He just watches.
And I let him.
Because maybe I like being his favorite ritual.
I zip up the back of my costume and turn to the mirror, tilting my head. The black lace gloves, the velvet corset, the sheer skirt that hits mid-thigh—it’s dramatic, a little dark, and exactly what I want. Not cute. Not safe.Striking.
The campus Halloween bash is tomorrow night. They’ve built a corn maze across the football field, strung orange lights through the bleachers, and promised bonfires, cider, and music loud enough to drown out every bad decision.
I’m not going for the cider.
I’m going because Kane will be there.
And I want him to see me. See that I’ve embraced his darkness.
I smooth my skirt down and reach for the lipstick, deep red, almost black. It’s bold. It’s a warning. It’s a promise.
Because tomorrow night, I’m not just showing up.
I’m showingoff.
And when I step into that maze, I want him to follow.
Twenty
Kane
Iwatch as Micah fucking Jameson, the date rape, puts his slimy hands on my sunflower, and I see red.
“Let go of me, pervert!” she yells, but it doesn’t deter him, not with the hundreds of people scattered around the darkened maze, too caught up in their own fake frights and hollow laughs. No one is even paying attention except for me.
I see everything.
I will always see everything.
My little sunflower needs me to protect her.
My fists clench as I realize that the rope I brought for Blair has a new purpose.
I have to act fast to get him alone, to do what needs to be done. Slipping behind a perfectly placed bale of hay, I watch him trail after her, an eager predator stalking his prey. I sneak around the back, grabbing him before he can blink.
“Hey, what the—“ He doesn’t get another word out before my gloved hand is tightly wrapped around his mouth, pinching his nostrils shut. Fear flashes through his eyes when he looks into my glowing purple mask. This fucker doesn’t know the meaning of fear yet. Too bad he won’t get the chance to learn it before I’m done with him.
He tries to fight, to shove me away, but I’m too big, too strong, too smart. I slam the gag I crafted specifically for Blair into his mouth, strapping it around his head. I don’t want anyone to hear him scream. That’s my job.
Micah will learn soon enough. He will learn not to touch what isn’t his. Blair is mine and onlymine. He has no right to look at her, let alone touch her.
I grab his greasy hair and drag him along the cold, damp ground deeper into the maze where the lights are out. The fog machine adds to the disorientation, wrapping the area in a thick, smoky haze.
I don’t need to see; I know exactly where I’m going. The goalposts are lit up from the field, and that’s where I’m heading. Most of the lights are out tonight for this Halloween night of fuckery, but the campus can’t be completely dark, and that’s my advantage. Also, being on my home turf adds an odd sense of calm as I drag this piece of shit through the maze.
His muffled screams escalate into a frantic pitch, but no one can hear him. The satisfaction blooms in my chest. He messed with the wrong girl.My girl.
I take him close to the goalpost and quickly bind him, using the knots I learned from countless internet videos.It angers me that I’m wasting this time on this despicable person when I had special plans for my little sunflower tonight.
I punch him hard, the satisfying crack of bones echoing in my ears, sending a thrill coursing through me. The hint of adrenaline becomes intoxicating, a rush that lights a fire in my gut. He stares up at me wide-eyed, terror written all over his pathetic face.
He tries to fight, thrashing against the ropes binding him, but he is defenseless now. He can’t get away, and no one is around to help him. The air is heavy with tension, thick like the mist creeping in from the nearby cornfields. The subtle scent of decay lurks in the air.
