“Umm...” He tries to argue, but I push him forward anyway. I follow him inside, staying close to the door.
I walk up to Frost, toe-to-toe. I hold his gaze, seeing actual emotion swimming there. Even better. I slip out the hunting knife, bringing it up to my side.
He startles, then relaxes. “Whatever you have planned, Killer—go ahead. I won’t try to stop you.”
“Well then, take off your shirt, stripper boy.”
He complies, pulling it over his head, and dropping it to the floor. Goosebumps erupt over his exposed skin, his nipples hardening. I trace my finger down his chest. “Right here, I think,” I murmur, tapping the center of his chest.
I place the sharp blade to his skin, pushing down to break skin. I trace a straight line, digging in deep without making it life-threatening. I just want it to scar. I grin at the sight of his blood. He winces as I trace the ‘P’ onto his skin. I move on,carving the rest of my name into his chest in small letters, so it will all fit.
His jaw is clenched, but he stands still, letting me scar him with my name. Once I’m finished, I take a step back to admire my handiwork. “My name is on you forever now. A permanent reminder of who made you feel for the first time.”
He looks down, uncertainty on his face. “Well-played, Killer.”
I dart out the door before he can react, slamming it shut. It locks in place. I spy the temperature control panel next to it and crank it as low as it will go. He bangs on the door, shouting my name. I just turn and leave.
Three down, three to go.
Purge
“Hey, has anyone talked to Frost?” I hear Synn ask from the living room. I frown, poking my head out.
“He said he was going to the kitchen to get a snack, but that was...” I check the time. “Over an hour ago.”
“That’s weird,” Razor chimes in.
I get up, walking out to join them. “I agree. Let's go look for him.”
The three of us head out, going to the cafeteria. The kitchen is through it. I stop and ask a couple of students in there if they’ve seen him, they say no.
We move into the kitchen, checking the food aisles. The staff pretends not to see us, as they are trained to do. We split up, each going to a different section. I’m toward the back, scanning around, when I hear a pounding sound. The hell?
I realize it’s coming from the freezer. I wait, and it sounds again. Now accompanied by, “Hey, let me out!” Frost’s voice.
‘Guys! He's in the freezer!” I yell, opening the door with a hard yank. “Oh fuck—holy shit!” I rush to him, yanking the shirt off my back to pull over him. Before it’s over his torso, the others burst through.
Synn curses loudly. “She carved her name into you? Fuck, man!”
Razor takes off his shirt, too, handing it to Frost to hold over the bleeding cuts. He holds it firmly once the shirt covers him. He’s so pale, his lips trembling and blue.
“We’ve got to get him warmed up. Back to the apartment, quickly.”
We help him walk, going as fast as we can. He’s so cold, once we hit the outside, he shakes even more.
We get him up the stairs and into the apartment. I run ahead to the bathroom, starting a hot shower. “Go shower, man, but don’t linger. I'll help clean that up after,” I tell him.
He strips off his clothes, and stumbles into the bathroom. I crank up the heat on the thermostat for him.
While he’s showering, my phone dings with a text.
Iskra: Meet me at your spot. Bring Razor. P
P?
I elbow Razor, nodding at my screen.
His brows shoot up to his hairline. “Think it’s our turn?”
