Page 4 of Between Dusk and Dawn

That honey-laced voice filled the small apartment as a crackle of thunder hit outside. "I am so sorry I’m late. There was so much rain…"

There was always rain in Isles, but I wasn’t going to point out the obvious while I continued the stare-off with the redheaded vixen standing in her room, hands crossed over her chest.

"Oh, good. I am so glad you guys were able to get acquainted while I was gone." Cagen’s kiss to my cheek slapped my mask back on, so I turned into her, pressing my lips against hers.

Cagen wore a one-piece black workout outfit with a cropped hoodie. Her long, straight, blonde hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail. She had thick full lips, bright-blue eyes, and a petite frame.

Pulling her against me, I plunged my tongue into her mouth, but peered over her shoulder at her roommate. I stared as my tongue fucked her roommate’s mouth. Cagen even let out the mousiest little moan possible. My muse didn’t move.

No. She stayed frozen, watching her roommate lose herself in me.

"Oh, wow. Feeling frisky?" Cagen said breathlessly, and pulled away

"Come on, Cagen." I grabbed her wrists and tugged her to the other side of the apartment toward her room.

"It was nice to meet you…" I hadn’t gotten my muse’s name.

"Maddy. Her name is Madison Ryan, but everyone calls her Maddy," Cagen said, blissfully unaware of the stare-down that had been unfolding in front of her.

Maddy stood unmoving in her room, and as if snapping out of her thoughts, she looked between Cagen and me.

"Right, yes. Maddy," she said, smiling at us before shutting the door in our faces. The moment she thought Cagen was out of sight, her expression changed, eyes wide and filled with sorrow, but only for a brief moment before her smile returned.

Ah, well, if that was the game she wanted to play, then game fucking on.

I spent the entire night fucking Cagen, making her scream my name louder than she ever had, knowing all too well her roommate could hear everything in the snug apartment.

How does it feel, Muse?

How does it feel to have finally met the devil?

Chapter Two

Sophomore Year – Winter

There she was again.

Cagen's dance practice ran late, providing me the opportunity to visit Maddy's apartment early. For months, I had been shadowing her on campus, meticulously tracking her every move. My goal was to witness her natural behavior, discern her patterns, and, above all, see if she would ever drop the expertly crafted mask she wore day in and day out.

The only time she did was in the solitude of darkness. I strategically placed cameras in her bedroom and adjoining bathroom, capturing every detail.

Yes. I stalked her and did so shamelessly. So. Fucking. What.

I was the son of the strongest Mafia family in the country. This practice wasn’t uncommon for me, and no one questioned when I demanded cameras be installed in her apartment…in my girlfriend’s apartment. In fact, my father praised me.

It was all only a half-truth, though. Yes, I wanted to keep an eye on my girlfriend, but I more wanted to know what her roommate was like. I wanted to figure out her routines, herfavorites, her life. If she couldn’t be in my world physically, I’d have to just watch her from afar.

Did that make me sound like a creep? Absolutely. Did I care? No.

I reveled in the sight of her red hair cascading over her shoulders during the 5:00 a.m. yoga sessions she indulged in, in the living room before Cagen was even awake.

At night, Maddy touched herself with the rainbow-colored toys that filled her bedside drawer, each moan a plea for a new life. My poor tortured soul loved getting off on the sadness that lived deeply within her body. Then she’d shower, apply lotion to her scars, and cry herself to sleep.

I knew exactly how that felt—masking sadness with physical pleasure.

Walking down the small hallway in the apartment, her heels clicked against the tile as she approached from her bedroom. I slammed the front door shut.

"It seems you find yourself early again, Mr. Solis." The warmth in Maddy’s tone wrapped me in a raspy embrace as I walked into the living room to her leaning against her door frame.

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