Page 118 of Unholy Bonds

“Don’t go in.” I grabbed her arm, stopping her from moving forward. She pulled away from me.

“He isn’t here anymore,” she said with a frown.

There were five smiley faces drawn on her wall with five different shades of red. The fucker was inside her house, her safe space. He desecrated her home, and that was a sin I would not forgive. If Yara didn’t want to kill him, I would.

“Irene… she was here. What if he came when she was here?” Yara’s body trembled.

“He didn’t.”

“But what if he did?” She rubbed her face. “This is why I never wanted her to be a part of my life, but she wouldn’t go.” Yara blinked. “What am I going to do now, Ryden?”

“Find him and kill him before he hurts someone else who’s important to you.”

“Yes. That,” she said as we studied the faces on the wall. Yara’s face twisted with anger as she rushed toward her dressing table. She pulled open the drawer and cursed.

“He took them.”

“What? What did he take?” I growled out, rushing closer to her.

“Scarlet Rouge,” she said, pointing to the first sad face drawn on the wall. “This is Ruby Rush. Crimson Noir. Cherry Lush. The last one is Casablanca.”

“Your lipsticks?” I asked, walking closer to her.

“Yes. Daphne Morgan was wearing Scarlet Rouge.” She glared at the leering faces on her wall. “I thought he just knew about my favorite brand, but no… Daphne must be wearing my lipstick. It’s mine. He took it from my drawer. He fucking broke… into my home and took them.” She rubbed her lips as if it was hurting her. Yara growled, kicking the chair with a scream. “He just crossed a line he shouldn’t have.”

“The faces weren’t there yesterday,” I said with a wince, and she nodded.

“He drew them today.”

The darkness in her eyes…. the fierce need for blood and murder… I felt everything. I wanted what she wanted.

“He walked into my house twice, Ryden. He… he fucking stole my things. I’ll not rest until I kill that fucking coward.”

“We will. I promise.”

45

SHADES OF ANGER

YARA

An earthquake was happening within me. Shaking, bursting. The only way to not let it ruin me was to find The Strangler and destroy him before he did. I couldn’t wait anymore. Time was ticking away like a bomb.

Ryden pulled me closer to his body, but even his scent didn’t calm me. I was an animal, rabid, bloodthirsty, and nothing would satiate me now. Not even Ryden. Only The Strangler’s blood would cure me. Put my demons back inside the shattered cages.

I pulled away from Ryden, staring at the faces.

Daphne was gone. If only I could find out the rest of his targets. He knew everything about me, including my secret identity, but I knew nothing.

“He knows you.”

“Yes, he does,” I said, tasting the bitterness at the back of my throat. After all the years of chasing him, he caught up with me first. I had never failed before.

There’s a first time for everything, Kat tutted. You’ll find him, Yara.

“I’ll be back. I’m just going to check on Irene,” I said, walking toward Irene’s room. She opened the door with a yawn when.

“What is it, Yara?”

---