Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (15 page)

“Perfect,” She grabbed my hand. “And perhaps something more?”

My eyebrow shot up. “Uhm... are you sure? I wouldn’t want to step on any toes.”

“I positive. I decided that I should follow my heart and not my mind. My mind likes to fuck shit up for my heart.”

“When did you get such a potty mouth woman?”

“I don't know.” Whitney shrugged and flashed her crooked smile.

“Don't lose it. I like it.” I touched her hip softly. “Come on, I haven't eaten today, so what are you cooking?”

“Ordering pizza, I don’t cook well when I’m tired.”

“Perfect,” I made sure we walked passed the table where they sat. I had no idea if it would make a difference, but I prayed it would. I waved and Lucas watched us the entire way out, and swear I heard the word fucker escape his mouth. I would stay clear now for at least a little while. My dissertation might be made up. Fuck this shit. Poor Cypress might be on her own.

We found ourselves in my apartment. I had not taken the time to tidy up the place. There were notes and crime scene photos scattered all over the place. I unlocked the door and scooped up all of the photos before she seen them.

Whitney placed the pizza on the table and grabbed her a slice. “Your place is nice. Who decorated?”

I was finally all unpacked and I agreed with her.  “Thank you. I did actually. My mom registered everything at a few stores and told me to put it out. I have no sense of style. But you know that already don’t you?”

“Your mom still spoils the mess out of you, huh?”

“You know it.” My mom, Margot only had me. And because of that I was fortunate enough to get anything I wanted. Especially after my parents divorced. My father sent checks and she just dropped them in my account and it worked that way still. My father always sent me money because he said that as long as I continued my education I shouldn’t have to work. Yes, I was spoiled and I had enough saved that I didn’t have to spend with a leash. I could get what I wanted when I wanted for the most part. I grabbed the remote from the couch and smiled at her. “I only have the basic channels and Netflix babe.”

“Fret not,” she said. Whitney smiled at me and nodded her head. “You still are not into TV are you?”

“I have been busting my ass to make sure I get everything done for this research paper. My whole career will be judged off of it. I have some fans in the psychology department. I would love to keep it that way.”

“I’m happy you are into something that you love.” Whitney traced her fingers over the papers on the desk. “So this research paper means that much to you?”

“Dissertation,” I corrected. “Yes, it means everything in every sense. I have to be successful. I have to go in front of the Doctoral Committee in the next month or so. They want to question me about my research.”

“So, tell me about it Asher? What is this research that is so important about?”

“It’s about the psychopath I told you about.”

“About the killer?”

“About the subject.”

“Well, I want to know about it. Tell me about it.”

“He,” I nodded my head. “I'd rather not. I would rather we cuddle on the couch and dive into some Sherlock. I know you like the show.”
      

“We can do that after you tell me about him.”

There was nothing that I really wanted to delve into with her. She would not understand my fascination with him or his condition. She would see him as normal people would, a killer. But there was so much in the way that he thought that could draw someone like me in. Lucas defied everything that normal people done. The most normal thing in his social life was Cypress. He was even distant with his family, but that was because he has pretty much seen himself as being alone in the world. It was not so much a lie though. His only existing family was in Europe. “Well, I can tell you that he is normal and he has not done anything dangerous. He just thinks and acts differently.” She felt warm beside me. He can be intense at times. I laid off his trail a little. I just really need to document. But I don’t want to talk about this all day. I would rather talk about something else.” I clicked the television on. “Let's just relax...”

“Tonight a gruesome murder, the second in three months of its kind. The local police are paired with other police departments to figure if this a pattern of any kind. I have Robert Day at the scene. Robert what has happened.?”

“The news came unexpectedly to the parents of twenty-three-year-old Phillip Langford. After not hearing from him in over a week his parents and fiancé reported him missing to the local authorities. After further investigation of the home he was discovered dead in his home of knife wounds. The coroner has declared his death a murder and from the forensics report he was murdered over a week ago. We have been informed that the County Sheriff and Local police departments are questioning suspects about his murder and that they will get to the bottom of this. The camera cuts to the mother, her face red and filled with tears and her sobbing in front of the home as he was brought out of the house.

“The victim suffered two fatal wounds that lead to his death. The police do not have a suspect, but if you have any leads you are urged to contact authorities at once. There is a tip hotline number below.”

My heart thudded. It was his M.O. He always let them bleed out and he had been out of town last week. I ran over to the notebook. Fuck, he killed again. My hands moved faster than I could pace.

“What are you writing?”

“Notes babe,” I continued to write until my wrist pained.

“He was not behind it, was he?”

“No, sweetheart,” I lied. “I was writing something down for class.”

“If he was you have to tell someone. You can't allow him to murder.” Whitney stared at me and I nodded my head. “Asher,” she mumbled.

“I said no, Whit. Come on, let's play some games or something. This is the reason that I don’t watch TV.” I turned the TV off and stood up. “I have Twister.”

Whitney chuckled. “Yeah, alright, be careful. I would hate to get what I wanted for forever and lose it to a document that does not mean more than your life.”

“Yeah, I know babe.”

Cypress

“Can you tell me about your mom?” I played in his curls. These were the moments I loved. He was all mine in his loft. And it was private, no nosy neighbors anything like that.

“My mum was a wonderful woman.” He paused. “Her name was Luna; I know you know that, but it was something about the night that brought out her real self. The moon light was her friend. We sat out for hours, sometimes recanting poetry or better yet short stories. The short stories were my favorite.”

“What did she look like?”

