Obsession (Raven’s Vale Psychos #1

Chapter Seven

Hollis

Just as Riot had promised, I was free. Sort of. At least, he’d no longer force me to remain tied to the bed, only freeing me for short breaks to use the bathroom or go down to eat with him. Sometimes he’d bring food up to me.

Now, I could at least move around. It seemed stabbing that poor woman had proven something to him, even if it had still taken him a little time to trust me this much. I still couldn’t believe I’d done something like that. It felt like I had blood coating my hands, and every time I closed my eyes, I could still see her face. I didn’t know if it was something I’d ever be able to get past.

The lingering question of will he make me do it again haunted me even more. Was it right for me to help kill someone else just so I could survive? What made my life more important than theirs? But at the same time, I wasn’t ready to die. Not to mention, as much as I hated myself for it, I actually felt drawn to Riot. He scared the shit out of me, and yet, when he touched me, I wanted more.

A floorboard creaked behind me. I whipped around, heartbeat slamming into overdrive. Lyla stood in the doorway, pale eyes darting around the room.

What the hell? I glanced into the hallway behind her, and I didn’t see anyone else. Why was she here? How had she gotten past Crash, Kane, and Riot? For that matter, last time I’d checked, the door had been locked. Unless Lyla picked up new skills, I didn’t think she could break into the room on her own.

A ball of dread started to build in my gut. I’d considered Lyla a friend, until she’d watched as they dragged me off to be sacrificed. In all the time I’d been here with Riot, no one had come for me. Not that I knew of anyway. So, why had she shown up out of the blue? My senses were screaming at me not to trust her.

“Lyla, how the hell did you get in here?”

Lyla wrung her hands, inching toward me. “Crash and Kane let me in.”

Bullshit. If they could easily walk in here, then wouldn’t they have already dragged me out by force? I knew they didn’t want me here. They urged Riot to kill me every damn day. So far, he’d held them off, but I always worried what might happen to me during the times he wasn’t here.

How screwed up was it that I felt safer with Riot than without him? Maybe I really was fucked up in the head. Who fell in love with a psychopath?

Oh shit. My body tensed. Love? Why had I even thought that? I didn’t love him. Nope. No one could ever love a man like that. Right?

Lyla shifted, and shut the door, drawing my attention to her once more.

“You’ve been working with them this whole time?” I asked, not thinking of another possible way she’d be standing here right now. Only Crash and Kane could have made this happen. Riot certainly wouldn’t have. If he’d allowed her to visit, he’d have dragged her here and tossed her on the floor, then demanded to be repaid for his kindness of letting me have a visitor.

“No!” She stumbled forward, grasping my arms. “Hollis, you have to believe me. I came here and bargained with them to protect you. To get you out of here!”

I shoved her away. Yeah, right. How gullible did she think I was? If she was going to save me, she’d have done it before now. No, something else was going on, even if I couldn’t figure out what just yet. I knew Crash and Kane hated me, but did they want me out of here enough to work with Lyla? Wouldn’t it only make Riot angry when he found out what happened?

“Protect me? By conspiring with those psychotic bastards? What could you possibly offer that they’d want?” If I kept her talking, maybe something would slip out unintentionally. As much as I wanted to trust her and our friendship, I couldn’t. There had been times I’d seen a flash of something in her eyes over the years, and now I wondered if it hadn’t been my imagination after all. Had Lyla truly been a friend to me? Or had I merely grabbed hold so I wouldn’t be so lonely?

“I’m trying to gain their trust so I can get you out of Riot’s grip!” Desperation etched lines in her pale face as she edged toward me again. I had to admit, she sounded convincing. Except, I knew Lyla could lie her ass off when needed. I’d witnessed it before. This could all be an act.

“How stupid do you think I am? The only thing you’re trying to escape is facing the same fate as me. What? If you get in good with Crash and Kane, you think your life will be spared? Is that it?” Come on, Lyla. Give me something. Tell me the damn truth!

