Page 71 of Stone: The Precursor

Nodding, I sigh into my drink and don’t follow him when he gets up. Walking out of the kitchen, I make my way deeper into the house. I find one of the many unoccupied couches in the back living room. I try to center my thoughts, but a woman appears, and she’s next to me. I don’t recognize her, but bodies are forever moving in and out of the clubhouse.

“Hi.”

Her sultry greeting makes me turn toward her. She’s pretty, with heavy makeup and those duck lips that seem to be the latest fashion. Her box-blonde hair, red lips, and thin eyebrows make her look like one of the actresses from the 1930s movies that my mom and Ivory used to watch late at night. Before my stepfather. Before everything went to hell. When she scoots closer, brushing her large breasts on my arm, I don’t feel a goddamn thing. I could pretend. I could pretend she’s Camryn and sink my cock inside her, but my dick rejects that idea, shriveling at thethought of her hands touching me. The desire to fuck anyone but my countess is cold, blanketed.

“I’ve heard about you. That you won’t fuck anyone but Denise, but she’s getting up there, too old to give a man like you what he needs. Some of girls say you can fuck all night. Is that true?”

I don’t answer her, so I pick up my beer bottle and sip. The less I talk, the better.

She gets even closer; her overpowering perfume makes my nose twitch. She must bathe in it. It’s not soft like Camryn’s sweet florals. Feeling my ire rise again when the image of Camryn crying out my name materializes. “There’s an empty bedroom on the second floor. I’ll bet I can do things Denise couldn’t dream of.” She slides her hand down my thigh, and I grab her wrist. I’ve had enough. “Listen?—”

“You bitch! Fucking whore!”

When she’s roughly grabbed up and yanked away from the couch, I sigh, knowing Riggs is going to be pissed when I kill one of the members.

“Who the fuck are you?” The drunk man yells, pointing in my direction, Blondie’s hair in a tight fist. I stare at her. There is terror in her eyes. Dammit. The tremor in her voice has me standing.

“Please, AJ. We were just talking. I promise.”

“You’re lying, Simone! I saw you cupping his cock. Dirty cunt giving it to everyone!” He drags her up and punches her across the face. She drops to the floor with a hard thud. When she lifts her face, her cheek is already swelling, her lower lip bloody. She crawls away crying.

I stare at AJ, assessing him. He’s young, drunk, and high. I would almost feel pity for what I’m going to do, but I can’t find sympathy as I quietly remove my blade in the dim room. The black matte surface doesn’t glint the way regular metal does.I react, too caught up in thinking about Cam, desiring Cam. Frustration is riding me hard; my body is begging to fuck, but I let my fists be the only part of me that releases. I lunge at him and slip the blade into his spleen. He’s too drunk, too slow to dodge my attack. I hug his sweaty body close, whispering in his ear like a lover.

“Thank you. I’ve enjoyed killing you. Now move.”

He curses, and I cover his mouth with my hand, smothering his voice. He tries to wrestle away from me, but he’s not strong enough, and my rage is too potent. I pull him along to the back door. Once outside, I push the knife deeper, and when he slumps forward, I rest him against the side of the building. He’s bleeding out quickly. I slide my knife from his body and find the bandana I always use to cover my face when I’m riding in my pocket. I clean my knife and sheath it. From my expertise, AJ has around ten minutes before he completely hemorrhages and bleeds out due to peritonitis. The leaked contents from his spleen, combined with his other internal bleeding, will lead to a slower demise.

“How the fuck am I going to explain this?”

Sliding my knife back into my sheath, I stand over the body and watch life fade from his eyes. Once he’s dead, I turn back to Riggs waiting behind me, and I shrug. “Don’t explain anything.”

“Fucking hell, Stef. You’re killing me.”

“Since when do you have a conscience about assholes like him?”

“I don’t, but Hadrian already takes exception to you, and now that you’ve killed one of his members…” He trails off and kicks the boot of the man’s still-warm corpse. “What the fuck has gotten into you?”

I lean against the wall and stare at the darkening sky.

“Jace came by and almost caught me with his sister.”

“Well, fuck.”

Yeah. Fuck.

“But, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.”

“Not supposed to happen at all.”

“Well what the fuck did you expect, Stef, you’re obsessed and you need to figure it out. He might use it against you.”

“Jace won’t find out,” I argue. “I won’t touch her again.”

“That’s a lie and you know it, but Jace is not the one I’m worried about. Now let’s get moving. Because of your crazy ass, I have to bury a fucking body tonight.”

Chapter 37

It’s been days since I saw him, and I have no idea where he’s staying, but he hasn’t come home. That I’m sure of.