Page 53 of Casper
Wow. Killing this guy was going to feel so fucking good. I couldn’t help but wonder what Luna had ever seen in him. Although I knew this type. They had a way of turning on the charm, keeping their nasty side hidden until they’d roped in their conquest.
Coming to a stop in front of me, he stayed just out of reach. Avoiding a potential kick since that’s all I could manage with my hands bound above my head.
“I wonder,” he said, with a psychotic lilt to his tone. “How much pain it would take to make you scream. As much as I’d love to find out right now, I think Luna would like to know as well.”
I was almost manic with the boiling hot anger brewing inside me. Even though he stood out of reach, I tried to kick him anyway. The fucker laughed while typing to Luna on my phone.
“There. She should be on her way soon. I made sure she knew this was a romantic occasion so she wouldn’t bring anyone along.” Suddenly stepping forward, Jace smashed me across the skull with my own gun. Then he moved back out of reach.
The sharp pain made my entire head throb. Whatever drug he’d given me still fogged my head, making this all feel like an incredibly real nightmare.
If Luna came here, there was no telling what he would do to her. I could handle the pain. The violence. I’d lived this life long enough to know how it worked. She didn’t deserve to be part of this.
Jace returned to the wooden chair, taking a seat. He held my furious stare, an impish smirk on his stupid face. “I don’t blame you for falling for her, Casper. She’s a special woman. There’s something magical about her, isn’t there? But only one of us can have her, and since I know you’ll never give up, I’ll have to kill you.”
Actions had a way of speaking their own language. I spat in his direction, showing him exactly what I thought of him. I wasn’t afraid of Jace Ford. I was only afraid of what he would do to Luna.
In my mind, I tried desperately to send her a telepathic message. A warning to stay away. Yet I knew she would come. There was only one way to see this through.
I refused to allow Jace to shake me. Only one of us could have her. He’d been right about that. He was dead wrong if he thought I was going to be the one that died tonight.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
LUNA
Casper had mentioned recently that it would be nice to go out and do something alone together. Since I’d been staying at his house this week, we hadn’t had much alone time. There were so many people in the house and always something going on. So when he messaged me to meet him for a romantic dinner, I was excited.
Not wanting to keep him waiting, I hurried through a shower before doing my hair and makeup. Codie and Stray had retired to their bedroom early. I had no idea where Dominik and Auryn were tonight. Once I was ready, I left the house. I paused to check the vicinity, making sure everything seemed clear before getting into my car.
I was ready for this week to end. I needed a few days to lie around in bed and do nothing. Keeping up on my campus activities and class assignments wasn’t easy when my head simply wasn’t in it. A nice dinner out would be refreshing. Exactly what we needed.
I wasn’t familiar with the address he’d given me. Expecting it to be some small establishment on a side street, I was surprised to find what appeared to be an abandoned houseat the end of a quiet street. Maybe there’d been some kind of mistake.
Except Casper’s orange Challenger sat in front of the house. He had to be here.
I got out of my car and paused to survey the street. Quiet with older homes. More than one appeared to be abandoned. Right away the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Something felt off.
Worried that something had happened to Casper, I approached the house, constantly glancing over my shoulder. When I got to the front door and saw that it had been damaged and hung awkwardly, I paused.
Something told me not to go inside. Instead, I pulled out my phone to call Codie and Stray. Before I got the chance to connect the call, Jace was suddenly there, jerking me into the house.
“Hey, babe. I’ve got a little surprise for you. Won’t you join me in the basement?” Jace’s eyes were wide and maniacal.
A sudden shot of adrenaline gave me the strength to break free of his hold. I ran for the door. He ran faster. He tackled me down on the front step, almost smacking my face against the crumbling concrete. The worst sensation I’d ever felt shot through me as he jammed a Taser against my back.
Unable to fight, I lay there praying someone would see us and call the police. Call anybody. That never happened. Instead, Jace dragged me back into the house, closing the door the best he could.
Scooping me up in his arms, he carried me through a darkened kitchen to a staircase. Descending into the basement filled me with a terror I’d never known. A certainty that I would die down there.
We entered into the dank basement lit with only one bulb hanging from a chain in the middle of the room. My body stillfelt messed up from the Taser. I struggled to make it obey the commands of my mind. Jace placed me on a wooden chair, holding me upright so I wouldn’t fall onto the floor. My vision swam a little before Casper came into focus.
He stood against the wall, his arms above his head. Handcuffed to the iron bars that covered the window. Blood dripped from a gash on the side of his head. I shrieked at the sight of him.
“It’s okay, flower.” He did his best to sign with his arms stretched above his head, his hands in an awkward position. “Try not to panic. That’s what he wants.”
Swallowing around the lump choking me, I nodded. I’d known that Jace was messed up. I knew he was capable of murder under the right circumstances. Still, I hadn’t fully allowed myself to believe it would come to this. I should’ve known better.
“None of that.” Jace brandished the Taser with glee, pressing it against Casper’s ribs. “It’s not nice to talk amongst yourselves without including me.”
