Shadow Lover (Siren Publishing Allure) (17 page)

Elaine snickered. Seeing Kirk so excited over a girl reminded her of a gangly adolescent, pumping his sister for information. "Gee, I don't know, Kirk, I'll ask her in Gym Class and get back to you."

"Elaine!"

"Oh, all right. But for God’s sake, get a hold of yourself, would you? You're acting like a pimply little juvenile who still wets the bed."

"I wish pimples were all I had to worry about."

She picked up a slice of his toast and took a bite, then turned to leave. "Better eat up before it gets cold."

While Elaine made her way through the shadowy darkness to the concrete steps, Kirk sat down at the table and began to eat. About halfway through his meal he looked down and noticed something sticking out from under his plate. Frowning curiously, he reached for it and pulled it out. As he unfolded the little piece of note paper, he smelled Chyna's perfume gently drifting upward, causing him to inhale deeply and close his eyes in ecstasy. While floating on a cloud of euphoria he looked down and began to read.

Dear Kirk,

Please let me apologize for hurting

you yesterday. If my kiss caused you any

unhappiness, then I'm sorry. It was just

my way of thanking you for saving me from

Quinn. I didn't see a monster standing

before me, and I certainly didn't feel

sorry for you. I kissed you because I

wanted to. I'm afraid it was completely

selfish. I know now I shouldn't have been

so bold. May I please come to see you and

apologize in person?

Chyna

Kirk felt the words he read were sweet, apologetic, and sincere. Holding the note in his hand, he rose from his chair and strode quickly to his desk. He picked up a pen and leaned over, just about to write something on it when he remembered the look on Chyna’s face when she saw him without a gathering of shadows around him. The shock, the terror that crossed her face before she realized who he was, stabbed him, and when she kissed him—

He looked over at the mirror that replaced the one he had broken and remembered the dark night when it lay in shards. Glittering, mesmerizing shards. He turned from the desk and walked to the mirror. He watched the play of light and shadow on his hideous face. “God, how could she?” he whispered, “I'm a monster. A freak. How could she even bear to look at me?" Kirk felt tears brimming in his eyes as he again recalled the look of horror on her face. It would haunt him until the day he died.

Suddenly he knew the truth. No matter how painful it might be, he knew she couldn’t want him. No one could. "The goddamned fuckin' bitch just wants to flaunt herself in front of me. Show me what I can never have. Rub my face in it. She probably thinks I don't even know how to write. Well, I'll show her." In his fierce anger, he took the pen and scratched out a word in big, bold letters across the bottom of the paper—

BITCH!

As soon as he wrote it, a surge of pain flooded him, and he fell down on the note and began to madly erase it. He tore the paper, making a mess as he tried to obliterate the awful word. He hadn’t meant it, he was angry. He kept erasing, tearing the paper so badly that he thrust the note away and laid his head down on the desk.

Later on that night Elaine came down to retrieve his tray and found the folded up note on the floor. Thinking he had meant to put it on the tray and send it back, she picked it up and placed it beneath the plate—
for Chyna to read.

Chyna sat at her dresser gazing down at the large, insulting word. She could only imagine the anger Kirk was feeling as he wrote it. He couldn't believe she could have any kind of interest in him, so he was pushing her away. Laying the note down on her dresser, she stood up and began pacing, trying to think of what to do now. As she turned, she happened to glance down at an open magazine advertising a Broadway show. Her eyes immediately widened, and she reached down and grabbed it.

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? There was a costume shop in Atlantic City. She threw down the magazine, grabbed her keys and her purse, and burst through the bedroom door.

"Elaine!” she called out, her gaze darting around the room. "Where are you?"

"In here, Chyna!" the voice called out from Quinn's bedroom.

Chyna turned toward the voice and went to stand in the doorway. "I'm going into Atlantic City. I’ll try not to be long, but if I'm not back by dinnertime, don't wait on me." She turned to go, but suddenly remembered something and paused as she dug a small square of paper out of her pocket. Grabbing Elaine’s hand, she pushed the note into it, then squeezed it closed. "Elaine, in case I don’t get back, would you please see that this gets on his dinner tray?"

Elaine slipped the folded paper in her pocket. "Sure, I guess." Then she looked up. "Why are you going into Atlantic City?"

"To run an errand.”

"But Chyna, what'll I tell Quinn?"

"Just tell him the truth, he’ll understand. Bye."

On her way out, Chyna stepped into the study and called Joni.

"This is a recording…" the nasally voice began.

"Hi, Joni! Say would you like to take a ride into Atlantic City with me?"

"Only if you let me drive. I've got a new clunker."

"I don't know, Joni. Can't we take mine? I promised I'd try to be back by dinnertime."

"Well, all right, but you don't know what you're missing. As soon as she gets up to thirty-five she starts shakin' all over and makes you feel like you're doin’ the shimmy. God, can I pick 'em, or what?"

Chyna chuckled. "Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Right on."

Chyna ran out the door thinking about how glad she was that she had Joni for a friend. Joni was a plump, fiery little redhead with curly, flyaway hair, and was crazy about those cheap, long, dangling earrings. She wasn't gorgeous, but she was cute, and she was about the wildest and the funniest person Chyna had ever known. For some reason she loved old cars and bright clothes. She was never one to answer the phone like anyone else. It was either "Yeah!" "What's Up?" "It's Your dime." Or, her all time favorite, "Take It Away, Leon." Her latest was the one about the recording. Chyna knew she could look a long time and never find another friend like Joni.

