Page 167 of Wicked Little Secret

“A couple who digs graves together, stays together.”

“A murder quip right now? Really, Miss Oliver? Too soon.”

We drift closer ’til we’re distracted by each other’s kiss, shovels still in our hands. Covered in dirt from our after hours’ activity, we’re both in need of a hot shower and some rest. The night’s grown colder and wetter as time has gone on, which has only made our task more grueling.

I stroke Nyssa’s cheek affectionately as our kiss ends. “Alright, time to get out of here. You’re shivering.”

The wet earth squelches beneath our boots. We shine a flashlight at the path ahead, where my BMW is parked in the clearing some feet away.

Then I hear it. I see it.

The whir and flash in the dark.

Coming closer. Growinglouder.

The red and blue light emerges from the dark as police cars arrive on the scene.

My adrenaline surges to untold levels. I react at a moment’s notice, doing the only thing that makes sense in my mind. For a man as deeply devoted to the woman at my side. I shove my skeletal mask in her hand and yell, “Run! Quickly! Get out of here!”

“What? Theron?—”

“Go! You have to go now,” I say, giving Nyssa a shove toward the trees. “Run as far away as possible. Head south. It’ll lead you to campus. If they do find you, you remember what I told you to say if we were ever caught.”

She shakes her head in confusion. “I’m not blaming you?—”

“Get out of here!” I hiss at her.

The police cars invade the area, their headlights flooding the area with bright white light.

Nyssa fades into the dark at the last possible second. Her glassy eyes are the last part of her I see as she vanishes and I’m confronted by a familiar scene.

The doors flinging open on the three squad cars before the officers step out.

This time, with firearms drawn.

“Hands where we can see ’em, Adler,” comes Officer Brewster over a megaphone. “We’ve finally caught you in the act.”

“Caught me in the act? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the shit. We’ve been following you for days! We uncovered the bloody boulder in the bushes from Samson Wicker’s campus attack and guess whose DNA was on it?”

I raise my hands as the officers point theirweapons at me, playing it cool. My tone’s calm as I ask, “I’m sorry, officers. But what does that have to do with tonight?”

“You know exactly what it’s got to do with tonight, Adler! You’re going down!” he grunts, grinning. “You and your family think you’re above the law. You and all your rich as dirt friends think you can do no wrong! But I’ve got you dead to rights this time. You’re going down no matter what. Everything Valentine’s ever done. I’ll make sure of it.”

35

NYSSA

CRAZY IN LOVE REMIX - BEYONCÉ

TWO YEARS LATER...

Peaches meowsat the knock on the door.

I’m by the bay window, perched on my stool as I work on my pottery wheel. I’m not even sure what I’m working on yet, except it’ll likely be similar to my last few projects—a sculpture dripping with heartache and misery.

It seems to be the running theme of my artwork these days.

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