Page 35 of Dreadful
Percy crumples, limp and lifeless to the ground. I don’t know if he’s dead or not, but I don’t dare emerge from my hiding space. Sev twirls his cane until it’s upright, and he can use it to help him walk again. The swagger I’d assumed was part of his cocky persona is actually the gait he’s using to hide his slight limp.
By the time I’ve finished studying it, Sev is only a few feet away from me. My heart races faster and faster as he gets closer, until he passes right by me. I hold my breath as he glances around my dumpster and the one that’s blocking part of the alley. Apparently satisfied he’s not being watched, he studies each dumpster, and my blood freezes in my veins. My hand drifts to my messenger bag under the trench coat.
He turns away from me and rests his cane against the opposite wall. By mere fucking luck, he chooses the dumpster I’m not hiding behind and pulls it farther across the alley’s entrance. It’s slow-going as he modifies his labored movements to compensate for his right ankle. The steady pace also helps keep the wheels silent as they roll. I’m mesmerized by his movements as he pulls the dumpster closer and closer toward me. When he finishes, he turns to analyze the rest of the open space…and the container I’m hiding behind.
Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck.
All the possibilities, dangers, and options fly through my head, and my hand tightens around my weapon. What will he do if he finds me? Will he stop whatever he’s got in store for Percy? If he catches me, will that ruin his plans? Will he turn on me?
Or will he let me watch?
On some level, I know it’s fucked up when a thrill flushes my cheeks and my core flutters. It’s tempting to reveal myself just to see which one he’d choose, but the ever-present song whispering in my head reminds me of what’s important.
Sev is a mystery to me, and with what I have in store, anything unknown can be deadly. I need to know all I can about him and what he’s capable of.
Every one of my muscles, limbs, and fingers are on fire to move now that I can’t. His eyes are as dark as night as he seemingly stares right at me. Does he realize I’m staring back? Is he pretending he can’t see me because he wants me to see?
I can’t tell whether I’m afraid for my life or turned on. If it’s the second one, I’ve officially gone insane.
And I like it.
But if he doesn’t stop looking at me soon, my lungs are going to burst from holding my breath for so long—
He nods once to himself, satisfied with the single dumpster’s placement. After snagging his cane from the wall, he walks back to a still unconscious Percy. My breath leaks out slowly, and every step farther from me feels like another bullet I dodged.
When he’s finally far enough away that I feel like I can breathe again without hyperventilating, I analyze him again. There’s a short, loose curl that constantly falls from his styled-back hair, as if it resents being tamed. His full black suit is covered by a long, down parka that makes him look even taller than he already is. The moonlight gives the illusion that he’s a wisp of a shadow. A ghost.
The dumpster covers most of the alley, and with how far back he and Percy are, it’s nearly impossible to see them. All the theater guests have either gone home or are still at the afterparty. That will likely go on well into the wee hours of the morning. Sev is safe to do whatever he pleases to his prey in the meantime. I plan to watch and enjoy every bloodthirsty second of it.
He unbuckles his leather belt one-handed before sliding it from its loops. The butterflies in my lower belly take flight, and my thighs squeeze together. While I’m trying to calm my sudden arousal, Sev gathers Percy’s wrists and binds them with the belt.
Once his prey is secure, he loosens his dark purple tie from his neck. It flutters against his chest as he yanks off one of Percy’s shoes and socks. Then Sev stuffs the long sock into Percy’s slack mouth and wraps the tie over the man’s mouth like a gag, sealing the knee-high inside.
Madonna mia, what is he doing?
“Don’t worry, vipera, I’ll take care of him.”
What would happen if I just…let him?
Making my decision, I blank my mind free of the near-constant questions and scheming. Throughout my life, I’ve always tried to predict and anticipate everyone’s next move while preparing to make my own. I’m shocked to realize that for once, I feel completely safe around another person, let alone a man.
So, I go with the instinct and literally sit back to enjoy the show without trying to affect its outcome.
Sev tightens the silk and leather restraints for good measure. Percy doesn’t even flinch, and Sev frowns back. It’s as if he’s frustrated at his victim’s lack of fight. I know I would be.
When I had enough time to dwell on what happened with the gardener, I was almost disappointed that I didn’t get more resistance from him. Granted, it worked out for the best. If my first kill had been more difficult, I might not have gained the resolve that I needed to keep going through my list. I highly doubt Sev needs the same encouragement, though. It’s obvious this isn’t his first murder.
Sev whacks Percy across the face. It didn’t seem like it would be too painful, but Percy wakes with a sharp inhale that ends in a moan.
“Wake up, sleeping ugly. I’ve got questions to ask, and you’ve got the answers.”
Percy’s eyes widen with the realization that he’s tied up. A muffled scream passes through the fabric silencing him, and he thrashes wildly on the ground. Sev smacks him on the arm this time.
“Keep your voice down,idiota. If you’re too loud, I’ll have to haul you back to my basement for privacy. You don’t want that, do you? I’ll take a lot longer, and it’ll be a hell of a lot more painful, I can promise you that.”
Percy sniffs back, but he doesn’t attempt to say another word. His eyes widen, though, as Sev reaches into his own pocket and pulls out a rectangular piece of metal that glints in the moonlight. Its polished handle is slightly bent at an angle that’s odd for a knife. I squint to figure out what it is.
Is that…a straight razor?
