Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 211(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 140(@300wpm)
When she stepped out of the bathroom a short time later, her damp hair tumbling around her shoulders and wearing nothing but my oversized black T-shirt, my breath got stuck in my chest. She was sexy as fuck. Every inch of me wanted her, and desire hit me like a fucking freight train.
She was nearly irresistible, but I sensed she needed something normal right now. A moment of peace after everything she’d endured. And that helped me to get a grip on my sanity.
“C’mere, angel.” My voice came out rougher than intended, but she approached without hesitation, her gaze trusting and open.
“Pick a movie.” I motioned toward the TV hanging on the wall. “Let’s just relax for a while.”
She smiled, warmth flickering in her eyes as she sat and leaned against me on the couch.
As the movie started, I encouraged her to eat her sandwich and kept offering her sips of water until she’d downed an entire bottle. Once she’d eaten a few pieces of fruit, she giggled and pushed my hand away, insisting she was full. I eyed her skeptically, sure she needed to eat more after what she’d been through.
“Seriously, Soren. I can’t eat another bite. But I promise I’ll nibble more if I get hungry again.”
Hearing her use my real name and the genuinely happy smile on her perfect lips convinced me to let it go for the moment. She turned to watch the movie and gradually sank against my chest, her body relaxing fully against mine until her breathing evened out and her eyes drifted closed.
My gaze was on the screen, but I wasn’t watching it. My mind was at work, building the killer’s profile. Parsing every detail of her abduction and analyzing the things Delaney remembered about Magnus and the site she’d escaped from. The other victim. The interruption of the ritual, control language, and ritualistic phrasing.
This was my specialty—human patterns, behavioral analysis, and predator psychology. The abduction style, restraint method, victim selection, and how Magnus had staged everything told a story. One question burned in my mind…what exactly were we dealing with?
I didn’t have enough details to know if Magnus was an isolated ritual killer, an obsessive academic predator, an organized murderer, a wealthy psychopathic collector, a human trafficker, or a ritualist connected to a cult. I was frustrated as fuck at all the options I could be looking at. I needed clarity on the scale and patterns of his actions to understand who and what he was.
It was clear Magnus Kinghorn wasn’t just a random offender, though. He had purpose, structure, and clear rituals. I needed to uncover exactly what made him tick so we could hunt him down and end this.
Because now, he was no longer just some faceless predator. He was the bastard who’d dared to hurt what belonged to me, and I wouldn’t stop until I took him apart, piece by fucking piece.
7
DELANEY
Iwoke up slowly, my heart beating a little too fast as I took in my surroundings. I was still in Soren’s bed, wrapped in sheets that carried his scent. My body felt sore, but the fear had dulled. I was shaken, but I wasn’t breaking.
I sat up and noticed a folded piece of paper on the nightstand. Leaning over, I opened it.
Handling some club business. Be back soon to show you around the clubhouse. Stay put until I get here. Phone is all set. You can call your parents.
— Soren
He wasn’t going to keep me locked in this room. That small freedom meant more than he could know.
I grabbed the phone and dialed my mom’s number before I could overthink it.
She answered on the second ring. “Good morning, Delaney. Having a good weekend?”
“Yup.” I stuck to safe details like what I’d eaten, and she let me know that Dad was blockaded in his office until he met his deadline.
The last thing I wanted to do was drag them into whatever this mess was. They were much safer staying put, unaware of the danger I’d been in.
We spoke for a few minutes, and I reminded her that I wouldn’t be home until right before Christmas. With my exams finally done for the semester, I didn’t need to worry about anyone else looking for me. Except Dr. Kinghorn, who wouldn’t raise the alarm at the museum because that would make it harder to get away with killing me.
By the time I hung up, some of the lingering tension in my shoulders had eased. Then there was a soft knock on the door.
I sat up straighter as it opened, and a pretty blonde stepped inside carrying a tray in one hand and a small stack of folded clothes in the other.
“Good morning.” She grinned at me. “I’m Savannah. Rev asked me to bring you some things. Hope you’re hungry.”
She set the tray down on the bedside table, and I saw that she’d brought me eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee that smelled amazing. Then she placed the clothes on the edge of the bed. “These should fit you. Nothing fancy, but they’re clean and comfortable.”