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I gave her a feral smile. “Soon enough, you’ll beg for me to visit.”
Slipping through the darkness, a newfound energy pumped through my veins. It was time to select my next victim to kill.
Chapter 17
Ella
The sun beamed through the window, casting a spotlight on the beige tiles. I lay motionless, numb, and lost as I stared at the cabinets. The minutes felt like hours as I tried to process what had happened.
Peeling myself off the floor, I shook from head to toe as the mixture of adrenaline, fear, and the forced orgasm had left me weak. I struggled to stand, my knees cracking with the effort. I glanced down at my naked body. My shins were covered in light brown bruises, and a thin line of dried blood marked each breast.
I stumbled to the en suite bathroom. Emotionally and physically drained, I turned on the shower and fisted my hands against the glass. I should call the cops, but something inside … some twisted, sick, dark part of me didn’t want to. Because for one depraved moment I was entirely lost to sensation. My brain switched off, my body handing itself over to Death to do with me as he pleased. I didn’t have to think about my dad dying, saying goodbye, paying medical bills, keeping my head above water. I was free to drown. The sting of the blade marking my skin had made me feel … made me feel. Death’s words bounced around in my mind. I’m your sickness, and I’ll infect you with a fever. Maybe he was right.
I stood under the scalding hot water, the cuts stinging as the water glided over them. My brain pounded with a confusing array of emotions. I tried desperately to reconcile the two versions of Death that I had encountered—the one online and the one in person. It wasn’t like Death was a total stranger. I’d met a version of him on the website but experienced a completely different side to him last night. He was brutal and terrifying.
My thoughts raced with the conversations we’d had over the last year. His voice had always been disguised by the computer he used, so it was impossible to know if he had the same Pacific Northwest accent Death had. Plus, the man I knew as Shadow Whisper had shared things about his life that made him look like a saint. If what he’d said was true, he donated to charities and mentioned mentoring kids living in bad areas. But the man I knew as Death had marked me, stained my soul, and no amount of scrubbing could wash me clean. I’d been stupid to think I knew him without spending time with him in person first. It was easy to hide behind a screen and pretend to be someone else.
“Stop making excuses for him. He’s a fucking criminal. He broke into your house and raped you,” I muttered.
My jaw clenched and unclenched. I should turn him in. From the clues he’d given me, I strongly suspected that he was the Portland serial killer destroying lives, and now he was my stalker. I barked out a laugh. How the hell did I end up here?
I tried to fit the puzzle pieces together, forcing myself to think logically. Who was this man? Was he a client at the law firm? Maybe we’d worked together on a case, and he developed an obsession with me. Fear coiled like a snake in the pit of my stomach. I inhaled deeply, the steam filling my lungs.
Was it possible that one of the men from the alarm company was behind the mask? I certainly couldn’t rule it out, but this fucked-up situation with Death was deeper and more personal than someone simply lurking in the shadows.
Once I’d finished scrubbing my body and conditioning my hair, I turned off the shower and grabbed the towel. Minutes later, I had rechecked the locks, ensured the alarm was set, and dressed in clean pajamas. Glancing at the clock, I climbed onto the comfortable mattress. I realized that Death had access to my house but only visited when it was dark, and I couldn’t see him. Apparently, I was safer in the daylight. My eyelids fluttered closed as I nestled into my pillow.
I rolled out of bed, the digital clock reading eight p.m. I had been sleeping all day, but my mind was bogged down, and my stomach twisted in knots. Cami had gone to work, so I was alone with my tangled thoughts about Dad’s illness and Death’s threats. My skin crawled, and I needed to leave the house before I burst apart.
An hour later, I strolled into Velvet Vortex, the smell of hamburgers and fries heavy in the air. Since it was Tuesday evening, the dance floor wasn’t packed, but the restaurant was. I made my way to the bar, searching for Sebastian, but I didn’t see his broad shoulders and the black T-shirt he usually wore. It was someone else.
I climbed onto a barstool and set my handbag on the counter.
“Hey, you’re Ella, right?” the bartender asked.
I frowned, anxiety shooting through me. I wasn’t keen on anyone knowing who I was after Death had broken into my home and hurt me. “Who’s asking?”
“I’m Kip, one of Bass’s best friends and part club owner. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’ve seen you as well, but I figured I should introduce myself.”
I hid my sigh of relief. “It’s nice to meet you. Is Sebastian here?”
“Yeah, he’s in the office. Go on back.”
I slid off the seat, waiting for him to point me in the right direction.
“Walk past the kitchen and enter the ‘Employees Only’ area. In the hallway, his door is the third one on the right.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a small wave as I followed his instructions. Once in the hall, I spotted Sebastian’s office. The door was closed, but I could hear his voice.
Ready to knock, my hand froze in midair. I glanced behind me to make sure no one else was around before I pressed my ear to the door.
“Are you sure he won’t be home? If we need to scout the house …”
What the hell is he into?
“Yeah, Britny will be there at the designated time, and I’ll hide the goods from there. You do your thing, hack the security system and loop the feed, so we cover our asses. I don’t plan on being anyone’s prison bitch.”
Fuck! Prison? Hacking a security system?
