're looking at here."

Joe looked around the motel room. There were detectives and forensic sweepers examining the room, logging every detail they found. The body of a dead man lay by the door, with a chalk outline drawn around his body.

"I'm Detective Liuzzo, this is Detective Dougherty," the short man said, extending his hand to Joe. He shook it. Liuzzo was young, slightly pudgy and looked to be fresh out of the academy. Detective Dougherty was in her forties and had likely been on the force longer that Pratt.

"Nice to meet you," Joe said, nonchalantly showing his badge as if he hadn't just retrieved it from a bathing beauty by the pool.

"Anything you can tell us, Detective Pratt?" Liuzzo asked.

Joe looked again at the body by the door. He looked as though he'd been thrown against the wall, fairly hard, judging by the dent left in the wall, before falling on his head and breaking his neck.

"I know him," Joe said. "His name's Neil Corliss. Former gang member. My partner arrested him a few years back."

"That's what we confirmed with the ID we found," Dougherty said. "The reason we asked you here, was this."

Joe followed Dougherty through the room, and he stopped when he saw what lay between the beds. Haley Farough lay dead on the floor, naked, with two holes in her neck. Joe felt his throat tighten.

"Looks like Balko's M.O." Joe choked out.

"You've confirmed Balko is dead, correct?" Dougherty asked.

Joe nodded. He was certain of it. But just a glance at Haley's corpse told him this was definitely Balko's work. He felt a chill in his bones.

"Then we've got an impressive copycat on her hands, huh?" Liuzzo said.

"Looks that way," Joe said, having difficulty concealing the doubt in his voice. He thought of Grace. How she was convinced Balko was still alive. How she fled her home, and disappeared off the grid.

"Her name's Haley Farough. Her father owns the motel. He did an ID this morning," Liuzzo said, a tone of sadness in his voice. "Looked like she was delivering new sheets to the room."

Detective Dougherty took a bag from evidence and held it for Joe to see. The plastic bag contained a dagger, stained with blood.

"What do you make of this?" Dougherty asked. "We found it on the floor. Neither victim has a corresponding wound. I'd say we have a third party."

Joe looked at the dagger closely. The blood was thick and black, yet not completely dry.

"The blood looks congealed. Kind of old. You sure it's fresh?"

"We asked that same question. But take a look at this," Dougherty said. She pointed to the floor, where the same sticky black blood pooled at the base of the nightstand. More of it was stuck to Haley's legs.

Joe felt an overwhelming itch in his brain. First he'd learned that Balko's first victim, Gabby Becket was alive and well. And now he was seeing hard evidence Balko may be alive as well.

"I think I need some air," Joe said. He ran from the room, bent over the balcony, and dry-heaved over the handrail. It wasn't like him to lose his cool on a crime scene, even a grisly one, but he'd never felt he was in over his head before either. The gas station where Grace was last seen was walking distance from this motel, and he knew that was no coincidence.

He looked up to see Gabby standing near the edge of the motel grounds, watching him. He touched his pants, feeling his cock cage through the material, reminding himself that it was still there. His last conversation with Grace replayed in his head. She'd warned him Balko was still walking the earth. And now that Gabby had her clutches on his most personal organs, Joe realized he was in far more trouble than he could fathom.

* * * * *

Grace awoke, and felt the morning sun shining through the treetops. Her back and neck ached horribly. She was still leaning against the pine tree, feeling its scaly bark against her T-shirt. She could feel her hair peeling from the trunk as she pulled away.

Kayla was gone.

Grace felt a stab of panic in her chest once again. She'd mistakenly fallen asleep. Grace took to her feet, staring out into the woods. Nothing but trees in every direction.

"Kayla?" she called.

Only the wind answered. Grace scanned the ground, spotting footprints in the dirt. There were animal prints, likely a deer, as well as whatever she'd heard howling the night before. She spotted blood, just a smear, inside the imprint of a small human footprint. Grace followed.

The small footprints of the young girl continued for several yards; Grace followed closely.

"Kayla!" she repeated.

Her heart pounded faster as she scanned the ground for more footprints, wondering what could possibly have convinced Kayla to leave without her. She reached the crest of a steep incline, and looked out across the forest.

She could see the prints; still traces of blood in them, continuing down the incline. There was nothing else in sight. Grace carefully trekked down the hill, following the tracks until they came to a dead stop. Then there was nothing. No sign of where Kayla continued from there.

Grace turned around, looking back up the hill, watching the tracks as they led down towards her. It was as if the girl had just vanished. She noticed a clump of bushes nearby. Curious, Grace peeked inside. Kayla lay hidden within the protective branches sleeping, holding Bernie under her arm.

"Kayla?" Grace asked, shaking the girl. Kayla stirred awake.

"Mommy?" she asked. Grace breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sleepwalking?" she asked.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Grace hugged her tightly; thanking God or whoever was responsible for her fate to have her daughter safe and sound.

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

"I know, sweetie. Let's look around. Maybe there's- an apple tree or something around."

It wasn't until the words escaped her mouth that Grace realized how asinine that sounded. There were nothing but pine trees wherever she looked. It might be hours before they found anything edible.

Happy to be able to see where they were going, but still sore from having open cuts on their feet, Grace and Kayla continued though the forest. Grace kept the sun to her right in the hopes she might possibly find her way back to the road.

It was daytime; Balko would be back in his coffin for the next twelve hours or so. Grace had time. Time to reach the cottage, to bandage her feet, and pray that he did not find her.

She found herself thinking about Daniel Becket. He'd failed to kill Balko the previous day; that was obvious. But today was a new day. If he hadn't been caught or arrested, he would find some way to get to the Balko crypt and finish what Grace began. Grace would have to lie low until he did. Getting to the cottage was the best place to do that, so she continued on.

"Mommy? I smell bacon." Kayla sniffed the air.

Grace smelled it too. She could hear laughing, coming from nearby.

"Shh. Let's be very quiet," she whispered.

Grace tiptoed through forest, Kayla mimicking her as she did. They reached the base of a hill. Talking, laughing, and sounds of sizzling breakfast came from somewhere beyond the top of the hill.

"Kayla, I want you to stay right here, okay? Don't move."

Kayla nodded. Grace quietly crept up the hill while Kayla sat near the bottom, having a silent conversation with Bernie. Carefully, Grace crawled to the top of the hill and peeked over the horizon.

A brown canvas tent was set up nearby. Outside, a young man sat on a stump cooking bacon and eggs on a skillet over a campfire. The delicious smell of the cooking meat filled Grace's nostrils. But she did not dare show herself.

A young red-haired woman climbed out of the tent, dressed in cutoff shorts and a tank top. She sat down on the stump next to the man.

"Mmm, smells good," she said, flirtatiously. The man laughed and kissed her on the cheek.

"Almost ready," he said.

"I'll get us some plates and drinks," she replied.

Grace watched as the redhead walked over towards a small cooler resting outside the tent. She bent over and opened it, and fished around inside. She seemed to be taking her time; it was obvious she was trying to tease him. He took notice, staring at her tight little behind in her short cutoff jeans.

The woman retrieved two bottled orange juices, two paper plates and plastic forks, and took a seat beside him. He scooped the eggs and bacon onto the plates and the young couple ate their breakfast.

Grace eyed the cooler. It was small enough that she could grab it and run away; if only the young couple would leave. Grace figured she might have to wait a while for them to go hiking or swimming or whatever they came out here to do.

"Want to try again to make that baby?" the man asked.

That answered Grace's question about what they came here to do.

"We already did!" the woman squealed. He playfully poked her in the side while they continued to eat. She giggled.

"Come on, grab her leg," Grace whispered. No sooner did she whisper those words that the young man had his hand on the woman's thigh. He gently rubbed her smooth leg, and the woman seemed to be receptive of the gesture. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"No, don't cuddle. Stick your hand down his pants!" Grace silently directed.

The woman was less receptive to her direction, and simply snuggled up next to him. The man seemed to have the same idea as Grace as he turned towards his lover and leaned in for a kiss. She returned it.

The kissed softly, for several moments. Grace glanced back down the hill, to make sure Kayla was not seeing this. The little girl remained at the base of the hill, making her teddy bear walk around on the ground.

Grace watched the couple continue to kiss. Gradually, it progressed from mild smooching to aggressive tongue-in-mouth action. Grace was pleased to see the young woman climb into the man's lap and wrap her legs around his waist. Her red ponytail bobbed about as she passionately kissed her lover's open mouth. Their kissing was interrupted for just a second when the man worked her tank top up over her head and tossed it aside.

"That's right, show him your tits," Grace said.

This time, the woman seemed to agree on that course of action. She unclasped her bra, only her man was the one to pull it from her shoulders and toss it aside onto her tank top. She removed his shirt, and pressed her breasts against his chest while they resumed kissing.

"Good. Now get those shorts off," Grace whispered.

Although he didn't take her shorts off, she could see him putting his hands on her behind and squeezing her buttocks while they kissed. While it was quite exciting to watch, Grace was getting a bit impatient that the amorous couple wasn't getting down to business. They continued kissing, and the man continued squeezing and rubbing the girl's bottom through her shorts.

"Come on! Quit playing grabass and get those shorts off her!" Grace grumbled.

The couple kissed further, until they toppled backwards and landed in the dirt. Laughing, they made out while on the ground with her lying on top of him. As she wrapped her thighs around his waist, he worked his hands into the waistband of her shorts and unzipped them. She smiled and climbed off him so he could pull them down. She slid them to her ankles while he removed his own shorts.

As she was about to remove her lacy pink panties, she took a glance behind her, almost as a force of habit. Grace ducked; certain that the woman somehow sensed she was being watched. The woman stared questioningly out into the forest, hesitating to remove her last article of clothing while she stared out into the trees.

The man grabbed her arm and playfully pulled her into the tent, interrupting her search. Grace could hear them panting and kissing heavily, and she saw four pairs of feet protruding from the tent's opening. It wasn't long before the pink panties appeared around the ankles of two of those feet and they were kicked aside, and soon after, both of those feet were spreading apart. It was time.

Grace emerged from the forest and crept towards the campsite. She could hear grunting coming from within the tent, and the woman crying out in pleasure.

"Ooh! Ooh! Oh baby!" the woman cried. Grace crept closer, trying desperately not to make a sound. She circled around the back side of the tent, praying she did not step on a twig or rustle any leaves as she tiptoed towards the campsite.

"Yes! Yes! Harder! Harder!"

