Sin Eater (37 page)

This man had done things that no Master was telling him to do. Things he’d just wanted to do all on his own. But unlike Charlie, the man hadn’t wanted their fear. He’d only wanted to … ruin them. They were clean, pure, and he wanted to be
invariably the one that took that all away from them.

Charlie felt sick at the thought of some of the stuff the Master was saying to him about this victim. Because the more he heard, the more he felt like he was taking on responsibility for the short, husky man he held by the throat. Maybe … just maybe … the new Master could take this all away too, shake it off of Charlie and make all the nastiness disappear.

He hoped so. This was evil that even Charlie wanted gone for good.

When the man was no longer breathing, and felt eerily still in his hands, Charlie let the heavy weight fall, and realized he’d started crying. Must have been one of the stories the Master had been telling him about this piece of breathing garbage at his feet. All the little girls that this guy had sought out to taint, and then when he realized what he’d done, he’d made them disappear. For a while, anyway.

Charlie didn’t want to know about the terrible things people did to children. It made him remember too many things.

Come now Charlie, I know what will make you feel better.

“The new Master?” His voice broke with all the hope in it.

That’s right. Jasper will take it all away. Don’t keep him waiting. This will make him feel better, too.

Claudia sat next to Damien on Iola’s sofa, waiting for word from Vinnie. They couldn’t really hear what was going on in the bedroom, but as soon as Claudia recognized the sound of sobbing she wanted to jump to her feet and run in there.

Damien took her hand as though she’d telegraphed her intent, and she stayed where she was. He seemed to know that nothing bad was going on in there.

Claudia relaxed back into the cushions, rubbing her eyes. When Damien had woken her up she’d been having the kind of dream that you know is just an unconscious recounting of something that actually happened to her, manifesting itself in a different way. Claudia had images of people in filmy, black cloaks of some kind, trying to grab her. She fought them with everything she had, but every time she hit air she only disturbed the cloudiness of their clothes, which always melded back to together as though she hadn’t even touched them.

Creepy as hell.

Damien had woken her by sliding into the sofa next to her, saying he’d just gotten up to answer the door. Then he’d told her the doctor had arrived, and they’d sat wordlessly ever since.

“Should we leave?” she finally asked quietly, feeling worse than useless by this point.

Damien shrugged his shoulders, putting an arm along the back of the sofa behind her. “We should wait for the doctor. He might want you to stay here and make sure she’s taken care of.”

“Why just me?”

Damien shook his head, smiling as he pushed her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t think he wants another male in the apartment.”

Claudia frowned. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. He’s just … protective of her. I mean, I answered the door without a shirt on.”

Claudia put her head on his chest, chuckling. “Men are so stupid.”

“Yes. Yes they are.”

She gave him a jibe in the ribs. “That means you, too.”

“You think I’m stupid?” His tone was teasing, which made her smile. “There are many things I may
not
know about, but I think you are well aware that there is
plenty
that I
do
know a lot about.” His hands were drawing circles on her back in a lazy, casual way, but as his voice dropped low and suggestive like that the touch suddenly became very … sensual.

“Damien … what are you doing?” She said teasingly, and his hand came to her arm, running up and down the bare skin there.

“What makes you think I’m doing anything?”

His voice was rumbling low in his chest, and it was rumbling in a lower part on her body, too. She raised her face to his, meeting lips that were already headed for her. He pulled her higher up on his chest, forcing his tongue
into her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

They were interrupted by a throat being cleared in the hallway, and they flew apart like teenagers in their parent’s basement.

Poor Doctor Aubericus looked uncomfortable, but he smiled anyway as they stood and straightened out their clothing.

“She should keep resting,” he said immediately, and Claudia nodded. “Call her work and excuse her for tonight and tomorrow night. If you wouldn’t mind staying here to make sure she doesn’t get …
that way
again, I’d really appreciate it. I’ll come over once my shift is done.”

“What was it? What happened? And how’d you make it stop?” Claudia blurted it all out at once.

Vinnie shrugged and sighed. “All I can think of is that she had a severe fever and that it just broke, very suddenly. I don’t know where it came from, but … she seems to be over it. She’s asleep.”

