Prologue
There was nothing as exciting as the intense shadows created by a dark and stormy night. I reveled in the electricity crackling in the air from the approaching storm. The single bolt of lightning lit up the sky in magical flashes of gritty neon.
I stood outside for a few moments before sliding the tool into the top lock. Within three seconds, it turned, presenting no issue. The bottom lock was even easier and after a quick scan of the two roads intersecting the quaint home, I entered, closing the door behind me with a soft click.
The only sound was the slight hum coming from the kitchen, the noise easily recognizable as a running dishwasher. Silently, I moved through the house, drinking in the scent of vanilla and cinnamon from a candle only recently snuffed out.
Everything was organized. There were no dishes in the sink, nothing left on any counter. There was a vase on the kitchen table, flowers recently placed into cool water. I took a deep whiff, the summer bouquet providing very little scent.
The bookcase in the living room was just as neat, every book organized by height, not a single one out of place. The few photographs were positioned in a slight arc and I couldn’t help myself, holding one in my fingers for a few precious seconds, admiring the three women standing arm in arm, smiling for an unknown photographer.
I found myself jealous, a rarity in my life. She wasn’t allowed to be with anyone else.
My chest tightened at the thought of taking her, yet the time wasn’t right.
I moved through the darkness, the nightlight in the hallway doing little more than capturing the shadows I adored. I knew the location of her bedroom. The door was wide open and I walked inside. The aroma was incredible, a sweet combination of strawberries and night-blooming jasmine.
As soon as I approached her bed, my cock stiffened, the arousal anticipated. She had that kind of stark effect on me. The beauty lay sleeping, her long hair splayed out across her plump pillow like a gorgeous fan.
Another bolt of lightning created glorious colorful lines across her body from between the slats on the open blind. Didn’t she know to be careful, to shut out the rest of the vermin crawling on the earth?
I moved closer, barely able to control my actions. She’d kicked down the covers, exposing her torso and the upper part of her long legs, the rise and fall of her chest accentuating her voluptuous breasts. With one arm bent, her hand under the pillow and her legs shifting open by a few inches, I was given a gift of seeing her wet panties.
My mouth watered at the thought of tasting her. I could only imagine she was sweet like cherries. The thought brought a chuckle, the slight rumble not enough to disturb her beauty sleep. I remained where I was, the bright red numbers of her inexpensive clock allowing me to count down ten minutes of sheer joy.
The thought of touching her was strong, but I refused to give in to temptation. The wait would be well worth my while. She wasn’t ready to accept the inevitable, but soon, very soon she would be.
I turned away, concerned I’d lose all sense of control with her, catching my reflection in the mirror above her dresser. A new mask. A new obsidian identity. A new method of pleasure.
After reaching the door, I tipped my head enough to take one last, long look at the woman who had become my ultimate prey.
Did she know I was watching her? Did she have any idea how long I’d spent waiting for this very moment, a chance to touch and taste? Did she even care I’d been protecting her, keeping a close eye on everything she did?
There were far too many predators in the wild.
I’d first invaded her mind with the darkness that prevailed inside of me, a hunger so rich and deep that I’d thought no one could tolerate my desires.
Then I’d found her, the perfect specimen. She’d slipped into my reality in a way I hadn’t anticipated. By enjoying the game.
Even if I was required to be careful, to continue my perfect life, I’d already decided she was mine.
If I knew anything about the beauty, she was expecting me. She longed for a brutal man, her hunger matching my own. Twisted. Jaded. Even sick, but we were two of a kind.
When it was time, she would never forget our very first meeting. That precious, incredible, and dangerous moment would be just the beginning.
For she was my little lamb and I was her… Sinner.
[divider]Chapter One
Jessica
“I’m coming for you!” His gruff voice managed to echo in the dense forest just before he howled.
I did so adore a man with a deep, husky voice. “You will die.”
The loud breathing surrounding me matched the rapid thumping of my heart. There was nothing like the electrifying rush of pure adrenaline.
