5

I didn't think much about death after moving in with Jade and Saffron. Not only was I still among the living, but my life was also now filled with many pleasures, both material and of the flesh.

Perhaps I was living in sin with such things, but I did not care. I had already come to terms with the fact that I was hell bound once I died, so doing as I pleased on this plain of existence certainly would not make any difference in my afterlife.

I gave myself to Jade fairly quickly after leaving the hospital, doing things that I'd never done with Leo before. I'd dare say that Leo starved me when it came to physical pleasures, but Jade offered some of the most intense, so much so that I was always left begging for more until I could no longer remain conscious.

It was the same with Saffron. By the time a month had gone by, I'd allowed both of them to bed me as often as they wanted to, with no second thoughts about doing such. When Jade wasn't able to be around, Saffron became the one I turned to, and at times I even had both at once. Suffice to say, mine had become a life of both comfort and sinful pleasure unlike anything I could've dreamed before.

But as the summer waned and the cool fall weather set in, the reality of what I'd come into settled around me again. The catalyst for this came in an official letter to me from the lawyer that was handling all of the details of Leo's estate after his death.

The case was being settled for me, considering that I was his widow and had been in the hospital when his death occurred. My settlement was a good amount of money, but I really wasn't worried about that. Living with those two, I was perfectly comfortable in the financial standing of things. I didn't know where all of the money came from, and I didn't dare ask. All I knew was that I didn't have to work and had nothing to worry about.

Still, when I received that letter, I came to the realization that it was something I'd somehow been avoiding. To allow myself to continue moving forward, I needed to face what was done. For that, I made the decision to visit Leo's grave for the first and only time.

I'd avoided his funeral by still recovering in the hospital, which I confess that I didn't care about one bit. It was enough for me to know that he'd now be rotting in the earth. Maybe it looked like disrespect to others for me not to visit his grave when I got out, but honestly, I had never given it much thought before then. I was too busy enjoying what my life had now become.

So, it was on that cool September day that I stood in front of his gravestone and relished what had been done. That engraved name and those dates were the full proof that he was indeed dead and gone. I felt a sense of righteousness with that. He was in that grave instead of me. I'd gotten my vengeance for all of the awful things that he'd to me.

"Murder can be quite justified at times, don't you agree?" Jade commented as he stood with me.

Saffron stood on my other side, looking down at the gravestone with a bit of distaste.

"You would speak as the murderer, wouldn't you?" I said quietly.

"There's no regrets in some deaths, especially not for one would prey on the weak." Saffron reminded me.

"Sometimes blood staining the hands shouldn't matter." Jade added.

I sighed, kneeling to touch the stone. It was cold under my fingers, reminding me of this man's soul before he died.

"Is that woman still in the hospital?"

"You mean Lacy Manson? From what I've been hearing, they have released her, but she's still not within her right state of mind." Saffron answered.

"Lacy Manson? Is that her name?" I noted thoughtfully.

Jade huffed, "What a weak-willed woman. Begging for her own life as she watched another die."

"No one ever said that humans were completely loyal creatures, especially when they engage in affairs that they shouldn't have." I informed him.

I looked closer at the stone as I continued running my fingers over it, the satisfaction rising within me.

You're getting what you deserved, I thought. Now you're rotting in Hell too.

"We should probably get going before the rain sets in. It's coming very soon." Saffron spoke up.

I noticed that Jade was looking over towards the parking lot now. He appeared very interested in a car that had parked near ours.

"I believe that we're about to have company." he stated as he helped me stand.

I watched as a woman climbed out of the car. She wore a black dress and had some flowers in her hands. It took me a moment to place her as the woman I'd seen Leo with before. She must have been Lacy Manson.

My blood boiled slightly at the sight of her. It brought back so many bad memories. But I pushed them aside. She was broken now. She'd witnessed Leo die right in front of her. She'd suffer for the rest of her life because of that, and that was enough for me.

I looked over at Jade, "Let's go." I ordered, being sure to keep my voice quiet.

But as we walked past her to the car, Lacy stopped dead in her tracks.

"You... came here?" I heard her say.

I stopped, knowing that I couldn't just walk away. My anger towards her wouldn't allow me to do so.

"Of course I did. I came when I could. He was my husband."

Lacy stood a few feet from us, staring at me as I turned to face her. She seemed to be trying to place Saffron and Jade too, who were standing slightly behind me. I didn't have to look to picture the smug smile on Jade's face. He was probably waiting for her reaction to them.

"Yes. He was. But we all know what really happened that night." she finally said.