Lyla’s face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. Damn. She really was a good actress. “Hollis, please. I never meant to hurt you.”

I lunged forward, fisting her hair and yanking her close. “If you’d wanted to save me, you wouldn’t have stood by and stared as the mayor dragged me off to be sacrificed. The fact Riot wanted me for something else is the only reason I’m still alive. So spare me the tears. The fact you’re here at all is suspicious.”

The floorboards behind us creaked again. Heavy footsteps were approaching down the hall. Riot? Or perhaps one of the others? Either way, I didn’t think it would be good if I were caught in here with Lyla.

We both froze. Oh God, no. If it was Riot and he found her in here, I wasn’t sure what he’d do. Crash and Kane would likely use this as an excuse to turn Riot against me, claiming I was trying to escape. But if it was Riot… I never knew what to expect from him.

The door opened and Riot stepped inside, his gaze raking over us. A slow, sadistic smile crept across his face. “Well, isn’t this cozy?”

Shit! Why the hell had Lyla bothered to come if she was only going to cause me more problems? Unless that was her end game all along. Had Crash and Kane promised to protect her? I released her and faced him, pulse pounding.

“Riot, I can explain.” Except, I really couldn’t.

“No need.” He prowled farther into the room, cracking his knuckles. “I think I’ve figured it out.”

Lyla shrank behind me. I squared my shoulders, swallowing hard. “There’s nothing to figure out. Lyla was just leaving. I’m not sure why she even came here, or how. It’s what I was asking her.”

“Is that so?” His tone was deceptively light, at odds with the threat in his eyes. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like the two of you were conspiring against me. Did you decide to run away? You wouldn’t get very far, Hollis. I told you. You belong to me now.”

Lyla stepped from behind me. “I came to warn Hollis. Crash and Kane, they’re planning to…”

Riot’s hand snaked out, clamping around her throat. She gasped, clawing at his wrist.

“Don’t. Lie. To. Me.”

Lyla whimpered and her feet kicked as he lifted her up off the floor. My nails bit into my palms. As much as I didn’t trust her right now, I also didn’t want to watch him kill her. “Riot, stop! I’ll tell you the truth.”

His gaze flicked to me, brows lifting in mocking invitation. My heart pounded against my ribs. But if I didn’t say something, he might kill her.

I took a deep breath. It was time to put my life in Riot’s hands.

“Lyla didn’t come to warn me,” I said steadily. “She came to help me escape.”

Riot’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”

I swallowed hard, glancing at Lyla. Her face had gone pale, eyes pleading. But I couldn’t back down now.

“Yes,” I said. “Crash and Kane want me dead. You know it as well as I do. Lyla was going to help me sneak out of the mansion so I could get away.”

“And you believed her?” Riot scoffed.

“I…” My voice faltered at the accusation in his tone. “I didn’t. Not really. I was trying to get her to leave. It seemed odd that she suddenly showed up here, or that she managed to get into this room.”

“You can always trust me.” Riot eased his grip on Lyla’s throat, though he didn’t release her. “I told you I’d keep you safe, didn’t I? That you were mine?”

“You did,” I whispered. “I’m sorry for hesitating when she came here. I wanted to believe she was really my friend and wanted to help.”

“Hollis, don’t!” Lyla’s eyes were wide as she stared at me. “He’s lying, he’ll never let you go! Please, you have to --”

Her words cut off in a choked gasp as Riot’s hand tightened again. “Quiet, or I’ll rip out your lying tongue.”

And I knew he would do it too. No, he might even make me do it. “Please don’t hurt her.”

Although, why I was begging on her behalf I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like she’d tried to stop them from taking me. She hadn’t tried to save me in all this time. It didn’t make any sense for her to be here now. Deep down, I knew she had to be scheming something, and Crash and Kane must be in on it.

