Page 120 of Unholy Bonds

“He won’t. If he does, I’ll be right here, and I’ll kill him for you.”

“Lie next to me, Ryden,” I said as I slipped under the covers. I was tired, and I knew I needed sleep.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m right here.” He pulled my body closer to him, and I closed my eyes, lulled by his scent.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I trusted him.

I hated the sound of my phone early in the morning. “He killed again,” Detective Rosario said, voice dark with rage. The words were a kick to my spine. Ryden rubbed my back as I lurched forward.

“I’ll come ASAP,” I said, standing up from the bed, hissing when the cold floor met my feet.

“Is it The Strangler?” Ryden asked.

He killed again. Just as I had thought. So soon after the first one.

“Yes. He left another body.”

“He never killed anyone so close together,” Ryden said, absently scratching the back of his neck.

“He never did any of this before,” I said, pointing to the sad faces that were leering at me from my wall. I had to clean that fucking wall. “This was different. This was… for me. He’s putting on a show for me.”

Ryden winced. “I want to find that bastard and strangle him with his own fucking hands.” He rubbed his face, looking like a caged animal. I knew he hated feeling so helpless. “For now, I’ll settle for driving you.”

“I-I need to find someplace safe for Irene,” I said, walking toward Irene’s room, with Ryden following me. “She can’t go back to her dorm, and she can’t stay here.” I was talking more to myself than to him. “He might already know about her.”

“Irene? Wake up.”

There was no sound, no movement inside. I banged against the door, my heart pounding. I was ready to kick it down when she opened it.

“I’m awake, I’m awake.” She yawned, looking at me with a sigh. “What? Where’s the fire?”

“We need to get you somewhere safe.”

“Why? What happened? The Strangler… didn’t see me.”

“I don’t care. You need to leave.”

“No. Something’s wrong. What are you not telling me, Yara?” Fuck. She could always see through me.

Would she hate me if I told her I was the reason for Kat’s death? I kept it all to myself because I was trying to protect her, but…

“I think he killed Kat because of me. He… the letters he wrote were for me.”

“You? That was why… he was here.” Her mouth became a big O. “He knows… you.”

I told her everything, I told her about Kat, and how she might be dead because of me. When I was done, she stood there, pale and shaking. I reached toward her, my heart clenching in pain, but she pulled back, raising her arms like a shield. My heart broke, but I couldn’t blame her. The guilt was killing me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hoping she’d tell me it wasn’t my fault. She didn’t. Her eyes were those of a stranger, and it cut me deeply. The pain… I let it fill me until every bone in my body screamed.

“No,” she said, her voice cold. Freezing. That wasn’t Irene’s voice. That was not my sister’s voice. The last time I really cried was when Kat died. I felt like crying now, but I couldn’t, not when I had so much to do.

“I know you’re angry.”

She shook her head. “I’m going back to the dorm.”

“I’m sorry, Re-Re.”

She flinched again as if I had hit her.

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