Kiss of the Succubus Ch. 04

"Good evening!" he greeted. "Can I get you a room?"

"One night, please. Preferably the room furthest from the pool," Grace said.

The man nodded.

"It hasn't been too noisy lately. My daughter's the only one who's used that pool all day. Let me get her for you."

He wheeled himself towards the window.

"Haley!" he shouted. "You've got guests!"

Grace looked to the pool to see a young woman climbing out. She looked about nineteen, with long brown hair and a beautiful young body. She wore a red and white striped bikini that framed her ample breasts and curvy hips quite nicely. The girl grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her soaking wet body and scrambled into the office.

"Hello!" she said, smiling at Grace and Kayla as she stepped in.

"They'd like a room furthest from the pool, one night," her father said.

Jim Farough had been in a wheelchair ever since he lost his left leg in the first Gulf War. He and his wife opened and ran the Shady Woods motel after he returned, with the help of their two daughters. After his wife Debbie died of cancer two years earlier, and his older daughter Heather moved away to attend University, Jim ran the motel with the help of his younger daughter when she wasn't attending classes at a local community college.

"Driver's license, please," Haley said.

Grace calmly reached into her purse and handed Haley her driver's license. If Haley recognized Grace from the news, she didn't show it. She went into the backroom, made a copy of Grace's license, and gave it back to her, smiling as she did. Grace watched Jim closely, wondering if he'd spotted any of the news reports about her disappearance. He smiled back, a genuine smile, and Grace felt that was a promising sign she would not be getting a visit from the police tonight.

"One night is forty dollars," Haley said. Grace handed her two twenties from her purse, and Haley handed her a key. "You're in room twelve, upper floor, last one on the end."

"Can I have some candy?" Kayla asked, reaching towards the pumpkin.

Haley laughed. "If your mother says it's okay."

Grace looked at her daughter, annoyed that the girl had put her in the "make mommy look like the bad guy" spot once again.

"One piece," Grace said.

Haley held the bowl out for Kayla to help herself. She snatched up a chocolate bar.

"Thank you," Kayla said sweetly.

"You're welcome!" Haley laughed.

Noticing a kiosk of travel maps, Grace grabbed one. She led Kayla to their room while the little girl munched on her candy bar. Grace had a good feeling about this motel. It seemed safe, secluded, and unlikely that she would be spotted here by anyone who might be looking for her. She took Kayla by the hand and led her up the stairs to their room, blissfully unaware that in just a few hours, two people in this motel would be murdered.

* * * * *

"God fucking damn it!"

He sped down the road, frustrated and furious. He grabbed at the cock cage through his pants, wondering how the hell he was going to get it off. The station had a professional lock picking kit, but he wasn't welcome there right now. Not to mention, he was going to have a difficult time explaining to the captain how he lost his badge. That was a conversation his career couldn't afford right now.

Before he left Better Health, he learned what had happened. Suni left Joe's massage room to answer the door. To her displeasure, she found a woman waiting in the lobby. It was never a good sign to see a woman walk in her doors. Nine times out of ten they were jealous wives looking to start trouble; otherwise they were naïve would-be customers looking to get a legitimate message, which meant a very unsubstantial tip.

Suni tried to convince Gabby to leave, but she was insistent. After being bribed with a large bill, Suni led Gabby to an available room, and the next thing she knew, she awoke on the floor. Confused, Suni hurried back to Joe's room just as he was getting dressed to leave.

Suni profusely apologized, offering Joe bareback sex (a service she never offered anyone, requiring condoms even for fellatio) as a consolation. Joe would have accepted but the new equipment his genitals now sported made that impossible.

Suni begged Joe for forgiveness but Joe stormed out of the spa furious, not telling her the real reason for his anger. Now he was going to have to figure out how to get his badge back and the cage off, preferably without getting anybody from work involved.

His phone rang, and to his displeasure, the caller was Erika. He answered.

"What do you want Erika?"

"I miss you," she said.

"Is that right?" he scowled, and sped down the road. He hoped to find a hardware store or some place that might sell something he could use to remove the damned cage.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you before."

"A bitch? That's a bit of an understatement."

Erika sighed.

"I know. I know you got your operation because of me, and we never had sex, so I thought I might make it up to you now. If you want."

