With her hand over her mouth, Sarah fell back against the shrubs. Sharp thorns from the rose bushes cut into her hands. The cold mud soaked her jeans as she scrambled to get her footing.

Shaking, she stood up and tried to brush the mud from her jeans. Her hands were bloody with scratches from the thorns as she raced back to her car which was parked far down the road.

The night air was chilly and she shivered with cold as she walked along the deserted road. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen! Jax was fucking that girl just like he’d fucked her a month ago. How could he just jump from one woman to another? The voices were right as usual.

He was evil.

But there was more, so much more that Sarah didn’t even understand herself.

As she opened her car door to slip inside, Sarah jammed the keys into the ignition. She stopped for a moment to think about all the women she’d seen Jax with over the past few weeks. There had been at least six of them so far. They had all been stunning to say the least. It struck her as odd as she would confront the women while they were out with Jax as soon as she could get them alone. They would look at her like she was crazy and go back to Jax. Later, when the two would leave, Sarah would follow them, but they would always leave separately.

Then, her memory faded. She didn’t recall seeing them afterwards.

It was as if they’d disappeared.

Starting the car, Sarah roared off down the road. What did it all mean? Where did the women go after their dates with Jax? Sarah had tried to trail the last two, but had lost them.

Suddenly, she felt nauseated. She pulled over as the bitter taste of bile rose in her throat. Opening the car door, she leaned over as the vomit spilled from her mouth.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she shut the car door. Sarah leaned back against the seat clutching her stomach.

“What the hell is happening to me?” she murmured.

The trees whizzed past her as she drove along the darkened road away from Jax’s house.

Pulling her car over near his house, she got out.

Then she crouched and crept past the fountain in the backyard where she’d spent so many hours watching the house.

This time there was someone in there with him!

Someone who wasn’t Brooke.

Jax came into view with the blonde from the restaurant. They were talking animatedly to each other while holding wine glasses. Sarah watched transfixed as they sipped their wine, their faces relaxed and happy.

She wished she could be the one Jax was with tonight.

And yet, an impending sense of evil filled her. She knew that something awful was going to happen, but she didn’t know what.

Then, the lights had gone out as the two left the living room. Sarah leaned against the concrete fountain for several minutes wondering if the two were fucking. She remained out there in the dark, lonely as ever, waiting to see if the couple would emerge soon.

They didn’t.

In fact, Sarah stayed out there until daybreak, but she didn’t see or hear anything more. Her eyes felt heavy as she blinked several times trying to escape the desperate call of sleep. She must’ve lost the battle as several minutes later she awoke to soft rain falling down upon her.

Sarah got to her feet and dashed off through the woods.

As she jumped into her car, she caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her long hair was matted and tangled. Her cheeks were streaked with muddy streams from her mascara.

Was this what she’d become?

How long was she going to have to follow Jax? Until her job was complete?

However long it takes, the voices replied. You must watch him. It’s more than just your job….

It’s your destiny.

“My destiny,” she repeated softly.

For now, she continued the long drive back to her own house.

* * *

As he sat in Jessica’s plush office, he looked around biting his lip. This whole meeting was making him very nervous for some reason. He bounced his leg as he waited for Jessica to return to the office.

“Sorry about that, Jax. My manager needed to speak with me a moment. Now, let’s talk about you.” She smiled at him as she sat down behind her desk.

Jax managed a half smile as he watched her shuffle some papers.

“What’s this about, Jessica?” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The office was surprisingly chilly and he shivered.

“I know. It’s freezing in here. I keep this sweater just for that. I’ve tried to talk to the maintenance guys, but they won’t do shit to fix it. They claim they have to keep it a ‘reasonable’ temperature. 60 degrees isn’t reasonable in my book.” Jessica chuckled.

“Now, about you, Jax. Kristi called me expressing her concerns over your latest draft. Now, I know it’s unfinished, but after I read it I’m afraid I have to agree with her.” Jessica tucked a piece of her long hair behind her ear.

