He hums, and goosebumps pop along my skin. “I want to dip my knife into you and each one of your friends’ stomachs and see which one comes out the messiest.” He laughs.
A sob breaks from my chest, horror at the thought of any of my friends dead. “Leave us alone! Please! I’ll do anything.”
He sighs, as if he’s heard the words a million times before.
“Here’s the thing, Lakyn. You decided to commit murder. You thought you were so high and mighty, but now you have to pay the price. Now it’s time for me to have my fun.”
“Who are you?” I cry out, for a second wondering if it could be Zane. If he never died, and he’s just trying to get back at me.
“You’ll find out, in due time. But in the meantime, Lakyn, be sure to glance over your shoulder. You’ll never really know when I’ll be there, waiting for you.” He chuckles before hanging up, leaving me absolutely petrified.
I toss my phone onto the passenger seat as another sob rips out of me. Shifting into drive, I fly down the road, panicked of what’s to come. The wind whips through my hair, sticking to my damp cheeks as I make my way back to the house.
I feel at a loss, driving like a maniac back through the empty streets. For a second, I debate going to the guys’ house, telling them about what just happened. But I shut that down instantly, knowing it’ll only blow it more out of proportion.
No, I don’t think there’s a thing I can do. All I do know is that this man, whoever he is, is playing a game with me.
I just need to figure out how to win the game before he does.
And my biggest fear of all settles into my gut, twisting into an impossible knot.
I just answered his question wrong. What will the consequences be now?
CHAPTER SEVEN
HIM
Ibreathe heavily through the mask, standing outside in the cool night air as I watch through the windows of the school library. Eloise stands at the shelves, a stack of books in her arms. School is just about to be back in session after a short break.
Fall leaves and pumpkins litter the outside of the brown stone building, and I step closer toward the trees, keeping myself unseen from the rest of the world. Easy to do at night. There aren’t many people at school, most of them still on break.
Though, Eloise picked the best time… for me. It’s as if she chose this very moment in time to step right into my trap. It’s as if she wanted to play my game.
The real question is, how far does she want to take it?
Dressed in black from head to toe, the mask presses firmly against my face, the hood around my head keeping me hidden. She won’t have a clue who I am. It’ll be dread and terror that shields her just as my mask shields me.
As I wield my weapon at her, what will she have? Horror, fear, panic. None of those will protect her.
She doesn’t deserve protection. Not after what she and her friends did a year ago. They deserve everything that’s coming to them. Each one of them has fucked up, but it doesn’t matter, because they will pay for it. They will.
And Eloise is first.
The nice one, yet she has spice to her. She likes to pretend she’s innocent, but put a few drinks in her and she’ll be the wildest one of them all. She hides her true self, but the people closest to her know the crazy inside.
I know it.
I take a step toward the side door of the library, my feet light as they crunch across the leave-laden ground, my gloved fingers wrapping around the large butcher knife in my hand. She doesn’t see me, can’t even tell there’s a large figure right outside the window. She’s too into whatever back of the book she’s reading, the blurb holding her captivated.
My free hand goes to the handle, and I wrap my fingers around it, pulling it lightly. A soft creak sounds, and I hold my breath, my gaze going to Eloise, seeing her eyes still firmly on the book in front of her.
Idiot.
I slip through the door, walking through the dark library. Only a few lights remain on, the room dim. It’s after hours, though students have access at all times.
I duck through the aisles, my head lowering as I stare at her through the cracks in the books. She lifts her lips in a smirk, as if she likes whatever it is she’s reading.
My knife goes out, and I tap it against one of the metal shelves. The metallictingcatches her attention, and Eloise freezes, her eyes going up, narrowing as she rocks her head back and forth, looking for the source of the noise.