Soon Comes Night Read online




  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Bugs & Hisses, Tuesday Addams

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  The End

  Links

  Excerpt from Zoey and the Witch

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter One

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter Two

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter Three

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter Four

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter Five

  Zoey and the Witch Chapter Six

  Soon Comes Night

  The Dagger Witch Chronicles: Book One

  by Tuesday Addams

  Soon Comes Night by Tuesday Addams

  © 2019 Tuesday Addams, Annalee Autumn

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. Copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover by SPBC/FrinaArt

  Hello Dear Reader!

  Thank you so much for grabbing my book. I just wanted to let you know that this is a steamy paranormal romance that uses descriptive language, so if that is not your thing, this may not be the book for you.

  At 3.5 out of 5 on the heat scale it’s not super steamy, so if you’re looking for sizzling, this isn’t the book for you either.

  But if this book is right for you, then I hope you enjoy yourself…

  Bugs & Hisses,

  Tuesday Addams

  Chapter One

  CHLOE TOSSED HER black hair and writhed her torso as the grinding guitar and droning base slowed to a crawl. She reached for her bra as the pre-programmed light fixtures twirled and came to a stop, dousing her in red light. The men at the brass rail tossed dollar bills at her, a few clapped.

  “Give it up for Chloe Dancer stepping off the main stage! That’s riiiight…” The emcee’s over-the-top voice reverberated around the club. “Ladies and Gentlemen, don’t forget to tip your waitstaff. The men and women of the Lusty Lady are workin’ hard for you. That’s riiiight.”

  Chloe held her bra against her breasts as she gathered the wadded up dollar bills from the stage. She pulled long strands of hair from each handful of cash.

  “Melanie, Melanie you’re on deck. Melanieeeeee.”

  A man grabbed Chloe’s arm as she stepped off the stage. His gaze swept over the tattoos on her arm and settled on her tits. “Hey beautiful, how about a lap dance.” The red lights washed out his pock marks and gnarled lips.

  “Sorry hun, don’t do lap dances.” She yanked her arm free and headed toward the dressing room.

  Chloe slid through the beaded curtain. Melanie stood there smiling as Jenny held up a sheet cake covered in candles. The semicircle of women in bikinis and stripper heels lurched into a flat version of “Happy Birthday.”

  Melanie’s eyes glistened in the candlelight as she smiled at each woman.

  Chloe went to her make up station and dropped the handfuls of cash. She fastened her bra and started flattening the bills.

  The gritty guitar intro of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” blared over the loudspeaker. “We’ve got, coming to the stage the one the only, Mega Melanie! Show her some love, Gentlemen!”

  Melanie blew out the candles before the girls finished singing. “You guys are the best, thanks for remembering my birthday.” She kissed Jenny on the cheek and dashed through the beaded curtain. The other girls were right behind her.

  Jenny set the cake down at her station, cut it into large squares and put the pieces on paper plates.

  Chloe studied her reflection, tired hazel eyes stared back at her, remnants of glittery lip gloss crusted in the crevices of full lips. She wiped the smudged mascara from the corner of her eye.

  Natalie came through the beaded curtain and flopped down at Angel’s makeup station. “How’s your night going Chloe?”

  “Not bad actually, for a change.”

  “Hey, how’s Maddison settling in?”

  Chloe sighed.

  “That bad?”

  “No, as good as can be expected of a twelve year old runaway that never had any structure her whole life.”

  “And she was, what did you say, your step-sister?”

  “Foster sister. From a while back.”

  “Oh that’s right, you told me. So she’s a handful?”

  “I don’t know, it’s probably me, I never figured on being an authority figure at 24. I’m sure I’m doing it all wrong.”

  “Aw Chloe, she’s lucky to have you.”

  Chloe swiped some mascara over the fake lashes that were still hanging on from the night before. “I guess.”

  “If you didn’t take her in, she’d just have to go to another home, right?”

  Chloe nodded as cruel eyes and the sting of a wooden spoon drifted through her mind. Small, dark rooms, creaking floorboards. Waking to the feeling of covers being pulled back.

  “I’m sure she’s grateful, she probably just doesn’t know how to show it.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably
right.”

  Jenny loaded up her arms with plates of cake. “Hey could you get the curtain for me?”

  Chloe and Natalie held the beaded curtain aside for Jenny and they followed her into the darkened club.

  Arnold stopped and scowled at Jenny. “What is this, a fucking restaurant? Take it backstage.”

