Page 127 of Three for a Girl

Chad stared deep into Romeo’s eyes, finding the monster. He smiled, and rather than fear, a warmth flowed through him.

It was a good feeling.

“Kill him…”

Chapter Twenty

The rain thumped on the roof, the roar of thunder outside vibrated Chad’s chest, and he held his breath as Romeo stalked Carter.

This was a tiger in all its beauty.

Romeo pursued Carter around the outhouse while he begged and pleaded. It didn’t make a difference to Romeo, and Chad thought his conscience might yell at him, scream at him to stop the madness, but its protest was nothing but a whisper, and when Romeo grabbed hold of Carter it fell silent. It died, and he took a deep breath, the first without a gnawing in his mind. The first free breath for months, possibly years.

Chad was blessed with the sight of Romeo’s face, snarling, coated in a sheen of sweat. The anger in him crackled, the green to his irises was lost completely and he didn’t blink. He widened his eyes, taking in the sight of Carter flailing for breath, drinking in his death.

Chad couldn’t see Romeo’s hands, but his arms bulged, the vein that ran from his elbow to his bicep protruded, and Chad’s stomach tickled with lust. Chad no longer swallowed from nervousness—his mouth watered at the sight of Romeo in his element.

Murder was not supposed to look erotic, it wasn’t supposed to excite Chad’s belly, or pour heat into his veins, but it did, rushing his senses until right or wrong didn’t even matter anymore. There was only Romeo and the monster, and together their brutal beauty.

Romeo’s sweaty hair flicked out, sweat shone on his forehead. There was perspiration on his cupid’s bow, as if he’d put it there on purpose to draw attention to his lips.

Chad’s heart pounded, he struggled to keep his breath and held onto the desk.

Romeo’s snarl softened, his lips and brow relaxed, but Chad did the opposite. He couldn’t relax, adrenaline surged through him.

Romeo shuddered, as if the death of Carter at his hands had been a climax, one that weakened him until he swayed, panting for oxygen.

Carter spluttered, jerked, then slumped in Romeo’s hands. He’d gone, his life snuffed out, and not one ounce of sorrow presented itself.

Romeo lifted his gaze from the limp Carter in his grip, but where Chad expected to see Romeo surfacing from his murderous high, the monster remained, glaring at Chad. The outhouse shook with a roar of thunder startling Chad. Romeo didn’t react, he released Carter who thumped to the floor, and stepped over his body, heading in Chad’s direction.

“Romeo?” Chad whispered.

It wasn’t Romeo, not entirely, and Chad’s gut twisted in knots. The way he stalked, stiff and focused, was exactly the same way he’d gone for Carter. Chad waited for his expression to soften, for euphoria to take him completely like it had with Marc, but it didn’t. Romeo was still lost in the haze, and there was no fondness in his pressing glare.

The sky rumbled, shaking the floor, and when it eased, and the pattering of rain took over, Chad shuddered at Romeo’s eyes still on him, piercing him across the room.

The lights cut out and the outhouse was plunged into complete darkness. Chad stumbled backwards, knocking into the table behind. It scraped on the floor, and the sound set Chad’s heart off chanting out danger all over again.

Danger, danger, danger.

The rain pelted on the roof, his breaths shook as they went in and out and he tried to locate any noise from Romeo in the darkness. He was alone with the monster, the monster that had wanted him dead only the week before. The monster that in that very building had almost killed him.

The storm outside grumbled in the sky, a deep low noise that momentarily silenced the room.

Chad’s neck throbbed, he gripped the bruise and side stepped along the aisle, getting closer to the only source of light under the door. The first footstep close by made him gasp, and the second punched the air out of his lungs.

The monster was getting closer, searching for him, and where it was calm, Chad was a panting, stumbling mess, giving himself away. He was heading towards the door and the monster was flanking him, pursuing him, just like it had Carter.

Romeo could’ve caught him easily, but he held back, edging closer, but not rushing at Chad. He was in no hurry to kill like he had been with Carter.

Chad knew he could fling open the door, leave Romeo in the darkness and run, but he had nowhere to go, and no desire to leave. He licked his lips, frowning at the other option. He could fight the monster, fight for his life, but he’d tried and failed the last time.

He wouldn’t fight him, and he wouldn’t leave, instead he put himself in Romeo’s murderous hands.

Chad let go of the door handle, and turned around, sensing Romeo near him. He’d made his choice, he was staying there, no matter what might happen.

A second passed, followed by another, and Chad’s rasping body slowed with acceptance. The thunder outside blocked out all other sound, and its vibrations shook the door at Chad’s back.

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