The Incubus's Heart Ch. 08

*** Warning. This chapter includes violence (not in a sexy way) and attempted kidnapping. I promise it all works out in the end, and the sex in this chapter is vanilla (other than that it's between a vampire and an incubus).

This is a long chapter with a lot of story development, and a little sexy times. I promise more kinkiness in the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Penny***

*

Seneca was feeling paranoid. Everywhere she looked it seemed like she saw those satiny blue ribbons. It couldn't just be in her head, either. There was one by the little corner grocery she shopped at twice a week, one at the coffee shop where she and Godwin met up. The one that Godwin had thrown away at their bench was replaced the next day. It felt ominous, like they were following her.

There was one outside the library where Josh worked today. She snapped a quick picture with her phone, adding it to her growing collection before heading inside.

Her feet took her to Josh's reference desk without thought. He was buried in books, piles of them surrounding him like pillars, four open and stacked over each other. He didn't look up.

She watched him, waiting to see if he'd notice her, but he didn't. He'd read a few pages in one book, then stop to scribble notes onto a notepad without looking, then turn to another book to take more notes. She let him continue, leaning against the high desk trying not to be obvious.

She watched until the urge to mess with him was overwhelming, then nudged the book on the top of the pile slowly. It took all she had not to giggle like an ornery child the entire time. She gave a final tiny push and it fell on top of the book he was reading.

He jumped in surprise, scowling at the offending volume, then looked up, annoyed. A huge smile spread across his face when he saw her.

"Seneca!" he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Josh, I was in the area and thought I'd check to see if you were working tonight," she replied.

"Well, you caught me," he said with a wink. "And, while I'm glad you came, I'm not sure you came all this way just to watch me shelve books?"

"Well, not exactly..." She sighed, her amusement fading quickly. "I mean, I did want to see you, but I also wanted to ask you something. I mean, it's probably dumb, but have you seen any of these blue satin ribbons all over town?"

She messed with her phone for a second, then slid it across the formica counter. Josh scrolled through the images she's taken, the ribbon on the bench where she and Godwin met, the one by the grocery store, the one on the light pole by her apartment, the one at the coffee shop, and the one she just snapped.

"Hey, this one's right outside here," he noted.

"Yeah, I just took it before I came in. Josh, these are really creeping me out. It feels like, I mean, it feels like they're for me. That's crazy, isn't it? Like, I'm obviously overreacting, right?"

"Wait, can I see the other ones again?" he asked, reaching for her phone again, then shook his head. "Hold up, let me clean this a little." He pushed the pad of paper into the book he had been reading when she interrupted him, then found pencils and pens, using them as placeholders in the other books as he closed them and piled them up. He moved the pile closest to her, then shook his head again. "You know what? Nevermind. Let's go sit at one of the study desks."

"Won't you get in trouble or something, for leaving your post?" she asked, following when he motioned her to do so.

"Nah, I got all my other work done already. I was just translating for fun at this point. It's pretty quiet this late in the day back here," he said, speaking softly over his shoulder.

There was something about being in the stacks that demanded her silence. She held her question until they broke out into an open area on the other side of the shelves. "You were translating, for, ah, fun?"

He sniffed. "Yup. Translating some Old English books, referencing them with actual translations. I'm teaching myself for the most part. It's amusing," he said as he led her to a row of desks with wooden walls between them. There was one chair at each cubicle, but enough room that they could both squeeze into one, though it was a tight fit.

"Fun?" she asked as he pulled over another chair, motioning her to sit in the one already there.

"Sure it is," he said, teasing her. "You don't believe me, do you? It's proper fun."

"Oh, I believe you, I just don't believe you," she clarified. Reaching a hand out, she brushed it over his nearly concealed dimple. "You growing a beard?" she asked.

He tilted his head into her touch. "Yeah, I was thinking about it. It's been getting pretty cold lately. Just, you know, making myself a homegrown scarf. I do hate having cold cheeks."

She appraised his proto-beard. "Looks itchy," she declared. "I guess if you take care of it and keep it nice and trimmed, it would look pretty good on you."

"I'm glad you approve," he said, only half joking.

"You know, you could always just wear a scarf," she teased.

"A scarf!? Beards are much more manly," he insisted. "Now, let me see these ribbons..."

