Fatal Kiss Of The Vampire Chapter 276-280

Chapter 276: A Dull Look

A red car was parked next to Kylie. It belonged to Dinah. Dinah poked her head out and smiled. She said, “I can tell that you’ve been out here for a while. “What’s up? What are you thinking about?”

Kylie smiled and ignoring the question, asked about Sally’s medical records. Dinah said that she had them, and Kylie told her to bring them to Stephen ASAP. Then, after thinking about it for a second, Kylie said, “Why don’t we go together. I wouldn’t mind checking in on Stephen and saying hello.”

Kylie had never been to Stephen’s new home, and when they arrived, she was shocked. The place was practically a mansion. He lived at The Empire Hotel and had the entire tenth floor to himself. Kylie frowned and said, “I thought he was living in a regular apartment…”

“I don’t know…” Dina shrugged. “This is the address that I was given.”

Kylie looked at Dina and said, “I think you know more than you are saying. After all, you are dating him and most likely fucking him too!”

Dinah’s face turned red, but she didn’t say anything.

Just then, Stephen stepped out to greet them. He was dressed up like a wealthy doctor, and at first, they didn’t recognize him.

“Why aren’t you wearing glasses?” Kylie wondered

“I wear contacts now,” Stephen replied. “It turns out that some people don’t trust a doctor who is wearing glasses. Never mind that, though. Let me show you both up to my apartment.

Stephen lived in a luxurious presidential suite, and everything looked brand new. Looking around, though, everything also looked familiar to Kylie. It felt strange until, finally, she realized that the apartment’s layout was exactly as it had been when he lived in Garbo Palace. The only difference was that this was several times larger.

Kylie touched the medical skeleton that sat in the corner and turned to Stephen. “Didn’t you say your house was finished?” she wondered. “Why are you staying in a hotel?”

Stephen took two bottles of soda from the fridge; one for Dinah and one for Kylie. His face was still warm and sunny, but his eyes were sharp. “This is my house,” he replied. “…and I love living here!”

Kylie looked around the apartment again, still in disbelief. She was confused but, if Stephen was happy, then she was happy for him, and the genuine smile on her face acted as evidence. “People say that I spoil myself…” she said, “but look at you; a whole floor to yourself!”

Kylie playfully punched Stephen in the arm, and he pretended that it hurt more than it did. She could be like a feisty child when the mood struck her, and nobody knew this better than Stephen did. He rubbed his arm and smiled. They had a close relationship. They had always protected each other, spoiled each other, and had each other’s back. As Ethan slowly took this role from Stephen, things became more and more awkward between them.

Kylie silently hoped that a short excursion might bring them closer together again and, once they’d given him the documents, she convinced Dinah and Stephen to do just that.

The three of them were just passing through the parking lot when Ethan, Nate, Matthew, and his family emerged from behind a dumpster, and Ethan pulled Kylie to a stop. He looked at Kylie, glanced at her feet, and asked her if her feet would get sore in the stiletto high heel shoes that she was wearing. “You should be wearing your favorite sneakers,” he told her. “They are actually made to be walked in!”

Kylie admitted that her feet would be sore, but she didn’t care. The shoes matched her dress, which mattered more to her than comfort.

A few women passed them going in the opposite direction as them, and when they say such a handsome man was worrying over such a beautiful woman, they were jealous. Ethan was the type of man that women wanted to be with while Kylie was the type of woman that other women wanted to be. Seeing the look in their eyes made Kylie smile; sometimes, she forgot how lucky she was.

After they’d walked a block, Nate put his arm on Stephen’s shoulders and said, “I’ve heard all kinds of things about you. Is everything alright?”

Stephen shrugged sadly. He had felt better about this walk before Stephen and Nate had appeared with Matthew and his family. “I am alive,” he replied, “and here we are. What more could a man want?”

