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CHAPTER 5

J essica

“That dress would look so damn hot on you,” Ashley said absently as she continued flipping through the rack of cheap dresses. We’d taken to thrift shopping every other weekend, eager for precious finds we could brag about for weeks to come. The woman was masterful with putting eclectic pieces of clothing together and making them look as if stripped from a Paris runway.

I was the master of sweatpants and jeans, rarely wearing a dress. I didn’t need to at my job. My boss encouraged comfort for extra creativity.

“You know how I feel about dresses,” I told her.

She thrust the hanger against my chest. “Buy it.”

“Nope.”

“For fuck’s sake, it’s ten bucks. What do you have to lose? Plus, if you ever get a hot date, which I’m beginning to doubt, you’ll have the perfect little outfit to wear. I bet I can find clunky bracelets that will go perfectly with it.”

“Clunky bracelets?”

Shrugging, she grabbed three items, one after the other, folding them over her arm. “Think of it this way. You could always use them to ward off the evil men chasing you. Blunt force trauma? Oh, that’s right. The men in your world aren’t real.”

“Very funny.” A shudder slammed down my spine. Since the night before, I’d had the creepy crawlies, constantly looking over my shoulder. It felt as if the monster had me in a cage.

“But truthfully. When are you going to find yourself a hot man?”

“Hell, no, and when they’re born.”

“You’re not getting any younger. Try it on.”

“You’re a terrible person,” I told her. “Why bother if I’m not going to wear it anytime soon, since you insist I don’t have a life?”

She pointed toward a leaning full-size mirror that had seen better days. “Ha. Ha. At least go hold that up and look at your reflection. The color is going to bring out those gorgeous eyes of yours. Just do it.”

“Fine.” I grumbled under my breath as I headed toward the mirror, not noticing until I was standing in front of it the corner was cracked.

Much like my entire life.

I could not get my mind off the events of the night before. There was no way of possibly putting it into perspective. The man had acted like my savior. What if he had been?

Against perhaps anyone’s advice, I’d returned to the parking lot, the scene of the crime. While it was already filled for various matinee showings, I’d double parked and walked to the very spot. There hadn’t been any blood. Not a single drop.

Even the substance covering my shoes had been mud, not blood. There’d been no streaks on my face, no bloody fingerprints from where the monster had touched me. And not a single mark. The only indication I hadn’t completely lost my mind was the single scratch on one arm.

From all I knew, I could have inflicted the slight wound on myself in the middle of the night. During the sexual… nightmare.

“See?” Ashley asked as she came up from behind me. “Perfect. You’re buying it.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“So… Have you applied for that hot job that’ll finally pay you what you’re worth?”

“I sent in the online application, but haven’t heard anything yet.”

“Have you told your father?” She gave me one of her salacious looks as she ripped back the curtain, eager to head into the dressing room with her armful of clothes.

“You know how my father feels about the gaming industry.” He loathed my career choice, telling me I’d wasted my talent in a worthless attempt at gaining fame and glory. Since when was being good at something a detriment?

“A dozen times, but you never told me why.”

“Because it’s beneath me. Hurry and try those on. I’m starving.” Actually, I wasn’t certain I could stomach food. Not with gruesome images continuously flashing into my mind. However, I preferred enjoying a glass of wine to pretending I was having a good time. It wasn’t because Ashley was bad company at all. I simply had no feeling of control at the moment.

I’d almost contacted the police four times and every time had lost the nerve. What would I tell them? More important, what evidence was there that a violent crime had occurred?

“Ah. Parents. I’ll just be a sec.”

I chuckled. She had a mom and dad who adored her. My mother had died when I’d been a little girl, and my father had rarely been present in my life. My sister had been my constant until she hadn’t. I’d always thought my father’s absence had been because he hated that I was the one who’d lived. Not my sister.

Sighing, I held up the dress, staring at it while I thought about the job she’d mentioned. Being the head game designer for the Blackwell Group would be a dream come true. At four times the salary that I made now, their reputation alone would keep me in the top five percent of game designers in the world.

But that wasn’t the only reason I’d sent in my resume. Far from it.

My father would beg me not to consider working there. He had his reasons, yet he’d never disclosed them fully to me. He’d swept himself away into a prison within his own mind.

I shifted back and forth, trying to find a smile. The dress did look great and I could tell it would accentuate my hourglass figure without making me look dowdy. Maybe I would purchase it. A slight laugh bubbled to the surface as Ashley continued babbling on about something from the dressing room.

