Scarlett had gotten off early from the diner she worked at as a waitress. She was glad to get off work early to surprise her husband. Things had not been good between them for a while now. Rick had lost his job a year ago and had started drinking again. Drinking wasn’t the only habit that had come back. Three years earlier he had been abusive. He had been so abusive Scarlett had miscarried in her fifth month. She didn’t tell anyone the truth, but was ready to leave him when he promised to quit.

Rick had been true to his word until he lost his job. It started out slowly, a squeeze of the arm, a pull of the hair. Then it grew from a smack to a punch. Like most woman, she stayed because she thought she loved him and that he would change. Four months ago, Scarlett came home late from work, so dinner was late. That earned her a punch in the stomach. That was when she learned she had been pregnant for the second time. She started to hate him then, but was scared to leave him.

She pulled into the driveway, and looked in the rear view mirror to make sure her short brown hair was still in place. That’s when she noticed that all the lights were off. She thought it was odd, because Rick’s truck was in the driveway. Scarlett walked quietly into the house for fear of waking him if he was napping. She put her purse on the table, and heard a noise coming from the bedroom. She knew those sounds, and knew she should walk out of the house. Scarlett couldn’t stop her feet from walking towards the bedroom.

‘Oh God, please don’t be what I think it is. I don’t want to see this,’ Scarlett thought, but still she kept going. The noises grew louder as she opened the door. It was exactly what she knew it would be. Rick was in bed with their neighbor. The neighbor was on top of him, and they were too busy enjoying themselves to notice her.

Seven years of her life had been spent taking care of this man. She was seventeen years old when they started dating, so she had never loved anyone else. ‘I have made so many excuses for this man. I’ve had countless black eyes and broken bones. I’ve lost job after job. But worse than any of that are the two children I’ve lost because of this son of a bitch,’ Scarlett thought while she stood there watching them have sex.

Something finally snapped. She crossed the room without speaking, grabbed the woman by her hair, and pulled her off Rick.

“Get off my husband, you whore!” Scarlett screamed.

The woman hit the floor and backed quickly away from Scarlett. Scarlett wasn’t interested in the woman though. She jumped on Rick and started punching him.

“You son of a bitch!” She yelled.

It took Rick a moment to get over his initial shock. Then he used his size and strength to throw the much smaller woman off him. Scarlett slammed into the dresser and fell to the floor. It hurt, but her adrenaline had taken over. Standing up, she grabbed a bottle of perfume, and threw it at Rick. He screamed in a mixture of anger and pain as it hit him in the face.

“I will fucking kill you,” he said, and charged her.

Rick backhanded her across the face, but she didn’t go down. She was vaguely aware that her neighbor had grabbed her clothes and was sneaking out the room.

“How could you do this to me? I loved you,” she cried, wiping the blood off her mouth.

Her answer was a punch in the face, and this time she went down. She tried crawling away, but she could barely see; the pain in her head was so bad.

“I hate you,” She managed to croak out.

“Fuck you,” Rick said, and kicked her in the ribs. He kicked her again, and the snapping of her ribs was loud.

She screamed out in pain.

Rick pulled her up by her hair so she could look at him, “Do you have anything to say now?”

Without a word, she spit blood in his face.

He roared and threw her away from him.

“You want to fuck with me? Get up you bitch,” Rick snapped.

Scarlett’s fingers touched something cold, and she let her fingers close over the scissors. She tried to sit up by herself, but the pain in her ribs made her almost throw up.

Rick bent down and pulled her up by her hair. She used the force of him pulling her to swing her arm around. She caught him in the neck with the scissors. Warm blood flowed over her fingers and down her arm. He howled in pain, dropping her to the floor. There was a strange sound coming out of him. It was a mixture of a growl and boiling water.

Rick dropped to his knees in front of her. His eyes were large with the shock of what she had done. He raised a large hand towards her and his fingers brushed across her nose. He wobbled forward, and fell.

Scarlet somehow made it to her feet, and out the front door. Her legs felt like Jell-O and she was shaking. She made it to her car, and leaned against the door pressing her face to the cold metal. She heard the sound of crunching gravel and screamed. It was Rick, somehow he had managed to get up, and she knew he was going to kill her.

