Page 19 of Sick Bargain

“Remiel is mine,” I remind him.

“Like you burning his house down in order to chase him through town didn’t make that obvious,” Menace mocks. “You ready, Krypt?”

I’m trembling with restraint. Waiting until my scared little hero makes a run for it. He’s going to try to save his friend, unable to live with the guilt if something happens to him, but Menace will keep him busy. Remiel is all mine, and I can’t wait to capture him.

I smile behind my mask, the only place I’m comfortable smiling. “Been waiting for this all day.”

Menace howls into the fire-lit night as Remiel’s house is almost totally engulfed by flames. Through the window, the two of them scramble, grabbing anything they can use as weapons to protect themselves. Smoke fills the kitchen now, and with one last look in my direction, Remiel runs through the house, pausing only once to mourn the loss of everything he owns.

My turn to howl.I’m coming for you, hero.

Menace stalks at my side as we make our way to the back of Remiel’s dying house. He looks at me as we glimpse them skirting through the gate at the back to weave through the neighbour’s backyard.

“Cain Carson!” Menace yells, just to scare him. “I’m coming for you!”

Remiel whimpers up ahead. It makes my dick twitch.

Through the gate and into someone else’s yard, I watch them slink through to the side of the house. The owners peer through their windows with fearful eyes, but they’re safe in there. I usually follow the rules.Usually. Burning a house down just to force the owner outside isn’t considered rule-following, but fuck it. I’ve been an irrational asshole since my deal with Remiel Sauder.

When we get to the front of the house, Remiel and Cain are running down the centre of the street. People in horror costumes creep under the streetlights and run at them, but with a growl from me, they back off. They’re adrenaline junkies, people who want to tempt fate and take their chances on the streets during Initiation Night. Anyone actually initiating is wearing a black mask like ours but with a black face, no colour assigned to them.

We pick up our pace, jogging after them. Their anxiety makes them clumsy, slowing them down enough that it’s easy to catch up.

“They’re going to Cain’s house,” I say.

“We’ll catch them before they get there,” Menace answers, looking at me. “We’ll cut them off on Crucifix Street.” He veers to the right and I follow, cutting through a playground and a few yards.

Camped in the shadows of Cain’s house, I watch a small person in a black mask stalk a girl from her car. She’s just trying to get to her front door, but the initiate throws a dagger, and it embeds in the girl’s back.

Selena Sauder stalks her prey, standing over Sally Davies’ bleeding body. The youngest Sauder kid has a good chance of making the cut this year.

“Time to separate them,” I tell Menace when Cain and Remiel come down Crucifix Street. “I’m taking Remiel back to Vile House.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure his friend has a good time,” Menace says, and then we part ways. I stay in the shadows and Menace walks right out onto the street, snatching Cain from behind. “Look what I caught,” Menace shouts while Cain flails, trying to hit him with a bat. “An artsy one!” He runs his hands over Cain’s bare, tattooed chest.

Remiel has a kitchen knife, swinging it at Menace to free his friend. Silently walking up behind him, I grab his wrist and twist it until he cries out in pain and the knife falls to the sidewalk. Remiel hits me, his fist landing against the front of my shoulder. The pain radiates up my neck and turns my vision crimson.

“Fuck. You!” he seethes, trying to break free of my hold on his wrist. “You fucking cheated!”

I did. But winners don’t always win by playing fair. I wrap my arm around him from behind, snugging it up to his throat until he can’t breathe.

“Calm down,” I whisper in his ear.

“Let Cain go!”

“Mmm, this one is mine,” Menace says, dragging Cain away. “Have fun.”

“Cain!” Remiel shouts. “Fuck! I’m sorry, Cain!”

I glance across the street, but Selena Sauder already sees us. She sees me with her brother, and she’s unpredictable enough that I don’t know what she’s going to do. When she takes a step in my direction, I tilt my head at her in warning. Her fingers tighten on her dagger hilts, but she bows her head and drags Sally by her hair, taking her to the backyard of Vile House.

Remiel is crying now. “Please,” he begs. “Please don’t hurt Cain.”

“Cain is fine,” I tell him. The way he squirms in my hold is almost as hot as when he pissed himself over the dead body. My cock thickens, and I don’t hide it. I press it against his ass and firm up my grip. “Ready to run, Remiel?”

He sobs but tries to choke it back. “Fuck you. Fuck you and your fucking bargain. This isn’t what I agreed to!” He lets anger win, and I like that even more. Scared and pissed off about it is sexy.

I bend down, press the hilt of a blade against his palm, and whisper in his ear, “Run.”

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