Page 106 of Make You Mine

I don’t believe it’s blood this time. It’s more reminiscent of ink—the same ink from the message in my room.

Except this message makes no sense.

Uoy si noved. Nedyak uoy ma I. Gnola lla uoy.

Is this a cryptic message? An ancient language? It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard before.

I pull out my phone and take a picture with flash before moving on.

Ahead of me, Joseph’s lying on a bench, unmoving, arms dangling at his sides.

A cap is tossed on the floor beside him. Blood dances around one side of his face, his temple, and reaches all the way to the back of his head, a blotch of crimson red pooling. I’m guessing that’s where he got the main blow.

I press my fingers to his neck. No pulse. His skin isn’t that cold yet, and there’s no stiffness to it—he hasn’t been dead for long.

I wish I were more impacted by this. But after what I had to deal with in the past few days, I must have developed an immunity to it.

My chest isn’t tightening, there’s no pain, no shakiness, no trauma from the sight. I don’t want to puke my heart out. All I see is a body. Collateral damage.

Once again, he’s done this. Leaving me with his dirty laundry.

My blood boils at the thought of it. I have to take care of this.

I scan the rest of the room with my phone’s flashlight. The benches are empty. Everything else seems in place. My eyes catch on a note stuck to one of the lockers.

Before you go all angry on me, know who we were dealing with. This piece of shit stayed behind at school watching Madelyn.

Not only today, but multiple times.

He was trying to find a way to convict her, make her guilty for the disappearance of his shitty friend.

Yes, the guy that we took care of? That was the janitor’s idiot buddy. He too, was scum on earth.

He had drugs in his car, you know?

He was going back there to spike Maddy’s drink.

He had them in his pocket when I caught him, almost making it back into the bar.

He had to be put in his place.

This damn janitor, too. He stuck his nose where it didn’t belong, bro. He had it coming.

Actions have consequences after all. No one goes unpunished.

I did it for us.

For you, me, and Maddy.

See, I gave it some thought, and I think we can make this work.

I can make an exception for you. I can share. If she’s in, I’m in. I’m a flexible guy.

My jaw tightens and I swallow again before continuing. Like hell I’ll share my little demon with this psycho.

Sure, you have to clean this up. Sorry about that.

It’s become something of a habit, hasn’t it?