Page 42 of Possession

I grew worrisome when his movements grew more frenetic and he started mumbling to himself again. Grady was blatantly unstable and this news was setting him off to the millionth degree. I was terrified for the consequences of this development and needed to try and diffuse the situation. “Grady, listen to me. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll make sure they know you didn’t harm any of those other women. I’ll tell them there is someone else out there. They’ll believe me.”

He whipped around to face me, his expression completely flat, his body movements no longer fidgeting and twitchy, but rather smooth and fluid. His mouth twitched and then turned up on one side into a smirk before he let out a single guffaw followed by another and another until he was laughing manically. Only there was no humor in it. It was pure evil. I shivered when his soulless gaze continued to bore into me. “I’ll make sure they know you didn’t harm any of those women,” he mockingly repeated my words in a falsetto tone, his eyelashes fluttering furiously.

His tone deepened several octaves with his next words.

“God, you both are so pathetic. Grady is such a pussy. And you”—he chuckled—“I have no idea what the fuck he ever saw in you. He followed you around with those sad ass puppy dog eyes and you just ate that shit up like you were some fucking goodie two shoes doing him a favor by letting him sniff around you. For twenty-five years he’s been tracking you down like some desperate fool. I’ve been trying to tell him you didn’t give a shit about him, but he never listens to me. Never has. He still doesn’t realize you couldn’t care less about him. The only person you care about is yourself and those two Feds you’re fucking.”

No way.I narrowed my eyes. “Who are you?”

He gestured to himself in mock-innocence. “Who? Me? You mean I forgot to introduce myself? I hadn’t realized. How rude of me. My name is Jordan. I’m one of Grady’s alters. You know what that is, don’t you, Madeline? I mean being the genius quack doctor you are, right?”

I ignored his dig at my profession. “Yes, I know what that is. How many of you are there?”

He merely smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Are you wondering if they’re all like me? If they don’t take shit from anyone? Or are they all scared and pathetic like Grady?”

“I’m just curious.” I tried to play off my insatiable need to find something to bring either Grady back or, if there was one, another alter. Hopefully one not as psychotic as this one.

Jordan stepped toward me, flashing his insidious smile, the knife in his hand reflecting the firelight. “I think it’s about time we show you the truth. What do you think, Doc?”

Oh my God.

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