Page 43 of Grave Possession

I wouldn’t want to fuck me either.

I quickly work my tresses up into a messy bun, pulling a few tendrils free to shape my face. Then I brush my teeth and splash some cold water onto my pale skin, rubbing the colour back into my cheeks. I look like a ghost of who I used to be, frail and broken in a whole new way.

Taking in a deep breath, I calm the wild beating of my heart. Turning, I open the door, and there Nox stands. Slowly, I eat him up with my gaze, knowing he loves witnessing how the mere sight of him throws gasoline on the fire I have burning for him. Starting at his feet, I trail my eyes up his body. The strong toned legs that support me with ease as he fucks me against a wall. His pierced cock, thick and heavy beneath his boxer-briefs. The tight fabric hugs his body, leaving every delicious pulse of his growing erection easily visible. His abs flex as I beholdwhat a fine masterpiece he truly is. Muscular arms and shoulders, powerful and dripping with blood.

Umm… What?

My gaze snaps to his face, mangled and blown apart. Gasping, shock and terror seize me completely. Smothering the scream that wants to erupt, and forcing the tears back into their ducts, I watch the entrance wound on the left side of his face stream a steady path of blood and brain matter down his cheek. It drips off his chin, painting the top of his shoulder with splatter marks that run off in multiple directions.

This isn’t real. Lennox is alive.

The poor attempt at rationalizing what I see doesn’t make it any less terrifying. I’ve been through hell. But this? This is my worst fucking fear come to life.

“What’s wrong, little siren? You look like you’ve seen a Ghost.” His deep baritone is filled with lust as he chuckles at his own joke. The slight shaking of his shoulders makes the flaps of flesh hanging from his right cheek slap against the intact skin of his face. I’m sure I’m going to either faint or vomit. Maybe both. If I’m lucky I’ll choke on it, and this horrible nightmare will be over.

He advances on me, stepping into the brightly lit bathroom. The exposed bone of his skull is easily visible, and beneath it, the inner workings of his orbital cavity. I step back, he growls. The sound doing wicked things to the area between my legs. Another step back has my back up against the sink, I’m trapped, again.

“Oh, baby. You know how I love to chase you. Go,” he says, stepping to the side and clearing my way out ofthe claustrophobic area. I bolt, not giving him a chance to regret his decision.

My feet slap against the hardwood, carrying me out of the ensuite, and through the doorway to my bedroom. His hearty laugh echoes behind me as I run down the hallway, making a sharp left to the entrance way.

Risking a look behind me, I see Nox gaining on me through the shadows. Swinging open the door, I take off in a full sprint only to clash with another body. It grabs me roughly around my biceps, the cheap plastic Ghostface mask rubbing against my face. “Caught ya, darlin’.”

This time the scream doesn’t get caught in my throat, it echoes around my bedroom as I thrash against the mattress. I’m trapped, tangled in blankets and terrifying memories. Momentarily unable to discern if this is another nightmare or reality. I can’t breathe, can’t get free. “FUCK!” I scream in frustration. Twisting and pushing at the blankets that have constricted around me.

Finally unwound enough, I leap off the bed. I can’t get out of this room fast enough—I need water, I need fresh air. In the darkness, I storm through the door to my room only to collide with another body. It braces me, firmly without injury. “No!” I scream. “Get off me!” Flailing and scratching, I push the stranger away.

“Shhh. Mallory. Breathe. Baby, it’s me.” the figure says. The light switch flicks, bathing the room in light. Gentle hands brush the hair away from my sweat-caked skin. I can see him now, face intact and eyes brimmed with worry.

Lennox.

Chapter Thirty-three

Graves

“Thanks, Grey. Keep me updated on her progress, and if anything happens at the station, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Yes, sir. All has been quiet so far,” Officer Smith replies.

“Don’t say shit like that, you’ll jinx yourself,” I chuckle.

“I think we’ve had our fill of bad luck for a while, sir. Back to speeding tickets, bored teenagers, and getting the town drunks home safe.”

“I hope you’re right, have a good night.”

“You too, Captain.”

Click.

I slip my phone back into my pocket and take a seat in one of the deck chairs. Staring up at the stars has me wishing Mallory was curled up in my lap. We’d be wrapped in a blanket while I point out the constellations, stealing as many of her addicting kisses under the moonlight as I can. But she’s sleeping. This is the longest stintthus far, and I don’t want to disturb her. When my work phone started vibrating, I quickly bolted my ass out of bed as to not wake her. Stealthily moving through the house, and out the back door before answering the call.

I barely sleep anymore. My nervous anxiety won’t grant me a moment’s peace, constantly nagging that she’ll be snatched away from me again. I can’t stand to have her out of my sight. Even now, I feel like there’s a boulder on my chest, and I can’t get a full breath into my lungs. The times we’re apart nearly send me into a full-on downward spiral. Thankfully, Greyson Smith has stepped up considerably in my long stretches of working from home. He’s quickly earned his way to the top and became my second in command, ensuring everything runs smoothly, and nothing gets forgotten or swept under the rug. He even makes the long trek out to Mallory’s house so we can meet and cover things I could have gone into the station for. He says he doesn’t mind and that he likes the drive, knowing Mallory needs me right now.

However, I suspect he’s checking up on Mal himself, and reporting her well-being back to Victoria. Those two have grown extremely close since he got her out of that hell-hole of a cabin. She damn near shot his head off when he came through the door without announcing himself, but luckily she hit the doorframe instead. Then, she had to comfort him as he spewed his guts when the smell emanating from the cellar hit him full-force. They’ve been pretty inseparable since, driving a wedge between her and Jackie. Victoria couldn’t take it anymore so she left, moving into my uninhabited house. She didn’t once question the trashed condition she found it in, justthanked me for a safe and quiet place to live. I felt like such shit about it, I hired a cleaning crew and gave Greyson the day off so she wouldn’t be alone in the house with strangers.

My bungalow is just down the road from both the precinct and Smith’s place so he’s never too far when she needs him. He’s become her lifeline through the after effects of what she went through, and I’m thankful she has him. Victoria and Mal have drifted apart since seeing each other in the hospital. I don’t know what exactly is going on with them, but I’m sure they’ll reach out to each other when they’re ready.

Work is fucking chaos. How Johnson went undetected for so long is utterly baffling, to say the least. Crossing county lines, and killing in different jurisdictions aided his sadistic needs. Shedding a much needed light on how important it is to exchange information between departments. The body count is still climbing as the area around the cabin is searched with cadaver dogs. The city department operating seamlessly with us, and the anthropologists who work tirelessly to date and identify the many bodies being unearthed. I truly fear we’ll never find all his victims, the full extent of his savagery never to be totally revealed.

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