Page 87 of Death Warden

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I rush forward, spectral arms flailing and beating at him ineffectually as he positions himself.

“Get off her, get off.”

He pauses with a frown, and then a smirk stretches his lips and he turns his head to look right at me. The world tilts and I’m trapped beneath him, his hand on my throat.

“Hello, so nice to see you. Your family owes me a debt and I’m bound to collect.”

He pushes between my thighs.

This isn’t real. This is a dream. He can’t hurt me. He can’t.

“Oh, my dear, this ismyplayground, and I can do whatever I want.”

Panic squeezes my chest. I can’t move. I can’t fucking—

A crash jolts him away from me. The sound of raised voices. Chanting and the scent of incense.

He sighs and steps away from me. “I hate this part.”

He’s no longer touching me, but my throat is tight. I can’t breathe. What’s happening?

“See you soon,” he says.

My eyes snappedopen to bright blue eyes and a mess of golden hair hovering above me. There was a weight on me too. Pressure on my neck.

Chrissy was strangling me.

Hell no. I punched her in the side of the head.

Her grip slackened, giving me the opening I needed to shove her off. She rolled off the bed and hit the ground.

I scrambled up, ready to fight the bitch, but she didn’t get back up.

What the heck? I rounded the bed and peered down at her prone form. Was she faking it?

“Chrissy.” I kicked her foot.

Nothing.

Fuck.

“Adi?” Logan entered the room through the already open door. “Have you seen Chrissy?” His gaze flew to the windowpane. “Is that blood?”

Fuck, I’d forgotten to clean that up. “Not important.” I pointed to the floor by my bed. “Your fucking girlfriend just tried to strangle me.”

* * *

Chrissy heldan ice pack to the side of her head and glared daggers at me.

I glared right back.

“There has to be an explanation,” Logan said.

Curo chuckled. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”

“Shut it.” My voice came out all croaky. “Look, she was in my room. I woke up to her strangling me.”

“I don’t know how I got into your fucking room,” Chrissy snapped. “My head hurts.” She groaned.

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