Page 25 of Unbinding the Demon

“Oh, Gwendolyn. It’s time to wake up, my sweet little Buttercup.”

The sound of Ashton’s deep voice cooing to me, plus the feeling of his warm hand stroking my hair, roused me from my peaceful slumber. My eyes fluttered open to the sight of his handsome face smiling over at me. He was shirtless and propped up on his forearm, causing his muscular tattooed biceps to flex deliciously. A soft beam of sunlight poured in through the window and onto the back of his head, casting a warm, halo-like glow over his flowing hair. His golden eyes twinkled with love, matching the golden rays of the morning sun that illuminated the room. It was a look that seemed to make all the terrors from the night before melt away.

“Good morning.” I smiled back at him with a warm feeling in my heart, and then yawned, my eyelids still heavy.

“Good morning, Buttercup.” He leaned in and placed a tender kiss on my lips. “Now, as much as I’d love to ravish you this morning, William and Lacey are still here, and we have important business to attend to.” He nuzzled into the crevice of my neck and placed a warm and strangely tingly kiss on the scar, making me suddenly grow all hot and bothered.

Well, that was weird ...

He sat up and turned to place his feet on the floor. His long black hair cascaded down his muscular, tattooed back like an obsidian waterfall. A few strands gently fell in front of his face as he leaned forward to stand and then stretched up to his towering height.

Even though I’d seen him many times before, I still couldn’t help but gawk at his masculinity like a blushing virgin seeing a man for the first time. I was taken by surprise by my heightened attraction to him. The way his muscular frame appeared in the golden light made him seem like a heavenly being. My breath hitched in my chest and butterflies fluttered around in my stomach as I stared. He noticed I was checking him out, and a smug, devilish grin lit up his face, reminding me that this man was no angel.

“Like what you see?” he smirked, his brow raised in a show of confidence.

“Yeah, yeah, so what if I do?” I crossed my arms, even though I was blushing terribly, and smiled. “I was just admiring how your hair always looks so perfect; that’s all.” I waved a hand at him dismissively so he wouldn’t get too cocky from my compliment.

“Oh? Is that so?” With a chuckle, he prowled around to my side of the bed. He sat with his back facing me and flicked his hair in my direction. “It’s very soft too, you know.” He not-so-subtly beckoned me to touch it.

I tried to ignore him and began fidgeting with the velvety crimson coverlet instead. He flicked his hair at me again, this time making sure the strands tickled my face. “Hey! Okay, okay, you win!” I giggled and ran my hands through the lustrous midnight drapery that curtained his hard muscles. Every strand was almost hypnotic and felt like the softest silk gliding through my pale fingers. I gave his scalp a swift scratch with my dark red nails, and he leaned into my touch with a smile.

“Oh, I really like that,” he said with a purr.

“Jeez, what are you, a house cat or something?” I laughed as my other hand joined in to scratch him more vigorously, messing up his once-perfect hair.

He laughed as well, then turned his now disheveled head to face me in a manner that radiated

danger. “Those are bold words coming from someone who mewls in delight every time I stroke their pussy.” He pounced on me with a growl and grabbed right between my legs. I let out a little “Oh my,” with a giggle.

“Are you two lounge lizards even out of bed yet!? The police are waiting for Gwendolyn at the house, you know!” Lacey’s voice boomed through the door, accompanied by loud knocking.

We both froze and looked at each other with wide, guilty eyes. “We’ll be out soon,” Ashton called back to her.

“Alright, William and I are heading back now. We’ll meet you guys there.”

“Okay, sounds good!” I yelled back. Thank goodness she didn’t barge in and see Ashton’s hand right on my twat! We tried to hold back our snickers while we listened to her footsteps becoming quieter as she walked away. “So, the police are waiting for me?” I asked with furrowed brows.

He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear with his free hand. “Yes, they want to speak with you once you arrive. So, we really should get going.” His lower hand squeezed my pussy, causing me to yelp. “Don’t think that we’re done here, though. I fully intend to finish this once we return!” He used a deep, husky tone that held promise. With a wicked grin, he flicked my clit through my damp panties and swiftly got off the bed.

