That’s why I’ve planned this out so slowly. That’s why I needed access to her devices. I remotely crashed their computers then knocked out the real tech guy in the parking lot. I swiped a guard’s keycard in the lobby so I could get into her office building from the stairwell. I easily bugged her devices while she was in the bathroom, granting me the ability to monitor every little thing she does and every place she goes.
That’s why I purposefully waited for her in the elevator. So I could confirm the planted chip on her phone worked. Except…I could have done that from anywhere.
Fuck. See what I mean? Completely lost the fucking plot.
I huff out a silent breath and run a hand through my hair as I trudge through the dark yard. This shit is insane. There is seriously something wrong with me at this point. I don’t know why I had to see her. After a month of following her, both online and from a distance in person, I just had to know what she looks like up close. Had to hear her voice.Smell her. Clearly, it was a stupid idea. Now, Rayvn Porter is ingrained in my motherfucking brain.
Her stunning brown skin is so damn smooth, and Iacheto tarnish it. I want to run my tongue down her lithe body, ingest her flavor, and then cover her in mine. She smelled like lilacs and roses, which has fucked me up in the worst ways. I can’t even walk down the street without swearing she’s near me. The huge doe eyes I was drawn to in her photo are just as dark and wide as I’d known they would be, especially when she looked up at me from beneath her black lashes as though she wanted me to rip her apart.
And God, did I want to.
She had me so thrown off kilter I’d forgotten everything else as she stared up at me. My eyes had zeroed in on the erratic pulse in her elegant neck. My ears homed in on her heavy panting breaths. My nose caught her strong scent that I could have sworn was tinged with fear, and I was fucking done for.
I forgot who I was supposed to be. I forgot I was meant to be invisible, nothing more than a quiet, shy tech nerd. I forgot everythingbut her, and then—then shesawme. The real me. The me that I’ve kept buried so fucking deep, no one even knows he exists.
She saw the monster, and sheliked it.
Rayvn Porter started off as a feeling slithering beneath my skin. Like an ache that I couldn’t heal, or an itch I couldn’t scratch. A constant, persistent irritation. It was driving me insane. The woman somehow infiltrated my senses and I hadn’t even met her yet. I told myself that if I just saw her once, let myself sate the annoying craving, it would be done. I’d be free of her.
Fuck, did that shit ever backfire?
The irritation beneath my tattooed skin has morphed into an obsession. With one hit, I’m an addict. The only thing that will end this ever-persistent need is to do my fucking job and sever all ties with her. I’ll take her down, systematically and completely. I’ll get paid. I’ll take care of the shit I need to handle, and then I’ll walk the fuck away without a backward glance.
That’s what I tell myself as I pull my cock from my jeans and piss all over the fuckers deck. A small tendril of joy fills me at the thought of destroying his huge house. Maybe I could light it on fire. Fuck, it would be so satisfying to stand hidden in the trees and watch it burn to the ground. Would he scream and cry as his home turned to ash? Would I even let him leave before I lit the match?
Would I let her leave?
Are they still fucking or is he a one-pump-chump? I grin as I think about burning the house down while they’re naked and his tiny, shitty cock is shoved in her cunt. God, I bet she’s miserable right now.
Good.
I shake my dick off and tuck it back in my jeans, pulling myself from my chaotic and destructive thoughts. My finger glides over the lighter in my pocket as if my body is pulling me to make my dreams a reality. It would be so quick. The house is a log cabin in the middle of the fucking forest, of course, it would burn fast. The flames would lick up the side, from one floor to the next, before they even had time to get dressed.
My head cocks to the side as I pull my lighter out and flick the trigger. My eyes watch as the tiny flame dances in the wind for a moment before it’s snuffed out. The darkness I try so hard to keep at bay presses against its confines in my brain. It scratches and claws, begging to be released. I let it, just for a moment. My body goes into a state of numbness that I find far too enjoyable. It’s like my tense muscles can relax for the first time in years.
My thumb presses down, ready to make my thoughts a reality, just as the quiet click of a door being closed fills the night air. I drop the lighter and slide it back into my pocket before adjusting my black hoodie and making sure I’m completely covered. I don’t make any sudden movements as my eyes search the darkness for the origin of the sound. The slapping of feet on wood above me draws my gaze to the suspended deck on the second floor. In an instant, my eyes lock on the woman who has consumed my thoughts for far too long.
My body leans forward as if it’s trying to get closer to her. The tension in my muscles returns with a vengeance as I try to rein myself in. Rayvn huffs out a breath and drops down onto a lounger. It’s dark, and I can barely make out her form, but from where I’m standing I can tell she’s wrapped up in heavy, thick clothing that hides her killer body. My brow furrows as I glance down at my watch. She’s barely been inside for half an hour.
I bubble of laughter crawls up my throat and I have to tuck my lips in to stifle it.Charlie must suck in bed.Part of me hopes he at least got her off before he blew prematurely, but the rest of me hopes it was fucking awful for her. She doesn’t deserve pleasure.
Yes, she does. Just not from him.
I scoff internally and shove the idiotic thoughts away as I focus on Rayvn. She pulls her phone out, and the bright glow from the screen grants me a clear view of her beautiful face. It’s perfect…too perfect. It pisses me off. Anger fills me in an instant. All the thoughts of her and him wrapped around each other’s bodies swirl around in a bitter cacophony until I’m practically choking on it.
My irritation at the situation, at having to give upmyvaluable time to stand out here and hunt this bitch down just to be able to do my job, turns the anger into fury. My fists clench so hard that my knuckles pop. Her head darts up, and she quickly scans the empty yard. She’s afraid, maybe more so after our little run in the woods earlier. A thrill of excitement rolls through me as I watch her search for the sound…for me.Her wide, black eyes blink once and then twice before she shakes her head and looks back at her phone.
Fuck, is it wrong that I want to see her smooth skin covered in cum and tears? I want her messy and begging when I take her down. I want her to feel as reckless and out of control as I am. I want her to know why she’s being destroyed. I want her to pay.
I just wanther—No. No. Shit.
My blood is on fire, and the darkness is quickly taking over with every bitter, resentful thought. Hatred for her and everything she’s doing to me replaces all other emotions. I work so fucking hard to keep myself in check. To stay calm and steady. I think things through. I’m methodical. I have to be. It’s how I keep my job, how I stay safe and don’t get caught. It’s a way for me to channel my cravings for destruction and pain into something profitable. I cannot—will not—lose that now.
It takes great effort, but I force myself to walk away, finding solace in the darkness once more so I can pull my phone out without being spotted. As much as I’d like to keep watching the mouse freak out over being hunted, I need to focus on my work, and my work is her.
I open the tracking app I installed on her phone that clones her display and projects it onto mine so I can watch what she’s doing in real-time. I installed the same thing on her computer with the added software that allows me to dig into all of her content. I barely had time to set up the tiny, discrete cameras in her office before having to run out into the stairwell to avoid getting caught. I should have just left after that. I should have walked away, sight unseen, but I couldn’t.
Had to see her.