“Oh! Yes!” Her eyes light. “I’ll be out tomorrow morning. I’ll still have the bandage and stuff for a couple of weeks, but Dr. Herrera says I’ll make a full recovery with minimal scarring.”
“That’s amazing,” I say, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “I’m so happy you’re going to be okay, Saf.”
Saffron gives me a massive grin and tucks into her dinner, her expression eager as she pulls the foil off the burger. My phone beeps with a news alert, and I pull it out to read the headline.
“Carvers Deli Up In Flames!”
I blink down at the screen, my heart hammering. I wasjustthere with Mr. Graves. Is it just a coincidence, or…?
Needing to find out more, I open my phone and scroll through the article. It seems the fire department ruled it as a grease fire, with no signs of foul play—but something doesn’t sit right with me.
Did Red 7 see Mr. Graves and me dining there today? Did he get jealous and burn the place down in retaliation?
A shiver runs down my spine, and I close out of the article, my phone burning in my pocket. If hedidsee us, then Mr. Graves could be in danger. Seven won’t hesitate to kill Mr. Graves if he sees him as a potential threat to me or the twisted obsession he has with me.
Now, I’m even more convinced I made the right decision at lunch. Anyone who gets too close to me is indanger,and I need to remember that.
“You okay, Grace?”
I whip my head to Saffron, doing my best to smile. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
She frowns. “You just seem tired. Anxious…”
I shrug, unable to meet her eyes. “There’s just a lot on my plate. I promise I’m fine, though.”
“If you say so…” She narrows her eyes. “You should head home. Get some rest.”
“But what about you?”
She waves me off. “I’ll befine.I have my favorite food in the whole world, and I got to see my favorite person.” Her eyes twinkle with a smile. “Plus, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to flirt with Dr. Sexy.”
I laugh, reaching over to give her a gentle hug. “You’re gonna give that poor guy a heart attack.”
She shrugs. “Wearein a hospital. He’s covered. Now—shoo! Go get some sleep.”
Not having the strength to argue, I give Saffron another hug goodbye and head home—praying there won’t be any more surprises waiting for me.
But a smaller, forbidden part hopes a deranged serial killer will be lying in my bed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
GRACE
I step into my apartment,wrapping my arms around my torso as a cool chill runs through me. For the first time in a while, my home feels indescribablylonely,and I know before I check that Seven isn’t here. I should be grateful, but instead, I’m hit with a pang of disappointment so powerful, it takes the breath out of me.
I should have stayed a few more hours today to work on the product data Mr. Graves needs, but I couldn’t focus on my work anyway. I’ll have to stay late into the night tomorrow to make up for it, but it’s better than driving myself insane when I’m so close to snapping.
Wanting desperately to relax, I make myself a cup of my favorite green tea. I take a sip, but the liquid goes sour on my tongue. I much prefer the tea Archer Graves made me, but no matter what I try, I can’t replicate that exotic taste. I make myself drink half before I can’t stand it anymore and pour the rest down the sink.
Sighing, I move into the bathroom, stripping my clothes and hopping into the shower, not caring that the water is still ice cold. I take an extra long time washing, and exfoliating,and moisturizing, letting the monotonous tasks lull me into a peaceful numbness.
My fingertips are pruned by the time I get out, and the steam is so thick, it’s difficult to breathe. I dry myself and pull a robe around my body, desperate to crawl into bed despite the sun still being high in the sky.
“What a day,” I murmur, climbing into bed on top of the covers. I lie back with a heavy sigh, staring blankly at the textured ceiling. Now that there’s nothing to distract me, I can’t help my mind from wandering to the events of last night.
Though I don’t want to admit it, I’m attracted to the masked killer. It’s immoral and wrong, but I crave his touch, the way only he can make me feel. I know I’m playing a dangerous game with Seven, but I don’t know if I have the power to stop it. The more time I spend with him, the less I want to.
With each passing day, it’s becoming easier to convince myself to give in to his dark desires. I shudder, remembering the feel of his heated fingers as he pushed his release inside me. Instead of repulsion, desire floods my veins, warming my core and filling my head with a muted buzzing sound.
