Page 304 of Second Sets Omnibus

“You dated her for the sole purpose of getting to me? You… You stalked me from the beginning?” I stammer, wrapping my brain around the idea that Van had been following me this entire time from afar, waiting in the shadows as he watched our every move. “Wait… Did you even go to Europe?”

Twisting me around, he forces my back into the roughly textured wall. I cry out when my head knocks into the stone, dazing me. Bright stars burst behind my eyelids. A sharp gasp rings out from between my parted lips.

Van cracks a smile, tsking at me in a cruel mockery. “Of course, I went to Europe, Rivey. Where do you think I picked up the cyber skills that allowed me to watch you from anywhere at any time? I was there for three years, eyeing your every move.”

“Cyber skills?” I swallow hard at the information flowing from his mouth like a villain revealing all his moves before he executes them. If I’m not careful with this conversation, bad things could continue to happen. I need to keep him talking and make him reveal everything. “What cyber skills?” Please take the bait. Please spill everything.

It’s a good thing this cavern echoes because Asher’s phone should be picking all this up.

“My favorite was hacking into your camera system, which wasn’t that hard, especially since it was my company that protected your precious home. A little slip of the business card to the perfect person had you right where I wanted you. But I couldn’t stay away, Rivey. I was tired of watching you on a screen. So, I came back and created Trevor so I could keep a closer eye on you.”

“But—I…” I swallow hard, willing my tears to go away. I have to keep him going and admit to everything he’s done to orchestrate this entire thing. “I only got the cameras because of the pictures,” I murmur with realization as vomit shoots up my throat.

He grins more. “I needed you scared and desperate for protection. Getting your picture wasn’t hard, though. It was easy to follow you around and watch you shop or play with our baby girl. It made me want this more,” he purrs with victory. “I’m so sorry I frightened you, Rivey. You were just so beautiful. I didn’t mean to scare you; I just needed to keep my eyes on you at all times and keep you safe.”

My body shudders at the thought of him watching my every move through the cameras in my home. “Why… How?” Fuck, I can’t get my damn brain to ask the right questions.

Van’s teeth grit when his hand tightens on me. “But then they came back and fucked it all up! They were supposed to stay away. They were supposed to never touch you again. You are mine, River. All fucking mine. You’d never know that I’ve done so many things for you, Rivey,” he whispers, putting his forehead against mine. “I saved you from Bradley’s attack at that shitty bar you worked at.”

“I saved myself,” I say, curling my lip in disgust at the thought of my attack at Dead End, resulting in my hospitalization. “I stabbed that bastard. Not you…” I grunt when his hand slams over my mouth, blocking me from talking properly.

“I was supposed to save you!” he lashes out, spitting in my face with every word. “I was supposed to pull you out of that alleyway and be the fucking hero. Me! Not you,” he growls again. “And definitely not fucking them!” The entire darkened chamber he’s pulled me into lights up with his voice, echoing for what seems like miles. Only a sliver of light from buzzing bulbs above us illuminates his demented eyes. “I set it all up so I could win you back. But you see how fucking well that worked out?” He rolls his eyes, clenching his teeth so tight, I swear he’ll snap them into pieces.

“You?” My muffled voice comes through his hand, widening his smile.

My stomach drops, thinking back to when I took out the trash at Dead End and was attacked from behind by Bradley. My former rapist. My abuser. The man who forced himself on me at the party where I drank too much, and Rad saved me.

“Me,” he whispers. “You ever wonder why he was at Dead End that night? Why was I there to stop him? I was the fucking hero. And then that piece of shit Kieran beat my face in.” He shakes his head erratically. “I hope he makes an appearance soon so I can give him the same treatment. One bullet for every asshole who has put their hands on you.”

My breath hitches.

“You’re fucking crazy,” I murmur through his hand again. “You can’t do this, Van. You can’t shoot them. You can’t take Lyric or me.”

A frantic squeal falls from my lips when he presses the gun to my jaw.

“I don’t think you’re in any sort of position to make demands. This is how it’s going to go. You’re going to text your bestie that you’re fine. Call off the dogs, Riv. Then, we’ll go out of this emergency exit and start our lives together before anyone can come to save you.” A sparkle lights up his eyes when his free hand digs into my pocket and pulls out my phone. “Unlock it,” he grunts, gesturing to my thumbprint.

“Okay,” I say, unlocking my phone with my thumb.

“Text her! They’ll be here soon. I’m going to leave them with quite the distraction to stop them from making it here.” He grins again when I grab my phone, bringing Olivia’s name to the screen.

I stare at it for several long seconds, debating what to say. We don’t have a code in place for situations like this. Now, I regretnot having something. I can only hope Lyric gets to her quickly before Asher bleeds out.

Me

I’m fine. No rusH. Things are undEr controL… Please.

My heart stops when Van zeroes in on the phone, checking over my message before he allows me to hit send. I know the moment he sees my hidden message when he looks up at me and tightens his grip on his gun. He growls in my face—no doubt about to unleash a massive punishment for even trying to send that message.

“I’m not a fucking idiot, Rivey. I may be a little obsessive, especially when it comes to you. But any idiot would see the message hidden. Help? Is that really what you wanted to say? I have more than a gun in my artillery.” My breaths quicken when he drops the gun on the ground with a grin and digs through his pocket—never letting me go. Confidence puffs out his chest like he has this entire thing under control.

My breath stalls when he holds up a small object, reflecting off the soft lights above us.

“Boom,” he whispers manically, pressing down on a large red button. In the distance, a loud bang rattles against the walls. My spine stiffens as loud screams happen, and he beams more with pride at whatever the hell he just did. “You remember the night we met, Rivey?” he questions without giving me a chance to answer out loud.

It was a chance encounter at the record store. He came in, like he did often after, to purchase his favorite vinyl. Something he started collecting. One thing led to another, and I ended up ass over elbow in the backseat of his Mustang. The worst mistake of my life was ever entertaining this dickbag and letting him usemy body for pleasure. The sex wasn’t even that fucking great. But by the way he lights up; he thought I was the best damn thing he ever had. Maybe I was. I mean, he is standing before me with a possessed grin on his face, looking off to the side like the memory of our meeting snapped something inside him.

I stiffen when he drops his nose to the crook of my neck, forcing me still. His disgusting breath rolls over my skin, getting heavier by the second. I quickly ignore the hard piece poking into my abdomen when he inhales again and runs his tongue along my flesh. If I had my knife, I’d cut his boner in two and shove it up his ass where it belongs. But I’m a dumbass and left it.