Page 3 of Dark Wishes

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Page 3 of Dark Wishes

“Water is fine.” Placing the plastic bags on the table, I unshoulder my backpack. “Where should I...”

“Anywhere. It doesn’t matter.”

He sounds curt; probably still annoyed at me for implying he’s a hermit. I loop my bag’s strap on the back of the chair nearest me, my eyes wandering the dining area. It’s one big room—the fridge in the corner alongside the stove, the table in front of me, a granite island with a sink built in. The set up is like my apartment, except not, because this space is triple the size.

Off to one side is another hall. I crane my neck, hoping to get a peek.Is that where the front door is?

“Yes, the exit is that way,” he says. We lock eyes, reading each other’s face. “You don’t need to figure out an escape plan, Selena. I’m not going to do anything.”

“You mean I’m not trapped here?”

His eyebrows shift an inch upward. “That’s a miserable way to look at it. I’m not locking you up, but it would be reckless of me to let you wander around the city. Between the cops wanting to talk to you and your urge to hunt down Caruso—”

“Yeah, yeah,” I huff, “I get it. I’m not going anywhere.” To make my point I drop heavily into the chair I've hung my bag on. “I’m eating these tacos now.”

“Let me bring plates.” He opens the fridge, grabbing out two bottles—one clear, one dark—then snatches some plates off the counter. He sets one in front of me along with a water.

“Is that beer?” I ask, nodding at his drink.

Jamison sits beside me. He turns his drink side to side, the golden label glittering. “It’s been a long day.”

“I’m not judging you for drinking.”

“I didn’t think you were. I wasn’t justifying anything, just explaining.” He slips a hand into the inside pocket of his jacket. I recognize the knife he pulls out. The sight of the curved blade sends my heart to the moon. Casually, he uses the edge to pry the cap off his bottle, tilting it back to take a long swig. His sigh is one of immense relief.

I swallow. “Hey. Have you cleaned that since you...”

The beerthonksonto the table. He angles the knife in the air, lining it up with his mouth. “I wiped it down with bleach in the hotel room. Did you forget?”

“You did it so fast, guess I missed. I was sort of preoccupied at the time with wondering if you were about to use it on me.”

He lowers the knife; I can see myself in the polished surface. My crinkled nose mirrors my tensed fists. “I carry cleaning tools with me. I never leave evidence at a scene.”

Rory’s haunting message clings to my brain.He killed a whole room of people, and no one ever found out it was him.

The Silencer.

“What if the cops find the knife on you?” I ask reluctantly. “Can’t they match it to the stab wounds?”

That gets a short laugh out of him. “The point is they would never ask me in the first place.”

“Lucky,” I sigh, reaching for the bags of tacos. I rip them open, the contents still steaming, leaving droplets of water inside the Styrofoam boxes. “I don’t know why they want to talk to me.”

“The video cameras.”

I shake my head. “That wouldn’t be enough, would it? How would they know the pink haired girl in a costume wasme,Selena Myers?” Biting down on a chokable-sized piece of taco I chew thoughtfully.

Jamison sets the knife on the table. Picking up a taco, he pops open a mini container of green salsa, pouring it excessively on top. “Someone who knows you must have turned you in.”

“Nobody knows me out here.”

“Guess I’m not the only one with no friends,” he muses.

“Isaidthat came out wrong.” The next mouthful of taco doesn’t taste as good. I work it around my teeth slowly as it becomes a gummy paste. I can’t swallow. I grab the water bottle, chugging it to help me get it down. Jamison stares at me the entire time. “What?” I gasp, wiping my lips with the back of my hand. “What’s that look for?”

His fingers slip forward, drawing through my hair where it hangs over my right shoulder. The way my whole body tingles makes me glad I don’t have food in my mouth. I’d choke from surprise. “You need to change this.”

“My hair?” I ask, grabbing at it defensively.


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