Page 1 of Obsession

Prologue

Riot

Smoke filled the room as both Crash and Kane smoked like fucking chimneys. The shit bothered me, and they both damn well knew it. Not that either of them gave two fucks. They’d settled in for a game of cards, but the darkness outside called to me. My skin itched and my fingers twitched. How long had it been since I’d last killed?

Too long.

“What the fuck crawled up your ass?” Crash asked. “Isn’t it almost your night? You should be pretty damn stoked.”

“Not soon enough,” I muttered. “Besides, being offered a lamb to slaughter isn’t as much fun as hunting one.”

Kane nodded. “I get it. They reek of fear either way, but it’s always sweeter when they aren’t expecting it.”

“There’s something seriously wrong with you two,” Crash said. “I don’t understand your fascination with getting all bloody. My way is much better. Nice and neat.”

Kane snorted. “They still end up dead, don’t they? Don’t pretend you’re any better than us.”

Crash shrugged. It was an old argument. The three of us had stumbled across this town when Crash and I had barely been considered adults. Kane was a bit older than the two of us. Freshly escaped from an institute for the criminally insane, we’d needed a place to hide. Raven’s Vale boasted a population of no more than five thousand. Cut off from the larger towns and cities, it had been the best place for us to lie low.

If it hadn’t been for the fire we’d set, or the fact we’d managed to keep them guessing over how many bodies had burned to death, the law would most likely have been searching for us all these years. Instead, they believed we were dead. Anywhere else, we’d need things like driver’s licenses, birth certificates, or something to prove who we were. Not in Raven’s Vale.

Then our cravings had kicked in. We hadn’t been able to help ourselves. Not long after we started slaughtering anyone who crossed our path, we found ourselves face-to-face with the mayor and sheriff. It had been easy enough to convince them to bow to us. After the mayor received a few pieces of his daughter, and the sheriff realized we had his two girls as well, the tides had quickly turned in our favor. We’d released them back to their families once we knew the mayor and sheriff would toe the line. They both knew we could snatch them again at a moment’s notice.

Now we ruled Raven’s Vale. No matter how many we killed, no one was coming for us. None of them dared. And as far as the outside world went, none of them knew we existed. We didn’t leave a paper trail.

“Get the hell out of here,” Kane said. “You know you can’t wait.”

I flashed him a smile and flipped off Crash before I grabbed my knives and headed out. Eyeing my motorcycle, I bypassed it and decided I’d track down prey on foot tonight. The bike was fun to ride but noisy as fuck. Everyone would know I was coming long before I got there.

Although, sometimes it was fun to chase the rats when they started to scurry. Tonight wasn’t one of those nights, though. Right now, I wanted to instill fear before they even realized who was stalking them in the shadows.

Most people feared the night and stayed indoors as much as possible. No one knew when one of us might strike.

Movement caught my eye, and I crept closer, clinging to the shadows. A young woman hurried down the sidewalk, her head bowed and shoulders hunched. If she was trying to make herself invisible, she’d failed miserably. I kept pace with her but remained out of sight. Something about her seemed different from the others in this place.

There was no way she didn’t sense my presence. At some point, even the most dense individuals would realize a monster was stalking them. If she did, the woman never let on. She continued to wherever she was going.

For once, I didn’t experience the urge to snuff out her life. Instead, I wondered what made her entirely oblivious. Was it a self-defense mechanism? She disappeared into an apartment building, and I figured that meant she was home for the night.

Going back the way I’d come, I walked the streets, hoping to find interesting prey. Two punks were doing their best to break into a car. The fact they didn’t have permission to do this sort of shit in my town pissed me off. Rushing toward them, I ended one of their lives quickly with a slice across his neck. The other dropped his tools and backed up several steps.

“Holy shit!” He stared at his friend with wide eyes. “What the fuck?”

“That’s what I’d like to ask.” I prowled closer. “Who gave you permission to break into cars in this town?”

“Huh? What are you…” He paled. “Shit. Fuck! You’re one of them, aren’t you? One of the Raven’s Vale Psychos.”

I grinned. “Is that what everyone calls us?”

He tried backing up again and tripped over his own feet. The moment he landed on his ass, he pissed himself. Crouching in front of him, I held the knife where he could see his friend’s blood coating my blade.

“Don’t kill me,” he pleaded. “This was all Rob’s idea. I didn’t want to do it.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Before he had a chance to move, I stabbed his thigh with my knife. The little pissant screamed and I stabbed the other leg.

He crab-walked backward, trying to get away. No point. He couldn’t exactly run. Even if he did, I’d find him. Standing, I reached down and grabbed his collar, then dragged him along behind me. Down a dark alley, across another street, and into yet another alley. Dropping him by a dumpster, I took my time, sliding my knife into his belly, his legs, slashed his arms.

I could see the light fading from his eyes, and I sat to watch, taking it all in until he’d taken his last breath.

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