The Killer’s Vow by Aria R. Blue
Simon
For once, the days pass by uneventfully.
No murders.
No evil Italian women.
It’s just blissful sex and roller-coaster dreams.
We cover the remaining three Disney parks in the mornings, and after sunset, Vera goes out on a hunt for ingredients for the love potion.
She explained that it works on a person’s brain, not their heart. By altering the hormones that contribute to feelings of affection and lust, the person is tricked into falling in love.
On the morning of the fourth day, we sit at the breakfast table together and plan our day. We’ll be meeting Signora Ranallo again tonight.
“You take those every morning,” she says, eyeing the small brown tablet in my hand.
“Yes,” I say, washing it down with water.
“What’s it for?”
“ADHD,” I say. “I was diagnosed at the Institute. The medicine helps me stay focused.”
“I didn’t know that about you,” she says, searching my face for something before looking away.
We spend the day at a different theme park, Universal Studios.
Vera and I agree that Rip Ride Rockit is our favorite roller coaster so far.
This has become our thing. We go on as many rides as possible and rank them from best to worst.
By the time we make it back to the resort, both of us are happy and exhausted.
“My feet are killing me,” Vera sighs, leaning against me for support as we walk from our car to the room.
My pace doesn’t slow as I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder.
She wiggles around. “Simon, I’m not a sack of potatoes.”
I smack her ass before pinching the thick flesh. “I know. You’re much better than a sack of potatoes.”
I have every intention to devour her pussy within the next minute. But I stop in my tracks when our door comes into view.
There’s a large ‘X’ on it in red tape.
“Simon?” she asks, wiggling down my body.
This time, I let her.
She turns around. “What is this?”
“It looks like somebody’s sending us a message.”
“It’s a giant X,” Vera says.
“Caution,” I say. “It’s a warning not to enter.”
“It’s obviously some prank,” Vera reasons.
The Florida sun and good weather are starting to make her more optimistic.
I glance over at the other bungalows. “The people who come here are not the kind to play pranks.”
“Yeah, but all of our stuff is in there,” she says, moving toward the door anyway.
I cup the back of her elbow. “I have a bad feeling about this, Vera.”
She gives me a little pout. “I’m tired. I just want some snacks and a nap before we meet Signora Ranallo.”
“Aren’t you usually the one who obsessively worries about everything under the sun?” I ask.
“We’re at a luxury resort, Simon,” she says. “There are no criminals here. Well, you know, except for you and me.”
I still didn’t tell her about the dead man I found on our first day in Orlando.
My hackers back in Chicago confirmed the body belonged to a Chicago native.
The ‘X’ feels like a bad omen.
But Vera doesn’t feel the same way.
“Lion,” I blurt out.
“What about him?”
He’s at the doggy daycare. “We should bring him here. He’ll know if something’s not right.”
“Fine,” Vera huffs. “I’m just so tired, Simon.”
I scoop her up into my arms again.
This time, she doesn’t complain about it. She traces the tattoos on my neck with her fingers and rests her tombstone of a head against my chest.
“I know you’re tired, tigritsa moya. You can have your nap soon.”
I think fast.
If there really is something bad waiting for us in our hotel room, it’ll affect Vera’s spirits.
She has been energetic and joyful for the most part this week.
I can’t take that away from her.
So I change course.
“Where are you taking me?” she asks.
“The lobby,” I say, walking into the reception area and placing her down on one of the many couches around.
There are nearly a dozen security guards here.
She’ll be as safe here as she is with me.
“You’re leaving me here?”
“I’ll go get Lion,” I say. “You can have some snacks here in the meantime.”
She nods and stretches her long legs on the couch, making herself at home. “Fine.”
On my way out, I call for the security guards and inform them that there’s been suspicious activity in our bungalow. And then I find another staff member and have them send refreshments to Vera.
Lion pounces on me when I reach the doggy daycare. He licks my face and neck, giving me kisses everywhere.
“We missed you too, buddy,” I say, petting him before getting the rest of his things from his locker.