A little further on, Kylie took off her shoes and carried them while she walked barefoot. She turned to Ethan and said, “It looks like you were right,” she laughed. “At least the sidewalks are clean…”

“Perhaps the delicate lady needs a man to carry her,” Nate teased.

“Oh, fuck off, Nate,” Stephen sighed. “Leave her alone. She’s fine. She’s a big girl.”

Stephen had a bottle of water with him, and he offered it to Kylie. Kylie took it and thanked him with a smile.

Aiden, with his disheveled hair and his unshaven face, led the group. He had a bad smell, and everyone was happy to give him some space – and everyone was thankful that he was walking upwind of them. Taylor walked to the left of Aiden and only slightly behind him. Closest behind then came Mathew. Every once in a while, he silently complained about Aiden’s stench, but he made no move to fall behind.

Linked arm in arm with Matthew walked Khloe, who was smiling flirtatiously at any man who they passed, regardless of their age. She was, as they all knew, an attention whore. She wore a princess dress that accentuated her breasts and revealed acres of cleavage, but, unlike Kylie, she wore practical flat walking shoes. From time to time, as they walked, she put her hand to her lower abdomen and grimaced. This was her reminder to them that she was pregnant and deserved special treatment as if getting fucked was a talent that few women mastered.

Matthew looked at Ethan, smiled, and walked over. He said, “Ethan, look at us – all together, and all we’re getting along. What do you think? Could this cease-fire last?”

“Crazier things have happened.” He replied. “Ray Cleveland Sullivan was struck by lightning seven different times between 1942 and 1977, and he survived each strike…”

Ethan looked at Khloe. He knew that Matthew was very proud of her, so he said, “You haven’t introduced me to Khloe yet…”

Hearing her name, Khloe joined them. Seeing this, Aiden picked up his pace, and at that, Taylor chuckled. Aiden was definitely one of the prettier people that Taylor had met in his life.

Matthew introduced Khloe to Ethan cordially, and they shook hands. Kylie smiled and also greeted Khloe, but her smile seemed false, and it didn’t reach her eyes. Despite their differences, though, Kylie said that it was good that they’d been able to get together peacefully.

Matthew and Ethan agreed immediately, but Khloe had crossed her arms under her ample bosoms, and she seemed distracted. There was a scowl on her face and a dull look in her eyes.

Chapter 277: Visiting The Old Parker

Matthew placed his right hand on Ethan’s shoulder and used his left to point at everyone who’d joined them on their walk. “My family is here,” he said, “You and Kylie are here, along with Ethan, Dinah, and Nate. The fact that we aren’t scrapping in the streets is, in and of itself, a minor miracle…”

“This still-mate may not last beyond today,” Ethan agreed, “but it is a good start.”

Matthew touched Khloe’s stomach while he contemplated what Ethan had said. Ethan wasn’t one to be so touchy, and at their display, he frowned and said, “The way that you’re touching Khloe’s belly, a stranger might assume that you are the father…”

Matthew’s face became gloomy. He rubbed his lips hard and found himself searching for words that just weren’t there. Khloe, too looked guilty, though she was not. The implication itself was enough to make her feel uncomfortable. Her face turned red as she looked to Matthew for direction. Minute by minute, as the silence held, the atmospheric anxiety increased, it became so thick that one might have cut it with a knife.

Finally, Kylie broke the ice. She turned to Ethan and said, “I have a gift for the old Mr. Parker. Should we go to the hospital now so that I can give it to him?”

“I will take you there now,” Ethan replied, without looking at Matthew or Khloe. Without a word of goodbye to Matthew or anyone else that they’d come with, Ethan and Kylie turned off at the next block where his car was parked.

Once Kylie and Ethan were gone, Khloe turned to Matthew and said, “I came as soon as you called, so I didn’t have a chance to get a gift.”

Matthew touched her belly again and said, “The best gift that you could give me is right here. You don’t need to be nervous about anything when you are around me!”