Jax peered at the papers Jessica held in front of her. It was from the last three chapters he’d written.

“I’m not following you. What exactly is concerning to you?”

“Your work. You’re supposed to be writing an erotic thriller. This isn’t a thriller…it’s---“

Jax felt anger building within him.

“It’s what?”

Jessica swallowed hard. She felt herself tense at the flicker of rage in Jax’s eyes.

“It’s not a thriller, Jax. It’s more like a horror….the way that your antagonist---“

“----Sabrina.” Jax filled in.

“Sabrina. The way Sabrina stabs his maid…it’s sick. It’s reading more like a Stephen King novel.”

Jax looked at her puzzled.

“And what’s wrong with that? King is a fucking master. I should be so lucky to write as well as he does.”

Jessica shook her head.

“I’m just afraid your readers will recoil. Women who read romance don’t generally like graphic horror.”

Jax shrugged.

“Some do. Brooke does.”

Jessica nodded.

“You’re right. I’m sure some do, but most don’t. This is your career, Jax that I’m trying to improve. You came to me to do a job, so that’s what I’m doing.” Jessica folded her arms on the desk.

“My career, Jessica. Not yours.” He said softly.

“Look, it wasn’t my intention to invite you here to argue. I’m not saying this is bad work. It’s actually very good, but you need to remember your audience. Your fans expect a certain amount of ‘heated romance’ in your work. So far, I’m not seeing that.”

He gulped knowing that she was right. Despite getting back together with Brooke, he hadn’t been feeling particularly romantic lately. In fact, he’d been filled with rage.

And dark, ominous feelings.

Sensing Jax’s discomfort, Jessica tried changing the subject.

“So, how are things going with Sarah? Those pictures you sent me—wow! I can’t believe she’d do that.” Jessica grimaced.

“It was definitely creepy. It looked like she’d sacrificed a chicken in there. I still haven’t been able to get that out of my mind.”

“Maybe that’s where the inspiration for this scene came from?” Jessica pointed to paragraph on his manuscript.

Leaning forward, Jax scanned his own words and nodded.

“Yes, I did a lot of writing after finding that. Have you seen Sarah lately, Jessica?”

Jessica paused as she shuffled some papers on her desk.

“No, I haven’t. I was going to call her into a meeting on Monday. I leaked the blood and feathers photos out on social media. We’re getting a whirlwind of publicity on this. I think she can start scaling back a bit.”

“So no more dates?” Jax sighed with relief. Brooke had had such a hard time with that.

“Mmm, not quite yet. Maybe a few more.”

“What do the numbers look like?”

Jessica turned to her monitor and typed on the keyboard for a moment.

“Damn. They look awesome. Look at this.” Jessica spun the screen so that he could see.

“That’s amazing. I have that many pre-orders? I’ve never had that many before!”

Jessica beamed.

“Yes, and that’s just on the ‘Zon. I know we’ve had thousands of orders from other distributers.”

“Wow.” Jax sat back in his chair impressed.

“That’s why you pay me the big money, Jax.”

Jax rolled his eyes. He shuddered whenever he thought of the huge check he’d had to write her.

Judging from the sales figures, she’d been worth every penny.

“Speaking of dates, I have another one for you tonight.” Jessica handed him a card.

“Ugh.”

Jessica laughed.

“You are the only client I’ve ever had that complained about having to go out with a beautiful woman! Is it that bad?”

He smiled and shook his head.

“Not at all. It’s just my girlfriend is giving me a hard time about it. And Sarah….”

“Sarah what?”

He threw his hands in the air.

“She’s always there. I know it’s what she’s supposed to do, but….it gets to be too much sometimes. She really freaks me out, Jessica.” There he’d gone and said it aloud.

“That’s her job. I must admit, though, she’s taken it further than I ever thought she would. I plan on calling her today to schedule a meeting. I will talk to her then about scaling it back. The blood and feathers were overkill, no pun intended. Nevertheless, great publicity though.”

Jax nodded standing up. His legs ached whenever he sat for a long time.