"Oh, I see. You want me to come fuck you now, before the cum Tyler shot in you is even dry yet?"

Erika gasped.

"You- you know about that?" she sounded mortified.

"You butt dialed me, Erika!" he sped through an intersection. "I heard everything that dirt bag did to you!"

Erika tsked.

"He was a mistake! I'm sorry Joe, will you give me another chance?"

Joe laughed.

"Okay. I see how it is. You hook up with your douchebag boss not a week after we split, and now that you figured out you're just a piece of meat to him, you come back to Joey."

"It's not like that, Joe! Please. Come to my place now. I'm waiting for you. I'm wearing that sexy little pink thong you like. No bra. Want to see?"

The truth was, he did want to see. But until he got his cage off, there was little he could do about it.

"You're too late, Erika." He hung up. He pulled into the parking lot of a Lowe's and shifted into park. As he got out of his car, he got a picture mail.

The photo was of Erika, taking a selfie in front of her bathroom mirror. She was wearing her pink thong, and pulling the material to the side to give him a peek at her smooth shaved pussy. Joe felt a surge of blood rush to his penis. He had to be honest; he would not have been opposed to breakup sex, if he were not trapped in his cage. He was so enamored with the sexy photo he almost didn't notice he had an unread text from Grace. Relieved to see Grace was okay as of that morning, Joe took another minute to enjoy the picture Erika sent before heading into the store.

* * * * *

The motel room was small, but seemed fairly clean. There were two beds, a TV, a round table with four chairs, and a small bathroom. Through the window she could see straight over the pool and into the parking lot, and any vehicles approaching from down the road. It seemed like a safe place to stay.

There was a bit more daylight left, so Grace took Kayla out to get some dinner. Haley was closing down the pool as they left, and she gave them a friendly smile. Haley was hoping some cute guys would come by, and a few did earlier. When she got them settled in their rooms she slipped into her bikini and headed to the pool in the hopes one of them would come out to talk to her, but so far, they hadn't.

Haley was a virgin throughout high school and hadn't ever had a serious boyfriend. She didn't have much time for a social life since she had to spend most of her free time helping her dad run the motel. For that reason, Haley felt she could be forgiven for occasionally trying to hook up with guys who stayed at the motel, and often, she did. Her father didn't necessarily approve of it, but there was little he could do, particularly when he had to practically beg her to stay with him after her sister moved away.

While Grace knew about none of this, she still nodded back in understanding at Haley as she passed her by. There was a small sandwich shop just down the road from the motel, so Grace ordered dinner for Kayla and herself. Kayla asked for a peanut butter and jelly, which the chef was all too happy to prepare for her. Grace ordered a tuna sandwich for herself, along with an iced tea and an apple juice for Kayla.

They ate back in their motel room. Kayla watched cartoons on TV while Grace looked over the map she picked up from the motel office. It had been over ten years since she'd last set foot inside that cottage, and she had no clear directions, but she was hopeful she could somehow piece the route together from her memory.

She followed Route 1 along, checking which roads sounded familiar. San Nicholas, no, Mesa lane, no. But she was sure it was around there somewhere.

Oak Creek. That was it. She had to get off on that road. Then it was straight west until she hit Harmony road, and then a dirt path though the woods would take her to the cottage. She grabbed a pen and drew a line along the roads between the Shady Woods motel and the path to the cottage, marking it with a square with a large X going through it. She hoped her memory served her well enough. Until then, the best thing she needed was a good night's rest.

Grace tucked the map and pen into her purse, ready for the next day. After giving Kayla a shower and changing her into her Spongebob pajamas, Grace showered herself. She didn't have anything to wear to bed except her silk nightgown that Ted had given her on their first anniversary. It wasn't the ideal piece of clothing to bring on a road trip, but she'd left the house in such a hurry she didn't have time to pick and choose. She was glad she'd kept it in any event. It brought back nice memories.

She remembered how much she loved when Ted would run his hands across her body, feeling her figure through the smooth silk. How he would pull the straps from her shoulders aside, and pull them down to uncover her breasts, one by one. How he would lift the hem above her waist and slip one of his hands down into her panties, and give her butt a firm squeeze.

It wouldn't take long before Grace was on her back with her legs spread, and Ted was between them, pumping her full of cum and impregnating her with a beautiful baby daughter. Yes, the nightgown had very pleasant memories for Grace, and she was happy to wear it.

