Alexander Death(16)

Maybe they would just kill Jenny, but maybe they would capture her and keep her locked up for testing. Ashleigh didn’t mind if Jenny was dead, but she really preferred her alive, imprisoned and suffering for a long, long time. If Jenny died, then she might reincarnate somewhere, and Ashleigh would have no idea where to find her.

Ashleigh felt the glow of victory even in her deep exhaustion. Now she was free to proceed with her own life.

They finally stopped riding at sunrise, and they checked into a “Heartache Motel” in Tupelo, Mississippi. Ashleigh supposed the motel’s name was as close as the owners could come to ripping off an Elvis song without getting sued.

Tommy led the way into the small motel room, which smelled like a hamster cage. The air conditioning unit chugged in the window, and a streak of putrid green color stained the wall and carpet underneath it. A couple of faded Elvis posters were framed on the wall.

“Nice place.” Ashleigh tossed Darcy Metcalf’s huge purse into one chair. “Reminds me of the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan.”

“I’m running low on cash,” Tommy said. “I’ll have to rob somebody soon. Unless you have any?”

Ashleigh had a PayPal debit card worth just over two hundred thousand dollars, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I’m sure you’ll come up with some money,” she told him. She took his hand and gave him her best smile. Her touch didn’t have as much effect on him as it did on most people, which made him harder to control, but he was still useful to her.

“Just have to find a place without security cameras.” Tommy flopped back on the bed, and it let out a painful rusty squeak. “Maybe some ratbag gas station.”

“Or destroy the security tape before you leave,” Ashleigh said.

“Huh. Good idea.” He rubbed his head, watching her.

Ashleigh looked at herself in the mirror. She possessed Esmeralda’s body, which was a huge step up from inhabiting Darcy Metcalf’s pregnant, farting form. Esmeralda had long, attractive legs, a decent body, a very pretty face. With some makeup and new clothes, Ashleigh could really make this work.

“Hey, Ashleigh?” Tommy said.

“Yes?” She gave him another cheerful smile.

“I was wondering if…?”

“What? Spit it out, boy.”

“I was thinking maybe I could hang out with Esmeralda for a while?”

Ashleigh wanted to scowl at him, but she kept the smile frozen on her face. “Oh, you want to talk to her?”

“Yeah. Just check on her, you know?”

“Of course.” Ashleigh lay on the bed beside him. “Do we have to do it tonight?”

“Yeah, I want to.”

Ashleigh sighed. She could feel Esmeralda at the back of her mind, bound up by the golden threads of Ashleigh’s love. She had no intention of letting the girl out again, which could give Esmeralda a chance to change her mind about letting Ashleigh’s spirit ride around inside her.

Still, she needed to pacify Tommy. She might as well do it now, while he had deep purple patches under his eyes and would probably pass out anytime.

“Okay, Tommy. Just give me a minute.” Ashleigh closed her eyes and laid her head on the pillow. She needed to sleep, too.

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and smiled. “Tommy!”

“Is that you?” Tommy cupped her chin in his hand.

“Yeah, Ashleigh’s asleep,” Ashleigh said.

“Are you okay with all of this?” Tommy asked. “Having her inside you?”

“Oh, yeah. I love Ashleigh.” She moved closer to him, so that their bellies and hips were pressed together. Then she slid her hand around the back of his neck. “And I love you, too. I missed you.”

“Me, too.” He kissed her, and she let herself enjoy it for a while. He cupped her breasts in his hands, and Ashleigh slid one hand under his shirt to feel his hard, warm stomach. Tommy was definitely hot, and she needed a little fun.

Ashleigh sat up and stripped off her shirt while he watched with low, drowsy eyelids. Then she hiked up his shirt to his armpits, meaning to undress him, but he didn’t raise his arms.

“Come on, Tommy,” she said. “Help me out here.”

He didn’t move. She looked at his face again, and his eyes were closed. She kissed his mouth again to see if that would wake him, but he didn’t stir.

“Tommy? Are you asleep?”

He didn’t answer.

“Loser,” she snorted. Then she climbed out of bed to grab a hot shower before sleep.





***





Esmeralda Medina Rios lived with her mother Guadalupe in an apartment in Los Angeles. Tommy and Ashleigh rode into the graffiti-covered cinderblock complex, and Ashleigh’s lip curled at the scene.