Page 70 of Kiss of Deceit
I locked eyes with the masked man as I stepped in plain view. Fury burned my veins, swallowing every other thought. I wouldn’t run. This monster hurt Natalie. Most likely murdered Jillian. And it seemed he had a connection to my past. I wasn’t going to let him leave the building alive.
He lunged for Miles before I could take another step, yanking him up by his hair. With his free hand, he pulled a knife from somewhere on his belt. Miles caught sight of it and began struggling.
“No, don’t,” I cried when he raised the knife.
I was too far away to stop it. Miles’ eyes bulged when the blade slammed into his stomach. He groaned, sagging down, blood already soaking his blue jacket. The masked man let him go, and Miles dropped to his knees, wrapping his hand around the hilt of the knife to keep it from moving. Even in his injured state, he was aware enough to remember his medical training. Until the killer shoved him and brought his knee up, catching the side of Miles’ head. While it didn’t look like a hard hit, it must have hit in the perfect spot because he crumpled to the floor, knocked out.
“You son of a bitch,” I hissed, my voice trembling with rage. My fingers ached from how tightly I was holding the scissors. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
He cocked his head, his mocking silence only infuriating me more. This smug asshole thought he would walk away from this. Red lined my vision as I began spiraling. My self-control was nonexistent just like when I pushed Lucas off the cliff.
When I first started, I had been so damn meticulous. I watched and studied every person for months before I made my move. And how did I go after them? I did it in a way where it looked like an accident. I had been the epitome of control. The one time I didn’t follow my rules was the last time I’d killed years ago. Until Lucas.
“What are you waiting for?” I spat out. “You want to kill me? Then fucking try.”
He shook his head as he reached behind his back. I tracked his moves, my pulse thudding when I spotted the small gun in his hand. Rage jolted down my spine as I made a split-second decision. I would not die at the hands of this monster.
With a scream, I whipped the scissors at him. He dodged out of the way, my only weapon useless as it hit the wall. I raced forward, but before I could reach him, he aimed the gun at me, shooting twice. I dove behind a desk, gritting my teeth when I slammed my hip on the tile. I didn’t dare pop my head out. He was staying still, meaning the gun was most likely still aimed my way.
Something banged loudly, and another shot went off. I slowly craned my neck, peeking around the desk. My eyes landed on Kole, shock coursing through me. He was barreling toward the masked man, seemingly not giving a shit that he was getting shot at. Whoever was beneath the mask had horrible aim, missing Kole every time. He backed up a few steps, his confidence clearly faltering as Kole closed the space.
Miles let out a pained moan. My warning died in my throat when he rolled across the floor, gripping the side of his head. Kole hissed out a string of curses when he tripped over him, slamming into a desk. The masked man sprinted away, heading to where Natalie was. Jumping to my feet, I took off after him.
“Dani, no!” Kole bellowed after me. “Don’t go after him.”
The worry in his voice tightened my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time someone cared about what happened to me. But it wasn’t enough for me to stop. My mind was screaming, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. My past was clashing with the present, and I was stuck in a nightmare.
My sanity shredded the moment I’d locked eyes with the masked killer. My only thought was ending him. He might not be my monster, but he hurt Natalie and Miles. Most likely committed the other murder. He didn’t deserve to live.
Kole was still yelling, his heavy footsteps advancing closer. The masked man shot wildly behind him, and I ducked around a cubicle, planning to cut him off before he made it to the backdoor. When I was in view, he shot again, causing me to fall to the floor.
“Fuck,” I breathed out as he got to the exit. I sprinted across the room, only for fingers to wrap around my arm. Panic suffocated me until I was spun around, meeting Kole’s wild eyes.
“Stay here,” he gritted out. He ignored my protests, pushing me away before ripping open the door and disappearing into the darkness.
I moved to follow until Miles called my name, his voice thick with pain. My eyes drifted to Natalie, a lump growing in my throat. She was laying on her side, her hair covering her face, the burn marks red and blistering. Her utter stillness filled me with dread.
The murderer in this town just claimed another victim.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
kole
I stormedout of the woods, my fingers numb from the cold. It only took me a second to get my bearings as I spotted the back wall of the café. I rounded the brick building, striding down the snow-covered sidewalk. I cursed under my breath, anger washing through me. I lost the masked bastard in the dark. I hoped he fucking froze to death. Pain was radiating down my arm for some reason, but none of that was on my mind.
My heart clenched with panic when the police station came into view. There was a huge crowd, and Harry’s truck was halfway on the sidewalk. This suffocating fear was something I hadn’t dealt with since my childhood. All I could think about was laying eyes on Dani.
One of the guys who worked for Harry was standing at the door, and he put his hand up as I got closer. “Sorry, Kole. It’s a closed crime scene, you can’t?—”
“I know what it is,” I growled. “I was there. Chased the fucking asshole through the woods. Get the hell out of my way, Matt.”
Matt swallowed thickly, shuffling to the side. I swung the door open, hearing Harry’s voice. I followed it to the back ofthe room, stopping in my tracks at the bloody sheet that was covering a body. Someone who worked at the clinic was taking pictures of the room. My mouth went dry as I stood there. Dani was alive when I left. But what if…
“Kole,” Harry said when he spotted me. “Dani told me you went after him. He got away?”
“I lost him.” I stared at the sheet. “Who is that?”
He sighed. “Natalie. Miles survived. He’s at the clinic. What a shit night. The town is going to be in a panic.”