Old Mrs. Parker smiled when she saw her son arrive with Kylie, and she rushed to greet them. She didn’t approve of Kylie, of course. Nothing had changed in that regard, but the joy she felt when she saw her son overwhelmed her, and for the moment, at least, she was able to set any animosity she felt for Kylie aside. “What’s up?” she laughed. “I see that Kylie brought a gift. Are we celebrating something?”

“Do we need a reason to visit?” Kylie wondered. “All we want is to bring some happiness to the old man’s day!”

“Don’t we always bring gifts?” Ethan added.

“I suppose so,” Mrs. Parker admitted. “I suppose I wasn’t thinking… Here, why don’t we go check in on my husband? I know that he’s been hoping you would visit him soon.”

As they walked the hallways together, Mrs. Parker explained to them that her husband had been moved from one room to another and that he wasn’t very happy about it. Where he’d been before, he’d been close to the kitchen, so he was the first to be served at mealtime. Now though, he was served last, and the food was always cold. This had obviously affected his disposition because the first thing Ethan noticed when they walked into his room was the frustrated scowl on his face. As soon as he saw them, though, his disposition did a complete 180.

Once they’d exchanged pleasantries and made themselves comfortable, Mr. Parker looked at Ethan and said, “It means the world to me when you come to see me and the frequency of your visits are admirable, but Matthew seldom visits me… I’ve heard that Khloe is pregnant. Is that true?”

“It is true,” Ethan admitted. “I am disappointed that Khloe and Matthew haven’t been here to tell you in person.”

Mr. Parker frowned, and his breathing became labored. Mrs. Parker gave them the dirty eye as if they’d caused her husband to be in this condition – even though she knew better. The way she treated her husband, though, was more than admiral, and just by watching her, they could see how much she loved him.

Mrs. Parker had her husband’s hand in her one hand, and her other hand was gently rubbing his leg. “It’s alright,” she told him. “Calm down and try not to be angry. It doesn’t help. Eventually, you will see Matthew, and you will be able to ask her any questions that you’d like.”

Kylie stepped forward with the gift she’d brought for Mr. Parker. In the hopes of distracting him and help him settle, she held the gift out to him and said, “I have a present for you…”

Mr. Parker seemed completely disinterested. Even though his breathing had returned to normal, he rolled over so that his back was to her, and he said, “Thank you, but no thanks.”

Kylie stood there, stunned and embarrassed. She forced a smile and said, “Mr. Parker, I wish nothing but the best for you, that is why I am here, and that is why I brought you a gift. You are pretty much family to me, and I wish you a long life.”

Mrs. Parker scowled at Kylie and said, “Just go! You are not wanted here! And you will never be family!”

Hearing these words, Ethan took the gift out of Kylie’s hands and threw it against the wall as hard as he could. The box smashed, and it went BOOOOM!!!!

Ethan turned to his mother, and he looked angrier than she’d ever seen him. She shrunk under his glare, and she began to shake with fear. “Kylie is a part of our life!” he roared. “She is a part of our family! If you reject her, you reject me. Do you understand what I am saying? I will not stand by while you treat her badly or disrespectfully!”

As soon as he stopped talking, the room went silent, and nobody dared to look at Ethan. “And don’t forget,” he whispered, “if I were to leave this family, I would take Century Group with me along with all its affiliates.”

Having no other choice, Mr. Parker turned back around and sat up to the extent that he was able. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at Kylie. He said, “At this point in my life, I no longer care for business matters. I am near the end, though, and Ethan has shown me the error of my ways. More than anything, I should want my family to be harmonious when I leave. I have had no good reason to treat you badly, and yet I have, and for that I am sorry. I never had a good reason to behave as I did. I wish that it hadn’t taken what it had to make me see the light but, for what it’s worth, I appreciate that you brought me a gift. After the way you’ve been treated, there was no reason for you too, and yet you did…”

“I know that you would have liked it,” Kylie said. “It was a snuff bottle that had been carved out by a master artist.”

