The House

“Sunny, you can’t… what the FUCK?” he raged, turning around and rubbing the back of his head. “What the fuck was that?”

“What?”

“Someone hit me in the back of the head!”

“There’s big bugs or something. Get out. I mean it, Dash, leave, now.”

“Sunny… have you considered this place might be haunted?”

“Yeah, and Santa Claus is real and the Easter Bunny lives in my backyard. Fuck off, get out.”

“I’m serious. The doors opening, how cold it is in here all the time, footsteps, and something just hit me. I’m guessing you too at some point if you really think there could be bugs as cold as it is in here.”

I hesitated, then scowled at him. “You are NOT scaring me into going home with you! Get the fuck out! What the hell is wrong with you? You’re a grown ass adult trying to scare someone with ghost stories! Get out!” I screamed, yanking my bedroom door open and stomping down the stairs.

He followed a moment behind, pulling his shirt on as he came down. “Sunny…”

“No! No talking, just get out! And I’m deleting your number, I’ll never call you for help again!”

“Sunny!”

“OUT!” I screamed, holding the front door open, tears of rage in my eyes now.

He left with a growl of anger, but turned at the door. I didn’t wait, slamming the door and ramming the lock home.

“ASSHOLE!” I yelled through the door, then stormed back upstairs as the tears began falling. I HATED that I cried when I was angry. It made me look so weak instead of pissed.

I screamed wordlessly in frustrated anger as I slammed my bedroom door and locked it. He assumed I was lying! Just so he would come back! Egotistical bastard!

A soft touch, almost like a hand landed on my shoulder and I spun, swiping at my shoulder. What the actual fuck?!?

Dash’s words came back to me.

What if this place was haunted?

Bullshit. It was just a hard draft or something that felt like a touch and my mind was playing tricks on me. Why had he even mentioned that? Now it was all I was going to be thinking about.

Asshole.

I got back into bed, still frustrated and angry. I knew how to work my aggression out. I turned porn on on my laptop and watched for a while, then laid down and started touching myself as I watched. I was getting so into it I could practically feel his teeth on my nipple again and it felt amazing. Closing my eyes, I listened to the girl on the screen obeying her master as he ordered her around and made her do things for him and worked harder for my own end as I rolled my fingers over my clit rapidly. I was still sore from the other day, but I was also horny as hell and soaking wet. Thinking about the other day made me imagine that dildo sliding into me, I could almost feel it, spreading me open and gliding in. Small, like a finger, gently fucking as I worked myself. A mouth on my nipple again, biting and tugging. It almost felt real! I could remember it so vividly!

I cried out as I came and I could swear I felt that long, thick finger inside me as I did. As I came down, it seemed to ease out and I lay there panting.

There. I felt much more relaxed now and tired too. Turning off the porn, I curled up and tabbed over to what I had been reading about before I’d been interrupted.

My phone chirped and I looked at it.

Dash – Sorry

Dash – If you need me please call, I do believe you

Dash – I just wanted to think you wanted me there that bad

Dash – it was an asshole thing to say

Dash – please call right away if you hear anything else or see anything. I’m a phone call away

I sighed and hit reply. – Don’t text me again, lose my number

Dash – please don’t be mad, I’m sorry

Me – stop texting me

Dash – Sunny please don’t be this way, I just want to help

Me – text me again and I’m taking my phone is as evidence of harassment

He finally stopped texting and I tossed my phone aside grumpily. Ugh. There went my better mood.

Frustrated, I turned off my laptop and turned over and went to sleep. As I drifted off, I could almost imagine an arm over me, holding me close.

In the morning, I went down, then paused as I looked out the window next to the front door.

His truck was out there!

I stepped out onto the porch and looked, but I couldn’t see him. I tiptoed closer, the concrete walk freezing on my cold feet, then stepped up on the stepside to look in the truck. He was asleep, his phone on his chest and a hat over his face blocking the light.

Banging on the window, I yelled at him. “Get out of my driveway! Get out of here!”

He sat up, jerking the hat away and barely catching his phone. I was halfway back to my house when he opened his door. “Sunny? Was everything alright last night? Did you hear anything else?”

“I’m getting my phone and I’m calling your station! I’m telling them that you won’t leave me alone and you slept on my property like a fucking stalker last night!”

“Sunny! I was afraid for you and wanted to be close if you needed me! What if whoever it was came back? Sunny!” he yelled, but I shut and locked the door, cutting him off.

Running upstairs, I grabbed my phone and went back down to make coffee as I dialed Derrick.

“Y’ello.”

“Derrick?”

“Yeah babe, what’s up?”

“You need to talk to your partner. He’s harassing me! He slept on my property last night in his truck after I told him to leave multiple times. He tried to scare me into letting him stay over! He keeps calling and texting and he just won’t take no for an answer! If he keeps it up, I WILL turn him in!”

“Shit. Sorry about that babe, I’ll talk to him. He’s got it pretty bad though, he thinks you’re pretty perfect. Even your little temper. I’ll talk to him, make him back off.”

“Thanks. Really.”

“Yeah, no problem. Anything else?”

“No, that’s it.”

“Alright. I’ll call him now then. Later!”

I hung up with another frustrated sigh. I couldn’t dwell on this, I had things to do and Riley and his friend were coming over later for the interview and to look at the third story rooms. I ordered an Uber then hurried to get dressed while I was waiting.

When the Uber arrived, Dash’s truck was pulled a few houses away on the street and he was arguing with someone on the phone. I rolled my window down and flipped him off as we went by.

“Ex?” the driver asked.

“He wishes,” I mumbled, still irritated that he hadn’t actually left.

I ran errands and picked up things I needed all morning, including stopping in and filling out what I needed to for a gun and signing up for the class.

I was a little stressed and nervous as we headed back home, but the truck was gone. I was running way behind, so I hardly had time to make myself some coffee before Riley and his friend showed up.

Riley was maybe 19, but his ‘friend’ was easily in his thirties. He looked… incredibly socially inept and geeky.

I handed them the forms to fill out and we sat talking for a while. Kevin was shy, but he seemed nice enough. He asked if it would be alright if he hosted a game night once a week in the parlor where their living room would be.

“It’s the only night we all ask off at work,” Riley spoke up quickly. “Us and the other guys. We play D&D and right now we’re meeting up at my friend Haydans basement. It kind of sucks and it’s all mildewy smelling.”

“I see no issue with that,” I smiled at them.

“You could play too if you wanted,” Kevin offered, blushing and not looking at me.

“Oh, thanks but probably not. I have a ton of my own hobbies and work I want to get done. Maybe I’ll sit in one night and see if it looks interesting. If, you know, the background checks come back alright. Did you want to go up and see the rooms?”

I took them on a small tour of the third floor, telling them I had plans to convert the smallest bedroom into a bathroom on top of the one already up there. The same on the second floor. I also told them the rooms would come mostly furnished unless they wanted to bring in their own furniture. A mini fridge and microwave were allowed, but nothing bigger, though they were free to use the kitchen. I just preferred they store their food in their own rooms so there were no issues.

Kevin seemed excited about that.

I hesitated, then turned to Riley. “How into painting are you?”

“I mean, I do it in my spare time and I sell it on Etsy. Most my stuff sells. I enjoy it a lot, why?”

“Come here a minute,” I told him, going to the attic door, then up. “I plan on cleaning this out completely and it’s so open with so much lighting with all the windows. I just thought it would be sort of ideal for a painter.”

“Holy cow! Wow, this is huge! And super nice! Umm… how much more would it cost?”

“No more than the other rooms, it is up ANOTHER flight of stairs after all and further from the bathroom and all that. It would be a wasted space otherwise and I just thought of you when I saw it. Someone should get some use out of it, right?”

“Wow, yeah! Thanks! I’m like, super stoked now!”

“Yeah, pending the background check and all that, and me getting stuff moved around…”

“I can help move stuff!” he cut in excitedly. “And I’m not sweating the background check! I’ve never done anything in my life except skip school once to go to ComiCon. This is so freaking cool! Seriously, I’ll help move anything you need!”

“Yeah, I can help too,” Kevin offered. “Like, you know, if you pay us by the hour and just take it off the rent. We’d bust our asses and not drag it out or anything. But you know, fair trade.”

I nodded, smiling. “That works for me. It won’t take me long to run these and I’ll call you both as soon as they come through, ok?”

“Fantastic!” Riley cried gleefully. “I’m going to pack as soon as I get back to the hotel!”

Right, he was staying in a hotel.

“I’m going to pack too,” Kevin grinned. “Can I have the dark blue room? The one next to the bathroom? Once you’re done with the background check, you know.”

“Sure,” I smiled. Neither of them were worried about the background check at all, which made me feel better.

They left, both talking excitedly about moving in and I had to grin again. They seemed nice. And quiet.

Going back to the living room, I curled up with my laptop to do research on local contractors. I wanted my baker’s kitchen first!

I also looked up the area and local land for sale. Most of the land around was owned by banks, foreclosures. I wondered if that would make it harder or easier to get the land?

A question for later.

I went back to looking at contractors, plumbers now for retrofitting the rooms into bathrooms. The two smallest rooms were directly above the kitchen and I was hoping that would make it easier to put bathrooms in the rooms above.

A hand landed on my shoulder, resting in place and I went still.

Had I left the door unlocked?

“Dash,” I began, turning to yell at him, but there was no one there.

I could FEEL the hand on my shoulder, but when I reached up to feel it, there was nothing there.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Standing up quickly, completely shaken, the hand was suddenly gone. Had it been my imagination? It had to’ve been. A weird muscle spasm of some sort. I shivered, looking around.

Of course the house wasn’t haunted.

Sitting back down, I opened a tab on my laptop and googled the name of the corpse. The search brought up several things I had to filter through, but I found him in an archive site for strange deaths.

Simon had apparently died of smallpox, but no doctor had ever diagnosed him and he was buried on the family plot as soon as he died. His mother had been devastated, but his father refused to answer questions about him and had disclaimed him as part of the family. He had four other kids from his previous marriage and it was speculated that Simon wasn’t his and when he found out, he murdered him. His younger wife and his older kids’ stepmother, had gone mad with grief. She’d even been institutionalized briefly, but her husband refused to allow such a spectacle as his wife being in an insane asylum. He took her out and after that she rarely left their home at all. Not until he died a couple decades later. Simon’s grave had been found vandalized and dug up, his body missing a week after. People speculated it was her who had done it, but nothing was done. They were rich and powerful people. There were whispers of their family for years and stories that lingered and haunted the old house until the last of them had died out and it was left to a widow outside of the family bloodline.

My great grandmother. Shit, she was only 16?!? I was still creeped out to know that used to be a thing, to get married so young. And him in his sixties! Gross.