My heart pounded in my chest and my limbs felt weak with anxiety as the little blue house came into view. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as Ashton pulled the car up and parked next to the crooked row of police cars. Lacey and Darrell were speaking with a concerned detective in the side yard, and the little puffs of smoke coming from behind a maple tree gave away William’s whereabouts. I didn’t even realize my hands were trembling until I felt Ashton’s hand grab one of them, settling it and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. Besides, I’ll be with you the entire time,” he reassured me with a loving smile.

“Thank you. I feel ridiculous for overreacting this way,” I softly replied as I gazed out the window. Crunchy brown leaves littered the ground, blowing across the dying grass. With a shaky fingertip, I quickly drew a terrible-looking duck in the fog on the glass.

“You’re not overreacting,” he firmly stated as I doodled. “What happened last night was horrifying, and feeling upset is completely justified.” My hand was pulled to his lips and given a gentle kiss. It was an action he often did, yet this time it felt far more comforting than usual.

“Thank you.” I pried my eyes away from my art and gave him a weak smile. He was right. I wasn’t pathetic for feeling frightened after having a freaky-ass zombie thing crawl through my living room window and then succumb to an unexplainable and violent death! How often does something like that even happen? And it just so happens to happen to me, really?

We exited the car, and Ashton grabbed some flattened boxes from the backseat so we could collect a few of my things. I tried to take a deep breath to help settle the feeling of dread that lingered in the pit of my stomach, but it didn’t seem to work. So, my eyes wandered over to the trees lining the side yard to distract myself instead. The fiery colors of October had resigned to the dark burgundies, umbers, and barrenness of November’s cold dying veil. Even though the sun was shining, the landscape was becoming dull and desolate, preparing for the heavy snowfalls of winter.

Crows cawed from the trees beside the house, while a few withered leaves fluttered down from the lofty swaying branches. I walked past the now lifeless hydrangeas, lightly running my trembling hand along the brittle blooms. Then my hand found the splintered wooden railing as I stepped up onto the front porch. The dead leaves and twigs that were stuck in the corners of the steps rustled beneath my boots, while the open screen door creaked eerily in the wind.

“It’s going to be alright,” Ashton said and gave me a slight kiss on the top of my head.

He opened the door and his large, dark frame entered the house. I nervously followed behind him. Broken glass crunched under my boots as I took in the horrific scene. The body was gone, but the blood and black gooey stuff was still splattered all over the walls and floor. My stomach churned from the smell and memory, yet Ashton didn’t seem shocked or bothered at all. Most of the living room was closed off with yellow caution tape, allowing only a few walkways to the rest of the house. Cameras flashed as bewildered detectives and police officers tried to make sense of the gruesome incident. A few of the officers took unnerved double takes at Ashton, with looks of both fear and malice in their eyes.

That’s kind of uncalled for. I know that Ashton’s an intimidating guy, but jeez.

“Excuse me, miss! You wouldn’t happen to be Gwendolyn Gallagher, would you?” A middle-aged policewoman energetically approached with a to-go coffee in her hand, her short ponytail of dark brown curls bouncing behind her.

“Yes, that’s me,” I answered with a forced smile. Ashton took a protective step toward me and rested a hand on my back.

Her light brown eyes narrowed at him in annoyance, causing her crow’s feet lines to appear bolder against her olive skin. “So you were here last night with William Eskildsen and Lacey Ndiaye. Is that correct?” Her eyes shifted back to me as she spoke.

“Yes, that’s correct,” I replied politely, even though I was rather nervous.

“My name’s Officer Julianna Hoffman. I’m going to need to ask you a few questions and hear your part of the story.” She whipped out a little notepad from her shirt pocket with her free hand. “And who are you?” she asked Ashton in a rude tone.

“Ashton Meyers, Gwendolyn’s boyfriend,” he replied flatly, with a look of detestation. He pulled me to his side, keeping his gaze fixed on the officer.

“Well, Ashton , if you don’t mind, I’d like to chat with Ms. Gallagher in the kitchen... alone .” She sneered his name in a taunting way while adjusting her shirt a bit, causing a beautiful sapphire necklace to peek out from beneath her uniform.

“Actually, I do mind. Quite a lot, in fact. Gwendolyn has been traumatized, and I’m not about to leave her alone with some... officer .” He sneered the word “officer” in an equally taunting manner, then the two of them scowled at each other with bitterness.

Yikes, did I miss something?

Her thin lips pressed into an unhappy line. “All right, very well. Let’s all go into the kitchen then.” She looked both aggravated and a bit nervous, but she smiled at me as we walked.

