Page 17 of Bloody Seven

"They are."

"My best seller today. I hope whoever you plan to give them to loves them. I never get flowers." She smiles and steps away to the counter to ring someone up.

Ah yes, the gentle reminder that today is Valentine's Day. The day of love. I also hope whoever receives my rose tonight willlove it, considering they will be dead. I put the bundle down, grab one single rose, and proceed to the counter to pay before hurrying out of the shop as I think of my Envy kill.

There were people arguing in the parking garage, and I couldn’t help but listen.

“The only reason you even got that job was because of me,” he slurred. “The boss wants to fuck you. You don’t deserve to be the manager.”

“I earned my position. Just because you helped me get hired doesn’t mean I owe you anything.”

“You owe me the same thing you gave the boss to get hired. A slut like you is always willing to suck a cock to get ahead. Why not mine?”

“You’re drunk! Get away from me.”

“You’ll fuck everyone else but not me? I deserve it more than they do. You should thank me properly for everything you have. If it weren’t for me, you would be homeless,” he tossed out, prompting a knee to the balls that allowed her to run from his grasp.

It was good thinking on the woman's behalf because she was able to get away, and he became my target for the night. I was already behind on my choice, unsure of whether or not I would find one, and he stumbled along. Fate.

I slipped my gloves on, pulled the strings on the hoodie tighter to cover my face as much as possible, and yelled out, “Help!” from behind one of the cars in a dark corner. Again, it was fate that one of the lights just happened to be burnt out.

He came over curiously, and when he did, I hit him with the Taser before immediately plunging the knife in and out of his gut. He started to say something that I didn’t want to hear, so the next stab landed in his throat.

Gurgles bubbled out of him while I continued the remaining stabs until I counted to seven. I stepped back and watched asthe life drained out of him a bit slower than the rest before tossing my signature rose.

I shake my head and focus on today. The streets are already busy with people, which annoys me. The sooner I can get out of this city, the better. A bagel shop comes into view, and I decide this one is as good as any other, so I pop in and grab a plain bagel with cream cheese. If I were looking for the best option, I would have gone back to Corbin’s. That’s definitely not happening.

I spend most of the day wandering around the city, popping in and out of shops along the way and watching as many people as I can, before ending up in Times Square. I spot several couples walking by holding hands, and it makes me jealous.

Drew and I came to Times Square for our first anniversary and walked around, taking in everything like true tourists. It was the first time I had been to this part of the city, and everything felt so big. There were so many people and businesses. It was like another world. I guess compared to where I’m from, it is another world.

Drew had the purest soul. He never acted like he was from here and I hesitate with that thought. What if it's because he really wasn't from here? No. It doesn't matter. None of that matters, and I won't entertain these thoughts because he's dead. I won't disgrace his memory like that. Stupid Corbin making me have doubts.

Time flies by, and as it gets closer to sunset, I know it's time for me to go back to the hotel to change my clothes and grab what I need to make my kill. Lust will be dying tonight. I just have to find them first.

I make quick work, walking back to my hotel room and changing into my murder outfit. To be fair, it doesn't differ much from my regular outfit. It's just a pair of black slacks, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a black hoodie. Some years I add a blackjacket. I always take it back to Pennsylvania and burn it after my kills.

Blending into the dark will be much easier this year because there's no snow. It's been warmer than it usually is in February due to a freak heatwave, but I don’t mind.

I wrap my hair into a tight bun before securing an extra hair tie around it to keep it from falling out and then pull a beanie over my head for extra measure. Can't have one of my hairs accidently making it onto the crime scene, not that they would believe a woman like me would be capable of this level of brutal murder.

I grab my large cross-body purse and shove my knife into it, along with the long-stemmed rose, my Taser, and rubber gloves, as I prepare to find myself a victim worthy of death.

With that, I take the hoodie in one hand and head to the elevator. I'm more on edge than usual with anxiety creeping up when I push my way out of the front of the hotel. Once outside, I pull the hoodie over my head and walk toward the subway, making sure to hop on the Q to head into Brooklyn.

The train arrives right on time, and I slip into a seat, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The more invisible I am, the better. The ride is uneventful, for once, as we make stop after stop through lower Manhattan before crossing over the river.

I don't even know how many stops go by before I decide to get off, not knowing where I ended up. Somewhere in Brooklyn. It's all I need to know as I make my way off the train and up to the streets.

After glancing around to get my bearings, I start walking, unsure of where I'm heading, but I know I’ll find what I'm looking for. This would have been so much easier if I could have just killed Corbin and been done with it. I’m letting this kill be controlled by emotion, which is exactly what I try to avoid.

I pass by a pizza shop, unable to resist the urge to dip in and grab a slice before I go on my way again. No sense in doing this on an empty stomach. There’s a bar up ahead with music filling the streets, so I go in that direction. There has to be some lustful man around a bar, right?

As if the universe knew exactly what I was asking for, some guy walks toward me. Even in baggy slacks with a hoodie over my head, he still finds a way to objectify me.

"Hey gorgeous," the guy says as I walk past, and I already know where this is going to go. I may have just found Lust after all. These men really make it so easy by being nasty trash-bag human beings.

"No," I say, giving him a chance to walk away. He obviously doesn't.

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