She was having trouble breathing because of the broken ribs, but knew if she didn’t move she would die. She made it to the middle of the road before he caught her by her shirt. Rick pulled her towards him and wrapped his hands around her throat. She punched at him, and kicked at him, but nothing worked. Everything was growing dark around the edges. Scarlett went for his eyes, but her arms were not quite long enough.

That is when she saw the scissors still sticking out of his neck. She quickly pulled them out and slashed at his face. He let her go and howled in pain. Blood flowed out of his neck. Scarlet knocked him down, climbed on top of him, and stabbed him again, and again. Adrenaline was an amazing thing.

She vaguely became aware that he was no longer blocking her. There are only so many times you can stab someone before your energy just gives out. Scarlett was covered in blood; she had stabbed him so many times that even she didn’t recognize him.

Scarlett’s stomach rolled and she knew she was going to throw up. She slid off Rick onto her hands and knees trying to catch her breath. After a few minutes the nausea eased up, and the adrenaline ran out.

“Please, someone help me. Please. Help me. Oh God, please let him be dead. Help me,” she was mumbling over and over again. Her muscles finally gave out and she collapsed at the crossroads in a puddle of warm blood.

“Oh my, you are a mess.”

Scarlett looked up when she heard the man’s soothing voice. She followed the long line of his lean body. He was roughly 6’3, but it was hard to be sure lying on the ground. She made it to his face, and for a brief moment she thought it was actually a woman standing in front of her. Then he spoke again, and she was sure it was a man.

“Scarlett, do you want my help?” The man asked.

“Yes,” she sobbed.

“Scarlett, do you need my help?” The man asked. His voice was growing softer, smoother somehow.

“Yes,” she said louder, “please, please help me.”

“Will you do whatever I ask?”

That question seemed to be very significant, but the way she felt she would do anything this strange man asked.

“Yes,” she said softly.

The man knelt down beside her, carefully avoiding the blood. That was not an easy thing to do considering the amount around her.

“Give me your hand, Scarlett,” he said, and extended one long pale hand.

She reached for his hand and laid her bloody hand in his.

“I am going to make all of this go away. Do you want me to make this go away, Scarlett?”

“Yes, please help me,” she sighed, before she felt him tug on her arm and everything went blank.

She awoke on her couch in her own shabby little house. ‘Oh my God, what a crazy dream,’ she thought sitting up. She stretched and yawned. That’s when she saw him sitting in the chair by the door. He was slouched down in the seat with his long slender legs stretched out in front of him. His fingers were laced and lying on his stomach.

“Oh God, who are you?” Scarlett said, and jumped to her feet. She backed away from him until she was pressed to the wall.

The man smiled lazily at her, “I am the one you called to save you.”

“Save me? How can you save me?” She was confused about what was going on. There was something gnawing at her that she knew she should remember.

“Scarlett, I already saved you. Are you still hurting? How are your ribs? And the blood Scarlett, where did all the blood go?” His voice was very soft.

It was like a door opened, and everything came crashing down on her at once. None of it was a dream. ‘Oh my God, I killed him, I killed Rick,’ she thought. Her breath came out in a rush and she felt her legs go out. She was left sitting on the floor trying to breathe.

The chair squeaked when the man stood up. She lifted her head and watched him walk gracefully towards her. He was dressed in a navy suit with a light grey shirt underneath. He had no tie on and the shirt was open enough to get a glimpse of his pale bare chest. He walked with the ease of a leopard she had seen in the zoo, graceful, but full of contained energy, and danger.

Scarlett sat up on her knees so she could look at his face. The man got on his knees in front of Scarlett so their knees were touching. This close to his face Scarlett couldn’t believe just how beautiful he was. His straight hair was long and platinum blonde, hanging several inches past his shoulders. His cheekbones were high and his nose was petite. The man’s lips were full and lush. ‘Was lush the right word to describe a man’s lips?’ She thought? No, not normally, but his were. His face was feminine enough to have even made a beautiful woman.

She reached out towards him and started to touch his face, but stopped when her fingers touched his baby soft hair. She blushed, “I’m sorry.”

‘What is wrong with me?’ She thought.