She unlocked her phone and handed it to him. He looked at the pictures, zooming in on each one.

"Tell me about this one," he asked.

"That one is at the market I shop at. Right outside, by the doors," she explained.

He scrutinized it, then moved on to another one. "This one?" he asked, showing her the one outside her apartment building.

"It's really close to my apartment. Really close."

He scrolled to another one. He asked her about each ribbon picture, then he looked at them all again. "Where all have you seen the ribbons?"

"Hmm..." she said, biting her lip as she thought. "Let's see. There's the one by my apartment, the one at the train station I take to work, and one at the station I take home. There's one at the station nearby your place, too, now that I think about it. The one at the deli by work, one at my friend's coffee shop, the grocery, a park bench by my work and one outside my building. There was also one outside the pizza place we went to last time we met," she listed off, counting on her fingers.

He frowned, saying nothing. She could almost see him thinking. "What do you think?" she asked.

He sighed. "I think that if it's bothering you, it probably shouldn't be disregarded as 'nothing' like you're probably thinking. Have you asked Godwin?"

She flinched. "Ah, not exactly..."

"Why not?" he asked, turning in his seat. His knees pressed into hers, making her hyper-aware of his body.

"Ah... I don't want him to think I'm being dumb, I guess," she admitted. "I mean, it's probably in my head, you know?"

"But it's okay if I think you're dumb?" he teased.

She blushed, slapping his knee playfully, the feel of his heat through his khakis sending her hear fluttering. "No, but you already knew I'm dumb."

Josh sat up. "I don't think you're being dumb. I haven't really seen any of these ribbons around, though. I probably wouldn't have ever seen the one in the front, I use the side door. I honestly can't recall the last time I came in through the front. Maybe it's some new fad or something, like flash-mob signs or geocaching."

She nodded. "Maybe," she said, frowning. He was probably right. "You should get back to work, right? I just wanted your opinion. If you see any ribbons..."

He smiled, resting his hand on her knee. "I'll text you, how about that? I'll take pics of any I find, and I'll ask some people around here if they know what's going on with them."

"Thanks, Josh, I really appreciate it," she said, squeezing his hand. He slid his hand from her knee and stood up quickly as someone turned the corner.

"The reference books you'll need are right over here, ma'am," he said, acting super formal.

She looked up, confused, then stood up, too. A stern looking man, probably in his late fifties, walked by, a grimace on his hook-nosed face. His comb-over barely covered his bald spot, reminding him of Kennedy's father before he died. She'd liked Kennedy's father, but she instantly disliked this man.

"Joshua, when you are finished helping this..." He paused, looking her over skeptically, "Patron... I'm gonna need you to clean up the mess at your station."

Josh nodded. "Yes, of course Mr. Greenly. Right away, sir," he replied.

Mr. Greenly glared at her over his thin, wire framed glasses. "Are you finding everything you need?" he asked in a tone that implied her only response should be yes.

"Ah, yes," she obliged, then leaned over as if she was reading Josh's name tag. "Josh has been quite helpful," she insisted.

Mr. Greenly narrowed his eyes at her, obviously not buying her charade. He didn't call her on it, but he stared long enough to make her uncomfortable before he turned and stomped back into the stacks.

"Is he always that pleasant?" she whispered after a moment, hoping he wasn't hiding nearby, eavesdropping.

"Oh, yes," Josh agreed. "He's a proper cheerful ray of sunshine every day of the week."

"Is your full name Joshua? I thought it was just Josh, I remember something about that..." she said, trying to remember when they dated before.

"Yup, just Josh, like it says on my birth certificate. I corrected him once. Complete waste of time." He rolled his eyes, then smiled at Seneca. "I should get back to work. When are we meeting up again?"

"Soon, I hope," she said, feeling disappointed. Godwin usually arranged their next meeting when they parted ways after their play, but he had only told her he would be 'in contact soon' after their last session at Josh's apartment. "Godwin usually sets the date. It hasn't been that long since we played last, but I still hope to hear from him soon. He doesn't exactly embrace modern technology," she explained, waving her phone. Understanding sparked in Josh's eyes and he nodded. "So, I hope he contacts me soon."

"Me too," he agreed, nodding.

"Sorry," she apologized with a shrug.

