Forever Viper (28 page)

I’m still high from her blood as words spill from my mouth, but I know I’m saying the right things as we both moan as those words turn us on more. I need more and I promise her the moon and stars. I practically lift her off the bed and fuck her hard. The pleasure caused by the feeling of her surrounding me makes itself known through my mouth and we both scream each other’s names as the most intense orgasm I have ever had flows through me into her. I don’t remember how long it takes us both to come down from the best sex I have ever had, but I know I can't let her go yet so I ask her to stay.

We then move on to the subject of my sister and Peppa going back to work. She doesn’t think she can face Lara and not say anything about me. She hates the fact that she has lied to Lara already. I wanted to tell her that is one of the reasons why Juan didn’t tell her, so she didn’t have to deal with situations like that, but I kept quiet on that subject. But it seemed the Café is busy because of all the press so she feels like she can’t let Lara down.

I thought if I tell her about Cruz and his baby news it might lighten her mood, but it didn’t work. I even told her I know what my father has put her through, that it is time I face him. She flinches at the mere mention of him, which causes a flare of anger to surface.

My mind is made up then and I ask her to get through one day with my sister and I sense her relax a little. I haven’t thought about what needs to be said to my father, and I push that to the back of my mind. She agrees to stay and I show Peppa again how much she means to me and how much I want to be back home with her, in my own bed, by making love to her this time. She makes sure she is all set up to get up and leave me in the morning. I hold her tight as we talk about matters that have happened recently, and all the while never mentioning Juan once.

After I make sure she is fully asleep, I edge myself away from her. She stirs when I lift my arm away from her waist, but remains asleep. I pick her clothes up, well what remains of them, and then I pull the letters out from under the mattress. I write her a note asking her to read them and letting her know I need her and Juan. It’s in that moment that I tell myself I will write little notes to them both, every day, when we are all together again. I cuddle back up to her, breathing her scent in and feel happiness that she came to me tonight. It is one step in the right direction.

The connection flares again and I know Juan is here. I thought I felt it earlier too but I was too wrapped up in Peppa. I stand in front of Juan and I can see the smell that covers my body is affecting him. I’m soon pulled into his arms and his mouth devours mine. I know he wants to taste Peppa through me. He soon realizes I have fully Entwined with her when he tastes the blood that still resides in my mouth. He fights some feeling going on inside of him as I sense it for a second and then it’s gone. I let him know she will have my letters to read in the morning and I end up in tears as my plan has to work. I’m hoping they are what will bring her back to us.

I make myself very clear to Juan that he will be taking me to see my father tomorrow and nothing he says will change my mind. I watch him as he kisses Peppa, declaring his love for her and I do the same and then he’s gone. A hint of loneliness grabs at me and he doesn’t realize it’s an emotion I know well and I whisper out to the air, “Not for long Juan, you will never feel alone again, I promise you.” I turn and start making my way back to the sleeping figure on the bed. I want to wake her up and make love to her again, but she needs her sleep, so I settle for feeling her warmth. I take her in my arms and snuggle closer into her and fall asleep knowing this is where I belong.

Chapter 18 (PEPPA)

After I shower and dress, I sit on my bed with Noah’s letters on my lap. It is tempting to open one and start reading, but if I start I wouldn’t stop and Lara needs me today. I decide to walk to work. I'm hoping the nerves that jiggled away inside of me will ease before I reach Café Net. That is a joke; they only intensify the nearer I approach. I have to stop at one point and rest against a wall to control the anxiety I feel. When I turn the corner, my focus is soon taken elsewhere as my eyes enlarge at the sight before me. There are press vans, cars, even a few scooters lined up and down the street. There is also a queue of about ten people waiting outside the Café. I can make out fans of Viper, they are easy to spot with their home made banners and wearing T-shirts with Viper clearly written on them. A group of people have gathered around one van all huddled together and it appears as if they are reading something.