“No. No! Run.” The girls scattered, running in all directions. Typical, but at least they hadn’t tripped. Whoops.
There went one, her face pitched into the thorns. Ouch. That had to hurt. I almost laughed at the ridiculousness, but my enjoyment was still eight out of ten.
And my scale was tough.
I shifted forward, my pulse increasing just as he caught one of them around the throat, lifting her several feet off the ground.
“Oh, God,” Stephanie moaned from beside me.
The monster held up the butcher knife, his entire body arched as if hit by a bolt of lightning. He brought the sharp blade down into the girl’s face, yanking it out immediately afterwards, the moonlight reflecting across the blade’s bloodied surface. And the murderous beast thrust it down again. And again.
And again.
Screams pounded the room, several people jumping as they shrieked.
When the killer immediately turned toward the other two girls, I was certain Ashley might faint. The brutal beast wasn’t any nicer to the others either, almost cutting one girl in half.
I sat back in the theater seat, still munching on popcorn. My besties had given up struggling to keep down the goodies when the anti-hero in the movie had used a chainsaw on one of the guys.
Ashley suddenly clawed my arm, digging her sharp nails into my skin.
“How can you stand this?” Stephanie moaned.
I giggled. Because the vicious violence sparked and fed the twisted depths of my soul.
With blood covering every inch of him, the serial killer headed deeper into the forest.
Yet he would kill again.
And again.
When the movie ended only a few minutes later, Stephanie hissed at the screen. “What kind of shitty ending was that? Shouldn’t he be arrested? Hell, no, the fucker should have his arms and legs cut off very slowly with a rusty blade. Yeah. That’s what he deserves. Then maybe the girls aren’t really dead and they can be healed. Imagine doctors falling in love with them.”
Ashley choked on her Diet Coke.
I leaned all the way forward in the seat, cocking my head in her direction. “You do realize this is a horror movie and that there are never happy-ever-afters in them. Right?”
Stephanie was genuinely pissed, jerking to her feet. “I don’t give a shit. That was no ending.”
“It just means there’s going to be a sequel,” Ashley insisted.
“It’s an entire series. You know that.” Sighing, I rose to my feet. Both my friends were sweating. We certainly didn’t have the same tastes in movies and undoubtedly in men by a long shot. “Come on. It’s late.” Very late. I checked my watch as the credits continued to roll, and the lights slowly began to fill the theater.
It was well after midnight. At least it was Saturday night, so I’d have a chance to sleep in the next day. The entire crowd of people had managed to jump up from their seats, heading toward the exit before we had a chance. What were they afraid of? The boogeyman?
I chuckled from the thought. At least I’d gotten a few pointers I could use in my designs at work. That was worth sitting through the cheap thrills.
As we lagged behind the remaining crowd, I rolled through the special effects in my mind.
“Well, I loved it,” I told them both. “In a professional way, of course.”
“You would. You’re kind of creepy like that,” Stephanie teased.
I slapped her arm. “I’m not creepy. I told you this was for research.”
“Great,” Ashley groaned. “As if I want to play a video game where a man in a creeper mask chases me around with a big knife.”
“They’re virtual reality games, darling,” I told her.
“Whatever. They’re games. Not real life.”
They were my life anyway. As one of the designers for a small but profitable gaming company, we had challenge sessions every Monday morning where we tossed out ideas for possible future game development while sipping on lattes and bouncing on huge rubber balls used as chairs. While I had a sizzling list of ideas I kept locked away for security purposes, I thought a horror flick might generate the darker, more creative side of me.
The city of Chicago offered promise, even if the reason I’d moved here wasn’t entirely about accepting a position I’d gone after with tooth and nail. No, my reasons for abandoning my home in Baltimore were very personal. Much to my father’s anger.
But I was a big girl determined to live my life.
And right the wrongs that had occurred within my family.
We finally made it out of the building, the crisp air a welcome change to the recent weeks of sticky humidity. “That was… disgusting,” Stephanie said before bursting into laughter.
“It was made on a dollar budget too.”
I glanced at Ashley and shook my head.
