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KALEB

T oying with Shiloh wasn’t as entertaining as I thought it would be.

Watching her cry and shiver for me was hot. I could’ve stayed there for hours. Given her all the pleasure she didn’t want .

But now that I stroll out her door and head out to my new home, my chest tightens.

Missing her brings back the constant pain. The persistent ache from my years at Berkshire. I’d double back, to go to her, except this isn’t how this game works.

Besides, I’ve got shit to do.

I slip into my temporary home, throw my boxers into the washer, and then into the dryer. While I wait, I suck on my fingers, tasting her orgasm on my tongue.

Since I can’t keep wearing Elron’s clothes, I use his laptop and credit card to order new ones. Gloves, rug, tarp, and weights too. Same-day delivery, of course. Elron is a generous man .

Was.

While I wait, I swipe the apartment clean. Using bleach and opening the windows does wonders to make the stench of death evaporate.

Ding! My boxers are dry.

I put them on and shrug on one of Elron’s oversized hoodies. Thankfully, the skinny man had a few of those. I pull on the hood over my head, shove his aviator sunglasses up my nose, and leave toward the convenience store on the main street.

Without my mask.

Can’t draw too much attention to myself.

Shiloh will find out where I live, and no, that’s not going to happen.

The guy at the register doesn’t even look up when I pay for the food and burner phone.

Good for him.

Good for me.

I’m back in my apartment, inhaling the scent of bleach. The stench of blood and death is long gone. A few hours later, my clothes, boots, and work tools are delivered to my doorstep.

I should be satisfied.

I’m not.

Shiloh’s spending her day in college, out of my reach. Dry-humping her this morning has done nothing to satisfy my need for her. It’s been hours that we’ve been apart, and fuck.

I’m starving.

To touch her. To learn everything I can about her .

Who are her professors? Does she have any new friends there? Has anyone asked her out? Tried to touch her?

What’s mine?

My jaw tics. It infuriates me that this information went beyond the scope of my agreement with Jerome.

I’d offered him one kill in return for a batch of three photos, ongoing reports of her whereabouts, and a few other items I’d requested.

When I asked for another deal, for more photos, he said no. Told me I might get caught again once I was out, and he wasn’t taking chances on me. No freeloaders and all that crap.

Makes sense.

Infuriating.

I’ll have to go over to her campus and find out the rest for myself.

I could ask Shiloh, sure.

She might even open up to me. With enough torture, she’d be persuaded to tell me every single thing, just so the pain would stop.

I won’t do that to her.

I’ll save it for when her legs are spread. For when I’m fucking her hard and she’s begging me in that velvety voice of her. More. Stop. I don’t want this.

So sweet.

I’ll handle that as soon as I contact Jerome.

I pick up the burner from where I left it on the kitchen counter.

Me: Ready, set, go .

The response from my friend with bright green eyes comes in quickly.

J: I heard. Good job, you fucker.

Me: Got something for me?

J: Yes. I’ll contact you soon. Still need that syringe?

A strange feeling tingles my lips. A tug on the corners of my mouth. I’m not used to this.

Smiling.

It drops as soon as I notice it.

Me: Yes.

I text him the address of my new home and put the phone on the counter.

Halloween will be here soon. Technically, nothing’s stopping me from walking outside in the evening, wearing my mask.

Maybe I’ll do just that.

My brow furrows when the phone buzzes.

J: P.S. You need to see this. My sources tell me Daddy Talbot paid off the big news outlets to forget his daughter ever existed. Indies, however…

He attaches a screenshot from an article.

Vigilante and Serial Killer Escaped. Will He and the Girl He Saved Finally Reunite?

That’s the headline. The rest is conspiracy theory bullshit, courtesy of Hyatt Holiday, such as no one kills two people to get revenge on a girl he’s known for five months.

No one tears their fingers off. No one is this brutal for no good reason.

He must be obsessed with her .

Must have been a pedophile.

Hmm. That part was the one my doctor was the most curious about. Why he’d thrown me in isolation for long periods.

Tell me about Shiloh. Did you ever have inappropriate feelings for her? Tell me. This information remains confidential and won’t leave the room. It’s a safe space. No, come clean. You won’t see the light of day until you admit to the truth.

Eventually, I did. I told him point blank that I never sexualized her, never groomed her. I never hoped she could have been a few years older so I could have touched her.

I could kill people for no reason whatsoever. Pedophilia, though? Fuck. No.

My doctor believed me.

Hyatt, however, firmly believes I’m a pervert. I’ll rectify it soon enough. His picture isn’t there, but sometimes, all you need is a name.

Some people just have a death wish.

Although manners mean nothing to me, I shoot Jerome a thank you.

The information he provided me is free and valuable. Granted, I’ll need Hyatt’s address in case he decides to make us his pet project. I’ll get on it in the next few days.

He isn’t a priority, not yet.

She is.

Mask on.

Lights out.

Shiloh doesn’t know it yet, but she’s waiting for me.

I won’t keep her.