He turned away and exhaled slowly, forcing calm into his lungs. Another mistake. Another waste. His mind no longer lingered on the terrified woman behind him. She already began to fade into the background—unimportant and no longer any use to him.
In the midst of all the gloom that occupied his mind most of the time, there was only one woman who had that soft smile, those dark eyes that warmed him, and a face that made all the shadows retreat to the corners of his mind. She had been there all along.
Casey.
His perfect princess.
His light in all the darkness.
Clarity swept through him, clean and complete.
All was right again.
Relief flooded through him as he approached the bed. The woman shook her head violently, gagged against the panties in her mouth, but he barely noticed. Casey’s smiling face filled his mind as he wrapped his hands around the woman’s throat. He squeezed until her body stopped twitching and went still.
He released her and stepped back, pulse steady, breath calm. She was already dissipating in his mind. He moved with practiced care, wiping surfaces, straightening what he haddisturbed, restoring the room to the illusion of peace, except for the body on the bed growing cold.
He didn’t give a backward glance as he stepped out.
The stairwell door closed behind him with the softestclick. Outside, the cold air wrapped around him. The street was still empty and dark.
His footsteps made no sound as he walked down the sidewalk, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, the tree shadows swallowing him whole. By the time he reached his car a few blocks away, soft euphoria slipped through him. No more mistakes. No more hopes dashed. He knew exactly who his perfect princess was now.
Casey.
He drove away from the curb, waiting until he cleared the neighborhood before switching on the headlights. The street returned to stillness, untouched by his presence.
It was as if he’d never been there at all.
Chapter Seventeen
Casey pushed openher office door and placed her briefcase on top of the desk. Before she could switch on the overhead lights, Raven walked in and settled into one of the leather chairs.
“Why aren’t the lights on?” Raven asked.
“I was juggling too many things in my hands,” Casey replied before taking a sip of her coffee. She walked over and snapped the switch, illuminating the room. “What’s going on?”
“Besides opening night this weekend?” Raven let out an exaggerated sigh.
“You’ll be great. I’ve been watching the dress rehearsals, and the play is fabulous.” Casey twisted the blind’s wand to angle the slats upward, allowing the morning sunlight to stream into the room.
“I knowI’llbe great, I’m not too sure about the others though.”
Casey smiled. “It’s normal to have opening-night jitters. Take it from someone who is detached from the play. Everyone is spot on. I think this is one of the best productions the theatre has put on since I’ve been here.”
Raven tilted her head to the side. “You’re always reassuring me. Maybe you can make me feel better about going over to Curtis’s mother’s house. I can’t stand that woman.”
“Curtis has a mother?” Casey asked, then laughed when she saw Raven’s eyes widen. “I know that was a dumb question. Of course, he has a mother. Everyone does.”I just never pictured him having anything normal in his life.
“I wish he didn’t. His mother’s a bitch. She’s never liked me.”
“How come?”
“Because she’s a bitch. I’ve gone out of my way to be kind and understanding with her, but she’s not a pleasant person at all.” Raven leaned back in the chair.
“What does Curtis have to say about it? I hope he stands up for you,” Casey said.
“He does, but he doesn’t get along with his mom either. The only one he gets along with is his sister. He and his brother haven’t spoken in years.”