“Baby girl. You don’t need to worry about money so stop complaining.” I told her.
She gave me the finger as I’d anticipated. The girl had balls, but a hell of a lot of brains too. Plus, she was the most gorgeous of the three of us.
“At least we managed to squeeze in some time together.” Stephanie threw open her arms. “Group hug.”
I groaned. She always did this as if we didn’t try to see each other at least once a week. “We’re going shopping tomorrow. Remember?”
Stephanie pulled away. “Shit. I can’t. My mother is insisting I go to brunch with her and dear ole Daddy.”
“Pooh,” Ashley chimed in. “We’ll miss you. Well, maybe not that much.”
We all laughed. “Where did you park, girlie?” Steph asked me.
“Over there.” I pointed behind me. The parking lot had been slam full when I’d arrived, but the other movies had ended around eleven so there were few cars left.
“By the forest?” Ashley made a face. “I will say this. You just had to pick a theater far removed from civilization. There’s like nothing else around.”
She was right about that. With one road leading away from the theater, it took a full mile before hitting a two-lane road heading for the highway. “This is the only location the movie was playing.”
“Gee. I wonder why. A dungeon,” Stephanie growled out and acted out a scene from the movie.
Shadows. The moon. The stars. They were both right in that this was a perfect location for a crime scene. Maybe that’s why I’d selected both the movie and the theater.
“Are you afraid of the dark?” I made a sound like a ghost. Steph hated the dark while I thrived in it. Darkness was when I was in my most creative spirit.
“You’ve been spending way too much time alone, girlfriend. Maybe you should get out in the light more often.”
They loved to call me a vampire. “Funny. Ashley. Eleven tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
“Me? Late? Never.”
“Always,” both Stephanie and I said with singsong tones. I backed away, waving to them before taking long strides toward my little car. Getting out for a change had been a great idea. I’d been working so many long hours that days had gone by without me knowing.
But I had plans.
Big plans.
And they would put me on the top of the gaming world. Plus, I could finally act on the biggest need I’d had in my life.
Destruction.
I obviously had a slice of evil lurking in the abyss of my mind.
There was nothing wrong with my devilish ideas. Nothing at all.
Ping.
I was halfway across the parking lot when I heard a sound. The girls liked to try to scare me every chance they got. I spun around. “Stop it. I know what you’re trying to do.” I craned my neck, scanning the parking lot and surrounding area.
There was no one there. Not a single soul. There were also maybe four vehicles and none of them close. I knew this side of town wasn’t a hot spot, but I’d never expected it to be so desolate. I stopped briefly when I couldn’t find my keys in my purse easily, surprised I felt anxious. I heard another sound. Was that a whistle?
My nerves instantly shot to the edge and I didn’t bother turning around, heading quickly and directly to my car. Still searching for the keys. The moment I managed to grab them I felt a presence behind me, but didn’t have the chance to cry out before a hand was slapped over my mouth. I was jerked back by several inches, fighting to free myself. Somehow, I had the resolve to fist my hands, even cracking a hard punch against the assailant’s face.
“You fucking bitch.” He squeezed his hand around my throat, his stale breath stinking up the air around me.
Stars floated in front of my eyes and I did what I could to remain calm. I stopped struggling on purpose, hoping he’d make a mistake and I could escape.
“That’s more like it. You’re looking awful lonely, princess. I think you deserve some company.” The man’s voice was raspy, his hot breath tickling my ear. I wasn’t prone to panic attacks, but knew I was in a very bad position. I started struggling in his hold, my instinct telling me if I didn’t break free, I’d be kidnapped or worse.
His hold was strong, so much so he lifted me off my feet.
No. No. No. This couldn’t be happening.
Another strange noise assaulted my senses and seconds later, I was freed. Had I heard a whooshing sound? Gasping, I spun around, noticing a flash as the man who’d attacked me was yanked several feet into the air. I didn’t have time to react and a scream stuck in my throat.
