Page 61 of Knot Dead Yet

Pressing my cheek to my shoulder, I tried to pinch or twitch the mark Kane had left on my neck.Kane! Kane, save me. The stalker took me somewhere in the city. Help!

There was no proof of psychic connections in marks. Hell, there wasn’t any way to prove that anything paranormal was real, but I was desperate.

The cart rolled to a stop and there was a ding followed by a swoosh. An elevator? There was a jolt and I was given a definite yes to that question.

Where was this psycho taking me that had an elevator?

We went up only a floor or two and then I was being wheeled down a carpeted hall. Nothing about what the bastard was doing was rushed. He even hummed a soft, slow song. Were we in a warehouse? An empty office building? Or it could be an apartment complex. He did mention everyone had gone to the game.

A door clicked open and I was pushed inside. There was tile and then more carpet. Straight and then around a corner. We didn’t go too far until he came to a stop.

“We’re here, sweet girl. You’re very lucky to have such luxury. Though we both know that money doesn’t buy happiness. If that were the case, you wouldn’t be so sad.”

Luxury? Sad? What the hell was he talking about?

I was lifted up and set on something cushioned. A bed. It was too wide and soft to be a couch.

The zipper was drawn back and dim light had me blinking as the scent of flowers filled my nose. The man tenderly rolled me out onto the bed. He wasn’t wearing a mask or was in any way trying to hide his identity. He looked like an average middle aged man who was balding and wore gloves and glasses. Even with his winter coat on, I could tell he had a wiry frame.

A memory tapped at the back of my mind. I’d seen him before, but I couldn’t remember where. He had a kind face, but was otherwise utterly unremarkable.

What was a shock was the fact we were in my hotel room. My bedroom at Fort Garry. It had recently been cleaned and the room was full of lilies. Not just a dozen, but several dozen.

Like the ones that had been in the suite before. And the ones delivered to the pack house.

These were the flowers that the victims of the Manitoba Hangman had in their homes.

Oh fuck.

I fought against my restraints and forced my voice box to make a squeal as loudly as I could.

As I flopped close to the edge of the bed, the killer eased me back to the center. “Please calm down. There’s no need to worry. All your suffering will be over soon. I’m here to help you end your misery and find eternal peace.”

The absolute sincerity in his voice was frightening. He thought he was helping me? I shook my head vigorously. No one would ever describe me as a sad person. I was the life of the party.

I tried to speak. Maybe he’d take off the tape and I could convince him to let me go. I wanted to say I wasn’t sad, but the tape muffled the words and it sounded more like ‘I’m not dead.’

Yet.

I started to push at the tape with my tongue. If I could make it wet enough, I could rip through and scream. Some people had to be here at the hotel, and I could be very loud when I wanted to be.

The faster I got free the better. I was starting to have trouble breathing. My nose was getting stuffy from all the flower pollen and dry thickness in my throat.

The psycho gave me a pitying look. “My dear Kienna. I wish life could be different for you. You’re clever and pretty. I’m sure if your circumstances were different, you would be happy with Shaw and his pack. Yet all they’ve caused you is suffering.” He sighed and wandered over to caress the petals of one of the flowers. “On top of the sadness of being forgotten by your father, it is more than you can bear. Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve had tears in your eyes.”

Every time? Shit, that means he had been watching me. But I didn’t cry that much. Well, maybe more lately, but things had been a mess. And how did he know how my dad made me feel? Was he listening in to my private conversations too?

“Your misery has been heartbreaking. I’m hurting with you, sweet girl. I feel your pain.”

You are a fucking serial killer! You have no emotions.

The wetness worked and the tape fell away from my upper lip. “I’m not sad. I’m happy. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I found my mates. I’ve been claimed.”

I didn’t know if he knew that, but he might think twice about hurting me if he knew my Alphas would hunt him down and avenge me. He seemed to know who the pack was and my relationship with them.

“You’re not happy.” The killer sighed and shook his head as he came around the bed to the discarded hockey bag. He reached in to pull out a roll of tape.

I wiggled away from him. Frantic and starting to gasp for air, and fuck, I winced as pain from my heat flared. Why the hell was it firing up now? “No, I am happy. Really, I am. Please let me go.”

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