Gabriel's POVThe newspaper was strewn out on the table before me as I sipped my morning coffee. My glasses sat at the base of my nose. Nothing very exciting. Seemed to be a dry season within stories. Perhaps that was a good thing to some people, but in the world of investigative journaling, it meant missing out on a good paycheck. My phone was always on the table next to me, face up, just in case one of my contacts sent me a tip. My wife, Lucy, and I were freelancers. New to the game, waiting for one big story to come tumbling into our laps.I graduated a few years before her before getting eaten alive at a newspaper press. I wanted to find my own stories. Write what I wanted to write, but all they used me for was getting coffee and lunch. For two years. They never assigned me anything. Always the person next to me.Lucy was the one that told me to leave. Said we'd find our own stories. And we did—a few here and there, but nothing big enough to get our names out there. But we w

Gabriel's POVWe dropped our luggage off at the bed and breakfast I booked, and the host was more than accommodating when she took it off our hands and told us to enjoy the small town. Lucy wanted to stop by the fishmonger. I wasn't sure why she wanted to stop there considering how much she hated fish, but then I saw an older teary-eyed woman handling the fish. A picture of her and a man hanging on the cluttered walls. James and Patricia. Fishmonger has been open since 1932. But the photos on the walls, I'd say James took over after his father, who inherited it from his father. A family endeavor like everything in this town seemed.Patricia apologized, saying that they didn't have anything fresh today. Lucy took point. Her empathetic nature made her perfect for handling situations with gentle hands. Yes, she was always full of energy, but she was also the sweetest woman I'd ever met. From the moment I met her, I knew she was the one for me. I observed, and she absorbed.

Gabriel's POVI didn't like how Vivianna looked at Lucy. Like Lucy was a sweet dessert to cap off a satisfying meal. The entire time I had to resist pulling my wife over my lap to make a point. I noticed how Lucy's cheeks flushed, her body tightening at the attention. The confusion muddled her mossy eyes like she didn't understand why she was reacting so strongly to the Countess.I did.The French called it l'appel du vide, or "call of the void." The urge to jump when you're standing on a ledge. Darkness allures. Gazing into the abyss, even though you know you shouldn't, it calls you to let go and let the black engulf you.The Countess was all darkness. I could feel it. I recognized the pull. It might as well come with a big red DANGER sign. Regardless of that, she still enticed me.Oozing raw sex appeal. Lips painted red. Legs that went on for miles clad in leather pants. Long black hair and a bustier accentuated her generous tits. Guilt churned in my stomach as I looked ove

Lucy's POVI promised Gabriel I'd be back at the castle before dark, but with a journal full of interviews. Notes of my afternoon. I thought he'd be pleased to see all the secrets I've unearthed. I hoped his day was as fruitful.The threads were starting to come together, forming an intricate knot. Connections in every form. Apparently, the families of the missing men have lived in this town for centuries. Helped build the foundation the town sat on. Originally Hungarian citizens fled with their daughters to escape Elizabeth Bathory's reign of terror in the late 1500s.Oddly enough, the castle was here longer. Built by unknown hands nearly a thousand years ago. Perhaps Vivianna knew the origins of the castle, assuming her lineage stemmed from it. It sat on miles and miles of unexplored caves. But even when I brought up Vivianna's name, the locals seemed clipped, almost afraid of saying anything in vain. Like there would be dire consequences if anyone spoke against her.Think

Lucy's POVWhen I woke up the next morning, Gabriel was already awake, unsticking the still-wet pages of my journal. I hoped my work wasn't destroyed from falling into that fountain last night. I still couldn't grasp what happened. Or what happened after.I pulled the covers over my face, blushing beet red. The rest of the night was awkward. I didn't expect to like being watched. I've never been much into exhibitionism, but now, I was second-guessing everything. It was the best sex of my life. Having a third person there…changed everything. I peeked back over the blanket, wondering if Gabe was as conflicted as I was. He couldn't deny that he got off on it too. I could feel it in how hard he fucked me as if trying to stake a claim in front of Vivianna. How he overtly disobeyed her, but he liked how she demeaned him just as much as I liked the praise.His back was to me, the thick muscles bulging ever so often. He had a mug of coffee next to him, wearing nothing but a pair o