I clicked on a link that talked about the house and when it was built and by whom. I was hoping for some story, some history, but there wasn’t much about it. Just that it had been built by a well to do family who lived in it for years and a lot of the land around it had been sold off by the widow who only kept the house but didn’t live in it.

No ghost stories or other weird things going on. No stories about it being haunted.

I knew it was just my imagination!

Just as I was about to close the tab, it closed by itself. Every tab closed, all but the one of the story about Simon and his crazy mother.

I stared at my computer wide eyed.

Had I hit some key? My palm brushed the mouse pad? I’d done that before and a few things had popped up when I had. Tabs had never closed before, especially not leaving a single one open.

A hand settled on my shoulder again and I went completely still, my breathing becoming more rapid.

Was there really a fucking ghost in this house?

I tried to stay calm, stay reasonable. After a few seconds of panic, I realized something. It wasn’t trying to scare me or hurt me, it was trying to communicate. Trying to let me know it was there.

“D-do you need help?” I asked out loud. “Do you… need to move on or whatever? Need your body laid to rest? Find out who murdered you?”

The hand left my shoulder and I relaxed a hair.

A new tab popped up, a tab that listed local sex offenders. Kevin Coleman was on the list. I stared at it, starting to shake before clicking on the little marker that would pop open his window. Statutory rape. I looked at the date and his age. He was 18 at the time. I wondered if it was one of those situations where they had been dating and the parents decided to press charges? Or it had gone wrong and she had? Or was the girl a lot younger and it had been nonconsensual? It didn’t say.

It did say appeal pending. That meant he was trying to have it removed and he wouldn’t be able to do that if it hadn’t been a romeo and juliet type situation, right? He had just turned 18 before her and the parents hadn’t liked him?

Ugh.

I ran the background checks immediately.

Pending misdemeanor dismissal. Misdemeanor meant it wasn’t that bad, right?

Shit. I was going to have to ask.

With a sigh, I called him.

“Hello?”

“Hi Kevin, this is Sunny.”

“Hi! Did we get it?”

“I had a question I need cleared up. Umm, this says you have a misdemeanor?”

“That was supposed to be taken off! It was a mistake and it…” he let out a frustrated sigh. “It never even happened, we didn’t DO anything. Her mom heard us playing D&D and our characters were flirting and you know… roleplaying a little. We’d known each other for YEARS but her mom hated me for getting her into D&D. She was my neighbor and only a little over a year younger than me. Our birthdays were close, but it happened to fall in that area where she was still 16 and I had just turned 18. Her mom freaked out and told the police she heard me doing things to her and raping her. That’s not even what happened in the game, she was rolling to seduce ME. They didn’t even do a rape kit and there was no DNA evidence and even Carla told them nothing happened. Her dad was a lawyer though and even though he didn’t live with her, when her mom called him, he bulldozed it through court. It was on my record, but I finally got a lawyer after saving forever to have it taken off! It was supposed to be off by now!”

“It does say pending removal, but you understand I have to ask, right?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Does this mean I don’t get the room?”

“If that’s all it was, then I don’t see why it would be an issue. I’ll get back with you soon, alright?”

“Ok. Thanks,” he sighed glumly, assuming I was blowing him off.

I looked him up, seeing if I could find anything about his case. Nothing.

Did I trust him? He seemed harmless to me, but a lot of guilty people seemed harmless. Should I give him a chance and try not to judge him? His story actually seemed likely to me, it was so… him.

Ugh. I would decide tomorrow. Riley at least had nothing on his background check.

Standing, I remembered that a ghost had just shown me a webpage.

A ghost.

“Uhh… thanks? Uhhh… do you need to move on or something? Your bones buried? You ARE Simon, right?”

The lights flickered.

I shivered. This was fucked up.

Going to the kitchen, I made myself dinner and took it to the library to look around. I wanted to do a layout of my office, then a layout of the living room and where I would be displaying things if people came in. Would they come in? In this neighborhood? Did I need to get a license or something?

Ugh. I would look into it tomorrow.

Creaking sounded behind me and I immediately imagined it was Simon trying to get my attention again. Turning, I froze, staring at the man in the doorway.

He was skinny and not very tall with long, greasy hair. He looked like a thug, especially the way he was sneering.

“Well. Looky looky at what we have here! This is our place, girly, but you can stay too if you wanna share a bed. I got a nice bed upstairs in one of the rooms. All this new shit yours?”

“Billy, there’s a fucking motorcycle in the shed and it looks like it works! We should…” the other man trailed off as he came to the door and looked in at me. “Ho-leee fuck. That looks to me like a nice little treat after a shitty fucking day!”

I backed up to the corner, shaking my head. The new man was bigger than the other and heavier set. They were blocking my only way out and I was terrified. “Just… move. You can stay here and I will leave. Leave you in peace, I swear. Just… stay back!” I cried as greasy hair came in closer, smirking at me.

“Look at that tight little body, Joe. I get to go first this time,” he sneered as ‘Joe’ circled around to block me into the corner.

“Please!” I begged, fumbling for my phone in my back pocket.

Billy lunged forward and snatched it from me, tossing it across the room as he leered.

“Don’t!” I screamed, sobbing.

Joe laughed and moved closer, then grabbed me and threw me to the floor as Billy leapt on me. Both of them put hands on me, ripping and pulling my clothes off as I screamed and tried to fight.

Billy jerked back suddenly, almost flying across the room. The back of his head hit a shelf so hard, the shelf broke as he fell bonelessly to the ground.

“What the FUCK?” Joe demanded, still holding me down but staring at Billy in confusion. “Billy? Billy? What the FUCK did you do, bitch?” Joe roared, then drew his fist back. He screamed suddenly as his arm broke at a severe angle, then he was shoved forward face first into the wall. His nose crunched with a sickening squishing noise and I sobbed as I scrambled up and grabbed up my phone as I ran. I took the time to yank up a blanket before running outside while I dialed 911.

Shivering from head to toe with adrenaline, fear and cold, I waited out at the sidewalk, ready to run if either man came out, but neither did. The police arrived and I was still sobbing as I told them they were inside.

I followed them as far as the porch when another cruiser pulled up, coming to a screeching halt. Dash jumped out as the two officers already there paused to wait.

Dash ran up, Derrick following him more slowly. “Sunny!” he cried in fear. “Are you hurt?” he asked, moving to put hands on me.

“YOU ASSHOLE!” I screamed, slapping his face, then hammering my fists against his chest.

“Ma’am! Stand down and back away from the officer or I will taze you!” one of the first officers yelled.

“Henley, stand down,” Derrick called as Dash caught my hands and pulled me close. “They have history.”

“I TOLD you someone was coming in my house! I TOLD you and you didn’t believe me! You said I was just trying to get your attention! You complete fucking piece of shit!” I cried, then broke down sobbing as he pulled me close.

The other two officers hesitated, then went into the house. Derrick hung back at the doorway, his hand on his gun. “You ok, Sunny?” he asked softly. “We need to call in an ambulance or EMT?”

“I’m ok,” I whispered. “They didn’t… get to raping me yet.”

“… have two in custody, both out cold, send ERV’s,” one of the officers that went in was saying into his radio. “Ma’am, can you tell me what happened?”

No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t say a ghost just saved me from being raped, probably saving my life too. I was going to have to lie.

“They came in and cornered me in the library, then got me in the corner. One grabbed me and the other jumped on me and they ripped my clothes off. I was fighting them and I managed to get my feet up between me and the one the other called Billy and shove him back with my legs. He hit his head on the shelf and when the other one was looking and calling to him, I yanked his arm down over my knee, then got up and pushed him as hard as I could at the wall before grabbing my phone and running away. I thought he would chase me, but he didn’t.”

“You’re a very lucky girl, especially for a woman your size. Decklan, you know this lady, I’m assuming?”

“She’s my girlfriend.”

“I am NOT his girlfriend!” I yelled, pulling away from Dash. “He’s an asshole! And this is his fault for not believing me when I said someone was fucking with me and coming in my house! He accused me of trying to get attention from him!”

“Sunny! I couldn’t have known and I said I was sorry! Even before this happened, I told you I believed you and offered to stay here and keep you safe! Or let you come to my place!”

“I am not going to date you, Dash! I don’t want to and I won’t! You’re a pushy, overbearing ASSHOLE who won’t take no for an answer!”

“Alright. Decklan, we have this from here,” the other officer spoke up. “Gilliland, why don’t you two go ahead and head out.”

“I’m not leaving her, she needs me!” Dash growled. “Sunny, don’t be mad, please? Let me stay for you through this at least! Come on, let’s get you up to your room to get dressed, your lips are turning blue.”

I was shivering still and starting to go into a numb sort of shock as he led me up to my room to my bed, then tried to find clothes for me.

“Here you go,” he murmured gently, kneeling to help me put my underwear on.

“I need a shower,” I whispered.

“We do need to get a statement first, Sunny,” he told me softly, rubbing my calf.

“I need a shower. I’ll be quick. I’m freezing and… I need to get their hands off me.”

“Ok, baby, come on,” he half whispered, helping me stand and gathering up my clothes to lead me to the bathroom.

He stayed there as I got in with the steaming water and stood under it just getting warm before scrubbing my body down. I had sore spots, places there would be bruises soon.

“You ok in there, Sunny?”

“I want to go home,” I whispered, breaking down. “I want my mom!”

Jerking open the curtain, he shut the water off and wrapped me in a towel to pull me out of the clawfoot tub. “Easy baby,” he whispered, sitting on the toilet seat and holding me in his lap as he dried me off. “Let’s get you dry and warm and dressed. I have you. There we are. You’re going to be just fine, baby, I’m going to take care of you. Ok, let’s get you dressed. Feet up for me baby. Good girl. Again now. Perfect. Sit up and let’s get this hoodie on you… there we go. Better? Lift your feet up here and let’s put some socks on. Do you have slippers somewhere?”

“No,” I whispered, slumped against him and staring at the wall in despair.

“We’ll get you some, these floors have to be cold. Alright now baby, let’s go get that statement done and get you snugged into bed,” he murmured, picking me up and carrying me back to my room to wrap me in a blanket before taking me downstairs. “She’s ready for the statement,” he called to one of the officers.

“Took long enough,” the officer grumped.

“Easy, Randolph, she’s had a shit day, a shit week and a shit month,” Dash admonished the man. “She needed a shower after what those men did to her.”

“They were both carted off in an ambulance. I swear the skinny one had a new bump on the front of his head that wasn’t there the first time. Like he woke up and knocked himself out on the floor again. Crazy fucking tweakers.”

“Statement? So I can get her to bed before the adrenaline crash takes her out.”

“Yeah yeah, hold your horses. Delaney, come in here!”

