Page 17 of Haunt Me

The infamous letter ‘A,’ the same letter he always leaves in his notes for me to find. But this time, he has carved it into my thigh, with the crimson liquid still dripping from my freshly cut flesh.

He fucking carved his initial into my thigh.

Before I can even process what I’m seeing, he forcefully pins me down, his body pressed against mine. “You’re mine, little star,” he growls in a gravelly tone, the metallic scent of blood invading my senses. My heart feels like it might explode as he leans in, our lips meeting for a brief moment before he abruptly pulls away, leaving a note on my desk and disappearing out the window and into the night.

Chapter 11

Argent

I’m intoxicated, soaring high,and she’s my ultimate addiction. The metallic taste of her blood on my tongue, and the look of fear mixed with excitement on her face is enough to make me rock hard. I marked her, she’s mine now and I won’t have anyone take her from me. Now that I showed her the insides of that imbecile, I wonder if she’s going to call the police on me. I mean, nothing is stopping her, but if she doesn’t—it could only mean one thing. As much as I terrify her, she won’t be able to get enough of me, and I plan on giving her everything she wants.

The way she looks at me, with both fear and fascination—it’s enough to send me over the edge.Staring into her mesmerizing hazel eyes made me realize—it was always going to be her. She’s not getting rid of me and I would do anything to make her realize that I’d fall to my knees for her.

I will kill for her.

I’m currently having lunch with Adrian because he wanted to catch up, and I couldn’t say no to him. As Adrian takes a sip of his beer, he asks, “How long are you planning on staying?”

“A little while longer, I’m working on a new project,” I respond with a smirk playing on my lips.

Trying to change the subject before he asks too many questions, I jokingly ask, “How’s your sister doing? Any boyfriends that need to be put in their place?” Adrian shakes his head and chuckles, “Nah, my sister is tough. I feel sorry for whoever falls for her.” Laughing at his comment, I notice Chloe walking into the restaurant.

“Speak of the devil,” I murmur, causing Adrian to almost choke on his drink. Chloe sighs before sitting beside Adrian, “Hi guys, sorry to interrupt, but have you heard?” She looks at Adrian, who seems clueless. “Heard about what, Chlo?” He asks.

“Starlet’s psycho ex is back. Her mom told our mom. I’ve never trusted him, and all the shit he did to her. He better keep his distance or I swear to God, I’ll call the police on him again.” She sneers, leaning back into the chair.

Her ex?

“Just keep an eye on Star, okay? And make sure he stays away from her. If he doesn’t, call me, alright?” Adrian assures her and she nods. I need to find out what this guy did to make both Adrian and Chloe so concerned about him being back.

“Hey bro, you’re back early,” Demitri quickly says, his voice tinged with excitement, as I stride into our shared apartment. I immediately notice the flush on his cheeks, a clear indication that he had a girl here, or perhaps she’s still hiding somewhere. I can’t help but chuckle to myself at the thought.

“Yeah, got some business I have to take care of,” I reply casually, taking in the surroundings. The apartment is dimly lit, with a faint scent of cologne lingering in the air. The worn-out furniture and peeling wallpaper give it a slightly rundown feel, but it’s home to us—for now at least. I do plan on making it feel and look less depressing.

Demitri and I share a unique bond, having met at one of the mental institutions we were sent to. Throughout my teenage years, I was in and out of such places, a consequence of my frequent breakdowns. Instead of supporting me, my parents chose to send me away, believing that being around strangers and taking medication would somehow fix me. They failed me, leaving me feeling like a dark force controlled me.

But Demitri, unknowingly, became my savior. We forged a deep friendship, becoming inseparable, a dynamic duo in our own right.

Breaking the silence, I turn to Demitri, my tone demanding, “I need you to look someone up for me, find out everything possible about him.” His eyebrows rise inquisitively as he gazes at me.

“Does this have something to do with that girl?” he asks, his curiosity evident. I choose not to respond, instead posing a direct question, “Are you gonna help me or not?”

Demitri lets out a weary sigh, rubbing his face in defeat. “Okay, fine. Who?” he finally relents. A mischievous smirk tugs at the corners of my lips.

“Zavier Olsen.”

After Chloe left, I asked Adrian who this ex of Starlet was, and he gladly gave a name. I didn’t push for any more than that, I didn’t want him asking too many questions on why I wanted to know.

Sitting at my desk in front of the laptop, I scroll through Zavier’s socials, and I must say, he looks like a real dick. But I don’t see anything odd on any of his platforms, everyone adores this asshole, pretty girls draped over him, tons of friends, and, shit, would you look at that. My thoughts are interrupted by Demitri, “Fuck, this guy has been busy. He lived in four different states in the last three years.” I turn around, focussing on Demitri, waiting for him to continue.

“I searched every state and the timeline he lived there and the weirdest shit came up.” Okay, now I’m intrigued, “Weird shit like what?” I ask, walking over to him, and leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen.

“In every state he lived in, there were multiple women that disappeared, and weeks later their bodies would appear.” I stare at the screen wide-eyed, shocked at what I’m seeing, “And every single victim had the same description—same hair color, eye color, and build.” he continued.

I stare in disbelief, every single young woman that went missing—looks exactly like Starlet, with similar hair color and eyes.

Everything in my being is telling me that he was responsible for all the disappearances. Then a mugshot of him pops up and what he was charged with—physical assault. I don’t bother reading further, that’s all I needed. Standing up straight, all I see is red, anger courses through me and it feels like I might explode.

He hurt her, that bastard fucking hurt my little star.

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