CHAPTER SIX
LUNA
My night was already too fucked to put up with this bullshit. I wasn’t interested in Brad anyway. Him and his stupid girlfriend could get fucked.
Rather than ruin the evening for my friends, I got an Uber home and texted them that I had a headache and went home early. It was a relief to get back to my dorm room. As soon as I locked myself inside, I stripped out of my costume and got in the shower.
Not every room had its own bathroom. There was a communal restroom down the hall.
Being an only child of divorce had its perks.
My dad had paid the extra for me to have my own room with a tiny attached bathroom.
Since the only time we really spoke now was Christmas, it was his meager attempt at staying on my good side.
I squeezed into the tiny shower, savoring the hot water flow. That wasn’t the first time someone had called me a freak. Having my own style and preferences shouldn’t have mattered so much. I still didn’t understand why other people cared about what didn’t affect them.
I also hadn’t known Brad had a girlfriend nor had I cared. I wasn’t interested in him. Under better circumstances, I would’ve laughed off what had been said about me. It took a lot more than that for people to get under my skin. Tonight had already been hard enough. I didn’t have it in me.
After giving my hair and body a thorough scrubbing, I wrapped myself in a fuzzy pink robe and crouched down in front of the mini fridge. The contents were primarily water and orange juice except for two vodka coolers. I grabbed one of them, popping it open.
Flopping down on my bed, I stared at the tapestry hanging on the wall across from me. A large piece depicting the lovers tarot card with two skeletons locked in a loving embrace. Maybe I was a bit of a weirdo. Maybe I kind of liked it.
My dorm room was relatively small, just large enough for a twin bed and a tiny desk in the corner near the door. It was home for the year though, and I embraced it.
My phone went off with a text alert from Athena telling me to let her know that I made it back to the dorm safely.
She hoped I felt better soon. She didn’t know the half of it.
I replied quickly to tell her I was safe and sound.
That’s when the voicemail notification at the top of the screen caught my eye.
When had I missed a call? I suppose that could’ve happened at any point during the evening. Tapping on the icon to listen to the voicemail, my entire body went cold when I heard it.
“Hey, baby,” came a voice I recognized all too well.
“Miss me? I sure as hell have missed you. Why did you stop coming to see me? Not even a card on my birthday. I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to know that I’m getting out soon.
Dad has been pulling some strings. I can’t wait to see you.
I’m coming for you, Luna. We can pick up where we left off.
You know you’ll always be my girl. I’ll call you again when I have more information. Love you, babe.”
I immediately deleted the message. I hadn’t heard that voice in years. Almost three to be exact.
Jace Ford, my ex, had been in prison for four years now.
He’d been seventeen when they locked him up, tried as an adult for gunning down a gas station employee during a robbery gone bad.
His father, a successful defense lawyer, had worked his ass off to get Jace a reduced sentence, claiming it had been manslaughter and not murder.
He had been sentenced to a minimum of four years.
Not nearly long enough according to the gas station employee’s family.
The community had been outraged, but money talks, and Jace’s father had a lot of it.
It wasn’t the first time the justice system had failed the victim. Unfortunately, that kind of thing happened a lot. Too bad I felt like it also failed me. Having Jace locked away had made me feel safe.
He’d always been a bit high-strung. A troublemaker that didn’t care about consequences.
I’d been drawn to his bad boy image as a teenager.
All too quickly I realized he was more than a bad boy.
He was dangerously disturbed. More than once I’d tried to break up with him only to be told that he would kill the both of us if that’s what it took to keep me from leaving him.
Hearing the horrible news that he might be getting out soon left me cold all over. The day from hell had descended into an absolute nightmare.
A sudden knock on my door made me jump. Who the hell could that be? Everyone I knew was partying at the graveyard.
Sliding off the bed, I set my drink on the desk and crept over to the door. Peering out the peephole, I was surprised to find Casper Callahan on the other side.
I sucked in a deep breath and said, “I’m really not up for a visitor tonight, Casper. Can we talk another time?”
He shook his head. Not much of a reply, but it was clear enough.
“Please go away.” I tried again. “I’m not opening the door.”
Maybe being firm would help. All I wanted was to climb into my bed and forget this entire day had happened.
Casper pulled out his phone, typing something on the notepad. He held it up close to the peephole so I could see what he had written.
Let me in or I let myself in.
Well that wasn’t absolutely terrifying or anything. How much worse could this night possibly get? Maybe I didn’t want the answer to that.
With a defeated sigh, I unlocked the door and opened it. “If you’re here because you’re worried I’m going to tell someone what happened, you’re wasting your time. I’m not going to say anything.”
Casper entered, waiting for me to close the door. His large frame looked comically big in the middle of my small room. I would have laughed under better circumstances.
Right away I noticed that his knuckles were bruised. One of them bled slightly from a small cut.
“Do you need a cold cloth or something?” I asked. “I don’t have any ice in here, but I can wet a cloth with really cold water.”
Casper glanced down at his hands and shrugged. Not knowing what to do to break the awkwardness of his presence, I ducked into the bathroom and fetched him a wet cloth anyway. He accepted it with a nod before motioning to my bed.
“Sure, go ahead and sit down. I assume there’s a reason you’re here.” I became painfully aware that I was standing there in only a robe and underwear.
