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I hate him, and I want to kill him. Out him for what he’s done.
But I also can’t help the fact that my insides warm whenever he comes to mind. He’s my dark little secret.
“We could always try to draw him out. Play his own fucking game,” Kyler mumbles, licking the edge of the paper and folding it down with ease.
“It’ll never work,” I mumble, my fingers spanning wide on top of the island. Glancing up at everyone, my eyes ping from one set to the next. “What I mean is, he seems too smart to fall into a trap. We would need to do something else than justdraw him out.”
Archer freezes, glancing over at me with narrowed eyes. “You fucking hanging out with him or something? How the hell would you know what he can and cannot do? How smart he is?” His face twists with his words, as if they taste bad on his tongue.
My skin flushes, and I glance down, hoping I’m not as obvious or guilty as I feel. “I’m not fucking hanging out with him, Archer. It’s just obvious,” I growl, my eyes raising to his. “He gets away with an attempted murder in a public place, then an actual murder at a party with hundreds of people. We can’t just bait a line and throw it out there, hoping he’d bite. He’s too smart.”
Everyone is silent, but it’s Reign who speaks.
“You keeping something from us, Lakyn?” he murmurs, stepping up to me. His eyes are narrowed, spearing mine. It causes my breath to catch in my chest, as if his fingers have dipped in there and clutched tightly.
“I’m not hiding anything,” I whisper.
He takes a step closer, until I can feel the menacing energy seeping off him. “How many secrets are you really hiding, baby Lake?”
My mouth opens, a squeak coming out. I don’t know what to do, or how to save my friends and Hellcrest Heights while also hiding my darkest secrets.
“Holy shit,” Posie says, looking down at her phone.
Thank God.
I stand from my chair, my legs weak as I glance over at her. “What is it?” I ask.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide. Spinning on her feet, she races to the living room, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and switching on the TV. She turns to the news station, and as one, we all walk toward her, our eyes glued to the TV screen.
Eloise’s father, Mayor of Hellcrest Heights, who I haven’t seen since before Eloise was attacked, stands at the podium in front of the city hall, his face a mask of pain as he stares at the cameraman.
“As you all know, my daughter, Eloise Sharpe, was attacked a few days ago at the college library. It was a horrible, dreadful black cloud that has cloaked this entire town. My wife and I have been in shambles, standing at her bedside for days.” He pauses, glancing off the screen as he wipes his eyes. “Thankfully, today she has taken a good turn, and she is now awake and breathing on her own. It shouldn’t take long until she is physically well. Though we all know the mental toll these things can take on a person.”
His face hardens into stone, and he looks directly at the camera. “And now there has been another attack in Hellcrest Heights, and this one has resulted in murder. We do believe there is enough evidence to suggest we have a murderer in our midst.”
He straightens his coat. “Starting tonight, we’re enforcing a city-wide curfew for everyone. Every person in Hellcrest Heights should be in their homes by nine p.m. No exceptions. We will have extra patrols out and be diligent in our search until we find out who did this.” His eyes narrow, and he looks like a rabid dog as his teeth bare. “We will find you, and we will make you pay for what you’ve done,” he growls.
I swallow, and the TV cuts off, going back to the reporter. Posie raises her hand, pointing the remote at the TV as she switches it off.
“Holy shit,” Archer whispers, glancing over at me.
I stare at him with wide eyes, not sure what to say.
“A curfew?” Vienna shrieks. “Who the fuck is going to follow a damn curfew?”
I shake my head. “No one. It’s October. The Halloween party is coming up, and no one is going to cancel it.”
“Nah, definitely still going to the Halloween party.” Kyler chuckles, shaking his head at the TV. “Eloise always thought her dad was a piece of shit.”
He is, but all our fathers are.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I unlock it, seeing a message from my own father.
“Speak of the fucking devil,” I mumble, opening his message.
Dad:George will be there in five. Meeting at home. Only you are allowed through our doors, Lakyn. Don’t bring any of your friends with you.
“What did he say?” Archer snaps, leaning over my shoulder.
