Dark Attraction: The Corde Noire Series (27 page)

The flashing lights from cameras blinded Sam as she sat on her sofa, holding her mug of lukewarm coffee. The police officer standing over her, dressed in his NOPD blues, kept sniffing, as if he was bothered by the horrible stench permeating her apartment.

The body of the young woman pulled from her ceiling had been surrounded by a confounding array of potpourri, lilac air fresheners, and mothballs. The shroud she had been hastily wrapped in had ripped some time ago, allowing all the products meant to hide her decomposition to fall inside the wall dividing Sam’s apartment from Sebastian’s.

“She’s been there over a year,” the assistant from the New Orleans Coroner’s Department said. “There’s still enough flesh left around her neck to make out the bruises of strangulation. We’ll get more from the autopsy, but my guess is she was strangled and stuffed into the wall to hide the crime.”

“Mr. Cole had extensive renovations done to his penthouse, directly above these two apartments, over a year ago,” Marv offered to the coroner’s assistant. “Someone could have put her up there then.”

“Someone would have smelled her in these apartments, especially for a few weeks after her death,” the assistant returned.

Sam stood from the sofa and faced the men behind her. “I didn’t move into this apartment until a few months ago. The apartment next door was empty when I moved in, and was only rented recently.”

“Who rented it?” a thick-necked detective asked beside her.

“A private client who wishes to keep his name out of the papers,” Brynn announced, coming through the apartment door. Her green eyes were all over Sam. “You okay?”

Sam clutched her coffee mug. “A little shocked, but I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll need the renter’s name, Ms. Adler,” the detective insisted, coming up to Brynn. “I’ll be discreet, but I’ll have to interview this individual.”

“Of course.” Brynn spied the other police officers gathered in Sam’s living room. “But in private, Detective Monahan. All right?”

Detective Monahan nodded his head of thick black hair to the other officers. “You can speak freely, Ms. Adler. All my men are professionals.”

Brynn smugly smiled at the detective. “I have no doubt about that, Detective Monahan, but Mr. Bordonaro assured me you would handle this with the utmost … discretion. That’s why he insisted I call you.”

Detective Monahan’s chubby face fell at the mention of a Mr. Bordonaro. Clearing his throat, the detective gestured to the open front door. “We can talk in the hall.”   

While Detective Monahan exited the apartment, Brynn came alongside Sam. “I want you to pack up a few things. I called Brenda soon after the police arrived, and asked her to put you up until we can figure something out.”

“Why did the detective look so nervous when you mentioned Mr. Bordonaro?” Sam whispered, itching with curiosity.

“Carl Bordonaro is very well known in the city for getting things done.” Brynn patted her forearm. “After I speak to the detective, I’ll walk you downstairs to Brenda’s.”

Brynn glided to the apartment door, her long strawberry blonde hair flowing behind her. Of all the things she had learned about her new landlord, the most difficult for Sam to envision was Brynn being a sub like her. She seemed so in control, so self-assured. How had she ever fallen for someone like Nathan Cole? Then again, how had Sam been bewitched by Sebastian Dane? 

Before her time with Sebastian, Sam had always been curious about why someone became a submissive. Now, she understood the fascination and was glad she had gotten out when she did.

Walking to her bedroom, Sam wished she could find a way to erase her submissive experiences from her mind. One day, she assured herself, she would forget about Sebastian and all the things he had done to her. But Sam knew that day wasn’t coming any time soon. For the foreseeable future, she had a lot of heartache yet to endure.     

*     *     *

When Sam showed up on Brenda’s doorstep, her friend welcomed her with open arms. Brenda’s apartment was smaller than Sam’s, without the stunning view of the Mississippi River. Decorated in tasteful beige-colored furniture and walls painted a light tan, Sam had admired her friend’s talent for creating an aesthetically pleasing home. She had wanted to emulate Brenda, but figured with her affinity for clumsiness, she was better off with a safe apartment rather than a pretty one.      

“Can you believe you had a dead girl in your ceiling the whole time you lived there?” Brenda rattled on as she made up the fold-out sofa for Sam. “You never got a hint? Nothing?”

Sam gripped the corner of the bedsheet as she recalled Julie’s ghost, but Brenda knew nothing of her gift. Best to keep it that way. “No, no indication at all,” she lied.

“Word around the building was that girl, Julie McNeil, ran off with one of the security guards, and dumped Nathan. I bet Nathan killed her for it and stuffed her into your ceiling.”

“We don’t know if it is Julie McNeil, Brenda.”

“Who else could it be?” Brenda tossed a pillow on top of the bed. “She’s the only girl I know who was involved with Nathan and went missing. I knew Nathan was the jealous kind, but Jesus.”

Sam looked over her bed with a heartfelt longing to climb in and sleep forever. “Yeah, it’s a good thing you and he didn’t work out.”

“Can you imagine?” Brenda clucked. “What if that girl had been me?”

Sam dropped her eyes to her white nightshirt. “I guess you can never know a man’s heart, can you?”

“Hey, there.” Brenda went to her side and put a supportive arm around her shoulders. “I know you liked that Doug … Sebastian guy. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but considering everything that has gone on, perhaps it’s a good thing. You never know how these Dom guys really are. He could have turned out to be another Nathan.”

Sam rubbed her eyes, pushing back the tears. “You’re right.”

Brenda patted the bed. “You get in here and go to sleep. You look beat. In the morning, we’ll go to Café Du Monde and get some coffee and beignets. Everything is better with coffee and beignets.”