  Jenny glared at him and unloaded the plates on the nearest table.

  Arnold shook his head and continued toward the bar.

  Chloe stepped up onto the small table, carefully placing her platform heels between the plates.

  A man set a $5 bill at her feet and helped himself to a piece of cake.

  She slid down the pole into a squat, her knees spread wide. He looked at her crotch, as if he’d be able to see anything through the fishnets and lacy underwear. Finally he tore his eyes away and met hers. “What are you drinking?”

  Chloe stood, hooked her leg around the pole and did a lazy spin. She landed on her knees and leaned toward him. “Te-kill-ya.”

  “What? Oh, tequila?” He motioned for the cocktail waitress.

  Natalie came over and leaned in close, giving him a good look at her cleavage. “What can I get you, sugar?”

  “Two shots of Patron Silver.”

  Chloe leaned against the pole and slid down, her knees opening wide. “Don’t forget one for Natalie too.”

  “Oh, you want one?”

  “Sure.” Natalie’s eyes flicked to Chloe.

  Chloe pulled herself up onto the pole, wrapped her ankles around it and inched higher. She arched her back then leaned all the way over, hanging upside down, breasts swelling all the way to her collarbone.

  Natalie returned and they all clinked shot glasses.

  Chloe tilted her head back and downed the shot. The cool liquid sent a vibrating warmth all the way down to her thighs.

  “Don’t forget to tip Natalie real nice…”

  He peeled off two twenties and set them on her tray. “Keep the change.”

  “Thanks, sugar.”

  Chloe sauntered around the pole and the lights streaked. She smiled and closed her eyes, tossed her hair.

  “Back in Black” faded into Buckcherry’s “Crazy Bitch.”

  “Alright! Give it up for Mega Melanieeeeee! Coming to the stage, you don’t want to miss her folks, the self-proclaimed Crazy Bitch, it’s Roxy!”

  The men at the main stage cheered as Chloe stepped down from her table.

  The man touched her arm. “Hey, you coming back here or…?”

  “Nah, gotta rotate tables.”

  “Is it creepy if I follow you?”

  “Only if you follow me home.” She winked and looked down at his outstretched hand.

  He was holding out a twenty dollar bill.

  “Thanks, hun.” She trailed a finger along his jaw then stuffed the twenty into her bra.

  He followed her to the next table and sat down, smiled at her as she spun around the pole.

  Natalie came over with another round of shots. “You ready for another?”

  “Oh, no I didn’t order-”

  Chloe reached out and grabbed two shot glasses, shoved one in his hand. “Always.” She tossed hers back.

  He set his glass on the table and handed Natalie two twenties. “Thanks.”

  “Thank you, sugar.”

  Chloe knelt and tossed her hair in his face, shook her ass for the men on the other side of the table.

  She lay on her back and stretched a leg up the pole. A few dollar bills fluttered down on her. She got up and crawled around the table in long, slow, slippery strides.

  When “Crazy Bitch” ended, Chloe held the man’s gaze, batting her lashes. “Gotta take a break, baby.”

  “Will you be back?”

  “It’ll be a bit, go hang out with Angel, she’s cool.” She nodded toward another table.

  He followed her gaze to a tall blonde. “She’s not you though, is she.”

  “I guess she’s not.”

  He lay a twenty on the table between them. “How much is a… A - dance.”

  “Sorry hun, I don’t do lap dances.” She grabbed the money and slid it into her bra. “But Angel can take care of you.”

  The beaded curtain clinked behind Chloe as she sank into her chair and grabbed a piece of cake.

  Arnold knocked on the door jamb before he came in. “Everyone decent?”

  “Yeah, it’s just me.”

  “Good, you’re the one I wanted to talk to.” He picked up a plate and took a bite of cake. “You’re gonna either need to start doing lap dances, or pay out if you’re not going to do them.”

  “Arnold! We had a deal-”

  “We said we’d try it. But everyone’s pissed and I cannot have the girls and the bartenders pissed, it just doesn’t work, drives the customers away, we start losing money, then we all gotta get real jobs, blah blah.”

  She pursed her lips.

  “Hey, I like you, if it were up to me I’d-”

  “It is up to you. You’re the manager.”

  “Sorry kid. You’re gonna have to pay up tonight.”

  “Tonight? That’s not fair-”

  “Aw come on, I saw you and Natalie working that guy, saw him peeling off twenties.”

  She pursed her lips.

  He held out his hand.