He laughed softly, “It is okay, Scarlett, you can touch me.”

She couldn’t help herself, she had to touch him. Slowly, she brought her hand back up and let her fingers brush against his forehead pushing his hair back some. With both her hands she brushed his hair completely away from his face so she could see his eyes clearly. They were greyish blue. They made her think of a storm on the ocean she had been caught in with her father when she was a child. She could look at them forever.

“Who are you?” Even to her own ears, her voice was soft and weak.

He took her hands off his face, but he didn’t let them go, “My name is Beli, and I have done what you asked. Well, mostly. I need your permission to finish the rest.”

“I don’t understand.”

He smiled at her as if she were a small child. “Scarlett, are you still hurt? Are you still covered in blood? Do you honestly believe that your husband’s dead body is still lying in the middle of the road, or that your whore of a neighbor is still in her home?”

She sat up a little straighter. She hadn’t been aware she was leaning towards him. She pulled her hands slowly out of Beli’s hands and started assessing her injuries. Scarlett started with her face; there was no pain where her fingers touched. Her lip was not swollen, swallowing didn’t hurt, and when she took a deep breath, she realized that that didn’t hurt either. She ran her hands along her sides squeezing in spots.

Her breathing sped up, and she felt her heart start to race. Beli sat still with his beautiful neutral face. She stood up and ran to the front door. She ran towards the road and stopped. She was shaking all over. God, did she want to see Rick like that again? What if he wasn’t there? What if Beli was telling the truth and he had taken care of it? In a few steps she was standing in the crossroads. Rick was not there. There was no blood. There was nothing.

“Is he there?” Beli called from her porch.

“No,” she whispered.

She ran back to the house and headed for her bedroom. Rick had to be there. There is no way this was happening. She stepped in her bedroom. The bed was made, the dresser was neat. There was nothing on the floor. Everything looked normal, like nothing horrific had happened tonight. Only, it had happened. Hadn’t it?

It was hard for her to catch her breath and she suddenly felt like she was floating. She had fainted, but Beli was there to catch her. Despite his slender frame he carried her with ease, and laid her gently on the bed.

Beli sat beside her on the bed, “Scarlett, it’s all real. I have made your problem disappear. Now there are few things we need to discuss, so I need you to focus.”

“What do you mean you got rid of my problem? What have you done to my husband?” Her voice was high, and it came out in a rush.

He smiled down at her again and stood up roaming around her bedroom. She watched him pick up things and inspect them. “That is what I do; this is what I have always done. You might even say it’s my job,” He rested on her dresser, crossing his arms across his chest.

“How did you know that I needed help?” What she wanted to ask him was you’re not human are you, but she was afraid of the answer.

Beli laughed, “You called me.”

“How?” Again, she didn’t really want to hear the answer because she thought she knew.

He started walking slowly to the bed.

‘He’s stalking me,’ Scarlett thought and pulled her knees to her chest.

He sat on the bed facing her, “With a sacrifice, Scarlett. It was the rage, the pain, and the blood. So much blood and your pleading. How could I ignore your pleas?”

“I called you,” she mumbled, “oh God, I killed Rick, and I called you.”

Her brain started working. He’s a demon and demons didn’t do anything without payment. What would she have to pay?

“What is my payment to you? What if I can’t or won’t pay? Will you kill me?”

She saw something dark flash through his blue grey eyes, but his smile was gentle. “I’m glad you are staying with me. Not having to explain who or what I am will save some time. If you cannot, or will not pay, then everything will go back to the way it was when I found you. You, lying on the road, in your husband’s blood, with his badly butchered body less than a foot away.”

He paused for a moment, and then leaned a little closer, “The neighbor that was in your bed, fucking your abusive husband, will have seen what you did and called the police. She will testify that in a fit of rage you killed him. You killed him because they were having an affair. No one will come to your defense saying that he was abusive, because you have no one. Even the ladies you work with will not come forward. You will be put to death for murdering your husband.”

‘He is telling the truth. No one will believe me. My life will be ruined,’ she began crying, and shaking her head no.