As if waiting for the moment of utter horror to sink in, the man who’d come to save me lifted his arm. A sharp blade glistened in the overhead light, capturing my attention just seconds before he brutally dragged the knife from one of the man’s ears to the other.
There were no gurgling sounds, no noise whatsoever except for my labored breathing. The assailant’s neck had been cut almost clean through, blood spurting from the horrific gash. I was stuck in a frozen moment, unable to think or breathe.
Finally, my savior slowly turned his head, allowing me to see his face. A mask. His entire head was covered with a mask, the ominous shadows of the forest allowing the black material to fade into a wall of oblivion. He was wearing all dark attire, yet the bleak clothing couldn’t conceal the bulky thickness of his muscles. The man was huge, towering over me by several inches.
The material covering every inch of his face was marked with neon green x’s for his eyes, and a strange evil grin, every line illuminated in a greenish glow as if from a blacklight. His aura reeked of power, a dominance that went far beyond anything traditional.
I couldn’t stop trembling, my pulse racing as my heartbeat ticked a solid rhythm in my ears.
In seeming slow motion as if direct from the earlier movie, he opened his fingers, allowing the dead man’s body to slump to the pavement. Then he turned his full attention on me.
There was no chance of unlocking my car, getting inside and slipping away.
Instinct.
Intuition.
Terror.
My heart hammered between my temples, my blood pumping with such ferocity I was lightheaded. I couldn’t make a single noise because I couldn’t fucking breathe. Terror clamped down on my vocal cords and my body refused to obey my internal commands. I studied him, taking in every inch of his massive form.
Even with his face covered by the mask, I could sense the savage’s excitement by the rise and fall of his chest. A body was draped around his feet yet the powerful man with broad shoulders remained still. I was drawn to him. His power. His strength.
His cunning.
“Why?” My question seemed like something a stupid victim would do in the very movie I’d just convinced myself I’d enjoyed. Yet right now, I made myself a promise I’d never watch another horror flick again if only I managed to escape unharmed.
The stranger took a step closer and every inch of my body became electrified. It was a nauseous reaction I’d question later.
“Because a beautiful woman should never be allowed to be accosted by an asshole.”
His voice was deep, more so than any male I knew, but raspy as if an attempt made to hide his real tone. It was possible it was electronically altered. I couldn’t be certain. A strange warmth spread between my legs from the sound of his voice as well as from the intoxicating scent of him. The fragrance of exotic wood and spices was a far cry from the stench of blood.
“But… But you killed him.” Why was I stating the obvious? Blood was splattered against my shoes, my arms.
“Yesss…” He elongated the ‘s’ as if a snake and I blinked several times, fighting with the need to stare down at the bloodied dead man. Static electricity remained in the air, swirling around us as if ready to drag the both of us into the fiery depths of hell.
I knew the bastard was staring at me, daring me. Watching me. Hungering for me. Even if I couldn’t see the whites of his eyes, only the evil glow penetrating my fuzzy brain.
An endless quiet stretched between us, no other sound capable of penetrating the crisp air.
Seconds, maybe minutes passed.
“Who are you?” I managed.
“Your savior.”
The words jogged something inside of me, a deep-seated need to survive. There were few choices, few options for protection or safety. So I did the only thing I could do.
I ran.
[divider]Chapter Two
Jessica
Darkness.
Fear.
The rush of adrenaline.
Anger.
Every emotion roiled inside of me, churning in my gut as I raced through the forest. Tree limbs slapped against my face, debris almost making me stumble more than once. But I refused to be that girl, the stupid one in the movie that was killed first. I was better than that. Stronger. Faster.
I could outrun him.
Then what? What are you going to do?
Go to the police. Yes, that’s what I had to do.
Hope drowned out fear, but only for a split second. He would never allow me to escape.
Panting, I tried to get my bearings, but the darkness was too thick, my mind still processing the killing. I’d never seen anything so gory. So easy. The monster had no issue with the horrible deed. Images of the arc with the knife, the steel blade coming down slammed hard against every synapse.
Run. Run. Run!
