Page 7 of Carnal Heart
I smirk. “Not quite,” I reply, tracing my fingers over Illya’s dark red blazer and straightening his obsidian pin.
“Don’t worry, Hart. Our prey is in there, both eagerly waiting for us to make an appearance. We might as well make ourselves presentable.” With a wicked grin, I produce the hidden cloth mask from my blazer and slide it over my face.
Chapter three
Zaiah
Lana’s winning streak continues as she laughs and pumps her fist into the air after another round of pool. I shake my head and smile when she wiggles her ass and does her usual celebration dance. “Light, I’ve missed you,” I say, propping a hip against the nearest wall. While I do have a specific goal for tonight, I’m still grateful for this time with my best friend. Had she not smuggled me into her dorm and let me sleep in her room these last few weeks, I have this horrible feeling Remy would’ve kept me from the party.
Unfortunately, I can’t live in Lana’s dorm room forever, and I’m hoping the information I have for the Black Harts will get me enough money to get me off-planet for a fresh start.
We’ve been at it for thirty minutes now, and my buzz is starting to fade. Although the night is still young, I’m determined to dance at least once tonight. Cor Night lasts from the moment we enter the school and sign the waivers until the first rays of the morning sunlight.
As if reading my mind, Lana wraps her arms around me. “How do you feel about dancing?”
I grin. “I could be convinced.” My eyes trail over to the corner of the room, but something tells me the spot is vacant.
Just then, several murmurs can be heard around the Game Room. Lana and I glance around right as Illya Carmine saunters over to the pool table where two guys are playing. My heart pounds. I take a step forward, wondering if there is any way to go over there and introduce myself.
The blond man, who was looking rather bored before the Black Hart showed up, suddenly stiffens. Illya smirks before making an obvious claim on his Praeda. A few people step in front of me, blocking my view. A hush falls across the room.
Lana taps me on the shoulder, causing me to look back. “Come on, I don’t think we should be here,” she whispers nervously right as the Black Hart lets out a loud shrill whistle.
Annoyance rolls through me. I have important, potentially dangerous information I need to give to the Black Harts, and when I finally spot one of them, the fucker gives the whole damn room a nonverbal cue to leave.
And like the fucking little drones we are, everyone shuffles out of the room, forced to obey Illya’s command. I roll my eyes. “Fucking Black Harts, they think they own the world,” I say, right as we exit the room, the last two to leave.
Movement catches my attention, and my eyes wander over to the dark alcove ahead of us. That same unsettling feeling washes over me; as if someone was lurking in the shadows. Watching.
A shiver runs down my spine, and my cock twitches.
It’s so foolish yet undeniably arousing to think someone might be there, just waiting.There’s something seriously wrong with me.
My gaze is instantly drawn to a flickering red light in the shadows. I gasp. A pin. I freeze mid-step, studying the darkalcove. It’s too dark to see if someone is actually there, and the glowing red light I thought I saw is no longer visible. Was it my imagination, or was someone covering it?
Regardless, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched. Followed. Lured into a trap.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Lana walks right past the alcove. Nothing happens.
I chuckle at my ridiculous thoughts. Lana turns the corner and walks out of sight. Shaking my head, I try to settle my nerves.
No one is there,I tell myself.Maybe no one ever was.Still, my heart flutters as I slowly start to approach the shadows.
A disapproving tsk stops me in my tracks. My lips part.
My heart pounds as I study the darkness. “Hello?” I whisper, my voice trembling.
A hand jerks out of the darkness and strong fingers wrap around my throat. My scream is cut off right along with my breath, and suddenly I’m slammed against the wall, trapped between a muscular body and the cold stone.
The air whooshes out of me, leaving my lungs so fast, I’m momentarily dizzy from it. His large palm presses into the center of my back, holding me in place. I shove against him, trying to get free. Suddenly I’m flipped around and facing him. Before I can even think, my wrists are zip-tied together. He lifts them above my head and loops part of the plastic tie on a hook in the wall. It’s then I notice the gilded portrait propped on the floor next to his feet. Even though I have combat boots on, I still have to get up on the tips of my toes so the zip tie doesn’t dig further into my skin. Pain shoots through my wrists when I lose my footing. I bare my teeth and struggle against my binds.
“What the fuck?” I snarl, finally glancing up at my captor. I’m met with a masked stranger. A white cloth mask with black designs that resemble a skull. My breathing picks up andI struggle against my bonds when I see his crimson-red eyes. There’s no way.
“You’ve been teasing me all night, little doll,” the stranger says in a familiar voice. “Just like you did last year.”
My eyes widen.It really is him.The mysterious stranger that’s been stalking me. I didn’t imagine him.
His obsidian pin glows a dim, angry red on his lapel. A Black Hart. Only… it dawns on me then; the mask. His voice. It’s all familiar because I’ve seen his videos. The man in front of me isn’t a Black Hart at all. He’s an imposter. Someone posing as a Black Hart and using their fame to gain subscribers.