“He was starting to mingle with the other dogs today,” one of the trainers remarks.
“You don’t say. Any improvement with the humans?”
The trainer’s grimace says it all. It’s hopeless trying to get Lion to be nice to other humans.
That’s why I know I can trust him to detect if the red ‘X’ on the hotel door is something to be worried about.
I attach a leash to Lion’s collar.
He hates it every time, so I make amends by letting him smell the flowers outside the doggy daycare for a while.
Lion moves on from the lilies to the roses.
A streak of red in my peripheral vision makes me look up.
And there she is. The reason behind my bad gut feeling.
Rebekah.
She’s flanked by beefy security guards as they escort her out of our room. Even though she just got caught, she’s wearing a proud grin.
It makes sense that she’s grinning.
She’s Rebekah. She never gives any fucks.
What doesn’t make sense is the giant red ‘X’ on our door. If she wanted to ambush us in our own hotel room, why would she put up a giant warning sign outside?
I meet the security men halfway.
“Simon.” Her smile is sweet and delightful.
“Really, Rebekah?”
“Sir, do you know this woman?” one of the security guards asks.
“I do,” I say. “But I didn’t give her access to my room.”
“I can have her arrested for trespassing,” he says.
“There’s no need for that,” I say.
“Yeah,” Rebekah says, rolling her eyes. “Simon and I go way back. Don’t we, Simon?”
“If you want to talk, you know how to reach me,” I say sharply.
Rebekah isn’t a threat to me, but she has an impulsive streak. She could be a threat to Vera.
The friendship I once had with Rebekah is important to me, but Vera is vital.
I care about her safety more than I care about my next breath of air.
“Have her sent out of this state,” I say, glancing at the men. “But there’s no need to use force.”
I look pointedly at where they’re gripping her arms tightly.
They let go of her.
“This isn’t over,” Rebekah hisses in Russian. “You’ll pay for what you did to me in Tokyo. I’m going to come back for you and your pretty girlfriend.”
“Yeah, okay, just try not to embarrass yourself next time,” I reply against my better judgment.
I step aside as the security leads her away.
Lion sniffs at more flowers as I watch the security put Rebekah in a boat to take her away.
Deep irritation ripples through me.
Even when I was out on the streets, there was never a moment I felt unsafe. The only thing at stake was my own survival.
But things are different now.
I’m starting to feel emotions I’ve never experienced before.
There’s the good stuff I feel for Vera. But something violent and murderous is also starting to surface.
It’s a darkness that feels too powerful.
Too savage.
Striding back to the lobby, I find my little tigress eating fruit and cheese from a small plate.
“What took you so long?” she says, putting the plate away to open her arms for Lion.
“Lion made some new friends today. He was saying goodbye.”
“For real?” Vera’s eyes widen. “He never gets along with the other dogs.”
“You can see it for yourself tomorrow.”
Vera stands up. “Can we go to the hotel now?”
“Sure.” My smile is strained, but she doesn’t notice.
It doesn’t feel good to keep things from her. I tell myself I’m doing this for her, but I know Vera would want to know about these strange incidents.
But there’s a lightness to her step.
Her smile comes more easily.
There’s bliss in her mind.
I don’t want all that to fade just because bad stuff keeps following us around.
When we approach the room, Lion doesn’t display any strange behavior. Like Vera, he’s just excited to have a place to rest after a long day.
“Satisfied?” Vera asks, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. “It’s just a prank by some bored kids. They probably did it to the other rooms too.”
I unlock the door and step inside, quickly assessing the state of the room.
Lion makes a beeline to his favorite rug.
The room is still tidy, but some of the things are different.
The curtains are drawn, and the bedsheets look like someone had laid down on them.
I sit down on the bed to keep Vera from suspecting anything.
She flops down beside me.
“I’m taking a nap,” she announces, getting under the covers. “Wake me up in an hour?”
I glance at the bedside table and see that Rebekah ate the good chocolate that the room service leaves every afternoon.
