Page 322 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“I hate people who don’t follow the rules.” Bleeding Heart walked over to me.

Be brave. Look at his face. Study the details.

The reminder was all thanks to the crime shows I’d watched.

Short brown hair. Brown eyes. A slim face with dark eyes. A scar on the right side of his chin. About six-feet tall with a lanky build.

I gathered every ounce of courage to remain calm. I stared at his gun. It had a silencer or something because it didn’t make a loud sound when he shot Dennis.

“What do you want?”

“To use you as a display.” He smirked.

“Why are you killing women?” I asked.

“Women are all useless, just like my mother.” He looked at me and saw the question in my eyes. “Yes, I killed her too. She was a slut, and she didn’t deserve to live. The things that woman did to her own son were despicable.”

A clump of fear lodged in my throat. “And murdering other women makes you feel better?”

I didn’t know why I kept talking to him.

“Murder is an art form, don’t you agree? It depicts the artist’s intention. Tell me something.” He stood close to me. “Do you like the bleeding heart more than the black rose?”

He was referring to Hawthorne’s rose signature. What should I say? If I told him the wrong answer, he’d kill me right now. I had to buy time and prayed someone heard the gunfire and would look out from the building and see me. Maybe Kain would come looking for me because I was late for our date.

I had a loving family and a magnificent man who loved me. So much was at stake. I had to survive.

“They’re both unique in their own way. I have no preference.”

“You know about Hawthorne.” Something flickered in his eyes. “Isn’t he a genius? But I think my style is better.” He ran a hand over my cheek. “A heart tattoo would look lovely on this cheek.” He stepped back and considered me. “You’d be a good fuck before I have to kill you.” He grabbed my arm, dragging me with him.

Pop! Pop!

Bleeding Heart glanced down at his leg as blood poured out of the wounds.

“Eva! Come to me!” Kain’s voice snapped me back to the moment.

I rushed over to him and he wrapped one arm around me, while aiming the gun at Bleeding Heart. The serial killer turned and lifted his gun to shoot at us, but Kain shot at his hand. His gun thudded to the ground.

“Fuck!” Bleeding Heart wailed and charged at us.

Kain pushed me behind him and deflected a fist from Bleeding Heart. Terror escalated as I watched Kain pummel him. Sirens sounded in the distance, and I silently thanked the heavens.

“If you want a bleeding heart, I’ll give you one, fucker!” Kain punched the criminal in the face several times.

Seventeen

KAIN

I could’ve killed him. I wanted to kill him. But he was more useful to me alive than dead. There were answers I needed from him.

Was he Hawthorne’s follower or just a psycho idolizing another psycho? Was Bleeding Heart working alone or with someone else? These questions allowed him to continue breathing.

Bleeding Heart pushed himself up from the ground as he prepared to charge at me again. “If you want to die, then keep exerting energy. You’ll bleed to death.”

He growled and glared at me. Bleeding Heart didn’t know how much restraint it took for me not to destroy him right now. He had put his hands on Eva, and that would’ve gotten him killed immediately.

I’d never experienced fury the way I felt just now when I found him dragging Eva. I could pump a hundred bullets into him. But his death would be an easy escape for him. He’d killed too many people, and he needed to suffer first.

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