As I took one last look in the mirror to pass the time, a reflection caught my eye, a slight gleam as the sunlight hit something hard.

Something metal.

A knife.

I froze where I was, horrified to think or breathe. He was there, standing just outside the shop wearing dark clothes and the same mask as the night before. And he was staring at me.

The tiniest of whimpers escaped my mouth before anger set in. How dare the fucker follow me. I spun around, the fury becoming unbridled.

“Jess. Is that you?” Ashley called. “Is something wrong?”

The fucker with the invisible eyes was watching me just like he’d done before, the evil grin spiraling my nerves out of control. “I have to go after something.”

“What? What did you say?”

I didn’t answer her because I had no clue what to say. All I could think about was hunting him down as he’d done to me. I pushed my way through the store, ignoring the cries of a couple of women I almost mowed down in my zeal to reach the door.

“Jess. What is going on?”

By the time I reached the sidewalk, he was nowhere to be seen.

But I wasn’t wrong.

And I wasn’t crazy.

My heart was thudding loudly and I did what I could to calm my nerves while I frantically searched across the street and down one side. A strange yet exhilarating jolt of electricity shot through me like a cannon hitting my senses. I slowly turned my head to the right.

He was there.

Watching me.

Waiting to see if I’d follow.

I shouldn’t, ashamed of myself for feeling the same white-hot sear of excitement I’d felt when he’d had his hand wrapped around my throat. But I took off running after him anyway.

Even though it was a Sunday, the streets and sidewalks were busy, crowded with people enjoying a beautiful, sunny day. I didn’t care. Nothing mattered but getting to him, ripping off his mask and exposing the demon underneath.

Maybe if I grabbed the knife, I’d find the evidence that would put him away for the rest of his ugly life.

As long as he hadn’t gone on a killing spree overnight.

I never lost sight of him as he took long strides along the sidewalk. Why wasn’t anyone noticing him, terrified of the big bad monster? I almost tripped when a woman purposely pushed me away, but caught myself just before slamming down on the hard concrete.

Breathing heavily, I jetted forward, only to see him stop and turn. I was forced into a moment of panic, skidding to a stop just as he blew me a kiss from the evil grin on his face. Then he turned and walked away.

“Hold on. Jess. What the fuck?” Ashley caught up to me, managing to grab my arm before I was able to run after him again.

“Did you see him?”

“Who are you talking about?”

“The man dressed in black. Wearing a… a scary mask.”

She narrowed her eyes but looked toward where I was pointing a shaking finger. “Are you okay? There’s no one there.”

I snapped my head back to where he’d been standing, moaning from frustration. I took off running as if my life depended on it until I reached the crosswalk, one in plain view of all four corners. I looked each way, spinning around in a circle in a desperate attempt to find him.

He’d disappeared, just like he had the night before.

I slammed my back against the brick facade, taking gasping breaths as I laughed.

Ashley moved in front of me, staring at my face with fear as her expression. “What is going on? You’re scaring me to death.”

I continued laughing, unable to stop. “I don’t… know. I just…”

“Calm down. Do you really think you saw a man in a mask?”

“Oh, yes. Just like last night.”

“What do you mean just like last night?”

“He saved me from a man trying to kill me. Then he killed the jerk himself with a big, fat knife. I was right there. Witnessed the entire thing. Or at least I think I did.” I was still laughing, mostly at myself. Maybe I was losing my mind.

“Okay. Hold on. How often do you play those goddamn video games?”

“Every day and every night and they’re not. Video. Games. They’re virtual reality games.”

“Whatever,” she huffed, blowing a strand of hair from her face. “You need to listen to me. Constantly playing them might be your job, but they’ve consumed your life. You’re living in a fantasy and the single night you allow yourself out of the house, you insist we see a slasher flick. That’s not normal and neither is sequestering yourself away in darkness with a headset on. You need to take a freaking break or you’re going to snap.”

I leaned my head against the wall. Maybe she was right. Maybe what I really needed was a vacation. “Okay. Fine. I’ll stop playing them at night.”

“Good. Jesus Christ. You scared me half to death. Now, come on before we get arrested for shoplifting.”

When I opened my eyes, she pointed to the hanger I still had in my hand. I’d been certain I’d dropped it in the store. “Shit.”

“That’s what I say. Now come on.”