Nine

Once Charles had dropped Eliza off and said goodbye, she hopped into her own car and headed towards home. As she drove, thoughts flashed through her mind. The taste of blood still lingered on her tongue and she smiled to herself, biting her lower lip. It was good, really good, but it hadn't satisfied her fully. She was very alert as she drove, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any other signs of life. The streets were deserted at the moment and she frowned. She needed another "drink" before she went home. Something that would help her sleep. Eliza considered it a blessing when she saw a small car broken down on the side of the road. She pulled over behind it and sat there for a few seconds, squinting her eyes to see if the driver was alone.

She smiled to herself when she saw that there was only one person with the car. Quickly, Eliza pulled a pocket knife from underneath her seat where she always kept one hidden. She had nowhere else to conceal it except for her bra. Hastily, she tucked it in snugly then casually got out of the car.

She walked up to the car in front of her with one of her best fake smiles plastered to her face. The driver was a middle aged man. The hood was up and he was hovering over the engine with a flashlight. He was tall, clean cut, and had shoulder length black hair. Eliza raised an eyebrow at his stunning good looks.

When the man saw her he stood up straight, his eyes glistening with hope. He took a step back from the hood and smiled sheepishly.

"Hello there," Eliza greeted him. "Car troubles?"

"Yes ma'am," he said in a strong baritone voice. "It just won't start." He had a slight southern accent and he looked like he was from out of town.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you need a ride somewhere?" She asked in a convincing sincere tone.

"As a matter of fact I do. You don't mind?"

"Not at all. I am happy to help." She batted her eyes innocently at him, causing him to look away uncomfortably.

"What's your name?" She asked him.

She waited eagerly for his response.

"The name's Rex," he said, extending a hand to shake hers.

Eliza took his hand and shook it briefly. "Nice to meet you, Rex."

"What's yours?"

"My name? Oh, it's uh, Lizzy." She said, then immediately cursed in her mind for using the name she hated to be called.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," he grinned, then shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

Her brow raised. "Thank you. So where do you need a ride to?"

"Oh, I suppose down that road there to the little motel I was headed to. Is that too far for ya?" He asked.

"Not at all." It was perfect. It would be easy for her to coax him into letting her in for a few.

"Great." He closed the hood to his car and went to the trunk, taking out a single suitcase. "I'm ready when you are."

"Okay, let's go." She turned and went back to the car, waiting until he had his seat belt on before pulling back out onto the road. The motel was only a few miles down the road. It was small, located on the outskirts of town, and seemed to be dead that night.

Eliza's excitement boiled as she pulled up into a parking space by the office. "I'll wait here, just in case they have no vacancies." She said quickly.

"How nice of ya. If you'd like, you can come in and have a drink with me before you go. I have a bottle in my suitcase." He said with a small chuckle.

"I think I will," she nodded.

"Good. I'll be right back." Rex hurriedly got out of the car and practically ran through the front door of the office.

Eliza squeezed tightly onto the steering wheel with both hands, releasing, then tightening, then releasing again.

A few minutes later, Rex returned to the car with a small pocket envelope containing a room key. "It's just around that first corner," he said, pointing to the end of the building.

"Gotcha," said Eliza as she started the car and backed it out of the parking space. She drove silently around the building and parked in front of the room Rex pointed out as his.

Once they were inside, Eliza nonchalantly noticed Rex lock the door and close the curtains. She snickered to herself as she got comfortable on a chair at the opposite end of the room. "So, where's that drink?" She asked.

Rex grinned, tossing his suitcase on the edge of the bed. He unzipped it and slid a hand in quickly, then pulled a bottle of liquor out.

"Right here." He held it up for her to see, and then carried it to the small round table beside her chair.

"Nice," she commented, watching as he opened it and took a swig straight from the bottle.

He nodded, making a grimacing face as he felt the burn from the first drink. "It's always nice to relax once in awhile." He smacked his lips together a few times then handed Eliza the bottle. "Here you go, Lizzy. Have at it." He chuckled, sitting on the chair opposite her end of the table.

"Thanks," she smiled, holding the neck of the bottle firmly. She tipped it back and took a sip, letting the hot liquid burn its way down her throat. "Not bad," she commented.

"Well did you think it was gonna be?"

"No," she laughed, taking another sip. She had to make a move soon. She could already feel herself becoming bored with this man.

Rex took a few more shots before placing the bottle on the table and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one for himself then offered one to Eliza. She took it and thanked him, puffing slowly as she plotted her next move. Maybe if she seduced him it would be easier.

After putting out her cigarette, Eliza stood and walked to the bed, sitting down on the edge beside the suitcase. "Much more comfortable," she said, bouncing on the bed a bit.

Rex studied her as his lips curved upward. "You really are stunning," he said in a low tone.

She crossed her legs, hiking up her dress just above her knees, enticing him further. "That's sweet of you." She said, using the most sultry voice she could come up with.

His eyes lingered on her legs for a moment. "I'd love to see more."

"I think that's a marvelous idea," she grinned, scooting up on the bed until her back was leaning on the wall by the pillows.

Rex fidgeted in his chair, obviously becoming aroused by her display. His hands grasped the arms of the chair as he watched her pull up her dress a few inches further. Her hand rubbed gently over her thigh and her eyes met his. "Do you mind if I join you over there?" He asked almost breathlessly.

"Not at all. Can you find something good on the TV first? It relaxes me," she said. He nodded and stood, immediately going to the television and flipping it on. As soon as his back was turned, Eliza took that moment to pull the pocket knife from her bra and shove it under the pillow closest to her. She made sure she opened it first so she wouldn't have to hassle with it when the time came to use it.

