Chapter 17
Atreus
I grab my bag and head out of the station after I’ve wished everyone a good evening. I make my way to my car and sit down behind the wheel, content with a fruitful workday, but a revving motorcycle near me instantly sours my mood.
My phone suddenly buzzes.
Don’t tell me it’s someone from the office again.
I’m just about ready to go home to catch some sleep.
I pull my phone from my pocket and open the messages, expecting to be pulled right back into the office when the name in the corner makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Unknown: I’m impressed with your ability to discern that there’s a killer on the loose.
Me: Who is this?
Unknown: My name isn’t important. Do you want more information on your little killer or not?
Me: Yes. Just give me a name, an address, or a phone number. The reward is still available if it leads to an arrest.
Unknown: I don’t want the reward you’re offering.
I frown.
Me: Then what do you want?
Unknown: You’ll find out soon enough.
Now I’m getting ticked off.
Me: Don’t be so cryptic. Either give me the information or get out of my messages.
Unknown: Can’t do that.
Me: How did you even get my number? It wasn’t on the TV screen.
Unknown: I have my ways.
My eye begins to twitch.
Unknown: Don’t worry, DetectiveFoley, I’ll give you everything you’ll ever need.
Frowning, I turn my phone downward on the seat beside me. This has to be some fucking cruel joke from someone at the station, and when I go back in tomorrow, someone’s going to be sorry they tried to mess with me.
I hit the gas and race off to my house, but I keep glancing back and forth between the road and the phone burning a hole in the seat next to me. Whoever it is that just texted me has me so distracted I can’t even think straight.
It must’ve been some teenager egging me on after seeing me on television. That’s it.
I slam my car door shut and walk toward my apartment building to make my way to the top floor, which is all for me. It’s not too shabby for an agent of the law if I’d say so myself, and every day I step foot in my spacious loft, I feel at home. At peace.
Except today.
It’s quiet. Unusually, exceptionally quiet.
I place my keys onto the table beside my door and stare into the darkness for a moment, wondering if it’s just my heart palpitating or if something is going on. Something intangible … a shadow … that’s following me.
I glance over my shoulder.
The door behind me is already closed, and my lungs expand again for another breath.
There’s no one here except me.
I’m losing my goddamn mind.
Running my fingers through my brown hair, I turn on the lights and head into my bathroom, where I take off my jacket and place it on the chair behind me. I turn on the faucet and let the water fill the sink before I make a cup shape with my hand to splash my face.
I raise my head and look at myself in the mirror, only to spot a cabinet in the bedroom across the hall closing.
My eyes widen.
Someone’s here.
I immediately barge into the living room, only to stop in my tracks as the light next to my bed in the adjacent bedroom flickers on.
There’s a woman in a bunny mask casually lounging on my bed wearing a long-sleeve full bodysuit with a front zipper and a leather jacket.
What the fuck?
How did she get in?
The sliding window on my balcony is open just a smidge, enough for someone to have slipped through unnoticed.
Sweat drops roll down the back of my neck, while she tilts her head and smiles at me like a goddamn psycho, red lipstick staining her lips underneath the mask.
This is a threat.
My eyes scatter around my apartment until I find the gun I left on the table near the front door.
Shit.
I shouldn’t have put it down, but I thought I was safe in my own home.
Her eyes have followed mine to the same object, and she raises her hand to bring it to her lips. A single finger to silence me while she shakes her head as a warning not to try.
This is insane.
One second passes, and I spin on my heels and bolt toward the door, rushing to reach my gun.
THWACK!
A knife zooms past my head and flicks my gun off the table right before I can grab it.
A forceful shove from my own desk chair knocks me off my feet, and I fall right into the goddamn chair. My hands are immediately locked behind the seat, twisted until I groan with pain as they’re zip-tied together so tightly I can’t move. It all happened quicker than I could react.
Fuck.
She trapped me in my own home.
The chair is spun around on its axis until she’s right in front of me, the black suit glinting in the dark. There’s a cheeky smile on her face as she plants both hands on the armrests and leans in.
“Hello, Detective Foley …”
Why do I feel like she knows me?
“It’s so nice to finally meet face-to-face.”
My brows twitch. “Who are you?”
“You think I would go through all this trouble and then tell you my name?” She chuckles as she lets the leather jacket slide off her shoulders. “I’m not going to be that easy.”
“What the hell are you doing in my house?”
Her hand rises, and when her fingers latch around my throat, I swallow away the unadulterated rage.
Could she be the killer I’ve been chasing? Or is she merely a copycat interested in the game?