Sam put on a brave smile. “Thanks, but I have to work tomorrow.”

Brenda guided her to the bed. “Already taken care of. I called Piper before you got here, and she notified your supervisor, Jill.” She sat Sam down on the pull-out bed. “You’ve got the next few days off, kiddo. Jill said you were not to go back to the unit until you’re ready.”

Knowing she had no responsibilities to see to made Sam groggy with relief. “I could use some time off.”

Brenda lifted her legs into the bed. “Sleep, Sam. If you need anything, I’ll be right here.”

Before her head hit the pillow, Sam closed her eyes. All she wanted was to be lost in a world of darkness where nothing mattered anymore. 

*     *     *

Sam was dreaming of standing on the shore of a clear blue lake—reminding her of Sebastian’s eyes—the water on the lake was smooth, almost like glass. A storm came rolling in from the west. The black clouds, thunder, and wind frightened Sam. In some ways, it reminded her of Sebastian. Soon the water on the lake began to churn, and high waves crashed against the rocks cluttering the shoreline at her feet.

“Sam.”

She could hear him. His voice was rumbling inside the thunder.

“Sam, wake up.”

Sam raised her eyes to the black skies and swore she saw Sebastian’s face.

“Sam!”

She opened her eyes and there he was. Standing over her bed like a force of nature, Sebastian was gazing down at her with his arctic eyes.

“Sebastian.” She scooted up in the bed. “What are you doing here?”

Brenda peeked around his right shoulder. “He’s been banging on my front door for ten minutes, and you never moved. I finally let him in ‘cause I got scared when you didn’t wake up. You were out cold, girl.”

Rubbing her eyes, Sam tried to focus. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Fourteen hours,” Brenda told her.

“That long. I knew I was tired, but ….”

Sebastian sat on the edge of her bed, examining her face. “The police came by my office this morning. When they told me about the body they found in your wall, I called Brynn.”

Standing behind Sebastian, Brenda gave Sam an elated thumbs up. “I’ll just go out and get … coffee. Yeah, coffee.” She backed away from the bed, giggling. “I’ll be back … eventually.”

Before Sam could beg her to stay, Brenda was out the apartment door. Hesitating before she raised her eyes to Sebastian, Sam tried to control the trembling of her hands.

“So you heard about …?”

“The coroner identified the body as Julie McNeil’s this morning.”

“I knew it was her.” Sam tossed the covers aside. “I also suspect Nathan killed her.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. Sounds like he went too far with his games.” Sebastian brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek. “I suspect his disappearance may be related to Julie’s death. I guess the question now is, where is Nathan Cole?”

Swinging her legs out of the bed, Sam was suddenly apprehensive about being alone with him. “I think he’s where he needs to be … for the time being.”

“And where is that, Sam?”

She gazed up at Sebastian’s face. He was leaner, a little haggard; there were dark circles under his eyes, and his color was paler than she remembered. He was nothing like the dashing Doug Morgan she had first met that late night, not so long ago.

“Nathan is stuck between two worlds. He can’t let go of this one, and he can’t move on until he makes amends.”

He lowered his head to her. “Has he spoken to you again?”

“Nathan Cole isn’t my concern anymore.” Ill at ease with the nearness of him, Sam stood from the bed.

Sebastian rose next to her, and it was then she noticed his tailored gray suit and silk black tie. She had always thought Sebastian sophisticated in the beginning, but after living with him for that short while, she had discovered him to be rather down-to-earth; nothing like the image he portrayed.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here, Sebastian?”  

His heavy sigh carried in the air. “You will need a place to stay, Sam, since you can’t go back to your apartment. I think I have a solution.” 

Sam moved away from him, stepping across the living room. She had forgotten how much she had missed being under his spell. Whenever he had been near her, something about his presence had made her feel so … alive.

“I need to figure some things out before I can move. I’ve got my job to consider and—”

Sebastian rushed up to her and took her hand. “You’re coming with me.”

She angrily shook off his grip. “Why, Sebastian? Why are you here … rescuing me? I can take care of myself.”  

“You’re not responsible enough to take care of yourself, Sam.”

She was backing up from him, not looking where she was going, when she tripped over the edge of a beige throw rug on the floor. Instantly Sebastian was at her side, catching her in his arms as she toppled to the ground.

When she looked up into his eyes, his smile was her undoing.

“And you’re so damned klutzy.” He briefly chuckled. “You need me to take care of you.”

Standing from his arms, she shook her head. “I don’t need you, Sebastian. I never did. I wanted you … there’s a difference.”

“I know. I realized that when you were living with me. I wanted you so damn much, it was killing me, but I couldn’t let you see it. I was torn. Torn between what I wanted as a Dom, and what I wanted with you.”

“What you wanted with me?” She defiantly crossed her arms over her white nightshirt. “Which was what?”             

“To have you, possess you, need you, want you … all the things a man in love feels.”

“A man in love?” She laughed sarcastically. “You never loved me, Sebastian.”

He grabbed her upper arms, holding her to him. “I’ve been in love with you since the first day I saw you in my mother’s ICU room. Everything I did—moving in next door to you, changing my name, pretending to be your Dom—all of it was to get you to fall in love with me.”

She wasn’t convinced, and her broken heart refused to believe him. “Why not just tell me from the beginning? Why play games with me?”

His arms went around her. “Because games are all I know. I’ve been buried in this dark world of Dom and sub for so long, I don’t know any other way. But I want another way with you, Sam. I just don’t know how to stop being what I am.”