Quietly, Grace grabbed the small cooler and quickly scurried away. The grunting and moaning that continued emanating from the tent assured her she had not been heard. Grace hurried down the slope, where Kayla was still playing with Bernie.

"Kayla, come on!" Grace whispered, and took her daughter by the arm.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Kayla asked.

"I'll tell you later, let's go!"

Grace and Kayla ran through the woods as quickly as they could; Grace holding the small cooler and Kayla her bear. When they were a safe distance away, Grace finally came to a stop.

"Okay. I think that's far enough," she said, panting.

"What's that?" Kayla asked, pointing at the cooler.

"This? This is our breakfast."

Grace sat down and opened the cooler. While it contained a few packages of raw bacon and eggs Grace had no way of preparing, she did find a few soft drinks and bagged sandwiches. She unwrapped one of the sandwiches and handed it to Kayla, and grabbed another for herself.

The sandwiches were egg salad, and quite delicious, although the guilt of what she'd done tarnished the meal for Grace quite a bit. After eating their stolen foodstuffs, Grace shut the cooler, knowing that it might very well be the only food she and her daughter might eat that day.

* * * * *

He couldn't wait much longer. The hours posted said the shop closed at 3:00 on Saturdays, and it was coming up on 2:55. Joe had been sitting in his car for the past fifteen minutes working up the nerve to go inside.

The shop in question was Big Al's Auto Body Shop. Joe took a breath and prepared himself to make the most humiliating request of his life.

A bulky bearded man was lowering the garage doors, and Joe leaped from his car. There was no putting it off.

"Excuse me?" Joe asked, hurrying towards the man. "Excuse me? I have a small request."

"Shop's closed. We're open Monday 8am," the man said. His name badge read "Big Al." Joe wondered if the man ran the shop entirely by himself.

"This'll be fast. Five minutes, tops."

"What'd I tell you, pal? Come back Monday."

Joe dug out his wallet. He pulled out two hundred dollars and handed it to the greasy shop worker.

"Two hundred bucks. Please. It's an emergency," Joe said.

Big Al took the money from Joe's hand.

"Five minutes," he said. "What's the problem?"

"Can we step inside?" Joe asked.

Big Al sneered and let Joe into the shop. It looked empty, save for a car on stocks and shop tools scattered about. It appeared Big Al was the only employee present. Joe checked around anyway just to be certain, and dropped his pants.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 05



"Woah! What the fuck, pal?" he exclaimed.

Joe held the cock cage for Big Al to see.

"Can you get it off, or not?"

Big Al winced as he examined the metal contraption.

"Yeah, I can take care of that. This way." Big Al pulled the garage doors closed and led Joe into an office. He pulled up a stool and invited Joe to sit. He did, leaving his pants and underwear at his ankles.

"Be right back," Big Al said, stepping out.

Joe sat awkwardly on the stool, waiting for Big Al to return. He felt like he was six years old again, waiting in the doctor's office to get a shot.

The office was small and messy, with greasy fingerprints on every surface. A calendar hung on the wall above the desk, depicting a beautiful bikini-clad model posing under a waterfall. Joe stared at the water pouring over the model's shapely body, soaking her hair and swimsuit. Her nipples were clearly visible through the soaking wet white bikini top. Joe felt his penis twitch, and was reminded once again of the prison it currently resided. Once his cock cage was off, Joe was strongly considering snatching the calendar just so he could have a quick wank to get his head straight again.

Big Al returned, carrying an electric angle grinder and a shop rag. He set the rag on the desk.

"You sure you want me to do this?" Big Al asked.

"Of course I'm sure! I want this fucking thing off me!" Joe snapped.

"All right, buddy." Big Al flipped on the angle grinder. The wheel spun, filling Joe's ears with a loud buzz. Big Al stepped towards him, putting the spinning blade closer and closer to Joe's private area.

Instead of cutting the cage, Big Al pressed the whirling disc directly into Joe's thigh. He only punctured the skin, not into the flesh, but it was deep enough to spray blood onto the back wall and cause Joe to let out a howling scream.

Joe clutched his bleeding thigh, and Big Al kicked the stool out from under him, knocking Joe to the floor. He tossed Joe the shop rag, and Joe pressed it to his open wound. Big Al shut off the angle grinder.

"Hey! I got a message for you from Gabby Becket," Big Al said. Joe jerked his head up to meet Big Al's gaze. "She says, if you try anything like this again, when that cage does come off, your dick and balls are coming off with it."

Joe opened his mouth to scream. How did she know? How did she know he would come here, of all places? How did she always know where he would be, how was she always ready for him? Joe rolled around on the office floor in agony, spilling blood; the full realization of his powerlessness coming over him.

He could see a pair of feet entering through the office door, and he didn't need to look up to know whose they were.

"Thank you, Al," Gabby said. She wore a black trench coat and high heels, and looked down at the trail of blood Joe was leaving on the office floor and smiled with amusement. She knelt down next to him.

"Joe, I gave a you set of instructions to follow today. Now what are you doing here?" Gabby asked.

Joe moaned and rolled away. She grabbed his shoulder and yanked it so he was facing her.

"Listen to me, Joe. You are my little slave; just like Big Al is now. You will obey me, or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

Joe nodded, sobbing.

"Oh there, there. Let me take care of this for you," she said. She removed from her coat pocket a needle and thread. Carefully and methodically, stitch by stitch, she sewed his wound closed, mopping up the blood with the shop rag as she went. Joe winced as the needle passed in and out of his skin, but held still until the work was complete.

Big Al brought a first aid kit, and Gabby used it to clean and sterilize the wound.

"I'll get you some pain killers in a bit, AFTER you've had some time to think about what you did," Gabby said. "For now, I want you to wait in the car while I conduct some business with Albert here."

Groaning, Joe pulled himself to his feet and pulled up his pants. He limped out of the office, one step at a time. He wasn't even out of the room before Gabby removed her trench coat, and dropped it to the floor. She was naked underneath.

Joe turned to stare at Gabby. She turned to look at him.

"Wait in the car, Joe," she repeated.

Big Al stared at Gabby's naked body hungrily. Joe continued out of the building to his car, as Gabby threw herself into Big Al's arms. He could hear them begin to have wild, uninhibited sex as he dragged himself back to his Impala and took a seat behind the wheel.

He stared at his reflection in the rear view mirror, and saw his face was dripping with sweat. He clutched his thigh, still throbbing in agony.

"Why me? Why me, why me, why me?" he whimpered to himself.

He waited ten minutes before Gabby emerged from the shop. Her hair was tousled and her lipstick was smeared, but she was none worse for the wear. She got into the passenger seat of Joe's Impala.

"What a shame. I didn't want to have to do that to that man."

Joe was about to ask what she'd done to Big Al, but remembered investigating the scene of Ted Harker's death and realized he didn't want to know.

"Have some of these, and get to work," Gabby said, handing him a bottle of Vicodin. Joe grabbed two of the pills and gulped them down.

"What am I supposed to do? I don't even know where Grace is!" Joe grumbled.

Gabby sat back in her seat and peered at Joe pointedly.

"While you were sitting here for fifteen minutes like a scared little boy, did you happen to look at what was RIGHT across the street from this shop?" Gabby asked.

Joe's hand, still clutching the pill bottle, dropped. He looked out the rear window and saw a gray Chrysler 200 parked in front of a secondhand clothing store. A young blonde woman with pink highlights stepped of the shop, dressed in recently purchased jeans and a T-shirt, and walked towards the Chrysler.

"Is that her? The chick you said robbed Grace?" Joe asked incredulously.

Gabby cocked her head, and held her index finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, she IS driving Grace Harker's car. Does the detective need it spelled out for him more explicitly, or does he have enough clues to go on?"

Joe watched as the blonde woman unlocked the Chrysler. He jumped from his car, and hurried across the street.

"Hey!" he shouted, holding up his badge.

Bethany Dutton stopped, and looked up at the detective running towards her.

"I need to talk to you!" Joe shouted.

* * * * *

They eventually found the road.

It was a long hike through the forest, but using her memory of the map she'd picked up at the Shady Woods, Grace was able to follow the East Fork River back to Route 1. She and Kayla followed the highway for most of the afternoon, staying in the forest and out of sight of traffic as best they could.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Kayla whined.

"Oh, sweetie, I know, but we really need to keep moving."

"But Mommy..."

Grace looked down to her exhausted daughter. Her pajamas were filthy, her feet were encrusted with dirt, and her young face was drained.

"All right, let's take a minute," Grace said, taking a seat on a fallen log. She opened the cooler, tired of carrying it and happy to lighten it once again. She helped herself to another sandwich, sharing it with Kayla.

"How much farther?" Kayla asked, sleepily.

"I- I don't know. It depends how far down Route 1 we are. I think if we keep moving we'll make it there by sundown. I really hope we do."

"Will the bad man find us at night?"

Grace held Kayla close.

"I'll never let him find us. Don't worry. Where we're going he can never find us. I won't let him hurt you."

Kayla hugged her mother tightly. After a moment, she released her, and peered at something in the woods.

"Mommy, what happened to our car?"

"Oh. It was stolen. By those bad people."

"Why is it in the river?"

Grace realized her daughter was looking behind her. Just around the bend in the nearby road, the gray Chrysler 200 was half submerged in the swampy river. Its tail end stuck up in the air facing the road.

"Oh my God. Is that-?"

Grace took to her feet, and hurried towards the river, leaving the cooler behind. Kayla hurried after her. Reading the license plate, Grace had her assurance it was hers.

"They must have dumped it. Maybe it ran out of gas or they didn't want to get caught with it."

Grace opened the back door of the car and peeked inside. The front seats were flooded, but she could see her purse floating inside. She grabbed it.

"They left my purse. Doubt there's anything left inside."

Grace rooted though the soaking wet purse. Predictably, her wallet and valuables were gone. What did remain was perhaps the most important.

"It's the map!" she exclaimed. Unfolding it, she was overjoyed to find the map, with the path to the cottage outlined in pen. "This is- this is wonderful!"

The map would be a useful guide, that was no doubt. What made Grace happiest was the fact that the map was here. Neil and Bethany hadn't given it to Balko.

Too excited to rest, Grace continued on; her enthusiasm putting a hop in Kayla's step as well. Both of them hurried along, clinging to hope they would arrive at the cottage by sunset.