Riot’s gaze slid to me, cold and calculating. “And why should I show mercy to this bitch?”

“Because…” I faltered, scrambling for the right words. “Because she means something to me. She was my only friend all these years.”

The words were true, even if I did question her friendship and loyalty. Until the day I’d been sent as a sacrifice, I’d always thought Lyla was a good friend. One of Riot’s brows lifted in a silent challenge. I took a deep breath and steeled myself. It was time to make a dangerous gamble.

“She’s like a sister to me,” I said quietly. “If you hurt her… it would hurt me too.”

I really, really didn’t want to watch him kill her. For a long moment Riot just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then slowly, he loosened his grip on Lyla’s throat. She slumped against the wall, gasping for air.

“Well, isn’t that interesting? Do you think she feels the same? How very sisterly of her to leave you with me all this time. You don’t find it odd that she’s here now?”

I did and I’d even just said as much, which meant Riot wasn’t fully listening to me. I knew Crash and Kane wanted me gone. Had they bribed her to come here? To what end? Were they hoping Riot would catch us and kill us both? I hadn’t considered that until just this moment, but it made the most sense.

I swallowed hard. “I don’t know why she’s here. I really don’t. But if you let her go, I swear I’ll stay with you. You won’t need to tie me down or anything. I’ll be here willingly… for as long as you want me.”

Riot seemed to consider it for a moment before releasing her. He stepped back and opened the door.

Lyla bolted, pausing only long enough to glare at me over her shoulder. “You’re making a mistake, Hollis. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

Oh, I had an idea. But Raven’s Vale wasn’t a quaint southern town. It hadn’t been peaceful, not since the three psychos came and took charge. Every day, we all lived in fear. At least here, I had an idea of what was going on, and might actually survive this hellish place.

Riot shut the door once more and folded his arms, staring me down. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say or do. I’d already promised I wouldn’t run. What more did he want from me?

“What?” I asked, not able to take his silence another moment.

“You want freedom? Want my trust?” he asked.

“Yes. I’ll do whatever you want.” I swallowed hard, hoping I wouldn’t regret those words, but something told me I would.

“Then tonight, you’re going to prove to me just how loyal you are, Hollis.” He came closer, placing his hands on my waist. “Until then, I’m sure we can find other ways to pass the time.”

My stomach growled and my cheeks flushed. “Um. Could we possibly eat first?”

He took my hand and led me to the kitchen. I didn’t see Crash or Kane anywhere, for which I was grateful. Riot pulled things from the fridge, and I moved a little closer. When I realized he was making sandwiches, I decided to help. We worked in silence together, and I had to admit we felt like a regular couple in that moment.

We ate at the table, but I kept an eye on the door. The last thing I wanted was for Crash or Kane, much less both, to surprise me by showing up suddenly. I wondered if I should voice my concerns to Riot.

“Crash and Kane don’t want me here,” I said. “I promised to stay with you, but what if…”

“What if?” he asked.

“You aren’t here all the time. Sometimes I’m alone. Do you think they would kill me?” I asked.

He paused. “I guess it’s possible. But if they take something of mine, they know I’ll retaliate. I may consider them brothers. They’ve had my back for more than a decade. Doesn’t mean I won’t gut them if I think it’s necessary.”

Damn. Did that mean none of us were safe from Riot? Ever? I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I did like knowing he would avenge me if they murdered me. At least that was something.

“What do you want me to do, Riot?” I asked.

“I want you to survive and keep your pretty little mouth shut,” he said. “Don’t fuck with Crash and Kane. If you hear them coming, hide if you need to.”

I wanted to ask if he cared about me, but I was too scared of what his answer might be. If he was only amusing himself by keeping me alive, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Besides, the parts I saw of him outside of killing, made me want to know more about him. And the more I knew, the closer I felt to him.

Yeah, whether I liked it or not, I was falling in love with a killer.

I could only hope my heart could handle it.