Page 34 of Dreadful
Ishould’ve left instead of lying. I should be back home, showered, and cozy underneath my soft, jersey-knit sheets. But I’m none of those things because I can’t get Sev out of my head. And because I don’t want to miss my chance.
Once I disappeared on him in the dressing room, I hid in the shadows where I’m most comfortable. I watched him at the party, aloof and set off to the side, much like he was during the show itself. Cool, unbothered, bored. He spoke to his mother and apparently offended some of the actresses, if their faces were any indication. I scolded myself when I realized I was grinning. Petty, I know, but it felt good to watch all the same.
He’s been so flirtatious with me that I’d initially thought he was a playboy and only interested in a quick fuck. I still haven’t decided whether the second one is true, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s a womanizer at all. With his devastatingly good looks and broody features, he could’ve easily stayed out here and picked up a conquest or three to take back to his top-floor apartment. But he didn’t. He spent his time with me.
My heart skips, and I mentally tell it to calm the hell down. The hypnotic tension between us is one thing, but every time we’re together, danger bleeds off of him and washes over my skin. Sev can only be a means to an end for me. He’s a deadly distraction, and I have to be more careful.
I’m only doing recon to protect myself right now, nothing more. That’s the excuse I give myself anyway as I stare at him and try to figure out why he’s still here. When he walks away from his mother mid-sentence, leaving her behind, I have to follow.
“What’re you up to now?” I mutter under my breath and slink behind the rows of curtains to stay hidden.
He’s hyper-focused on something across the room. I peek around the props and setting to see where he’s fixated when Percy rushes toward the back door.
What the hell?
I frown but keep studying them both until Percy disappears through the exit. Sev does the same only seconds later. The metal door closes behind him, and I sprint lightly after them. A coat rack stands next to the exit, and I snag the largest coat I can find to give myself some semblance of a disguise if one of them spots me. I rush to get the trench coat on over my puffy jacket and messenger bag, but as I stab my arm through the coat’s coarse sleeve, it scratches up my forearm.
A curse hisses from my lips, and I gingerly untangle myself. I make a mental note to inspect the damage later tonight. It’s my first day without wearing the protective film over the ink, so my skin is still sensitive, and this coat is anything but soft. I kind of like the sting, though.
I exhale the pain away so I can focus. Once my mind is clear, I slide through the door and quietly shut it behind me.
Outside is quiet compared to the party. Only the subtle sounds of the city echo across the pavement. I hold my breath so I can hear where they’ve gone.
Faint footsteps reverberate off the brick buildings surrounding the parking lot. I head in their direction, keeping my feet silent and my steps careful across the damp cement.
A yelp of pain nearly makes me trip. My heart and feet stutter to a stop underneath a busted streetlight.
Is Sev hurt?
Mentally cursing myself for worrying about him, I wait for some sort of signal that it’s safe to move. The clouds in the pitch-black night sky seem to swallow up the light everywhere it shines. Darkness is like a tangible fog in the air, making it nearly impossible to see farther than a few feet.
Someone begins to choke on the other side of a white moving van. The struggle continues as something is roughly dragged against the pavement. My heart thunders in my ears, but I risk leaving my spot to investigate the noises.
After a fortifying swallow, I pad softly to a dead-end alley. My thoughts are screaming at me to run, afraid that Sev is the one in danger. There’s no way that Percy could overpower him, right?
My mind flickers back to the sight of Sev leaning slightly on his cane as he walked. Its wood was a gorgeous purple, so deep it was almost black, and it matched perfectly with his tie. But the way he wielded it as deftly as another limb shows that it wasn’t just a fashion choice. I thought Sev was untouchable, but if he was in pain, could Percy have taken him down somehow?
There’s another thud, followed by sniveling, and I recognize the nasally whimpers immediately. The tension in my muscles eases. Sev is safe. Percy on the other hand? Not so much.
I hurry to the entrance of an alleyway and hide behind a large dumpster. The space between it and the brick wall is just wide enough to allow me to crouch in the darkness. I’m safe, but I regret the hiding spot immediately. The damp, freezing air has diluted the stench of trash, but its nauseating warmth still reeks enough to make me gag. I swallow down the urge and cover my nose and mouth with my thick scarf. Once I’m settled, I peer around the wall.
Sev is using his cane as a weapon again. A sliver of moonlight highlights his enraged expression, and his low, growling voice whispers over my senses, relaxing me like a weighted fleece blanket. Considering the anger that rolls from him and barrels into his prey, there’s no hope for the man who harassed me nonstop for the past few weeks.
Percy cries as he huddles against the wall, and I strain to hear what they’re saying.
“…question I asked you, do you remember it?”
“H-how many times h-have I t-touched Talia?”
The memory of Sev brushing his thumb over my skin tingles across my knuckles.
“Don’t worry, I believe you.”
Sev’s promise makes my chest ache. Those five simple words meant more than he could know. Even when I think about it now, my eyes still feel like sandpaper as I blink back tears.
But why does he care?
I’m stuck in my thoughts when Sev suddenly clocks Percy in the side of the head with his cane. My breath hitches in my chest.