"You mean the fact that he pushed me off of that balcony, or you believing that I jumped? I'm sure that you believed everything that he told you." I scoffed.

Lacy scowled at me, "You were crazy, and we all knew it; and we know that you had something to do with how he died."

"Not at all. I was in the hospital, still in ICU. Besides, from what I've heard, you went a little crazy yourself when you saw him killed."

"I know what I saw and felt! Something attacked him that we couldn't see, and it held me down and violated me!" Lacy protested.

Jade put an arm around me, "If you're quite done, we must be going now. After all, we can't have her catching a cold out here." he told her.

Lacy just stared at him. I looked up at Saffron as he moved beside me as well and held me close.

"Who are you?" she whispered, now sounding frightened.

"Let's just say that we're her family now. So please, don't keep spreading such terrible things. It would not be in your benefit." Jade responded.

I didn't mistake the threat. Jade was covering his bases with this. He knew there was a chance that Lacy may guess the truth and he wasn't about to let her jeopardize me.

Lacy stood there in shock. Saffron began to lead me away.

"There's no reason for us to stay and continue such an unpleasant conversation." he said quietly.

I agreed and slipped into the car. Jade got into the driver's seat while Saffron sat near me. I couldn't help glancing back as we pulled out. Lacy was still watching us, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Could she have suspected the truth?

It didn't take us long to get home, and things seemed to go as they always did, though I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened out there. It lingered in the back of my mind for the rest of the day.

I was thinking about how Leo died too, running it all through my mind as I laid back in the bed that night.

I'd heard the details from my grandmother that afternoon when she'd told me of his death. What Lacy had said to me was the same thing she'd told the investigating officers; something invisible had attacked her and Leo, beating him horribly while it held her down and violated her.

I had thought about asking Saffron if he'd been the one who had attacked Lacy that night, yet I feared knowing the full truth. Did I truly wish to face what had been done on my own orders? Even though I had no regrets over ordering Leo's death, I hadn't anticipated the attack on her, and as a woman, I felt at least a tiny bit of sympathy.

I glanced at the door again, wondering where Jade was. I'd noticed that he was gone after I'd gotten cleaned up. Saffron was already in his room, and I didn't feel like disturbing him, so I'd just gone to my own and tried to relax.

But looking at the clock, I realized that it was well past midnight now. It wasn't like Jade to be out so late without at least warning me beforehand.

I got up, exiting the room and making my way to the kitchen, where I stood in front of the patio doors and looked out at the shimmering pool near the house.

"What to do, what to do?" I sang to myself softly.

My mind was still mulling over the issue of Lacy. If she even remotely figured this out, it could bring me undo issues. My grandmother may believe her and try to do something against me. I didn't know what she could do, but there was always the possibility that she'd come up with a way to make me pay for my sins.

But I couldn't ask Jade or Saffron to do something about them. My vengeance had always been against Leo. Did I really have it in me to make them harm others, even if it would save me again?

A hand on my shoulder made me jump. I spun around to find Jade there, regarding me with some amusement.

"Did I frighten you?"

"You scared the hell out of me! Where did you come from all at once?" I demanded.

"You know me. I can slither just about anywhere." Jade gloated. I noticed the strange look in his eyes though. It felt like he'd been up to something more.

"Where did you go? It's almost one a.m." I continued.

"I was checking on something, but it is really of no concern right now. It is rather late as well, so let us rest now." he responded, guiding me back to our room.

I confess that I really didn't like it when he avoided subjects like this, but I wasn't sure of what to say to it. I refused to let it go though.

"What were you checking on?" I asked as we laid down.

Jade looked at me with amused eyes, "You're that worried about it?"

"No. I just want to know."

He turned to me completely, "You shouldn't worry too much. I was just making sure that things would be all right for you. For that, I did a little checking on your friend from the cemetery."

"You checked on that woman? Are you really that concerned about what she could do?"

"Not at all. But I thought that I'd check anyway, simply for your peace of mind."

"Very well, then tell me, what were you checking on with her?" I asked as I snuggled against him.

This was becoming a bad habit now. I knew I trusted him and Saffron far more then I should have. But perhaps in this life it was for the best. After all, they were still bound to my contract.

"It's nothing to worry about, so we need not speak of it anymore." Jade answered, turning me onto my back and kissing me.

As with every night now, the conversation of such things was swiftly ended by his making love to me. I easily fell into it, allowing my mind to forget about all of the issues that could come in the future. Having this was enough for now.

Lying there afterwards with my mind falling into unconsciousness, I resigned myself to let things be. Nothing could change what was done now, nor did I wish for it to be.