Page 104 of Make You Mine

“There’s someone here. They’re…” I pause. “Following me. And they locked me in here.”

Kayden’s eyebrows furrow, his jaw tenses. “What? Who is it? Did they hurt you?” He huffs. “I’ll fucking kill them.”

I shake my head, my hands trembling as I bring them together. “It’s nothing like that. He’s been sending me gifts and…threatening me.”

“Threatening you with what?” he asks, still frowning. “Fuck. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I couldn’t. He knows…things. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, he’s hurt people. He hurt Joseph. He’s—I found him in the storage room, and he’s—” The reality sinks in as I say it out loud. Tears well at the corners of my eyes, and my voice breaks. “I think he’s dead.”

“Are you sure?”

“I-I’m not. B-but I couldn’t feel him breathing.”

“Did you check for a pulse?”

“N-no. I didn’t want to touch him, in case I—” In case I left my prints on him? Did I almost say that? “I-I don’t know. I freaked out and left him.”

Devon might pin this on me. Or Kayden. He did threaten to make my brother suffer.

I know what he’s capable of.

“I shouldn’t have left him. But it’s pointless now.” It pains me, but I don’t know what I can do to help him without condemning myself. “We should go. We can go and…I don’t know, call in an anonymous tip? We’ll figure it out when we’re far from here.”

“We can’t leave him.”

“This guy…he’s dangerous.” I don’t know how to resonate with Kayden. I can’t tell him the whole story.

I’m starting to regret asking him to come and save me because now I’m risking him, too.

If something happens to Kayden—if my brother gets hurt because of me—I don’t think I can ever forgive myself.

“I know,” he says. “But I’m not afraid of him.”

I know the right thing to do is check if Joseph is okay before getting the hell out of here. I’m being selfish by choosing us and our safety.

“I’ll go check on Joseph and find that piece of shit.”

“No.” Tears slowly drip down my face. “Let’s go, Kayden.”

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you. I’ll be right back.”

It’s not me I’m worried about now. I can’t let Kayden do this, play the hero.

This villain isn’t fantasy. He’s real. Very real. And he wants me.

“Then, I’m coming with you.”

“No.” Kayden grasps my shoulders again. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. This is a possible killer we’re talking about here. You’re not equipped enough for that.”

“And you are?”

“Well, I⁠—”

“Don’t bullshit me with the whole ‘I’m a guy’ speech because I’ll kick your balls and we’ll see how much of a strong, tough guy you are.”

That gets a laugh out of him. We shouldn’t be joking in a moment like this, with the clock ticking, with Devon still somewhere around here. But it somehow helps soothe my nerves.

I can’t help but smile back when he does.