Page 13 of The Devil's Hunt

Destroy her.

She would be mine.

I sped toward the mansion ahead, a towering structure built in the late eighteen hundreds, with gray-blue walls and massive,overhanging eaves—a stark and formidable fortress from an age long forgotten. Shrouded in cobalt shadows and oppressive silence, its lush foliage seemed an unlikely backdrop for such a gothic estate. I parked my bike in the garage and headed into the sprawling estate, where I waited for the rest of The Brotherhood to arrive. I poured myself a glass of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. I poured another, and as I stared at the amber-colored liquid in the glass, I knew I would have my vengeance.

TheHuntwas approaching, and I knew that my little rabbit would be my greatest prize.

5

FIVE

MILA

Ikept to myself the next couple of days as I tried to wrap my mind around Zach's disappearance and what I knew in my heart was Archer's admission of guilt. What I didn't know was why. Why would he murder someone in cold blood? Why did he protect me? Why did he follow me? Why did he kiss me? So many questions raced through my mind that I was driving myself crazy.

I needed some fresh air.

Grabbing my jacket, I slipped on my boots and headed out of my house to take a walk. The autumn air was chilly, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp air. It was a Friday night, so most of the college students were out partying. Lacey was going to a party at the quarry with Chad, who I was sure were officially dating at that point, but neither had confirmed it. As I walked, I tried to clear my head, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw Archer's face. The beautiful face of a murderer. The face of a man who had followed me. The face of a man who had protected me. The conflicting emotions in my heart were tearing me apart.

The sound of a motorcycle broke through the silence, and I turned to see a blacked-out Indian pulling up beside me. The rider was dressed in all black, their face obscured by a helmet. My instinctstold me to keep walking, but something about the rider's presence intrigued me. The motorcycle slowed down and came to a stop beside me. The rider turned off the engine and removed their helmet. My heart raced as I realized it was Archer.

"Hey," he said, looking at me with his intense green eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, his voice low and deep.

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling vulnerable in front of him. "About what? How you're a murderer?"

Archer sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?" I scoffed. "You killed someone."

"For you."

"For me? Like that somehow makes it okay?" I started to walk away from him.

"I would do it again," he called after me.

I spun around and stormed back toward him. "This is what I don't get: why would you kill someone for me? You don't even know me."

"I like you."

"Is it because you like me that you follow me around like a creep or kiss me in the library when I didn't want you to?"

"You seemed to want me to at the time."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want with me?"

"I want to take you to a party."

"Last time I let someone drag me to a party, a man ended up dead."

"This time, you'll be on my arm, and as long as no one touches you, no lives will be lost."

I contemplated for a moment, my body trembling with fear and excitement. I didn’t know why I was even considering it, but something about him drew me in. Maybe it was the danger, the mystery, or the thrill of being with someone I knew could protect me.

Or maybe it was how he looked at me like no one else ever had.

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