A car screeched to a halt on the other side of the road and all heads turned to watch who stepped out of it. Jacob is the first out and all I heard is the sliding of van doors and then running feet with voices shouting out his name. He seemed oblivious to it all as our eyes met, my heart rate picks up and my hands turn clammy. He smiles sweetly at me, waves and wishes me a good morning. Donald Blaise is next to step out of the car and the look he gives me is pure evil, which causes me to tense, but he is quickly swarmed by the press asking him questions. I tore my eyes away from all the commotion and forced myself to carry on walking.

My name is called out and I turn my head to watch Lara push her way through the crowd. I close my eyes for a second and my heart pumps faster. I take a nervous swallow, count to ten, open my eyes and plaster a fake smile on my face.
I can do this, it’s just for one day.
“You weren’t joking when you said things are crazy around here.”

She laughs, “It’s been pretty hectic but you’re here now so we can handle it.”

I lower my eyes and my heart aches as my next words have a double meaning, but she will only understand one, “I’m sorry Lara.”

She nudges my shoulder, “Don’t be silly. You were ill and needed time to recover
.” If you only knew the truth Lara.

I still can’t look at her, so I rummage in my bag to look for the keys for the Café. The group that stands waiting outside notice us and someone starts muttering, “About bloody time, I’ve been standing here for ten minutes.” And then someone else says, “Come on I need a coffee, not all of us can stand around and gossip.” I choose to ignore them and take a quick glance at Lara who frowns at the line of waiting people and then turns to me and says, “I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days.”

Lara really wasn’t kidding. We are rushed off our feet at one point, customers are lining out onto the street. Lara and I are like passing ships in the night, we hardly say two words to each other, which I am thankful for. I have just stepped out from behind the counter to take an order to a table when I hear, “Good morning Ms. Thorne.”

I spin around to see Detective Payne standing there asking Lara for a coffee. He turns back to me and smiles, “I still don’t have any news for you, but it appears as if you are keeping yourself busy.”

Seeing him again causes me to blush. I’m taken back to the night he kissed me and then my guilt at knowing where Noah is makes itself known. I quickly turn away in case he can read my face and shout out a ‘sorry’ and stroll away to deliver the sandwich I have in my hand. I have to hope he didn’t think my behaviour is odd and that I acted the way I did because we are busy.
This was so hard, but I have to keep up the act.

When the dinner rush is over, things calmed down a bit. The Café is still packed, but the line isn’t so big. Lara leans into me, “Peppa, while I remember it, because we have been so busy, stock is low. You may want to put an order in. The way things are going for Viper right now it could be like this for days. I’m really sorry to...” Her attention is taken away from me as an irate customer speaks loudly, “I don’t have all day love.”

I tap her on the shoulder and do the sign for phone and she nods her head. I stroll into the back room wondering what the hell she is sorry about, but I put it to the back of my mind as I pick up the phone and order what we need.

The afternoon remains busy and I’m called over to one of the computers. A student is having trouble with the internet connection. I’m thanked when I sort the problem out and I twirl around to walk back behind the counter. My hands come out to land on a hard chest when I accidentally walk into someone and my eyes travel up to meet the amused eyes of Jacob. I tremble with panic and try to push him away from me, but that causes him to hold onto me tighter.

His head lowers and he blows into my ear and a shiver of disgust runs down my spine. Then he whispers, “Poor Peppa. First Noah disappears and now Juan doesn’t want you. I would say I’m sorry that you are all alone now, but that would be a lie. I can always offer you a sympathy fuck, but your cunt wouldn’t be as tight now as when I first had it.”

I struggle in his arms as I fight the need to throw up and manage to say, “Get off me you bastard.”

He kisses my neck and says, “I always did like the way you smelled. You know where to find me Peppa, I’m always up for fucking a slut.”

His grip loosens on me and my impulse is to hurt him. He steps away and a resounding noise is heard as my hand meets his cheek. All heads turn our way and Jacob starts to laugh and carries on laughing as he swirls on his feet and exits the building.

Lara rushes over to me, “Peppa, did he hurt you? That man gives me the creeps.”

My eyes are firmly fixed on the door that Jacob walked out of and I don’t hear a word she says. She has to shake my shoulders a few times to bring my focus back to her and she takes my hand and leads me out to the back room. She sits me down on one of the spare chairs we keep in case one is broken out front. “I will be right back, let me get you a cup of tea and you can sit here until you are ready to come back out.”

