“Which is?” Sean probed.
“That Terry and Kayleigh were an item. You said that she wasn’t that fond of her job, so maybe she wanted a clean start with her new man.”
“No way. She would have told me,” April said.
“Oddly, she hasn’t touched her bank account or used a debit card. I’ll grant you that is weird, but the more we look and find nothing, the more it looks like an elopement of some kind. Some detectives think that her using her birthday in tandem with the demon name was her way of saying she was the master of all this.”
“I’m not listening to any more of this,” April yelled, getting up from the table and storming out of the cafeteria.
“It’s just a theory, although not one that I necessarily believe. This case file is starting to have others piled on top, and a lot of the guys are ready to move on.”
“What about you?” Sean asked.
“No, not me. Something doesn’t add up. I promise I’ll keep looking, and I’ll keep you informed of any updates. Again, if you can think of anything else, please let me know.
The detective stood, placed a hand on Sean’s shoulder, and headed for the exit.
“She’s out there. I know it,” Sean whispered.
APRIL TRIED TO MAINTAIN her calm, but by the time she got back to her desk, Stacey’s old one, outside of Gallagher's office, she crumbled. Her shoulders heaved as wracking sobs escaped her body, large tears dropping onto the paperwork on her desk and smudging the ink. She felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulder and turned to see Gallagher at her side. April allowed herself to be helped to her feet and guided into his office.
Setting her gently into the seat across from his own, Gallagher handed April a couple of tissues and rubbed her back for comfort. “No more news?” he asked.
“Nothing. The police are useless. They think she ran away with that Terry guy. She wouldn’t do that, Michael.”
“I know. Listen to me, Miss Navarro. I am going to hire a private investigator and put up a reward for information. Someone knows something, and I’m going to lure them out.”
“You’d do that for her?”
“Of course, and I’m keeping her promotion open until she is able to return and fill the role. We’ll find her. No matter what it takes.”
THE GATES SLID CLOSED behind the BMW as Gallagher steered the luxury car up the road that led to his estate. The lights burned in the guest house, and the front door stood open. As he got closer, he could see his older brother standing outside, smoking a cigarette, and brushing stray ashes from his robe.
Gallagher drove past his home and pulled up in front of the guest house. He slid the passenger window down and waited for his brother to saunter over. “How is my girl doing?”
“Passed out and ready for the show.”
“Did she eat anything?”
“She’s a feisty little bitch, but I got some soup into her.”
“Listen to me, brother. If you hurt her in any way, I will fucking kill you. Understood.”
Peter held up his hands and took a step back. “Chill. She’s not my type at all. A little too old.”
“How long till we begin?”
“Sheila is on her way to deliver the first message as we speak. The one we picked out is a moron. We are going to need to feed her the answers. I want her. She’s so pretty.”
Gallagher shuddered, disgusted by his brother. “Give me fifteen minutes and then meet me downstairs. We need to be ready for when the fresh meat signs on.”
Backing up the car, he parked out front and jogged up the steps to his house. He went into the downstairs bathroom and stripped out of his work clothes, replacing them with a T-shirt and jeans that had been left out for him by the maid.
Making his way to the basement door, Gallagher punched in 3-2-5-9-6 on the keypad and smiled as the door clicked open. He rushed downstairs and into the converted space that looked exactly like the basement at Peter’s old house, which was now razed to the ground. The only difference in this space was the girl shackled to the chair.
Gallagher crossed the room and knelt before Kayleigh, letting out a gasp at how weak she looked under the influence of sedatives. He lifted her head and brushed her dark hair away from her face. She stirred as he removed the blindfold and lifted her eyelids so that he could stare into her beautiful green eyes.
“What has my brother done to you?” Gallagher cooed. “My sweet girl. You are a sight for sore eyes. I need you to eat and get healthy. We have a lifetime together to look forward to if only you give me the word. Tell me you want me, and this can all be over.”
Gallagher pulled his hands away from her face as she slowly raised her head, eyelids fluttering with the effort of trying to open them on her own.
“So strong, so beautiful. Tell me, my love. Tell me the words I want to hear. Sing them to me.”
Kayleigh smiled, little rivers of blood appearing on her cracked lips, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. “FUCK YOU,” she screamed as loudly as she could.
Hanging his head, Gallagher replaced the blindfold and stood, a flush of embarrassment spreading across his face. “Well, I guess we live to play another game.”
Spellbound
Eve Corso
Prologue
It was an eerie and foggy night. Once upon a time, it used to be William’s favorite kind of night, but that was a long time ago, when his vampire nights out on the prowl were exciting and new. Now, like everything else, they were just a thing of the past.
Hungry now, he hunted in silence, creeping low, trying not to make a sound. He could see his breath in the cold air. He sunk down onto the frozen ground underneath him, listening. All he was hear was an owl hooting in the distance.
Owls, he smirked to himself. He had hunted more than a few in his lifetime. An owl could sustain him for a few days, but the hunt alone was one he wasn’t fully prepared to do. Owls took too long to hunt and he didn’t have time to waste. Not tonight. Tonight, he needed a quick meal.
After a few minutes of sitting in silence, he heard something move in the distance. There was a faint sound of rustling leaves. He sat still, waiting. When the animal was near, William pounced. The animal never knew what took him. A fox, as luck would have it. A fox would keep his hunger at bay for nearly a week.
William fought the animal with ease and expertise, something he was not proud of. His fangs extended when met with the fox’s flesh. When the fox beat his last heartbeat, William had already taken everything the small fox could give.
William kicked the lifeless animal away with disgust, using the heel of his boot.
One day soon, this would all be over, he thought. He was a vampire who wanted nothing more than to be done with his immortal life. He would find the woman who could accomplish such a feat.
He wiped his mouth, warmth spreading throughout his entire body from the kill. His destination? Salem, Massachusetts. He had been surprised to find that the witch he needed resided there. He would have thought she’d be at the ends of the earth, but no, she was there, hiding in plain sight. He hoped it wouldn’t take long to find her.
William got into his car parked just off the side of the road. He turned on some music and hit the deserted road, ready to start the end of his life.