B. Donna - Blood Pool

Jade went on. Her voice cut through the air like a machete. “There was a conspiracy between Frank and the M.E. in New Orleans to keep that and other information secret. Who was that M.E., Frank?”

Frank remained quiet.

“You forgot your own brother, Darryl?” Her voice echoed malignantly throughout the room. “Different last names-different fathers, same mother? I hate to be the one to tell you, Tobias, but your ‘friend’ here-the man who helped raise me and Raven-killed our mother! But not before he raped her. And that time, she really was abused.”

Time seemed to stand still. What happened next slowly drew Tobias’s attention. Jade moved with such speed no one had time to react until it was too late. Still, he remained in his seat, weak, as if someone had drained him of all his blood. Tobias gradually focused on what was materializing on the other side of the maple desk in Frank’s office.

Tobias thought he was seeing things.

“Nicolette…” he whispered.

Jade’s eyes grew paler until they were the color of her precious namesake, and her mouth bore fangs. “You’re going to wish Tobias had killed you,” she muttered as she sank her teeth into Frank’s flesh. She grabbed a handful of cottony hair and wrenched his head back.

As she drank, she saw it all.

Her mother was so happy, bouncing Jade on her lap as Raven played in the backyard, when she noticed Frank walking through the gate.

Tobias had just purchased their new house, which rested on a cliff and was recently fenced in for the children’s safety. The yard was their sanctuary.

“Come on inside, Frank,” Nicolette said, taking her daughters in for their naps. She returned from the girls’ bedrooms, a smile on her face.

And Jade took in more blood.

Frank and Nicolette sat at the kitchen table. Nicolette poured some iced tea into two glasses.

“You’re glowing,” Frank said. “Is it because you’re happy to see me?”

“I’m always happy to see you, but no…I’m pregnant.” Jade’s mother was absolutely radiant.

“Whose baby?” Frank coldly asked.

Jade experienced her mother’s hurt feelings as she dug her teeth further into his neck. He tried to grab onto her, but she was too angry, too powerful. She worked hard at portraying the weak little bastard child. In the past, she could not afford for anyone to know the extent of her strength.

“Tobias’s baby, you idiot,” Nicolette said.

“I’m sorry. That was mean.”

Frank got up from the kitchen table. He embraced Nicolette. He held her so close, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Did you tell him?”

“You’re the first to know.”

Frank held her. He kissed her cheek. “That’s great news. Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Frank.”

He held her still.

He kissed her neck and slid his hands down to her perfectly rounded butt. He squeezed, and then slipped his hands between her legs. Those long legs.

He was hard, and she felt it.

“Frank! Stop!” She tried to pull away.

Jade sucked harder.

Frank dragged Nicolette to the sofa in the next room. She kicked at his shins, squirming unsuccessfully while he kissed her neck. Ripping her blouse open, he saw she wasn’t wearing a bra. A deep moan escaped him as his eyes drank in her beauty. Nicolette slapped him hard across his cheek. He grabbed her wrist and held it forcefully.

“You always look so sexy when you’re pregnant,” he whispered.

He suckled each breast as she pounded her fist against the side of his head. Frank grasped both hands.

“What are you doing? You’re hurting me!” she cried.

“Sshh, you don’t want to wake up those precious little babies. They’d be traumatized for life seeing their momma…in this position,” he taunted.

She lunged forward attempting to knock her forehead against his nose, but he quickly dodged her.

“Come on, Nicki, you know what I’m doing. You’ve fucked a few men in your day. Why not me? You’ve always denied me.”

He lifted her skirt, tore her panties off and rubbed himself against her, moaning with pleasure. He was finally going to have her, and nothing was going to stop him. She scratched at his face as he pulled down his trousers.

“Don’t make me hit you,” he warned, his voice abruptly turning frosty.

She tried to knee him in the groin, but he had her pinned down. She was tall and slender, but no match for Frank’s big, muscular and determined body.

She didn’t have a chance.

“I have loved you for so long, chéri. Now, it’s my turn to have you.”

“Frank, please, no!” she begged, but that only fueled his passion. She squirmed beneath him, trying to break free. Her gaze swept across the room as she looked around for anything she could get her hands on to knock him out.

All Jade heard now was her mother’s sobs. All she felt was agony. She didn’t need to see her raped.

“Why can’t you love me?” Frank moaned , secretly hoping to wipe out Tobias’s offspring and impregnate Nicolette with his own seed.

“Get off me!” she cried.

“I’ve waited too long for this, Nicki. I know Tobias won’t be back for another two weeks at least. Remember? I’m to look after you. To make sure all your needs are met. That’s what I intend to do, my sweet.” He didn’t move, except to begin rocking back and forth once more.

Jade pulled away, removing her teeth from his flesh. Nauseated by what she saw, she spewed Frank’s blood all over his floor.

Frank was still alive.

Barely.

“You’re the fucking monster!” Jade cried out. She felt Tobias standing next to her. He was speechless.

“She felt so good,” Frank whispered. His voice was raspy from the gouges in his neck.

Tobias gently pulled Jade away from Frank.

Jade was grateful Frank was dying. She prayed he was suffering, like her mother had. No. Worse.

“She was worth it. So sweet, so-so sweet.”

She could see his body was giving out. Next to the set of Jade’s puncture marks, Tobias dug his fangs deep into Frank’s neck.

“No, Tobias! You don’t want to see…” Jade’s voice faded away as Tobias witnessed his wife’s last moments.

She lay on the floor, weeping uncontrollably. Frank stood over her, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Leave! Now!” she demanded, curling up and pulling herself over to a kitchen chair. Her legs were wobbly, but she managed to stand. She walked over to the kitchen sink and ran some cool water on a dishtowel.

Frank watched her every movement. She took the cool rag and spread her legs, gently placing the soothing cloth on her raw skin.

She looked over at him, ready to scream for him to leave again. Her gaze rooted onto his growing erection. He took a step forward.

“Mm, mm, but you look so hot standing there with your hair all tussled and those gorgeous legs spread open wide. Want some more? Third time’s the charm.”

Nicolette dropped the cloth and grabbed a filet knife from the sink. “Get away from me. I will kill you.” Her voice was oddly calm and icy cold.

“No, you won’t.”

He strode across the room and walked right into her as she fought to slash at his throat. He grabbed her wrist and clasped his fingers around the handle of the knife.

She missed.