  Chloe’s jaw dropped. “Are you fucking kidding me? I barely made $100 dollars!”

  “Then I guess you’d better start doing lap dances.”

  “I’ll start tomorrow night, I’m short on my rent.”

  “Oh come on, I know all you girls have sugar daddies.”

  “Seriously, I’m probably going to be evicted soon.”

  “Nice try.”

  “I really am.”

  He snapped his fingers for the money.

  “Arnold, I can’t! I have Maddie at home, she’s friggin’ expensive-”

  “Look kiddo, you’re free to kick rocks.”

  “Can we talk about it next week. Just let me pay rent.”

  “Go on, empty out your bra.” He reached toward her and she swatted his hand away.

  “Don’t fucking touch me.”

  “You pay up or you find a new club that will look the other way when you roll in looking like shit, when you’ve been up all night and stink of alcohol. Not to mention you’re looking a little soft.”

  Her eyes bulged.

  “Oh you think no one’s noticed? Come on you walk around in a bikini all night.”

  She kicked off her stripper heels and went to her locker. She pulled on a short skirt, grabbed her platform combat boots and a sweater. Her Hello Kitty backpack was stuck and she yanked it free.

  He grabbed her elbow. “Oh, you’re not leaving.”

  “Oh, yes I am.”

  She jerked her arm free and stomped through the beaded curtain.

  “Dammit, you get back here.” He followed her out into the club. “I don’t need this shit!”

  Chapter Two

  JAGGER TUCKED A lock of long black hair behind his ear and stepped into the foyer of the Lusty Lady. A woman with jet black hair was barreling toward him. She pulled a sweater over her bra and zipped up her knee-high combat boots at the same time. A pink Hello Kitty backpack kept sliding off her shoulder.

  “As if I give a fuck, Arnold!” She crashed into Jagger’s side as she headed for the door.

  The cocktail waitress winced and rested a hand on Jagger’s muscled arm, looked up into his electric blue eyes. “Sorry about that.” Her gaze drifted down to his pillowy, pink lips and her pulse quickened. “Did you want a table or did you want to sit at the rail? My section is over there by the-”

  “On second thought, perhaps I’ll return later.” Jagger headed out onto Bienville and looked both ways. The woman was moving toward Bourbon Street, fast.

  He followed, leaving twenty feet between them.

  She crossed Bourbon Street, the wet pavement a wash of neon watercolor.

  She slammed shoulders with a man that didn’t ge
t out of her way. “Move asshole!”

  Jagger raised an eyebrow.

  On the next block, a low whistle came from a dark doorway.

  “Fuck off!” Chloe flipped the bird at the shadowed man.

  Jagger smiled.

  As she turned right onto Rampart, Jagger got a little closer. The rage coming off of her made his mouth water.

  She stepped out into the street without looking for cars.

  After trudging past Congo Square, she turned onto the pathway that led into Louis Armstrong Park.

  Jagger frowned.

  Her pace slowed.

  She looked straight ahead, not concerned with the darkness outside the misty pools of light.

  Her footfalls echoed off the cement buildings and bridges.

  Jagger scanned the shadows; plenty of desperate men took notice of her.

  She was a sheep wandering into a wolf’s den, walking slowly in a skirt that barely covered her ass.

  She turned down the path that led to the statue of Louis Armstrong.

  The splash of the fountain was overpowered by the crinkling of the paper bag as men passed a fifth of whisky.

  But when they saw her…

  Their desire erupted in a staccato of quickening heartbeats.

  Take her, brutalize her, lay her out with a fist to the face, take her money, take everything.

  She walked past the statue and up the steps to the bridge that spanned the lagoon.

  “Good god.” Jagger hurried closer.

  Tall trees cast a shadow over the bridge.

  Guttural grunts then a quick exhalation of air.

  A fist to the stomach, a woman’s growl.

  Jagger leapt up the steps in time to see her on top of a man, her fingernails digging into his face.

  The other men scattered.

  “It’s her!”

  Jagger stood and watched, mesmerized.

  She got up, kicked him in the ribs and continued on.

  The man rolled onto his side, moaning.

  Jagger waited until she was a hundred yards away then followed.

  She crossed the bridge at Dumaine and turned left.

  At the corner of St. Phillips and Rampart, she unlocked a door and went inside.

  He went around the side of the house and listened.

  Footfalls rushing through the shotgun house.

  The crinkle of a plastic shopping bag.

  A bathroom door closing.