After Hours is a work of fiction. Characters, names, place, incidents, organizations are a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

    After Hours

   Robin Renee Ray

Copyright © Robin Renee Ray 2011

Published by Hellfire Publishing, INC.

at Smashwords

         www.hellfirepublishing.com

All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

                               

Digital ISBN: 978-1-937179-82-3

Cover art by: Dara England

~Dedication~

I would like to dedicate this little read to all the hard working women of the world…that have that little demon hiding deep down inside!

               

After Hours

By Robin Renee Ray

            Sitting at her desk wearing her floral shirt and navy blue skirt she looked like every other woman in their cubical. Jen Hurst, however, lived a life that held two sides of a jaded edge. One, she was well versed and caring, easily laying her tender heart on the line. The other she was domineering and quit deadly. Oh there were days when a co-worker would hit that final nerve, causing her to reach for and caress her favorite office sized stapler. Of course, she never acted on her impulses to knock them over the head and staple their ears to the cream color carpet that had seen better days. Or pulling her roll of duct tape from the drawer and binding them before they woke. It was times like those, that Jen found her way into the dark alleys where the slums of the night came alive.

            “Hey Jen, can you make copies of these before you leave?” Dawn asked, five minutes before closing.

            “Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I was supposed to pick up dinner for Hank,” Jen smiled, pleading to Dawn with her eyes.

            “I have to have these first thing, I really do. You know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need the help.”

            “I know,” Jen replied, taking the stack of folders. “Don’t want you to pull the ruler on me.”

            “What would I do without you?” Dawn winked and bit one side of her bottom lip. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

            Dawn hurried out, leaving Jen to finish the copies. Jen did her work without question. Hank would have to understand or spend the night alone, it was that simple. It was easy enough to find someone to take to her secret little place and cure the day’s frustrations.                                       

            She and Dawn shared a secret between them that no one would neither believe, nor understand, not until the moment of their own demise. The first secret was that one was the Queen to a certain hellish demon. The other was taking on the ways of a demon, when she was infected by that very Queen. The things one nasty bite will do to a human when a creature from another dimension sees a soldier in the making, meaning one big fat juicy soul…nothing stands in their way.

            “Hey lady, you got a dollar?” a filth covered man asked, as soon as Jen walked out of the office complex.

            “Here, but it’s all that I have,” she said and handed him three, one dollar bills.

            “That ain’t all you can give.” The man smiled with rotten teeth and pulled a small blade. “I just wanna little nibble…it’s been a long time.” The stench of his breath coated the air the closer he got. Jen knew this was going to go badly. “You gonna come easy or you gonna go hard?”

            “I have more money,” Jen whispered as she willed her body to remain calm. “I have lots of money, I really do.”

            “Shut the fuck up and step into the alley, before I do you right here.” He stepped in so close she could feel the tip of the blade against the middle of her back and the heat of his breath on her cheek.

            “Then do it. Either you take me away from here to do this, or you just gut me where I’m standing. I would rather my friend’s find me with my clothes on, than in that fucking alley with my nude legs spread.” Jen turned so fast the man stepped back. “You look like a smart man and you damn-well know what you’re doing. I have money, a car, and a big house out in the country. What more could you want?”
            His face contorted and the sting was like molting lava, as he ran the blade across the curve of her waist, drawing blood. Jen groaned, holding in the scream that would have placed the blade deeper into her body. She feared that one sound from her would enrage him to the point of a lethal stab and him running away. “That’s a warning of what I’ll do to you if you are fucking with me in any way what so ever.”

            “I wouldn’t do that. I just want to give you what you want, then hopefully help you to go on your way,” Jen said, doing everything she could to calm him down.

            He laid his arm over her shoulder, turning her toward the building and pretended to kiss her, as a young couple walked briskly by. The street lights flickered on and the man jerked Jen around by the shoulders. “Your car—now!” Jen swallowed even though her mouth was dry, as they started walking toward the parking garage across the street. She innocently stuck her hand into her purse to get her keys, motivating him to slam his fist into her face. Jen hit the ground hard. He kneeled down and quickly rummaged through her things. He stood up, and in a single motion, yanked her to her feet.

