It’s her.
Raven stands there, clearly entered the wrong restroom, wide-eyed and rooted to the spot, her gaze flitting from the blood pooling on the floor to my hidden side profile.
Perfect timing.
I wait, expecting her to back away, to bolt from the room. But she doesn’t. Instead, she stupidly steps forward, those soft therapist eyes fixed on me, trying to mask her panic with calm.
“Hey…” she says, like she’s coaxing a patient out of a fucking nightmare. “You don’t have to do this.”
My teeth grind noticeably, annoyance sweeping through me as the guy’s movements starting to slow. Any normal person would have run out that fucking door, but not Raven, she’s trying to act hero against a fucking serial killer. The stupidity of her innocence is shocking.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she murmurs, her voice annoyingly warm, her hand landing softly on my shoulder.
The moment her fingers make contact, I twist, reaching up and wrapping my bloodied gloved hand around her delicate throat before she could even see it coming. Her eyes go wide, a mix of terror and confusion flashing across her pretty face as I pull her close, lifting her just enough to force her up on her tiptoes.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is. My little kitten,” I taunt, letting the words roll off my tongue, my head cocked to the side in an unsettling tilt.
She stares back at me, those expanded blue eyes searching my own, the only part of me visible through the dark mask.
“Ty?” she chokes out.
My hand strengthens around her throat as I walk her back, her fingers curling around my wrist, trying to pry me off. When I’ve got her trapped against the grimy tiles, I release her, and she gasps for air, her hand instinctively clutching her neck. Her eyes flick to the bloody mess behind me, but I shift, blocking her view.
“What have you done?” she asks, her scared gaze darting to mine.
“He drugged your drink,” I reply, each word exact and cold. Her face shifts, suspicion turning to horror.
“What?”
“You left your drink alone, and he took his shot,” I snarl, the anger fizzing under my hot flesh as I glance back at the unconscious scum on the floor, itching to finish the job.
“What are you doing here, Ty?” she asks softly. “Are you… following me?”
Her question pulls at something sinister inside me. I turn my head and take a step closer, eyes boring into hers as the truth—sick, hungry, and relentless—presses in, closer than she realizes.
“Yes,” I respond quietly and honestly.
Her brows shoot up, panic flashing across her face, then without a second’s hesitation, she tries to rush past me, but I reach out, grabbing her upper arm and dragging her back. She twists her arm sharply, wrenching free of my grasp, and glares at me with a fire I haven’t seen before.
“I know you think I’m weak, Ty, but outside of those asylum’s walls, I’m anything but.” She hisses and presses a finger hard against my chest. I glance down at it, smirking slightly as she jabs harder.
“This ends now,” she spits, defiance glistening in her icy eyes. “I’m done. Whatever you think this is, I’m not entertaining it. I’ll turn you in… I’ll…”
My jaw locks. “Oh yeah?” I cut her off, pushing her buttons.
“Yeah,” her gaze narrows. “You need to leave me the fuck alone.”
“But I did it for you, kitten,” I growl, barely containing my frustration. “If I hadn’t been here, he would’ve hurt you.”
She shakes her head, her expression strained. “Thank you, but this—this isn’t how to handle it. You could’ve just told me, warned me. Why… why cut his fucking fingers off?” Her tone drops, the confusion heavy, as if she’s still processing the nightmare unfolding around her.
“Because he touched your little freckled nose,” I reply, every word laced with raw, delirious truthfulness. Her eyes widen, her body betraying a slight shiver as she instinctively glances away, trying not to look into my intense gaze.
“Fuck,” she whispers, but then, like a rabbit breaking for freedom, she bolts toward the door, but again, I’m faster. My hand catches her fiery red hair, yanking her back. She gasps, a small wince escaping as her back collides with my chest, and in one smooth motion, I slap a bloodied gloved hand over her mouth.
“Shh…” I murmur darkly, gazing down at her panicked side-profile, tracing the edge of my knife gently across her cheek, enjoying the way her body shakes in terror. She’s facing the scene now, the guy’s unconscious form slumped over the toilet, his face pressed into the bowl. Her breath traps, her watery eyes locked onto the deadly mess I’ve made, and I don’t let her look away.
“I think he deserves to lose his eyes too, Raven.” I say quietly, my lips close to her ear. “After all… he dared to look at what’s fucking mine. That’s a death penalty in my book, but I’ll go easy just this once. If he loses his fucking eyes and fingers, it’ll be very hard for him to ever drug an innocent woman again, don’t you think?”
