Dani pushed the door to her parent’s bedroom open, and grief caved in her chest. Dom and Brenda Kincaid lay sprawled across their bed in a tangle of bloody sheets, unmoving and long dead. The room was in disarray, and it was obvious that her parents had put up a valiant struggle with their attacker. Dani shook and wailed as the horror of her reality played out in front of her to the soft backtrack ofNick at Nitecanned laughter.
But Dani didn’t have time to grieve.
Under the soft television laughter, Dani could just hear the gentle glidingwhooshof the back sliding door. There wasn’t anything she could do to help her poor parents now. She snapped to attention, set aside her misery, and kicked back into self-defense mode. She could have escaped through the bedroom window and ran to the neighbors’ house, but she would only bring Matt’s wrath upon them as well. Dani was tired of running. She held her knife high and moved toward the living room, determined to face her attacker head on once and for all.
Dani Kincaid closed her eyes and struggled to steady her ragged breath. Running wasn’t working anymore. Her stalker had caught up with her again, only this time, he had finally extinguished everyone she loved. It made her sick to think about facing him again, fear threatening to wear down her defenses. Just the sight of his shit-eating grin caused her body to lock up like a scared bunny. She pictured him lounging on her fathers’ favorite spot on the couch, in the same spot where she had opened so many Christmas presents and watched television with her murdered parents. The same spot where Tommy had nervously waited for her before prom only a few months ago. Defiling everything he touched.
“Daaaaaaani.” Matt’s voice drifted down the hall mingling over the joyful canned laughter. “Dani, why won’t you ever just talk to me?”
She wanted to rush into the living room and attack with full force, to plunge her knife into his chest again and again. She wanted to kick and punch and hurt him, to make him pay withblood and pain for what he did to everyone she loved. But Dani was a realist and knew that her chances of subduing the monster in her living room were slim to none. It was time for a different approach. She hid her switchblade in the palm of her hand and walked down the hallway to greet her stalker.
Just as she suspected, Matt was seated on the couch in the living room, his features ghoulish in the off-kilter lamplight. He wore a white undershirt and jeans and appeared as casual and comfortable as an invited guest. His eyes and face were still red and irritated from the full can of mace she had unloaded on him back at the movie theater. Somehow, the pepper spray seemed to have little effect and hadn’t slowed him down one bit. He should have been pissed at her, angry at the very least. Instead, a mile-wide smile spread across his lips as soon as she entered his view.
“Hi, Matt.”
He scratched his temple, sizing her up and down. Consuming her with his gaze. His cheshire cat smile remained as he threw an arm across the back of the couch and licked his lips.
“There she is,” he said. “You’re a slippery one.”
She sucked a sharp breath in through her nose. “What do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Dani? I just wanna talk to you. I wanna see you. That’s all I ever wanted.”
“And I told you to leave me alone,” she said.
“Can’t leave you alone, baby,” he said. “I’ve waited long enough. Just as the police cooled down, that punk from your karate class tried to move intomyplace? I don’t think so.”
“I called the cops. They’ll be here soon. They’ll never stop looking for you.”
“You did? That’s a real shame. We’ll have to get moving then,” he said, rubbing his eyes and wincing. “Ooh, girl this still stings. You got me real good back there.”
“Good.” Her voice was surprisingly calm and even. She gritted her teeth, refusing to break his gaze.
His upper lip twitched. “Look, I know this is all very confusing. In time, you’ll see things my way.”
“I’m not confused,” she said. “You’re a monster.”
“A monster? Dani, I love you. I’ve done this all for you, can’t you see that? This thing between us, it’s special. Pure. We’re going to be together. You know that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not special. I’m just a normal girl. There was never anything between us.”
Matt sighed. “Come on, now. We need to get going.”
“I’m staying here.” She said, lifting her chin up. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I know you’re scared, but I promise you, Dani. I would never lay a finger on you.”
“You killed my mom and dad,” she said. “My boyfriend. My friends. Everyone I love is dead because of you.”
Matt sighed. “I know. I’m sorry it had to be this way.”
“It didn’t have to be this way,” she said. “You didn’t have to kill anyone.”
“You know, Dani, there’s something wrong with me. Right here.” Matt poised his forefinger and thumb into the shape of a gun and pointed it at his temple. “From the minute I met you, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I had to do this so we could be together.”
“You’re sick. You need help.” She gasped, the words catching in her throat. “We … we can find someone to help you. I can help you.”
“Yes, youcanhelp me, by coming with me,” he said, standing up. “I’m not a bad guy, really. You’ll see.”
