Unhinged: Blood Bond: Parts 4, 5 & 6 (Volume 2) Read online

  No reason to resist either one, actually. My body wanted both.

  “Tell me,” he said. “Tell me what you want.”

  I stayed quiet a few seconds.

  “Erin…”

  My mouth fell open of its own accord. “I want you to lick me. Suck me. Stick your fingers and your cock inside me. Give it to me, Dante. Give me all of it.”

  “My pleasure,” he growled, and slid his tongue inside my wet channel.

  I grasped the rungs of the headboard, pulling, yearning to run my fingers through his dark locks and push his tongue farther inside me. I writhed on the bed, arching my back and bringing my legs upward, baring myself to him as best I could.

  “That’s it,” he said. “Show me what you want, Erin. Show me what’s mine. Show me that beautiful pussy.”

  “Yours,” I mumbled on a moan. “All yours.”

  “That’s right,” he snarled against my inner thigh. “All mine.” He thrust two fingers in me as he sank his teeth into my flesh.

  I shattered around him, flying, the climax ripping through me like an electric current. The tugging on my flesh, the pulsing of my pussy, the music floating around us, the colors, the shapes—all of it consumed me.

  Take it all. Consume me so that nothing is left. Nothing but the me that is part of you.

  A pink cloud surrounded us as we were joined as one, his teeth in my body, a part of me.

  Love.

  This was love. That real love that I knew we shared.

  When my shudders finally started to subside, he licked my thigh, crawled upward, and sank himself deep into me.

  And the orgasm began again.

  He pumped and pumped, deeper and deeper into the recesses of my soul, until he thrust in hard and groaned, filling me.

  “Erin. Love. Baby. God.”

  Erin. Love. Baby. God.

  I felt more than heard his words. They floated around me in a cloudy haze, set to the soft jazz I’d become accustomed to when we were together.

  Do you hear it, Dante? The music? Do you see the colors?

  Yes, baby. I hear and see all of it. I see you. It’s all you.

  It’s all us.

  Together we danced, rising above all the turmoil in the world, all the turmoil in my own head, joined in body and blood. In heart. In soul.

  Still so much I didn’t understand. Couldn’t accept.

  But none of that mattered on this plane of existence where pleasure was the soup of the day and love was the dessert.

  And our bond? That was the main course.

  But it couldn’t last forever. Our climaxes began to subside, and again, I found myself fighting.

  No. Don’t want it to end. Let’s stay here forever. Just the two of us, joined, where no one can find us. No one can hurt us. No problems that we can’t solve. Please.

  Still, like all good things, it came to an end, our sweaty bodies clamped together, both of us panting.

  Dante rolled over onto his back, dark strands of his hair pasted to his forehead and his cheeks with perspiration. “Damn,” he said.

  I tugged at my bindings. “Dante.”

  “Oh, right.” He quickly moved to untie the knots in the rope.

  I rubbed at my wrists, though they didn’t hurt. Then I pushed the moist strands of hair off Dante’s forehead after he lay back down.

  “That was amazing, Erin,” he said. “Every time with you is better than the last. Just imagine how it will be when…”

  I heard the words he didn’t say.

  …when you accept all of me.

  Chapter Three

  Dante

  As transcendent as our lovemaking had been, Erin had been more resistant than usual this time. I had no idea why. She didn’t know about my father having glamoured her, and I had to tell her at some point. I didn’t want secrets between us. I truly didn’t.

  But I also had to protect her.

  She lay on her side, her head propped up on her elbow, gazing down at me. Her lips were dark pink and swollen, much like the beautiful lips between her legs. I winced, thinking of the time she’d actually thought I didn’t like what I saw down there. How could anyone resist that treasure?

  “You’re so beautiful,” I said. “And I mean so much more than that. I wish there were a word I could use to describe how amazing you are. How much you mean to me. Beautiful doesn’t come close. Even love doesn’t come close. But I love you, Erin. I love you with all my heart.”

  She smiled, though she didn’t return my sentiment. At least not verbally. Instead, she snuggled into my arms and fell asleep.

  An hour later, I got up and called River.

  “I’m just getting ready to get some sleep,” he said. “I’m on tonight.”

  “Can it wait? I need to talk to you.”

  “Talk away.”

  “No, I need to come over. It’s important.”

  “Yeah, okay. Whatever you need, Dante.”

  I left Erin a note in case she woke up to find me gone, and then I departed, sliding her key under her door after locking the deadbolt. Hopefully I’d be back before she got up.

  I drove to River’s in the car I’d been borrowing from Bill. I needed to get a car. I needed to get a job. But if River and I could find my father’s body and prove his death, I’d get his money, some of which I could use to get a car. I didn’t want to sponge off Bill for much longer, especially since he’d gotten so weird.

  “Dad?” I said, as I pulled into River’s apartment complex.

  No response. Apparently ghosts didn’t come when you called. How could I tell River about him, though, without him actually being there?

  I had no idea, but I had to try. River wouldn’t be able to see him at first anyway.

  “Hey.” River opened the door before I knocked.

  “Good timing.”

  “Yeah. I thought I heard something out here.”

