Page 22 of Obsession

Damn. Did that mean none of us were safe from Riot? Ever? I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I did like knowing he would avenge me if they murdered me. At least that was something.

“What do you want me to do, Riot?” I asked.

“I want you to survive and keep your pretty little mouth shut,” he said. “Don’t fuck with Crash and Kane. If you hear them coming, hide if you need to.”

I wanted to ask if he cared about me, but I was too scared of what his answer might be. If he was only amusing himself by keeping me alive, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Besides, the parts I saw of him outside of killing, made me want to know more about him. And the more I knew, the closer I felt to him.

Yeah, whether I liked it or not, I was falling in love with a killer.

I could only hope my heart could handle it.

Chapter Eight

Hollis

The cold bit into my skin as we prowled the streets of Raven’s Vale, the night cloaking us in its sinister embrace. Riot moved with a predatory grace beside me, each step measured. Deliberate. A silent promise of the havoc he could wreak.

“Enjoying our evening out, Hollis?” he murmured.

“Thrilled,” I lied, the word coming out more breathless than I intended. The darkness wasn’t just around us. It began to seep inside, making itself at home in the pit of my stomach. I had a really bad feeling about why we were out here. He hadn’t outright said anything, except that I needed to prove myself.

We turned a corner, and the sight of Raven’s Vale’s desolation sharpened. Buildings were deteriorating, their windows shattered or boarded up. Then we reached an alley, dimly lit by a flickering streetlamp that fought a losing battle against the encroaching shadows.

Riot halted, his gaze locking onto something -- or someone -- huddled against the grimy brick wall. A figure, shivering, trying and failing to melt into the darkness.

“See that piece of shit?” Riot’s whisper cut through the silence, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. “Scum like that… they think the dark can hide them. But it can’t -- not from me.”

“Who are they?” My voice was steady, but inside, it felt like I was caught in a maelstrom.

“Doesn’t matter who they were.” Riot’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. “It’s about what they’ve done. Thief, liar, cheat. Name your sin. Most people in this fucked-up town have rolled in it like a pig in shit.”

A strange surge of anticipation coursed through me as I watched him, the dark maestro ready to orchestrate another round of terror. It was wrong, all shades of fucked up, but I couldn’t deny the pull, the allure of what might happen next.

“Ready to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, Hollis?” He didn’t wait for an answer, certain of his power, confident in the sway he held over me.

In the darkest corners of my mind, I knew I was lost to him. Whatever he demanded, I’d do without question. Riot might not be the gentlest man, but he’d given me more than anyone ever had. He wanted me. Desired me and only me. When would I ever find that again? And part of me hoped that maybe I could help him find at least some of his humanity. Although, there were times I wasn’t sure he had any left.

Riot’s bulk shielded me from the pale glow of the streetlamp as he gestured with a hand. “Move quiet. You need to be precise. Killing isn’t about strength, it’s about being smart and stealthy.”

I held his gaze, wondering if I had what it took to do this, to walk by his side. The last time I’d been terrified, and it still felt like something I’d never get over. Could I possibly do it again? Or would I lose some part of myself in the process?

He leaned down and whispered low. “Find your inner darkness, Hollis. Let yourself be free. No constraints from the law. Toss your morality out the window. None of it matters here in Raven’s Vale. Especially not when you’re with me.”

I nodded, more to myself than to him, feeling the cold kiss of the night air against my flushed skin. I edged forward, inch by painstaking inch, the rough brickwork of the alley’s wall scraping against my palms.

“Remember, the slightest sound and your prey will run,” Riot continued, his words laced with encouragement. “You’re the predator here, not them. Let that sink into your bones. You are the one in charge, and you’ll take what you want.”

My breaths came shallow and fast, every inhalation a shuddering gasp as I closed the distance between myself and the quivering figure before me. The scent of fear was ripe, mixing with the metallic tang of anticipation on my tongue. My fingers twitched. Was I actually excited about this?

“Good… good,” Riot murmured, his presence lurking behind me like an extension of my own shadow -- or perhaps it was more accurate to say I was an extension of his. “Now, make them feel the terror they’ve dealt in spades. It’s time, Hollis. Do it.”

I sprang, aiming for the man. Riot’s teachings, his dark whispers, fueled my every muscle. The victim before me remained unaware, an unsuspecting lamb to my wolf. Maybe I was more of a wolf pup being taught how to hunt.

I knocked him flat, and gripped his throat with my hands, choking him into submission. He tried to buck me off, but I clung to him, refusing to back down. If I failed, I wasn’t sure how Riot would react.

My sexy psycho placed a knife in my hand, and I jabbed it into the man’s side -- quick, no hesitation -- just like he said.

“Fuck, yes!” His approval washed over me like a perverse benediction.

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