Page 23 of Casper
The camera was a tiny, round black device that barely fit on the tip of my finger. My gaze fell on the black tarot card tapestry hanging on the wall. Perfect. I secured the camera to the wall near the corner of the tapestry where it blended in with the fabric.
I paused to run my fingers over her pillow, imagining her hair splayed out upon it. Her body trapped beneath mine. Soon.
Letting myself out of her room, I fiddled with the lock until it clicked back into place and disappeared down the hallway. I felt better knowing I could check in on Luna. Maybe that made me a creep. Maybe I didn’t fucking care.
Nobody was getting near my flower without me knowing about it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CASPER
“Someone needs to deal with Charlie. He’s had more than enough time.” Rebel glanced around at the four of us. “Grabbing him during the day will be easiest. He’s probably still sleeping off his bender from last night. Who wants to go?”
The five of us had gathered outside on campus to discuss a problem we were having. A guy we’d hired to source us a hard to get pharmaceutical drug had taken our money without producing the goods. Rebel was understandably growing impatient. We’d given him a solid ten grand.
Auryn shook his head. “I’m out. I have an exam today that I can’t miss.”
“It’s not a great day for me either,” Stray said. “I can swing it though, if I have to.”
Rebel’s gaze landed on me, his blue eyes inquisitive. He scratched a hand along his tattooed neck before rubbing the faint stubble on his chin. “I do have a class that I shouldn’t miss, but I’m sure I can catch up. Do you want to take this one together?”
I nodded. As much as I would have loved to hang around campus and grab some time with Luna, I was always up for agood enforcer job. Unleashing the pent up feelings roiling about inside me through violence was exactly what I needed.
“Fine. Casper and I will handle it. We’ll catch up with you guys later.” Rebel pulled out his phone as we walked toward the parking lot, firing off a few text messages to Storm. A glance at his screen showed me a few red hearts followed by an eggplant and a peach emoji. Pervert.
Luna and I had texted a few times throughout the day. Little things like asking how the other slept. What she was up to later today. That kind of thing. I wanted to see her again. I couldn’t help but be curious about this ex-boyfriend of hers, especially because Codie didn’t know a damn thing about him.
We got into Rebel’s freshly painted black BMW. He’d had a new paint job done after several repairs due to a small collision. The inside of the car smelled like a mixture of his cologne and Storm’s perfume.
I momentarily envied him. I wasn’t sure if I wanted what they had. Marriage sounded intense as hell. All legal and shit. Yet I kind of liked the idea of being bound to someone that way.
Would Luna ever want to tie herself to a guy like me? A man who would kill without a second thought. A man who would do anything for her.
I thought about the way she’d squirmed on the bed beneath me as I ate her delectable pussy. Fuck she was a delicious little thing. Pulling my hair while she came all over my tongue. I couldn’t wait to taste her again. To stretch her wide open with my cock. What kind of noises would she make? I wondered if I could make her scream.
“Casper?”
I glanced over to find Rebel watching me expectedly. Like he’d asked me a question I hadn’t heard.
“Sorry, what?” I signed, feeling embarrassed at having been caught daydreaming about my flower.
“I asked you if Charlie still lives in that shithole off Brighton Ave. What’s with you? You seem spaced out.” Rebel turned his attention to the street ahead as we pulled out of the campus parking lot and into traffic. As he drove he absently tugged on the blonde chunk off to one side in the front of his dark brown hair. A quirk I didn’t think he was aware of.
I waited until we pulled to a stop at a red light to sign, “Nothing. Just lost in thought. Yeah, pretty sure he’s still at the same place.”
“Obsessing over Luna,” he said with a smirk. It wasn’t a question. “How long have you had a thing for her?”
He glanced over to watch my hands as I replied, “She caught my eye a while ago. It was at your wedding that I knew I wanted her.”
I saw no reason to lie to Rebel. He was one of my best friends. If anyone understood, it would be him.
“Do you think she’s the one?” He directed his attention back to the road as the light turned green. “Your whole fucking world turns upside down when you find the one. Storm made me fucking crazy sometimes. She still does. I love every second.”
I wasn’t sure I would use that terminology. It felt too specific. Too fantastical. All I knew was that looking at Luna was enough to punch me right in the gut. Being around her made me feel things I’d never known existed. Feelings that cut right to my core. Shaking me up inside.
That’s what I told him when we came to another red light. Rebel merely chuckled, shaking his head. “Yep. She’s the one.”
His words sent a cold chill through me. I wanted Luna, no doubt. However, I wasn’t sure what that meant for me. I already struggled with the monster inside me that had been birthed the night my trauma began. What if I couldn’t keep it contained? What if it ruined everything?
