Shutter: The Complete Series (2 page)

Suzy and Blondie roll around the floor for a few moments until two huge security guards pull them apart. Everyone yells and shrieks; Suzy thrusts her foot toward Blondie, perfectly landing her kick right in Blondie’s silicone-enhanced boobs. Blondie’s hands fly to her chest, soothing out her prized possessions. I laugh loudly. I can’t help it. Niko’s life is such a circus that for once I don’t even wonder about my fascination; it’s purely entertainment at this point. It’s comforting to watch someone else’s life unraveling at the seams instead of living it myself.

I know I should have been taking photos to sell of the entire fiasco, but I made a promise to myself a while back that I’d never make money off of Suzy. A single picture of her ripping Blondie from Niko’s lap would make me more money than I’d made in the past year, but I wouldn’t stoop to that level – a peeping Tom with a conscience; even I’m rolling my eyes at myself. The weird connection I have with Suzy stops me, but so does my love for Paul. Such a photo would bring too much heat to Club Blasé. Specifically, Paul’s management of how stars are treated in its VIP section. The occasional dry humping session between Niko and his nightly conquest only brings a little attention and Paul can always brush it off as a patron’s venture into the sleazy tabloid world by way of their high-tech cell phone camera.

Niko finally stands, but instead of looking at the two feisty girls in front of him, his eyes turn directly to where I’m hiding – seemingly aimed on me. I gasp, quickly pulling my hand back allowing the curtain to close and shield me. The edge bounces back and forth from the force of its release, giving me quick glimpses of Niko, like pictures in a flipbook. I watch, astonished, as he approaches the curtain, the closer he comes the farther I back into the shadows. My retreat is thwarted after only a few steps as I’m backed up against the wall. I hold my breath as his hand slides between the curtains and his silhouette takes form in the darkness. Once again, his eyes look directly at me before he looks left, then right – searching, but he isn’t able to see me as the heavy curtains prevent any light from illuminating me. I could stretch out my arm and graze the front of his dark button-down shirt, but I don’t dare.

In one swift movement, he turns and disappears.

Chapter 2

My ass is firmly planted in my usual spot, twenty feet off the ground in a sturdy tree at the back of Niko’s property. His oversized home is not the largest in these sprawling hills, but it would still be considered a mansion to most homeowners. The house was the first thing he bought when his face and skills pushed his first leading role straight to the top. The tabloids say he’ll move into an even larger home soon with all the money he’s raked in, but from what I see, he loves this house just as much as I love him living in it.

From this proximity, I’m close enough to see into his living room and bedroom with the correct lens on my camera, if he keeps the curtains open - and he usually does. Aside from the occasional rodent and myself, no one else dares to scale the concrete culvert to get back here. Not even Suzy. I can thank an ex-boyfriend and his obsession with rock climbing for the ability to reach my destination.

I left the club at the same time as Niko and Blondie, but they have yet to arrive. It’s getting late; I’m getting restless, and my bed is beckoning me home from a mere two blocks away at my brother’s house. Close proximity is actually one of the major factors that ignited my fixation. You can’t beat a job you can walk to.

I want to jump out of the tree and head home. Peeping into the windows of the neighboring mansions doesn’t even pacify me any longer; they’re too boring. Aging housewives and balding billionaires lose their appeal quickly.

Just as I begin to descend the tree, the distinct purr of a high-priced automobile sends a tingle up my spine as Niko pulls into his driveway. Pulling myself back into position, I see Blondie tumble out of Niko’s car and effortlessly plant her upper half into the well-manicured flower bed while leaving her lower half still inside the vehicle. Niko takes his precious time helping her up then he leans down and slips her stilettos off, tossing them onto the passenger seat before slamming the door.

Their lips are moving, but I’m too far away to hear them. That’s the only downside of being a relatively low-scale peeping Tom – no audio. They disappear through the back door and appear seconds later, illuminated by perfectly flattering light, in front of the wall of windows in the living room. They are already attached at the lips and tripping awkwardly toward the couch. I snap a few photos, even though I know I won’t sell them. No tabloid would dare publish sexual acts from the inside of his house; well, no tabloid I’d be willing to share these photos with. I’ll lock them away with all the others I’ve collected.