Casper sat on the edge of my bed, the mattress sinking under his weight.
He pressed the cloth to the back of his bleeding knuckle for a moment before pulling out his phone and typing.
I imagined that it must be frustrating to communicate this way.
I’d seen him use sign language with his friends. Unfortunately, I didn’t know sign.
I needed to make sure you were all right. I’m sorry that I scared you.
Because I didn’t know Casper very well and we were now alone in a room together, I opted to play it safe by being polite, hoping it would make him leave faster.
“It’s not your fault. You stopped that guy from hurting me, and I really do appreciate that.” I paused for a moment as a sudden thought hit me. “How did you know where I live?”
Codie.
I read my friend’s name off his screen. Figures. She was definitely meddling here.
“How did you get into the building?” I knew for a fact that Codie didn’t have access to the dorm. Only students that lived here could get inside.
He typed again. I know a guy who lives here.
All right. I could pretend that was true, although my instinct told me there was more to it than that. Trying to keep things from getting weirder, I pointed to my vodka cooler sitting on the desk. “Want one? I also have water and orange juice.”
Casper shook his head, waving a dismissive hand. His gaze wandered around my small room, lingering on the skeleton lovers tapestry. Did he think I was a freak? Maybe it would scare him off and he would leave me alone.
A small smile tugged at his lips. I like your wall hanging. You have a unique style. It’s refreshing.
“Thanks. Some people think I’m a freak. You probably heard that back at the party though.” Grabbing my cooler off the desk, I sat down in the desk chair. It didn’t put much space between us, but at least I wasn’t on the bed with him.
Casper’s shoulders shook in a soft laugh as he typed on his phone again. I don’t think that guy will make that mistake again.
I frowned at his phone screen. What did that mean? Then it hit me. The marks on Casper’s knuckles.
“Did you hit him?” I asked, both brows shooting up in surprise.
Fuck yeah I did. More times than I can count.
I didn’t know what to say to that. Nobody had come to my defense like that before. Although nobody had ever murdered a man for me either.
I regarded Casper with a strange curiosity.
Who the hell was this man? I’d always known him as the silent one of the Graveyard Kings.
The one who didn’t speak but still managed to be loud with his presence.
I hadn’t known much about the Kings other than the rumors that spread.
Not until Storm and Codie got involved with Rebel and Stray.
I knew more about them and their activity now, although what I knew probably only scratched the surface.
I still didn’t really know much about Casper.
“What’s going on here, Casper? You and I have never really spoken or spent time together unless our friends were gathered in a group.
Other than walking down the aisle together at Rebel and Storm’s wedding, we’ve never even been one on one.
Now you’re killing men to protect me and beating up frat guys for making fun of me. I don’t get it.”
I really didn’t. I may have caught him sneaking a glance at me here and there in the past. Nothing I would have read into or thought meant more than a simple look. Maybe I’d been oblivious to something more.
Casper studied me for several long moments before his thumbs flew over the keyboard on his phone.
There was something about his piercing green gaze that cut right through me.
It said more than any words could. In his eyes, I saw a certainty that I’d only seen when Rebel looked at Storm or Stray smiled at Codie. A possessiveness that knew no bounds.
I always thought it was sweet. Now I wasn’t so sure. My pulse began to race when he held the phone out for me to see.
I noticed you long ago. Back when Rebel first took an interest in Storm.
You have this whimsical beauty that immediately caught my eye.
I always looked forward to seeing what you were wearing each day.
I assumed it was a silly crush that would fade.
Then we walked down that aisle together, and I never wanted to let go of you.
Tonight you were in danger because of me.
I had to protect you. I will always protect you.
When I finished reading what he had written, I glanced up to find him watching me intently. Waiting for my reaction. My immediate reaction was to freeze. I’d had no idea.
I knew that I had to say something. To break the heavy tension that settled between us. Something terrible would’ve happened to me tonight if Casper hadn’t been there in the haunted house. I knew that. And yet, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d gone from one danger to another.
“I appreciate what you did for me tonight,” I said, trying to choose my words with tact. “Really I do. But you don’t have to protect me from everyone and everything. I’m not yours to protect.”
I braced myself, not knowing what kind of reaction to expect. It wasn’t that I was trying to shoot Casper down or reject him. We didn’t know each other well enough for such claims to be made.
Biting down on his bottom lip, he nodded. Something so basic shouldn’t have held my attention the way it did. There was no denying that Casper was a badass tattooed hottie. However, he was also a criminal and a murderer. The phone call from Jace reminded me why that was a terrible idea.
Casper surprised me by leaning over, crossing the space between us to caress my face with a powerful hand. He simply held my gaze, his thumb stroking down my cheek and along the edge of my mouth.
A shiver stole through me. Racing down my spine. I fell into his enchanting eyes, swallowed up by the strange shift in the atmosphere.
When his gaze dropped to my lips, I thought he might kiss me. In that moment, I wanted it to happen, despite the knot of fear in my stomach. Instead, he dropped his hand and pulled back, typing once again on his phone.
You are though. Mine. You just don’t know it yet.
With those parting words, Casper rose from my bed and headed for the door. It closed softly behind him, leaving me alone with the traces of his cologne that lingered.