I gave them my statement all over again, sticking with the same lie. As I curled up there waiting, I wondered if he was close. If he was watching everything. He’d saved me. I guess if you had to live in a haunted house, it was better to have a good, protective ghost than one of the ones that slammed doors and stacked chairs.

When Dash stood, I realized it was over and most people were leaving. Dash held me in his arms, squeezing me tight. “Sunny… I need to go clock out and do paperwork. I want you to stay at my place tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch, no arguments, no questions asked.”

“No,” I whispered.

“Baby… then at least let me come back here and be close? Keep you safe?”

“You didn’t last time.”

“Sunny! Even if I had stayed close and protected you on my time off, I still would have been on shift when this happened.”

“You could have believed me, not made me second guess myself. I could have put extra locks on the doors to keep them out.”

“They came in the living room window, the lock is broken on it. I’ll fix it in the morning. Derrick! Derrick, do me a favor, man? Clock me out and tell the Captain I’ll do my paperwork tomorrow?”

Derrick hesitated, looking at me warily. “You sure? Sunny, that cool with you? You want him here?”

I didn’t know. I was terrified now, but did I need Dash? Simon was here. I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone here, I just want to go to bed.”

“Sunny, I’ll sleep on the couch. Just until I can fix the lock in the morning, ok?”

I sighed and my head dropped back against him. “I don’t care. But don’t come to my room.”

He let out a breath, happy now.

Derrick shook his head, but turned and left. Dash locked the door behind him, then carried me up to my room and laid me in bed. “Want me to stay till you fall asleep?”

“No thanks.”

“Need anything? Water? Milk? Toast?”

“No thanks. There’s a blanket and pillow in the room across the hall.”

“Ok baby, I’ll be right downstairs, ok?”

I nodded, still staring at the wall.

For a wonder, he left without another word. I turned and looked around. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Fingers brushed my temple and smoothed my hair back.

It was comforting and I closed my eyes and fell asleep, not disturbed at all about it. Whoever he was, he was protecting me and only meant me well. I knew that.

I woke to a loud knocking at the bedroom door, banging hard like they had been knocking and kept getting louder when I hadn’t answered.

It was Dash because of course it was.

“Hey! Are you doing ok? Do you need anything?”

“No!”

“Sunny, please forgive me. Could we please talk? Let me take you to breakfast and we can just talk?”

“Why can’t you understand no? Let it go, Dash! Stop coming around, stop texting, just stop! Leave me alone!”

“Sunny! I just want to talk, please? Let me take you to breakfast? Just breakfast and we can talk. You can tell me your plans for this place and we can just lay off everything else and have a nice breakfast.”

I sighed. “Dash…”

“Just an apology breakfast.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned and walked away, stomping to my dresser. He stepped in and shut the door warily, then followed me as I looked for clothes to wear.

“So you slept alright last night?”

“Would’ve slept better if I could’ve slept in,” I grumped.

“Sorry. You know it’s after 10, right?”

“So? I don’t have a schedule, I sleep when I like,” I grumped, changing into a hoodie and pulling on some jeans before sitting to pull on socks. He was watching me with wide eyes when I turned around and as soon as I looked at him, he blushed.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“For what? If I’d cared I would have shut the door on you. Let’s go, get this over with so I can come home. I have shit to do today.”

He went downstairs and I followed, shoving my phone in my back pocket. “I notice you don’t carry a purse,” he offered, opening my front door for me.

“Nope. Everything I need is in my phone case.”

“I like that you don’t wear make-up and stuff. You’re a classic beauty and you are effortless. That’s cool,” he smiled, opening the truck door for me.

I said nothing as I got in staring ahead like he didn’t exist.

He got in and looked over at me as he started the truck. “Do you need to run somewhere? Pick anything up?”

“I’ll call an Uber later if I do.”

“I have a truck, I don’t mind. It’s easy for me and I have the day off. So what do you want to eat? There’s a neat little bistro that has really good pastries and coffee. Wanna try it?”

“That’s fine,” I told him, staring out the window.

“Awesome. So tell me your plans for your place. You really letting renters in?”

“Yeah… actually, do you have a way to tell me what someone did if they have a misdemeanor on their record?”

“One of them has a record?”

“Yeah, but he told me what it was. I wanted to make sure.”

“He have a name?” he asked, pulling out his phone.

“Kevin Coleman.”

He hit something and put the phone to his ear, then asked someone to run a check on Kevin Coleman. “Get back to me as soon as you can,” he told them, pulling into the parking lot of the bistro.

We sat at a booth, across from each other and I ordered coffee immediately. Dash grinned at me like he was amused that I needed caffeine to function.

“So tell me about more of your plans. Still going to bake?”

“Maybe, I have to look into codes.”

“If you sell online and at farmers markets and shows and stuff, it shouldn’t be an issue. If you want to open a bakery, you’ll have to be inspected and have everything just so. It wouldn’t be hard, though.”

“What if I wanted to have a bed and breakfast? Buy all the land around me and demolish all those shitty houses, make it nice and an experience?”

“That sounds awesome, I bet you could make it a nice neighborhood again if you did that. You have that kind of money to throw around?”

“It was just sort of wishful thinking,” I lied to him with a shrug.

“So what else?”

“Nothing else.”

“It looked like you were going to renovate some.”

“Bathrooms and a baker’s kitchen,” I shrugged again. “Maybe once I have an income coming in from borders.”

“How many?”

“Dunno.”

“They all going to be men?”

“Depends on who I get a good feeling from.”

“Even this Kevin guy?”

“I get a good vibe from him, but I don’t want to be wrong.”

“Alright, understandable. So, baking. Like what kinds of things?”

“Pies probably. Maybe some other stuff. We’ll see what sells and what I enjoy doing.”

“Makes sense. Maybe I can taste test for you,” he smiled, his charming smile. “I like peach pie.”

“I was thinking more like cream pies and merangues.”

“Even better! I like key lime. You know, I can help you move things if you want. I saw all that furniture in that front room and I’m guessing it’s going in the rooms upstairs.”

“I have it covered.”

“Well I can help whoever is helping you then. I don’t mind at all.”

“I know you don’t, but I do. I’m not encouraging you, Dash. Understand that there is not going to be anything between us, no matter what you do. I don’t like you that way, I don’t really like you at all.”

“I just wanted to hang out some, be friends. Kind of start over, you know?”

“What is your hangup, Dash? I’m not that great, I’ve been a bitch to you, told you I don’t like you, you’ve been a dick to me and yet you’re still pressing the issue. It is NOT going to happen.”

“And that’s fine, I get it. Just friends. You need a friend right now and I understand that and I want to be there for you even if it’s not more than friends. Let me, please?

The waitress brought our coffee and took our order and I decided to ignore his comment.

“I took the day off in case you needed help picking things up or need to go shopping.”

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“After last night, I figured you wanted to get out of the house. I can stop at the hardware store and get the lock to fix that window too and fix it. It needs to be done and I know how. I can also…” He cut off as his phone rang. He glanced at it, then answered. “Hello?” He listened intently for a moment, then spoke again. “How long ago?….. Is that all?….. When does it fall off?….. Did you read her statement?….. Alright, thanks Derrick, I owe you….. Yeah, I’m with her now, he’s a potential tenant….. I don’t know, maybe. We’ll see. Alright man, thanks again for covering today, I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and looked across at me. “Looks like he’s getting the charges dropped, he hired a lawyer to go over the case and get it reviewed. Something about roleplaying and it not being real. It never happened but her dad had him arrested for statutory and it went on his record. The judge overturned it immediately when he read her statement from the time of the incident and his as well. It’s supposed to drop from his record any time, as soon as whatever clerk gets around to it in their to-do pile. I guess your hunch was right, he has nothing else on his record, he’s squeaky clean otherwise. Not even a ticket. You know he’s like 36, right?”

“Yeah, I know. I have all his info and ran a background check on him. He’s kind of a quiet geek type. The other kid is young and I think he mostly just doesn’t want to be at home, make it without going back to his parents. He’s a good kid, also geeky but less socially inept.”

“You think you’ll get more?”

“I haven’t advertised yet, I happened upon those two. Riley was my grocery delivery boy. I might not, depending on how much it bothers me to have people around.”

“You know there’ll be people around all the time if you open a bed and breakfast and a bakery?”

“But they won’t live there, they’ll all leave.”

“Fair point.”

He continued with the small talk through breakfast and walked me out to the truck, still talking and smiling.

“So, you need to run any errands beside the lock?”

“Not today,” I told him, not sure I wanted him to fix my window no matter how normal he was being.

He was quick at the hardware store and he grinned at me as we got back in the truck. “I need to grab my tools real quick, won’t be a minute, K?”

I shrugged. We got to his place and he came around and opened the door for me. I sighed, then got out and followed him in, a little irritated.

He got a tool box out of his garage and set it down, then went in his bedroom for something.

“Hey, Sunny?”

“What?”

“C’mere a second.”

I rolled my eyes and went to the doorway and he was going through his dresser. “What?”

“C’mere,” he mumbled, still looking for something.

I moved closer, looking over his shoulder at the drawer full of paperwork and small boxes. “Found it,” he called, pulling out a box. Opening it, he showed me a small handgun. “I’d like to take you to the range, teach you to shoot.”

“I know how, one of my mom’s boyfriends taught me a long time ago, then another one and then another one.”

“Oh! Well a little practice won’t hurt. I want you to hold on to this till you get your own, ok?”

I shrugged, a little surprised.

“I’ll put it over here till we practice a little and I’m sure you can handle it. I believe you, that you can, but you understand, right?”

“Sure,” I told him, wondering why he was being so reasonable.

“It’s not loaded right now and I don’t have ammo for it here, but I can pick some up before we go to the range. Here, c’mere,” he told me, leading me to the bed to sit down. Almost immediately, he pushed me down to the bed and kissed me, holding my arm and my face.

I tried to turn away, pushing on his shoulder. “Stop, Dash!”

“It’s ok, babe, just give it a chance,” he breathed, reaching down and shoving my pants down

“Stop!”

“Let me show you!” he breathed, holding me down and moving lower. He dove into my pussy, his mouth covering it completely and his longue licking wildly.

“Stop!” I growled angrily.

He growled, holding my hips and pressing his mouth and face in further, his mouth still working feverishly as he tried to shove his tongue inside me.

“Jesus, Dash! For fucks sake! That’s NOT how you do it! That doesn’t feel good at all. Stop going everywhere, nothing about that is good. Move higher, feel for that little bump. There! Stop spreading my pussy open so hard, you’re trying to split me open and it hurts. It’s not a little dick, you aren’t giving me head. Suck it up lightly in your lips and press against it with your tongue, then move your tongue back and forth and around it. Don’t suck so hard, you aren’t giving me a hickey, just enough to pull it up a little. Now your tongue. There, like that. Now get the fuck off me and go find a fucking girlfriend to do this to.”