Beli shrugged his shoulders and said, “On the other hand, if you wish to keep things the way they are now, your life will be free of him and that whore neighbor. You are the abandoned wife, the possibilities are endless. Their bodies could be found in any major city if you wish; victims of a carjacking. I can offer you anything. With him being murdered you could receive all the money from the million dollar life insurance policy he had taken out on himself. Or how about being a lottery winner? You would be free to do whatever you wish.”

“Doesn’t that sound wonderful, Scarlett? Anything you wish. No more fear, and no more hurt,” his voice had grown soft and a little excited.

She was shaking her head yes, and sobbing hard. ‘I will finally be away from Rick without worrying that he will kill me,’ she thought.

“If I say yes, what is the payment?”

“Yes, we have come to that part at last haven’t we? It is nothing big, really. You say yes, we seal the deal, and your new life can begin.”

“What is the payment?” her voice was stronger.

“A life, the payment to me is a life. I can guarantee you absolute happiness for three years. You have already paid for three with poor dead Rick’s life. Now, at the end of the three years I will come to you, and you can decide on another three years, or we can end our agreement.”

“I will have three years of happiness because I have already killed Rick? What happens when those three years are up and I won’t take another life?”

He slowly shrugged, and spread his hands, “Well, your life’s luck returns. The wonderful luck you have now will be yours again, along with all the perks that come with it. Hell, you might even meet another man like Rick.”

“If I agree to all of this, how do we seal the deal? Do you take my soul like in the stories?”

He laughed again, “No, I am not into taking souls,” he slid a hand down her thigh, “I am into more carnal pleasures.”

She tensed, but didn’t pull away.

“You find me attractive, I know you do; I can smell your lust for me,” he ran his hand lightly up her arm. “Would it be such an awful thing to have sex with me? I can show you pleasures beyond anything you have ever known.” Beli leaned over her and brushed his lips lightly across her lips, “Just say yes, Scarlett.”

They were so close. His lips were barely touching hers, and their eyes were locked. She ran her fingers through his hair, it was so soft. He was very still letting her decide. He was right, she did want him. It didn’t make sense, but she did.

Scarlett locked her fingers in his hair, and pulled him in for a kiss. The kiss sent a shock through her whole body. She tightened her grip, and pulled him closer to her. It wasn’t close enough so she spread her knees, and slid down a little on the bed pulling him on top of her. Beli’s slender frame fit nicely between her legs.

He ran his hand up her shirt and over one of her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, and he rolled one between his fingers. A muffled cry escaped her lips.

Beli let his weight settle onto her and that placed his erection on top of her already swollen sex. Her work skirt was around her waist so there was nothing between them, but his pants and her underwear. He ground himself harder into her, making her cry out. She lifted her hips to meet him, thoroughly enjoying it. It had been so long since sex between her and Rick had been good. She hadn’t even had a self-induced orgasm in two years.

‘What am I doing I can’t have sex with him?’ she thought.

Both of his hands were up her shirt rubbing and squeezing her breasts. He pumped his hips forward again and again. Scarlett wrapped her legs around his waist and pumped her hips in rhythm to his. Her shirt was up and off her in a blink. Her need was building and when he took one of her nipples in his mouth she tightened her grip feeling herself getting closer to an orgasm.

‘I can’t do this,’ she thought. It took everything in her to loosen her hold on him. She put her hands on his chest, and pushed him back some.

“Beli, I don’t think I can do this,” her voice was strained and out of breath.

Beli was staring into her eyes and continued rubbing his erection along the front of her soaking wet panties. “Yes,” rubbing harder and faster, “you,” harder, “can.”

With that last word he pinched her nipples and she came. She pressed herself along him, moaning loudly.

While she recovered from the unexpected orgasm, Beli had stripped. She felt the head of him pressing against her opening. A whole new wave of heat rushed through her, and she lifted her hips. She wanted him inside of her.

“Say yes, Scarlett. Say you will take the deal,” he whispered.

“I am probably going to hell for this, but yes. We have a deal,” her voice was strained and defeated.

Above her, Beli smiled and slammed into her. The force slid her up the bed until her head was pushing into the headboard. He stayed there fully seated inside her. His hips started rocking, gliding himself in and out of her. The movement rubbed up against a spot that she didn’t even know existed.

