18. Sam
Sam
It has been crickets since Shadow told me to stay tuned.
My messages remain unread, and I’m not quite sure what to do.
Even if I went to the police, what would I say?
How would they be able to identify him when I have zero helpful information to give them?
I decide to go home tonight. It didn’t seem right to stay in the hotel when several people from my past are in danger.
Might as well put myself in danger too. Use my pussy as bait.
At least if he shows up here, I can question him or something.
There’s a bright green box on my dining room table with a matching bow on top.
Shadow has been here. My eyes dart around, searching for him before I rush to it and rip the lid off.
Chocolate. I burst into humorless laughter.
Let me kidnap your ex-boyfriends and then break into your house to leave you a box of chocolates.
He’s such an odd red flag. I open the caramel-filled chocolate bar and pop a square into my mouth, unable to resist. Who can deny chocolate in a stressful time like this?
There’s another box inside. This one is red with a small red bow on top.
I open the lid and scream. The box slips from my hands to crash against the floor, causing the severed finger to topple out.
Bile rises in my throat when I see the serpent tattoo.
Oh, god. There’s a fucking finger on my floor.
I cover my mouth and snatch my purse off the table, sprinting back outside to call the police.
Not even five minutes later, Kioni and Ryker pull into my driveway. They were the officers nearby the dispatcher said would come.
“Heard you are in possession of a severed digit, sunshine,” Ryker teases.
Ki elbows him, silencing him with a glare, then rests her warm hand on my lower back, guiding me inside. Her touch makes me forget for a brief second why they’re here. “Do you have any idea whose finger it is or who left it inside your house?”
I did not think this through. Can any of this be blamed on me? Like as an accomplice or something, since I wanted him to prove he wasn’t my ex? I would not do well in prison.
“Nope. Just a random finger in my house.”
Why didn’t I just flush it down my toilet or bury it?
I hold the door open for them and point towards the box discarded on the floor, staying back.
They both squat down, their bodies blocking the disgusting thing from my view.
Ryker laughs, and they stand and turn towards me, Ki holding it with her bare hand.
My stomach churns violently. I’m going to be sick.
“Red, it’s chocolate,” Ki says, biting her lips to keep from laughing.
“No. No, it’s not,” I argue.
It’s clearly Tyler’s, but I cannot say that without making myself look guilty of something.
“Yes, it is,” Ki argues, bringing the finger to her lips.
“Ki, don’t. It’s Ty—” my words vanish when she takes a bite and red goo dribbles over her bottom lip. Vomit spews from my mouth onto my floor and shoes with no time to make it to a trash can.
“Shit,” Ryker barks, jumping backward.
“Sam, here, look,” Ki rushes out, holding the half-eaten finger in my face. I cover my mouth with my hand, but it falls to my side when I see the cake and strawberry puree covered in a white chocolate shell.
“That’s not—” I walk around her to the red box and search the floor to find…nothing. “Ki, I swear to you, there was a finger inside that box. That was not in there.” I jab my finger at the weird dessert in her hand.
She gives me a sad smile. “Maybe you had some other things on your mind, and when you saw it, your mind played tricks on you.”
“I’m not crazy,” I snap.
I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince them or myself.
“Nobody is saying you’re crazy, Red. If it will make you feel better, install some cameras. But to me, it seems like someone was just trying to spoil you.”
I nod and she lays the not-finger on my table.
“If you ever need anything, just call one of us.”
I nod again, my thoughts spiraling and making speech difficult. Someone’s voice comes through their radio.
“We have to go, Red,” Ki says, gently lifting my chin to meet her gaze.
I’m not sure why I do it, but I fall into her embrace on instinct.
She hugs me back and kisses my forehead, calming my mind and stirring the butterflies to life in my stomach.
“Get some rest and enjoy your treats,” she whispers against my temple before stepping away.
“Hope you love your finger, sunshine,” Ryker jokes, stepping around my vomit and following Ki out the door.
I press my hand to my stomach and eye the mess I have to clean up.
Before I grab the paper towels, I run around my house searching all the rooms and closets.
He had to have been inside while I was waiting for the police to show up and switched out the fingers.
If he were here, though he’s gone now. Unless he’s discovered a hiding spot that isn’t known to me.
Hidden_Embers: Not funny.
Phantom_Shadow: It was a little funny. Was that the right one?
Hidden_Embers: I’m not saying anything that will tie me to this.
Phantom_Shadow: I can buy more gift boxes.
Hidden_Embers: Yes, it was the serpent, you psycho.
Phantom_Shadow: Punishing you is going to taste so sweet.
Hidden_Embers: Too bad. I started my period this morning.
Phantom_Shadow: Why do you think I dropped off so much chocolate? See you soon, pup. Rest while you can.
When I said I was getting too bored with my quiet life, I guess I should have specified that I didn’t wish for severed body parts to be dropped off on the same table I eat dinner on.
I snatch the red box off the floor and use the lid to scrape the finger cake into it and throw it away.
I’d say poor Tyler, but he probably deserved it.
Who knows what he’s been up to since I left.
I’m just glad Shadow didn’t send me one from each person.
Just because they’re my exes doesn’t mean I wish any harm to fall on them.
None of them deserved to be bound and gagged.
Especially Cole. I don’t even consider him an ex. Just someone I slept with once.
I’m tempted to toss it all into the trash, but the finger wasn’t touching any of the chocolate.
Shadow made sure of that. He mixes some sweetness with his danger.
Wait. How did he know I started my period?
I never told anyone. I shove another chocolate square into my mouth while I contemplate this fuckery I put myself in.
There has to be a camera in my bathroom.
If he watches me poop, I’m so done with all of this.
Severed fingers are disgusting, but watching me use the toilet is on a whole other level of gross.
Hidden_Embers: Watching me use the bathroom is red.
Phantom_Shadow: Noted. Good thing I’m not a creep.
Well, that’s a relief. My stalker is a gentleman.
Sort of. I scrunch my nose as my wet/dry vacuum sucks up my puke.
So disgusting. I run the self-cleaning mode and empty the dirty water.
This is not how I saw myself spending my evening.
My stomach cramps, and I grab some of the chocolate candies that I prefer cold and toss them into the freezer before going to my bathroom to shower.
I text Emily to make sure Xander showed back up with all of his fingers in tow.
Not that I can ask her that, but I’m sure she would mention him being mutilated.
Before I step inside the shower, she responds.
I blow out a breath of relief. He’s fine.
Apparently, he had a work thing going on all day and forgot his phone.
I bet it would be embarrassing to explain being kidnapped and released for no reason.
That should mean the others are fine too, and I’m sure I’ll see Cole in the morning.
Red flags are confusing when they are green at certain angles.
I put on comfy pajamas, gather my sweet treats and a drink, then cuddle under the covers on my bed to watch a movie.
It’s unfair that women have to have periods.
Why do men even exist besides to donate their sperm to procreate?
The only thing men have that women don’t are dicks.
And we can have those too in any color we want, and they don’t say stupid shit.
You can pick one for the night and put it away in a drawer when you are done.
I squirm under the covers. Fuck, I’m horny but it’s pointless to even try making myself come. The demon only wants Shadow for that. I hum when I rub my thighs together, putting pressure on my clit.
“I see the aphrodisiac is working,” Shadow announces from the doorway.