He didn’t stop, gripping my hips even tighter as I tried to pull his head away.

“Let go! This isn’t going to work, I’m too pissed to get off.”

Growling, he moved his hand around and slid two fingers into me, making me go rigid as he started fucking me with them as he kept working with his mouth.

“Dash! Stop!” I panted, worried now.

He growled again and eased his fingers out, then shoved a third in. “That what you want?” he demanded. “You my little pain whore? Lay there and take it, Sunny! Don’t you fucking move or I’ll beat your ass!”

A thrill shot through me, even as it pissed me off. I was trembling as I fell back, loving the pain and the pleasure warring with each other as his words played through my head.

“You want more, whore?” he demanded. “You want me to punish you?”

I moaned insensibly as I writhed on his bed. Roughly, he worked a fourth finger in, making me scream and try to twist away before he went at my clit again, making me whimper and pant.

“More?” he snarled, sucking hard on my pussy lips.

I shook my head, the pain already more than I could bear. It was deliriously thrilling, that line between pleasure and pain at war with each other. I was incredibly close as I writhed on the bed.

Stopping suddenly and sliding his fingers out, he moved up and kissed me again, then rammed his cock into me as I gasped.

“No! No, Dash, stop!”

“Fucking take it! You’re my fucking whore, Sunny. You’ll do as I tell you or I’ll punish you! You want me to punish you? Beat your ass , then fuck you in the ass. Make you scream for me and beg me to stop? That’s what you fucking want, you dirty fucking cunt! I’m going to fucking wreck you, bitch. You’ll be begging me every day to punish you and make you come for me!”

I groaned, tossing my head as I panted, his thick cock driving me crazy as he talked to me. I loved the way he was talking to me! It was so hot and nothing got me off more.

“That’s right, slut. You love my fucking cock, you worship my cock! I’m going to fuck your ass and you’re going to beg me to do it again and again no matter how much it hurts! Look at me, bitch! You are MY fucking whore! Mine and mine alone and you better not forget it! Not ever! My dirty little slut! I OWN you! You’ll be on your knees begging me to suck my cock when I get home, begging me to punish you every single fucking day!” he raged, ramming into me harder and harder.

I let out a cry when it hit me, then screamed, my walls tightening around his cock when I came. “Oh, fuck, yes please!” I begged, lost to the world with his words and his demanding cock.

He grunted, going still. “You fucking bitch! You don’t come until I say you can! You do as I say and NOTHING else! Never! You are mine and you obey me absolutely!” he yelled in my face, starting to thrust violently again.

I only whimpered, gripping his arms and losing myself to him again.

“You’re mine, say it!”

“Yes!”

“No, say it! You’re mine!”

“I’m yours! I’m your whore! I’m yours to punish and use!”

“Mine to use for whatever I want! You adore me, you love me! Say it! You’re mine and you love me!”

“I love you,” I panted, shaking my head. “I’m going to come!”

“No! No, you don’t get to come until I do, bitch! Don’t you fucking dare!”

I cried out, shaking my head. “Please! Please, I can’t stop it! You have to stop! Oh god please!” I wailed, tears streaming down my face as I came again.

He growled, ramming in hard and holding himself there. I felt him coming, pouring into me as his cock throbbed and he let out another growl. “Mmm, my fucking whore,” he hissed. “I’ll punish you for that! I told you no!”

“I’m sorry,” I cried, trying to catch my breath and clear my head. “I’ll do better!”

“Fucking right you will! You will worship me, bitch!”

“I will!” I promised, still lost to the euphoria, blissed out.

He eased out of me and stood up. “I should make you lick my cock clean. If you could fucking stand, I would.

The fog began clearing and anger welled up. I started to say something, then realized I couldn’t. Not yet. If I still denied him, he would strap me to that machine and never let me go. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer, no matter what. Instead of laying into him, I sat up and pulled him into the bed and snuggled into him.

“That was perfect, Dash, thank you. I love that you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone for sex! That was amazing! That’s what I’ve been wanting, someone to take complete control in bed,” I sighed. “Mmm, now I could just snuggle for hours! I wish I could call off all my appointments later and stay right here.”

“You’ll stay if I tell you to stay.”

“Nnn, no baby. I only like that in bed. I like you as you are out of bed. You’re exactly what I’ve been looking for out of bed. Now you’re the perfect mix,” I told him happily, then turned and kissed his shoulder. “Mmmm, holy cow that was amazing! Promise we can do that again later in my bed?”

“Of course,” he spoke gently, rubbing my arm and hugging lightly.

“We need malts or something before we go get things done, I always need chocolate after amazing sex!”

He chuckled and I got up and pulled my pants on and he fixed his own. Grabbing his hand, I eagerly led him to the door, happily swinging our hands and smiling. He grabbed his tools and opened his truck door for me, but as soon as he got in, I scooted all the way over and snuggled up to him, holding his arm and straddling the gear shift. He grinned down at me, his eyes shining and took us to a little hamburger joint that had malts. I chattered away happily, telling him more details about my plans and including him now, saying ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. Every time I looked at him, he had an incredibly pleased and smug smile on his face, like he really thought a session of amazing sex would make raping me ok. It would change my mind about him completely.

Idiot.

Asshole.

We finally made it back to my house and I was acting giddy with excitement as I jumped out of the car. “Grab your tools and I’m going to take a quick shower so we can play more when your done!” I called, laughing and hurrying inside.

He was grinning as he went to get his tools from the bed of his truck.

I went in and slammed the lock shut, then pulled my phone out. I dialed Derrick first as I watched the door. Before he answered, I called out to the house, “That man is not allowed in here!” As soon as Derrick answered, I hissed at him because Dash was halfway up the walk. “Get over here now and get your fucking friend or I’m having him arrested. He just RAPED me!”

“What? Shit! I’m on my way!” he yelled as he heard Dash at the door.

“Sunny! The door locked behind you! Unlock it real quick. Sunny?”

“The police are on their way, you rapist asshole! Get the fuck off my property now!”

“Sunny?!? You loved it! Don’t do this, we were so happy! YOU were so happy!”

“I faked it, you dickhead! I knew you’d fucking kidnap me if I said no! Get off my property! The police are on their way!”

“Damnit, Sunny! This is ridiculous! I thought you understood that we’re perfect for each other! I changed everything for you! I’m willing to change more, to whatever you need!”

“Leave! Now! You rapist piece of shit! You’re about to be arrested!”

“The fuck I will, those are my friends coming! Open this fucking door so we can talk!”

“Leave!”

“Sunny, I will break this fucking window if you don’t unlock it!”

“Go ahead! I have a knife and I’ll stab your arm the second you reach in!”

“Stop being a bitch and let me in! You’re being a fucking bitch! I don’t like these hard to get games, I won’t play them!”

“They aren’t games! I DON’T want anything to do with you! I’m getting a restraining order and pressing charges!”

“The FUCK you will! You were willing, you were into it! You said you loved me and you were begging for more! Open this door and I’ll do it again baby! Take you back to heaven!”

“Get off my property!”

“FUCK YOU! Fuck this bullshit!” he raged, punching through the glass panel on the door and reaching in to unlock the door.

Screaming, I ran up the stairs and turned when I was most the way up.

Dash was at the door, looking at the open doorway like he was confused.

“What the fuck, Sunny?” he asked, pressing his hand to the open doorway. It stopped at the door jamb, and he pushed harder and harder, leaning against nothing.

Simon. Simon was stopping him from coming in.

I went back down to the door and stood in front of him, and as soon as I got close, I felt an arm move around my shoulder, holding me back against a body.

“Thank you, Simon,” I told him softly as Dash pushed against the invisible barrier everywhere.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Dash asked, banging on the barrier now.

“You aren’t coming in, Dash. He won’t let you.”

“He who?”

“Simon. The ghost who lives here, who protects me. He’s the one who stopped those men, not me. He saved me then, he’s saving me now. You will never get in this house again.”

“That’s insane! You are certifiable, Sunny!”

“YOU’RE insane! You think it’s ok to rape a girl and harrass her!” I yelled as Derrick came screeching up in a patrol car. There was another cop car right behind him, lights flashing.

“What the fuck, Sunny, you really called the cops?” he snarled, turning around to face them.

“Dash, get the fuck off the porch!” Derrick yelled as the other two officers got out of their vehicles and approached quickly.

“Jenkins, Buford, this isn’t a real issue, she’s just mad and being dramatic!” Dash called out.

“Not this time, asshole!” the female cop answered angrily. “Step down from the porch, hands up, turn around, lace your fingers behind your head and get on your knees!”

“Jenkins, let me talk to him,” Derrick called to her.

“Fuck that, Gilliland! I’m not doing this again!”

“You have no idea what’s going on!” Dash yelled. “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

“You just RAPED me and tried to break my door down when I wouldn’t let you in! You shattered my window with your fist!”

“Our sex was consensual! You begged me for more and told me you loved me!”

“I was FAKING it so you wouldn’t kidnap me and strap me to your fucking cage under your bed! You pinned me down, I begged you to stop, I demanded you stop and you didn’t listen! When I ran in here and locked the door, you tried to break it down!”

Derrick let out a breath and his face said it all. “Dash, turn around and on your knees. Lace your hand, man.”

“Bullshit, Derrick!” Dash yelled petulantly. “She’s just playing games!”

“NOW, asshole or I tase you and get you with resisting too!” Jenkins yelled, moving closer and pointing her taser at Dash.

“This is a mistake!” Dash snarled, turning and getting on his knees, lacing his fingers.

Derrick moved up and started cuffing him, scowling at me as he did.

“You need to go get a rape kit done,” Jenkins called to me. “Get his DNA and get him dead to rights.”

“Read him his rights,” I scowled back at Derrick. I wasn’t letting him get off on a technicality like Derrick was trying to arrange.

Derrick pursed his lips and glared murder at me.

“Step off, Gilliand, you’re too close to this. Go wait in your car,” Buford called. “Jenkins, arrest him.”

She did it gladly, stepping up and reading him his rights as Dash looked at me forlornly. “Sunny, I love you. I love you more than anything, don’t do this, please! You’re ruining everything! We’re so perfect together! Derrick! Derrick, she is crazy! She really is! She tried to tell me she has a ghost protecting her! She’s really lost it! She NEEDS to be taken care of!”

“Man, shut up, you KNOW anything you say from here out can be put in the report. Just stay quiet and wait for your fucking lawyer. Jesus fucking christ, Dash,” Derrick scolded.

Jenkins turned to me. “We’ll need your statement and I need you to get a rape kit right away. We need to prosecute him.”