            “You didn’t have to do that, I was just getting my keys.”

            “Women,” he rolled his eyes and pulled her over to the wall of the entrance and glanced both ways before dashing through the opening with her in tow. “Never stick your hand down into something. I may think you’re doing something stupid. Next time, I’ll kill ya.” He said the last so close to her face, she could see the white cataract on his left eye.

            There were only four cars to choose from on the second level. Jen raised the keys and jingled them. “Do you want to drive, or do you want me to?” He snorted and started walking up to the gray Toyota, shoving her toward the driver side door. That’s when it hit Jen that he knew which car was hers. She could have driven the black Mercedes; it was a one in a hundred possibility. Forty five minutes later they were pulling up to Jen’s driveway. She hadn’t lied when she said it was in the country. There wasn’t another house around for miles. The last house Jen had passed was ten minutes away by highway. Jen thought about hitting the garage door button which was clipped onto the sun visor, but started thinking that he might kill her, right then and there, rip through everything in her house…and that would be that.

            “We have to use the front door.”

            “Why?” he snapped.

            “Well, uh, the garage door is being repaired.” Jen shrugged, as she grabbed the door handle.

            He reached over and grabbed her around the neck, once again pressing the blade into her flesh, only this time the tip was under her chin. “One stupid move,” he snorted, then quickly exited on the passenger side. He slammed his hand down on the top of the car. “Now!”

            “I’m getting out,” she yelled back, shoving her door open. “What’s with all the hard shit? I already not only offered to bring you to my house, I brought you!”

            “Don’t get mouthy,” he said as he walked around the back of the car, as Jen walked around to the front. “I told you…if you try anything…”

            “Have you ever thought that maybe I might want a little company? Why the hell else would I bring you to my home?” She stood in place waiting for his response.

            “I swear…”

            “I know, you’ll kill me,” Jen said, stepping back as he came around to the front of the car. “It’s not that I’m not terrified, whatever your name is. It’s about me being tired of being alone.” Jen lowered her head. Tilting her head slightly, she glanced at him, batting her long lashes flirtatiously and then quickly turned toward the house.

            Jen could feel the man watching her every move, hoping it would stay that way until she could get him into the bedroom on the lower level. The one thing she knew she needed to do was get the cell phone that she was usually, never without. But somehow forgotten it on the bed side table, when she left for work that morning. She took her jacket off, letting it fall to the floor as she made her way down a hall leading into the kitchen.

            “Would you like something to drink?”

            “You have one fine body,” he replied, stroking his chin. “Give me a beer.”

            “Well, I’m no Barbie doll.” Jen opened the fridge and took out two beers. “I have a killer jetted tub in my master bath, if you want to get cleaned up…before and all.” She handed him the beer and then ran her hand under his beard covered chin. He watched her walk down another short hall, before stopping to look back at him. “Coming?” She half-smiled, then slid a panel style door to the side, and began moving down the spiral staircase.

            The man scratched the side of his face, and then took a large drink of his beer. He subsequently followed her through the sliding panel. Jen walked through another door, as he made his way down.  The previous panel, sliding closed behind him. The man followed the sound of running water. He removed his dirt covered jacket before he took the last step off the staircase and his shirt before he walked into the extremely large black marble bathroom.

            “You gotta fuckin’ black toilet?” he snorted, setting his beer down on the shiny black marble counter.

            “Like my new black bathtub?” Jen asked as she poured green liquid into the already foaming water. “It was a gift from my boss.”

            “You must be one hell of a lay,” he laughed, then sat on the toilet and started taking off his boots.

            “I’m one hell of a something, but sex has nothing to do with why my boss takes care of me. She gives me things when I bring her…” she paused, running her hand through the fragrant bubbles, “men, like yourself.”

            “So, this is a two for one? Is that what you’re saying?” He stood and unzipped his pants.

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