“You should savor it, Anita. Each kill is precious. The knife piercing flesh. The warm blood on your hands. It’s powerful. Intoxicating. Don’t you feel it?”
I drew in a deep steadying breath as he loomed over me and whispered dark little nothings in my ear. I could – would – ignore him. I made quick work of removing the vampire’s heart before taking out the machete. Two swings to the neck, and the head was ready to go into its own bag. Normally this would be his job, but today he watched over my shoulder with an unsettling glint in his eyes.
“You are beautiful covered in blood.”
I gathered my supplies and fled.
My office wasn’t even safe. He stood leaning against the wall across from my desk as if he had every right to be there. He liked to talk. I couldn’t remember a time before when he’d been this chatty. He spoke of his many victims, goals long lost, and even his childhood. I’ve learned more about him within the past couple of weeks then the entire year we’d hunted together.
Today his topic was one that he frequently brought up during his little visits. Betrayal.
“I’ve been aware for quite some time of a woman’s tendency to betray men, but I had honestly believed you would be different.” He laughed. I tensed at the sheer bitterness of it. “Well, I know better now.”
“You left me no choice.” I acknowledged him for the first time since he’d begun this torment. “You were going to kill me.”
“Was I now? You’re so sure of this.” He scoffed. “You are my soulmate. I was content with sharing the hunt. Killing you would have served no purpose.”
I shook my head in denial. No, I remembered the knife he’d held. The darkness in his eyes as he stalked towards me. I didn’t feel guilty. I refused to feel guilty.
A sudden knock on the door startled me. He smiled a predatory smile. He liked how he was getting under my skin. Bastard.
“Anita?” Mary, the daytime secretary, said in a hesitant tone.
“Yes?” I said through clinched teeth as a I eyed the man standing opposite of me. The sudden blank expression worried me more than his rages. I had no way of determining his mood. Although, it was safe to bet that he wasn’t happy about the interruption.
Mary opened the door and didn’t even glance his way as she walked my office. It never ceased to amaze me, even knowing what I know. He was as imposing as ever in his tall, black clad glory. Impossible to ignore. A shiver went down my spine.
“A new order of execution came over the fax.” She said and placed the paperwork on my desk. Still my gaze didn’t leave him, and she followed my line of sight to the far wall before turning back to me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” I lied.
Everything so wasn’t okay. Nothing would ever be okay again.
“Maybe its just me, but you seem stressed lately.” Mary continued. I forced myself to actually look at her.
“I’m fine Mary.” She took an uneasy step back. Shit. Was it my tone? I smiled and hoped that she wouldn’t realize exactly how fake it was. “Thanks for your concern, but I have work to do.”
Luckily, she knew a dismissal when she heard one and quickly exited the office. Just as I knew my newest brand of craziness was going to be a new hot topic on the company gossip mill.
“You do feel it.” He continued as if the interruption had never taken place.
“No, I don’t.” He’d left me no choice, and I didn’t feel any guilt or remorse no matter how badly he wanted it. I wouldn’t. Yet, even as that thought crossed my mind I could feel the cracks form in my self control. He would keep taunting me until I broke. If I’d known… but how could I have?
How was I supposed to know that even after killing Olaf he still wouldn’t ever leave me be?