He shook his head and they walked back to his desk. "No worries, just let me know," he replied.

She smiled, biting her bottom lip, feeling shy. "I will. Take care, Josh."

He winked at her, a huge smile on his face. "Back 'atcha, Seneca."

The sun had set while she was in the library. She left feeling lighter, wondering again what it was that didn't work out between them before.

She called Olivia as she walked to ask her about the ribbons, too. The phone rang a few times then went straight to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Olivia Turner. I'm not taking your call right now because I don't feel like it..." Probably at work. She hung up without leaving a message, tucking her phone back in her pocket.

Before she could react, a large hand clamped to her forearm and whipped her whole body around. She tried to catch her balance, but overcompensated and tripped. Fingers bit into her bicep as she fell.

The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth as a meaty fist slammed against the side of her head, making her vision go black for a second. She staggered, but the hand held her upright.

He released her arm, it was definitely a man. There wasn't enough time for shell-shocked mind to react before thick, strong arms wrapped her torso, effectively locking her arms against her sides. She tried to scream but her throat was too tight, she could barely breathe, and then something was forced into her mouth. She tried to spit it out, but she was still dazed from being punched and couldn't make her mouth work right.

He pulled one arm away and she jerked hard enough to break free. Before she could even take a step he caught her coat and pulled her off balance. It felt like she was moving in slow motion as frigid, icy pavement rushed up to meet her face. She screamed this time and tried to crawl away, and also pull the fabric out of her mouth at the same time.

She barely got the gag out when something wrapped around her legs and pulled tight. She fought, but physics wasn't on her side. Rough hands flipped her over so fast her head spun just before it was slammed against the pavement. Just like with her legs, something pulled tight around her arms and chest, trapping her completely.

A fist in her hair yanked her head back hard and she saw the fabric she'd somehow managed to spit out of her mouth. It was dark, but there was no mistaking it, crumpled velvety blue ribbon.

She tried to scream but her voice wouldn't come out right, she was too afraid. She gasped and struggled against her bonds until white stars blossomed when his palm connected with the side of her head. It was a two for one, the force of the blow also slammed her head against the concrete again, this time stunning her.

The man mounted her, his knees to either side of the bindings around her arms. He grabbed the binding around her torso then twisted hard until it was so tight it pushed the air from her lungs. She squeaked, then moaned, terrified and in pain. "This is all your fault, Senny Baby."

Struggling against her bonds just made them dig in deeper, so she stopped. She was too afraid to think, her vampire nature taking over. She felt her fangs drop and tried to lunge for him, but the bonds, combined with his weight and leverage, kept him safe from her.

Chip slid one hand under her chin and down her neck. She snapped at him and he pulled away easily. The movement made her dizzy as the stars swam across her vision.

"Did he give you this garbage around your neck?" he growled, fingers digging in as he attempted to pry Godwin's collar open. She screamed and thrashed, his touch on Godwin's collar making her feel physically ill. The more he tried, the worse the pain in her stomach grew until she was writhing and thrashing under him. "Why can't I get this trash off?" he demanded, nails digging into the flesh of her neck.

She bucked and nearly unseated Chip. He abandoned his pursuit to remove the collar, his hand back on her chin, jerking her head back painfully. She whined as he picked up the crushed ribbon that had been in her mouth and shoved it back in. She heard the distinctive sound of duct tape, then it was over her mouth, taping the ribbon inside.

Chip smelled weird, sweaty with alcohol souring his breath, but something else, too, something she couldn't place. Something that smelled wrong. He looked like a crazy person, she'd never seen him look like this before, and oh god, he was going to kill her. He was going to kill her, she was gonna die on the frozen sidewalk and no one would know. Her fangs ached, useless with her mouth taped up.

"Stop crying!" Chip screamed, then tangled his fingers into her hair and slammed her head into the concrete again. Tears streamed down her eyes and she couldn't breathe, and he was going to kill her in the street, where were all the people? Oh god, why weren't there any people around?

"Shut up!" Chip demanded, emphasizing his words by slamming her head into the sidewalk. "Shut up! This is all your fault. We were gonna get married, Senny Baby. You were supposed to be the mother of my kids. And then..." he trailed off. He stood up, then picked her up by her bindings. "And then you leave! You won't return my calls. You avoid me! You hurt me, so much. But we're in love, Senny. I'll fix this, make it all better. I love you," he said, shaking her.