My legs start to bounce all over the place, my heart races away like a runaway train and I try to fight the rising panic attack I detect coming on. Thoughts of
how does he know about Juan?
cross my mind and it all becomes too much. I end up putting my head between my legs, breathing in and out as a panic attack hits me full force. The tears come then and I slide off the chair to the floor, bawling my eyes out. Lara rushes into the room when she sees me and bends down by my side, “Oh damn, Peppa are you ok? Please tell me he didn’t hurt you. Should I call the police?”

I shake my head and through my chattering teeth I say, “No police, not hurt. Panic attack.”

She lifts me and helps me back onto the chair and offers me the cup of tea. I take it with shaking hands which causes some of it to spill onto my lap.

Looking very concerned, Lara stares at me, “I’m sending you home Peppa, you don’t look too good. I know I should have intervened when I watched him grab you. I’m sorry about that.”

My hand reaches out for hers and holds on to it and her concern for my welfare fills me with guilt, “You have nothing to be sorry about, and I’m the one who’s sorry.” I gaze away from her as Noah’s image enters my head and the tears fall again. “Jacob didn’t hurt me, he just said some pretty nasty things which upset me.” I turn to peer back at her, “I don’t want to leave you in a lurch Lara, you have covered for me these last two days. Give me five minutes to sort myself out and I will be back out there helping you.”

Before she can answer a male voice shouts out, “Hello, anyone there? I just witnessed what happened with Mr. Monroe and I'm hoping we can interview the lady who slapped him.”

We both glance at the doorway as the voice grows nearer with each word and I moan out, “Oh great, that’s all I need.”

Her hand slips from mine and her head turns back to me, “I will deal with him. I’m not taking no for an answer either, I will phone for a taxi to take you home.”

I open my mouth, but it soon closes as a man steps into the room. Lara quickly deals with the situation by ushering him out and leaves me alone to gather myself together. Ten minutes later and most of them spent feeling contempt, she tells me my taxi is here and I grab my bag, give her a hug and let her know I will be here tomorrow as we have a delivery at 5 pm. It takes me a good few minutes to get in the taxi as I wade my way through the press and Viper fans. It isn’t until I step through the front door of Noah’s house that I exhaled a breath of relief.

I can hear the radio playing and I decide to find out who is here, instead of heading straight to the bedroom, where I will undoubtedly end up breaking down again. I stride into the lounge to find Hans sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. It didn’t take him long to notice I’m there, “Hey, you’re home early.” He leans forward in his seat and his face turns to concern as he takes me in, “Have you been crying?”

I slump down on the sofa opposite him and lean my head back, “It’s been a really bad day. It is hard working with Lara and for me not spill the beans about Noah. To top it off Jacob showed his face and I had a panic attack hence why I’m home.”

“Wow, I’m sorry you have had a shit day. I wish I could sort Jacob out for you; in fact, I want to do it for myself too. He won’t stop phoning me or texting. You should see the amount of money they are offering me to go back.”

I tilt my head to stare at him, “Are you tempted?”

He shakes his head, “No, I have all the money I need. I still want to work in the music industry, but until I find something I know I really want to do, I’m happy to plod along and spend time with Monica.”

A smile spreads across my face at the mention of my best friend. “I’m taking it as you are still here, that everything turned out well for you last night? Please tell me you used a bed to make up in. No on second thoughts, I don’t want to know.”

Hans chuckles at me and I see the happiness in his face, “Yes, Monica has decided she can live with my wolf. Her exact words were, I love the man so I guess I can love the flea ridden fur ball as well.”

I find myself giggling at that. “Oh you think that’s funny do you? Well this should shut you up. To make up we did use a bed, a wall, the rug your feet are planted on and oh yes, the sofa you are sitting on.”

I guess he thought he might shock me, but actually it made me laugh more and I throw one of the cushions at him. He catches it laughing himself. Neither of us say anymore as I let the last snort of laughter out. I really like Hans, he lightens my mood. I notice he does that a lot and I’m so happy for him and Monica.