Page 6 of Welcome to Carnage

Why the hell was he there? And why did he say James had more to worry about than I realized? Could he be... I shake my head. It’s not possible. Nyx couldn’t have killed him. Could he?

Surely Nyx wouldn’t give a shit who I’m dating anyway. He’s never paid much attention to me. Maybe deep down, I want to believe that it’s him because I’ve had a crush on him for years.

“I told you that she shouldn’t go on that date,” Pierce hisses, glaring at Luna.

For once, Luna has nothing to say. She merely hangs her head.

I hear the front door go, and my body freezes. Only one person, other than Luna, comes in and out of the house like that without knocking.

Nyx.

He walks into the living room.

“Hey,” Pierce says, brow furrowing. “What are you doing here?”

Nyx meets my gaze and then looks at my brother. “Heard the news.” He glances at the TV, but his eyes show no emotion. “Avina is being targeted.”

If he has anything to do with it, he’s as cool as a fucking cucumber, as always.

Luna’s voice breaks through the fog of my thoughts. “I-I’m so sorry, Avina. I didn’t think...” But her voice is a distant echo.

Less than half an hour ago, I’d been sitting across from James, watching as he took bites from his steak. He may have been a cheap asshole who didn’t want to be there, but he was alive and full of life. And now he’s dead. Just gone. The weight of it settles heavy and cold in my chest.

Pierce clears his throat, his gaze filled with concern. “Avina,” he begins, his voice gentle yet firm, “You’ve been through a lot tonight. You should consider getting some rest.” He gestures toward the hallway. “A bit of sleep might do you some good and help you process everything.” He pauses while waiting for my response, his face etched with worry.

I’m unsure how to sleep after what happened, but I nod. I don’t want to be here right now. I’m not sure where I want to be.

So I stand and walk past Nyx, my heart pounding harder as instincts tell me to run as far away from the tortured boy I’ve known since high school. And yet I don’t. I go upstairs to my room and flop on my bed, staring at the stained ceiling where the roof leaked last year. Since our parents passed away, the house has fallen into disrepair, but neither Pierce nor I make enough money to afford the repairs.

I can’t believe James is dead. The cops will probably want to talk to me since this happened twice. Ignoring my heart pounding, I shut my eyes, trying to fall asleep. Despite knowing it’s no use. Every time I shut my eyes, I see James’s face and feel responsible for his death. This is my fault.

AVINA

“Avina Michaels?” The cop at the door asks.

I nod. “Yeah, how can I help you?”

“I need to question you about your date last night with James Kenby.”

My throat bobs as I swallow, and I open the door wider. “Of course. Come on in.”

The cop steps inside, eyes scanning the room and its shabby state. The cop sits on the beat-up couch, pulling out a small notepad. “I promise this won’t take long. We need to get a clear picture of what happened last night,” he says, his tone professional but not unkind.

I sit across from him, unease settling in my stomach. “Right, of course.”

He nods. “When did you leave the restaurant?”

I glance down at my cell phone and pull up the Uber app. “I ordered an Uber when I stepped outside. It was nine thirty-five.”

“Can I see?” He asks.

I nod and pass him my cell phone, wondering if he thinks I might have something to do with James’s murder.

He writes something down on his notepad before passing the phone back. “Thanks.”

I force a small smile. “No problem.” I tug on my shirt sleeve. “Do you think someone is targeting me?” I ask. “It can’t be a coincidence that on the two dates I’ve gone on, both guys wound up…” I can’t bring myself to say it because I feel so guilty.

A part of me, deep down, knew it was dangerous to go on another date. I don’t know why I didn’t listen to my instincts, but I guess I wanted to be wrong.

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