When they arrived at the Oak Creek exit, Grace and Kayla were able to sneak aboard a pumpkin truck that had stopped at the intersection just off the exit. They nestled in near the back, out of view of the driver, and hid while he carried them most of the way down Oak Creek road.

It occurred to Grace that this was the closest Kayla would get to celebrating Halloween this year. While other children were putting their costumes on and getting ready to go out and collect candy, Kayla was here, hiding amongst the pumpkins. Grace vowed that next year would be different.

It didn't take long before the truck arrived at Harmony road, and while the truck did not turn there, it did stop at an intersection giving the stowaways an opportunity to disembark. Grace led her daughter quickly into a nearby cornfield where they stayed out of sight until the pumpkin truck had driven away.

They set out down Harmony road on foot. As the sun dipped closer and closer to the horizon, and their feet ached worse and worse, Grace had to prod her daughter and herself along.

"Come on, Kayla. We can make it. Not much farther," she assured her.

She recognized the exit immediately. The dirt path did not have a name, but Grace knew where it led. Taking Kayla by the hand, she hurried down the path, knowing her sacred destination was almost within reach.

"Come on, Kayla, we're almost there!" Grace cheered, but the girl was nearly in tears.

"Mommy, I can't walk anymore!" she cried.

Grace knelt down. "Here, climb on my back. We just have a little more to go. Just a little more, and then we're safe. Safe!"

Kayla climbed aboard. She had grown heavier in the past year, but Grace was too determined to let Kayla weigh her down. She pressed on. The road was familiar, and Grace felt her spirit refreshed knowing she was about to return to her childhood sanctuary.

The sky was bright crimson in the west, and Grace knew daylight was almost gone. But it didn't matter. No one would find this place. No one. She ignored her aching feet, and the weight of her daughter on her back. It wasn't much farther.

"There's the driveway! I see it!" Grace cheered. "Let's go!"

Kayla laughed, happy to have a goal insight. Grace hurried down the dirt road, until the cottage was in sight.

It was exactly as she remembered. While the lawn was overgrown, the cottage stood exactly as it had a decade earlier. Grace could picture herself walking inside, and seeing her grandfather seated in the easy chair facing the door, smiling at them as they entered.

She knew her grandfather would not be there now. But perhaps the chair would still be there, a friendly reminder of a gentler time. The house itself was a sight for sore eyes, and filled her spirit with delight just to finally be here. She paused just a moment to rest, and bask in the beautiful sight.

"We're just in time to see the sunset!" Grace exclaimed. She carried Kayla around back, and they could see the rocky edge that overlooked the beach at the end of the back yard, as well as the magnificent view of the ocean. "Aunt Nora and I used to watch the sunset over that ocean all the time when we were little. Look, it's so pretty!"

She took Kayla to the edge of the cliff and set her down, and they watched as the sun gently descended below the horizon. It was a breath-taking sight; Grace thanked the stars she had an opportunity to see it again and share the experience with her daughter. Kayla hugged her leg.

With the sun completely out of sight, darkness slowly creeped across the sky. The crashing of the waves against the rocks below sent a tingle through her body, and she felt a layer of goosebumps rush up her bare legs.

"I guess we should get inside now."

Kayla was too sleepy to respond. Grace took the exhausted youngster around to the front, and together they walked up onto the wooden porch. The wood slats creaked as they set foot, just as they always had. The wooden swing still dangled nearby, squeaking as it swayed in the wind. Grace smiled. To anyone else, this would have been a creepy old house. To her, it was a nostalgic homecoming.

"Uncle Tommy usually kept the key hidden in one of these pots," Grace said, excitedly.

The flowerpots on the banister handrails were filled only with dirt now, but a quick search inside them revealed a key still hidden inside. Grace took the key and slipped it into the lock.

"We made it, Kayla," Grace said, laughing. "We finally made it."

Grace unlocked the front door and opened it. Musty air filled her nostrils. She stepped inside, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall; somehow it still ticked after all these years. The house appeared untouched; all of the original furniture still stood where it had decades earlier. Even the easy chair, where her grandfather always sat, usually carving something with his pocketknife, was still exactly where it had been all those years earlier.

But the easy chair was not empty as Grace had expected it be; someone was seated there, waiting for her to enter.

And that someone was Lukas Balko.

TO BE CONCLUDED...



Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 06



Illustrations by LunA.





Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 06



"Oh, right," he said, digging out his wallet. "How much?"

"Depends what you wanna do. What are ya into?" she asked innocently.

Sam cleared his throat. "Well, I was hoping I could- lick your legs up and down..." He stared up at Grace expectantly. She didn't react. "...lay on the floor while you walk on top of me..."

Grace nodded.

"...stick your feet in my mouth and wiggle your toes..."

"Uh huh," she said, still smiling.

"...let me jack off into your panties..."

Grace nodded again.

"...then you put the panties on and walk around the room in them..."

"Anything else?" she asked.

"...and then stick your tongue in my asshole."

Grace cracked a smile, impressed by his imaginative request. Sam looked visibly relieved she hadn't run from the room screaming.

"So how much would that be?" he asked, fidgeting.

"I'd say, oh, two fifty ought to do it." She batted her eyelashes, making him blush.

"Er, okay." He opened his wallet and handed her three Benjamins. Grace stuffed them into her tube top. While he waited for his change, Grace instead produced from her tube top a badge.

"Not your night, sweetie. You're under arrest."

Sam's face sank. "Ah, shit." He got up from his bed and hurried over towards his desk.

"Come on, let's take a walk," Grace said, beckoning him towards her.

He reached into the top drawer of his desk and produced a .38, and aimed it at Grace. She took a step back.

"Easy there, cowboy. All you've got is a solicitation charge. No need to turn this into a felony."

Sam fumed.

"Shut up, you lying bitch! Get on your knees!"

Grace's face sank.

"You really want to kill a police officer? There's a team of cops watching this house right now."

Sam shook his head. "I can't go to jail. Get on your knees."

Grace's heart raced. No john she'd busted had ever been this desperate to resist an arrest. A thought occurred to her that Sam had skeletons in his closet he did not want discovered.

"All right, I'm getting on my knees," Grace said. She readied herself, eyeing the open door that was only a few feet to her right. She dragged her right foot behind her, and as she slunk to a kneel, she bolted, hurrying out the door before Sam could react.

"Bitch!" he screamed, and fired at her. The bullet whizzed past her head as she sprinted stocking-footed down the hallway, leaving her heels behind. Sam ran after her, firing his gun haphazardly as she ducked and scurried down the stairway.

"Get back here, bitch!" he screamed. Panicking, he ran after her, not bothering to shoot as he stumbled down the stairs in pursuit.

Grace reached the base of the stairway and realized that if she went for the front door she would be an easy target when Sam came down the stairs. Grace instead bolted around the corner and headed for the back door. She heard Sam's footsteps pounding down the stairway while she raced for the exit.

Fiddling with the doorknob, Grace quickly twisted it open, and scampered down the back steps into the back alley. She'd only made it a few steps when Sam was on her, and grabbed her by her hair.

"No, please! I have a fiancé!" Grace cried, while Sam held his gun to her head.

"Get in the van," he hissed.

To her shock, a white windowless van was indeed parked nearby. Sam pushed her towards it and unlocked the back hatch.

As if the thought of being dragged away in a van wasn't terrifying enough, Grace was shocked to find the van filled with cattle prods, leather restraints, and devices for sexual torture. Sam wrestled Grace inside. As she struggled to break free, he took something hanging from the van's wall and dropped it next to her. Grace turned to see it was a black leather spiked collar.

"Put it on," he ordered.

Grace examined the collar, and gasped at the sharp, bloodstained metal spikes that lined the inside. She recognized the shape of those spikes, the marks that had been found on the necks of nearly a dozen murdered young women over the past fifteen years.

"Oh my God," Grace exclaimed. "You're the San Amaury Slasher."

"Nice to meet you," Sam said. "Now put it on."

Trembling, Grace took the collar and wrapped it around her neck. She didn't lock it closed, but already she could feel the sharp spikes poking her neck.

"Lock it shut," he ordered.

Grace turned onto her back and looked up at Sam, who stood over her with his gun to her head. She could see a dildo sporting razor sharp spikes mounted on the wall behind him, but it was just out of her reach. But she did have a weapon of her own. The switchblade, the one her partner had given her, was strapped to her inner thigh. Benny had given it to her before her very first undercover assignment.

Carefully, Grace lifted her skirt, and grabbed the blade. She lay between his legs; if she were quick, she only needed to thrust upwards, and she could sink the blade right in his scrotum.

"Do it," he demanded. "Lock the collar closed."

"Okay," she said.

With one quick thrust, she swung the blade upwards. If she'd been a little faster, just by a second, Grace was certain she could have landed the blade directly into his balls. But she hadn't been. He'd seen what she was trying to do, and he'd grabbed her wrist and twisted the blade from her grasp before she could react.

"Too slow," he teased, taking the blade from her. Grace grunted, trying to reacquire the blade, but he pulled it out of her reach.

"Don't move!"

Sam turned to face Officer Benny Mitchel and Detective Joe Pratt as they rounded the corner into the alley and faced him with their guns drawn. Sam immediately opened fire, hitting Benny square in the chest. The bullet bounced off his vest, only for Sam's second bullet to land just above his sternum. Benny fell flat on his back, and Joe jumped clear just in time to dodge Sam's third bullet.

"Benny!" Grace screamed.

Sam pulled Grace into a sitting position and knelt behind her, putting one arm around her neck and his gun to her temple when Joe edged back into view with his gun trained on Sam.

"One more step, she's dead!" Sam warned.

"Dwyer, you all right?" Joe asked.

Grace nodded.

"Give it up, there's no way out of this!" Joe shouted.

"Oh, I know," Sam said. "Just let me kill her. Let me kill one more bitch, and I'll give myself up. How about it?"

"Drop the gun or I drop you!" Joe shouted. "You've got three seconds. One! Two!"

Sam looked at Benny, choking on his own blood on the ground.

"I guess he'll have to do," he quipped. Sam dropped his gun and released Grace. He held his hands in the air.

"Get on the floor! Face down! Now!" Joe ordered.

Sam lay face down on the floor of the van, while Grace hopped out. As Joe read Sam his rights, Grace hurried to Benny's side.

"Benny, you hang in there! We'll get you an ambulance, you hear me? We'll get you-"

Grace awoke. Benny's dead eyes burned into her memory, just as they had in countless dreams before. She had to look around the room a bit to remind herself where she was. The bedroom of her grandparents' cottage. She took a deep breath, and waited for her pulse to return to normal. Turning over in bed, she saw Kayla was gone. Grace sat up with a start.