  “That was me, shuffling around, wondering how I’m going to tell you what I need to tell you.”

  “Come on in. Hungry?”

  “Just ate.”

  “Yeah, me too. What’s going on?”

  Where to start?

  River’s apartment was sparse. A leather recliner sat in the corner of his small living area. A large flat-screen TV, a loveseat, and a coffee table completed the room. Would I be living in a place like this if I’d been around the last ten years?

  “Are you going to say anything?” River asked.

  “Your father’s alive, Riv.” The words spouted out of me before I could even think about what to say.

  His mouth fell open. “What? How do you know?”

  “My father told me.”

  “Uncle Jules is back? That’s great!” He pulled me into his living room and shoved me down on the small couch. “Tell me everything.”

  I drew in a deep breath, trying to find the words, when he continued.

  “Funny thing. I had a dream about Uncle Jules last night. He was right beside me, plain as day, and he said he was coming back and had important news for me. And you’re saying he’s actually here? Crazy.”

  Crazy, indeed. My father had said my mother had come to him in a dream, and that ghosts had that power when the need was dire. Was it my father? Or was River’s dream just a dream? Regardless, he would resist what I was about to say, just as I had at first. I looked around. No sign of my father. Thanks a lot, Dad.

  I let out the air slowly. “My dad is back, but it’s not what you think.”

  “Shit. Is he okay?”

  “Yeah, he’s okay. If you consider being dead okay.”

  River shook his head. “You’re losing me, man. What are you trying to say?”

  Might as well just spew it out all at once. “You know that ghost story Bill told me? That there was a ghost protecting me? Turns out it’s true, and the ghost is my dad.”

  River looked at me wide-eyed, his face paler than usual. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Now he’s got you believing that garbage?”

  �
��It’s not garbage, Riv. I thought so too, at first. But my dad is dead, and he’s here. Not here right now.” Though I wished he were. I could use a little backup.

  “You’ve seen a ghost.” He spoke in a monotone.

  “Not at first. It took a while for me to hear him, and then see him.”

  He looked around, rolling his eyes.

  “I just said he’s not here right now.”

  “Right. Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep, cuz?”

  This time I rolled my eyes, huffing. “Riv, I know it’s nuts, okay? I didn’t believe it at first either. But once you let go a little bit, you’ll be able to see him.”

  “Not if he’s not here, as you say.”

  “Well, yeah, but—”

  “Dante, I’m exhausted, and I’m on duty tonight. If you’re only here to tell me phantom tales, then please, see yourself out.” He rose and turned toward his bedroom.

  I stood as well, grabbing his arm. “It’s true, and you’ll believe it soon enough. For now, I need your help.”

  “You’re not dragging me back to Claiborne Bridge are you?”

  “No. At least, I don’t think so. Not right now, anyway.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry. You’ve been through hell, and I haven’t always been understanding. You’re my cousin and I love you, and I want to help you. What do you need?”

  “I need you to help me find my father’s body.”

  Silence, though River cocked his head and lifted a single eyebrow.

  “Riv?”

  “I can’t believe I forgot. You know how after you have a dream you can’t remember most of it? I had a déjà vu moment when you said that. Uncle Jules told me the same thing in my dream.”

  “He told me in real life. Though he’s a ghost, so saying ‘real life’ doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

  “Why isn’t he here?” River paced around his living room, darting his gaze to his small kitchen and then to his leather chair in the corner before it landed back on me.

  “You believe me, then?”

  “No. I mean, yeah. I mean…I don’t fucking know.”

  “Trust me. I know the feeling.” I cleared my throat. “When’s your next night off? I’m assuming we’ll need to do this at night.”

  “Not until Thursday.” His phone buzzed and he grabbed it out of his pocket. “Sorry. I need to take this. It’s the body shop.”

  He walked into the kitchen.

  I gazed around the room. Why wasn’t my father here? He would have been a big help. River wouldn’t be able to see him yet, but he could at least help me with what to say. Though maybe he’d talked to River in the dream and was helping that way. Still, I needed to know how to get in touch with him. Did ghosts carry cell phones?

  I laughed out loud at that one.

  “What’s so funny?” River asked, returning.

  “Nothing.”

  “Good. Because I need a favor. My car’s ready to be picked up, and I had to turn in the rental this morning after I got off duty. Jay dropped me off here. Can you give me a lift?”

  “Sure.”

  The drive to the body shop only took about fifteen minutes. River said I could leave, but I went in with him. I still had a lot to talk to him about, and he wasn’t getting away that easily.

  “You’re good to go, Detective Gabriel,” the mechanic said over the whir of a heavy-duty oscillating fan. “Looks like insurance covered everything. Here’s your itemized receipt. Oh, and here are your personals.” He handed River a canvas bag.

  “My personals?”

  “Just the stuff we found in the car.”

  “I don’t keep anything in my car other than empty pop bottles. You could have thrown those away or recycled them.” He opened the bag and pulled out a piece of pink fabric. “I definitely don’t wear this color. You must have made a mistake.” He handed the bag back.

  “No mistake. This stuff was in your car. Thanks for your business, Detective.” He ambled away, heading back toward the garage.

