Page 86 of Back In the Shadows

I mentally told Sebastian to hush, now wasn’t the time for his questions.

The man’s eyes followed mine, and he flashed me a sinister smile. “You recognize that Chucky?”

Yes! This is what you need to ask him.

I wanted to shrug off Sebastian’s request, but I needed answers too. “You?” I growled. “You put that fucking doll in my bedroom?”

“I’ve always been around, even when you were younger. I thought the doll might stick in your mind even after what you were about to live through. It was my way of planting that seed in your mind’s eye.”

Son of a bitch. He was in my home before he killed my parents.

As much as I hated to admit it, Sebastian was right. This motherfucker had apparently always been lurking in the shadows. I studied him, watching every calculated move as he waited for me to answer his earlier question. “Okay. You have my word. I won’t fucking gut you.” I offered him a sneer along with my words.

“Or harm me in any way.”

I shook my head. “Yeah, that too.”

He walked behind the chair, and I braced myself to have my throat split wide open, but he only untied my wrists.

Slowly, I brought my arms to my lap and rubbed them.

“You can stand and walk around. The bathroom is down the hall to your right if you need it.” He pointed in that direction. I took a deep breath and stood, wobbly at first from the effects of the tranquilizer. As I turned to take in my surroundings, I scanned the luxurious living room, complete with leather furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a stunning view of the lake outside. I couldn’t see any other houses nearby, which made me wonder where exactly we were and why he had taken such precautions. A wave of anger washed over me as I thought about how he had drugged me, but my curiosity kept my temper in check. I had questions for him. A lot of them.

I stared at the man who had the audacity to take me in broad daylight. Must be his MO since he’d done the same to Ella. “You didn’t answer my question. Who the fuck are you?”

He gave me a warm smile and sat on the grey leather couch. “They call me the Pied Piper.”

Pursing my lips together, I folded my arms over my chest. “I’ve heard about you from Xavier, why the name?”

“Simple really. I like to groom potential people with the same … darkness you and I have. Once I do, they follow me blindly.”

Except for me.

He narrowed his eyes on me for a split second. “And I’m sure he mentioned that when the time was right, we would meet.”

I nodded. “Yeah, but he’s not a very trustworthy source of information. I don’t believe most of what comes out of his mouth.”

“So, he’s still alive?”

I didn’t miss the hope in his question. “For now. I can’t guarantee for how long though.”

“Well, I’d love to take him off your hands.”

My arms lowered to my sides. “To kill?”

He chuckled as if I’d told a good joke. “No. No. He’s very dear to me.” He leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. “And so are you.”

“Awesome. If I’m important to you, then tell me what the hell this all is about. Why put a tranquilizer in my neck and bring me here?”

“Because I want to make it more difficult for you to return here. Since you didn’t see anything on the ride over, it will be impossible for you to trace the drive. It’s self-preservation. You know all about that, Death.”

I did. “Xavier said you’re the man that killed my parents. Is that true or has he just gone off the deep end and made shit up?”

The Pied Piper rubbed his jaw before he said, “Xavier is special, but he’s not a liar. I am the man you’ve been looking for.”

I sneered at him. “I’ve not been looking for you. Ella is the one that wants to know more. She’s a very curious woman. It gets her into trouble sometimes.”

“She’s beautiful. You’ve done well for yourself.”

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