That was all that mattered. To get as far away from the monster as possible. Another tree limb snapped against my face, the pain biting. A scream erupted from my throat, but the agonizing sound was short lived.
The predator caught my hair, yanking me painfully with a brutal jerk. A wave of agony tore through me just before my back was slammed against a tree. Suddenly, he was there. The bad man. The monster.
My savior.
This couldn’t be real.
But it also wasn’t a virtual moment. I knew by the savage way he was holding my hair. He was extremely strong, enough so he could rip the strands from my scalp with ease. Even worse, he could use the same sharp blade to end my life before it had even begun.
He took a deep breath while wrapping his arm around my throat, pushing the tip of his thumb just under my chin. The eerie glow from his mask was the only light, the denseness of the trees’ canopies blocking the almost full moon. If he was trying to intimidate me, it was working.
The stranger tipped his head to the side, obviously studying me, maybe deciding what he would do with me. I’d seen the crime. I’d witnessed the brutality.
All I could hear was the rapid thudding of my heart, but he was calm, completely collected.
“You shouldn’t have left,” the bastard told me.
“Why? Did you want me to stick around while you murdered another innocent person?”
“I assure you he wasn’t innocent by any stretch.”
Huffing, I had a feeling I’d made him angry. The fear was palpable, but I wasn’t going to give up or in without a fight.
“Your pulse is racing, but not from fear, from excitement. Is this not what you’ve craved?”
What the hell was he talking about?
“No. Never. I’m a very good girl.” My voice sounded weak, more so than I’d ever heard before. A good girl?
His chuckle was sensual, the monster enjoying every second of my terror, but he made me question why I was drawn to him. I was afraid, yes, but more intrigued with another human being than I’d been in a long time. “A good girl. Are you really?”
“Yes, of course.”
He shifted his hand, cupping my jaw with a reminder of just how strong he was and what he could do. Using only his thumb, he rubbed the rough pad across my face. It felt sticky, as if the man’s hand was covered in blood.
“You’re lying to me. Never lie to me,” he said, this time in a commanding voice. “You prefer all things dark. Don’t you?”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough to realize you’re perfect in every way.”
What the fuck? Perfect? The man was delusional.
When he spun me around to face the tree, I kicked out, almost lucky enough to catch him in the balls.
“Oh, a fighter. I love that in a woman. However, your disobedience can’t go unpunished.”
A slight whimper escaped my lips. I braced for the sharp pain and certain death, fighting tears and memories. I wanted to live. There was so much I wanted to do with my life. How dare he try to take it away from me?
A rush of energy swept through every muscle and I kicked out again, this time connecting with something. The raspy grunt was a reward and I almost managed to break free as he tried to recover. But he was too fast, his hold too strong as he yanked one arm over my head and then the other. A single massive hand gripped my wrists.
I was pinned by his weight, able to feel the bulge of his hard, throbbing cock. The man was getting off on terrorizing me. I bit my inner cheek to keep from whimpering while I wanted to scream. The twisted bastard would likely have an orgasm if I begged for mercy.
No
I refused to give it to him.
There was nothing to prepare me for the jolt of pain as he smacked his hand against my backside.
What the hell was this monster doing?
He repeated the action, sending a wave of heat straight to my torso.
“You like this. I can tell,” he stated as if he really did know me.
“You’re crazy.”
In response, he continued the spanking. Every hard crack of his hand was more brutal than the one before. While I continued fighting what he was doing and the man’s horrible hold, he was so strong I was exhausted within a couple of moments.
“You crave the kind of pain only I can provide.” With his hand still pressing me against the tree, he crouched down. I fought to figure out what he was doing, the darkness preventing me from seeing anything.
I felt the results of his actions seconds later as he swiftly lowered my jeans and the punishment from his hand turned into something more savage. He’d found a switch, a limb thick enough that when he brought it across my sit spot, anguish exploded into every nerve ending. And my pussy clenched.
Breathless, the agony stealing my breath, I fought for release, but it was no use. He smacked my buttocks and the tops of my thighs with rapid, even, and brutal strikes.
