Page 6 of The Killer Who Kept Me

CHAPTER SIX

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Em

It was the day before Thanksgiving. I sat in the middle of my bed with a cupcake I’d stolen from the kitchen and quietly sang “Happy Birthday” to myself. There was no candle to blow out, but I made a wish all the same. It was the same one every year. I wished I could meet someone who wanted to keep me.

As I ate my cupcake, my mind once again drifted to the stranger in the alley. He was dangerous and powerful, I was sure. Why hadn’t I given him my number? I rolled my eyes and plopped my head onto my pillow.

Ramsey, Shyla, and RJ were having people over tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Of course I wasn’t invited, but Shyla always made sure I got a plate of dinner. She was strange. She did the bare minimum but just enough so she could convince herself she was a caring person.

While she was never physical with me, her neglect sometimes hurt more. I’d given up believing that on the rare occasions she was nice to me, it would lead to anything good. Ramsey hated me, and Shyla would never do anything to upset him.

I pulled the covers up to my chin with a sigh. I’d thought about running away more times than I could count. I was now a twenty-two-year-old man, but where could I go that Ramsey wouldn’t find me, drag me back, and make me hope he’d kill me?

He hated me but also didn’t want me to leave. I was his own personal punching bag in every way. I just wished I understood what I’d ever done to make him despise me so much.

My door swung open, and I sat up quickly. RJ leaned against the doorjamb, a cruel smirk on his face.

“Hey, shitbag. You gotta go down to The Vine tonight and pick up something.”

If RJ knew it was my birthday, he didn’t say anything. “Tonight?”

“Didn’t I say that? What are you, deaf now?”

“Right, of course.” I hopped out of bed. “I’ll get dressed. Who do I need to talk to at The Vine?”

“Guy named Cosmo. Just say you’re the pickup. He’ll know what to do.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Don’t fuck it up, dipshit.” He slammed the door shut as he left, and I rushed to get dressed.

The Vine was amazing. I’d never been inside until now, and I couldn’t stop looking around. It was like standing in the middle of a neon jungle. Vines were everywhere, the ceiling was a canopy of trees, and the dance floor appeared to be grass or maybe moss. I wasn’t sure but it was gorgeous.

I got in, no problem, simply telling the bouncer I was there to see Cosmo and that I was the pickup. He let me in and told me to make my way to the bar, to tell Brandi. That was what I’d done, and now I waited.

A tap on my shoulder made me turn. A guy who was easily double my size narrowed his eyes at me. “You look familiar.”

“Hey, hi.” I held out my hand, then promptly pulled it back. Moron . “I’m the pickup.”

“Yeah, I heard, but I’ve seen you from somewhere.”

I had no idea where but if he worked with Ramsey, it was possible we’d crossed paths.

“Who knows. It’s a small world, right?”

He shrugged and waved for me to follow him. He took me down a hallway and the more we walked the quieter it got, but as soon as we entered an office and the door shut, all sound disappeared.

“Boss’ll be here soon. Have a seat.” He motioned to a chair. “Want a drink?”

“Oh, um, sure.”

He chuckled. “And what drink would you like?”

Ugh. I hated the questions. “Whatever.”

He sighed and moved to a small bar in the office. He fixed us both a drink that I’d guess was whiskey. I had a huge dislike for that beverage. It reminded me of Ramsey; he smelled like it often. When he’d get in my face and shout, it was all I smelled.

“Here you go.”

“Uh, thanks.” I took the glass and held it. He watched me as he swallowed his in one gulp.

“What’s your name?”

“Why do you need my name?”

He licked his bottom lip. “Because I know I’ve seen you before, and I’m trying to place it. It’ll eat at me until I do.”

“I don’t recognize you, and I’m sorry, I was only told to come here, ask for Cosmo, and tell him I was the pickup.”

“Is your name like Beetlejuice or somethin’, can’t say it three times?” He snorted at his own joke.

“No…”

“Great. Then tell me. You know I’m Cosmo; it’s only fair.”

This guy was like a kid. “Em, happy?”

His smile dropped immediately, and a shiver ran up my spine. That wasn’t happiness on his face.

“Em,” he whispered. “Is that short for something?”

“Yeah, but I like Em.”

“’Kay, yeah. All right, I’m gonna go see what’s keeping the Boss. I’ll be a minute.”

He left the room and the second the door shut I heard the lock. “Fuck.”

I placed the drink on the desk and rushed to the door. Yep, locked.

Where did this guy know me from to illicit such a reaction? I was practically invisible to the people Ramsey sent me to.

There were no windows in the office. I had to hope that when Cosmo returned, it would be with what I’d been sent here to get, and I’d be able to leave. I really didn’t want to spend Thanksgiving in the basement for being late.

It was about five minutes before the door swung open. First I saw Cosmo and I opened my mouth to ask the guy what his problem was, but another man came into view.

The man from the alley, my hopeful prince. As he stepped forward, power and danger radiated off him. His eyes widened as he met mine.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” His voice was low, gravelly, and a bit sinful.

“You have?”

“Yes. You’re a hard man to track down, Em. But now you’re here, and there’s no way I’m letting you slip away again.”

Fuck . I was totally going to be spending Thanksgiving in the basement.