His warning raises chills on my skin, but I shake them off and nod my head. It’s not like I have many other options now.
The rumbling of his truck fades as they drive off, and it’s then that I realize just how isolated I am. No neighbors for miles—at least as far as I could tell—and all alone in the dense mountain woods. But this may be a new start for me, as long as he’s here. As long as he’sreal.
No going back now.
I take a deep but shaky breath and push the gate. It’s unlocked, and it creaks with the slow movement.
The sound of gravel crunching under my feet is barely audible over the blood rushing in my ears.
As I round the curve in the driveway, the two-story, A-frame cabin comes into view, and the yellow light by the front door light casts a soft glow on the wooden porch.Like he’s waiting for me, I think. My stomach twists with anxiety as I get closer, each of my grating steps in the gravel signaling my approach. I carry my suitcase, not wanting to roll it and fill the air with the heavy noise.
Almost there.
I’m only a few feet from the porch steps when the door swings open, and my breath catches in my throat as he steps into view.
Oh my god, it’s really him.
But as soon as our eyes connect, my heart drops into my stomach. His sinister smile and sharp gaze aren’t welcoming—they’re smug. Assessing. Predatory.
My blood runs cold, and my suitcase hits the ground with a heavy thud as the reality of my situation slams into me and steals the breath from my lungs.
He tricked me.
And I was desperate enough to walk right into his trap.
CHAPTER 8
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
—William Shakespeare
Ican't move. Can't speak. Can't breathe. The realization that this was all a lie, a trick, crashes down on me.
I’m so fucking stupid. I shouldn't have allowed myself so much hope.
It was too good to be true.
He leans against the doorframe, ethereal in the porch light's yellow glow. His features are exactly those from my dreams and from the brief glimpse I’d gotten of him as I faded from consciousness—high cheekbones, full lips curved in a half-smile, dark eyes that pierce straight into my soul. But there's something different now that Ihadn’t been able to see before. There’s a sharpness, a terrifying sort of beauty radiating from him that’s not entirely human.
I had guessed that maybe he wasdifferent, but I never expectedthis. Horror seeps into my bones.
“You came,” he says, his voice low and smooth. “I wasn't entirely sure you would.” He casually twists a small, thin knife between his fingers.
The air feels too thin. No matter how many breaths I take, my lungs can’t seem to get enough oxygen.
Do I answer him? Do I try to run?
My eyes flit side-to-side, frantically searching for an escape even though I know there isn’t one. It’s an action born out of desperation rather than logic, but my mind is reeling with terror.
“There’s nowhere to go,” he says, noticing my panicked search. The only sound out here is the cacophonous scream of the crickets and cicadas and an owl hooting in the distance. No cars passing, no music from neighbors. Nothing.
“W-what are you?” I finally manage to stutter out in a hoarse whisper.
He chuckles. “Now that's refreshing. Most people start with 'who.’”He gestures toward the door. “Come in. It's getting dark.”
I stay frozen. “What do you want from me? I’ve been seeing you for months. I thought I was going crazy.”
He raises an eyebrow, and the corner of his lips lifts in a cold, amused smile. “I was in the city to kill a person or two, and you just happened to catch my attention.”