When he found something he thought she would like, Rex turned back to face her. "There," he said with a satisfied expression. Eliza patted the blanket beside her, inviting him to join her on the bed. Without hesitation he pulled off his tight black t-shirt and climbed onto it, crawling towards her. She had to admit, he was gorgeous. If she didn't have such a soft spot for Charles she might have had second thoughts about killing this man.

When he reached her, his midnight blue eyes pierced into hers. Roughly, he grabbed her hips and pulled her underneath him, her head landing softly on the pillow she had planted the knife under. It was the perfect position. She let out a shuddering sigh as his hands made their way up her legs, pulling the dress with them until it was just above her waist. As if he were starving, Rex removed her undergarments and plunged his face in their place. Eliza's mouth opened in shock as he began to pleasure her, amazed at how aggressive he was.

He continued, sending Eliza's hormones sky-rocketing. She wanted more. Clawing at his shoulders, she managed to pull him up further so that her lips met his. Their tongues twirled together as he dug into her with a steady motion. This was her chance.

Eliza's hand went behind her head, sliding underneath the pillow carefully. With her free hand she pressed on his back, pushing him closer against her. It was now or never. With a quick, shocking jolt, she bit down hard on his tongue. He screamed, his hot breath heaving into her mouth. She could smell the scent of liquor strongly as she whipped the knife out and dug it into the side of his neck. It wasn't good enough. Blood was everywhere but he managed to bring a fist back and deliver a powerful blow to the side of her head.

She cried out in pain, somewhat shocked that he had hit her. She didn't think he would be that difficult, especially since he was intoxicated.

Rex rolled off of her and she let out an enraged howl as she went after him, plunging the knife into his arm. He wasn't phased by the stab. Instead, he hit her across the face, hard, with the back of his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?! You crazy b***h!" He barked, taking a few staggered steps back.

"Just die already!" She growled, hopping off the bed and lunging herself at him. Blood dripped down from her chin from his tongue that she nearly severed between her teeth. Her eyes were wide and full of burning rage.

Rex moved fast, dodging her as she threw herself at him. She toppled into the chair behind him and fell hard. Rex fell to the floor and grabbed his pants, fishing through his pockets. What he pulled out sent waves of panic through Eliza's chest.

He was holding up a police badge. He was a cop! She had attacked a cop. Her eyes widened as fear replaced rage. Quickly, without thinking twice, she scrambled to her feet and ran for the door.

"Get back here you wench!" He hollered as she fumbled with the locks.

Screaming, Eliza whipped the door open and ran out, still clutching the knife in her hands. All she could think about was getting home safely. She heard Rex yelling behind her as she got into her car, slamming and locking the door. He pounded on the driver's side window, and then shoved a fist through it. Shards of glass landed on Eliza, cutting her in several places. She shrieked as she started the engine and put the car in reverse. He reached for her hair through the broken window but she managed to move out of the way. She pressed her foot on the gas pedal and the car went skidding backwards, dragging him along with it.

She was dragging a half naked man covered in blood. She just hoped no one else was witnessing it. Her hand shifted the gear back into drive and she stepped on the gas pedal again. Tires squealed as she drove forward, towards the open road. Her house wasn't far from the motel. If she had to, she would drag Rex all the way there.

Rex was screaming, but he still managed to reach in and pull at her shoulder, ripping the strap to her dress. Eliza maneuvered herself so that she could hold the steering wheel and stick him with the knife once more, gashing his cheek open. Finally, he released his grip and went tumbling onto the pavement as Eliza continued to drive as fast as she possibly could.

Her chest felt as though it would explode at any moment. She whipped the car around bends in the road and finally made it home. Luckily, the garage door was open. She pulled the car in and got out, hurrying to close the door behind her. The silence was welcoming. She slid down slowly, her back leaning against the inside of the door. The garage was pitch black and the only thing she could hear was her own heart pounding. She began to cry even though she tried to fight it. Her bloody hands were shaking as she wiped at the tears rolling down her face. She was still holding the knife with her other hand, afraid to get up. She heard the door that connected to the main part of the house creak open. She held her breath, waiting to see who it was.

A deep, familiar voice called out in the darkness. "Is someone in here?" It was David.

Eliza let out a shaky sigh and responded. "It's me."

A light flickered on, causing Eliza to squint her eyes from the sudden brightness.

"What in the world happened to you?!" David shouted, running quickly to his sister's side. He looked her up and down, inspecting for any wounds. "You're covered in blood. Your face, it's bruising." He said, wiping at her cheekbone.

"I got into some...some trouble," she stammered.

"What kind of trouble?"

"I didn't know he was a cop," she said as her chin trembled.

"Wait, who? Eliza, what are you talking about? What did you do?" David lowered his tone so that only his sister could hear him.

"This man I picked up, he was a cop. I didn't think he was. I was just going to feed on him, like any other stranger, but he fought me. I don't know if he's dead or not, David. I messed up bad this time. You know how I get! I can't control my urges sometimes. I was on my way home and I just decided to do it. I should have just kept driving and never bothered with him," she said through sobs. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing more blood in the process.

"What do you mean you don't know if he's dead or not?!" David demanded.

"Well, he fought me all the way to my car. I dragged him out onto the street before he finally let go!"

David shook his head, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "So now what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Hide, I suppose."

"You can't hide forever, Eliza." He gave her a stern look then helped her to her feet. "Let's get you cleaned up."

He grabbed her hand, immediately noticing her bandaged finger. "How did that happen?" He asked, holding her hand up to her face.

She pulled it back quickly. "I cut it. No big deal."

"You sure?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Let's go."

The two headed inside the house and to the kitchen where David nursed her wounds. Afterward, Eliza went upstairs and took a hot, relaxing bath before settling into bed.