“Okay. I’ll stay here,” Claudia offered without hesitation.

Vinnie nodded, adding on, “Just make sure to let her sleep.” His eyes flicked over to Damien, and Claudia felt the testosterone flood the room suddenly like she was front row at a cage match. Shit, Vinnie didn’t trust Damien around his woman in the least. Even with
her
here.

“Can she eat?” Claudia was trying to discourage any cock fights before they broke out.

“Definitely. But you know, nothing too complicated. Soup broth, that’s about it. As long as she rests. She needs her strength.”

Claudia nodded and followed Vinnie to the apartment door. “I’ll make sure she stays in bed. Ah, resting, that is.”

Vinnie nodded, then looked at his feet as he opened the door. Claudia knew that look. It usually meant someone was going to say something she wasn’t going to like. But to give the Doc credit, he said it anyway, not giving a crock if he offended her. “That guy. He … he gives me a bad feeling. Make sure he doesn’t hurt her.”

This guy cared more for Iola than Claudia could have imagined. She loved him right then. She loved him because he was perfect for the woman that Claudia cared about most.

“Iola will be fine, I swear it.” Her voice was honest and unwavering, and when Vinnie looked her in the eyes, he knew it. He nodded his thanks and left without another word.

When Claudia shut the door she felt a great kinship growing between herself and Vinnie. Neither of them wanted to see Iola hurt.

Jasper was annoyed when he heard the door open, but relieved that Essum didn’t turn the light on. The digital numbers on the clock were throwing enough light to make his temples pound. He felt like death-by-dog-shit, overheated in the microwave.

Then he smelled Charlie. The guy stunk like garbage again, which made Jasper’s stomach roll. But he sensed something else that pulled at him, made him sit up even though the room tilted like a psychotic ride at the fair.

“Charlie needs you to eat the sin he just committed,” Essum said, matter-of-factly, and Jasper reached out to turn the bedside lamp on.

Charlie stood next to his bed, looking at him with eyes that were hopeful. And at peace.

Something was different about Charlie. But it didn’t matter. He needed to get rid of whatever was troubling the guy because the smell was going to make him throw up.

Charlie ducked his head down so that Jasper could reach him better, but even that was too much work. After a moment’s hesitation, Charlie slid on to the bed with him, stretching out next to Jasper so that he could lie down and touch him.

Okaaay
. Even as sick as he was, Jasper was a bit weirded out by a guy crawling into bed with him. But the same pull that made him wake up when Charlie first entered the room made him now roll on to his side and put his hand on Charlie’s head. He found the murder easily, since it was the newest file in Charlie’s sick repertoire. But there were almost subfolders there, stuff with girls no older than about eight, sick, degenerate shit he could almost taste in his mouth. It made him dry heave.

“What is this?” Jasper gasped, taking it all and erasing it. “This isn’t Charlie. Who did this?”

Essum’s voice worked through their internal speaker systems.
We killed a real sinner today. So Charlie inherited what the man had done. This was like a double sin-eating in one.

Jasper wanted to give Essum shit for not giving him a wa
rning at least, but he stopped because the nausea was now gone. Jasper sat up, and the room didn’t shift in front of him. He shook his head, and his equilibrium remained intact.

You’re here for salvation, Jasper. That’s the only thing that could heal you.

Jasper checked out his hand. The burning had stopped, and the wound looked pink again. Not black and rotten. It was healthy flesh.

Oh, thank fuck
.

Thank Charlie,
Essum corrected him.
He doesn’t seem to enjoy his part in our little deal any more. He didn’t want to help at first.

Well, Jasper had to admit he could understand that. The stuff Essum made the guy do was deplorable, and if Charlie was getting his stones back that could only be a good thing.

Charlie took Jasper’s hand and choked on a sob. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll do as I’m told, as long as you always … make it go away. I swear I’ll do as I’m told.”

Jasper patted his hand, nodding, and easing Charlie’s grip off of him. “It’s okay, Charles. I swear I’ll make you better if I can.”

Charlie collapsed in relief, his head resting on Jasper’s lap.

What the hell.