I nodded, confused. I had only called Derrick, not the police. I was glad they came, though, Derrick didn’t seem like he was eager to actually help me.

“I’m serious, all of you! Try and go into her house, she has some sort of weird barrier! She has some clear plexiglass or something up!”

“So what if she does? It’s her fucking house, man!” Buford yelled, helping Dash up and leading him to the car.

“Dash, shut the fuck up!” Derrick snarled. “Buford, put him in my car, I’ll take him in.”

“No,” Jenkins spat angrily. “We are taking him in! We don’t need you coaching him through what to say and do.”

“Sunny! Don’t do this!” Dash yelled, anguish in his voice. “I love you! I can make you happy! You said you LIKED force and rough handling!”

“DASH! Shut the fuck up!” Derrick yelled. Derrick turned back to me. “Fuck you for giving him hope and stringing him along!”

“I told him the very first night it wasn’t going to happen. You were there, you heard me. So fuck YOU for enabling him and blaming the victim.” I turned to Jenkins. “He has a torture device under his bed, a rack he straps girls to. He strapped me to it and left me on it all day with the machine on.”

“What the fuck?” Jenkins blanched.

“That’s not for torture! He built it to make girls feel good!” Derrick yelled.

“Let me strap you to it and turn it on and see how fast you beg to be taken off of it. I was sobbing, I could hardly move for an entire day. It’s a torture device!” I yelled, stepping closer to the door.

Simon pulled me closer against him, putting both arms around my shoulders comfortingly. I reached up with my hands and held his arms, then was surprised I COULD hold on to his arms. I was also surprised that I could tell he wasn’t very tall, his jaw was even with my temple.

“Can you give me a statement now?” Jenkins asked me.

“Of course, would you like to come in and sit down? Watch the glass.”

Jenkins followed me in and sat down as Buford was arguing with Derrick to leave. Simon sat next to me and slid his hand into mine and it was incredibly comforting. When I looked down, I could see the slightest image of a hand holding mine, along with a wrist and part of a sleeve. At first I thought I was imagining it, but as I looked, I could SEE details. I knew I was really seeing it.

“Ma’am?” Jenkins asked loudly.

“Yes?” I answered quickly, looking up at her in alarm.

“I asked you to start from the beginning?”

“Of course,” I breathed, then told her everything. From the night where I’d found the body when it started, to him shattering my window a bit ago to break in a second before they had arrived.

Jenkins looked pissed as she scribbled away, but said nothing until I was done. “I need you to go to the hospital and get a rape kit done right away. Do you have a vehicle?”

“I have a motorcycle.”

“I can have a car come and take you.”

“It’s fine, it’s not as cold out as it has been. I can take myself.”

“I’ll call you in so they know you’re coming.”

“Thank you, really,” I told her as I walked her out. “It looked for a moment like nothing was going to be done the way Derrick was talking.”

“No problem. I’ll be in touch.”

After she left, I taped cardboard over the broken window and cleaned up the glass as I called Riley and Kevin. Both were excited to hear from me and asked if they could come over now to start moving in. I told them I would call them when I was on my way home from my errands and they could come then, but they would have to help move furniture. The entire time I was doing things, Simon would stroke my hair or rub my arm gently, letting me know he was close.

Before I left to go to the hospital, I stopped at the door and looked around. “Thank you, again,” I told Simon. His hand touched my face. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”

It was a little too cold to ride there, but I hadn’t wanted to be at the mercy of another cop and feel like I owed them anything. The rape kit didn’t take long at all, thought I wasn’t sure why I was expecting it would. The nurse came in after to ask me questions. “We’re all done and we’ll get it processed quickly. They said your ex-boyfriend?”

“No! No, it was a cop who had a crush and was a little insistent.”

She looked at me then, a flat look. “Officer Decklan?” she asked angrily.

“Yeah? You know him?”

She snorted. “You’re the fifth girl to come in for him. Who knows how many haven’t. He NEVER gets prosecuted, the girls always drop charges. Always. I’m told his cop friends harass her and give her hell until she drops charges. The cover for him every single time. Only good thing is after they call the cops, he leaves them alone after. Smug, self righteous assholes, all of them.”

I looked down at my hands, feeling a little sick. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it no matter what they did to me!

I texted both men and was on my way home feeling much better at the thought of having people there if he came back. And I was happy Dash was arrested and gone, though I did still wonder how the other car had even known since I had only called Derrick. I would have to ask. I hoped Jenkins putting her foot down got him prosecuted this time.

Both men were there and waiting when I pulled up, talking on the porch and Riley at least was bouncing on his toes. I had to laugh a little and I was still grinning as I let them in.

As soon as I was inside, hands caught my shoulders and Simon kissed my cheek gently. I smiled, but said nothing as I followed the men to the living room. “The furniture is all in that room, piled and stacked up,” I told them. “Riley, I haven’t started cleaning out the attic, so temporarily you’ll be in another room until it gets done.”

“We can start tomorrow!” Riley told me excitedly. “It’s our day off and we have D&D!”

“Oh… well that will have to be in here then since the other room is still full of furniture. Since y’all want to help, I’ll wave the prorated rent for this month and just mark down however many hours you work. If you want to put things in the other rooms as well, anything from the attic can be put in the parlor as well. I might use a lot of the furniture down here to make it look more turn of the century and cool.”

“We can do that!” Riley grinned happily. “And no problem on waiting, it’s cool. I’m just stoked to actually be here!”

I left them to it, not overly worried about them moving things. In half an hour, Riley came into the living room where I was curled up against Simon and on my computer.

“Hey, would it be ok if we had everyone come early to help a little?”

“Sure. This is your home now too, you can have guests. Just, you know, no loud parties and take care of it like it’s a home.”

“Awesome! Thanks!” he called excitedly, running out of the room and calling out to Kevin.

In half an hour, they had several people in there helping them move things and Riley was already moving things down from the attic. At this rate, they were going to have it all done today!

I smiled, caught up in their excitement and laid my head on Simon’s chest as he wrapped his arms around me. “What is it about you that makes me feel so safe and tranquil?” I asked him softly. “Not afraid at all?”

My laptop lit up and a word document opened.

‘U own house’

“What does that mean, I own the house? That makes it so I’m not scared shitless that you’re a ghost?”

‘House is me’

“You’re the house? Like, you’re a part of it?”

‘Yes’

“Why were you in that fridge?”

‘Bound there. Could not get out. Put there to be bound so I could not talk to family.’

“Oh… your mother? Is that why she dug you up and put you in there?”

‘Step father’

“You’re step father did?”

‘yes’

“So how did the fridge bind you?”

‘sealed. witch. curse. locked.”

“I see… witches are a real thing?”

‘yes.’

I hugged his arms to my chest and let out a sigh of contentment. “So why do I feel so comfortable with you?”

‘unknown.’

“Was it you the other night in bed with me, when I was sure I was imagining being touched?”

‘perhaps? depends on if you enjoyed or not.’

I laughed and shook my head. “Of course I did, it was nice.”

“Umm, who ya talking to?” Riley asked from the doorway, his eyes on my phone facedown on the table.

“No one,” I breathed guiltily, sitting up. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, just letting you know it’s almost time for D&D. Those that aren’t already here will be getting here soon and the others will be heading out. We’re done with the rooms, just working on the attic now. Umm… my things are in the car and I am checked out of the hotel… it is cool to stay tonight, right?”

“Yes, absolutely. I’ll go to the other room.”

“We put that old desk and the chair in the office. Hey… thanks. Really. You’ve been super cool about this.”

“Thanks. I’m going to make dinner, you guys hungry? There’s pop in the fridge too, or bottled water. Or I can make coffee.”

“Oh, yeah… starved!”

Smiling, I went to the kitchen and spur of the moment decided to also make a few goodies as well, on top of extra spaghetti for any guests.

The 5 men and 2 women gaped as I brought out plates and garlic bread.

“Holy cow, you didn’t have to do this!” Riley cried.

“I wanted to,” I shrugged. “I like cooking.”

“Wow, thanks, ma’am,” one of the girls told me as I handed her a plate.

“Sunny, please.”

“Thanks Sunny,” several of them offered.

“I could freaking hug you!” Kevin laughed.

“Drinks are in the kitchen, if you want them you can grab them yourselves.”

It was a little nice to have people to cook for and get my mind off of things. I put the cobbler in the oven, then went to the office with the new old desk and looked at the stacks of old books that had been put on the shelves. As I looked, I got more and more excited. There were DOZENS of first editions! A hundred even! This was amazing! Were there any more books upstairs? I was absolutely giddy!

I was excited, but I knew I couldn’t go up there and figure it out tonight. Tomorrow during daylight hours. Instead, I went to the desk and opened the rolltop desk to see what sort of shape it was in. It was empty and in very decent shape. I liked the little cubbies and drawers and my laptop fit on it just fine. The old chair was a little short and with me also being short, I was going to have to find a new one.

As I was sitting there with my knees folded under me, Simon took hold of my face with both hands and turned me, then I felt his lips on mine. Blushing, I smiled as I got a brief image of him in front of me. “What was that for?” I asked.

The word document was maximized.

‘Be back in a moment.’

I nodded, still smiling, then went back to doing more research. I wanted to find an agent that might be able to get me a bulk deal on the surrounding houses.

“Hey,” one of the girls called from the door.

I looked up and smiled at her expectantly.

“I’m Olivia. Umm, Kevin said you were taking borders? And the rent was super cheap? I would love to be able to get out of my folks home and Sheria wants out of her place too. She’s my girlfriend. Out there playing with us. Umm… we thought about sharing a room if that’s ok?”

“Sure, I’d have to run a background check like I did for Kevin and Riley.”

“Sure, that’s cool. I’m only 18 so I don’t think there’s even anything on it. Sheria too. We both just graduated this last Spring. Umm, what information do we need? And how long does a background check take?”

“Not long,” I smiled, getting up to get her one of the forms I had printed out as a rental agreement.

I no sooner handed it to her than there was a knock at the door.

I went out and looked out. Derrick.

Stepping back into the living room, I looked at all of the people there. “Hey, would one or all of you come closer so the guy at the door could see you? So he doesn’t try anything?”

They all got up quickly and filled the hall behind me. After they were out there, I opened the door.

The first thing Derrick did was look behind me at all of the people. “I need to speak to you alone,” he told me, command in his voice.

“We’re staying right here,” a larger man said loudly, I didn’t know his name.

“Who the fuck are these people? I know you don’t have family and your mom just burned up in that fire. You have no one else.”

“We’re friends,” big man growled. “Having dinner and dessert.”

Derrick glared at him, then down at me. “You need to drop the charges.”

“No.”

“Things will go bad quick if you don’t, Sunny,” he hissed in an almost whisper.

Big man moved closer until he was standing right behind me and the others followed.

