Page 86 of Lady Killer

Everest bit down on his lip as the corners of his mouth pulled into a wide Cheshire smile. He draped himself over the edge of the chaise, arms crossed. “How many?”

“Three. He was my third.”

There was something delicious, decadent about saying the words out loud.

I thought when I came to Hollow Oak that that part of my life was over, dead along with my mother. But here I was, confessing my sins to a man more dangerous than most even dared to imagine.

“Starbright, why didn’t you say so? We have to celebrate!”

He’s lost me again.

“Celebrate?”

“Three kills under your belt officially makes you a serial! Welcome to the club, Baby Killer!”

“That sounds . . .”

“Okay, so not baby killer. Clearly that name isn’t working, but you made it, the big three, love!”

I shook my head. “I’m not a serial killer.”

“Aren’t you, though?”

I wasn’t . . . was I? Yes, Aaron had been my third kill, but it wasn’t as though I sought him out . . .

Everest tilted his head at me, his ice-blue eyes brimming with interest. “What part bothers you, Starbright? That you’re a killer or that you’re a serial?”

What did bother me about it?

I wasn’t ashamed of being a killer.

“I don’t kill because I want to,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “The men who died at my hands deserved it.”

“Then I am glad you were there to strike them down,” he said, his confidence instilling a sense of pride in me.

Vengeance wasn’t justice, but sometimes it was all we had.

I made it about another hour studying before I found myself cracking my neck and yawning.

It was time to call it a night.

As I stood up to stretch, Everest watched me through half-lidded eyes, and I shook off the flutter it sent through me.

“I’m off to bed. Thank you for today, Ever.”

The man laughed, rising to stand. “It’s sweet that you think you’re going to bed, Starbright.”

“What do you mean?”

He stepped around to my side and linked his arm through mine as we walked to the door.

“Come now, darling, you didn’t think you were going to get away with sneaking off to bed alone tonight.”

I attempted to wrench my arm free, but he held on tightly, spinning us around, half marching, half dragging me down the hallway.

“Everest, I just want to—‍”

“Tsk, tsk,” he tutted. “We would be poor hosts, and you a poor guest, if we called it a night without engaging in some festivities.”

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