I eyeMadison. From the top of his head to his shoes, bare everywhere except for his boxers andmycollar.
Who knew I had such a sweet tooth?
I dip down, hunching over to press my lips to his ear. His eyes are wide as he watches me descend on him, limbs stiffening, even through the drugging haze of postcoital bliss—or maybe he’s still too scared to feel it properly.
Maybe it’s magnified tenfold…
Grazing a canine against his lobe, I rasp, “You better run, darlin’… ‘Cause the others are comin’ to get ya.” I delve my fingers into the longer hair atop his head and crank his head around to slam our mouths together.
I swallow his choking gasp with greed, thrusting my tongue between his lips for more. Madison’s wary at first, unmoving against me. But the moment my tongue slips against his, he groans too and falls pliant, like the perfect little victim.
Shit. Shit, yeah.
Hammering footsteps make me jolt. I rip my mouth away with a growl and shove Madison away. He trips from the sudden movement and clambers to the floor with a shriek.
Such a beautiful melody.
I can’t wait to hear him scream for me again.
I flash my eyes and take a step forward. “They’re comin’.” And with immaculate timing, more feet hammer down the hall. A door opens with a bang, then there’s a piercing scream.
Madison’s eyes shoot wide. He stares at the door, chest heaving. He looks back at me. I lunge with a cackle, and he shrieks and shoots to his feet, scrambling toward the door.
I watch with longing as my treat flies out of the room, leaving the door hanging open on one hinge. I yank on my hair with a silent growl, breathing heavily through my nose.
Reveling in the scent of his piss lingering in the air, the lastpiece of him left—aside from the clothes I ripped off his body, which will certainly be coming home with me—I press the tiny button on the edge of my earpiece. “One of the last ones is out and on the way.”
My eyes catch on the stain in the carpet below the dolly, and I grin.
Chapter Ten
“Red”
Madison
The floor beneath me wobbles and slants as I push my feet into it, sending myself reeling faster and faster. An echoed, hollow scream fills the air, louder and more piercing with each passing second. With each choking beat of my heart.
The room Static had me trapped in felt like a whole other world. At least, it did until he freaking shoved me right back into reality—literally.
I trip over my own feet and stumble into the wall. My palms slam down on the plaster, sending a plume billowing into the air. I choke on the particles, gasping. Sucking in lungfuls that burn and shred my esophagus. My fingers dig into my throat, squeezing the sides until the pressure of my Adam’s apple being shoved backward makes me gag. Air finally fills my lungs to capacity so fast, more tears melt my eyes.
Doors line either side of the narrow hall. I veer to the left, toward what appears to be a window. I bang on the glass,hammering my clenched fists against the opaque glass. It rattles in its frame, shuddering and groaning from the pressure of my assault.
With strength I didn’t realize I still had, I put my whole weight into it, shoving forward and slamming my hands against the window. I need to get out of here.
I—I can’t breathe.
My skin’s crawling with phantom legs, more than eight. Maybe ten—twenty. A hundred. All over every inch of exposed skin that burns in the rotten, musky air that smells of death, decay, and ruin.
Of horror and nightmares brought to life.
Hell on Earth becauseJesus,that’s what this has got to be. The devil tempts me, right? That’s what the pastor at church growing up always said. That he’ll bait his victims, tempt them, make them crave to give in to their darkest desires…
My eyes slam shut as the more than vivid… notmemories,per se, because it just freaking happened, but the recollection of what that… clown did to me.
God. If I’m not already in Hell, I sure as heck have a one-way ticket there now.
Goodbye, pearly gates.