“I just want to be left alone,” I told Derrick. “You’re the one who told the other cops, not me. He deserves to be in jail and you know it. He raped me, hurt me, tortured me and has stalked me. He broke into my home. In what world does a man get away with that?”

“I didn’t fucking tell them, you did, bitch! You were so fucking loud on the phone they heard everything and followed me here.”

“I’m glad they did. He deserves to be arrested and prosecuted and you know it.”

“He’s a great cop and a good guy, he doesn’t deserve to be taken down for one mistake!”

“The hospital told me I wasn’t the first to be raped by him or hurt by him. That his friends always forced her to drop charges. You aren’t going to force me.”

“Fuck if I won’t. I’ll have this place condemned, torn down.”

“I’ll call the news,” Riley spoke up. “Tell them you are threatening her after she wouldn’t drop charges on your cop friend. My aunt is Genieve Grissam with channel 5 news, she would LOVE a lead like this, especially with all the cover-ups and women who were forced to drop charges. They’ll want to know why he was still a cop after the first time, let alone after all the rest. We all heard you threaten her.”

“I have 30 witnesses that will say I was never here,” Derrick sneered.

“Will you?” Olivia asked, raising her phone higher so he could see she was recording him.

“You will delete that you fucking cunt or you will never have another days rest in your life!”

“Calling Aunt Gen now,” Riley told him, picking up his phone.

Derrick pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Riley. “Bitch, hand me your fucking phone now or this boy will get shot for trying to jump me.”

Genieveve handed over her phone quickly, her face pale. Derrick snatched Riley’s phone away too.

Derrick turned and pressed the barrel to my head. “You are going to call in to the station and drop the fucking charges right now,” he growled.

The gun was jerked high and Derrick looked confused a moment before his arm was bent backwards at the elbow and he screamed as the gun was dropped to the porch. Riley picked it up and threw it in the yard looking wide eyed at Derrick who was on his knees, screaming.

Big guy pulled his phone out and called the police as Gen and Riley got their phones off the porch.

Derrick was shoved face down and grunted as something heavy landed on his back.

“What the fuck is happening?” Big guy asked in confusion.

“She’s using like, telekinesis on him!” Sheria spoke in complete awe. “She’s a witch!”

“Holy shit! Are you going to sacrifice us?” Kevin asked in fear.

“I’m not a virgin!” Olivia wailed.

I giggled. “It’s not me. It’s the ghost who lives here and protects me,” I told them.

That didn’t seem to help as they all seemed to panic now.

“There’s really a fucking ghost?” another guy yelped, backing up.

“He’s nice! He’s super nice unless, you know, you put a gun to my head.”

“That’s… kind of cool,” Sharia breathed, looking around. “A real live ghost! I SO want to live here now!”

“It’s a secret and you can’t tell anyone,” I told them.

“That’s who you were talking to earlier,” Riley realized out loud.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“Police are on their way,” Big guy told me, the phone still to his ear. “They are asking his name.”

“Derrick Gilliland. He’s here trying to make me drop charges against Officer Dash Decklan.”

“Dash Decklan?” Sheria asked with a sneer. “He sounds like some comic book character.”

When the police arrived, they looked incredibly unhappy to be there, giving me angry looks as they helped get Derrick onto the stretcher for the ambulance.

“Aren’t they going to take our statements or ask what happened?” Riley asked as they left.

“No. They are friends of Dash’s, and him.”

“I’m calling my aunt,” Riley scowled. “This is bullshit!”

Sharia and Olivia moved in, then big guy, whose name was Ben, also moved in. The days following were quiet for a moment until the news story was put out. Cops hovered around the street and pulled over everyone who left the house, issuing ticks for every little thing they could think of. Riley called his aunt again and a man showed up, then filmed the police pulling over every single person who left the house, including me. I hadn’t been leaving the house at all, but as soon as the officer had me pulled over, he bent me over the hood of his cruiser and cuffed me.

“You wanna cry rape, bitch?” he asked in my ear. “I’ll take you to the fucking station and you’ll learn waht rape is! We all want a couple hours in a cell with you, cunt. I should fuck you with my maglight right here and now for the bullshit publicity you’re causing! In the ass!”

“I’m going to fuck her throat and piss in her mouth,” the other officer sneered. “Let’s get her over to the empty garage.”

When they pulled me to stand and started walking me, I smiled at the other officer.

“What’s so fucking funny, cunt? We’re about to start your punishment and it’s not going to stop anytime soon!”

“Because I’m wearing a wire and everything you say is being recorded and broadcast live. Officer Callument. Officer Johnson.”

The other officer ripped my shirt open and stared at the microphone like it was a snake.

“You fucking BITCH!” the officer holding me snarled, then threw me to the pavement. “Get those fucking cuffs and let’s go!”

As soon as they were gone, the camera man who’d been waiting in the closest abandoned house hurried out and helped me up. “We got them! We got them dead to rights! This is going to make national news!”

I got my bike and went back to my house, then let Simon hold me close as I trembled. Everyone else was celebrating and I was used to having so many people in the house now. I could see all of Simon’s arms now and some of his shoulders. The more he touched me, the more I could see and I wanted to just stay in his arms until I could see all of him.

The story did make national headlines and the entire station was under investigation for not only allowing it to happen, but encouraging it and putting pressure on the girls Dash had been harrassing.

Olivia and Sheria both moved in, then Ben, then Cole from their D&D group. They had more friends, but I asked them to wait on bringing more in until I got things finished. After having the bathrooms upstairs done, I had the bakers kitchen retrofitted, then a guy came in to look over all the books that were in the attic. I felt like the money he offered was obscene, but I also wondered if he was trying to cheat me, so I brought in a second opinion. The first man WAS trying to cheat me.

After that, I began buying the houses around mine and tore down every house on my block, planning to fence it all in to make a huge garden with a glass greenhouse and restore the carriage house and servants house, setting them up like they had been at the turn of the century. Next came the larger task of getting the other houses around me to eventually restore or tear down and build new. I wanted to bring the nice neighborhood back and I wanted to buy up all the property before the land value went up.

I’d just bought a new place and like I always did, I went over to have a look at it, trying to guess if it was a tear down or a remodel and to look inside to see if anything was salvageable. I went out back to open the old shed and as I got the bolt cutters up to the lock, a hand closed around my mouth, then my waist as they picked me up. Screaming into the hand, I kicked and struggled, but they handled me easily as they carried me out front. As soon as I saw the truck, I knew it was Dash.

Shit.

I also knew I wasn’t going to get out of it this time, not unless I started faking it from the very beginning.

I went still and he put me in the truck, turning me to cuff me.

“Dash!” I breathed excitedly. “Oh god I’ve missed you so much!” I cried, throwing my arms around his neck and breaking down into sobs.

“I’m not falling for it this time,” he growled, pushing me back and cuffing my hands. He got in and I moved close to him, taking his arm and leaning against him.

“I have missed you… so much more than I thought I would. I realized something, Dash! I’ve been so incredibly afraid of relationships because every man in my life has always left! ALL of them. I didn’t want to get attached, not ever. I couldn’t let anyone in! But you, Dash… you really love me. You really love me and you would never leave me! You’ll never leave me, right Dash?”

“You’ll never fucking get away again,” he snarled, pulling away.

I let out a happy sigh. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me. I knew you’d come back for me! Thank you, Dash! Thank you for restoring my faith that there can be true love in this world! I’ve been wanting you for so long! Wishing for you!”

“You had me arrested, bitch! I begged you not to and you had me arrested! I’ve been in jail!”

“What? No, Dash! No! I dropped the charges! You were never supposed to be arrested at all! I didn’t call the police, I called Derrick, didn’t he tell you? He’s the one who let the others find out, not me! I never pressed charges at all! I thought you were just mad at me because they took you off my property! I thought they let you go once you got to the station, Derrick talked like you weren’t going to get in trouble at all! And I didn’t realize then what I know now. I started missing you so much, so incredibly much! I almost called you so many times! My heart ached, but I knew you would come back! I was waiting for it! Waiting for you to show me that you still loved me!”

“I’m going to OWN you,” he hissed.

“Mmmmm,” I purred, my body writhing up against him. “I like that baby. I’ve missed that too… I’ve imagined that day over and over and over again as I touched myself. You were so perfect and masterful, knowing exactly what I like and what I want. And you didn’t leave!” I told him, choking up. “I knew you wouldn’t leave! You proved me wrong! Not everyone leaves! Not if it’s true love! Dash!” I cried, then broke down sobbing as I threw myself in his lap.

“I’m not falling for it!” he yelled angrily, but he didn’t move me.

“I know, baby. I know, I’ll have to prove myself. I lied to you once, but never again! Time will show you how much I’ve missed you and how much I adore you! How I realized too late that you were the one. I was so jaded and so against relationships that I couldn’t see the forest for the trees,” I cried, then lifted up and put my cuffed arms around his neck, burying my face in his neck as I kept sobbing. He went tense all over, but didn’t stop me, even putting that arm around my waist to hold me against him. “I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered, then kissed his neck and jaw. “I love you so much! I want to get married and have a family with you, Dash. Kids just like you with so much love in their hearts that it shines through no matter what! Not like me who let it hurt me so much that I thought I’d never heal. Thank you. Thank you, Dash, for showing me that love can fix me,” I whispered, then pressed against him again as I cried as if overcome with emotion.

He pulled into his house and I hugged him close, moving to his lap so he’d have to carry me in as I snuggled into his neck.

Carrying me gently, he brought me into his house and straight back to his bed. Immediately he cuffed the handcuffs to the bed on the chain. He paused looking down at me, swallowing hard as he looked me over with conflicting emotions.

“It’s ok baby,” I told him softly. “I understand. It’s going to take time and I’m willing to take as long as you need. You’re worth waiting for. Baby? Will you make love to me? Keep one hand cuffed, but let me hold you and make love to you? Not rough, but really making love?”

He hesitated again, looking me over. Finally, he uncuffed me completely and started pulling my clothes off. I went up on my knees eagerly, making him grab my arms, but I started unbuttoning his shirt as if I didn’t notice, then his jeans. He let me, continuing to pull my clothes off before laying me back on the bed and looking down at me with incredibly hopeful eyes. Pulling him in for a kiss, I slid both my hands into his hair and kissed him passionately a moment, before wrapping my legs around him.

“Ohh, my love, I’ve been waiting for this!” I breathed, tightening my hold on him and pulling him closer with my legs. “I love you so much! My Dash, please! Say you love me too and you don’t hate me now!”

“I don’t hate you,” he whispered, kissing my jaw, then nipping lightly. He did again, a little harder. “I am angry with you.”

“Mmmm,” I smiled, looking up at him with lust in my eyes. “Does that mean you’ll punish me later?” I asked breathlessly, excitement in my voice.

