Page 105 of Make You Mine

“I was going to say, I’ve got a knife.” He takes out a pocket-knife from his black leather jacket.

“Where did you get that from?”

“I always keep something with me. It makes me feel safer. So, I’ll be fine. You stay here until I come back, and then we’ll leave. Actually, you stay there.” He points at the front door of the school, the entrance. “On the other side. Outside. Waiting for me. If I don’t come out in ten minutes, run and get help.”

“I don’t want to do this.”

“Madelyn, listen to me. Please.”

I sigh, considering his words. “Not ten minutes, five.”

I have to calm down. The air will do me good, and I know Kayden is strong enough to defend himself.

“Deal.” He nods and turns away, into the dark.

I go my own way, reach the front door, and pull it open. But I still don’t trust this plan. If he’s not back in five minutes—I’m going back to get him. I can’t leave him behind.

30

KAYDEN

My suspicions were right.

He was—is—after Madelyn. I just wasn’t aware that she knew and was hiding it from me.

I wonder if he made her do things, too, the way he did with me.

Illegal things. The stuff of nightmares. My stomach churns with the thought.

For my little demon’s sake, I hope she didn’t play along with any of his threats.

I should have talked to her long ago, the minute this freak showed up, threatening me.

I should talk to her now and put a stop to all these secrets. Tell her everything—the messy and the complicated included. That was the plan on my way here. Pick her up and spill the truth.

I have no idea if she would believe me. She didn’t want to listen to me in the past when this same thing happened. I knew I didn’t do it, even if I couldn’t explain it. I never leaked the sex tape, I was sure of that.

I understand why Maddy thought it was me, but I wanted to keep doing what we were doing back then, explore deeper that intense attraction between us. I had no interest in ruining everything and humiliating her. No matter how rocky our relationship was.

If there were no secrets between us now—this psycho wouldn’t have anything to hold against me. No leverage.

I didn’t know he would involve Madelyn this deep, making her play a game and claiming more victims.

If Joseph’s really hurt as Maddy claimed, we could be implicated in his homicide. There’s no way we can call the police without looking suspicious.

I navigate the hallways, led by my phone’s flashlight and the lit-up garland decorations that someone stuck on the floor, creating a path through the whole first floor, and reaching the storage room.

Contrary to what Maddy says, however, the room is empty.

If Joseph was here before—he either is alive and got out, he’s the psycho and is pulling out a villain-pretending-to-be-dead moment out of the movies, or someone moved his body while Maddy and I were talking.

The answer is obvious the second I accidentally flash the tiles of the floor with my light.

A stain of blood spreads across it, creating a thin trail. A path that brings chills down my spine.

My steps are slow and steady as I follow the only lead I have. If this is Joseph’s blood, I have a bad feeling about his chance of survival.

I don’t have to wait long to find out. Following the trail, I’m led right to my sanctuary, the gym. Walking straight from one point to another and crossing to the locker room. The trail stops at the entrance, and is replaced by a message in red on the floor.