Page 14 of Cursed
His message comes in as I try to catch my breath.
You just came, didn’t you? The idea of being fucked against your will made you climax. Such a good girl, coming for me like that.
My cheeks burn with shame at how easily he read me, how accurately he predicted my response.
Next time, you’ll come with my face buried between your thighs. But until then, no more touching yourself. For the next three days until the Hunt begins, your pussy belongs to me. If you make yourself come again, I’ll know, and I’ll send this video to everyone in your company directory.
I finally withdraw my hand from between my legs, trembling.
And don’t get any clever ideas about blocking my access to your home system. You’re good, but my people are better. Try to lock me out, and the video goes public. I’ll be watching, Sadie. Always watching.
7
LANDON
The report glows on my screen, illuminating my face in the darkness of my study. Police report #87542. Filed by Sadie Reynolds, age 16. Sexual assault complaint against Thomas Mercer, age 18. Case closed: insufficient evidence.
I lean back in my chair, a smile spreading across my face. “Found you,” I whisper, running my finger across her name on the screen.
The pieces click together now. Her response to my messages. The way she came when I threatened to take her regardless of consent. The puzzle of Sadie Reynolds becomes clearer with each little secret I uncover.
I pull up her yearbook photo from that year. Braces. Awkward smile. Already beautiful but not yet aware just how powerful that makes her. I wonder if that’s when she built her first firewall—not just for computers, but around herself.
This assault report explains so much. The way she flinches when touched unexpectedly. How she positions herself with her back to the wall in public spaces. The locks she’s installed on her apartment door—three deadbolts where one would suffice.
I take a sip of whiskey, letting it burn down my throat. There’s a delicious intimacy knowing someone’s trauma before they’ve shared it with you. It’s like possessing a piece of their soul without permission.
“You want it taken from you, don’t you, Sadie?” I murmur to her image on my screen. “You need someone to force past those walls you’ve built. Someone to make the choice for you so you don’t have to admit what you want.”
Thomas Mercer fractured her in a way I can use, left a crack I can slip through.
During the Hunt, I’ll whisper enough to let her know I’ve seen her report. Watch her eyes widen with recognition. Then I’ll take her—roughly, completely—giving her exactly what she craves while letting her pretend she’s just a nerdy, proper girl.
My phone vibrates against the desk, shattering my concentration. Knox’s face flashes on the screen—his stupid grin eternalized in a photo I’ve been meaning to delete. I consider letting it go to voicemail, but I know he’ll just keep calling until I answer.
“What?” I snap, keeping my eyes on Sadie’s police report.
“There he is! The fun brother!” Knox’s voice booms through the speaker. Music pulses in the background. “Where the fuck are you? We’re all getting absolutely wrecked at Purgatory. Pre-hunt tradition, remember?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m busy.”
“Busy? It’s mandatory family bonding time. Even Xavier’s here, and you know what a miserable prick he can be.” Knox laughs at his own joke. “What could possibly be more important than drinking with your favorite brother?”
“Anything,” I mutter, saving Sadie’s file to my encrypted drive. “Literally anything.”
“Is this about your prey? You’re stalking her right now, aren’t you?” His voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. “That’s so fucking creepy, Landon. I love it.”
The way he says it—like we’re the same—makes my skin crawl. “We’re nothing alike, Knox.”
“Sure, we are! We’re both fucked up, just different flavors of fucked up. I’m the fun kind, you’re the serial killer kind.”
I stand, stretching my neck until it cracks. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Stop calling.”
“That’s the spirit! Oh, and Landon?”
“What?”
“I saw your girl today. Passed her on the street. Thought about saying hello, maybe giving her a little preview of what’s coming?—”