Way to fucking go, Ashton! Sure, just tick off the cop right before I have to get interrogated; what a great fucking idea!

We entered the kitchen, and I eyed Lacey’s blooming tea kettle as the three of us sat down around the small wooden table. Ashton made an obvious point to be between the officer and me. The room looked almost exactly how it had been the night before. The sage green countertops were mostly clean, with only a few dishes still in the sink from William’s baked chimichangas he had made for dinner. The tan tiled floor could have used some sweeping, but it wasn’t too terrible.

Officer Hoffman watched as Ashton leaned the flattened boxes against the side of his chair. “So you’re moving out, I see?” she nonchalantly asked while flipping through her small notepad, her coffee resting on the table beside her.

I pulled my eyes away from the pink, watery bloom and looked over at her. “Um, yeah. I really don’t want to stay here after what happened last night,” I said while fidgeting with the hem of my dress.

“Can’t say I blame you. Where will you be living?” she tapped the end of her pen on the table.

“That’s not what we’re here to speak to you about,” Ashton cut in with a harsh tone, creating even more awkward tension in the room.

Good grief, he really doesn’t like this woman.

“ Okay , well, let’s just begin then.” She rolled her eyes and looked over her notes.

I told Officer Hoffman all that I could and answered all her questions to the best of my ability. Even though Ashton was acting like a rabid bulldog the entire goddamn time, I was still glad that he was with me. It was nice to have him comforting me as I tearily relayed the horrifying event that had happened. The whole interrogation lasted an agonizing forty or so minutes, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over with. Once she mentioned that we were on to the last thing, I imagined myself skipping through a field of wildflowers with heavenly music playing in the background... Freedom!

“There’s just one last thing. Since you seem to have been this girl’s target, the police force is willing to offer you some extra protection if you want it.” She smiled at me, then glanced at Ashton’s scowling face.

“No, she doesn’t want or need that. Gwendolyn will be living with me, and I fully intend to protect her myself.” His voice was dark and venomous, and the look on his face was downright lethal. I could practically feel the protective aura radiating off him, making me feel like a little turtle under a heat lamp.

“Well, it’s her choice. So what do you say, Gwendolyn?” Her tone clarified that she was asking me and not him.

“Well, I guess...” Ashton squeezed my thigh under the table, and he gave me a stern don’t-you-dare-say-yes look. “I guess I’ll decline. But thank you for the offer.” I politely smiled at her.

Ashton smiled at her too, and her jaw ticked. “You know, Officer Hoffman, it sure is strange that someone who attempted to harm my precious Gwendolyn...” My eyes awkwardly shifted around, as he caressed a lock of hair from my face. “...would meet such a bizarre and unexplainable, yet extremely painful and gruesome fate. Don’t you think?” He leaned forward over the table, making it so I couldn’t see his face. Officer Hoffman stayed silent and widened her now fearful-looking eyes. “But you seem like a smart girl. I’m sure you can figure out what really happened,” he said with a chuckle. “It would probably be best to tell the other members that she’s under my protection, too. The other members of the police force, that is.” He waved his hand in a circle as he clarified.

Man, this is really fucking uncomfortable ...

“Well,” she said, and then nervously cleared her throat. “Okay, we’re done here then. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Gallagher. Call us if anything else comes up.” She stood and shakily gathered her things, her face pale as though she had seen a ghost. Then she walked out of the room without a second glance.

“Oh, and one more thing, Officer Hoffman,” Ashton called to her from his chair, causing her to tense up in the doorway. She slowly turned around to look at him. “That’s a beautiful necklace you’re wearing. I wouldn’t take it off if I were you.” His tone was oddly threatening for a simple compliment on her jewelry. Her fearful eyes met his cruel gaze; then she continued to walk away without saying a word.

Good fucking God, that was weird!

“Thank the gods that’s over with,” he chuckled as he stood and picked up the boxes, then offered me his hand. “Come on, let’s go pack what you’ll need most. We’ll come back for the rest of your things once the authorities have finished up here.” He smiled with loving kindness in his mesmerizing eyes.

I shook my head and slightly laughed at his instant change in demeanor. “Alright, but no reading my diary, you big creep!” I joked as I took his hand with a smile.

“You have a diary?” He curiously raised a brow and smirked.

“Shut up and let’s go!” I said in a defensive tone and rushed him out of the kitchen while he laughed behind me.