“Stop it,” I managed.
“You don’t really want me to, little lamb. Now, do you?”
The monster was fucking with my brain.
Every time he brought the switch forward, I heard it before another line of fire crossed my ass. I moaned into the tree as the fire of his marks warred with the cool night air on my skin.
Maybe I deserved the savagery for showing him any moment of indulgence. Why were his terrible actions so exciting? Why were my panties damp? Why did I not fear the man as any normal woman would? Why was the agony I’d first felt turning into pure ecstasy?
Anger swelled in me, but there was nothing I could do.
He slowed his actions a few seconds later, gently rubbing my aching behind through my panties. I heard a whooshing sound as if he’d pitched the switch, and I quickly raised my jeans. When he turned me around again, I was forced to stare into his evil eyes.
Suddenly, I felt something sharp and realized he’d placed the tip of the blade under my chin. “If you’re going to kill me, you fucker, then just do it. I don’t have time for your demented bullshit.”
No, my words weren’t a good idea by any stretch of the imagination, but at this point, with no options and no possibility of escaping the madman, I no longer cared.
“I have no intention of killing you. Unless you want to die.”
“Fuck you.” I lifted my head up from the blade, daring him to kill me, daring the motherfucker to take out his insanity on an innocent woman.
I expected nothing less than pain and the blinding white light as I was sent to oblivion. Yet when he pulled the knife away, lifting the edge of his mask from his chin, I sucked in and held my breath.
But not for long.
He slipped his hand around to the back of my neck, squeezing as he’d done before while yanking me from the tree. When he crushed his mouth over mine, everything inside me froze solid.
Except my heart.
The rapid beating increased as the glow from his eyes pierced mine. There was more, another touch of excitement, more than a normal level of desire coursing through me like a wildfire burning in the middle of the night.
Hunger so primal, so extreme pulsed through every vein as he swept his tongue inside, taking full control of my mouth. Heat radiated off his skin, rushing into every cell, the kiss a red-hot moment where space and time no longer existed.
I could still smell the coppery stench of blood. It hung in the air like a violent reminder that this was no fairytale.
This was a nightmare, my savior nothing but an insane monster.
My mind flipped from his intimate touch, my body arching involuntarily even as I placed both palms on his chest. Everything about the moment and the stranger’s actions was so very wrong.
But I’d never felt such excitement, the increasing need confusing. There was no chance of wrapping my mind around the dark feelings and sensations. Nor the electricity that seemed to connect us when all belief in good and decent human beings was tossed deep into the forest.
Nothing about this was right, but I continued to cling to him, fisting his shirt as if my life depended on how I responded to his blasphemous intimacy.
When he pulled away, he kissed my forehead.
“Why would I ever kill something so precious? So perfect?”
Perfect. The word stuttered in my mind. Who was this man and how did he know me?
And I knew without a doubt he did.
That should be the most terrifying aspect of all, yet I felt like I was floating in midair.
“You killed that man,” I countered.
“Because he was trying to hurt you. A good enough reason.” He chuckled again and backed away another step.
Was he considering letting me go?
I crowded against the tree, my breathing becoming even more irregular than before.
“You’re a murderer.”
“I’m many things, little lamb, most of which you’ve yet to learn.”
“I don’t plan on doing so. You disgust me.”
He held up his hand, slowly curling his fingers one by one. “Be careful, my lamb. I hold your life in my hands.”
The bastard wasn’t telling a lie.
“Please let me go.”
“I do adore it when you use the word ‘please.’ Beg for what you want from me, little lamb,” he growled.
“I want nothing from you. Not a goddamn thing but to see you rot in prison.”
“Another lie. I told you never to lie to me. I’ll always know.” He snapped his hand around my throat, pinning me to the tree. “I can almost taste your desire. Soon, I will.”
The constant throbbing in my pussy was overwhelming, driving me to a point of pleasure I didn’t understand. He pressed his groin against me, rubbing his cock back and forth. A moan slipped past my lips before I could stop it.