With her nightgown on, and seeing Kayla with Bernie tucked under her arm, Grace crawled into bed beside her and turned off the bedside lamp. Grateful to have such a terrible day behind her, Grace soon was fast asleep.

* * * * *

Her hips swayed gently back and forth as she sauntered into the restaurant, catching the eye of every man in the waiting area. The maitre d' smiled as she approached him.

"Good evening, ma'am," he said, unconsciously giving her a slight bow as he did.

"Table for two," Gabby said, squeezing the strap of her purse.

"Right this way." He led Gabby through the restaurant and out onto the patio, where he seated her beside a large fountain. The flowing water shimmered in the moonlight as it blasted from the spigot on top and cascaded down to the basin like a waterfall. Flaming torches encircled the patio; providing illumination for the nighttime diners.

"Gabby?"

She turned her attention to a man seated at the bar just inside the restaurant. He hopped off his stool and hurried out onto the patio until he was at her side.

"Gabby Wilson? It is you!" he exclaimed. "God, it's been forever, hasn't it?"

Gabby gave the man a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry, do I-"

"Trevor Freeman," he said, nervously. "We, uh, dated in high school."

Gabby nodded in recognition.

"Of course. How are you, Trevor?"

"I've been- well, okay. Just got through a divorce, but all things considered, I'm good. How are you? You married Dan Becket, right?"

"We- were married, yes." She folded her hands under her chin.

"Well, sorry to hear things didn't work out there for you either. Listen, if you'd like, maybe we could-"

He was cut off mid-sentence by a slap on his shoulder. Trevor spun around to see Lukas Balko standing before him.

"Holy shit!" Trevor shouted, clutching his hand to his chest. "I didn't even see you there, man!"

"No worries," Lukas said, smiling. "I saw you." He stared at Trevor momentarily. Trevor stared back at him; his heart still pounding. After pausing, Lukas added, "now, if you don't mind, I'd like to share some words with my lady friend here."

Trevor took a step back. He took a glance at Gabby, and then back at Lukas. Lukas stared at him; without blinking. Trevor turned and walked away, feeling Lukas' gaze burning a hole in his back as he hurried back into the restaurant. Lukas waited until Trevor was out of sight before he took a seat across from Gabby.

"I don't suppose that happens to you much, anymore?" Gabby remarked, amused.

"You might be surprised," Lukas said. "There was a fellow at Bellbrook who was convinced I was an old army buddy of his. I think it was just the dementia talking."

Gabby chuckled. A waiter approached.

"Good evening! My name is Pierre, and I will be your server this evening. Can I interest you in some wine?"

"A glass of Chateau Latour for the lady. Nothing for me," Lukas said.

"Right away," the waiter said.

Lukas turned his attention back to Gabby. "So... did Daniel Becket give you any trouble?"

Gabby cocked her head coyly.

"Lukas. You should know me better than that. He is but a toy." She reached into her purse, and removed the skeleton key, and laid it upon the table. "He had this on him. I thought you might like it back."

"Keep it," Lukas said. "I'd like you to pay a visit to your new pet tonight. See how he's liking his new cage. Do what you do best."

Gabby placed the key back into her purse. "There's still the matter with Harker. None of the boys seem to be able to find her. She's disappeared."

"Harker's been smart. She's covered her tracks very well. But she's going to slip up soon. I can feel it. And when she does, I'll be on top of her before she knows it."

Gabby giggled. She slipped her foot between Lukas' legs and rubbed his crotch with her toes. The waiter returned with a wine glass, which he placed in front of Gabby. He filled it up with Chateau Latour, smiled at Gabby, and retreated back into the restaurant.

Lukas admired the fountain beside them.

"You know, that fountain looks just like one I saw in Rome back in the late sixties," Lukas said, fondly.

"Popular design?" Gabby asked.

"That's not the half of it. I was there on business for a weekend, but took some time to see the sights as well. I picked up a prostitute and took her back to my room for the usual. And she tells me, that her father was an architect, and he designed that fountain. While the original was destroyed in a bombing in 1943, the same design was used for multiple fountains all over Europe and North America. And, she sounded truly proud of that; being related to such a renowned architect. So, out of a sense of, I don't know, familial obligation, I decided to leave her body in that fountain when I was done with her."

