Page 127 of Kiss of Deceit
My eyelids flutteredwhen I heard footsteps on the stairs. I groaned, turning over and snuggling under the blanket. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. But I was so damn tired, I couldn’t even keep my eyes open.
The mattress moved when Kole climbed into bed. I stretched my arms above my head, wishing I could live in this blissful daze. I was so relaxed. Like I always was when I was near Kole. I caught myself more and more wanting to tell him everything. Maybe he’d accept it. But…even if he didn’t, I found myself needing him to know.
“Sometimes I wish this was real,” I whispered, still half asleep. “That this isn’t just an internship where I’ll be leaving. If I had a choice…I’d want to stay with you.”
He moved under the blankets until something lightly brushed my bare thigh. A moment later, pain jolted down my leg.
I flinched, jerking up. “What the hell?” I cried out when another sting of pain slashed at my thigh.
A cold dread traveled down my flesh as something in the air shifted. An odd sensation filled me, and I froze. Something was wrong. I reached down, feeling blood trickling down my thigh. I winced when my finger was sliced on the sharp object that was still resting on my leg. My heart stuttered in my chest.
It wasn’t Kole.
Dread slithered through me, cementing me in place. Only seconds had passed but it felt like hours. Whoever was next to me was a monster. The killer, most likely. Maybe the man from my past. So why wasn’t I moving? I kept my eyes open, letting them adjust to the darkness.
I sucked in shallow breaths, my past clashing with the present. Flashes of that night blinded me when the blade sliced my thigh again. All the rage that had grown over the years was still being overshadowed by the terror I felt when I thought I was going to die.
A loud thud came from somewhere downstairs, followed by a pained yell. My heart leapt into my throat.Kole.There was more than one intruder. What if they were killing him?
With a shriek, I shot up twisting my body as I clenched my fists. The person was ready, and the knife nicked my skin again when he withdrew it from my leg. I swung, but he was already rolling off the bed. I snatched the knife from my nightstand, flicking it open.
The suffocating fear was gone, and in its place was a fury igniting. My eyes strained through the dark to make out his shadowy outline as he dashed across the room. I resisted the urge to throw my blade at him since my other one was downstairs in my jacket pocket. He halted in front of my open door, cutting off my exit.
I climbed off my bed, gripping the knife tightly. Confidence surged as I crept closer to him.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” I stated, hatred bleeding into my voice. “You staying in the shadows is the reason you’re still alive. But now? You wanted me, come fucking get me.”
The masked person only stared from the doorway while raising their other hand. My heart dipped, just making out the outline of a handgun. I froze, my mind racing. My eyes trailed down his body, trying to think coherently through my growing rage. His shorter height, and smaller body frame had me believing it was the same person who was at the police station the night Natalie was murdered. But he wasn’t alone since I’d heard someone fighting with Kole downstairs.
He backed up, jerking the gun in a clear order for me to follow. I gritted my teeth, taking slow steps forward. It was impossible to see any details in the dark, and I was going crazy trying to figure out who was behind the mask. I’d been blinded by terror and pain the night I was attacked and had no idea how tall the person was who’d stabbed me all those years ago.
He held up his gloved hand, motioning for me to stop before pointing lower toward my hand. My chest heaved as I let the knife drop to the carpet. If I could get close enough, I wouldn’t need a weapon.
I left my bedroom as he kept backing up, keeping the gun aimed at me. I picked up my pace, inching closer as he got near the stairs. Another crash echoed from downstairs, and the person in front of me made the mistake of looking toward the steps.
I lunged when his attention returned to me. He jerked in shock, and I grabbed his wrist, shoving it upward when a shot went off. My ears rang from the close proximity as he stumbled back toward the stairs when I slammed into him. When he went down, he grabbed the hem of Kole’s shirt, taking me with him.
We tumbled down the steps, pain ricocheting through me as I rolled. I hissed out a pained breath when my ribs slammed into a step edge. The person flipped over me, grunting quietly when they hit a step hard.
We landed in a tangled mess on the floor, my head spinning as I tried to get to my feet. The masked person I fell with was still sprawled on the floor, and I searched for the gun. Before I could get up, pain ripped through my scalp when my hair was grabbed. A yell tore from my throat when I was dragged away so fast I couldn’t get my footing. The person I fell with was still on the floor, meaning there were at least two of them. I’d been right that it wasn’t just one. There was a sliver of light from the light above the oven, and I wasn’t sure if that would help or hinderme. I knew this place better than them; darkness would have been to my advantage.
I kicked out my foot when a black boot came into view. He stumbled, and I used his distraction. Ignoring the searing pain, I twisted my body, gripping the wrist of the hand holding me hostage, and using the same pressure point Kole used against me. His other gloved hand came into sight, backhanding me across the face. My head swam in pain, but I fought through it.
There was no way I would die at the hands of these monsters.
I pushed on the pressure point harder until he yanked his arm back, freeing my hair. I scrambled away on my hands and knees, my breath catching in my chest when I caught sight of Kole. He was crumpled on the kitchen floor near the island with blood seeping down his forehead. I didn’t have time to even see if he was breathing before I heard someone coming up behind me.
Jumping to my feet, I spun around, raising my arm to block the masked killer’s first hit. The one who rolled down the stairs with me was still knocked out. The one standing in front of me was much taller, and from his stance, he knew how to fight. My fingers curled into fists as I eyed the blade in his hand before looking at his masked face. He tilted his head, even his silence mocking.
Fury licked down my spine. “Are you him?” I hissed, my voice nearly cracking. “The bastard who sunk a knife in me, leaving me to die?”
No response. I angled my feet, thinking of the best way to disarm him. I had no idea of his strength or skills. I was already at a disadvantage without a weapon. My heart was beating furiously, the thought of Kole laying on the floor only made it so much worse. This was my fault. He could be dead or dying because these monsters wanted me.
My eyes snapped back to the masked attacker when he stepped closer to me. With the dim oven light, I couldn’t see his features. He raised the knife, a silent threat to make me listen. I glared daggers at him, my muscles tensing. I lunged before his partner had a chance to wake up. He slashed his blade toward my arm, and I dodged it by falling to my knees. I lashed my arm up, snatching his wrist and twisting it hard. A grunt of pain left him as he tried to keep hold of the knife.
He used his free hand to slam his fist into my cheek. I tasted blood when my lip split open, my vision blacking out for a few moments. I cried out when his boot connected with my ribs. My hold loosened on his wrist when he hit me again. I clenched my teeth, trying to remember my training.
I threw my fist into his groin, my hit strong enough to have him doubling over. I jumped to my feet, my body protesting from the fall down the stairs. With a yell, I threw my open palm into his nose. The ski mask stayed in place because of his tight, zipped up hoodie, and I swung again, jabbing my fist into his throat.
