Page 10 of Lady Killer

The discovery of Aaron’s body by campus security had thrown the police and local press into a panic. Had the Virgin Sacrifice Killer expanded their victimology? Or was there a copycat killer to contend with now? If both men and women were being taken and killed, was anyone safe?

On the bright side, if I’d been worried about the police’s attention returning to me, I wasn’t now. The Blackwells’ influence over Shady Harbor’s finest was as disturbing as it was impressive.

Everest had been texting me multiple times a day, keeping me abreast of everyone’s efforts to track down the killer. This was in addition to increasingly alarming declarations of his affection for me, including vivid descriptions of what he would to do the killer once he found him.

His effect on me was . . . confusing. The man sent shivers sent down my spine so often that my brain was starting to conflate fear andattraction.

With most of the party’s attendees at home for the holidays, the police were struggling to conduct interviews, and the students they were able to speak to had nothing to tell them. Almost everyone had been obscenely high or violently ill, and no one remembered seeing Aaron disappear that night.

As I had hoped, Autumn had been safely escorted back to our dorm by the woman she’d been dancing with, Simone. As far as she was concerned, I’d also taken a turn for the worse and left before her, corroborated by the text I’d sent her from Aaron’s phone.

Naturally, my friend was horrified by the murder. Not only was Aaron dead, but no one had been able to get a hold of Melody since the night of the party.

My phone vibrated next to me.

Everest: Merry Xmas, Starbright!

Along with the message, there was a photo.

Everest was standing next to an extremely large, and clearly professionally decorated, Christmas tree, wearing a navy-striped silk pajama set complete with matching velvet smoking slippers.

The man was too much. It shouldn’t be so charming.

Wearing a jovial grin, he had his arm wrapped tightly around Locke’s shoulder. Even though Locke had beenhalf cut out of the frame, he could still be seen looking down at the chipper man with a sneer.

What Locke didn’t appear to notice was the sliver of silver obscured by Everest’s hand. When I zoomed, I saw it was a tiny scalpel, hovering just inches from his jugular vein.

Everest: For your present, I wanted to teach Locke a lesson, but Lucian said no. Is there anyone I can kill for you?

Everest: That isn’t a Blackwell?

Everest: Your death of choice.

On the one hand, who was I to judge? He’d caught me standing over Aaron’s corpse.

On the other hand, Everest didn’t know me, no matter how much he’d stalked me, and I didn’t know him at all beyond his reputation. The speed at which his obsession with me had spiraled was a red flag the size of Texas. Alister was right when he said he was worried about finding me chopped to pieces in the basement.

So, why did my heart beat a little faster every time he messaged?

Me: No one ATM.

I chewed on my lip before having another thought and firing off a second text.

Me: I’ll take an IOU though.

It couldn’t hurt to have a professional killer owe me one, right?

Autumn messaged shortly after, wishing me “the very merriest Christmas ever,” followed by a string of promises to celebrate together when we returned to campus after the break.

She sent me a photo of herself and her parents wearing matching pajamas with practiced smiles held firmly on their faces as they sat in front of another ornate Christmas tree. Autumn looked as beautiful as ever, but the bubbly warmth that usually shone from her seemed muted in the image.

It reminded me of how her mood had steadily declined over the last semester, and I didn’t like it.

Part of me wanted to learn more about her parents and her life at home. While another part of me argued that I already had enough going on this semester without trying to take on Autumn’s secrets too.

It wasn’t as if I’d shared mine with her.

Lying on the bed, I fought the urge to pick at my cuticles and instead forced myself to roll over and grab the hand cream Alister had gotten for me. He’d dropped it off, along with about a dozen other high-end productsplusthe ones he’d retrieved from my dorm room, the day after they’d left me here.

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