Page 79 of Hide Me Darling

And so do I, but my mom is right, we aren’t supposed to know yet.

He huffs, his frown deepening. “I’ll prove it. All those stories in movies say we should have a bond. I watched one where they said a blood bond is the strongest of them all.”

I screw my face up. “We aren’t vampires.”

Giggling he shakes his head. “We don’t drink it. I think they called it an oath. It’s like a promise.”

Understanding what he means I bounce on my feet. “Yes! That’s exactly what we can do. I even have my pocket knife.”

Reaching down, I pull it from my shoe. It’s little but it has a knife in it.

“Why do you have that with you?” he asks with a laugh.

“My dad always tells me to be prepared,” I smile in response as I flick the knife out. Then I pull a face at the thought of it cutting me. “Ummmm, I think you need to cut me, I can’t cut myself.”

Link rolls his eyes, taking the pocket knife from me. I hold out my hand, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. "Should it be a heart? Like the song?" I ask. He nods quickly, and when he starts to press the knife to my skin, I whimper and look away.

It hurts a little, but I concentrate on the feeling of Link holding my hand. Before I realize it, he says he’s done. I blow out a breath and look down at the mark. It’s not a huge heart and it’s mostly shallow, but blood stains the outside.

"Your turn," I say as I take the knife back. "Which hand?"

He shakes his head and pulls on the neck of his shirt. "It’s meant to be a heart, right? Then put it over my heart."

I stare at him wide-eyed, but he isn’t changing his mind. I’m glad his shirt is black and my mom won't see the blood. Leaning closer, I use the point of the knife to cut the shape of a heart into his skin. He makes a noise a few times, but he doesn’t cry either. When I’m done, there’s blood trailing down his skin. I’m strangely proud of the heart I made.

He grabs my hand where he cut it and puts it against his.

"You dug my heart's grave," he said, eyes wide and solemn, locked on mine as if sharing a profound secret. "And now you're the keeper of its secrets, my partner in shadows and darkness."

"Forever," I whisper, and he nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips that feels like a promise too.

Chapter 38

Hydessa

Today is the day.

The day the carnival opens and all of the rides, lights, foods, and games will be on display. Since the moment I saw the flyer in the bakery the day I arrived, I’ve felt an undercurrent of energy every time it’s mentioned.

It has absolutely nothing to do with Cain fucking me in the house of mirrors.

But first, I needed to spend the day working on the investigation. I feel like I’m getting somewhere now.

When I finally dragged myself from the bed, I decided that I was going to go back to basics. I will clear everything from the drawing board and start with a clean slate. There are no masked stalkers, no twin with her own issues, no weird kinky sex clubs in random houses down the street.

I shudder at the memory. Honestly, this island should really come with a warning label.

All of the cuts and bruises on my body are healing nicely. Even the brand has started to heal as well, though I know it's a lot more permanent than the other marks. I trace the edges of it lightly with my fingertips, feeling the raised skin. It reminds me that I need to call and cancel the tattoo appointment with Ty, though somehow I doubt that Seanna and I will be able to still get away with changing places now that I’ve been marked like this.

Dressing in casual leggings and a loose shirt, I make myself a strong coffee, grab some of the cherry cookies I never ended up throwing out and proceed to the office. Putting my treats on the desk I turn to look at the investigation wall. It's a mess of notes, photographs and printouts.

Taking a deep breath, I proceed to take everything down.

The empty wall feels both daunting and liberating. I sit down with my coffee, taking a long sip as I let the caffeine fuel my resolve. I pull out my notebook and start from scratch, jotting down everything I know, everything I’ve learned, and the questions that still linger.

I need to focus on the facts, to strip away the distractions and the noise. I start with the basics: the victims, the locations, the timelines. Slowly, methodically, I begin to piece together a clearer picture, looking for connections I might have missed before.

Hours pass and before I know it, the sun starts to set. My third coffee is long gone, and the rest of the cookies have been reduced to crumbs. Remnants of a sandwich sit on a plate on the desk, but I’ve made progress. The wall is starting to take shape again, this time more organized, more coherent.

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