“I’m glad we had this talk. All I need for you to do is to hang in there a little longer. Lighten up on the horror in the book though. Remember your audience.”

Jax stuffed his arms into his jacket nodding.

“But I told you Disturbed was to be more of a thriller novel. I’m trying to break away a bit from so much romance.”

“And that’s fine. I think Disturbed will be a great transition book for you, but it needs to be gradual. I just want you to be successful, so does Kristi. Write what you want, but manage to throw some dirty scenes in it. The ladies long for that. Your characters are the ultimate book boyfriends. That’s what they want.” Jessica smiled at him as she moved towards the door.

Looking at her lovely legs, Jax smiled. Of course, she was right. She’d done this many times before and made mid-level authors explode to the top of the charts. He was lucky she’d taken him on as a client.

“I’ll be bringing Sarah in next week. We’ll keep an eye on her and the numbers. Call that number on the card and go out with her tonight. Tell your girlfriend this is almost over.” Jessica pulled the door open for him.

“I will.”

“And Jax, one more thing.”

“What?”

“Keep writing!”

* * *

A few hours later, Jax was sitting at his favorite coffee shop sipping a cup of the city’s finest brew. He picked up his phone to peruse the news.

The headline jumped out at him.

Local Model Missing.

Brianna Jaynes, a local glamour model hasn’t been seen since last Monday according to her family and friends.

“I’ve tried reaching her on social media and I haven’t been able to.” Her mother told Fox TV anchor, Lisa Bailey.

“None of her accounts have been active since then.”

Several family and friends have also reported that the beautiful young woman has remained unable to be reached.

Anyone with any information should call the local police department.

The picture flashed across the screen making him suck in his breath. It was the same girl he’d been with last week. Suddenly, he was overcome with a strong feeling of nausea.

My God, it couldn’t be!

Sarah?

Jax pushed the revolting thought of his head and finished his coffee. Immediately, he texted Jessica.

This is probably just a coincidence, but check this out.

He forwarded the article to Jessica.

His phone rang immediately.

“What the hell is this, Jax? Isn’t that the model I sent you out with last week?”

“Yes, it is.”

Jessica went silent.

“What are you implying with this? Sarah?”

Jax gulped.

“Yes, Sarah.”

“You think Sarah had something to do with this? Why?”

“I don’t know. She saw me with her. She confronted her in the restroom.”

“What? You never told me that! She wasn’t supposed to do that. What did she say?”

Jax thought a moment. He struggled to recall what the girl had told him.

“Something about a weird question. Sarah asked her what was behind the pyramid. It was very odd. I recall she was quite shaken by the conversation.”

“Okay, that’s it. I’m calling her and telling her to come in to see me tomorrow. This is getting very strange. Perhaps this job is going to her head.” Jessica swallowed her anxiety.

“I thought you knew Sarah well.”

“I do. This is just beyond anything I expected. And now the girl is missing. That’s just too much. I need to talk to her before this gets out of hand.”

“I just have a weird feeling about it, Jessica. I don’t know if she had anything to do with it. It’s just…I don’t know how to describe it…unsettling I guess.”

“Jax, I’ve known Sarah for years. This just doesn’t sound like something she would do. Is there a chance you’re reading her wrong? For her to be this crazy over a guy who’s just a job to her….it’s not like her at all.”

“All I’m saying is what I’ve seen. She follows me everywhere even at night. She was at my house last night---“

“---last night? Are you serious?”

“She watched me and Brooke fucking.”

“Whoa. Now that’s out of line. That wasn’t part of the agreement at all. This wasn’t supposed to extend past the strict orders I’d given her. She seems to be taking this too seriously. Is there something deeper that went on between you two?”

Jax hesitated before replying. He knew he shouldn’t have fucked Sarah that first night and he was certain that Jessica wouldn’t have approved.

“Yes, Jessica. The first night she came here….we.”

“Oh God, you didn’t? You slept with her?”

“There really wasn’t much sleeping going on, Jessica.”

