Page 72 of Cruel Cravings

“Were you born this way?” I ask, gesturing to his scars.

He hesitates again, then draws chills onto my skin by shaking his head.

I frown, feeling sad for him not for the first time. “Then… will you tell me what happened? I’d like to know.”

A long silence stretches between us with no head gestures to answer. He’s considered what I’ve asked and finally decided to speak.

His voice sounds as startling as the first time I’d heard it—a naturally hoarse grunting sound.

“Someday.”

I nod this time, accepting his answer. “What do you want from me?”

His dark eyes hold mine, sending more chills down my spine. “You.”

You.

YOU.

The three letter word bounces around my head as I blink and quickly look away.

My pulse ticks up, beating faster. I’m thrown by such a simple answer that probably should’ve been incredibly obvious yet feels so overwhelming at the same time.

This man has stalked me, watched over me for years, and all along the only thing he wanted was…

I push it away, banishing it from my thoughts. If I don’t focus on what’s most important, then I’ll get confused and lose my way like I have in the past.

I have to find my sister.

Drawing a breath, I push my plate away and say, “I appreciate it. But the only thing I want is to find my sister. Nothing else matters until I do.”

Something flickers in his gaze. Knowledge that glints plain as day.

“I can show you.”

My brows snap closer. “What?”

“I can show you.”

He sounds so certain, like he’s known all along.

I swallow hard, my senses suddenly heightened. “Okay… then show me.”

23.Jael

Will You Follow Me Into the Dark? - Klergy and Mindy Jones

It takes us hours to clean up the mess on the porch. The blood and gore have started to stink up the area, making it reek of rotten meat.

It’s no wonder—McGrath and Dudley have been decaying on the porch for a day and a half now. We’ve been lucky that no one else has come by.

The cabin is tucked away well enough that no one comes down this way unless it’s intentional. I had been planning to flee the scene without all the cleanup work. My preferred method was to burn it all down like I’ve done in the past, but Brontë indicated doing so would attract too much attention.

He uses his unique silent communication style to let me know we have to leave the crime scene spotless and dispose of the two bodies.

It’s what will buy us the most time.

We find shovels and a wheelbarrow in the shed behind the cabin. I stand back as Brontë does the heavy lifting. He dumps both bodies into the wheelbarrow and we start for the woods.He’s taken off the cuffs, allowing me free movement of my arms and hands.

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