“Don’t worry, I ordered some new dresses anyway. They should arrive by the end of next week. There’s this black number that shifts an electric blue when the light hits it. It’s understated but will mold to your every curve. Noah’s going to lose his shit. Are you sure you want to go on a date with him, though? After he kissed you like that?”
Knowing Sam, she ordered the dresses specifically because she knew I have a date. Probably some new shoes, too. “We made a deal, and I won’t back down on it. Besides, he apologized…profusely. And it’s not a real date; we’re only going as friends. But I don’t know, Sam. Every time he gets too close, I suffocate. I get this sudden urge to push him away. And I hate that piece of shit, Erik, for transforming every interaction I’ll ever have with men.”
Sam is quiet for a few moments as she ponders my words. “Did you feel the same in Kaiden’s presence?”
“Don’t mention his name,” I hiss.
“I’m sorry, okay? I know the rule is to treat him as if he’s Voldemort, but it’s a valid question. If Erik had such a lasting effect on you, shouldn’t it also extend to him? Plus, you had sex with him right after what happened at Sin.”
I gnaw on my bottom lip pensively. As hard as it is to admit, Sam’s right. Whenever Kaiden was near, it took every ounce of self-restraint I possessed not to pull himcloser. I crave him so much it’s borderline unhealthy. It’s paradoxical, I know, not only because he is a demon but also because of his lies. Of what he did to me.
And despite all of those things, he still is my haven. I’ve never felt more protected than in his arms. But that’s the thing about love—two things can be true at the same time. You can still be deeply hurt by that person, but love them all the same. You can’t just snap your fingers and unlove someone like inThe Vampire Diarieswhen they turn off their humanity. If only it were that simple…Hell, I’ve been hung up on Noah for years, and what I felt for him isn’t even a blip on the map of my feelings compared to Kaiden.
“You’re right. I don’t.” I keep my answer short because I don’t want to talk or think about him anymore. It hurts too much.
“That son of a bitch really had to pick the last storage unit, huh?” Sam grumbles as she dabs at the perspiration beads coating her hairline. “Ugh. It’s hotter than Hades’s ass, and I’m betting that storage box is going to be worse than an oven. We’re going to look like two overcooked chicken legs when we’re done.”
I appreciate how smoothly she changed the subject. She might push my buttons from time to time, but only good intentions are behind it. God knows I’m far from perfect and she sometimes wants to smack the shit out of me, but I wouldn’t change our friendship for the world. If Kaiden is my haven, then Sam is my anchor because every single time I feel unmoored, she is always there to ground me.
We finally enter the last row of storage units. We’ve been walking forever under the blazing sun since this place is huge—perfect for staying under the radar.
When Noah asked if he could accompany me to check out the address, I refused. Not only because of how we left things, but also because I didn’t know what I would find—didn’t know if Erik had more evidence of the time I spent with Kaiden. He was upset, but I played it off as needing space. While that flash drive contained stalking videos of twenty-four women aside from me,they weren’t a smoking gun. I know deep in my bones that Erik murdered those women. However, I need more than that footage to prove it.
Fishing out the envelope along with the key from my jean shorts, I unfold the piece of paper to double-check the number. This is it. Before I unlock and lift the garage-style door, I roll on a pair of nitrile gloves, then pass Sam hers.
“Holy shit!” Sam lets out sharply under her breath because what greets us are hundreds of pictures covering the entirety of the three available walls. Erik, in typical serial-killer fashion, had captured his assaults and mutilations in minute detail, from the bloody “demon whore” letters carved into the innocent flesh to himself, violating his victims’ cadavers.
Blinking lamppost, cold, rough concrete against my back, copper in my mouth, sluggish thoughts, a scrap of fabric, air between my legs, despair spreading like black ink.
Nononononononono.
I don’t realize I’ve taken a few steps back and am heaving my breakfast until Sam’s hand rubbing circles on my back jolts me back to reality. “I don’t think it was a good idea for you to come here. Let’s go home, and then I’ll come alone tomorrow and look through everything, all right?”
I straighten while I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “No. It’s fine. I’m fine.” Swallowing a lungful of calming air, I mumble, “I can do this.”
“Here.” Worry pinches the planes of Sam’s gorgeous face as she passes me a water bottle from her bag. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Besides, you might not know what to look for. I don’t want anything to be traced back to me.” While I do want to show the human police and the Aureal Council that Erik was a perverted killer, I don’t want them to possibly find out about my involvement with Kaiden. So, everything has to go.
She purses her lips. “Fine. But at the first sign you’re not okayyou’ll let me know?”
I nod. Squaring my shoulders as if preparing for a demon fight, I enter the storage unit. Luckily, it’s one of the fancy ones, powered by electricity from a solar panel, and it has air-con. We get to work. It takes us hours to go through every single one of the file cabinets, but I find all the lingerie that sick fuck stole from me—even the lacy, soft pink one I got from Kaiden. I’m sad I won’t ever get to wear it again. But how could I when that dipshit touched it? He probably did some other things with it that I don’t even want to think about. There are also various items he took from the women he stalked and murdered: sex toys, jewelry, other pieces of clothing, and IDs.
The sheer amount of evidence here would make any homicide detective do the lambada. There’s no way the Order can bury a case of this magnitude, especially since I’m also planning to send anonymous tips to the news outlets in Ashville. Removing all pieces of evidence that link to me turns out to be trickier than we expected, since we have to sift through everything, including hair strands.
The shrill sound of my alarm startles us both.
“Shit. It’s already eight thirty? No wonder I feel like my stomach is sticking to my spine,” Sam says while shoving a pair of panties back into one of the plastic bags.
I offer a hand to pull her up with me. “We can come back this week and do a final sweep. Just to be sure we didn’t miss anything.” Once I have everything, it’s off to the human police.
“’Kay. I would die for a burger right now. Wanna go to Jane’s Diner?”
“I’m not hungry—”
“C’mon, Iris. You only took one bite of that wrap at lunch,” she scoffs. “You can’t keep going like this.”
Guilt twists my insides into knots because behind the wrath in her blazing emeralds is a deep-seated worry. “Can we ordersomething instead? I’m not sure if I have enough time to eat and then change for my shift. Especially with the traffic at this hour.” I only say this because I know that if we go to the restaurant, I will have to finish at least half the burger to appease her, and if we order in, I can just take it to my room under the guise that I have to get ready.