* * * *

Quinn sat in front of the library fire watching Venita dust the furniture, empty ash trays, and straighten the books on the book shelves. He had a magazine spread out in front of him, but his eyes cut away from it repeatedly since she’d come into the room. The thick smoke from his cigarette curled above his head as he wondered just how Venita would react to a little plan he had in mind. Quinn had decided that what Chyna needed was a little competition. She needed to see another attractive female fawning over him, vying for his attentions. He’d started on his plan when he’d retrieved Chyna’s car, had it all fixed up, and presented her with the keys. That little act had obligated her to him, as well as made him appealing. And now with Venita’s help, he was going to see how she would react to the old Green Eyed Monster.

Quinn’s eyes slid over to Venita as she continued with her dusting. He could feel his temperature rise when she leaned over, her breasts almost falling out of her blouse. Feeling a thin sheen of sweat break out along his forehead, he rose from his chair, threw the magazine down, and leaned against the mantle, finishing his cigarette. His head turned slightly, his eyes narrowing on the cute little wiggle of her butt, and the outline of her nipples straining against the thin material of her blouse. While watching her, he could still hardly believe this was the thin, dirty, mousy little thing he saw every time he went over to the lighthouse. He remembered seeing her stand in shadowy corners as if she were scared to death. Who knew that once all that grime was washed off she would drive him crazy?

Venita cut her eyes around, being totally aware that Quinn was watching her, and had been for the last half hour. Knowing he was there she did everything she could to keep his interest. Her shapely body would bend and sway, twist and bounce. Quinn Grayson was the handsomest man she’d ever seen. He was her fantasy, her dream man, and this was the closest she’d ever come to having her dream come true. Many times she’d fantasized about coming up to the mansion and living with him, warming his bed, satisfying his every need. Now she was here, and when she saw his eyes on her, she burned inside.

Finally throwing his cigarette into the fire, Quinn spoke to Venita. "Venita, why don't you take a little break? You've been working very hard and deserve to relax a little. Come on,” he said, taking her hand, “we'll go to the kitchen and see what there is to drink."

Dropping her dust cloth, she smiled at him and nodded.

Opening the refrigerator, he looked around for a moment, then reached in and pulled out a Coke, opened it, and gave it to her.

She pulled her chalkboard around and wrote, "Cherry Coke?"

He looked at her and laughed. "I should have known. Have a teenager in the house, and you've got to have Cherry Coke. Sorry, there is no Cherry Coke."

She took what he offered, and drank as if she was very thirsty.

Quinn turned a chair towards himself, lifted a leg and straddled it. With his arms draping the back, he leaned his chin down on one hand and watched her. He was fascinated by her babydoll lips as they pursed against the glass rim, then opened seductively to receive the cool liquid. After a hearty gulp, she touched the bottle against her cleavage and closed her eyes, almost moaning as she smoothed the cold glass across her fevered skin. He watched, his eyes unmoving until the last of the dark liquid fell into her mouth. Putting the bottle down, she slid her eyes toward him, her heavy-lidded smile enlightened far beyond her eighteen years. He, in response, lowered his eyes to her cleavage, and began his proposition with a shrewd look on his face, "Venita, how would you like to make a little extra money?"

* * * *

As Chyna's car sped down the coastal highway, Joni turned to her and asked, "Okay, spill it, what're we goin' into Atlantic City for?"

"Well, I've got an idea, and if it works, it'll mean a lot."

"Come on, Chyna, that tells me nothin’. Wanna cut to the chase here?"

"Joni, he's so unhappy. I just can't get close to him."

"Who the hell are we talkin' about?"

"Haven't I told you about Kirk?"

"Well, you mentioned someone on the phone the other day, but we were interrupted before you told me anything."

"He was in a bad car accident about ten years ago, and one side of his face got messed up."

"You mean this
Kirk
person?"

"Yes. He's Quinn's brother. Younger by a year."

"He lives at the mansion, right?"

"Yes, down in the basement.”

Joni looked at her and frowned. “In the basement? You’re kidding,”

“Oh, Joni, I wish I were. Because of his face he won't go out among people, or let himself be seen by anyone. I thought at first it must be pure vanity, but after meeting him, I think it goes a lot deeper than that. I'm not a psychiatrist, but it seems to me that a lot of it is guilt. He's punishing himself for his parents' death, you know? It's like he's dug a grave for himself and only comes out when he has to."

Joni crooked her arm around the bottom half of her face, bent her other hand up like a claw, and turned toward Chyna. "You mean vhen he vants blood!"

"It's not funny, Joni. He's really hurting."

"So the Grayson's have a monster in their basement. Wow."

"Stop it, Joni, he's not a monster."

"Say, you're really sensitive about this, aren't you?"

"If you could just see him, Joni. You can tell he was very handsome at one time. He looks a lot like Quinn, but his eyes are more expressive and so sexy. But his mouth, oh, Joni, his mouth is delicious!"

Joni leaned toward Chyna, amazed. "Yep, I see all the danger signs. You’re fallin’ for this creep."

Chyna exploded. "He's not a creep!"

Joni leaned back. "Sooorrry!"

After Chyna's blow up she drove in silence for a while, then said, "Gosh, Joni, I'm sorry, but I'm so tired of everyone calling him names. It’s all I hear. Just the other night his own brother referred to him as
a freak, an insect that lives under the stairs
. Can you believe it? An
insect
, for God’s sake. He seems to have no compassion for him at all or his situation." Chyna's eyes narrowed. "That's one of the reasons I hate him."

"Do you feel any attraction at all for Quinn?"

"I did at one time, but since I’ve been there I’ve seen a side of him I can’t accept. Not only is he cruel, but he’s rough, and brutal. He's the kind of man that if he can't have something, he tries to take it. He's the real monster, Joni, an absolute snake."

Joni looked at her and snickered. "Quite a little twosome you've got yourself mixed up with. One's a monster, and the other, Mr. Universe."