Page 31 of Welcome to Carnage

“What about Pierce? He’s going to lose his shit. Not to mention, the cops will find it a bit off. They’ll think you killed those guys.”

He smirks. “No, they won’t.”

I tilt my head. “Why not?”

“Because I already pinned it on the guy I murdered last night.”

My brow furrows. “What?”

“I knew that son of a bitch was going to target you. Jimmy Carmichael had planned it and talked about it in his DMs to his friends.” He shakes his head. “Idiot.” He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “I already planted the knife I used to kill the two guys on him before he went for you. And I used it to kill him but ensured my prints weren’t on it. So, it will look like he lost in a struggle and got stabbed with his knife.”

I stare in awe at the man before me. He killed the mayor’s son and pinned two murders on him, which is insane. Not only is he a serial killer, but he’s a genius. If it works, then he is officially a criminal mastermind.

“That’s genius,” I admit, my brow furrowing. “I didn’t know you were good with computers.”

His smirk widens. “Right, because it’s nerdy, and I don’t look like the typical hacker?”

I nod in response.

He shrugs. “I’ve been coding since I was ten. It was my only escape.”

“Escape from what?”

His jaw clenches, eyes shuttering. “Life.”

It’s a cryptic response, but I don’t push. Something tells me my masked man is far more damaged than I can ever understand. Learning that he lit the fire that killed his parents was a shock, but I sense his dad deserved it, and he regrets his mom getting caught up in it.

“Come on, little hellion, let’s get ready.” He holds his hand out to me, and I take it.

“But what about Pierce?”

Nyx’s jaw works. “He’ll have to accept it or fuck off.”

My nostrils flare as I shake my head. “We’ve been through thick and thin together. I’m not abandoning my brother.”

“You don’t have to. If Pierce has a problem with us, it won’t stop us being together.” He shrugs. “In time, he’ll get over it.”

He’s right. He will be pissed, but time makes everything bearable, right? At least, I hope it does.

I glance at Nyx and see a different man. His darkness attracts me, pulling me in like a moth to a flame. I don’t just want him; I need him, in all his flawed, brilliant intensity. “Okay,” I say, my voice low. “Let’s do this. Together.”

He grins. “That’s my girl,” he murmurs, his voice rough as sandpaper, his eyes glowing with something dark and hungry. He spanks my sore ass. “Now go and put your clothes on.”

I swallow hard. “I’ve only got my Halloween outfit. We’ll need to drop by the house so I can change.”

He shakes his head. “No, I already took an outfit for you yesterday.” He smirks. “I like to plan. It’s in the bag on the sofa.”

It’s alarming that he knew this was where we’d end up. That I’d come with him willingly after everything I know about him. “Okay, thanks.”

I walk back into the living area and open the black bag on the sofa, pulling out a pink shirt, a cute beige chunky knit sweater, a pair of skinny jeans, and a thong and bra. I swallow hard, wondering when he broke into my room and took these.

And then my cell phone rings. I walk toward it and see Pierce’s name on the front screen. Panic hits me. He will be freaking out that I didn’t come home last night, but I don’t know how to explain where I’ve been. I’ve been screwing his best friend in a cabin in the woods after finding out that he’s the man who killed my dates.

Nyx steps into the room. “What are you doing?”

I hold my cell up. “Pierce is calling me.”

His jaw clenches. “Answer it, or he’ll panic.”

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