Hate me

There’s no way these two murders aren’t co

Maybe he’s going back to the crime scene to clean up?

Another horrifying thought hits me. 

Both Candi and Shadow were missing for a couple of weeks before they were found. 

What if he’s holding girls hostage somewhere and torturing them before he kills them? 

Or maybe…he’s keeping the bodies somewhere else before depositing them in the woods. 

And that’s where he’s been this week, visiting his latest victim before he dumps her. 

My chest tightens. There’s only one way to find out. 

I look around the parking lot. It’s empty for the time being, which means I have to do this now before either Knox or someone else sees me. 

I say a silent prayer that he didn’t press the button on his key fob again as I trek toward his jeep. 

I breathe a sigh of relief to find it’s still unlocked. Being as quiet as I can, I quickly open the door and crawl over the seats to the very back of the jeep. Then I hunker down so no one can see me. 

I’m surprised Knox can’t hear my heart beating frantically when the door clicks open and he starts the engine a few minutes later. 

Remembering that Brie will be at the wake soon and will no doubt wonder why I’m not, I quickly reach into my purse and turn off my phone. 

I try to pay attention to all the turns he makes, so I can tell the police how to get there, but I end up losing track because there are so many. 

It feels like an eternity before the tires drive over what sounds like dirt and gravel before coming to a complete stop. 

I hold my breath when the backseat door opens before slamming shut. 

I force myself to stay put because I don’t want to pop my head up or leave too soon after him, in case he doesn’t go right inside, provided there’s even an inside to go into. 

When I’m positive I can’t take anymore, I finally crop up and peer out the window. Just like I thought, it’s a dirt road. 

After climbing over the seats, I hop out of the car.

My palms begin sweating and there’s a painful constriction in my chest as I take in what looks like an abandoned warehouse. 

This must be where he kills them. 

Only, that doesn’t seem quite right because there are other cars in the makeshift lot. 

Surely, he wouldn’t kill with an audience around. 

Not unless there are a bunch of men involved. 

Nausea churns my stomach. 

What if he’s into some real sinister dark web shit where people pay to watch despicable acts being committed against women and children? 

Oh, God. I’d like to consider myself a strong person, but even I have my limits.  

Gravel crunches under my shoes and for a moment I honestly think my legs are going to buckle as I make my way toward the entrance of the warehouse. 

I clutch my phone, feeling stupid for not bringing a weapon of some sort with me. 

I’m debating texting Brie and telling her where I am—not that I know for sure—when the sound of cheering assaults my ears. 

I’m confused when I open the heavy door and walk through it. I was prepared for bodies and the stench of death. Women tied up with chains while they were tortured. Perhaps a group of men in business suits urging Knox to rape and kill his latest victim while they threw money at him. 

Not this. 

There’s a group all right, but it’s more like a crowd circling around two men who are beating the crap out of each other. 

Upon closer inspection, I realize one of those men is Knox. 

I make my way through the crowd, convinced this is some kind of weird dream. 

Why the hell is Knox fighting someone? 

Although, fighting doesn’t seem to be the appropriate word because he looks like he’s literally killing the other guy with every punch he throws. 

His opponent—who easily weighs a good thirty pounds more than he does—keeps swaying and spitting blood. 

You’d think they’d put a stop to this, because there’s no way that guy doesn’t need an ambulance, but they all keep shouting for Knox. 

Knox—who looks like a dangerous feral animal trapped inside a cage with rivers of sweat dripping down his toned arms and abs. Blood trickles from his mouth and one of his eyes is puffy, but that only serves to make him look even scarier. 

He curls a finger at the guy and gives him a lethal smile, luring him to throw a punch. However, when his opponent takes a step and brings his arm back, Knox bashes the heel of his palm against his nose, causing blood to spray everywhere. 

The crowd goes wild, urging Knox to finish him off. 

Knox grabs the guy by the neck—and then to my utter confusion and surprise—kisses his forehead…

Right before landing a hard jab to his ribs. 

The guy howls in pain and I swear I see his eyes cross before they close, and he drops to the floor.  

A short, pudgy man runs over to Knox and raises his arm, declaring him the victor. 

Knox is about to walk away, but something in the audience catches his attention. 

I quickly realize it’s me when his gaze cuts to mine. 

To say he’s pissed would be an understatement. The look he’s shooting me is full of so much venom a lesser person would cry and slink away. 

But I stand firm, even when he shoves through the crowd and wraps his hand around my wrist. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” 

I’m about to answer, but he begins tugging me out of the warehouse. 

We’re almost to his jeep when I blurt out, “Did you kill Shadow?” 

He drops my hand like it’s made of lava. However, he remains silent. And that only pisses me off more. Because if he didn’t do it, he needs to say he didn’t. 

Otherwise…the rumors are true.

And the feeling in my gut is right. Even though I don’t want it to be because somewhere along the way, I developed feelings for him…feelings that aren’t enveloped in hate. 

Which is stupid because he’s the last person in the world I should be falling for. 

Unfortunately, you can’t control who your heart wants to attach itself to.

No matter how much they hurt you…or how bad of a person they might be. 

“I want to believe you didn’t kill her,” I whisper to his back. “But I need to hear you say it, Knox.” I watch the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense as I continue speaking, laying everything on the line. “And if you can’t look me in the eye and say the words I desperately need you to say…then I’m done. And whatever we might have had is over. For good.” 

My heart jumps to my throat when he finally turns around. 

“Over?” he exclaims, his rough voice and sharp features devoid of any emotion. “We never even began.” 

His words are harsh on their own, but it’s the realization that it’s the very same thing he said to Shadow that causes a swell of pain to infiltrate my chest. 

I’m not an exception. Nor am I special to him. And we definitely don’t have an unexpected, strange co

I’m just another girl he fucked, hurt, and threw away.

I take a step back, wanting to put as much distance between us as possible. 

“Get in the car,” he orders. 

I shake my head. I don’t want to be anywhere near him. 

When he takes a step forward, I hold up my phone and say the one thing that I know will make him leave me the fuck alone.