Page 57 of Silent Stalker

“Clara?” James catches my arm. “You okay? You look pale.”

“Just tired. Haven’t been sleeping well with all this.”

He releases me, concern etched on his face. “Maybe you should take a break. Go home; get some rest.”

“Yeah,” I manage. “maybe I should.”

I cling to the steering wheel like it’s a lifeline, my fingers bleached bloodless with the strain of holding myself together. The evidence against Silas keeps piling up in my mind—the ring, the cologne, the camera footage. My chest tightens. He’s too smart for rookie mistakes like this.

The cell phone screen comes alive with his message.

Come home.

Home. Where he’s waiting. We’ve shared dark intimacies that should make me run to James with everything I know. Instead, my finger hovers over the message.

The drive feels endless. Each traffic light gives me another chance to turn around, do my job, and be the person I’m supposed to be. But I keep going.

I pull into my driveway and kill the engine. Through my living room window, I catch a glimpse of his silhouette. My heart races; not from fear, but from something else. Something I’m not ready to name.

“Why?” I whisper to myself. “Why leave evidence? Why now?”

The cologne wasn’t a mistake. The ring, the camera—none of it was careless. Silas doesn’t do careless. Which means...

My phone buzzes again.

I can see you sitting out there.

I close my eyes, drawing in a shaky breath. James thinks we’re close to catching the Christmas Reaper. But Silas is playing a different game entirely. One I’m already caught up in, whether I want to be or not.

I grab my purse and step out of the car. Each step on the pathway to my front door feels like a countdown. To what, I’m not sure. But something’s coming. Something bigger than nine ladies dancing in mirrors of death.

The door opens before I reach it. Silas stands there, backlit by my hallway light. His face gives nothing away, but his eyes tell me everything I need to know.

“You’ve been sloppy,” I say.

His lips curl into that smile that makes my insides twist. “Have I?”

I step inside, my heart hammering against my ribs. Silas closes the door behind me, and I feel the familiar electric current that always sparks between us.

“You left evidence on purpose.” I turn to face him. “The cologne, the ring, the security footage. That’s not like you.”

“What makes you so sure?” His fingers trace my jawline.

I catch his hand. “Because I know you. You’re methodical. Perfect. Those weren’t mistakes.”

“Ask me why, Clara.” His voice drops lower, sending shivers down my spine.

“Why?”

He pulls me closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Because I need to know if you’re truly mine. If you’ll choose me when everything falls apart.”

“What do you mean?”

“The evidence points to me. Your partner’s closing in. Soon, they’ll have enough for an arrest warrant.” His hands slide down to my waist. “I need to leave Evergreen Falls.”

My breath catches. “And you want me to...”

“Come with me.” He cups my face. “Start somewhere new. Where no one knows us, where we can be who we are.”

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