Page 54 of Asylum

I still have to dig a grave.

Heading back to the garage, I grab the shovel I saw earlier and get to work digging a hole behind the house. My arms ache as I stab the hard ground, sweat slicking my entire body, and I think I may pass out.

I’ve decided I’m not going to run, not now anyway. I’ll take advantage of my death and use my new identity to begin a new life. From what I found with the search engine on Atlas’s phone, I’m a couple of hours from the Asylum. No one knew I existed before going into that prison, and unless I run into Halstead at the one gas station in town, I don’t believe anyone will recognize me.

“Hey.” A male voice calls out behind me.

Whirling around, I raise the shovel behind me, ready to swing at the stranger’s head.

His hands fly up in front of him. “Whoa there, wild cat.”

“Who the fuck are you?” I snarl, already debating if I can handle cutting up another body tonight.

Absolutely not.

“Jaxson. I live across the street.” He winks, his friendly demeanor confusing the hell out of me since it’s very obvious I’m digging a fucking grave.

“Just you?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, just me. But I do have people who’ll ask questions if I don’t show up to work on Monday. So don’t do to me whatever you did to that poor bastard.”

I scoff. “He deserved worse than what he got.”

Fuck.

I just outed myself.

Jaxson’s gaze hardens. “I know.”

My eyes widen. “Howdoyouknow?”

He stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish. “I came over when I heard the yelling. I’d seen you before when he occasionally opened the curtains. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t hurting you.”

Dropping the shovel, my ass hits the ground, my body running on fumes. “You couldn’t stomach what he’s done to me.”

He inches closer, like he’s approaching a rabid dog. Once he realizes I won’t bite, he sits beside me, leaving a few feet between us. “What’s your name, wild cat?”

I grin at the nickname. “Do you want my real name, or the one he gave me?”

He shuffles closer. “The real one.”

“Olivia.”

“What name did he give you?”

“Lilly.”

He scrunches up his face. “No offense, but you’re noLilly.”

A laugh bursts from my lips, and it feels good, yet foreign. He smiles, and it’s like a punch to the gut. Jaxson is tall, built, and has a face any woman would be honored to sit on. He’s a sexy fucking man, making Atlas seem like a steaming pile of dog shit.

His smile turns cocky as if he can sense my thoughts, and my cheeks burn with embarrassment. He stands abruptly, reaching for the discarded shovel beside me.

“What are you doing?” I ask, standing up, dusting off my ass.

“You’re gorgeous, wild cat, but you look exhausted. I’m going to dig this grave and throw him in it. After that, we’ll get you cleaned up so you can get some rest.”

My brows furrow. “Why?”

He grins. “It’s the neighborly thing to do.”

“Why aren’t you freaking out or calling the cops?” I ask, waiting for the ball to drop.

He winks before slamming the shovel into the hard ground, his eyes softening as he glances up at me. “Let’s just say I have a few skeletons in my back yard, too.”