Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I shake my head, still feigning ignorance. “I have no idea who made that. And I don’t know why you’re here, but maybe you’re not as good at your job as everyone thinks you are if you keep insisting on harassing me without cause. Can I please have my book back now? I was just getting to the part where I’m certain the wife is about to murder the husband, and I simply can’t wait,” I say with a sickly sweet smile.
At first, I thought it would be easy to lie, but now it’s grown into something far more sinister. I quite enjoy it.
It’s not that I enjoy lying. In fact, I’m often conflicted by lies. But tormenting him is everything. If I’m honest with myself, I don’t think I can stop any time soon. I’m not yet done with this detective. He might’ve been drawn to me first, but now I find myself circling and playing this dangerous game. One wrong move, and it’s over for both of us.
It’s riveting.
Delicious.
Forbidden.
I want it like my next breath.
“Do you like it?” he asks, raising a brow. “There’s so much detail in it. A lot of love must’ve gone into creating this. I wonder who might have such a twisted mind to express something so… unique and macabre.”
We’re starting to draw attention. One person’s lip actually pulls up in disgust, and I fucking hate the scorn my piece is receiving. There’s a reason why I haven’t shown this side of me to anyone. I know I’m an outcast, and although it doesn’t bother me, facing the judgment of others terrifies me. What if my parents look at me the same way?
“Stop it. Just fucking stop,” I grit out, not at all appreciating the attention. These people are nothing. Insignificant. But I can’t help feeling like the walls are closing in on me. This is my darkest secret. And I willingly chose to share it with him. It’s not meant for others. I try to push away all of the negativity. “You’re upsetting the customers.”
He suddenly glances around at our surroundings as if he never even noticed anyone but me. He smirks unapologetically as he takes a seat across from me and puts the piece in the center of the table. I shoot a brief glance in its direction, again pretending to be horrified. His arrogant smile doesn’t slip as he removes his jacket and sets it gently over the statue. A wave of relief washes over me at narrowly averting having this part of me exposed in the middle of what is one of my few safe spaces.
I’m furious by how quickly my play to toy with him backfired. I was enjoying taunting him, and yet he so easily flipped it on me.
Asshole.
“My partner and I stopped by my apartment this afternoon. And can you guess what was on my bed, wrapped up with a perfect little bow?”
“My underwear?” I reply with an eye roll.
“You didn’t wear any that night,” he points out, and I can’t entirely hide my smile. Thoughts of that night immediately come back to mind. This man—this beast—who coaxes out the vilest of my fantasies is sitting across from me as if this is the most normal of conversations. “It was another black box with a glass statue inside to join the collection. I even upped my security after the last delivery, and yet low and behold, there was a glitch for twenty minutes this morning. I wonder who has the ability, or perhaps the connections, to do that.”
I fix him with a bored look. “There are many mysteries to life. But if you don’t mind, your work is very boring to me, especially considering how poor of a job you seem to be doing. Didn’t I recently see the body count of this supposed serial killer is now up to nine? Do you really have time to be harassing me?”
His smile is anything but friendly. He sighs and removes his black glasses, and the dark circles under his eyes are obvious. He’s exhausted. And I know for a fact he’s been working these cases. He’s done multiple interviews asking anyone to come forward with any information they might have about any of the murders. I’ve watched every single one. To be honest, I find his work life quite interesting, but I’ll never admit it as much as I won’t admit to having Ivy tap into his security system. I pay her for it, as well as paying her to keep quiet about it. Ivy hasn’t asked any questions, but she most certainly knows there’s more to the detective and me than I’ve told her and has most likely tracked it back to Braxton without further asking for answers I’m not willing to offer. Whatever. I’m certainly not asking her father to do it since he and my father are so close.