“She was remarkable. She had wavy hair like mine but it was a blond color. Her eyes were stark blue. She always wore a smile even when she wanted to kill me she was smiling.” He inhaled. “Then she started crippling and not being able to do what she normally could and it was hard for me to witness. She went to school with my adopted mum. They were friends once upon a time. They made an agreement that no matter what when she started crippling I would be formally adopted by her, her name is Tracy. She’s an angel and her and mum had some bad times, but she never punished me for whatever she and my mum had against each other.”

“Why haven't I met Tracy?”

“Because I have never brought a woman home, and it makes me nervous,” He said honestly.

“I am not just any woman Lucas.”

“I never said that you were Cypress. It's hard for me to be open about anyone or anything with them.”

“Okay,” There was no escaping him on the couch. I flicked through the television channels.
      
“Stop pouting. I will take you there tomorrow morning okay. You can join me for Sunday Brunch. She'll love it.”

“I don't want you to take me because you have to. Forget it.”

“Oh come on,” He looked at me. “Are you mad?”

“You can get mad about Asher but I can't get mad over you not introducing me to your only living parents.”

“Don't bring him up.” He snapped. “Especially not while you are lying half naked on my couch.”

“Asher, Asher, Asher. I have told you numerous times that I don't want him, but you insist on making life a living hell for him.”

“Fuck that Cypress. That guy fucking had his hand up your skirt. Get mad at that shit.”

“Don't curse at me.” I yelled.

He growled. “Fuck!” Lucas walked away from the couch, sending a draft under the covers. “You are maddening.”

I blocked him out as he paced the floor pacing like a mad man. He paced for five minutes. “Keep walking… It doesn't bother me.”

Lucas picked me up from the couch scooping me in his arms. His lips crashed into mine and I fell into him as if it was a routine. Lucas walked so lightly up the stairs it felt as if I floated and tossed me into the bed. His hands made their way up my skirt and they traced the absence of my underwear. “Damn it woman, you will be the death of me.”

I smiled as he pressed one finger deep into me and added another. My hips bucked off of the bed and Lucas' thumb ran over my clit in circles that drove me crazy. He was a genius with those fingers. His bed was soft and plush. The covers had swallowed me whole but he still found a way to make sure I was buckling off of the bed. I grabbed his shoulders with my hands as his mouth joined the party. I couldn't take another moment. My legs weakened and my mind numbed. I screamed and he continued driving me mad until I had to get away, I scooted forward on the bed away from him and he smiled.

“I could do that for hours.”
            

“I would last ten minutes.” a thin mist of sweat had covered my body and I was in heaven.

“Turn over.” He whispered.

I turned over and I was not myself, every time I was with him I became undone. He opened a piece of me that I didn't even know existed. I was bare to him and everything I’d ever be was his. He pulled me back closer to him. My backside faced him while I sat there waiting patiently for him to start. He slapped my ass sending a delicious sting through my whole body. “Never forget whose you are...” he whispered.

“Lu...”

He slapped my ass again. “Shhhh woman.” He silenced me as his fingers went into me again and he was a tad bit rougher. “You are mine… is that understood?”

I nodded my head in agreement.

“Say it!” He growled.
      

“I'm yours,” I was exasperated.

I could feel him over me. He pushed me flat on my chest and thrust into me hard. I felt as if I might come from one more stroke. He continued at a steady pace and it drove me damn near as crazy as he pulled in and out slowly.  His pace was maddening. I was unable to move at all he had me pinned and it was perfect. He drilled into me and I clawed the pillows for sanity. Lucas kissed my shoulder blades gently slowing down, allowing me to catch my breath. “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone Cypress...” He whispered. “Can you feel it as well? Or am I just driving myself mad?”

“I feel… the same.” He ground himself deeper than I had ever felt anyone and the orgasm shattered me into a million pieces. My heart missed a few beats and my legs clenched together as he dove back into me. I screamed into the pillow from pleasure and he chuckled in my ear spilling himself into me. “Lucas...”

“What,” he rolled off of me pulling himself out and tossing the covers to the ground.

“We have to start using condoms...”

“Why?” he said out of breath. “Can we discuss it later? You kind of ruined the moment there.”

“I don't want a baby.”

“I know.” He mumbled. Lucas nestled into me and fell into the quickest slumber. At least he gave me the pleasure of getting off twice before he went to bed. It wasn’t five minutes and I had fallen asleep myself. My body tangled in his warmth I slept better than I had in days.

We slept for three hours until the annoying vibration of my cell phone irritated us both. “Answer Cy, or I would bloody chunk it out the window.”

At the moment I had agreed with his decision. The phone rung nonstop and at this point I wanted to murder my cell phone too. I reached over Lucas to the night stand and stared at the bright white screen. It was my mom. I slid the green button across the screen and nestled back into Lucas. “Mom.” I answered. “I hope this important.”

“It is; I’ve been calling you all damn day.” The irritation in her voice was like music to my ears. I hadn’t talked to her much since we had left.

“Sorry mom, I was tied up.”

“You haven’t been yet.” Lucas whispered in my ear.

“Shhhh,” I pushed him playfully. “What’s going on?”

“Honey, it's about Phillip.”

“Mom, I’m with Lucas right now can this wait?”

“No, he's dead. He was murdered. They just found his body.”

The words had my world in a spiral of chaos. No, I had not had feeling for him besides hatred in the past few months, but any death of someone I knew always changed my opinion. I dropped the phone and a sob escaped my mouth. I felt as if I could not get out of the bed quick enough. My feet lead me to the steps and I slid against the wall in anguish.