Niko pulls back from Blondie’s embrace and gestures for her to stand, initiating the same demanding routine he has with every other woman he brings home. First, he’ll make her strip. Then she’ll follow every action he commands, or she’ll find herself thrown out the back door without her clothes. I’ve only seen that happen once; I don’t imagine he’s told no very often about anything. I sometimes wonder if I’d follow his commands, or if I would tell him to go fuck himself – I don’t suppose I’ll ever have cause to find out.

She starts to hurriedly unzip her dress, but he slows her pace; his eyes are glued to her back as more flesh gently peeks from behind the satin material. He rises from his spot on the couch and walks toward her, halting her movements completely. He loops one finger in the sleeve of her dress, deliberately pushing it down her right arm then trails lightly across her chest to the other shoulder releasing it from its coverings as well. Blondie’s not wearing a bra, which I find predictable, and she stands tall and proud, with nothing but her lacy thong covering her.  He steps back and takes her in, smiling to indicate his pleasure in her bare form. A smile stretches across my face in response; which should worry me, but I push the thought out of my mind too quickly for it to sprout wings.

He removes his suit jacket then directs her hands on the top button of his dress shirt. With perfect precision, she unfastens each one, revealing his hard chiseled chest and abs. I make sure to get a clean, crisp photo of him just before Blondie ruins it by running her hands along his muscles. She leans forward covering one of his nipples with her mouth then moves to the next. Her hands run along his back for a few seconds before he finally wraps his hands around her wrists and positions them behind her back, one swift jerk to emphasize their required placement. Over touching is a big no-no for Niko. He wants to be in charge of every ounce of pleasure given, as well as received.

Blondie’s back is toward me, and I see her lace her hands together as a reminder not to move them – she’s a good girl. I can see why he brought her home. Niko’s mouth is moving and she nods her head in response. Of all the times I’ve unabashedly watched the act play out, I’ve never been able to guess what he says to them. Is he commanding, domineering? Or does he have an explanation for his desires? My eyes flutter closed as I imagine the tone of his voice – hard, yet tender. I’ve heard him speak a million times, but his words have never been directed at me.

I don’t have to guess what’s coming next. He will reach for the black sash tying back the large window coverings to take away her sight. The moment she can no longer see his face, it will darken, and his entire body will take on a somber, steadfast facade. For some reason, once their sight is gone he’s no longer concerned with smiles and gestures, and merely focuses on the act of his indulgence. I don’t particularly like seeing this side of Niko; it scares me and intrigues me all the same. He never speaks after covering their eyes. Even if the woman speaks, he does not answer.

He stands back and watches her; there is no movement beyond the steady pace of their chests rising and falling. Niko turns his back to her and takes two steps to the window. I trigger the shutter on my camera and capture him seamlessly illuminated by the light falling behind him and bouncing off the curves of his perfectly shaped muscles. His eyes flick in my direction, squarely aimed at me. I know he can’t see me, but that doesn’t stop the rapid increase of my heart and breath. His eyes are sharp and focused – almost knowing.

My attention is pulled from him to the sound of a car door slamming nearby. It’s late; far too late for anyone to be coming and going – besides someone like me. I scan the street through my camera lens and see someone walking toward Niko’s house. It’s too dark for me to see any identifying details, just a swiftly moving figure. I watch until the figure reaches the driveway, pausing momentarily at Niko’s car to stare through the windshield before moving to the back door. My vision quickly returns to the inside of the house, but Niko and Blondie are gone. They shouldn’t be gone; they were just beginning. He never takes them beyond the living room.

I lower the camera from my face and search for lights inside his house. I finally see a faint light from where I think the kitchen is, but I’ve never been able to see inside enough to confirm. The shadowed figure has disappeared inside, leaving the back door open. Thoughts race through my head. Is this planned? Did Niko arrange it? Maybe Blondie did.