“I came here for my reward.”
The unknown texter.
“You could’ve contacted the station about that. But now that you’ve invaded my house, you can kiss that money goodbye.”
She gives me a venomous, pretty, lopsided grin. “Oh no, Detective Foley, I don’t want cash.”
Whoever she is, she has ulterior motives, and nothing good.
“Then what do you want?”
Her fingers unfurl from around my throat, only to slowly slither down my shirt, as if she’s feeling me up. “For my time and effort? All of my knowledge? All the secrets you wish to learn?” Her hand dips even lower, all the way down my abs, and I can hear her stifle a moan. “You.”
I’m momentarily too flabbergasted to even speak.
So I’ve got a stalker now. Is that it? Is that what she is?
“I’m not going to entertain that idea,” I reply.
“Oh, but you will.” She leans in to whisper into my ear, “I’ll make it worth your while.”
She leans back, her dark eyes boring into mine from behind that bunny mask, and there is not a thing on this earth I wouldn’t do to tear it off.
I jerk at the zip ties, but it’s no use, and it only makes her laugh.
“You won’t be free until I say you’re free,” she says.
“Stop these fucking games. Who are you? What’s your goal here?”
“To make you my plaything, duh,” she retorts. “What else did you think?”
I snort. “You must think I’m insane. There’s no way I’m going to agree to anything you suggest. Now untie me, and we can talk.”
“So you can attack me and pin me to the floor?” she muses, sliding her hand up my body again. “Arrest me? Ooh … Kinky.” She bites her bottom lip. “I’d love to watch you try.”
My eye begins to twitch.
Is she … turned on?
What is wrong with this woman?
“You broke into my house,” I growl.
“You practically invited me,” she retorts.
Is she crazy?
“You put out that notice, asking for tips through that phone number.”
“And you know damn well that’s not my personal number,” I reply.
“Semantics.” She shrugs. “I’m only interested in the promises you made.”
“I didn’t make any fucking promises, especially not to a stalker.”
“A stalker?” she scoffs, playfully slapping me on the chest. “You’ve got me all wrong.”
I keep a stone-cold face. “Then explain to me how you found yourself in my home.”
“Simple. You left your balcony door open. For air probably. Or to lure sneaky girls into your home …” She begins twirling my hair, and I hate how little I can do to stop her. “Either way, you’re mine now.”
My nostrils flare. “You’ll end up in jail.”
“Good one.”
“Release me,” I say through gritted teeth.
Suddenly, she grabs my tie and forces me to lean toward her instead. “Bark.”
“Fuck off.” I avert my gaze, but she grips my chin with her other hand and makes me look at her.
“I told you to bark for me, Atreus.”
My lip curls up. “And I told you to fuck. Off.”
I am absolutely seething.
She’s insane if she thinks I’m going to do as told like she’s my goddamn wife.
“Then you’re not getting out of this seat,” she says, rolling her fist with my tie still inside, forcing us closer despite my best efforts. My arms are stretched to the limit against the backside of the chair while she drags me toward her.
I groan from the pressure while attempting not to let her notice my agony.
“You’re cute when you’re angry, you know that?” she says. “But I bet you’d be even cuter begging on your knees for this pussy.”
What the fuck?
Revulsion drags my face down, but my eyes can’t help but flicker from her hidden face to her chest and down below, taking in her outfit like it’s triggered to do so by that one simple word.
Pussy.
She’s awfully direct for a goddamn ordinary stalker.
“You’re out of your goddamn mind—”
She plants a finger on my lips, and for some reason, it silences the roaring in my brain telling me to get up and fight.
“I need you to be a good boy and behave, Atreus. After all, you’re the one who offered the reward, not me. And I have so much interesting information to divulge.”
My eyes narrow. I’m tempted to bite off her finger to show her she cannot control me.
If I tried to run now, she’d keep me pinned to this very seat with the assortment of knives tucked away in her suit.
She looks like an expert in close combat and has a knack for sneaking around.
Something tells me she’s not going to let me out of this alive if I attempt to escape.
Maybe if I played along… if I distract her with complacency … there might be an opportunity later.
“Fine. What if I did what you wanted, then what?”
A devious smirk forms on her face. “See? Knew you’d come around.” Finally, she removes her finger. “I’m sure you want to know all about your little killer, don’t you?”
I clear my throat. “What do you know about that?”
“Well, I’ve seen one of the bodies for myself, and I know for a fact there was a lipstick kiss on the neck.”
So she was there. Interesting.
“Which body?”