"Kayla?" she asked.

She looked to the floor. Bernie lay there untouched, but there was no sign of her daughter. Fearing she'd slept through her deadline, Grace jumped out of bed and hurried down the hallway, looking to the grandfather clock. It was ten minutes to midnight. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kayla?" she repeated. She knew the girl was likely sleepwalking, but the discomfort was all the same. Hurrying from room to room, Grace checked every closet and under every piece of furniture.

"KAYLA!" she screamed. She glanced out the back window, and to her surprise, she found her. The young girl stood at the edge of the cliff, staring off at the ocean. Grace hurried towards the back door.

Don't.

She heard Lukas' voice.

Stay away from her. Or I will make her jump.

Grace caught a glimpse of the hallway mirror. Balko's face materialized in the mirror, and stared at her.

The time has come, Grace. You will come to me, now.

Grace backed away, but Balko's leering visage stared right at her.

Now, Grace. You haven't much time.

Balko's face dissipated, and Grace's reflection appeared in his place. She peered out the back window again, and saw Kayla stood firmly in place. Balko no doubt had the power to make her jump if he wished.

Grace picked up one of the wooden stakes. She could bring it with her, and likely fail to get it anywhere near Balko before he sent Kayla over the cliff's edge. Sobbing, Grace snapped the stake in two, tossing the pieces to the floor. She slumped to the floor herself, and buried her face in her hands.

As she cried silently to herself, the grandfather clock ticked on, each click of the old timepiece a reminder of where she needed to be.

"Why?" she cried softly. "Why, why why?"

The clock did not answer. It ticked on, and Grace knew that was the only answer she would get. She pulled herself to her feet, and took off her clothes.

* * * * *

She opened the front door, and stepped out onto the porch. The cool night air chilled her naked body as she stepped barefoot across the creaky wooden slats and onto the grass. The grandfather clock struck midnight, and chimed, one gong after another, urging her to hurry.

She took one last look into the back yard, and saw Kayla hadn't moved. Balko likely used the same hypnotism spell he'd worked on Daniel Becket; Grace had never gotten Kayla to stand so still in her life.

After taking one last look at her catatonic daughter, Grace continued towards the dirt path that led down to the beach. A scant amount of moonlight provided just enough light to find her way. Not that Grace needed it, she and Nora had run down this path to go swimming countless times, enough that Grace could have found her way blindfolded.

She hurried along, wincing as her bare feet seemed to find every sharp twig and branch that lay along the path. The slope was steep near the end; Grace remembered how much she loved barreling down the hill and diving directly into the surf, but this time she controlled her pace, wanting to be ready for anything.

She arrived at the bottom, and warily stepped onto the sand. Lukas stood near the shore's edge, where a roaring bonfire had been prepared just out of the tide's reach. Daniel Becket sat on a fallen tree trunk several feet away, facing the fire. He was still motionless and catatonic. Lukas grinned as Grace approached.

"Grace! So pleased you were able to make it!" He held out his hand towards her. He was dressed in a fine suit and dress pants, though he was barefoot underneath. Reluctantly, Grace went to him, but looked at Daniel as she did.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Daniel, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I tried. I tried."

If Lukas heard her, he pretended not to. He took her hand and ran his finger gently up her forearm, across the many self-inflicted scars, mementos, from long ago.

"Pretty," he said. He kissed her softly on the cheek. Grace froze like a statue, not wanting any more physical contact with him than absolutely necessary. Lukas seemed to sense this, and he stepped closer to her, grabbing her waist and pulling her body against his.

"You look- positively ravishing," he whispered into her ear. Grace felt goosebumps rush across her skin as he rested his palm on the side of her belly. "Tonight would have been the night Kristina would have been born, wouldn't it?"

Grace nodded.

"I'm sure it's no coincidence that you're here with me tonight instead of bearing your child. It must be killing you to think of what could have been."

Grace tried to repress her tears, but she couldn't. She didn't want to show a hint of weakness in front of him, but he knew just which of her buttons to push. She could feel his erection growing the more she sobbed, which only upset her worse. He released her, and pushed her backward into the sand.

"Well then, I think it's time the other guests arrived. Come on out, girls!"

Lukas clapped his hands, and a white, wispy cloud emerged from the fire. The white cloud formed into the image of a nude woman, and soon after, a second. The ghostly women howled in agony as they rose from the fire. One after another, more ghostly nude women appeared and gently drifted over the water. They stared sadly and longingly at Grace, as if to extend sympathy towards her. Grace recognized many of the ghostly women.



She saw Marianne LeClair, Riley Pierson, her own sister Nora, and even Gabby Becket. The kind Gabby, the one she'd met at the Beckets' home all those years ago. Perhaps this is how Balko's victims truly spend eternity. The demoness occupying Gabby's body now was something else.

There were countless other ghostly women Grace did not recognize, although she did notice the least faded of the ghost nudes bore a striking resemblance to the clerk girl she'd met at the Shady Woods the previous night. She was yet another pretty girl who'd lost her life because Grace hadn't caught Lukas soon enough. Her heart sank yet again.

"Is this your plan, Lukas?" Grace snapped. "To add me to your harem of ghost slaves? Why? To what end? You really think one more dead woman will fill the hole Annabelle left in your life? Killing me won't bring her back."

Lukas glared at Grace.

"And killing me won't bring back Benny Mitchel," Lukas said. "Nor will it erase the scars on your arm, or undo the rapes your father subjected you to, or change the fact that your husband chose to fuck a dead woman rather than stay with you!"

Grace felt her blood boil with rage. She'd have struck him if he hadn't had her daughter's life in his hands. She was about to rise to her feet, when Lukas held out his hand instructing her to stay seated. She did.

"The fact of the matter is, Grace, we both have our reasons for why we do the things we do. So why bother debating it?"

Grace had to admit he had a point. There was no hope of any understanding between the two of them. To reason with him was a waste of time.

"Well, with that settled, we can get started!" Lukas said, excitedly. He turned to the fire. "Now, I usually wait until after I've claimed a girl to do this, but since we have a beautiful fire, I thought..."

He took from the bonfire a glowing red brand. The letters "LB," in red hot metal, shimmered at the end of the long staff. It was then that Grace noticed that each of the ghost women sported these letters on their inner thighs, permanently marking them as one of his.

"You will need to remain still, Grace," Lukas said. "This will be quite uncomfortable."

Grace inched backwards. Lukas took a step closer, holding the brand towards her.

"Grace- you need to cooperate. Someone is counting on you."

Grace looked to the top of the cliff, where Kayla still stood. Below her, there was a twenty-foot drop directly onto jagged rocks. Ocean waves crashed over the rocks before retreating and crashing over them again.

Grace stared back at the glowing brand. She swallowed. She held perfectly still, prepared to submit to her fate. Lukas smiled.

"Wonderful. Now spread your legs for me. Nice and wide."

Grace opened her legs as wide as she could. She had to fight the urge to crawl backwards as Lukas came closer and closer with the red-hot brand. She shot one last pleading glance at Daniel and the ghost women, but they both seemed equally powerless to help her.

She closed her eyes shut, and prayed it would be over fast. The metal hissed as it touched her skin, while searing pain shot throughout her body. She let out a scream, as Balko burned his signature into her soft flesh. He pressed hard, imprinting the letters deep, so that not only her skin but the muscles beneath would be permanently scarred by the fiery metal. She was certain he was pressing extra hard just for her.

At last he released, and had to yank swiftly to tear the metal from her, which had fused into her flesh. Grace opened her mouth and let out the loudest scream of her life. Lukas tossed the brand into the water.

"Well done, Grace. Well done. I hope you realize that the pain you're feeling now is but a fraction of the agony I experienced when you touched me with that silver ring." Lukas watched smugly as Grace rolled around in the sand whimpering; her hands hovering over but not touching the burning imprint on her thigh.

Laughing, Lukas dropped his pants, and Grace could see he was sporting a sizable erection. Few things excited him more than a beautiful woman in excruciating pain, especially if it was a woman he'd pursued as long as Grace.

"Grace," he said. "Now that you are going to be my next wife, it's time for you to do your wifely duty."

Struggling, Grace pulled herself up, and rested on her knees. With the throbbing pain on her thigh, kneeling in this position was actually the most comfortable for her. Lukas stepped towards her and held his erect penis directly in front of her face.

"Take it. Drain it just as I will soon drain you."

She closed her eyes as she took the throbbing cock into her mouth, and sucked it, repulsed and ashamed. Lukas smiled with glee as he basked in the warm touch of Grace's lips and tongue against his member.

"That's it. Suck it nice and easy," he sighed.

Grace obeyed, and squeezed her lips around the shaft and took it deep into her mouth, licking it all around as she did. The more she sucked, the stronger the taste of precum on her tongue. She sensed it would not be long before she was treated to a much larger mouthful of the stuff.

"Mmm. More dear. More," he moaned.

She wondered if he wanted to cum in her mouth, or if he would prefer to save himself for her other orifices. Remembering just how much semen she found inside the bodies of Marianne LeClair and Riley Pierson, she realized Balko probably had plenty to go around.

She was apparently correct. Grace suddenly felt her mouth fill with cum; the cool, sticky, salty goo pooled upon her tongue and made her wince. She was inclined to immediately spit it out but she knew Balko would likely stop her. Instead she let the ejaculate fill her mouth, while she tolerated the taste as best she could.

Lukas sighed. He let his penis drain completely before he withdrew from her mouth. He chuckled as the last drops of aftercum and saliva dribbled down her chin.

"That was wonderful dear. Now, swallow it down."

She obeyed. She nearly choked, but ingested the majority of it while still leaving the bitter taste on her lips and tongue.

"Now lie on your back," he said softly. He removed his jacket and dress shirt and laid them in the sand.

Grace lay on her back as he instructed. Lukas climbed on top of her, and slid his still erect penis inside her. She groaned in discomfort, but that only seemed to excite him more. Her brand stung when Lukas' body brushed against it, prompting Grace to spread her legs even farther.

He pumped in and out of her; treasuring every inch of her body. Grace could do nothing but lie still, and pray it would be over soon.

"Give yourself to me, Grace. Give me your body and soul!" he cried.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 06



As far as she could tell, she had. She'd handed herself over, naked and defenseless, for Lukas to claim as his own. Faster and faster he ravaged her like an untamed animal. Grace let out a desperate scream, only for Lukas to let out his own cry- of victory.