Mr. Parker’s went large, and his jaw nearly hit the floor; he was astonished. “How did you know that I collected such things?” he wondered.

“It was nothing more than a good guess,” Kylie supposed. “I wondered what a person like you, who could afford anything, would want that he didn’t already have. Immediately, I knew that it had to be one of a kind. Initially, I had no idea what to look for, but then the snuff bottle caught my eye, and when I held it, it spoke to me, and I knew that you would like it.”

Hearing this, Ethan’s face turned red, and his expression was like that of a very guilty person. He said, “I am truly sorry that I let my temper get the better of me…”

“It is for the best,” Mr. Parker replied. “Anything less would not have caused me to rethink my view on life in the same way that your outburst did. I owe you a debt of gratitude, and I apologize to you wholeheartedly.”

“Here,” Mrs. Parker snapped, “Give me the box.”

Kylie hunkered down to pick up the broken box and handed it to Mrs. Parker. Mrs. Parker took one corner to open it, and to their surprise, the snuff bottle was intact. “It is a miracle,” she said. “It was so loud when it hit the wall that we all assumed it had been destroyed. It must be made of very strong material.”

Mrs. Parker handed it to her husband, and as he examined it, he began to cry tears of joy. He looked at Kylie and said, “God bless you, child. You are a part of our family now, so be fruitful and multiply. I would love to see a grandchild by you before I am off into the Great By and By.”

Chapter 278: Shut Up

Kylie was shocked by how quickly things had changed. Only minutes ago, Mr. and Mrs. Parker had made it clear that she was not welcome to be a part of their family. Now though, they were practically eating out of her hands. In fact, Mr. Parker had even asked her if she was almost ready to give them a grandchild. It was like a Christmas Miracle, except that it wasn’t Christmas.

“Have patience,” Ethan laughed. “Kylie’s career is just taking off. It’s not a good time to have a baby, but you have lots of life in you yet. We will make sure to have at least one child before you say goodbye for the last time.”

Ethan came up behind Kylie, and he wrapped his arms around her; seeing them like that, his parents were moved, and they finally saw what the couple saw in each other and how they completed each other – and the last bit of animosity that they felt for Kylie melted away. They had believed that Kylie was a gold digger, but now they saw how wrong they’d been.

“Shall we get something to eat?” Mrs. Parker wondered. “Is everyone hungry; I know that I am?”

Everyone said that they were hungry, and Ethan went to get the nurse and a wheelchair. When they arrived back in the room, Ethan and the nurse helped Mr. Parker into the chair, and before she left, she said, “Have a good day. They are serving baked pork chops served in a mushroom sauce. If I remember correctly, that is Mr. Parker’s favorite, isn’t it?”

“It sure is,” Mr. Parker replied with a bright smile on his face. As soon as she was out of earshot, though, he burst out into gales of laughter. Everyone asked him what was so funny and, once he was under control, he said, “That woman is such a floozy. I don’t even like baked pork chops with mushroom sauce. It is good to get out of the room though and spend some time in the cafeteria – and there are always at least two main dishes to choose from!”

***

When they arrived at the cafeteria, they were surprised to find Matthew, Aiden, and Khloe waiting for them. Mr. Parker looked them over and was surprised to see how dirty and disheveled Aiden looked. His hair was messy, his clothes were dirty, and he hadn’t shaved in a few days. By all outside appearances, he realized, his grandson looked like a vagrant, and he was slightly embarrassed to have him sitting with him. In a hospital like this, where people went to die, life was boring, and gossip was the currency they bartered with.

By the end of the day, every old person in the facility would know that Mr. Parker’s grandson was a homeless person…

“Aiden,” he hissed, “what’s the matter with you? What made you think that you could walk into my home looking like that and expect to be welcomed with open arms?”