I tuck my camera inside the bag and scale down the tree, creeping through the grass and rocks toward Niko’s house. The night breeze dances across my bare arms sending a chill up my spine. I’ve never been this close to his house before, and my brain is screaming for me to leave. Even without the blaring thoughts of running far away, something doesn’t feel right. I’ve been watching him for so long that I know what thoughts will go through his head before he does. I know every action he will take, and how every night will end. Everything feels off tonight. From the moment his eyes peeked through the club’s curtains and tried to find mine in the darkness, his movements have felt half-hearted, stifled. Or maybe I just want them to be; I want him to have registered me, for once, and felt my presence on some cosmic level.

I reach the wide-open back door and an eerie silence hangs in the air, suffocating everything around. I pull a black stocking cap from my camera bag and pull it down low covering as much of my forehead as possible, making sure to tuck my hair inside. Then cross the bag over my body and push it to my back. The last thing I want to be seen doing is sneaking into Niko’s house holding a long-range zoom camera. My steps fall silent as I peek around the corner, looking left and right, expecting someone to jump out and grab me at any second. The only break in the heavy silence is the tick-tock of two oversized grandfather clocks flanking the entrance.

I ease one foot inside, onto the bright white marble floor then pause. I don’t belong in his house, and my whole body feels it. My eyes may find their way around his house from a distance, but every fiber of my being knows entering his house is wrong – no matter the reason.

My foot lifts off the polished floor, momentarily refusing to enter farther, when a blood-curdling scream rips through the silence, igniting my fight-or-flight response. It’s high pitched, obviously belonging to a woman, not Niko, but I don’t hesitate. My legs send me flying in the direction of the scream. The path I take is a blur of bright white and contrasting black, but I end up exactly where I figured I would - the kitchen.

Black cabinets and white granite countertops with bright silver accents shine under the twinkling lights – I don’t know why I notice the details when a fight is obviously taking place right in front of me. Screams and growls emanate from a tangled web of arms and legs. I can’t make out anyone in the mess of punching and kicking. Something flies in front of my face and halts with a loud
thunk
on the cabinet door to my left. I turn to see a large knife barely stuck in the wood, the heavy handle swinging back and forth until it finally falls to the floor beside me.

Time slows as I see movement coming toward me. I look up, my eyes locking on a pair of wild eyes - Suzy’s eyes. Her arm stretches out, reaching for the knife. I reflexively lean forward and swoop it up, the gleaming blade angled toward her, effectively stopping her in her tracks. Niko rushes toward us from my right, and Blondie is running for the side door of the kitchen, escaping the danger. Suzy looks from me to Niko then back to me.

“You!” she growls, lunging toward me and grabbing for the knife just as Niko reaches us and we all three collide.

Her momentum sends us falling to the hard floor, and my shoulder breaks my fall, the impact reverberating through my body. The knife is still in my hand, and I jerk it up, hoping not to connect with anything, but I hear Niko howl just as I feel the tip of the knife meets resistance.

All three of us jump to our feet - a misshapen circle of oddities staring at one another. Three sets of eyes drift from one, to the next and back, but finally mine land on Suzy, as do Niko’s. We both perceive her as the threat, even though I’m still holding the knife. She is a known evil; I am not.

Police sirens break the silence. Suzy’s eyes narrow on Niko, then she rushes past me, knocking me to the floor once again. I release my grip on the knife and try to break my fall, but land awkwardly on my hand, causing my wrist to bend painfully. I grimace and clutch my arm to my chest.

“Are you okay?” I hear Niko’s voice caress my ears, and look up to see his eyes filled with so much concern that my heart soars. Blood trickles down his cheek from a cut under his eye – a cut I caused.

Stunned, I don’t speak. I duck my head, trying to shield my face from his vision.

“Let me see. Are you hurt?” he asks again, reaching for my arm, but I skitter backwards out of reach.

“Police!” several voices yell as armed men storm the room, their weapons waving frantically around.

“She just left through the back!” Niko shouts and points in the direction of the back door.

Chapter 3

Light streaming through the sheer curtains blinds my sleep filled eyes. I groan and roll over, covering my face with my arm. Pain shoots up past my elbow and through my shoulder, immediately reminding me of last night. I still don’t know what I was thinking. Why did I go in there? He saw me, and now he knows my face. That ruins everything. My anonymity was one of the only reasons I could sneak around without registering on his stalk-o-meter.