"Please kill me!" Grace cried. "Please, just kill me!"

Lukas stopped.

"Are you in some kind of hurry Grace? You know once you're dead it will be much worse. In Hell I can do so many more wicked things to you than I can here. Trust me when I say, you'll want this to last as long as possible."

Grace let out a long whimper, and Lukas continued thrusting. If what Lukas said was true, if the worst horror was still yet to come, Grace wondered if she'd made the wrong choice surrendering herself. Seeing Kayla, still perched at the top of the cliff far in the distance, reminded her she hadn't. As long as Kayla lived, no burden would be too severe.

His thrusting pace quickened, and Grace could feel him approaching his climax. She winced as she felt her pussy fill with his cool cum, and he exhaled softly as he did. Grace squeezed her eyes shut and tried to wish herself away to some other place. Her guardian angel, if she had one, didn't seem to be listening, because Grace remained right where she was.

"We're almost finished, Grace," he whispered into her ear. "Now I just need you to turn over."

"No, please," Grace pleaded. But she knew Balko's M.O. He never left any orifice untouched. But she did not want Lukas sodomizing her for more reasons than just her normal reluctance. She'd hidden a surprise for him in there. She knew he would spot any weapon she tried to bring with her if she was nude, so she'd hidden the broken tip of her wooden stake between her buttocks. She'd held them tight her entire walk down to the beach, and it remained in place despite her branding and forced intercourse. But she could keep it hidden no longer if he wished to penetrate her anus.

Balko withdrew from Grace's vagina, and picked up a handful of sand. Gently, he released the sand in a steady stream upon Grace's brand. She screamed, and jerked away, only for Balko to grab her thigh and hold it in place until he'd released the entire fistful of sand onto her burn.

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" she wailed.

"Are you going to be a good girl?" Lukas asked.

Grace nodded frantically.

"Then turn over."

"Just give me a minute," she said, panting. She prayed she might distract him just long enough that she could get the stake without him noticing. She prayed she would be fast enough.

Lukas shook his head, and grabbed a second handful of sand. Grace immediately flipped onto her belly, palming the stake as she did. She slipped her stake-wielding fist into the sand and prayed he did not see.

Lukas seemed more enamored by her bare ass. He gently ran his fingers between her buttocks and spread them apart. He hawked, and lobbed a wad of spit into her anus, and pressed his penis inside her.

Grace groaned, and released her grip on the stake, leaving it buried in the sand. Lukas ran his throbbing member back and forth through her anus, causing Grace to squeal in discomfort. Lukas chuckled. He loved when women squealed.

Grace clutched the ground, gripping the sand with her open palms while Lukas thrusted himself between her buttocks. She found herself growing to hate Balko more than ever when she thought of the countless other women who'd suffered this same hellish treatment before her. She turned to stare out at the floating ghosts above the water; all watching solemnly the fate they'd already endured.

Grace tried counting them; trying to find something to get her mind off of the terrible ordeal she was experiencing, but there were far too many. Worst of all, Lukas was proud of it. To him, those ghosts were trophies he was displaying with pride before he would add her to his collection.

"Why? Why, why why?" she asked herself. She knew no answer would satisfy her. She quietly sobbed to herself, dejected and defeated.

It was then she felt him release, and she knew her ordeal, this part at least, might finally be over. Lukas removed himself from inside her, and stared at Grace, who lay face down in the sand whimpering. He rested his hand on the back of her thigh and patted it consolingly.

"Oh there, there, Grace, it's almost over for you."

Grace ran her hands through the sand and felt it. The stake was there. Lukas grabbed Grace's arms and pulled her up to a kneeling position. She palmed the stake point as she did, holding hit beside her thigh where she hoped Balko could not see it. He turned her body so she faced the cliff where Kayla stood.

"There she is," Lukas said. "Take one last look at her."

She seemed to be glowing. Grace realized Kayla was illuminated in some kind of light, like a car's headlights. Someone had just arrived at the cottage. An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.

"You're going to kill her anyway, aren't you?"

"Grace, don't be silly. We made a deal. I intend to keep it. Now look at her. Take one last look."

Grace watched her daughter stand motionless at the cliff's edge, while Lukas ran his lips slowly up the side of her cheek and down her neck. He could see the pulsing of her blood, coursing just below the surface of her skin. Warm and delicious.

Grace squeezed the stake point firmly. If she was going to try this, she would have to be fast. She could not afford to fail this time.

Too slow! Sam's voice echoed in her head. A vision of Benny's dead eyes flashed before her. Grace swallowed, and tried to put the memory out of her mind.

You can do this, she thought silently to herself. Just don't hesitate. You can do this.

"Yes, almost over for you," Lukas repeated, and prepared himself for a feast. He sprouted fangs, and in one swift movement, Grace jabbed the pointed wood into his chest. His eyes went wide in horror upon realizing how close to his heart he'd been cut. He was about to grab Grace's arm and rip her away, when Grace twisted the stake and Lukas howled.

* * * * *

He didn't so much step out of the car as fall out. Joe got a face full of gravel when he landed, and struggled to pull himself back to his feet.

"I'm not gonna do it I'm not gonna do it I'm not gonna do it!"

You will, Joey. You will.

"No! I can't!"

He rolled onto his back at stared up at the night sky, and prayed a meteor or bolt of lightning would strike him dead.

Get up, Joey. You have work to do.

Joe looked past the cottage, and all the way towards the cliff where Kayla was standing.

"No! Please don't make me do it!"

Go. Go now.

He crawled towards her on all fours at first, and then climbed up to a hunch as he ran towards the cliff edge like a baboon.

"I won't do it! I won't!" He shouted, but his legs carried him towards her anyway. He ran faster and faster, and found himself coming closer and closer to the girl, filling his own heart with dread.

"Please don't," he whispered to himself, sobbing.

You must. Go to her, Joey. Go to her now.

He ran closer.

"I can't do it! I can't do it!"

You can, Joey. Just go to her. Just give her a little... push."

"NO!"

Kayla blinked, and suddenly realized where she was. She turned around, only to see Joe running towards her.

"Uncle Joe?" she asked, incredulously.

"Kayla! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Kayla didn't understand, but the stare in Joe's eyes frightened her.

Do it, Joe.

He barely had to tap her. The small girl went over the edge so easily. Her loud scream pierced the night air. He watched her plummet down, and down, and down...

* * * * *

"KAYLA!"

Grace had heard of one's life flashing before their eyes just before a death, but seeing Kayla's life flash before her own eyes was a new experience for her. Every memory she had of her daughter played in her mind as she watched the small blonde haired girl drop straight into the rocks below, silencing the youngster's scream.

"NO!"

Grace leaped to her feet. Her burning thigh disappeared from her thoughts; as far as she knew, Lukas Balko (was he alive or dead?) didn't exist. Grace ran headlong back up the dirt path, back to the cliff top, back to where she prayed she would find Kayla safe and sound, and to find her eyes had simply played tricks on her.

Joe Pratt met her halfway up the path. He stood in the center of the trail, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Grace," he whimpered. Drawing his Glock, he aimed it at Grace. He froze.

Grace had to slow her breathing before she could speak.

"Joe- if you did, what I think you did, you had better pull that trigger."

Joe gulped.

"I know."

Only the sound of crickets and the waves lapping against the shoreline filled the silence as the two former detectives stared each other in the eye.

Joe had to close his eyes and turn his head away, but he fired. He had to open them to see if he'd hit his target, and he had. His bullet hit Grace square in the chest.

He fired again, hitting her in the stomach, and again, and again, filling her torso with bullets before firing two final rounds into her neck. He nearly had to vomit when he saw Grace slump to the ground, blood spurting from every hole he'd just put in her.

"There! I did it! You happy bitch? I killed my partner and her daughter!"

You're not finished yet, Joe. You still have one more job to do for Me.

Joe dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"Oh God oh God oh God."

Joe got up and hurried back up the dirt path, glad to put the horrifying sight of his dead partner behind him. He opened the trunk of his Impala, where Bethany Dutton lay inside. Her mouth was gagged, and her hands were bound in rope.

"Get out, bitch!" Joe aimed his Glock at Bethany, and she immediately climbed out of the trunk.

He held the barrel to her back, and Bethany cringed when she felt the hot muzzle touch her skin. She was only in her bra and panties; Joe had demanded she strip naked but she'd refused. Joe seemed a bit more insistent this time.

"Get in the house!"

Bethany was hesitant to approach the old dilapidated cottage, but the gun to her back kept her moving. She wrung her tightly bound hands together as they stepped closer and closer to the cottage. Joe led her up the creaking porch and through the front door. It was almost pitch black inside, and Joe couldn't see a damned thing.

"Move!" he shouted, both in frustration of not being able to see, as well as at Bethany for not moving.

"Where?" Bethany asked, terrified.

"Down the hall!" Joe shouted, though he too, was unsure exactly where that was. Taking small baby steps, he was able to navigate his way through the darkness down the hall towards the master bedroom. A window inside with a view of the back yard provided just enough light that he could make out the layout of the room. He ordered Bethany inside. She went in, and turned to face Joe.

"Now strip!" he ordered.

Bethany shook her head.

"No! Please don't rape me!"

Joe raised his arm, pointing the gun directly to her forehead.

"Don't make me tell you again!"

Bethany struggled with the ropes on her wrists, prompting Joe to loosen them. He held his Glock with his right hand until he got the ropes unfastened, and he indicated for her to continue. Bethany proceeded to remove her bra and underwear, and then stood with her arms covering her breasts and pubic area. Joe removed a set of handcuffs from his belt, and tossed them onto the bed.

"Cuff yourself. To the bedpost."

Bethany locked one end of the cuffs to her left wrist and the other to the bedpost on the ornate oak headboard. She looked at Joe apprehensively.

"There! I did everything you wanted!" he screamed, staring at the ceiling. "I did everything! Now get this-" he unbuckled his pants and pulled them to his feet- "motherfucking thing OFF me!"

He stormed down the hallway, leaving Bethany shaking where she stood.

"You hear me, bitch? Get this OFF-" he trailed off, when he noticed, there in the dim light, a key lying on the end table in the living room. He had to look closely, but it looked like the skeleton key, the same one Gabby used to lock him up in the first place. He grabbed the key, and felt a sharp burn. His skin hissed, and he quickly dropped the key to the floor.