As Aiden sat down, he farted and burped at the same time, and it was suddenly obvious that he was drunk. Not caring about what his grandfather thought of him, he blew his stink breath into his face. “Your Highness,” he giggled. “How do you like that?”

“What is all of this about?!?!?” Mr. Parker demanded to know. “We have always had a good relationship between us…”

“None of that matters!” Aiden hissed. “You raised my father, so I hold you accountable for everything that he has done to me!”

Mr. Parker was shocked. “What are you talking about?” he wondered. “If you tell me, I will listen.”

“My father tricked me!” Aiden replied. “Why would a good father trick their son? He said it wasn’t a trick; that he was only trying to help me. I didn’t want to have a baby, or at least I wasn’t sure if I did. It should have been my choice, though, but he took that away from me, and now I am trapped by what he did.”

“Shut up!” Matthew shouted from across the table. “We are visiting your grandfather. This is not the time or the place for such talk – and besides, my old man is too old to help you even if he wanted too!”

Mr. Parker frowned. He looked at Matthew and said, “My son, your words wound me. My mind is still clear, and I remain the head of the family. If I ask my grandson a question, it is my right to hear his answer. Ethan had already told me about the baby, so I was already suspicious that I hadn’t been told already.”

In an attempt to distract the old man, Matthew pulled Khloe into a standing position. He touched her daughter-in-law’s stomach and said, “Father, it is going to be a boy!”

“This is not right,” Mr. Parker snapped suddenly. “I finally see what is going on here and why Aiden is in such a mess. My son, you had no right lying with your son’s wife. I feel disgusted. Now take your whore and get out of my sight. You are no longer my son. Your whore is not my daughter. If I were a younger man, I would take you out into the field and snuff out your life as quickly as I would a dog that had taken to biting!”

Khloe bit her lower lip. From day one, she had called the old man her Grandfather, and she had hoped to one day call him father. Matthew just stood there, holding Khloe, and for a moment, he did not know what to do or say.

On the main floor of the hospital, there were large flat-screen televisions hung from various walls. There were two in the recreation room, two in the dining room, and a few others in other places. Much to the patient’s dismay, though, they were all plugged into the same DVD player and Cable outlet; thus, everyone was forced to watch the same thing at the same time. To some, this was excruciating. Other people, though, like Mr. Parker and his family, usually paid them no mind, and the volume was no more than white noise.

Suddenly something changed, though, and everyone in the cafeteria forgot what they were doing and turned in the direction of the flat screens. The sound that they had heard had been of a sexual nature. They heard a male grunt, and then, in a voice that was nearly sighed, the man gasped Khloe’s name.

The couple was doing it missionary style, and from the angle of the camera, neither person could be identified. At this point, no one had any reason to think that the woman was their Khloe, though. After all, most people knew that Khloe was a popular stripper/porn name.

The man’s hairy ass bounced up and down as he jackhammered his cock into her cunt. Every once in a while, his anus was clearly visible. As far as porn went, this was disgusting, but, like a car crash, they couldn’t look away. The woman under him was moaning, but her noises sounded fake. She was going, “Woo,” and, “Ah,” and, “harder,” and, “I want more!”

Aiden, though, who had been most intimate with Khloe, dropped the glass of wine that he’d been holding, and it shattered to the ground. He stood up, pointed his finger at Khloe, and said, “Dammit, I may not be able to see your face on the screen, but I would recognize those noises you are making anywhere!”

Chapter 279: Stop Watching

Mr. and Mrs. Parker sat at the Hospital with Ethan and Kylie; Matthew and Aiden; and Khloe, while low budget porn played on the flat screen to either side of them. A man and a woman were doing it missionary style and, for the most part, all they could see was some man’s hairy ass. By the sound of the woman’s voice, though, Aiden had recognized Khloe, and he was outraged.

Khloe’s hands began to shake, and Matthew noticed immediately. He looked at her face and saw that she was pale – and there was no doubt in his mind that the person in the video was her. He swallowed hard as all the love that he’d felt for her was replaced by disgust.

