Page 15 of Leo, My Partner

When the light leaves his eyes and they drift closed, I let his hair go, and his head drops forward.

This is what I love about the kill. Watching that light dim from their eyes, their hearts ceasing to beat because of me. I fucking love it.

Letting my head fall back, I take a minute to revel in the kill, feeling more alive than I do on any given day. Taking life makes me feel invincible.

That voice inside me is finally quiet, though I haven’t heard much of it since I had my date with Tyshawn. He’s taken up most of my thoughts over the past few days.

It’s odd, thinking about someone in more than a murderous way. He dominates my thoughts, and it’s never because of what he could possibly do for me, but what I could do for him. I could take care of him, make sure he has everything he needs, since he’s mine.

That’s another thought I never dreamed would crop up in my head. As a psychopath, I don’t have normal feelings, so I don’t crave a relationship like most normal people. I’m fine being alone, and if I want company, it’s only for the night or a week at most. But with Ty, I want him all the time. I’ve been trying to get him on another date, but he’s been keeping me at arm’s length.

Could have a lot to do with me choking his roommate, but he snuck up on me, calling Ty’s name like he had the right. Ty is mine. No one has that right but me.

A shuffling sound pulls my head up, and I come face to face with the man I’ve spent countless days thinking about.

I blink, and blink again, trying to make sure he’s actually in front of me, not my fantasies conjuring him up.

But nope, he’s there, his expression contorted in a mask of horror as his eye ping-pong between me and Ralph’s mutilated body. He must be in shock because he hasn’t moved. He’s barely breathing, his mouth open but no sound escaping.

“Ty,” I whisper, taking a tentative step toward him. There’s not much I can say, since he caught me with a machete in my hand and blood down my front.

I’ve never wanted to explain my behavior away from anyone. My parents caught me killing animals red-handed, and when they asked why, my only answer was because I want to. That’s not what I want to tell Ty. He deserves to know everything, the entire truth. All I can hope is he’s okay with it.

From how he’s staring at me like he doesn’t know who I am, he’s not okay with it.

“Don’t come near me,” he whispers, then turns on his heels and starts running.

Knowing Ralph isn’t going anywhere but pissed that I can’t enjoy the kill in full, I take off in Ty’s direction.

He glances over his shoulder at me, a look of abject fear crossing his features. I dig my feet harder into the ground, pounding after him before he’s out of my reach. He makes a left around the corner, causing me to slow down a bit. He pulls ahead. His arms and legs are pumping furiously to get away from me. I can’t have that.

Just before he reaches the exit, I throw my arm out, grip his collar, and pull him back.

Ty makes a choking noise as his collar digs into the soft flesh of his throat, and I slam him against the wall. His face is contorted from the effort of running and his terror at seeing my work.

A sharp pain slices across my belly and I look down to figure out what the fuck happened. He has a knife in his hand. Smart. He had some way to defend himself when walking into an abandoned building. My question though is why is he here?

The cut isn’t deep, but it will leave a scar. I smile because I have a token of Ty’s I can keep with me forever.

I relieve him of his knife quickly. After I catch my breath, I ask, “Why are you here?”

The smart thing to do would be to kill Ty so I don’t have any witnesses to my crimes, but that thought is so abhorrent that I physically recoil from it. I would no sooner cut off my own hand than hurt Ty. He belongs to me, not in the ground. I’ll have to figure something out.

He whimpers, tears running down his face. “Leo, please. Please. I didn’t see anything. Please don’t kill me. Please!”

These aren’t the screams I enjoy. He’s not a victim on my table, and he’s not someone I want to kill. Hearing his pleas make me feel remorse for the first time in my life.

I have to explain. I have to make him see reason some way. I slide my hand into my pocket, pull out one of the syringes that contain a tranquilizer, and bite the cap off. I let the cap drop to my feet so I can pick it up later. No need to leave any evidence behind.

This sends Ty into a tailspin. “Please, don’t. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to … I was just … I won’t tell anyone, I don’t want to die. Leo, don’t do this to me.”

“Sshhh, kotenok.” I shush him, pressing my forearm against his chest to keep his squirming body in place. Even though he’s thrashing and trying to kick out at me, I jab the needle into his throat and depress the plunger about halfway. The dosage I had for this syringe was filled to kill someone Ralph’s size—in case he got away from me and I had to dispatch him quickly. Ty can’t be more than one hundred and fifty pounds.

After a few more seconds of crying, Ty’s lids flutter, and he goes limp. Sighing, I gently lower his body to the floor, then pick up the cap of the needle when he’s safely on the ground. Looking down at him, I notice blood from my shirt transferred onto him. I’ll change his clothes before I let him go.

Blu told me he had to dose June to get him home the night he found him cornered by a serial killer. I guess I’m more like my cousin than I initially thought.

Taking my gloves off, I pull my phone from my pocket to check the time. I see a text from Ty and shake my head.

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