Essum smiled down at the two of them. “That’s so cozy. I think he likes you.”

Jasper just shot Essum a look that was meant to convey that he should shut the fuck up.

“I mean,
like
likes you.”

Jasper just looked down at Charlie, feeling something like pity in his chest. The poor guy’s brain was going to be Swiss cheese soon. A part of him wanted to help Charlie. But … how?

“I’ll leave you two alone for the time being. Let him stay here, after all, he is wanted by the police.”

Jasper nodded, knowing Charlie wasn’t hearing Essum anyway. Then Essum vanished
into thin air, and Jasper was left with a homicidal maniac napping on his lap.

Iola rolled over on to her opposite side, sighing as she realized how comfortable the bed was. She was never going to get up …

The nightmares came back suddenly, and her eyes flew all the way open, making her gasp as she nearly sat up in shock. Which she would have done, if she hadn’t been so weak.

Man, had Vinnie really come to check on her? Had she been
that
out of it? She’d done something else, too. Something she really shouldn’t have done … but it was like trying to pick colour out of an oil spill on top of water. It was there, just … unattainable.

Or it was just part of the nightmares.

She rolled over to the other side, trying out a stretch to see how it affected her. Turns out it was exactly what she needed; it felt wonderful.

Maybe she could try standing after all. She still felt achy like someone had pushed her down the stairs then backed a tank over her. Iola sat up very cautiously, and a headache kicked in immediately, but it wasn’t as bad as she was expecting. She realized then she was naked, and the thought that Vinnie had been here when she was nude and out of it made her
blush. But … she trusted him.

Iola
stood on wobbly legs and picked up the terry cloth robe from the floor where she must have dropped it. She wrapped it around herself tightly then became aware of voices in the living room.

Frowning, she eased the bedroom door open and padded quietly down the short hallway to her living room. Damien was sitting on her sofa, tossing a deck of cards back and forth between his hands like a blackjack dealer. He was looking up at Claudia when Iola entered the room, and as those purple-greyish eyes fell on her she had a moment of recollection. Of him … looking at her, wanting her. Touching her. But … that hadn’t happened. Had it? These dreams she’d been having were just too damn vivid.

Then his eyes flashed with something else: utter alarm.

Claudia flipped her phone shut and spun around with a slightly disappointed look on her face. When she saw Iola, the look dissolved
into immediate concern.

“Iola? Honey – you okay?” Claudia put a hand to her arm, and Iola just smiled.

“I feel … much better. What time is it?”

Claudia was looking at her like something just wasn’t computing. “Well … that’s good. But you were … you were incredibly sick. I thought you had brain-fry from a fever. But you’re … okay? Already?”

Iola frowned. “Why? How long was I out for?”

Claudia looked at the watch on her wrist. “Less than an hour.”

Damien got to his feet, which of course they both noticed. “If Iola’s feeling better, we should let her rest. We’ll let the doctor know, and he said he’d be coming by after work anyway.”

Claudia frowned up at him, then looked back at Iola. “Well … okay. I have to check in with work about Jasper anyway.”

Now it was Iola’s turn to be alarmed. “What about Jasper?”

“Oh, you were out of it when I told you the first time. He came after me. At my motel, although we have no idea how he knew where I was.”

“Oh my God, Claudia. Are you okay?” She wrapped her arms around her friend. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”

Claudia gave a dry laugh and patted Iola’s back in return. “It’s okay, I was able to fight him off, and he ran away. Some of the guys were going to check out his apartment but I haven’t heard anything. I’m assuming that means he wasn’t there.”

Iola gave her a final squeeze and backed off. “I had no idea he had it in him.”

“He didn’t, as it turns out,” Damien said from behind them, his voice seeming incredibly low all of a sudden.

Claudia patted Iola’s shoulder. “That was your work I was just talking to. They’ll find a replacement tonight and tomorrow night, so feel free to take it easy.”

Iola yawned and covered her mouth. “I don’t know, I feel a bit weak, but I mean … I’ll likely be better tomorrow.”

“No pressure, they’re not expecting you.” Claudia looked at Damien over Iola’s head. “Let’s leave Iola to get her rest, hey?”