“You came here because I told you I had your aunt’s killer.”
“I came here because you said you were hurt. I didn’t even like my aunt, what do I care about who killed her?” I lie, feeling guilty for even saying the words.
His brow furrows, the hand at my throat wavering.
“She was a cunt, probably pissed off the wrong person.”
He closes his eyes, briefly licking his lips. “I’m thirsty.”
“I have water in the truck,” I implore, trying my luck, but he knows better than that.
“Your aunt was just unfortunate to be related to you,” he states, ignoring my comment.
“What?” My knees are starting to hurt kneeling on this crusty ass floor.
“I wanted to see if her death would draw you out—and it did.”
No. No. He didn’t—wouldn’t…
“Your face is so animated. It tells me everything you’re thinking. Like how much you try to hate me but can’t help feeling attracted to me. Compelled to keep my secrets and share them with me. Does Animal know how bad you have it for me?”
He’s delusional…
“I liked it,” he admits, shifting to sit up more. His arm is shaky, the distance between my flesh and the blade widening. I take my shot, pushing at his arm while moving my body backward out of reach, my ass skidding along with the dirt when I fall.
Jolting forward, he attempts to reach me, but I throw an old broken chair toward him, hitting him in the injured arm, halting his progress. “Fuck!” he roars, swallowing the pain.
I get to my feet the same time he does, our gazes holding, intense, terrifying. “Did you bring me here to kill me?” I ask, my own lungs squeezing, making it hard to breathe.
His eyebrows draw in. “No! God, no! You don’t get it, do you? I fucking love you.”
He’s crazy. Anxiety chews its way up my spine, making every hair stand at attention. “I like fucking killing.” He waves the knife around like he’s talking about a hobby. “The crimson swell of the first cut, the fear in their eyes, the power surge—it all gives me a rush. But that’s just a little part of who I am.”
“You’re fucking sick, Kai. You need professional help.”
“You, though…” He points the tip in my direction, his eyes dancing with madness. “You’ve never been scared of me. You’re a fighter, and damn, princess, I’ve never been able to get you outta my head.”
“Because you’re insane.” I grit my teeth.
“It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. I got sloppy, wanted a taste of Jameson’s sister. He was flaunting her pictures that day…” his head bounces up and down. “You remember.”
My heart stammers, bringing my hand up to cover my mouth.
“Didn’t realize she wouldn’t be there. They’re usually both alone at the house, but he was home, and they weren’t, so I took the next best option: the pretty doctor bitch he’s so sweet on next door.”
“You hurt someone else?” I choke out.
Anger washes over his face as he aims the tip of the knife toward his arm. “I’m the one who got hurt.”
“Did Jameson do that?”
“No,” he sneers like that’s an insult. “Tree came through the window and the glass sliced through my arm. It could have fucking killed me.”
It’s a shame it didn’t.
“Let me out of here, Kai. If you love me like you say you do, let me leave.”
He ponders that for a moment, and when he steps aside, air fills my lungs. I step forward, and he doesn’t move, so I edge advancing another step, and another. I don’t want to turn my back on him. Blood rushes in my veins, making my head woozy.
“Actually,” he says, thrusting toward me. I attempt to race past him, but his fist grabs a handful on my hair, the sharp blade he has clenched in the same fist scraping over my scalp. I kick out, flaying. I reach up to loosen his hold, and the blade cuts into my skin, setting the flesh ablaze. “Stop fucking fighting!” he booms. With unnatural strength, he tosses me forward. My feet tangle up in a sheet of plastic, and before I can control it, I’m sailing through the air, my head crashing down against the table. My body lands in a mess of limbs. Everything hurts. Shadows seep out from the corners, swallowing me whole.
A breeze hums over my skin, making me shiver. My eyelids feel heavy and weighted. Throbbing marches in my skull. Where am I? Memories come flooding in, stiffening my posture. I crack open my eyes farther, taking in the surroundings of the derelict building Kai lured me too. Alec has to be going out of his damn mind. My chest cavity aches. I move my limbs to find my hands won’t budge. Yanking my arms harder tightens fabric tied around my wrists. Tracking the path to the sewing machine my nerves fray, I’m bound to it with my own shirt.