Page 3 of Craved By You (Dark Desires Duet #1)

Colt

T he jolt of electricity that went through my body the moment our eyes met was unlike anything I had ever felt before. At first, I was worried that she was going to recognize me. She was wearing my half-masked face and semi-naked body on the band shirt she was rocking, after all.

I had been watching her for several months, casually, from the bistro next door.

So far, I knew that she had a full clientele list, but I also knew that her boss would figure out a way to get yet another person on the books; she needed to keep her best stylist happy.

Astrid was also off every Wednesday to be able to take care of her own appointments and grocery shopping and Sundays when the salon was closed.

This worked out well for me since I had band practice on Wednesdays, and Sundays were for recovering from a night of after parties.

“ If anyone has any information of Kyle’s whereabouts, please call-” I snapped the television off.

All of these missing reports were getting out of hand.

I knew where most of these missing persons had ended up, however, I was not willing to call and offer up that information.

They’d be found soon enough, and for those who weren’t…

Well, with their extracurricular activities, it wouldn’t surprise anyone when they never returned.

The truth is, if most of these families knew half of what their beloved relatives were up to, they wouldn’t be this desperate to try and find them. They’d probably throw a party and set a statue up in my honor, or maybe dedicate a highway in my name.

I walked over to my fridge and pulled out leftovers from the night before. I tossed some oil into a skillet letting it heat up before tossing the patty on to cook.

Kyle seemed sweet enough, like those unforgettable nights just before autumn’s chill set in.

The air held that bittersweet quality; the last desperate plunges into the pool, the crisp evenings perfect for crackling bonfires and shared beers.

I savored his company, the taste of him lingering on my tongue.

I knew this was our last night together, though, and a bittersweet ache lingered.

I had almost pushed the boundaries of our time, relishing every moment without remorse.

That was the only way that he was sweet though, Kyle had a dark side, much like all of the others who had met their demise.

Each one of these people had committed various crimes: pedophilia, sex trafficking, murder, and anything else people thought they had gotten away with.

I took pride in watching their every move, paying attention to their daily routines, and damn if they didn’t all move like clockwork.

It was all very Dexter Morgan of me, I’d have to remember to send my regards to the person who started it all, anonymously of course.

Did I take it a bit too far? Maybe.

But I had a taste for blood, so it made sense to me - to take care of two problems in one shot, er…

stab - making sure that they would never hurt anyone again and remaining true to myself that I would never harm anyone who didn’t deserve it.

Luckily for me, there was a plethora of people out there who deserved what they had coming.

It was just a matter of tracking them and having the time to figure out their lives and the right moment to strike between my busy schedule.

Lucky for me, I’m the lead singer of a band and from what I can tell, people find me attractive.

Whether it’s my tattoos, deep voice, or maybe they are just little sluts for those who are in a band and want to be able to say that they fucked the lead guitarist of Vore Ritual.

Personally, I think Chris is hotter, but no one throws themselves at him the way they do me. Maybe it’s the mask.

Christopher Bates, who we often call ‘Master’ because of his last name, was my best friend and the guitarist in our band.

We came together and started Vore Ritual about ten years ago, and I’m certain he’d be appalled to know the activities I engage in outside of our practices and performances.

Though, I’d put money down that there are things he is hiding, too.

Astrid.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Lucky for me, I had managed to hack into their system so that I could have Chris do some schedule rearranging to ensure that I was able to meet her before our next gig. He never seemed to question what I did anymore which was helpful.

The salon really needs to update its internet security. That had been almost too easy.

My appointment was tomorrow, and my goal was to get in and out smoothly without her suspecting anything.

I got up and walked over to my freezer, sorting through my breakfast options for the morning.

“Looks like you’re my date for breakfast.” I glanced over the package, realizing that I had forgotten to label it with the victim’s name.

“Oh well, it looks like you were easy to forget, which is exactly what you’ll be like once I have my appointment with Astrid. ”

My mom had always taught me not to play with my food, but there was something about torturing these people before they went into the darkness that I couldn’t resist.

That woman was a saint . I glanced up at the photo of her hanging on my fridge.

It was the only picture I had found while cleaning up after her funeral.

Mom was always so happy, so carefree. Until the day that I came home from high school and found her dead, murdered in cold blood by her bitch of a girlfriend, Dawn.

That day my entire life shifted.

?? I knew Dawn was abusive, but mom wouldn’t let me say or do anything.

She was in denial. If I would have done something she would probably still be here and I wouldn’t be out here committing my own crimes of passion.

I had never imagined in my wildest dreams, anything like this would happen, or how I would react to it.

Just like any eighteen-year-old, who loved his mother, would do, I killed Dawn before she saw me coming, otherwise I was probably on her list too. The look on her face when the meat mallet made the connection with her skull? Priceless and will forever be ingrained in my mind.

It took me no time to use the training I had obtained working for the butcher at the meat market. It had been a few months since I had quit, but the things I learned while working there were out of this world. I just never imagined that it would lead to the life that I was currently living.

I was a loner. I didn’t have friends at the time. I didn’t have a job or money, and my mom didn’t have anything to leave me besides the house. I needed a place to live, I had to eat, and I couldn’t go to jail for murder.

That day, I got blood on my hands and then I learned how to season it to perfection.