  River pulled out another piece of the same fabric. “What the hell?”

  I grabbed one of the remnants from him and took a look. “It has buttons. It’s part of a shirt.”

  “I don’t own a pink shirt. This is way too small for me anyway.”

  “Let me see.” I grabbed the bag from him and pulled out another piece of material that looked like it was part of a denim mini skirt. “I assume this isn’t yours either? Unless there’s something you want to tell me.” I smiled.

  “Never seen it before— No, wait. Lucy was wearing pink the night of our date. But she wasn’t in the car when I had the accident. I’d already taken her—” He stopped abruptly.

  “What?”

  “She said I took her home, but I don’t recall doing it. Remember in the hospital? They told me I had retrograde amnesia, and that was why I didn’t remember taking Lucy home. But I did remember the accident, which happened later.” He grabbed the bag back from me and pawed through it. He pulled out a pair of silver sandals with ripped straps. Then some lacy tatters.

  “Must have been a fun night,” I said.

  “But we didn’t…”

  I smiled again. “Retrograde amnesia sucks. You got laid and can’t even remember. It must have been something, though, if you ripped her clothes off in the car.”

  “Why can’t I remember this?”

  “Amnesia, Riv. They told you at the hospital.”

  “Did I take her home naked?”

  “You probably gave her your coat or something. Don’t kick yourself for not remembering. You had a concussion.”

  “But I—” He shook his head. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Makes perfect sense. I’m just sorry you can’t remember such a hot night. That truly does suck.”

  “It couldn’t have happened that way. Nothing about this seems familiar to me.”

  We walked back out into the parking lot. River kept shaking his head and looking at the bag.

  “Okay, let’s attack it from a different angle then. What’s the last thing you remember the night of the accident?”

  “The accident itself.”

  “Before that.”

  “A lot of it is fuzzy. We had a great time. We got into the car. I’m almost sure we decided to go to my place. Why didn’t we?”

  “You obviously changed your minds, and you took her home. After all, you’d already fucked in the car.”

  “Yeah, maybe…” He shook his head again. Then, “Uncle Jules!”

  I turned, and there stood my father. “You see him?” I asked River.

  “Yeah. Oh my God, as plain as day.” He walked toward my father, ready for a bear hug, but stumbled instead.

  “Sorry, River. I’m here, but I’m not corporeal anymore. At least not corporeal in the sense you understand.”

  “You can see him?” I said again with incredulity, poking my chin forward.

  “Of course! This is great! I mean, I never would have believed it, but here you are!”

  “I assume Dante filled you in on what the two of you need to do.”

  “Yeah, and I’m all in, Uncle Jules. But first you have to tell me. Where’s my dad?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know yet,” he said. “But I do know he’s still alive. I promise we’ll find him, River.”

  I promise we’ll find him, River.

  They were talking like old buddies. I wanted to be happy that River could see my dad. I did.

  So why wasn’t I?

  Chapter Four

  Erin

  I woke up in the middle of the day and couldn’t get back to sleep.

  “Dante?”

  Maybe he’d gone downstairs to use my computer as he often did. I wanted a cup of tea anyway.

  His note sat on the table in the kitchen.

  Baby,

  I’ve gone to see River. I locked the deadbolt with your key and slid it back under the door. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Call if you need anything.

/>   D

  I grabbed my key off the floor near the door. That’s what I’d do. I’d go to the hardware store and have some keys made. He really should have his own key.

  First, though, I’d have my cup of tea and make a phone call. I’d been waiting for a good time to call Mrs. Moore’s son, Juan Mendez, Jr. It was midafternoon. Now was as good a time as any.

  I grabbed the number and keyed it into my phone.

  A woman’s voice answered. “Hello?”

  “Hi. May I speak to Mr. Mendez, please?”

  “May I ask who’s calling?”

  “Sure. My name is Erin Hamilton. I’m an emergency room nurse. I knew his mother.”

  “Okay. Just a minute.”

  A few seconds later— “Hello. This is Juan Mendez.”

  “Mr. Mendez, hi. I’m sorry to intrude on your day. I’m Erin Hamilton, one of the nurses who took care of your mother, Irene Moore. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “That’s kind of you. But she lived a long and mostly happy life.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I was hoping you could answer some questions for me.”

  “I can try. But I can’t imagine what kind of questions you would have.”

  “Just one, actually. Your mother mentioned a physician who worked with your brother Carlos before his death. A doctor named Zarah, but she couldn’t remember her last name.”

  “You mean Dr. Zarah Le Sang.”

  “Le Sang, with an S?”

  “Yeah. Spelled like ‘sang’ but it’s pronounced like ‘song.’”

  “She told me it was Le Grand or La Grande.”

  “Mom’s memory was failing a bit.”

  “Understandable. You’re sure it was Zarah Le Sang?”

  “I’m sure, though I haven’t given her a thought in… Well, since my brother was killed, and that was about forty years ago.”

  “Thank you. I really only needed her name.”

  “She’s probably retired by now. If she’s even alive.”

  “I don’t expect to find her. I’m more interested in any research she might have published on her protocol for your brother and others. Thank you so much.”

  “No problem.”