I stash the wrappers away and get under the covers.
But it’s not to sleep.
To get my mind off the annoying turn of events, I lose myself between Vera’s sweet thighs. I eat her out until she’s thrashing under the covers and working up a sweat.
I fist my cock and get off on the taste of her.
It’s only when I have her moaning my name endlessly that I give her release.
I’m mesmerized every time she lets go.
She does it with complete abandon.
There’s nothing else in the world but her pleasure. Her back arches like a bow, and her throat makes the most needy sounds.
We end up sleeping on top of the covers with her back curled against my chest.
She falls asleep within seconds.
I listen to the way her breathing evens out and deepens.
“I love you,” I whisper to her sleeping form, kissing the back of her ear. “I love you more than I ever thought I could love.”
She doesn’t hear it, of course, but it still feels good to say the words out loud.
* * *
“What is all that?”Signora Ranallo asks, frowning at Vera’s hands.
“It’s a notepad,” Vera says, clutching it tighter.
“For what?”
“Taking notes,” Vera says slowly, lifting her pen in the air. “So I won’t forget anything.”
“I give up on your generation.” Signora Ranallo sighs, sitting down next to us and refilling her wineglass.
It’s finally time.
I press play on the video. Or multiple videos.
There are about a hundred boxes on the large screen, each showing a different scene.
It’s the party where Vera first came all over my fingers.
My cock hardens when I think about her in that silver dress. I’ve had her so many times, but it’s never enough. I’m always left craving more of her soft skin and intoxicating scent.
I discreetly skim my fingers over her thighs, but Vera swats my hand away like it’s a loud bug near her ear.
“Do you see your sister?” Signora Ranallo asks.
Vera glances at the time stamp. “We haven’t arrived at the party yet.”
I fast-forward the videos for her.
“Now?”
“A few more minutes,” Vera mumbles, squinting at the screen.
The light from the large computer monitor falls on her face, highlighting all of her features.
My heart squeezes.
Man.
God really took his time with her.
Her lips part, and her eyebrows draw together as she concentrates. It’s undeniable that she’s beautiful, but I enjoy all parts of her—her geekiness, her euphoria when she lets go, the strength of her heart.
Most of all, I love her for taking a chance on me.
For deciding to follow her intuition and trust a man like me.
“There,” she says now, pointing at the screen.
I turn my attention back to the videos.
The two sisters have just entered the party—Vera in silver and her sister in blue.
It’s so quiet you can hear a feather drop.
I follow their movements as the sisters split up. Vera ventures from one room to another while Inessa joins a group of partygoers.
Next to me, Vera squeezes my hand and starts to take large gulps of air.
She’s trying not to cry.
“Oh God,” Signora Ranallo mutters, standing up and walking away with her wineglass high in the air.
I immediately pause the video and turn to Vera.
“What is it?” I ask, squeezing both of her hands in mine.
“I miss her,” she says, her blue-gray eyes starting to shimmer.
It doesn’t sit right in my stomach.
“I know you do,” I say gently, kissing the backs of both of her hands.
“We were together our entire lives,” Vera says. “I never left her side from the day she was born. I tried so hard to protect her, Simon.”
“And you did.”
“I failed,” she says, squeezing her eyes shut as her shoulders slump forward. “She left anyway.”
I can’t watch any longer.
She needs to release her emotions, but there are other ways to do that than to dwell on useless, sad shit.
“Vera,” I say firmly.
The tears are flowing freely down her face now.
“Give me five.”
She blinks at me. Her wet lashes have stuck together, framing her pretty eyes beautifully.
She takes her time with it this time. “You. Lion. Roller coasters. Finding this recording. Good sex.”
“How do you feel now?” I ask.
She answers me with a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you.”
Her lips start a fire on my skin. Somehow, this chaste kiss feels more affectionate than everything else we’ve done in bed.
To hide my racing heart, I press play on the videos again.
Vera watches me for a moment.
It’s with tenderness.
