Page 16 of Anathema Codex

I’m not in the mood for anymore kiddie bullshit. I’m ready to fucking play and get my goddamn rocks off.

“Get back in the truck, princess,” I warn her through grit teeth. “Otherwise you’re going to see a side of me that you won’t be able to fucking handle.”

“It’s okay,” Dexter finally says. I turn in time to see his door opening, followed by him stepping out. He walks over to the shirt and pulls it carefully out of the tank. “I’ll toss this,” he tells Willa as he begins to move his mopey ass up the walkway.

“Don’t be jealous. If he’s not good at this, you get to finish what he’s about to start,” I tell her with a smirk as I take a drag off my smoke.

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? This isn’t like you at all,” she says in disbelief.

I drop my cigarette to the gravel and crush it with my sneaker. “Don’t pretend that you know me, Willa. You don’t—no one fucking does. Get your ass in the passenger seat, I’ll pick up the driving when we get back.”

Before she has a chance to say anything else, I run a hand back through my hair, then shove them into my pockets as I take the same path that Dexter just took. I fish my vibrating phone out of my pocket and tap on the new text message that’s been waiting calmly for the past few hours, read it, then scoff and put my phone away.

If anyone is in the bathroom, they’re going to get a free show, and if they try to object.

Well…

Then I guess it’ll be a chance for me to see just how much of bastard I canreallybe.

ELEVEN

Culling the Devil

THE AGITATOR

Ever since this began, I’ve wondered if it was the right thing to do. Another life will be ruined at the behest of Lakyn Meyer—but as he says, he’s something that should be experienced at least once.

I guess it’s not so much that I want to ruin the life of a young kid, but rather throw something at Lakyn that he can’t fuck or kill his way out of.

There’s a part of him that’s human—no matter how hard he tries not to be—I know it has to be there.

I do my best to avoid him at all costs, though sometimes he crosses my thoughts in more ways than one, and I find myself wondering if he’s been coping with life okay.

Not that he would ever admit to anything and sure as fuck wouldn’t take too kindly to anyone asking, but…

I glance out of the window in the kitchen.

It’s a nice day out so I think I’ll go for a walk today just to be sure that our soon-to-be-mutual friend is still on his way.

If this doesn’t go as planned, then I’ll hear about it somehow. If it does, then maybe Lakyn will put his bullshit ways behind him and settle down with something for once.

Doubtful,I tell myself, a smile creeping across my lips.

If it doesn’t revolve around Lakyn Meyer, chances are he won’t give two fucks about it.

But this is different.

This is his child; he has to care about something like that, doesn’t he?

Or maybe it’s not his child and I got my information mixed up somehow, though I doubt that.

There isn’t a secret in this world that Lakyn can’t hide if he doesn’t want to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more of them are walking around upright on two legs somewhere out in the cold, cruel world.

But I don’t think this was a planned thing.

Someone must have gotten away from Lakyn—it’s the only thing that would explain… um, Aftyn?

Fuck, I can’t believe that I forgot his name already.

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