Page 101 of Seducer

“I did what was necessary.”

I shuddered from the thought. He was capable of killing. “Why? Because of our connection?”

“Yes. Can you feel it, my sweet kitten?”

“What?”

“The sweet release of pain, the rapture of peace. We are each other’s salvation, meant to be together.” His laugh was tinged with such extreme darkness, anger, and bitterness.

“Did you hire someone to kill me only to save me as part of the game?”

He took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his tone had changed. “No, Sara. I don’t play the game that way. But we need to talk. Only after you’ve rested. You’re safe now.”

Safe. He’d used the word more than once. The other side of that meant I’d been in danger.

Talk. I was trying to comprehend what we could have to talk about. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what you need to tell me. Not now. Rest.”

“I don’t know anything. Is this all the game still? Are you testing me in another way?” I managed, although the sound of my voice was unfamiliar. Had I even spoken? I struggled to open my eyes, fighting a wave of fear instantly permeating every inch of my body and mind. Where the hell was I? As I fought to make any sense of what I was dealing with, my senses sharpened, suddenly hearing every noise no matter how slight.

“Not at this point. Have I pushed you by initiating you into a portion of my world? Yes. But not right now.”

I sensed his anger and heard the concern in his voice. What in God’s name was going on?

There was a slight ticking noise as if coming from a clock only a few feet away. I could hear heavy, masculine breathing, sighs of excitement that instantly repulsed me. “Then just go. I can’t think straight.”

“I’m not going anywhere, but the truth is you don’t really want me to. Now, do you?”

His question was a challenge, one I could easily answer.

I lunged up by a few inches, prepared to spew words of utter hatred.

Or I thought I could.

Words stuck in my throat and my seducer, my captor instantly recognized my inability to tell a lie.

His laugh was dark, laced with subtle tones of evil.

As well as desire.

After blinking several times, my eyes became accustomed to the shadows. “Where’s your mask? That’s right. You don’t need one, do you, Zach?”

His chuckle was even deeper than before. “Does that really matter to you? The mask?”

“You were in the bar. I kept seeing you, but there were others dressed just like you.”

“I was there, but wearing a different mask than the ones you thought I was hiding behind.”

“You were chasing me.” I don’t know why I was making the statements other than to jog my memory.

“Not at first. I was watching you.”

His admittance took me by surprise. Then again, there was no reason for him to lie to me. “Then who was this other person if not someone you control?” I thought about my own question. “A man in a sedan. He wore a Purge mask. I thought it was you.”

He laughed. “I assure you the person who almost ran you down is not anyone I would ever employ. If he were in my world, he’d be dead by now. The game includes several dangerous aspects, but nothing that would end your life. That I can promise you. There was an unknown man pretending to be me.”

“My God. You killed him! Didn’t you? Don’t try and tell me otherwise. I heard the gunshot.”

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