Atlas
Have a horrible night without me, Succubus!
He keeps calling me that and seems to be on the right track. I’ll give him happiness, only to end up sucking it away at the end.
Have a horrible night without me, my handsome Chocolate Bar Thief!
My eyes drift back to his note, and arrhythmia sets in once more. Falling back on my bed, not even landing on my pillow, I move the jewelry box on my nightstand, propping the note on top. It’s not framed, but it might as well be. My phone stays in my hand while I stare at the ceiling. For the first time in a long while, I can’t fall asleep fast. Going along with this plan and hurting Atlas . . . That collateral no longer seems right. What kind of person would I be if I hurt him?
The kind that does the wrong thing for the right reasons.
There’s a single line I’d never cross—killing an innocent. For anything else, I’ll bend the shit out of my moral compass to make it work.
Keeping my head in the short-term plans can be the answer to my qualms. I might not get to live long enough to complete the long-term ones anyway.
I drift to sleep with nothing but payback for my public humiliation on my mind, and I’ve never woken up this eager for thenight to come. No caffeine needed today, for the adrenaline from what I’m about to do could keep me wide awake for days in a row.
Atlas texts me again at noon, letting me know he won’t be on campus, but that he’ll see me tonight. He keeps himself accountable to me, which should put a bright green tick on my checklist, not a warm feeling inside my chest.
When the late afternoon comes, I take my phone out, doing what I should’ve done by now. Eli will always have a place in my heart, but keeping a reminder of what never was is not healthy. I never really had his love when it was reserved only for bits and pieces of me. That makes those texts on my phone obsolete—a keepsake I no longer need.
Atlas will come looking for me in my room, and when he doesn’t find me, he’ll head back to his place, where I’ll be waiting.
Happy hunting to me!
Chapter 25
Atlas
Another night alone at Summer’s place,patientlywaiting for her to get back from wherever she is. Can’t track her anymore, and she hasn’t been answering my texts or calls. Microchipping her sounds extremely appealing now, though I doubt she’d be thrilled about it.
She didn’t seem angry at me last night. Retaliation coming—sure, her attempt is welcomed—but I’m not okay with not seeing her. Why does she avoid me? No matter where she is, this will be the last night Summer plays such tricks on me, depriving me of her company.
A not-so-tamed ‘call me when you get back’ note is what I leave behind. I can text her, but a note is more dramatic, proving I was once more in her room. But then a stray thought makes my excitement levels peak. Breaking and entering is nothing I haven’t done before. Doing so in a woman’s room—I haven’t had the pleasure before meeting my demon. Going through her lingerie—I’m ready for a ‘creepy stalker’ badge of honor.
It’s one particular item I’m in search of, namely the sexy, colorful bra she was wearing in thephoto. I meant what I said in my text to her. She is perfect! I’ve never stared at an imagelonger in my life; every little detail of it is burned into my retinas, so much that all I have to do is close my eyes, and I see it. I want to take this piece of lingerie, not to deprive her of it, but to make her wear it for me the next time we meet. This one I’m not going to rip apart. She’ll take it off willingly. Hopefully. Don’t wanna say ‘I’m feeling lucky’ because that didn’t end well last time.
Finding the bra, I fold it and stuff it into my back pocket while closing her drawer. I deserve to pat myself on the back for not being a total creeper by digging for used panties and sniffing them.
That’s all I need from her room before I exit and head back to my place.
It’s a full house tonight with all of the guys in the living room sharing takeout. I plan on joining them, but first I need to run upstairs and leave this bra that feels like it’s burning a hole in my back pocket.
In my room, I throw the car keys on the desk and reach for the colorful rack trap, only for a strong jolt of electricity to cramp the muscles in my back, spreading through my body. It stings like a bitch! Even my jaw goes tight. Connor has zapped me before, but this is definitely some higher-voltage shit.
The pain is brief, but long enough to make me sway when it stops. By a sheer miracle, I don’t fall to the ground. That miracle has a name, or as I call her, my Succubus. Summer grabs my wrists and yanks them behind me, restraining them with zip ties before I can react. My dizzy state lets her pull me back a couple of steps. Then something goes around my neck.
A fuckin’ belt!
My own belt, connected to another one, thrown over my pull-up bar and tied up so fast, it leaves me unable to move.
“Feet together,” Summer orders, taking out the taser again.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Feet together, baby, if you don’t wanna feel the spark again.” She gives me the most vivacious smile ever.
Call me crazy, but I bet she has fun stuff planned, and this is justforeplay, so I cater to herpolite requestand she’s in full-on commando mode while binding my ankles together.