Khloe rushed to the big screen on their left but immediately saw how pointless it was. There were screens all around her, and they all showed the same images, and the sounds were invading her ears from every direction. “Stop watching,” she cried. “Please, stop watching!”

Khloe rushed to a table where three elderly women were sitting, and she knocked their table away. “I told you not to look!” she shrieked. It was the most action the women had seen in a very long time, though, and they only clapped and laughed. Most of the people in the room hadn’t realized that the woman in the video was in the room with them. Khloe’s antics, though, made it very clear, and within a few minutes, everyone was pointing and talking amongst themselves.

The old Parker looked at his son as though he were the foulest thing that he had ever seen. It was very clear that he assumed that the man in the video was his son, Matthew, and he felt nothing but sympathy for his Grandson.

Kylie also stared at the big screen from moment to moment, and she was extremely shocked. Unlike Mr. Parker, she knew who the man in the video was; it was Ken – and the video had been hers. She’d had it locked in her safe when last she’d checked, and she had no idea how it had gotten here. That being said, she did not intend to blow the whistle on herself. She would let them blame whomever they decided was guilty.

Kylie touched Ethan with her elbow and quietly asked him if this had been his doing. He said that it wasn’t and she believed him.

One by one, the Hospital’s guests left. Most were interested in the video, but none of them wanted to be seen watching it. It was a Catch – 22. The Old Mr. Parker also wanted to leave, and Ethan and Kylie helped him while his wife walked a few steps ahead of them.

Khloe had curled herself up on the floor next to the vendo machine. She was crying and sucking on her thumb. She looked absolutely desolate.

Suddenly the man in the video ‘pulled out’ and repositioned Khloe. They could see that he wasn’t wearing a condom, and apparently, he didn’t want to cum inside her, so he pushed her to her knees and inserted his cock into her mouth. Now, from this new angle, they could clearly see the ‘actors’ faces. The one was, obviously, Khloe, but Matthew did not recognize the other man. He turned to Aiden and asked him if he recognized the man.

“I do,” Aiden exclaimed. “His name is Ken!”

“Who is he?” Matthew wondered.

“It is so disgusting that I can barely say it,” Aiden said, “but that is Khloe’s cousin. It is no wonder he didn’t want to cum inside her…”

In the video, Ken had taken Khloe by both sides of her head, and he was literally fucking her face.

“Cousin?” Matthew cried. “Cousin’s should do that together! It is just plain wrong…”

Suddenly Ken crashed through the door. He looked around the room and, in dismay, shouted, “What the fuck is going on here?!?!?”

Khloe looked up and screamed at Ken, “Ken, this is all your fault! You did this to me! You made this happen! And what will happen if the baby is yours?!?!?”

“Nonsense?” Ken hissed. “I never cum inside you. Even if I did, we could do a DNA test and terminate the pregnancy!”

Ken began to walk toward Khloe, and she yelled at him to stay away. “What do you even want with me?”

On the screens, hot jets of ejaculate were spurting out of Ken’s cock and landing all over her breasts, neck, and face. Once it was done, she took it back into her mouth and sucked it dry, and then she began to scoop up the spunk that had landed on her body and licked it off of her fingers. Ken, who had been watching the whole thing out of the corner of his eyes, turned to Aiden and Matthew and laughed, “I bet she’s never done that for either of you!”

Ken turned back to Khloe before either of them could reply, and he told her that he could help her if she wanted. Quickly, Ken took two more steps, grasped Khloe’s hands, and pulled her to her feet.

Suddenly Khloe began to scream for help as she yanked her hand away from Ken. Ken, who hadn’t realized how strong she was, fell backward and hit the back of his head on the floor. Accidentally though, as he’d hit the floor, his feet kicked out and sent broken glass flying in Khloe’s direction. One chuck hit her in the forehead, and blood streamed down her face.

