Her breath stutters, just for a second, but I catch it. I feel the change in her, the way realisation slithers its way up her fucking spine, too late to take her dirty words back.
She’s playing games with the wrong one.
And deadly games we shall play.
When she steps off me, feeling the shift in my mood, I let her. Even though my body is now vibrating, every sick and depraved instinct in me howling to grab her, pin her to my bed, and split her asshole wide open on my cock until she’s bleeding and crying for me to stop.
I stay seated and fuckingseethein it.
Because what’s coming next?
It’s going to ruin and change her forever.
And I’m going to enjoy every fuckinghorrifyingsecond of it.
Aurelia starts to walk backward, gun aimed at me as if it’s going to save her life. Which is kind of cute in a fucked-up way.
Don’t worry, my little corpse. I’ll take the bullet. But you best hope you aim to kill me, because nothing—nothing—is gonna stop me from completely and utterly brutalizing you tonight.
She opens my door, shuffling out of it, eyes never leaving mine before she slams it shut. I instantly stand, staring at the spot where she was. And my fists clench tightly as I step from one foot to the other.
Chapter Thirteen
Aurelia
When I finally get out of the Hollows' trailer, I dash across the gravel, my mind racing over where to go. Where he won’t find me—at least, not easily. I’m almost certain he’ll head straight for my trailer first.
I veer toward the circus, glancing over my shoulder, heart hammering, half-expecting to see him already closing in. There’s no way he’s not coming after me. I saw it in his eyes. I keep pushing too far.
Goddamn it, Aurelia. Why can’t you just shut the fuck up and stop provoking that fucking psycho?
After getting around the corner, I duck into the shadows, peering out from behind the red and white fabric whipping in the wind. My eyes lock onto the trailer, waiting, heart pounding.
Then—
He finally steps outside. He pauses, those glowing red eyes scanning the area like a killer scenting blood. He’s still shirtless. Still barefoot. Still fucking unhinged.
I see the glint of a chain wrapped around one of his arms, coiled around it tightly. The other barbwire.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
My chest squeezes tight as his gaze suddenly snaps straight toward me. Like he sees right through the fucking fabric and straight into my soul.
I stop breathing altogether, my hands gripping his gun with both hands.
How the fuck...
Theres no time to think. I spin around, sprinting along the side of the circus until I hit the edge of the carnival grounds.
It’s dead quiet, and darkness bleeds over everything, coating the usually vibrantly colored rides and booths in a haunting glow.
I push forward, not caring where I end up, just needing tomove.
I haven’t been here yet and haven’t explored what horrors might be lurking ahead. But there has to be somewhere I can hide. Somewhere he won’t find me.
I tear deeper into the carnival, boots hammering against the cracked tarmac, every cold breath scraping my throat raw.
The Haunted Carouselrises to my left, its skeletal horses locked mid-prance, their bony jaws open in silent screams. The carousel is motionless, but the way the wind rattles its chains and stirs the hanging, rotted banners makes it look like it could lurch to life any second.