“Oh, shit, Jax. That was really stupid of you. Why did you do that?”

He laughed.

“Why do you think, Jessica? Beautiful girl, stormy night. You figure it out.”

“Well, not much we can do about it now. Point is, the girl has gone too far. It needs to stop.”

“Right.”

“I’ll talk to her tomorrow and let you know.”

“What about the date for tonight?”

“Cancel it. Stay in tonight with Brooke. I’m sure that will make you both very happy.”

“Yes, it will.”

“And Jax?”

“Yes?”

“Let me know if she’s at your house again tonight.”

“Will do.”

Jax clicked the phone off and left the café. Wherever the model was, he hoped she was safe.

And he prayed, it had nothing to do with Sarah.

* * *

Fuming, Jessica angrily punched in Sarah’s number on her phone. How could Jax have been so stupid? Typical horny guy, she thought tossing her pen down on her desk. Sarah’s phone was going directly to voicemail.

Jessica left a strongly worded voicemail for Sarah.

Shit, how could her plan have gone so wrong? But had it really? Jax had more pre-orders on his next book than any author she’d ever seen. He was certain to hit the #1 spot on the NYT or at least within the top 5.

Still, with that missing model, what if Sarah had had something to do with that? The very thought made her stomach twist violently.

It just didn’t make sense to her. How could Sarah do something like that? Jessica had known her since she’d come to work at Meridian International. She had always been a competent and trusted worker. Her work as an editor was exceptional. There was nothing to really worry about.

Or was there?

Jessica texted Sarah a quick message.

Hey, just need to see you Monday morning for a quick meeting. Please confirm you’ve received this message.

A few moments later, Sarah replied.

Sure. I’ll be there. What time?

Jessica flipped through her calendar for a moment. Shit. She was booked solid all day Monday. But this couldn’t wait.

I’m booked Monday. What about after work? 7 pm?

Sarah replied:

8 PM works better for me.

Jessica typed back.

Fine.

Jessica brushed off her feelings of concern. This was likely a huge misunderstanding. Sarah had never given her a reason to worry.

Why would she now?

* * *

Across town, Sarah slammed her fist onto the table. What the hell was she going to do now? Jessica had just asked her to come in for a meeting. Fuck, she was probably going to get fired.

Walking over to the cabinet, Sarah grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff vodka. She poured herself a shot glass and downed it quickly. The fiery liquor burned her throat, but she shrugged it off.

Clicking on her phone, she wanted to read Jessica’s words to her. Instead of hitting the message button, she accidentally hit the Facebook button.

Local Model Missing

Local Glamour Model, Brianna Jaynes has not been seen or heard from since last Monday when she was out on a date with renowned romance author, Jax Paulson.

Sarah’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had been right! Looking at the picture, Brianna was the girl Jax had taken back to his house. The one she’d waited all night to see reappear.

But she never had.

Clutching her phone, Sarah dropped to the floor sinking into the lush carpet. She poured over the article and then looked Brianna up on Facebook.

Yes, she’d been the one all right. Sarah would never forget her long honey blonde hair that spilled down her back and the dimples in her cheeks. Butterflies were jumping around her stomach as she stared at her picture.

Suddenly, a sharp chill went up her spine. She remembered!

That night, oh God, that night. She’d come home in a daze from being up all night watching Jax’s house. She’d driven home half asleep with her jeans soaked from mud, bloody scratches on her hands.

When she got home, she noticed a slight bruising around her right eye and she had dried blood crusted beneath her fingernails. What had happened? She couldn’t recall and had finally pushed it out of her mind.

Seeing the beautiful model missing made her rethink the entire night.

Jax was evil, the voices raged at her continuously.

But why was she the one with blood underneath her nails?

Try as she might, she couldn’t remember everything that had happened that night.

Did she really want to?

Pushing the frightening thoughts from her mind, she focused on her meeting tomorrow with Jessica. She knew it wouldn’t bode well for her, but what to do?

Sarah threw back another shot of the vodka wincing at the burning sensation it caused in her throat.