"Fuck!" he cursed, and examined the growing blister on his palm.

The deep crimson jewels in the skull's eyes glowed; illuminating the dark room. A flame formed around the key. It didn't appear to burn the floor or anything else; instead the flame seemed to restrict itself to the key, which glowed brighter with each passing second.

Joe watched, open-mouthed, as the flame shot up in the air and twirled around in a loop. Faster and faster the flames spun, forming a spiral of fire that opened a hole in the very fabric of reality. Joe backed away, feeling an intense heat before him. Hotter than any inferno he'd ever felt, the intense heat nearly scalded his face as he watched in complete awe at what appeared before him.

It looked to be a tunnel made entirely of fire; with the opening on the other end revealing a glimpse of Hell itself. He could hear the tortured screams of the damned as he watched them wallow in fire and misery before his very eyes. Joe dropped his Glock in shock. He'd never witnessed anything so explicitly and intensely horrifying in all his life.

It was beautiful in a way. No place on Earth was so horrendous it defied all logic, the way this vision of Hell appeared to him. He wanted to run away, but something held him in place.

It was then that a figure appeared within the swirling portal. It walked towards him, despite there being no ground upon which to lay its feet. The figure emerged, and Joe recognized it as Gabby Becket, or at the very least, a perverted form of the body that had once belonged to her.



Horns had grown from her head, twisted and gnarled. Her eyes pulsed with hunger. Her nails were long and sharp, like the talons of a bird. On her back were long black wings that spread open as she entered the room. Joe was so transfixed on the demoness' flawless naked body he momentarily forgot what exactly he wanted from her. It wasn't until he felt the stirring of his excited penis within its cage that he remembered.

"I- I did what you wanted," Joe stuttered. He felt his voice go flat; unable to take his eyes off her.

Gabby grinned.

"Yes, you did, Joey. You've been such a good boy. So good..."

She held up her hand, and the skeleton key flew up from the floor and into her palm. She slipped the key into the padlock, and turned it.

Joe felt instant relief the second Gabby removed the cock cage. His penis rose to full mast; throbbing and desperate for attention from the exotic succubus.

"You've waited so long, Joey," she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes over her snake-like eyes. "Time to collect your reward."

For the first time that day, a smile formed across Joe's face. Gabby took him in her arms, and pressed her lips against his. For a split second, it felt like paradise. Her lips, so soft, so warm, so full, tantalized him. But it was not love that came with that erotic kiss. Even when he felt her forked tongue creep into his mouth and sensually tease his lips and tongue, he could feel something terrible brewing within himself.

A stab of pain, sharper than any knife, cut through his very being. He could feel his soul being torn from his body, mercilessly and violently. Worse than the feeling of having his flesh ripped from his bones, he could feel his spirit being drained from his body through his mouth and into Gabby's.

He tried to pull away, but her soft feminine hands held his neck like a vice. Her hunger was insatiable, and she fed on his soul; devoured it completely out of existence. He tried to scream, but her mouth swallowed not only the sound, but the scream itself. Only his mind was able to exclaim in agony at what she was doing to him.

What are you?

His question was answered not with words, but with excruciating agony few men had ever felt. He saw for an instant who she really was. She was not Gabby Becket, deceased housewife. This was a demoness, one that had crawled from the deepest pits of Hell, and it had made Gabby's undead body the vessel for its existence on Earth.

Deeper it kissed him, every second consuming more of his soul, leaving only dwindling fractions of it that he found himself unable to retain for long. He grabbed her arms, and her shoulders, trying to pry her grasp on him loose, but his strength dwindled right along with his soul. Opening his eyes wide, he cried out, begging her for mercy, but she kept hers closed while she savored the taste of Joe's very being. Life as he knew it came to a devastating collapse, one that would never be undone. He was hers, forever and ever, and he would never again be whole.

After an eternity, she drained the last vestiges of his soul, leaving Joe a mere shell of a man. An agonizingly empty hole remained where his heart and soul had been, and when Gabby opened her eyes, he could see in her smile that she had greatly enjoyed her meal. She stared into his eyes, and into the empty spot where his soul had been.

Now you're damned!

His heart came to a stop, and Joe Pratt's lifeless body fell to the floor.

* * * * *

"Grace, wake up."

She blinked her eyes.

"Grace. Wake up."

She opened them. Daniel Becket stared down at her, shaking her awake. The intense pain, the throbbing agony, it was gone. She sat up.

She was still in the woods, lying in the dirt path to the beach in a puddle of her own blood. Daniel crouched next to her; his will returned to him.

"Mr. Becket?" she asked, confused. She had to retrace in her mind everything that had happened. Balko branding her. The rape. Stabbing him with the stake. Kayla falling.

The pain returned. Not the physical pain, but the memory of the little girl falling from the cliff played in her mind.

"Oh God, Kayla fell!" She rose to get up, but Daniel stopped her.

"Grace, Grace! There's nothing you can do!"

Grace broke into tears.

"No! He killed her! He-"

Joe. Joe Pratt was the one who'd pushed her. And then he shot Grace.

She looked down at her own body. The bullet holes had healed, as had the cuts on her feet. She could feel a throbbing ache on each part of her body where she'd been shot, but the bullet holes had healed completely. The branded letters on her thigh were the only injury on her body that remained.

"What happened to me?"

Daniel shook his head.

"I found you like this. Gabby came by. She helped Balko up. He's still alive. They're in the cottage now."

Balko. The name made Grace ache for vengeance.

"Why is he in the cottage?" she asked.

"He's weak. You stabbed him good, Grace. You almost did him in. Now Gabby's probably nursing him back to health." He paused. "I think they've got a girl in there. I heard her screaming."

"They need her blood. If he drinks enough he'll heal completely," Grace said. "We have to kill him now."

"With what?"

"Follow me."

She hurried up the dirt path, and Daniel stayed close behind her. Truthfully, he was surprised Grace awoke. When he first found her he couldn't make a pulse or a breath.

At the end of the path, Grace stopped. The cottage stood before her, but so did the cliff. She had to look. She had to be certain.

"Grace, no!"

There was no stopping her. Grace ran to the cliff and stared straight down. Kayla lay on the rocks far below; the ocean waves splashing over her.

"NO!" she screamed. Daniel held her in his arms and squeezed.

"I'm so sorry, Grace! I'm so sorry!"




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 06



Grace sobbed and moaned. Daniel rocked her gently and consolingly.

"Why did Joe push her? I thought if I killed Balko she wouldn't jump! Why did Joe push her?"

"Gabby! Gabby made him do it. That's what she does."

It was hardly a consolation. Grace was a mother, at least she had been. And she chose vengeance over saving her daughter. Catherine had been right. Killing Lukas would cost her everything.

"We have to kill them. Lukas and Gabby. We have to kill them now!" Grace demanded.

She rose to her feet and strode towards the house without a trace of fear in her body. Daniel hurried after her, praying that he was still the less mentally stable of the two of them. She headed around to the front door, and walked inside.

They needed a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dark. Sounds emanated from down the hallway; the sound of a young woman screaming. Grace and Daniel cautiously stepped inside. She noticed her clothes still lying in a pile by the floor. Grace didn't bother putting them on. Somehow, clothing felt too human. Grace left her humanity at the bottom of that cliff. Instead, she picked up the mallet and stake she'd left on the kitchen table. She turned to Daniel.

"Let's go," she said.

Daniel grabbed her arm.

"Wait. I don't know how to kill a succubus."

Grace stopped. After a second of thought she realized she didn't either.

"What did the book say?" she asked.

She was referring to The Kiss of Death. They'd both read it.

"The book never said how to kill one," Daniel said.

"The Blackheart from Boston?" Grace asked. The final chapter from the book.

The Blackheart from Boston told of a succubus who over the course of two hundred years married wealthy men, drove them to illness and death, and moved on to the next, accumulating wealth as she did. A Boston banker named Gerald Blackheart married her in the 1920s, but then learned of her past from the nephew of one of her previous husbands. When Blackheart lost most of his wealth in the crash of '29, she left him, only to discover he'd been stockpiling all of her belongings, expensive clothing, and hidden assets without her knowledge. He burned them all, right before her eyes. Realizing she hadn't a dollar to her name, Mrs. Blackheart threw herself into the Charles River and drowned.

"You want to drown her?" Daniel asked.

"No," Grace said. "She died because he destroyed her belongings. A succubus only cares for material things."

Daniel winced. "Gabby doesn't own anything. Not anymore."

"She must have something!"

"I'll be damned if I know what. She doesn't even own clothes. I mean, she walks around buck naked half the time." He noted Grace's own lack of attire and added a quick, "no offense."

Grace paid it no mind.

"I'm killing Balko now. I'll figure out how to ice the bitch later."

Grace walked down the hall. Daniel noticed the lighter and kerosene and took them both. He ignited the lighter, providing the pair with some illumination as they made their way through the darkened house. She found Joe Pratt lying dead on the floor. His pants were around his ankles, while his empty eyes stared up at the ceiling. She paused, but found she had nothing to say for her fallen partner.

She did notice scorch marks on the floor nearby, where the carpet had been burned, that told her one thing: Gabby Becket had been here. Grace stepped over Joe's body and continued down the hallway. Daniel stepped around the deceased detective and followed.

The sound of the whimpering girl became clearer the further down the hall Grace progressed. She slowed her pace as she proceeded, holding her mallet and stake at the ready.

The door to the master bedroom was ajar. Swallowing nervously, she entered. Inside, she found Lukas Balko, drained and emaciated on the bed, wearing only his undershorts. Gabby sat next to him, holding a long steak knife. To Grace's surprise, the whimpering young woman with them was Bethany Dutton. She was handcuffed to the bedpost and begging for mercy. Grace was even more surprised to see Gabby now had horns and wings, the latter of which were now folded behind her back.

Grace watched as Gabby methodically placed the steak knife between Bethany's legs, and slit her inner thigh. Bethany let out a squeal, and Gabby then placed the bloody knife to Lukas' lips. As he licked the blood, life gradually returned to his withered form.

"Get up, bitch," Grace demanded, holding up the mallet and stake. Gabby looked at her and smiled.

"Grace, it's so nice to see you. I didn't expect you alive again so soon!"

"It's over. You and Lukas are done."

Daniel Becket entered the room. He instantly froze, and stepped backward the moment he saw Gabby.

"I'm sorry Grace, but Lukas is now your husband, as he is mine. As you can see, he isn't doing well right now. That must be why you and Daniel still have your free will."