He waited as if for her answer, but she was gagged.

"I know you're cheating on me, Senny Baby," he continued, throwing her over his shoulder into a fireman's carry. She tried to struggle but he had all the leverage, and the bindings were making it nearly impossible to wiggle much. "I saw it. I saw you with that asshole from the library. I saw how he looks at you. How he touches you."

She struggled harder. "You keep wiggling around up there and I'm likely to drop you," he threatened.

"How could you, Senny Baby?" he bemoaned, and how could he switch from normal to psycho so quickly. Her head wouldn't stop spinning. "I thought you were a good girl. No, I know you're a good girl. You aren't a whore, I know you aren't. Not my Senny Baby. She's no whore. We can still make this work, I just had to get you away from the bad influence. I'll take you home with me, keep you safe there. You'll see, Senny, once you're back with me, where you belong. I'm doing this for your sake."

She thrashed and he let go, barely catching her before she rolled down his back. "Keep struggling and I'll drop you for real, Senny Baby. I'm taking you home, keep you there until you come to your senses. Chip misses his Senny Baby."

Her head hurt, the world spun and she was cold, dizzy, and scared. It took a second for his words to really sink in, and when they did, his threat to lock her up... No, no, no, no, she couldn't, she wouldn't be locked up again. Memories of her childhood home burning, so fast, so hot, the screams of her mother as she burned alive in the trailer, screaming, the screaming, the smoke, the heat, oh, god, she couldn't, he couldn't, oh god.

She had to get away. She couldn't move, couldn't do anything, why was she so useless? She struggled until the bindings cut into her skin, until she smelled her own blood in the air, until she couldn't feel her feet. Her arms filled with pins and needles, the painful ones, not the numb ones.

Chip released his hold on her and she rolled down his back. He didn't catch her this time then she slammed into the cold, wet concrete, breaking. The immediate pain in her right arm was an intense, focusing kind of pain, the kind she hadn't experienced in ages. It opened in her brain like a flower blooming in time lapse, radiating out from her arm. This pain, nothing came close to it, not since the fire. Not since her mother...

"This is all your fault!" he screamed in her face, his breath volatile. She couldn't see him right, not with all the tears. The alcohol on his breath burned her eyes. He picked her up again, roughly, then forced her to look him in the eyes with his meaty paw clasping her chin hard. "Your fault! I'm doing this for your sake, Senny Baby, and one day you'll understand why I had to do it. You'll thank me for it. We're in love." He shook her, emphasizing each word.

He picked her up again and she gagged on the ribbon in her mouth as her body burned with pain. The bindings hurt, everything hurt, but nothing else compared to the white lightning that was her arm.

"I'm a good guy, Senny Baby!" Chip insisted as he positioned her into a fireman's carry across his shoulders. She was sobbing freely now, unable to breath, unable to see. Each step he took ground her broken bones into each other, she could feel the pain throughout her whole body. "Girls like you like good guys. I know what you need, even if you don't. You'll see that, I promise."

"You know nothing about her."

She was hallucinating, because there was no way Godwin was here. Her eyes weren't working, she couldn't see him, but she smelled him.

She was the opposite of hyperventilating, whatever that was, barely able to pull in breaths through her nose as it filled with snot from her sobbing. The ribbon slipped down her throat as she tried to breathe, choking her. She couldn't breathe, she was going to puke, she was...

She wasn't sure what happened next. Hands pulled her, then her whole world twisted violently as if she were falling. She braced for the impact but it never came. Instead, she was cradled against something solid and warm.

Had she imagined Godwin there? Was she dying? She tried to breathe in, forgetting about the ribbon. It choked her as she accidentally sucked it halfway down her throat. Bile rose up as she retched on the ribbon. It filled her mouth and burned her sinuses. She struggled to swallow it down, which only forced her to swallow the ribbon deeper, making her gag more.

The world tilted again and she felt the hard, cold pavement under her body now. An instant later, the tape was ripped off her mouth. The pain was underscored by relief as warm fingers dipped into her mouth and pulled out the ribbon. She wretched violently but the only thing to come out was throat-burning bile.