Page 24 of Killer Attraction

But I couldn’t stop. The knife was already across his throat, his blood spurting from the open wound and coating my hands. There would be such a mess to clean up. Not to mention, there would be a trail from me ordering the food and the driver coming to my house.

Shit. I hadn’t thought this through.

“Jesus! What the fuck, Nate?” Aiden’s panicked voice cut through my thoughts, and my eyes darted up at him as he pulled his gun and aimed it at me. “Drop the fucking knife, Nate.” His voice wavered almost as badly as his hands.

Fuck.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

AIDEN

“Jesus! What the fuck, Nate?”

There was no way what I had just seen was real. I didn’t just watch my boyfriend slit some random guy’s throat in his kitchen. I didn’t.

Fuck. This can’t be happening. Please let this be a nightmare I’m going to wake from any second.

Nate’s eyes were cold and flat when he looked up at me. I didn’t recognize the person looking back at me, and it had me drawing my gun and pointing it at him. Even with shaky hands, it was better than nothing. Especially since he still had the knife, and body, in his hands.

“Drop the fucking knife, Nate.” My voice shook, and my mind rebelled. I had no idea what he would do, but I still didn’t want to believe he would hurt me. He had to still be the guy I knew, the man I’d fallen in love with.

Fuck. I love him.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks and I almost went to my knees from the weight of the knowledge.

I loved him, but he was a serial killer. A serial killer I was trying to catch. Fuck, Victoria had tried to warn me, but I didn’t want to listen. All the signs had been there, red flags waving in my face, and I had actively ignored them and all their potential meanings.

A thud jerked my attention back to Nate. And I realized I’d taken my eyes off him, distracted by my own internal struggle. I needed to be careful or I would end up like the guy Nate had tossed to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

“Put the gun down, little bird. I don’t want to hurt you.” Nate still had the knife, but his hands were out at his sides, trying to appear unthreatening.

“Fuck you,” I sputtered. “God, I am such a fucking idiot. You were using me this whole time, weren’t you?” I ignored the shake of his head and let it all out. “Did you know I was on the case? On your case? Is that why you came up to me and pretended to be interested in me?”

Nate didn’t move or even try to defend himself. I snuck a glance around his house, taking it in for the first time. When I first arrived, I thought for sure I had the wrong address. Sure, Nate said he was wealthy, but this was some Bruce Wayne shit.

Except, instead of being the hero, Nate was the villain. He was a monster, a murderer.

“What are you doing here? How did you even find me?” His voice was low and level, as though he asked about the weather rather than the fact I’d just walked in on him committing murder.

“I’m a fucking cop, you think I can’t look up people’s addresses?” I scoffed. “Nice place, by the way. You pay for it with blood money?” The pitch in my voice told me I was close to losing it and I was sure Nate heard it too. I needed to take a breath and get myself back under control.

“And I’m here,” I said, pausing as I fished around in my pocket, never taking my eyes off him, “because you left this at the house of the guy you threatened at the club.” My hand shook as I thrust it out and opened up to reveal one of the cufflinks I’d gotten him for our one month anniversary.

He didn’t reply, but then again, he didn’t need to. He knew I had him dead to rights. The evidence was literally in the palm of my hand. Nothing he said or did could make it any better.

“You fucking asshole,” I ranted. “You couldn’t have just tried to befriend me?” I yelled, as if that would have been any better. “You had to go and make me feel like I mattered? What even was the point of our talk over dinner? Why did you even bother to admit to being a psychopath?” I was so stupid.

There was a scream bubbling up inside my chest. Nate told me he’d never hurt me, but this hurt worse than any physical pain he could have inflicted on me.

“None of it was real.” My voice was so low even I could barely hear it. “You told me you couldn’t feel the same way, but you still were able to make me believe like you cared, like I mattered. As if I were someone important. But it was all lies!”

Nate flinched. It was barely there, but I caught it.

“It wasn’t. I know this all seems… impossible. But I never lied to you. And you are important, so don’t you dare start that bullshit.”

I nodded, taking his words in but not believing them. “Answer me one question honestly. Just one.”

“Anything.” Nate’s shoulders sagged as though he thought we were finally getting somewhere.

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