Ken sat up, stunned, and while he was down, Khloe got up and hid behind Aiden and Matthew. Once she was safe, she glared at Ken and shouted, “Even if it turns out that you are my baby’s father, I will never let you hurt it. There are many places in the world where cousins copulate. To them, it is the norm. We are not sinners!”

It was then that Ethan and Kylie returned, and as soon as Khloe saw them, she pointed at Kylie and said, “This is your fault. Did you play that DVD, didn’t you? You wanted to frame me, didn’t you? Tell the truth for once in your life!”

“I did not!” Kylie gasped. “You are barking up the wrong tree!”

Ethan noticed that Khloe had a chunk of glass hidden behind her back like a weapon, and he shouted it out: “Be careful. Behind her back. She has a glass weapon.”

Suddenly, Khloe’s scream emitted from the flat screen, and everyone turned in time to watch Ken shove his cock into her anus. He had her bent over the bed, and it looked like she was in total agony. Khloe froze, and Ken grabbed her arm, forcing her to drop the glass.

Ken tried to grab her arms so that he could restrain her, but she was quick, and she was able to claw deeply into his face with her fingernails, barely missing his eyes. He staggered backward, and she laughed. “Come on,” she said. “Kill me. Or are you too much of a coward?”

“I am not a coward?” Ken screamed.

“Whatever,” Khloe chuckled as she slumped to the floor. As soon as she hit the floor, she grabbed a chunk of glass and buried it deep into her stomach. “It doesn’t matter anymore… You win… Kylie wins… The whole world wins. It could never have gone any other way…”

Matthew closed his eyes. Even after everything, he felt sorry for her. If she had been born bad, as he believed she had been, then it was not her fault. While his eyes were closed, he prayed that she would have a better life in her next incarnation.

Chapter 280: She Was Dead

Aiden was heartbroken. He walked over to where Ken was sitting. Ken had Khloe in his arms, and he was running his hands through her hair and kissing her forehead. “Khloe,” he cried. “Hold on. Stay with us.”

Aiden punched Ken in the face and took Khloe from him. He touched her face and whispered her name over and over again as tears streamed from his eyes.

Khloe tried to open her eyes so that she could look at Aiden and she said, “Aiden, I am sorry… I am no good… I never was…”

“Don’t say that,” Aiden cried. “You’ll be fine. I already called 9-1-1. They’re on their way.”

Ken had temporarily lost consciousness when Aiden punched him, and as he came to, he was frantic. He looked into Khloe’s bloodshot horrified eyes, at the bloody pool that was forming in her lap, and then he stood up, turned, and ran.

Stephen walked over to where Aiden and Khloe were sitting. He hunkered down and took Khloe’s hand. He gave it a light squeeze and said, “Stay with us. You will be okay.”

When Khloe spoke next, blood came up with her words, and they could tell how difficult it was for her to speak. The blood bubbled, popped, and splattered on her lips. From the exertion it must have taken to speak, they could tell that whatever she had to say was very important to her, so they paid close attention. “The girl in the video wasn’t me,” she gasped. “It’s my body, but Ken drugged me. I would never have behaved in such a way…”

“I’m sorry that I ever doubted you,” Aiden cried. “If I get a second chance, I will treat you so much better.”

“Before I die,” Khloe moaned, “please tell me the truth. Who do you love more, Kylie or me?”

Aiden turned his head and looked at Kylie, who was being guarded by Ethan. He did love Khloe, but he loved Kylie more. Normally he would have lied to her, but if knowing the truth was her dying wish, he felt like he owed it to her to tell the truth. That being said, if she was dying, he wanted her to go out peacefully. Just watching the distress in his eyes, though, she understood.