His lips twitched slightly. “You better believe I will.”

I laughed wickedly, then pulled him into another kiss, pushing up and grinding my hips into him. “Make love to me!” I pleaded.

I didn’t have to ask again as he moved up and shoved into me almost roughly before pushing up enough that he could look down at me as he made love to me. I let myself get lost in it, gave myself over to him completely as I held on to his arms.

“Oh! Yes! Yes my love, that’s perfect! You feel so good… oh baby I love you! I love everything about you! Mostly I love how you never gave up on me! You kept going until I saw what you saw. You were perfect for me and I was perfect for you and I did love you! I just had to be shown the way first! You’re so amazing and so patient my love! Nnn, I’ve missed you so much! I have letters for you, my love! I wrote you every day because I knew you would come for me! I KNEW you would! And I wanted you to so badly! I was so afraid you hated me! Mmm, faster my love! I told you about everything! All my plans! Everything I wanted for us! I’m going to make you so happy, Dash! We’re going to be so happy! I adore you, my love!”

“You made me lose my job,” he growled, thrusting harder and harder.

“Baby, you’ll never have to work again! I didn’t tell you this, but I have an inheritance! A big one. We can do whatever we want! Ohhh, fuck baby that feels good! Harder! Nnnnnn, god damn! My sweet, beautiful god!”

He sucked in a breath and pushed in hard, then came inside me, throbbing and shooting his cum into me.

“Oh Dash! Oh, that was beautiful!” I panted, rolling with him to lay on his shoulder as he lay down next to me. “Hold me, my love.”

“I’m still pissed at you,” he rumbled, but he held me close.

“I know baby, and that’s ok. I’ll make it up to you. Can I make you dinner tonight? I’ll make you a list and you can cuff me here until you get back. Mmmm, I love being pleasantly sore after great sex. And I’m putting chocolate ice-cream on the list,” I giggled.

“We’ll see,” He sighed tiredly.

I turned and kissed his shoulder, then let out another contented sigh as I threw my arm and leg over him and pretended to fall asleep. He hugged me to him and somewhere in there, I did fall asleep.

I woke with a start when he tried to ease out from under me. “Dash?!?” I wailed sleepily, pretending to be disoriented.

“Shhh, babe, it’s ok. I have to use the bathroom.”

I let out a sigh and laid back down. “Mmm, when you get back do we get to play more?” I asked muzzily.

“Make me that list when I get back,” he called, stepping into the bathroom.

I stayed in the bed knowing he was a lot faster than I was and it was pointless trying to run. My best chance was either getting back to my house or waiting until Riley and the others started missing me and knew something was up. The first place the police would look was here. If they looked. Hopefully Riley was smart enough to call a different precinct.

Dash came back in and I smiled at him. “Five more minutes,” I called to him. “Come snuggle me.”

He grinned and came over, half tackling me as he rolled me to hold me. Laughing and holding on to him, I moved up and kissed him as I lay on his chest.

“I’m excited to cook for you,” I told him, looking over his face lovingly. “Can’t wait to show you how well I can cook and see you smile for me again. Mmm… when you cuff me can you do it face down, then come back and ravage me before dinner? Make me come for you.”

“I think I’m strapping you to the rack,” he smirked. “With the biggest anal plug I own. Biggest dildo too.”

I sucked in a breath looking up at him with wide eyes. “I want you to fuck me, but… mmm, punishing me sounds good too. Maybe tomorrow? You can spend the day punishing me all day tomorrow! Mmm, baby, hurry up!” I laughed, rolling to my stomach and putting my wrists up for the cuffs.

He chuckled. “I need the list, remember?”

“Right… fuck the list, we can do take out so we have more time to play.”

“So you can scream for help when they get here?”

“No, baby. I’m where I want to be. Cuff me if you want and gag me, or meet them at the car when they get here. I just want more time with you right now. My phone and credit cards are in my back pocket of my jeans, use the blue one, it’s a debit card. Chinese! I like beef and broccoli!”

He laughed again, then went to the other room to order. While he was gone, I turned and cuffed myself to the bed, arching my back up with my ass in the air.

When he came back in, he paused at the door, looking me over, then giving me a smirk. “You know, I may need a minute, right?” he asked with a smile as he came and got in bed next to me. “But that’s really fucking sexy. I want to hold you a while longer.”

Right, he was lovey dovey driven and not sex driven. Epic romance and cuddles and all the bullshit I wasn’t into.

Uncuffing me, he pulled me close and hugged me to him. I hugged him back, then broke down crying again.

“Sunny! What’s wrong?”

“You love me,” I sobbed helplessly. “I prayed for you to come, hoped for it every day! I wanted you so badly and I was afraid you hated me too much now! But you don’t hate me!” I wailed, clutching him tightly. “You still love me! I don’t deserve you, Dash! Thank you for not giving up on me, I’ll try to be worthy!”

“Shhh, baby, hush,” he whispered. “You’re going to make yourself sick! Just calm down, ok? Of course I still love you! Just because I got upset doesn’t mean I stopped loving you! I will never stop loving you, Sunny! Not ever. I adore you. Now hush and settle down. I do need some questions answered, Sunny. What happened that day? Why couldn’t I get in?”

“Plexiglass,” I lied. “It was on a pulley so when the door opened it slid into place.”

“And Derrick?”

“What about Derrick?” I asked, feigning confusion.

“His arm? It just broke out of nowhere.”

“No… it was one of the guys applying to be a tenant. He’d come up behind him on the porch. He did it… I thought he knew that? He was questioned about it?”

“So do you really believe your house is haunted?”

“No,” I half laughed, still sniffling. “But I thought I could make you believe it with the plexiglass. I sort of wish it was, that would make it a huge draw when I turn it into a bed and breakfast. So it really worked? You really didn’t know it was plexiglass?”

“It didn’t feel like plexiglass to me, it didn’t feel like anything, just solid air.”

“I mean, it was probably warm, I had the heater on, but I can’t imagine it felt like nothing. I saw your handprints on it, I was sure you had to’ve seen them too? Maybe your mind just wanted you to believe the place was haunted? I’d taken it down when Derrick came, he came in just fine.”

“Whatever,” he sighed. “You’re really renting rooms to a bunch of people?”

“Yeah, mostly younger people. All good kids I think. They’re all quiet, a little geeky. They play D&D alot, and other board games now that they live together. They seem to like living there. They like having meals too, and I like cooking for them. I got my baker’s kitchen put in! It’s so rad, you need to come see it! And there was a TON of really cool antiques in the attic, even first edition books! How cool is that? I was thinking about starting to sell some baked goods soon, what do you think I should make? What’s your favorite?”

“Artisan breads I think. Not because I like them, but because they’d sell well with the whole hipster crowd. Gluten free shit too, that’s a big thing right now.”

“Ugh, I want to make things that TASTE good! I’m not worried about money, I want to do it because it sounds fun and my mom would have loved it.”

We laid there and talked until the food arrived, then we sat on the couch and talked more. I told him about my plans to buy up all the property around me and restore the original place as it was, then buy up all the surrounding land and either restore the houses or build new. Make the neighborhood nice again and make a profit on selling or renting depending on the need. He was listening and offering suggestions, even looking a little excited as we talked and I included him in all of my plans. He ate it up, even talking about how he’d always kind of wanted to have a woodshop with a lathe and make cool things one it, along with a laser engraver to make things with. I told him there was a ton of room in the basement to have a huge woodshop and I could have everything brought in as soon as I’d proven myself to him and he knew how much I loved him. We talked into the small hours of the morning, him telling me about his family and me telling him about mine. It would have been nice if he wasn’t a psychopath.

I fell asleep in his arms, then woke up first in the morning. I woke him by climbing on him and grinding on his cock until it was hard, then riding him as he groaned and sighed, holding my hips as I bounced and rolled my hips. I knew what I liked and I was going for it hard, getting myself there quickly and screaming his name in ecstasy as I came around his fat cock. He came seconds later, panting and groaning as he held my hips hard on his cock as he pushed into me as deeply as he could.

Falling off of him onto the bed, I laughed. “I want to wake up like that every morning! Fuck, I love your cock!”

He laughed, still out of breath and reached over to hold my hand.

I rolled and went up on my elbow to look down at him, my face full of adoration. “Dash? Can we go to Vegas this weekend and get married?” I asked him, my eyes bright with want. That would give me four days to get away or for my tenants to find me.

He grinned and sat up as well. “We can go now if you want, baby. Right this minute.”

“It has to be on a Sunday! I’ve been planning my wedding since I was 6, even though I never thought it would happen. Weddings are so magical! I wanted it on a Sunday in the fall with fall colors. Outside with beautiful flowers and hay bales as seats with quilts over them. Very rustic and pretty. We can have a real wedding later, renew our vows, but I want to get married sooner. Unless you want to wait? Oh… umm, I guess I’m jumping the gun a little. Do you even want to marry me? You haven’t asked, I’m just taking it for granted that you want to as much as I do.”

He laughed, then kissed me softly. “Sunny, will you marry me? Be Mrs Dashiel Decklan?”

I smiled, then giggled and leaned into his chest, hiding my face like I was embarrassed. “Yes!” I whispered, still smiling and holding him like I was blushing. “Yes. Dash… I’ve been wanting this for so long! Needing this! Needing you! I love you so much!” I whispered, then started crying again as if it was making me emotional.

“No more of that now,” he whispered gently. “No more tears, baby. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise? Promise you don’t hate me and you’re doing all of this to get my hopes up?”

“Promise. C’mon now, let’s have breakfast.”

I stayed close to him all morning, holding his hand and hugging his arm, smiling up at him adoringly every time he looked at me.

Just after lunch, I climbed up on his lap, straddling him again, then kissing him gently before hugging him and laying on his shoulder as I held on to him. He hugged me close, rubbing my back and I pretended to fall asleep in his arms.

I’d planned on staying there for at least an hour, but a hard knock on the door made me jerk and sit up, looking disoriented. “Dash?” I asked sleepily.

“It’s ok, babe, I have to answer the door.”

“Who is it? They aren’t coming to take me away are they? I’ll tell them I want to be here and to go away!” I whispered fearfully.

“Go wait in the room, babe, it’s ok.”

I hurried to the room and shut the door, then let it crack open slightly. Dash answered the door and two officers were standing there. They were in blue uniforms and not the black that Dash’s department wore.

“We’re here about a young lady who went missing yesterday about this time. We have a warrant to search the premises.”

“This is a mistake,” Dash smiled. “If you mean Sunny, she’s here. She WANTS to be here. We’ve been planning our wedding.”

