Page 7 of Welcome to Carnage

“We think there’s a connection, yes.” He puts his notepad back in his pocket. “A number of my colleagues want to put you into witness protection. They fear you’re in danger.”

The thought of going into witness protection right now is so unappealing. I‘ve got work, and Halloween is my favorite holiday. I don’t want to miss the carnival. “What exactly would that achieve? If I were in danger, wouldn’t I be dead by now?”

He nods. “That’s my opinion, too. The only way we’ll catch the son of a bitch, is if you draw him out.”

“You’re sure it’s a man?”

He shrugs. “Could be a woman, but whoever it is is obsessed with you. The murderer is targeting anyone who you might have a love interest in. If you went on a date with our officers stationed nearby, I’m sure we’d catch him.”

I grind my teeth. “The last thing I want to be doing right now is going on another date.”

Footsteps sound outside the door as Nyx descends the stairs. He enters the living room. “What’s going on?”

The cop’s brow furrows. “Are you the brother?”

Nyx shakes his head. “Brother’s friend. He had to go to work and didn’t want Avina to be alone, so I crashed here.”

The cop nods. “Fair enough, I’m just trying to get some information from Avina. We’re almost done if you give us a few minutes.”

The look on Nyx’s face remains passive, but I notice how his body tenses slightly. “Of course.”

“About last night, I have to ask, did you notice anything off or strange during your date?”

I swallow hard. The only thing off is how Nyx barged into the place and stared at me before making veiled threats. I push my doubts about Nyx away, not wanting to jump to conclusions or make the cops suspicious if he had nothing to do with it.

“Honestly, no. The date was pretty rubbish, and the guy wasn’t interested. It’s why it ended early. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”

The cops nods. “Fair enough.” He stands, and I stand, too. “If you think of anything, here’s my card.” He passes me a business card, and I read his name.

Officer Harold Case.

“Thanks, Officer.” I place the card in my pocket. “I will do.”

I walk with him to the door, and he’s about to leave when he turns to me. “Call me if you reconsider setting up a date as bait for the bastard. It could be a real help.”

The idea fills me with dread, but it might be the only option if I ever want to date a guy in my life. “Yeah, I’ll give it some thought. Maybe give it some time?“

He nods. “Of course. Thank you for your time, miss.”

“You’re welcome.” I shut the door and turn around, only to freeze when I see Nyx behind me. He’s close, only a few feet between us.

His presence is overwhelming, filling up the space with tension. He’s silent, studying me with those intense, unreadable eyes. I try to step around him, but he doesn’t move, blocking my path.

“Nyx, can you—” I start, but he abruptly cuts me off.

“That cop,” he begins, his voice low, “what did he suggest? A date to bait the guy?” The look in his eyes is dark.

“Yeah, he did, but I told him no for now.”

He nods. “Good, as you shouldn’t be used as bait.” His fists clench by his sides.

“You don’t need to stay here. Even if Pierce asked you to.”

He tilts his head. “I’m staying.”

A heavy silence falls between us. I need to know why Nyx was there last night. “In the restaurant last night, what did you mean when you said he has more to worry about than I think?”

A cruel smirk twists his lips. “Haven’t figured it out yet?”

---