Page 50 of Insidious Heart
I don’t think I’ve ever had a man call me beautiful before. Or a distraction, for that matter, and while that could probably be taken as an insult, I know Victor didn’t mean it as one. It’s a compliment just like calling me beautiful, and since I’m only ever complimented by Rochelle or Linnie, I’ll happily accept both from my very own ghost.
“Oh, you were watching that new doc on Gacy.”
With a scrunch of my nose, I plate the two grilled cheese before putting two more in the pan then glance over my shoulder. “Yeah. I haven’t gotten very far yet because he makes me mad.”
“Don’t they all make you mad?” Victor smirks as he starts scrolling through Netflix. “Serial killers, I mean. I’d imagine most people get pretty pissed over what they do. Especially the ones who go after boys who can’t defend themselves.”
I don’t miss the flicker of anger that passes through Victor’s eyes, but it’s gone just as fast and replaced by a gorgeous smile when his stare swings to me.
“That’s why he makes me so mad.” I turn back to our dinner, flipping the sandwiches again before taking the soup out. “I mean sure, they all frustrate me. I’ll never understand how someone feels like they have the right to end the life of another human being, but it’s even worse when they’re innocent kids.”
“That is something we can agree on, little dove. Child killers deserve to rot in hell.”
I chew my lip as I pour the tomato soup into mugs, then add them to the plates with our grilled cheese.
This is kind of the perfect transition into the many questions I want to ask him, the need for one hundred percent validation even though I’m already 99.9% sure. So, I muster up all the courage I can as I turn to the gorgeous, very naked man on my bed then walk toward him.
“I… “ I’m more nervous to ask than I thought I’d be. Which is a little silly considering the things that have happened between us already. “You’re… “
“I’m what, baby?” Victor arches a brow as I hand him his food.
“You’re him, aren’t you?”
He grins as he repositions himself on my bed, setting his plate in front of him and pushing up on an elbow nonchalantly. Victor doesn’t say anything though, not yet, just searches my eyes for a few beats before lifting a grilled cheese and tearing it in half.
“I won’t say anything.” I slowly sit on the edge of the bed facing him, my heart hammering away against my ribs. “I won’t. I just, well, I just thought, after the few comments you’ve made that you could be him.”
“Who, Stevie?Whocould I possibly be?”
“The… The Harvester of… of Bones?”
Victor’s eyes don’t leave my face as he dips his sandwich in the soup before bringing it to his lips. He takes a bite and chews slowly then one dark brown brow lifts. “Hypothetically, if I were this serial killer the news is all in a tizzy over, would that change how you look at me? Considering The Harvester of Bones obviously feels like he has the right to take lives without a second thought?”
“No,” I blurt. “Not one bit. I’ve always thought The Harvester was different. Different because he went after the scum of the earth and stopped them from hurting other people. He’s nothing like Gacy or Bundy, nothing like The Ripper or anyone else.”
“I’m a little like Bundy,” Victor says with a small smile as he answers my question in a roundabout way. “You have to admit, I’m charming as fuck.”
I giggle and nod. “You are. You’re very charming… and you’re him.”
“I am, but you already knew that.”
“I did.” I smirk as I scoot around and cross my naked legs. “Not that you were trying to hide it from me. All the little ghost references made it obvious.”
“Only to someone like you, baby dove. And while I’m extremely proud you’ve figured me out, as well as flattered that you seem to think of me as some kind of hero, that’s not entirely the case.”
“No? You aren’t some vigilante wiping out the horrible monsters that terrorize society?”
Victor shakes his head. “Afraid it’s not that simple. On paper that’s what I do, how the news portrays me, but that hasn’t always been my way.”
“Which is why you have a handler.” I nod as I start picking at my food.
I don’t expect Victor to tell me everything, not now or ever really, but I’m not naive enough to think he woke up one day and decided to take justice into his own hands. Especially when you look at the amount of overkill, skill, and dramatics he puts into his victims. No, I’m sure there’s a lot more to his story, and regardless of what it is or the reasoning he has for what he does, I still very much want Victor around.
“Even knowing who I am, you’re still not afraid of me.”
I just shake my head as I look into his pale-grey and purple eyes because I’m not. I haven’t been from the moment we met.
“And you won’t put an end to me coming around because of it? Won’t stop me from ravaging your body and fucking you into oblivion?” Victor sets down his sandwich and stares back at me. “You won’t prevent me from getting to know you or spending time with you; won’t let the truth of who I am interfere or change one thing about what we’re doing?”