Scarlett was rubbing her hands through his silky hair, down his body, and over his bottom. She loved the way he felt. His pace started quickening, and out of nowhere another orgasm hit her making her cry out and buck underneath him.

Beli pull out of her, and she was too weak to protest, “I will give you a minute to recover, but I am not done with you.”

He rolled her on her stomach and straddled her so he was sitting on her bottom. She could tell that he was still hard because it rubbed against her back. His arms were on either side of her, and he held himself in place as if he was doing a push up. Scarlett felt his hair brush along her shoulders and across her back before she felt his warm kisses. He moved down further so he was able to slide between her ass cheeks. He was rubbing up and down while kissing her back and sliding his hair all along her body. It felt like a thousand fingers touching her.

Scarlett’s skin was so sensitive it felt on fire. She couldn’t believe how excited she was again.

“It shouldn’t be possible for me to be ready to go again,” she moaned, while lifting her hips to add more pressure.

Beli chuckled, and moved lower. Still straddling her legs he slid inside her.

“Oh God,” she moaned, as he pumped inside her.

“No, this has nothing to do with God,” he growled.

He put his legs between hers and lifted her onto her knees. He was pumping into her harder and faster. Scarlett braced herself by holding onto the headboard. The speed in which he was pounding her shouldn’t have been possible. The pressure was building again and she was crying with the anticipation of what was coming.

Above her Beli howled an inhuman sound just as she exploded calling out his name. She felt his hot seed spilling in her as wave after wave racked her body. She was suddenly so tired and was unable to hold herself up any longer. Scarlett collapsed on the bed with Beli on top of her.

Before she passed out completely she felt his lips on her back and heard him say, “It is done.”

*

Scarlett woke up and stretched. Her body was sore and there was an ache between her legs, reminding her of what happened. Getting out of bed her legs were a little wobbly. She couldn’t stop the grin because that had been the best sex of her life. So great in fact she had passed out. There was a quiver between her legs and she grew wet thinking about it.

She looked around her room, and she wondered how her life was going to change. Everything looked the same, but there were subtle differences. There was no sign that a man lived in this room. None of Rick’s things were on the dresser. No belt, no keys, none of the loose change he always kept in the bowl. Even his deodorant and hairbrush were gone. That also meant no more dirty socks or underwear laying all around waiting for her to pick up. She went into the bathroom and his razor and shaving cream were gone.

She walked into the kitchen and stuck to her refrigerator with one of her fruit magnets, was a lottery ticket. She thought it was odd because they never played the lottery. Then she remembered what Beli said, and grabbed the newspaper to check the numbers. Scarlett’s heart was pounding out of her chest with excitement as first one number, and then another matched. She had just won three hundred twenty-four million dollars! With a scream of excitement Scarlett’s life propelled forward and she never looked back.

*

Three years later, Scarlett had everything she always wanted. She had a beautiful house, a sexy boyfriend, and no worries. Except for one. She knew her time was running out. She would either start giving up her perfect little life, or find someone to sacrifice. She wasn’t sure she could sacrifice someone willingly. Rick had been in the heat of the moment, but to bring someone to the crossroads was something else entirely. There was that one maid that always looked at Simon a little too long.

Wait, what was she thinking? It was a human life, and besides there was nothing going on between Rhonda and Simon. She looked around her room. “I don’t want to get rid of my things. I have grown used to this lifestyle. It’s not fair to expect me get rid of my things,” Scarlett said, walking around her room.

“And no one is telling you to get rid of your things, Scarlett.”

The voice was smooth, and sent shivers through her body. She knew that voice, and turned to face Beli. He was lying on her bed with his arms under his head and his ankles crossed. He was the perfect picture of relaxation. He winked and grinned at her.

Warm moist heat flooded her core. Her body remembered, and was ready for him. He was even more beautiful than she’d remembered. His greyish blue eyes were just as bright and alluring. And his lips were just as full and kissable.

She was standing by the bed looking down on him without realizing she had moved. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. His grin became bigger because he knew her body was ready. She flushed knowing he knew.

“Have you missed me?” He asked.

She nodded, afraid to speak. She had missed him; she craved his touch every day.

“Then give me a kiss hello,” he said, extending his hand to her.