Grace shook her head.

"I'll never be his puppet."

Gabby took to her feet.

"Oh, you will, Grace. You wear his mark on your thigh. You're one of his now. Joe Pratt had you killed just as I asked. You're only on your feet now because Lukas willed it. That's right, Grace. You're a succubus. Just like me."

Grace looked down at the brand on her thigh, and felt a twist in her stomach. It was true. Joe had shot her dead. The only way she could be alive now is if Lukas had resurrected her.

"You're sick," Grace said. "You're a monster."

"Perhaps. And you will be too."

Gabby stared Grace up and down; her snake-like eyes flickering as she sized up her rival, while Grace did the same. She seethed with rage thinking of how this woman seduced her husband to his death. She had to admit, Gabby had a fantastic figure. Grace was almost too distracted by Gabby's beauty to notice the ring on her finger. The one with the black stone. Gabby's wedding band to Lukas.

"Mr. Becket," Grace said. "Left hand. Ring finger."

Daniel brought himself to look at Gabby's hand. The sight of that evil stone in place of the band he'd put there on their wedding day burned his blood. He set the lighter and kerosene on the dresser; knowing what he had to do.

He grabbed Gabby's left arm, giving it a twist, and held it down upon the nightstand. Gabby shrieked, and struggled in his grasp.

"Hit it!" he yelled.

Grace held the mallet high, and swung it down, smashing it against Gabby's hand. She pounded it hard, enough to snap the band in two and break a few of the bones in Gabby's hand. The broken ring fragments fell to the floor as Gabby's yanked her crushed hand away and held it against her breasts.

"You BITCH!" Gabby screamed. "My ring! I-"

Gabby froze, as she saw Grace going for the kerosene on the dresser. Setting the mallet and stake aside, Grace pulled the can open and doused the older succubus with its contents.

"Burn in hell, you bitch," Grace said, and grabbed the lighter.

"NO! It's me, Mrs. Becket! Grace, please!" Gabby held up her arms in defense. Grace ignited the lighter. The flame flickered tall and brightly.

"That won't help you," Grace said, the fire of the lighter reflected in her vengeful eyes.

"Dan! Stop her! She's going to kill me!"

Grace outstretched her arm, ready to touch the flame to Gabby's kerosene-soaked body, when Daniel grabbed her wrist, and snatched the lighter from her hand.

"Mr. Becket! What are you doing?" Grace squealed.

Daniel put Grace in a headlock, and she struggled to break free.

"Don't let her go, Dan! She's a succubus, just like I was!" Gabby cried.

"Mr. Becket, don't listen to her, I'm on your side!" Grace's words fell on deaf ears. Daniel pulled her from the room, and nearly had to drag her down the hallway back to the living room. Gabby followed, grinning at the turn of events.

"Tie her up before she causes any more harm!" Gabby commanded.

Daniel didn't hesitate to obey his late wife. He held Grace onto the floor face down, and braced her backside with his knee. While she struggled to wriggle free, Daniel removed the belt from his pants.

"No! Mr. Becket, don't! She's controlling you, just like she did to Joe and Ted! You can't give in to her! She'll destroy you!"

Daniel wrapped the belt around Grace's hands and feet, and securely hog-tied her. Grace struggled, but found the belt held her firmly in place. Daniel rose to his feet.

"Oh, Daniel, I've missed you!" Gabby cooed. She wrapped her arms around her former husband's shoulders and the two embraced.

"I'm so glad you're back," Daniel said, tears pouring from his eyes. Grace watched helplessly from the floor at the reunited couple, while she tried desperately to think of a way to escape. She rolled to her side, but that made it even more difficult for her to fiddle with the belt binding her wrists.

"I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you," Daniel repeated, running his hands across Gabby's body. He counted his blessings that he finally got her back, his sweet wife Gabby. He would never let her go again. Gabby looked Grace in the eye as she hugged him, smirking.

"Mr. Becket! Listen to me! That's not your wife! She's a demon! She's going to kill you!"

Daniel's eyes flickered. He heard Grace's words. But Gabby's body felt so good in his hands. Her round ass felt so good in his grasp, and when he cupped his hands around her large breasts and squeezed, nothing else in the world seemed to matter. He swirled his thumbs around her nipples, and felt them stiffen. He felt his penis begin to rise.

"Yes, Dan. It's me," Gabby said sweetly. She pressed her body against his even more tightly. "You can have me. Kiss me."

She closed her eyes, and puckered her lips.

"NO!" Grace screamed as loud as she could. "Do NOT kiss her! You'll die! She'll send you straight to Hell! DO NOT kiss her!"

Daniel could not take his eyes off Gabby's bright red puckered lips. She leaned towards him, and he could not help but lean towards her in return. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck.

He leaned closer, and smelled the aroma of kerosene that soaked her body. The grill lighter, the one he'd taken from Grace, was still tucked in his back pocket. He stopped.

"Don't stop, baby," Gabby whispered. "Kiss me. It's been too long."

She puckered her lips again, and leaned in. How he wanted to kiss her again. He craved it. Needed it. But he hadn't forgotten what she'd done, what she'd become. Daniel felt all the muscles in his body melt, but found the courage to grab the lighter. He felt the smallest pang of regret when he ignited it, and touched the flame to Gabby's left nipple. The fire engulfed her body in seconds.

Gabby let out a howling scream, as Daniel pushed her away and ran to Grace.

"I'm so sorry, Grace, she got in my head. I couldn't stop her-"

"Just untie me!"

Daniel struggled to untie the belt from Grace's wrists when Gabby grabbed him from behind and clawed her nails across his neck. Daniel responded with a sharp elbow to her face, knocking her to the floor. The flames eating away her flesh spread to the carpet as Gabby rolled around on the floor in anguish.

Daniel touched the open gash on his neck, and immediately realized he was too lightheaded to even stand, let alone free Grace. He collapsed to the floor. Grace watched helplessly at the blood draining from Daniel's neck, as he lay motionless beside her.

"No!" Grace squealed, as she wriggled her arms and legs. Nothing would weaken the belt's grasp, and the flames on the floor were gradually spreading. She scoured the room for something, anything, that might help her break free.

The pocketknife. Her grandfather's pocketknife still lay on the floor in the corner next to the broken stake. Except it lay on the opposite side of the trail of fire Gabby had left in her wake. Taking a deep breath, Grace rolled onto her back, back onto her side and onto her belly again across the floor, quickly passing through the wall of flames and emerging on the other side with miraculously minimal burns.

She angled her body so her hands could reach the knife, and quickly wedged the blade into the belt knot. She cut as quickly as she could, even as Gabby's screaming and thrashing continued. The fire melted away the succubus' face, yet she still seemed able to see out of her demonic eyes. She stared at Grace in fury, and crawled towards her like a wounded jackal desperate to make one final kill before its demise.

Grace cut as quickly as she could as the burning succubus neared, blood and drool draining from her open jaw. Gabby hissed and panted as she crawled closer and closer. Grace edged away from her, but was up against the wall and had nowhere else to go. Frantically, she sawed away at the belt, but Gabby was almost upon her.

At last Grace was able to cut loose one hand, and immediately used her free hand to jam the blade directly into Gabby's left eye. She stuck the blade in as far as she could, and twisted. Gabby made a "gack" sound, and finally fell to the floor motionless. The fire continued to burn away her flesh as Grace scrambled away.

"Grace! Grace!" Bethany's voice sounded from the bedroom. "Help! He's getting up!"

Balko. Slowly but surely, the wounded vampire was regaining his strength. Grace pulled at the belt still binding her right hand and ankles together, but without the knife it was too difficult to pry it off. She rolled into the kitchen, hoping the linoleum might slow the fire's approach. Desperately she pulled at the belt, squeezing her nails under the loop to pry it from her skin.

It wouldn't budge. Grace cried out in frustration as she watched the fire inch its way up the walls. She rested her head on the tile floor, praying for an answer.

It was then that she spotted something under the couch. Not something that could help her current predicament, but it was a welcome discovery nonetheless. From where she lay she could see straight underneath the living room couch, where a bottle lay. It was the holy water her grandmother used to keep on the mantle. It must have been knocked off and perhaps kicked underneath the couch by a careless visitor at the cottage. No matter, it was there.

Grace pulled at the knot with her free hand as hard she could, and soon managed to get both hands free. From there she was able to wrestle one of her feet loose as well, and didn't bother with her remaining foot.

"GRACE! Help! He's sitting up!" Bethany shouted.

Grace darted over the wall of flames back into the living room, and reached under the couch. She grabbed the bottle of holy water and hurried back to the bedroom. True to Bethany's word, Lukas was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Bethany had managed to tie a pillowcase around her bleeding thigh, while backing herself against the wall trying to stay as far away from him as possible. He reached towards her, but winced in pain, and turned to look at Grace as she entered the room.

"Grace," he wheezed. "You've come back. And now, you're mine."

The sight of Grace filled Lukas with a newfound strength. He lunged towards her, just as Grace managed to pull the cap from the bottle of holy water. Smelling the fumes, he stopped dead in his tracks, and Grace splashed the blessed liquid in his face.

His skin sizzled, and he let out a scream as his face peeled away where the water had touched him. He backed away from Grace, climbing up onto the bed on his hands and knees before turning towards Grace and holding out his arms in defense.

"Worthless whore!" he scowled, glaring at her. Grace responded by pouring the remainder of the bottle directly onto his groin. His scream was loud enough to shatter the windows. He clutched his crotch in agony, burning his palms as he did, and rolled onto his side and pulled his knees to his chest.

Grace tossed the empty bottle aside and grabbed the mallet and stake from the dresser. Nothing would stop her; she pounced onto the bed like an animal and bared her teeth in anticipation of her kill.

Balko tried to wrestle free, but his strength had dwindled. He could do little more than squirm as Grace turned him onto his back and placed the pointed stake directly upon the still-healing wound in his chest. He screamed the instant it touched.

"Do it! Kill him, Grace!" Bethany screamed.

Lukas stared up at Grace with pleading eyes. Grace had nothing but fury in hers.

"It's over for you, you son of a bitch." Grace raised the mallet.

"NO!" Lukas pleaded.

She brought the hammer down. She slammed it upon the butt of the stake, sinking it into Balko's chest. She felt a bit of tension release in her own body. It felt surprisingly good to penetrate a man for change. Grace licked her lips and pounded the stake again.

Lukas moaned loudly and painfully.

