Page 7 of Carnival Obsession

Working here is a constant exercise in patience and restraint. His rudeness and lack of appreciation for my efforts make it damn near impossible to stay motivated. But I need this job, so I grit my teeth and continue.

I turn my attention back to the case files, determined to have them perfect and on his desk well before the deadline. My mind drifts back to the photograph hidden in my drawer as I work. The unsettling image of Lars spying on me makes me shiver.

I can’t let him get to me. I won’t be intimidated by his stalker-like behavior. If he thinks he can scare me with some creepy photo, he’s sorely mistaken.

But even as I try to focus on my work, I can’t shake the feeling of unease in the pit of my stomach. What else is Lars capable of? And why is he so fixated on me?

I glance at the clock, counting the hours until my shift ends. I’ll confront Lars at the Tunnel of Love tonight and demand answers. I won’t let him play these twisted games with me.

5

LARS

That evening, I’m waiting for Alice at the entrance to the Tunnel of Love ride, my arms folded across my chest as I lean against one of the painted scenes of a couple in a rowboat. A few of my coworkers wander by, casting sideways glances in my direction before quickly averting their eyes. I’ve made it clear this part of the fairgrounds is off-limits tonight.

Alice is a few minutes late, which instantly sparks a flare of anger inside me. Who does she think she is, making me wait for her again? I clench my jaw, struggling to keep my cool because I hate being disrespected. Just as I’m considering leaving, she finally appears, slightly out of breath, with a flustered look on her pretty face.

“You’re late,” I growl, pushing from the wall to face her fully. My gaze roams over her body, taking in her tight black dress. At least she followed that instruction properly.

Alice meets my glare head-on, lifting her chin defiantly. “Sorry, I got held up at work. If you’d given me your number, I could’ve told you I was running behind.”

Her snippy tone only fuels the flames of my irritation. “Don’t get fucking smart with me. I won’t stand for being stood up and disrespected like that again.”

Alice scoffs, placing her hands on her hips as her green eyes narrow. “Excuse me? You’re the one who’s being a total jerk right now. I had a legitimate reason for being a few minutes late. Still, obviously, that’s too difficult for your controlling ass to comprehend. I literally came here to give you this back.” She slams the photo I took of her into my chest, glaring at me. “What the fuck? Did you think I’d stay here after you pulled this?” She turns to walk away.

I tense up at Alice’s defiant words, anger threatening to take over. How dare she talk to me like that?

“You’re not going anywhere,” I snarl, gripping her upper arm tightly and yanking her back to me. Alice tries to pull away, but I’m too strong, easily dragging her toward the entrance of the Tunnel of Love.

“Let go of me!” she cries. “You’re hurting me, Lars!”

I ignore her protests, forcing her into the waiting ride. She stumbles inside, whipping around to face me. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Looming over her, I cage her against the boat seat, bracing my hands on either side. “You stood me up on our first date and now you turn up late for the second. It’s clear you need to be taught a fucking lesson in respect.”

Alice glares up at me defiantly. “This isn’t the way to get to know someone. You’re acting like a psychotic asshole!”

“Maybe I am,” I growl, leaning in so close our noses are almost touching. “But you’re going to sit here and be a good fucking girl on this date.”

With that, I sit beside her in the boat. Alice’s eyes widen as the realization sinks that she’s now my prisoner on this ride.

I text Remy quickly, telling him to shut down the ride once Alice and I are halfway through the tunnel. With a jolt, the cart starts moving, plunging us into semi-darkness illuminated only by the cheesy neon hearts and cherubs lining the passage.

Alice glowers at me, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “This is kidnapping, you know. I could have you arrested for this.”

I scoff, settling back against the hard plastic seat. “Go ahead and try. Do you think the cops in this shit-hole town are going to take your claim seriously?”

She opens her mouth to retort but snaps it shut again, clearly seeing the truth in my words. We sit in tense silence for a minute until the cart shudders to a halt, the overhead lights flickering out completely. I smirk in the darkness, right on cue.

“What’s happening?” Alice demands, a note of panic creeping into her tone. “Why are we stopping?”

“Relax,” I drawl, reaching out to trail my fingers up her bare thigh. She flinches away from my touch. “It’s just technical difficulties. We can have a little chat about how disrespectful you’ve been.”

“I’m not disrespectful,” she snaps, slapping my hand away. “I showed up tonight, didn’t I? Even after your creepy stalker stunt with that photo.”

I grip her chin roughly, forcing her to look at me in the dim light. “Watch that smart mouth of yours, princess.”

Alice glares at me, but I feel her tremble slightly under my touch. “Let me off this damn ride.”

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