I opened the door and stepped out, looking at the officers warily. I knew Dash had put a gun in the back of his waistband before he answered the door. “He’s right,” I told them, unable to hide the tension in my voice. “I can come sign whatever I need to, ok?”

“Babe, you don’t need to do that,” Dash smiled back at me.

When he turned back to the officers, I mouthed ‘gun’ to them and pointed at his waist.

They didn’t hesitate, pulling their firearms and pointing them at Dash. “Hands up! NOW! Hands up in the air or I shoot!”

“This is a misunderstanding,” Dash told them, his hands in the air.

“Turn around! Hands high!”

Dash turned, his hands up. “Don’t worry babe,” he called as they pulled the gun from his waistband. “Everything’s going to be fine, I’ll get this straightened out.”

I said nothing as they cuffed him, but as soon as they had him cuffed, I walked up to him and slapped him, then kicked him between the legs as hard as I could. “You rapist ASSHOLE!” I screamed as the other officer caught my shoulders and pulled me back. “You kidnapping, rapist piece of complete shit! What is WRONG with you?”

“Sunny!” Dash groaned, his face red as he hunched.

“Shut the fuck up man, or I let her do it again,” the first cop snarled. “You have the right to remain silent…”

He went through the whole thing, leading Dash out as the other officer kept a hand on my shoulder and led me out.

Going through the whole rape kit again didn’t bother me as much as giving another statement to state police this time while the local police stood and glared murder at me.

Leaving the hospital, I grinned as Riley and Ben stood up off of Ben’s car they were leaning on and waved at me. “Which one of you was it?” I asked, getting in the back.

“Both of us,” Riley answered. “All of us, really. Kevin was about to call the cops when I suggested we call the state cops instead and explain what was going on and you being missing with your bike and everything still there. They had to wait 24 hours, but they were right there waiting to like the minute.”

“Thanks. All of you.”

“Who else would cook us dinner?” Ben asked, laughing.

I smiled too, but my heart wasn’t in it. I just wanted to get home and stay home, I no longer felt safe at all.

“Hey Riley?” I asked softly.

“Yeah Sunny?”

“Do you like your job?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I fucking hate it, but it pays the bills, right?”

“How would you like to work for me?”

“Doing what?” he asked, turning around to face me, his expression excited.

“I need someone to look at the houses around mine and assess their state and all that. See what needs doing. Anything that needs to be done outside the house.”

“I’d love to do it… but I don’t know how qualified I am. Ben would actually be more suited to that than me. He does mold inspections and stuff.”

“Ben, would you like to switch jobs?”

“Hell no, I love working with mold,” he teased. “Are you kidding me? Fuck yeah, I could do that.”

“Riley, why don’t you just focus on painting and art?” I asked distractedly.

“I wish but it doesn’t pay the bills.”

“I’ll wave your rent. Utilities are all paid for, food is provided. All you would need is your car payment and insurance.”

“You’d do that?” he asked in shock. “Wave my rent?”

“Why not? I don’t need it, it’s just a supplemental income so my savings isn’t tapped too much. I just use it to buy the food I make for all of you anyway.”

“You think I could make it? As an artist?”

“You’re good, and I’d feature your art all over the house when it’s a bed and breakfast. Offer it for sale.”

“Where are we going to be while you rent out rooms?” Ben asked.

“Third floor,” I answered. “I’d only rent out the second story rooms.”

“You movin’ up there too?” he asked, angling the rearview mirror to see me.

“Probably. That or maybe the basement.”

“There’s a basement?” Riley asked, confused.

“Yeah,” I smiled, laying back in the seat.

“Where?!?”

“I’ve never seen a door for a basement? Is it one of those with those cellar doors that open from the outside?”

“No. I know where it is, don’t worry about it,” I giggled, amused that they were so interested and confused about the basement.

“It’s in the library, right? The stairs down?” Ben asked. “I noticed there’s windows on that back wall from the outside, but none on the inside and the footage doesn’t add up. It’s bigger on the outside than the library actually is. More than enough room for stairs down, and then some.”

Now I was curious as hell. There was a secret room?!? Simon would show me where it was. “No,” I answered Ben. “It’s not in the library.”

“Where else could it be?” Riley asked.

I chuckled again and looked out the window.

“You ok, Sunny?” Ben asked softly.

“Fine,” I answered quickly.

“You wanna talk about it?” Riley asked.

“No thanks.”

“He hurt you?” Riley asked softly.

“Not really… I was just scared mostly. I knew you guys would call the police, I just had to get through the day.”

“What do you think sent him over the edge?” Ben asked.

“I guess he’s always had issues with rejection. This time he refused to give up. Hopefully this time they don’t let him just walk away.”

“So what’s for dinner?” Ben asked with a grin.

I laughed and shook my head. “Order a few pizza’s, whatever y’all want. I’m going to get a shower then go to bed until tomorrow. Ben, if you really want the job, you can put your two weeks in. You can start as soon as you want.”

As soon as I walked in the door, Simon barrelled into me with a hug and I laughed and hugged him back.

“I will never get used to that,” Riley breathed, circling around us with wide eyes.

I could see Simon’s torso and shoulders now and I wondered how long it would take before I could see all of him. He did something then that he’d never done before. Picking me up, he carried me down the hall and up the stairs.

“Fucking hell,” Ben half yelped. “There’s no doubt about THAT! I don’t care what Brent says, there’s no way she’s faking THAT!”

“Sunny, you’re FLOATING!” Riley cried loudly.

I laughed and laid my head on Simon’s shoulder. Laying me on the bed, he climbed in next to me and held me close, stroking my face gently.

“I missed you too,” I whispered sleepily. “I do want a shower before I go to bed,” I told him softly.

I jerked from a falling feeling and sat up, then realized it was morning. I had slept through the night, and I was still so tired I could probably sleep through the day too. Simon rubbed my back and I turned, looking over what I could see of him. His body leaned close, then his lips were on mine in a gentle kiss. Smiling, I slid my fingers into his hair and wondered what color it was.

“I’m showering now,” I told him, getting up and gathering up clothes and my bathroom basket.

For several days, it was almost peaceful in the house, with me just making plans and talking with the realtors and contractors. I was still a little terrified to leave the house. Even if Dash was in jail, his friends weren’t.

I had a special project I was doing in the basement and was super careful not to let any of the tenants see or know about it. Most all of it had to be built in the basement since there was no real way to get anything big down there. In the meantime, I was also having period pieces brought in for the entire first floor, including new but vintage looking kitchen appliances. The second story bedrooms were easier and the larger bathroom was already done. Getting the huge yard done and fenced with trees brought in and a big garden was a little harder. The little parking lot was easy, but I hated how it looked. It messed up the aesthetic.

I actually did take Dash’s advice and make artisan breads, along with pies and cobblers. It took a while for it to pick up, but when it did, I was busy all the time. Riley’s art also got a lot of attention as customers came in and he was selling more than ever.

Months passed and I was less afraid every day. All of the bad houses were torn down and cleared and some of the others were remodeled. And almost ready. Where I could, I made yards bigger with the lots next door to add value to the houses and the neighborhood, and so houses weren’t stacked on top of each other. There were two people left in the neighborhood and both agreed to sell gladly. One of the houses wasn’t in livable condition at all and had to be torn down, but the other was remodeled and restored easily.

Overall, I was pleased with how quickly it was all going.

I was about to step out on a beautiful fall day to look over the new glass greenhouse where I was planning on hosting weddings.

Simon stopped me as I was starting to step out the back door, an arm across my shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him, a little confused. I’d been out back a few times now.

Simon took my hand and pulled me to the front of the house and opened the curtain. A moment later, a truck drove by. I’d never seen it before, but there was no mistaking who was driving.

Dash.

How was he out of jail already?

Simon pulled me to my office and a browser window opened with a news article.

“Local police officer released from jail on technicality.” It went on to read that he wasn’t processed correctly and his paperwork was submitted wrong.

Fucking assholes!

I turned, pacing. “I need a restraining order!” I growled.

“What?” Ben asked, coming in with paperwork for me.

“Dash! He’s out! I need a restraining order against him, like, yesterday. He’s already driving by here!”

“Holy shit! Ok, on it,” he told me, going to his desk and picking up the phone.

In under an hour, there were officers there to escort me to the station to file an ex parte so I could get the restraining order.

The ride home was quiet as I scowled out the window, the man driving giving me sour looks. Hurrying inside, I looked out the window again and stood watching for a long time.

Sure enough, the red truck rolled by again, slowly as Dash looked over the house and the surrounding grounds. Every 45 minutes, he rolled by.

The very next day, I was hit with a code violation form and men had to come in and inspect the house where I was going to have a business, and was already running a baking business from my home.

I wasn’t worried, I knew my bakery was up to code. They tried to say that the attic wasn’t a bedroom and couldn’t be rented out as such. I smiled as I told them Riley wasn’t renting from me, he was just living with me and painting up there where the light was good. They told me the carriage house wasn’t suitable to rent out or for events. I told them it was just for aesthetics and no one would be going in. The servants quarters too, though it WAS in livable condition.

They looked and looked and looked, but I’d had three different people come in to make sure everything was up to code. I even had my catering and food service license, though I didn’t serve food here. They spent a long time trying to find something wrong, then ended up leaving with nothing.

The next day, a police officer showed up, telling me I had too many tenants.

“I have exactly as many tenants as I’m allowed to have,” I told him with another smile. “Riley and Ben just live here, they don’t rent.”

The next day it was a noise complaint, supposedly, when there were several cars in the lot.

“First of all, from whom? There isn’t a person living in any house in a two block radius from here. Second of all, there is no one here but me and I’m not even listening to the radio. You want to come in and look?”

He came in and looked in every single room, but they were all downstairs in the D&D themed party cave I had made them with a holographic table. The officer didn’t look twice at the shelf that was a door and I knew he didn’t hear anything. I had soundproofed the room so they wouldn’t disturb guests while they were down there playing.

The cop scowled and told me to keep it down, then left.

In an hour, another officer showed up and tried to cite me for the expired tags on Ben’s car.

“That car hasn’t moved in months, he just got a new one and that one’s for sale. A car doesn’t have to be tagged if it’s not on the road and it’s hidden back on private property. Can y’all just stop with all of this and tell Dash to leave me alone? I know this is all him. Just let me live my life.”

The next day, two code officers came and demanded to look over all of the property I was remodeling.

“As I understand it, until I put it up for sale or rent, I don’t have to meet any codes until I am done building and renovating. Not a single one has been listed as complete.”

That night, I woke up to glass breaking all over the house. I jumped up and ran downstairs, but the figures outside throwing rocks were all in black with black masks. I called the police, but every single window on the house was broken before anyone arrived.

First thing in the morning, the inspector showed up again and this time he shut me down.

Because of course he did.

Dash was not going to leave me alone.