"Grace, please! Don't!" he whimpered. He clutched the stake with his frail hands, desperately trying to keep it from sinking deeper.

"Don't listen to him! Kill him Grace, kill him now!" Bethany urged. She shook her hand, trying in vain to break free of the handcuff binding her to the bedpost.

Grace swung the mallet again. Lukas' hands were no match for Grace's fury. The stake slid between his fingers and further into his rib cage.

"Grace," Lukas creaked, the breath nearly gone from his voice. "I can give you your daughter back. She can-"

Grace swung the mallet again; silencing his words as the stake sunk in deeper. Lukas opened his mouth to speak, but only gasping came out. Grace raised the mallet again.

"Mommy!"

Grace froze.

"Mommy! Help! Help me!"

It was unmistakably Kayla's voice. She could hear through the open window- had the window even been open before?- Kayla's voice coming from the back yard. Calling for her.

"You- your daughter needs you, G-Grace," Lukas gasped, his mouth filling with thick black blood. "You'd bet-better go- go help her."

Lukas gagged, as black blood spilled out of his mouth down his chin. Grace shook her head.

"It's a trick," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You bastard, it's just a trick."

She swung the mallet again, and pounded the stake even harder.

"Mommy!"

She pounded it deeper.

"Mommy help! Help me please!"

"STOP IT, STOP IT, I KNOW IT'S A TRICK!" Grace screamed, pounding the stake with all her might. She pounded the stake again and again, until she could feel it emerge from Lukas' back and sink into the mattress.

Lukas narrowed his eyes.

"N-Now y-you'll ne-ever knooow," he gasped.

He closed his eyes and Grace suddenly felt the stake in her hand become very warm. She released her grasp and watched as smoke erupted from underneath Balko's skin. Slowly Lukas, as well as the stake in his chest, completely dissolved into a mass of solid soot. A pile of ash clumped together in the shape of a once-powerful vampire was all that remained. Lukas Balko was no more.

Grace stared at the charred remains before her; barely able to comprehend what she'd done. It wasn't until the mallet slipped from her grasp and landed on the floor that she was shaken back to consciousness.

Black smoke filled the room, and Grace was suddenly reminded of the fire that was consuming the living room. Grace jumped from the bed and hurried out of the room.

"Grace! Wait! Don't leave me here!" Bethany cried, rattling her handcuffs against the bedpost.

Grace stared back at Bethany with contempt.

"Please! It was Neil's idea to rob you! I didn't even want to! I tried to tell him we shouldn't but he-"

Grace grabbed Bethany's face and held her head against the wall.

"Listen, bitch," Grace said, staring into her eyes, "you ever want a second chance at life, you have to own up to the shit you did the first time around. My daughter's dead because of you. Don't fucking tell me it's not your fault."

Bethany gulped as Grace's eyes burned a hole into her soul. For a moment she was afraid Grace might kill her herself. Instead Grace released her grip on her and stormed out of the room. Bethany broke into tears.




Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 06



"It was my fault!" Bethany cried out, praying Grace was still in listening distance. "I did it. I helped Neil rob you, and I'm so sorry. I was stupid. I needed money. And I gave Balko the map to this place because I was scared! He was going to kill me so I did it! I'm so sorry about your daughter, Grace! It was my fault, I know, but I'm so sorry! Please help me! I'm so sorry!"

She pressed her forehead to the bedpost and bawled her eyes out. She covered her mouth with her arm as the black smoke began to fill the room.

It was then that Grace reentered, holding the skeleton key. She wasn't in quite the mood to dig her hands through Pratt's pants to find his keys, and decided this way would be faster. She unlocked the cuff on Bethany's wrist.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Bethany cried out in gratitude.

"Don't thank me. I just need your help to save my friend."

Quickly the pair hurried out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room. Daniel Becket lay on the floor; still alive and conscious, in a puddle of his own blood just feet from the inferno. Grace grabbed her T-shirt and held it to Daniel's neck.

"Hold this, Mr. Becket, and I'll get you to a hospital." She turned to Bethany. "Get his legs, I'll get his shoulders!"

Together, the two naked women carried Daniel out the front door, just before the ceiling collapsed into the living room. Undeterred, they continued carrying him off the porch and into the front yard. Exhausted, they lay him in the grass in front of the cottage. Grace knelt down next to him.

"Mr. Becket? I did it. Balko is dead. Your wife- is dead. We did it."

"I'm sorry, Grace," Daniel whispered.

"Don't be," she said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "You were always there for me. I'm here for you now."

She hadn't even realized what she'd done next until it was done. It was purely instinctive, but Grace found herself pressing her lips against Daniel's and kissing him long and passionately. She took her lips away, and froze in realization of what she'd done.

"Oh God-" she said.

"It's okay, Grace," Daniel assured her. "Maybe in Hell, I can see Gabby again."

The life left his eyes, and a hunger Grace hadn't previously known she had was satiated. She shut her eyes, and felt a pleasure throughout her body; a dark, evil pleasure. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and rose to her feet.

Bethany looked at Daniel in shock. "Is he-"

"Yes," Grace replied, and even she noticed her voice no longer sounded like her own. It was deeper, almost unearthly. She'd just tasted a man's soul for the first time, and it was delicious. To her surprise she realized she wouldn't mind trying it again.

Unable to look Bethany in the face, she hurried around to the back yard. Bethany followed her. Grace walked faster, but stubbornly, Bethany kept up.

Grace reached the edge of the cliff and stared straight down. Kayla's body was gone. She knew likely the surf had carried her off, and Kayla's voice was just another one of Balko's tricks, but true to his word, Grace would never know for certain. It was his final act of vengeance.

Grace dropped to her knees and stared down at the jagged rocks as the surf splashed over them. She thought of pushing Bethany over the edge of the cliff, but couldn't. It wasn't Bethany's fault, not really. Grace blamed no one for Kayla's death more than herself. If it took a monster to destroy a monster, Grace had fit the bill.

She climbed to her feet and stared out at the night sky.

"Grace?" Bethany asked. Grace whipped her head around to face her. Bethany took a frightened step backward. "What do we do now?"

Grace stared Bethany in the eye.

"Whatever we want."

She turned and wandered across the grass. Bethany couldn't tell where Grace was going, but suspected she wasn't going anywhere. Grace walked towards the trees and disappeared into the forest.

Bethany never saw Grace Harker again.

* * * * *

A passing motorist spotted the smoke and called 911. Before long, fire engines and squad cars arrived at the cottage, but only its smoldering foundation remained. Bethany Dutton was the only surviving witness found on the scene. Her tale was met with skepticism by the authorities.

Two bodies were found within the burning wreckage. Through dental records, the identities of the bodies were confirmed to be Detective Joseph Pratt and Gabrielle Becket. This created a bit of confusion as Gabby Becket had supposedly died six years earlier. Gabby's coffin in Green Woods cemetery was subsequently exhumed, and discovered to be empty.

Unable to explain how Gabby's body had somehow traveled from the cemetery to the burned down cottage, or how Gabby's skeleton featured horns and wings, investigators left it an open case. Gabby's body was returned to its grave. Her husband Daniel was buried by her side.

Lukas Balko's body was incinerated by the stake that impaled his heart. The cottage fire reduced his remains to dust, and no sign of him was ever found. Following up on Bethany's story, investigators also found his casket in the Balko Family Crypt to be empty.

Lukas Balko went down in history as one of the most prolific serial killers of the 20th and 21st centuries. His fate, and what he truly was, was conjectured upon for decades to come. When he was conclusively proven to be the killer of Haley Farough, his reputation of being able to kill from beyond the grave was cemented in folklore forever.

Bethany Dutton, the sole known survivor of Balko's attacks, was interviewed by authors and journalists extensively about her experience. Some dismissed her story as attention-seeking sensationalism, others accepted it as the most likely truth, but none of it could ever be proven.

Bethany earned enough money from her book deals to put herself through college to study veterinary medicine. When her brief time in the spotlight died down, she began volunteering as a counselor for troubled youths.

Former Officer Adam Perry and his wife Linda were found dead in an apparent murder/suicide. Given Perry's history of infidelity and his upcoming trial, it was assumed the Perry marriage was on the rocks and Adam chose to end it permanently.

Haley Farough's sister Heather returned home from college in the wake of Haley's death to help her father run the motel. With declining business, the Shady Woods motel closed soon after.

Albert Szymanski, better known as Big Al of Big Al's Auto Body Shop, was found dead in his office the Monday following his death. While blood belonging to Joe Pratt was present at the scene, investigators could find no cause of death for Big Al. No mark or injury could be seen anywhere on his body, although traces of woman's lipstick had been smeared around his mouth.

Paul LeClair eventually remarried. He remained in the real estate business, but refused the sell the property at 2000 Blackwater road. He had the house demolished, and the land converted to a memorial for all of Lukas and Catherine Balko's victims.

Catherine Balko burned in Hell until the end of time.

George Buttrey continued to work at the Havenswood Psychiatric Facility. He was able to keep busy working in the laundry facility, and he still performed strip searches on the female patients, although his lack of sight required him to be even more hands-on with the body searches than before.

Jaclyn Becket's remains were eventually found. She and her brother Dylan were buried near their parents in Green Woods cemetery.

Rubena "Rose" Selimaj remained paralyzed for the rest of her life. She refused to show any remorse for her role in Catherine Balko's murders. She was never told about Lukas Balko's death, and spent the remainder of her days lying awake every night, with a crucifix by her bedside, watching and waiting for him.

Kristof Selimaj was put in a group care home. He found a job as a janitor cleaning bathtubs at a health club.

Sarah Wainwright continued to sing in the Blessed Hills Community Church girls choir group. Although the scars on her face and body were extensive, her positive attitude and optimism made her an inspiration among the church members. She even visited Rose in the hospital to personally forgive her for what she'd done. Sarah remained a virgin until her wedding night.

No one ever heard from Grace Harker again. In spite of Bethany's account, the large amount of blood found near the cottage led investigators to conclude Grace had died; though no body was ever found. However, many people over the following years reported seeing a naked blonde woman with a brand on her thigh entering their church during Sunday services. Some accounts claimed the woman had horns, others with wings, but all told the same story. The blonde woman would approach a basin of holy water, cup her hands within it, and splash the liquid upon her body while she begged an unseen presence for forgiveness.

She would repeat this process at different churches in different cities all over the country in a desperate hope for a chance, a small chance, that she could be saved.

THE END