Beneath him, the ground was cold and wet. He hadn’tbeen given a chance to grab his shoes or proper footwear, so his feet sank into the earth below. It wasn’t like the Valentine Killer was going to give him a second to quickly run downstairs to grab appropriate footwear.
No.Killers had no regard for comfort or human decency. They got off on pain and suffering, something Gavin was pretty sure he was about to discover.
As they walked deeper into the woods, Gavin held Puppy close to his chest. The poor thing was trembling—no doubt aware of the danger they were walking toward.
“So, did you have fun playing house with that ogre?”
Gavin looked over his shoulder at the man who was leading him toward his death.
“He was a lot more fun than hanging out with you.”
The Valentine Killer gave him a smirk. It wasn’t a cocky smirk, more of an amused kind of look.
“Oh, trust me. Had you stayed for the rest of our date, you and I would have had sooo much more fun.” The man paused. “Well,Iwould have had more fun. You would have been unconscious, totally unaware of the deplorable things that I was doing to you and that sweet little body of yours.”
The man licked his lower lip as a wicked smile spread across his face. He reminded Gavin of a snake, staring at its prey seconds before swallowing it whole.
Was this his end?
Had fate finally caught up to him?
Puppy whined in his arms.
“It’s okay, Puppy. I won’t let the bad man do anything to hurt you,” Gavin said as he stroked his fur.
Fifteen minutes later, they came to what could only be described as an abandoned shack.
The windows were broken, with glass scattered across the ledges and the ground. The door, which had no doubt once provided security to the structure, now hung battered and crooked, with the wood barely hanging on to the hinges.
“Inside,” the man barked, pushing Gavin forward once again.
This time, Gavin stumbled, falling hands-first into the dirt. Puppy slipped from his hands, landing on the ground with a confused look up at his daddy.
Hunched over on all fours, Gavin stared into the eyes of his beloved pet. He’d only had Puppy for a short while, but the dog had already brought so much joy into his life.
Love, comfort, laughs, and giggles.
Memories of the three of them playing together flashed through his mind. Puppy climbing all over Marcus, licking his face and attacking his socks. Memories of him cuddling Puppy, with Marcus’s big, strong arms curled around them both as they slept. Those were good memories. Memories he would always cherish, even if his life was about to come to an end.
Gavin couldn’t help but smile.
Those were the memories he wanted at his end.
Puppy gave a whine in the dirt, then stepped forward and licked his nose.
“I know. I love you too. Now go,” Gavin whispered, nodding his head to the side, hoping that Puppy would get the hint and run off to save himself.
He had no idea what this psycho was planning on doing with Puppy once he finished having his way with him. But he didn’t want to wait and find out.
As if sensing his thoughts, Puppy whined softly and licked his nose one last time. Gavin swallowed hard, giving him a gentle pat before nodding. Puppy hesitated only for a second before turning and running back the way they had come.
“So much for puppy loyalty,” the Valentine Killer muttered, reaching down and pulling Gavin to his feet.
At least he knew Puppy would be safe.
Gavin struggled against the man as the Valentine Killer pushed him into the broken-down shack and closed the door behind them.
“There. Now we finally have some private alone time.” The man struck a match and lit two of the lanterns that were hanging in the structure.