“My, how hungry you are. Perhaps I’ll allow you a second taste.” He wasn’t giving me a choice. I was locked into the moment, crushed against the tree, and as his lips approached mine, I became breathless.
As he captured my mouth a second time, tiny bottle rockets exploded in my system, fire and ice combining to form the perfect slice of rapture. I willed my lips to close, using my tongue to keep his from entering my mouth. But as with everything else, it was no use. I stiffened, hating him. Loathing myself.
Wishing I was stronger.
Praying I could stop enjoying the sensations tearing through me because of him. The brutal, horrible man who’d taken a life.
And perhaps had begun to give me back mine.
The rush of heat was explosive, stars dancing in front of my closed eyes as he thrust his tongue inside. He was brutal and relentless, exploring every inch. His tongue was as powerful as the man, taking everything he wanted without ever considering asking permission.
My body continued betraying me, my back arching and my panties soaking wet. Yet tears formed in my eyes and I made a desperate attempt to break free of the spell he had me under. There was only one way.
The mask.
I tentatively placed one hand in his shoulder, willing my body to relax. He continued grinding his hips into my stomach, forcing me to bear witness to how intense his desire was. And my own.
Fuck him. Fuck this. I shifted my mind away to try to relax, making him think I was enjoying this. When I eased my arm over his shoulder, it was natural and unhurried. I snagged the edge of the mask along his ear and was about to pull when he reared back, snatching my hand away.
“Nice try, little lamb. You can lie to yourself all you want, but you crave this. You long to have a man take you, using you just like you’ve fantasized about.”
“Never. I don’t know you. You refuse to tell me who you are,” I said while scanning the area around me.
“That’s not important, at least at this time. Just know I will be watching you. Protecting you.”
“I don’t need your protection.”
“Oh, I think you do. Now, run, little Desdemona. Run before I change my mind. You like the chase, the hunt. Your blood boils with the need. So run.”
The man oozed control, so much so I was nearly suffocated by it.
His words stunned me, not because he was letting me go, but because he knew my screen name, the girl I’d invented for playing the games I cherished, one unknown by anyone outside the darkest gamers.
I shifted away from the tree while he laughed. My mind raced with possibilities of who he was.
What he was.
Yet there was no other choice. He was offering me life or death.
I chose to live.
“I’ll see you soon, my sweet Desdemona.”
Without looking back, I took off running once again, certain he would follow. This was a game to him, a dark foray into the pits of hell.
I refused to allow him to catch me, suddenly caught up in vicious mind games haunting my thoughts, the images tearing through my mind.
Blood.
Violence.
Sex.
Every aspect of the games I’d played and the ones I’d invented weighing heavily on my mind.
Yet I was free.
More so than I’d been in my life.
My legs felt more powerful, another rush of adrenaline keeping me going. I stopped only once, taking gasping breaths as I listened for his approach.
Silence met my quest, only the wind whipping through the remaining leaves still on the trees.
I scampered away another few yards and stopped again. He wasn’t there. I was certain I would feel his presence if he was.
Backing against a tree, I closed my eyes briefly. Why had he allowed me to live? I waited, for how long I couldn’t tell in the cold dark night, certain he would come back for me.
Finally, enough was enough. I slowly retraced my steps and pushed my way through a line of trees, capturing a glimpse of my car only a few yards away. Another wave of terror slammed into my system, but I refused to succumb to the game-playing bastard.
As I approached my vehicle, I scanned the parking lot, which was now empty, my car the only indication the place hadn’t been long deserted. Once I reached the passenger side, I hesitated, horrified of seeing the dead man all over again.
I had no choice. As I rounded the front, I said a silent prayer, shocked at what faced me.
There was no body.
There was also no blood, no sign that anything violent and horrible had occurred.
I backed against the car, the hard bump creating an ache in my hip. Even as I lifted my hands, the light illuminating my skin, there was no sign of the terrible ordeal I’d suffered.
None at all.
Did the masked man with the godlike body even exist? Or was I losing my mind?
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