Page 14 of Ever Dark

“So, how hot is she?” Bones’s eyes glaze from his third whiskey. He licks the rim of the glass, savoring every drop.

I shudder, annoyed that I showed any sign of weakness in front of them. “She’s pretty. Not hot. There’s a difference,” I lie. With one brown eye and one blue eye, dark silky hair that cascades down her back, Mia Harker is hot as fuck. But she’s also shy, boring, andunsure of herself. If Bones doesn’t give her a heart attack tonight, I’ll be shocked.

He arches an eyebrow at me. “Bullshit. Come on,Ries, tell me. Dray isn’t here to scold you.” He chuckles.

There’s no fucking way I’m saying shit. “Let it go, Bones.”

He shrugs. “I’m gonna find out tonight anyway.”

“What’s your plan?” I’m almost envious that he gets to go instead of me. I bet she looks even hotter with fear in her eyes. I think my little lamb has a dark side too. There was something about the way she looked at me when I had her cornered.

He grabs a cherry from the bar tray and pops it into his mouth. “None of your fucking business unless you tell me how hot she is.”

I let out a frustrated grunt. “Forget I asked then.” Bones is going to fucking rip me a new one later after he lays eyes on her himself.

“Go in through the wine cellar. She didn’t even know where it was earlier. I doubt she remembers how to get back down there,” I offer.

Bones snorts into his whiskey. “You’ve really thought this out.” He shakes his head, laughing, as if that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever said.

I shrug. Emma Harker used to throw the best fucking parties. I’ve passed out many times in that wine cellar. It was also the easiest way to sneak out when I didn’t want my parents parading me around like fresh, eligible meat. My stomach turns at the thought. They always gave me a choice. My twin sister, Libra, wasn’t so lucky.

Truth be told, I want nothing to do with this fucking poison business anymore. It’s tainted by the sins of my father.

“Hey, Ries, I’m just joking.Relax. That’s good advice. I was planning to go in the side entrance but the wine cellar is better. I forgot how we used to party down there.” He squeezes my shoulder.

“It’s cool. I’m on edge. Draven is up my ass every five seconds about this fucking baneberry. It wasn’t enough that I got Libra tosign away her shares over to me. Things were so much easier when we were kids. Before all this fucking nonsense.”

He stares into space as he nods. “Yeah, you’re right. When it was just the three of us. All we cared about was fucking and drinking. Everyone let us run fucking wild. It was awesome.”

We were kings without a kingdom, ruling over ourselves and our carnal desires. Now we have to answer to lawyers and investors and everyone in between.

I finish up my beer and give him a light slap on the cheek. “Come find me later. I wanna know how it goes.”

I hear Duff grumble from behind the bar when he orders another shot, and I can’t help but chuckle on my way out. Booze and adrenaline are a deadly combination for Bones Crane. Poor Mia Harker is going to find that out real soon.

BONES

Fucking Aries.

My cock swells as I catch a glimpse of Mia in the front window. He called her pretty, so I suspected she was hot, but fuck… This woman is gorgeous. I picture her down on her knees with my hands around her throat. I’d love to make her swallow every drop of my cum before I end her life.

She’s closing the curtains as if that’s going to keep the monsters out.Nothing and no one can stop me.

I pull down my black ski mask and creep to the back of the mansion. Lucky for me, I’ve partied here so many times, I know this stone fortress better than Mia herself. She’s an outsider in our townandin her own house.

The door to the wine cellar is easy to open with my lock pick. I hold my breath and wait a few minutes after the wooden door creaks open. When I don’t hear any footsteps stomping overhead, I keep going.

I lock the door behind me before I head up the stairs to thefoyer. But not before snatching a bottle of bourbon from the single-barrel spirits shelf and setting it by the door. Mia’s grandmother always kept a stash for me. She had a soft spot for me. Ever since that night, I kept her bastard of a husband from smashing her face in.

I smashed in his instead.

It’s a shame I have to torment her granddaughter. But Emma is long gone. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. At least that’s what I’ll tell myself when Draven orders me to send Mia to the shallow grave next to hers.

I keep to the shadows, watching Mia move around the house. She walks through each room, turning on lights, unaware of the predator who lurks behind her. I smile underneath my mask. The thrill of the chase is what I live for. The adrenaline, the heat in my chest, my cock rock hard as I fantasize about the fear and horror in her eyes when I finally reveal myself.

The whistle of a tea kettle has her heading toward the kitchen. I hang back, hiding behind the wall, and wait for her to turn it off. My pulse races as I hear the boiling water slosh into the teacup. She breathes a heavy sigh, whimpering.Her safety is an illusion. The hot water comforts her. Which makes this so much more thrilling.

I turn off the foyer light and drag the tip of my blade down the kitchen door, digging it into the wood. The teacup rattles on the counter. I can almost hear her erratic heartbeat from the other side of the wall.

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