The world around us stops existing. All there is, is her mouth on mine and mine on hers. I don’t even care if I can’t breathe. I’d rather die connected to her than any other way.
She’s had me hooked from the beginning, and I swear to god I’m never giving her a reason not to fall madly in fucking love with me.
The moment I pull away, the wetness left on my lips immediately feels cold. But the beautiful thing is, she whimpers.
Her eyes spring open as she stares back at me, breathless and also a bit dazed.
I know what I did, and so does she.
“Was there something you wanted to say to me?” I level.
But she nods, then shakes her head, then blinks a few times before she says, “What in the Darcy just happened?”
I grin. “Want me to do it again but come from over a hill?”
The laugh that comes out of her bubbles slowly before it picks up. She covers my mouth so I can’t see her as she takes a deep breath and says, “Holy shit. Chase Beckett ...”
There’s a chuckle shared between us before she whispers, “I can’t believe I’m dating Shrek.”
I bite her hand, making her squeal, before I grab her legs and wrap them around my waist.
“Right now, baby, you’re gonna fuck him too.”
She laughs as I pick her up and walk her back to our bedroom to really seal the deal. Because hot damn, I just made Evie Monroe my girlfriend.
Chapter Fourteen
Him
The room’s dark, but that suits me fine as I listen to their soft, steady breaths.
I’ve been sitting in this room for some time. Watching them. Admiring my work.
Maybe tempting fate.
It feels risky, but it isn’t. Not when you know everything there is to know about a person.
Worst case, they wake up, and I gut them.
It’s not the plan, but I’ve always found comfort in alternative outcomes. The blade in my hand dangles over the arm of the chair as I keep my breath matched to theirs, inhaling and exhaling at the same time.
The cat purrs, weaving between my legs, before I lean down and pick her up. She was such a good girl today, eating the present I left behind.
I tilt my head, staring down at her.
“We’re alike,” I whisper quietly. “I like to play with what I kill too.”
I close my eyes, hearing the memory of her screams like a fear symphony. My fingertips slowly drag down over the cat as I savor it.
My body shudders because I can feel her fear so viscerally inside my body. The way she’ll scream when I take away everything she loves.
Piece by piece. In front of her.
My eyes land on Chase—the protector. The pawn.
As if on cue, he pulls Evie closer to him, wrapping his arms around her as they sleep.
I wonder if he would be embarrassed if he knew how easy it was to get them here, since he’s been trying to convince her for so long. All it took was a busted pipe here and a dead rat there.