And then she focuses back on the screen, pointing at one of the boxes.
“This one,” she says.
I click on another box instead.
There’s a swimming pool. Vera is talking to a man dressed in all white. Her body language looks like she wants to flee, but something keeps her rooted to the spot.
“Who is that?” I ask casually.
“Somebody I once knew,” she says quietly.
“You don’t look very comfortable with him,” I point out.
“Can we switch back to Inessa? She’s the one who’s missing.”
I turn to study her profile.
She won’t meet my gaze. Her eyes are vacant and lost as though she’s trying to recall a dream she had last week.
I decide not to push it.
I switch the video back to Inessa.
It’s just the video. We watch the interactions unfold, but we can’t make out what’s being said. It’s all drowned out by the ambient music.
Vera writes something down after watching her sister talk to a group of girls for a few seconds.
“What did you possibly get from that?” I ask her.
“She said that she needs to go to the bathroom,” Vera says.
And sure enough, Inessa leaves the group and heads to the bathroom.
“How did you possibly—?” I start. And then it clicks in my mind. “You can read lips.”
Vera nods. “Fluently.”
“Who taught you?”
Reading people’s lips is not as easy as it seems. It’s a highly valued skill that takes years to master.
“It’s just something I picked up,” she says casually. “I didn’t have much to do as a child, so I taught myself how to read people’s lips from a distance. It made life more interesting.”
Once again, I’m in awe.
She’s my tigress for a reason.
She’s fierce. There’s so much strength and compassion inside her that it floors me sometimes.
“You’re looking at me funny, Simon,” she says, throwing a quick glance at me.
I can’t help the words that slip out of my mouth. “I love you, Vera.”
Her hand falters on the notepad. But otherwise, she shows no indication that she heard me.
I’m not affected by her response. Or lack thereof.
In fact, I saw it coming.
Vera moves cautiously. She doesn’t rush into anything, and that includes stuff like trusting her feelings.
Even if she feels the same, I’m not going to be hearing the words from her anytime soon.
And that’s okay.
I just wanted her to know.
“What is she saying now?” I ask Vera, turning my attention back to Inessa on the screen.
Vera’s sister just stepped out of the bathroom, and she’s talking to an older woman outside.
“She’s just saying hi,” Vera says, clearing her throat. “She’s asking about how her children and cats are.”
“Your sister’s very chatty,” I say, watching how fast Inessa’s lips move. She’s theatric with her gestures too.
Vera sighs. “Now she’s talking about a Russian TV show they both watch. You can skip this part. It’s going to be a while.”
We fast-forward a little.
“Stop,” Vera says abruptly.
I hit play.
On the screen, Inessa is with an Asian man.
“Is that someone you guys know?” I ask, frowning at how he’s standing so close to Inessa.
“I don’t know him,” Vera says, her eyes hard as she watches the man.
He’s tall and thin, with flawless skin that makes him look younger than he actually is.
“He’s pretty,” Vera says. “Like a member of one of the Korean boy bands Inessa likes so much.”
“But there’s something about his eyes,” I say, observing him.
Something lecherous.
You can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes—whether they frown more than they laugh, whether they torture people for pleasure. Things like that.
In the moments when they’re not putting on a show for the world, their true nature shines through.
Their true essence.
Vera nods. “Inessa doesn’t seem that comfortable. I don’t think she knows him either.”
He gently takes Inessa’s hand and leads her to the crowded dance floor.
There are moments of black between the strobe lights.
We see the events of that night in flashes.
Red.
Inessa trying to put some distance between them.
Blue.
Him tugging her closer by her waist.
Red.
His hands dipping to her butt.
Vera starts to take deep gulps of air again. “I can’t watch this.”
“I can kill him,” I offer, pausing the video.
“I want to do it myself,” Vera hisses, blinking away hot tears. “And Simon, I swear to God, if you ask me to list five things I’m grateful for right now, I’m going to leave a dent on your pretty face.”
“Fair enough.”
“I know that man,” a voice behind us says.