Kylie lowered her voice so that only Aiden could hear her. “It’s alright,” she said. “Anyways, the person who saved you was Kylie. I’m sorry that I lied to you…”

Before Aiden could reply, Khloe turned her head and vomited up a mixture of dark red vomit and a black charcoal-like substance – and then her body began to shake. It was what the old folk called ‘Death’s Rattle,’ and it was frightening.

As she shook, her body released the contents of her bladder and bowels, and, by the time the ambulance arrived, she was dead.

Meanwhile, in the background, the DVD played on…

***

Ethan, Kylie, Aiden, Nate, and Matthew sat around the police station sullenly while they waited to give their statements. It had been a suicide, but they had all been witnesses. The only person that was missing was Ken, and even though he was only wanted for questioning, a warrant had been put out for his arrest. The reality was that he’d fled the scene of a crime, and that was illegal. What the police were most interested in knowing was who’d been responsible for the DVD. “Whoever set that up,” one officer explained, “could face manslaughter charges.”

So far, Ken was the only suspect that they had. After all, he was the other person that had been in the video.

When they were alone again, Stephen asked Kylie if she’d told Laurence yet. “If not,” he added, “you should. By all rights, he should be here…”

Kylie sighed and admitted that she hadn’t. She knew that she should have, but she hadn’t found the courage yet. Khloe was the biological daughter of Laurence. After some thought, she said, “I can’t do it, I will have the police inform Linda, and she can break the news to him.”

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Nate turned to Stephen and said, “I heard that you moved into a new apartment. I would love to come over and have a look!”

“Everyone is tired today,” Stephen replied. “Some other day, okay?”

Nate nodded. “Do you keep a mistress in your love nest?” he wondered.

Stephen frowned. “This is hardly the time to talk about such things,” he said.

“Come on!” Nate begged. “We need just such a distraction from all of this, so you may as well be the one to distract us. Tell us! Tell us!”

“Shut up,” Stephen grumbled. “You aren’t as funny as you think you are.”

Nate held his peace for about three minutes, and then he turned to Kylie. “How about Fannie?” he wondered. “Does she make trouble for you?”

Kylie glanced at Stephen and then turned to look at Nate. She smiled and said, “You live with her under one roof. You are her brother. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

“She never tells me anything,” Nate replied. “Never mind, though. If you don’t tell me, I will find someone who will!”

Kylie shrugged. “She doesn’t make any trouble for me,” she said. “She gets on well with her colleagues, and seems always to have at least one or two men chasing after her.”

Stephen looked out the window and smiled. He found Kylie’s ability to come up with lies, on the spot, quite admirable. The only male college that Fannie had anything to do with was Lucas. Nate, though, had no idea that he was being played, and his face turned white. “Exactly how many men are we talking about?” he wondered.

“Who could say,” Kylie chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “There is always some man at her side to carry her books, take her out for lunch, or pay for her coffee.”

“Oh…” Nate sighed as he looked into his lap dismally.

Stephen coughed and gave Kylie a look that might have said, “That is enough now.”

Kylie nodded so that he’d know that she’d gotten his point. Nate and Fanny were brother and sister, and she knew that no man would want a whore for a sister, so she said, “Look, Nate, perhaps I am exaggerating, and, if you’d like, I’m sure that Ethan could find a respectable man for her.”

Nate looked at Ethan hopefully, and Ethan nodded. “No problem.”

“Let me try to help her first, though,” Nate said. “This should be a brother’s duty, and it suddenly occurs to me that I have neglected my duty to her…”

“Are you sure you don’t need my immediate help?” Ethan wondered. “I know a lot of people. It would be no problem.”

Suddenly, anger rose up in Nate that no one had expected. He looked at the group of them and said, “This is bullshit, and you all know it. I doubt my sister has an entourage of men following her around. Even if I might eventually need some help, I don’t need anyone to insinuate that I am incompetent to take care of my own sister. Since I have already given my statement, I’m out of here!”

The room fell silent as Nate took off out the front door. Cursing under his breath, he slammed the door behind him.