chapter 22

Tatina POV

I lay next to him. I run my fingers across his chest. I want to know. I

need to know everything. I am not sure if now is the time to ask, but I

am going to ask. Being with him puts me in another state of mind. I am

becoming as obsessed with him as he seems to be with me.

I look up to him. His eyes are closed. He seems to be resting. I hate to

ruin this moment.

“Craig, I have to ask you about the auction you and Lila are involved

in?" I ask.

He opens his eyes. I can tell he is regretting this conversation.

“I will tell you everything,” he says.

“Did you torture women like me? Have you raped women? I want all of

the story. Tell me everything,” I say.

Craig sits up in the bed. “It is not a simple story,” he says.

“Tell me everything,” I say.

“We got involved. Me and Julie because Julie was unable to give me a

child,” he says.

“Julie was involved. Does Jayne know?” I ask.

Craig gets up from the bed and puts his pants on. He goes to the

minibar pours himself a drink. “Do you want one?” he asks.

I shake my head no and sit up on the bed. “No, I just want to know

what I am getting myself into,” I say.

“We found out that there are these side auctions we could buy a

woman from to have us a child. We brokered a deal. The women would

be inseminated with my sperm and have us a child. The deal was she

would live with us and after the child was born we would compensate

her greatly. But things went wrong,” he says.

Craig begins to drink.

“Take your time. I can tell this is a lot to go into,” I say.

“Tatina, I never meant to lose my wife and our child,” he says.

“I thought Julie was sick,” I say.

“Julie did become sick after. Elisa came to live with us. She was very

sweet. We basically saved her from hell. Julie treated Elisa like a child.

She cared greatly for her. There became an issue. Artificial insemination

would not take. We tried over and over. The doctor advised that I have

sex with Elisa to get her pregnant. I did not want to do it. Julie insisted.

She wanted a child as much as I did,” he says.

Craig is becoming distraught talking about what happened. I let him

alone and do not interrupt. I need all of the truth.

“I slept with Elisa. She released her light and became pregnant with my

son. Do you know about the light and how a vampire and fairy can

have a child?” he says.

“I do not know anything much about my light,” I answer.

“It is a very spiritual moment. Julie was unable to release her light to

become pregnant. Elisa was an answer for us. In the beginning, it was

great. Julie talked about helping Elisa so that we could have a big

family. BUT Elisa became obsessed with me. She started trying to push

Julie out. She started telling me how in love she was with me and how

she could give me a family. She started belittling Julie. I became

enraged with Elisa. I locked her in the basement until it was time for her

to deliver. I know it was wrong, but she was so cruel to Julie. It was

affecting her mental state. The two women were fighting. It made the

house hard to live in,” he says.

I sit quietly listening to him. I know this is hard for him. He pours

himself another drink.

“Tatina when my son was born Elisa went crazy. We offered her money

and a home away from us. We offered her everything. She wanted to

take the child away. We told her no. She made a deal with us and she

was going to honor it. We allowed her to stay while she was healing.

The plan was to move her to the new home I purchased her as soon as

she was healed from giving birth. She went crazy that night. She broke

out of the basement and murdered the baby,” Craig says.

I sit stunned in silence.

“What happened to her,” I finally ask.

Craig begins to cry. “Julie killed her. Julie became very sick after. She

couldn't handle what had happened. She retreated to her bedroom and

never came out. The entire thing killed her,” he says.

“Jayne knows nothing of this,” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No, Julie did not want her to know how we got a

baby. She was going to keep the entire process a secret. After Julie died

I was furious and I became deeply involved with these auctions. I

started auctioning off these women mostly to Draco. I guess it was

something to keep me occupied. Yes, I did horrible things after losing

my wife. I am sorry for it. I want out,” he says.

“Why did you hurt all of those women?” I ask.

“I saw Elisa in all of them. I saw how that bitch destroyed my life. Then

something changed and I wanted out. I know Lila turned me in when I

told her I wanted out and now she is back acting like everything is okay

when her plan didn't go how she thought it was going to go. I know

Glenn is here watching me. Just when I think I might be able to be

happy again,” he says.

“Why do you think you can be happy now?” I ask.

Craig sets down his drink and rushes to me. He kneels between my bare

legs and kisses my stomach.

“Because of you,” he says.

I place my hand on the back of his head. I begin softly running my

fingers through his hair. He has his head lying on my naked body. This

poor man, I do feel bad for him but it doesn’t excuse the horrible things

he has done.

“Why me?” I ask.

Craig looks up at me. “You make me want to do good again,” he says.

I want to believe him. I want to believe in him. I want to help him.

“Glenn asked me to go back to the house with you and find out if you

are still participating in the auctions,” I tell him.

“I have one woman at the house. If I don't get her ready for Draco he

will kill me. I have to handle her then I can get out. We can be

together,” he says.

I continue rubbing his head. “I will help you, but you cannot hurt her,” I

say.

“Lila is with her. She said the girl is being difficult and refusing to give

Draco what he wants,” he says.

“I will go back with you and talk to her. I will help you, but you have to

get out. Promise me this is over,” I say.

He looks up at me and nods his head. “I promise you it is over,” he says.