Page 74 of X Marks the Stalker
My stomach lurches again. Cold sweat breaks across my forehead. The gap between fantasy and reality yawns wide—a chasm I can’t bridge.
“I can’t—” The words catch in my throat.
Warm fingers wrap around mine, steadying the trembling blade. Xander’s chest presses against my back, his breath warm against my ear.
“You did great,” he whispers. “That’s enough for tonight.”
His hand covers mine, guiding the scalpel away from Wendell’s mouth. I let him take it, relief washing over me even as shame burns in my chest.
Xander steps around me. Without hesitation, without ceremony, he delivers a single, precise strike to Wendell’s throat. The blade sinks deep, severing the carotid artery. Blood sprays in a perfect arc, splattering across the plastic sheets.
Wendell’s eyes widen, then dim as the life drains from them with each weakening pulse.
A clean kill. Merciful, in its way.
I stare at Wendell’s body, at the clean arterial spray across the plastic sheets. This isn’t what Xander planned. His meticulous setup, the mirrors, the tools—everything had been arranged for something far more elaborate. Something I’d interrupted.
“I ruined it for you,” I whisper, the words scraping myraw throat. “All your preparation, your planning. I messed it all up.”
Xander’s eyes meet mine, and I expect to see frustration, maybe even anger. Instead, there’s something else—a softness out of place in a room splattered with blood.
“No,” he says, setting the bloodied scalpel down. His voice drops to a whisper. “You made it better. Perfect, actually.”
His eyes dilate, pupils expanding until only a thin ring of color remains. The intensity in his gaze makes my skin prickle—it’s hunger and wonder and something close to worship.
I blink. “Better? I threw up and couldn’t even finish what I started.”
“You here, with me,” he whispers, eyes burning with reverence, “is everything. I’d burn worlds to keep this moment. To keep you.”
Xander’s hands frame my face, his fingers cool and steady against my overheated skin. His eyes meet mine, and the storm inside them mirrors my own.
The darkness I’ve hidden all my life recognizes itself in him.
I close the distance, my hands fisting in his shirt as our mouths collide. The kiss burns through me, igniting every nerve ending. His lips taste of copper and sin, and I drink him in like salvation. His hands slide into my hair, gripping tight enough to hurt, anchoring me to this moment, to him.
There’s no way back.
Chapter 19
Xander
“Sorry about the wait,” I say, glancing at Oakley. “Extra cleanup required since you skipped the plastic coveralls.”
Her face glows pale in the dashboard light. The night has transformed her—not aged her, but hardened her. The way ancient tribes believed that consuming an enemy’s heart transferred their power. She’s seen behind the curtain now. Crossed the line.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, fingers twisting in her lap.
“It’s okay.” I start the engine, the purr vibrating through the seat.
As we pull away from the curb, Oakley suddenly sits up straight. “Wait. What about my car?”
“Where is it?” I ask, slowing down.
“I parked it a few blocks away,” she says, glancing back over her shoulder.
“Far enough so they won’t connect it tothe scene?””
“Yes.”