She took it and he pulled her onto the bed and on top of him. She settled her legs on either side of his hips and her hands on his chest. He put his hands on her cheeks and pulled her to him. The moment Beli’s mouth touched hers she moaned, and moved her hips, grinding herself on him. The kiss grew in intensity, and she ground herself faster, and harder against him.

For three years she thought about, and dreamed about the feel of him inside her. The pressure was building and she could feel an orgasm coming. She was making soft whimpering noises. Beli quickly moved and put her underneath him. He lifted his hips from her so their most intimate parts were no longer touching. She whined, and tried to wrap her legs around his waist. Beli chuckled at her and broke their kiss as well.

“No, no, no, Scarlett. No freebies. As much fun as I was having with you riding me, I cannot allow you to orgasm. That would be cheating.”

She wanted him so badly that she started to cry, “Please, I was so close.”

“I know you were, and you know what you need to do in order to feel this inside you again.” Beli said gliding his hardness along her too sensitive sex. Her head fell back and she moaned again.

“I don’t think I can,” she whimpered.

“Oh I think you can. You have thought of someone that you want to give to me haven’t you?”

Rhonda’s face popped in her mind again.

Beli chuckled, “Rhonda? Yes, she would be a good one, especially since she has been flirting with Simon. Your beautiful, beautiful Simon.”

A picture of Simon, bending Rhonda over the back of the couch, popped in her head. She shook her head to get rid of it. Her Simon wouldn’t do that to her.

“Are you sure?” Beli said getting off the bed, “Follow me, Scarlett.”

They walked quietly down the hall and soon heard muffled voices.

Scarlett listened carefully and was shocked at what she heard.

“Are we still good for tomorrow night?” Rhonda asked Simon in a hushed voice.

“Of course we are. Scarlett has her hair appointment, which means we will have at least two hours without her being here,” Simon replied.

Rhonda giggled, “Oh Simon, I can’t wait.”

Scarlett started to go in there and confront them, but Beli wrapped her in his arms and took her back to her room.

Once back inside her room, she collapsed in the chair and put her head in her hands.

“God, why?” she cried.

“Your time is almost up my darling, it’s already starting. You need to decide and fast.”

Scarlett looked up and Beli was gone. She paced in her room for a while. She was so torn. She didn’t want to kill anyone, but the ache between her legs was so strong. She needed Beli inside her again so badly it hurt. Besides, Rhonda was going to sleep with her Simon. ‘No, not my Simon,’ she thought.

With that thought she realized what needed to be done so she could feel happy again.

Later that evening Scarlett and Simon were driving down a country road. Scarlett hadn’t been down that road in three years, and never thought she would go there again. She pulled up outside her old small home and turned the car off. She got out of the car and stood in the middle of the crossroads.

“Scarlett, honey why are we here?” Simon asked, walking towards her.

Once he was in front of her she pulled out a gun, “I will not allow you to make a fool out of me.”

Simon put his hands up, “Whoa, honey, what are you doing? Put the gun away.”

“No. I will not let you destroy me. You son of a bitch, you are sleeping with Rhonda,” she cried.

“What? No I’m not. I wouldn’t do that to you,” he said, stepping closer.

“Yes you are, I heard you,” she yelled, and aimed the gun.

Simon didn’t know what else to do, he lunged for the gun. The two of them wrestled for it. Scarlett was screaming, and fighting to keep her grip. Then the gun went off. Scarlett’s body fell to the ground.

Simon dropped the gun and collapsed to his knees beside her body.

“Oh dear God, Scarlett, what have you done? What have I done? Rhonda and I aren’t sleeping together, I was going to ask you to marry me,” Simon cried out as he hugged Scarlett’s bloody body to his chest.

“Help me, someone please, help me,” he sobbed.

“Do you want me to help you, Simon?”

Simon looked up into the face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, from her tall lithe body to her platinum blonde hair.

“Yes,” Simon managed to sob.

“Simon, do you need my help?” she asked. Her voice had grown softer.

“Yes,” he said.

“Will you do whatever I ask?”

“Yes,” he softly said.

The woman knelt down beside him and extended one long pale hand, “Give me your hand, Simon.”