"How sentimental of you," Gabby said, sardonically. She took a sip of her wine.

"Well, you know I'm nothing if not sentimental. Funny thing was, the girl was lying. You know I can always spot a liar, it's one of my gifts after all, but in this case, I happened to know she was lying because I knew that architect personally. I went to university with him in the 30s. He died childless."

Gabby let out a long laugh. She threw her head back and cackled. "What a poor, poor, girl!"

Lukas nodded in agreement. "Well, I decided to throw her in that fountain anyway. I figured, why not let her fib dictate her final resting place? If it made her feel important?"

Gabby shrugged. "You know, Ted Harker told me he was a star quarterback in high school. Maybe I should have left him in the end zone."

Gabby laughed again, and Lukas smirked. She leaned in close to him.

"So, what would you like me to do with Daniel Becket?"

Lukas stared her in the face.

"Would it be a problem if I asked you to kill him?"

"Of course not." She said it without flinching.

"He was your husband."

Gabby looked Lukas square in the eye. "Gabby Becket is dead. I am your wife now, nothing more."

Lukas raised one eyebrow.

"Lukas Balko is also dead. But when he held his sister by her ankles off the roof of a Paris hotel and threatened to let go, he didn't."

Lukas paused, and added; "but between you and me, if I'd known she'd send me to a psychiatric facility I most certainly would have. The point is, Gabby, some of us retain a bit of humanity after death. Some of us more than others."

Gabby swished her wine in her glass and took another sip.

"You needn't worry about me. You are the only man in the world to me. The others are just pets. Playthings. I wouldn't hesitate to put a single one of them down for you."

Lukas smiled with satisfaction.

"My dear, you may well be ready to earn your horns."

The suggestion made Gabby giddy with excitement. She grabbed her wrists and squeezed her breasts together, giggling. She'd been waiting a long time to hear him say that.

"So- do you want me to kill him?" she asked.

"No," Lukas said. "I want to see him for myself. Take me to him."

He took a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and laid it on the table. He and Gabby rose from their table and made their way out of the restaurant.

It was a short walk from the restaurant to St. Harold's. When they arrived at the Balko Family Crypt, Gabby unlocked the door with the skeleton key.

"I hope your temporary resting place is adequate," Gabby said, as they stepped into the crypt. She picked up a torch from the crypt wall and ignited the end with a lighter from her purse. "Once Grace has been found we'll have you back here where you belong."

"Indeed." Lukas approached the casket where his wife, Annabelle lay. He rested his hand on the dusty wood, and stared at it in despair.

"My love," Gabby said. "He's over here."

Lukas tore his hand away from Annabelle's casket, and turned his attention to his own. Gabby opened the lid to Lukas' casket, where Daniel Becket lay struggling inside. His hands and feet were bound, his mouth was gagged, and he stared up at Lukas and Gabby as though they were the grim reapers themselves.

"Hello, Mr. Becket," Lukas said, grinning. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you again."

* * * * *

A loud rapping on the door woke her up. Grace sat up in bed, unsure if she had dreamed it or if it had actually happened. Her question was answered when she heard it again. Panic seized her body. No matter who it was, Grace was certain it wasn't good. She reached to her bed side and grabbed the silver dagger, and clutched it closely.

"Mommy, what's that?" she heard Kayla ask.

"I don't know, sweetie, let me check."

Grace climbed out of bed and tiptoed towards the door, holding the dagger behind her back. She peered through the peep hole.

She could see a young woman on the other side. She didn't look like motel staff. The woman wore a red tank top and had blonde hair with pink highlights, with dark mascara around both eyes. She didn't look like anyone Grace had seen before. Grace considered ignoring her, hoping she'd go away, but the woman knocked a third time, sounding more insistent.

"Hello! I need to speak to you! It's important!" the woman shouted.

Please go away; please go away, Grace whispered to herself.

The woman knocked again.

"Hello! Can you answer me? I'm calling the police!"

Shit, Grace thought. This was going to spiral out of control.

"What do you want?" Grace shouted.

"Can you open the door?" the woman asked.

Grace sighed in frustration.

"Just a moment!" she shouted. Grace hurried to Kayla's side. "Kayla, I need you to hide under the bed for me. Do not make a sound. Don't come out until I say it's okay. Can you do that?"