Hate me

Knox

“Stray,” I grunt as she flies out the back door of the basement.

I charge after her, but realize I’m naked.

Grinding my molars, I slip on a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

I know she’s upset, but she should have known I wasn’t attending that dumb shit.

Just the thought of dressing up and dancing in front of a bunch of stupid fucks I can’t stand is enough to make my hackles rise.

Besides, there are much better ways we can spend the night.

I intend to tell her so, but Aspen’s long gone by the time I make it to the backyard.

It’s just as well. Nothing I say will make a difference, anyway. I’m not changing my fucking mind.

It’s important to her, though.

Gritting my teeth, I turn to head back inside, however, I catch what looks like a red-haired fox digging a hole in the backyard.

Shit.

Bringing my fingers to my lips, I let out a loud whistle. The fox freezes and sizes me up briefly before making the smart decision to run off.

After he’s long gone, I walk over and peer inside the hole.

Four severed fingers in various states of decomposition stare back at me. Tilting my head, I look at the nails lying beside them. One red, one black, and two the same shade of bubblegum pink.

Swiping my foot over the dirt, I cover the hole back up and fish around my pockets for my keys.

I’m walking past the gate in the backyard when I hear,

“Going somewhere, son?”

I stop at the sound of his voice.

Keeping my expression neutral, I utter, “I was go

Shaking his head, my father gets out of his car. “No.”

I stride toward my jeep.

“Trenton.”

I pause, my throat burning to lash out and my fists aching to bash them against his skull. 

But I can’t. 

Because now there’s too much at stake.

I just have to play his game for a little while longer. 

“Yes…sir?”

His dark eyes narrow as he takes a step closer. “I gave you a new family, son. I’d hate to see you lose them.”

A violent surge of anger burns through my veins and it takes everything in me to remain impassive.

“I understand.”

With that, I open the door and get inside.

Nausea burns up my throat as I start the engine and put the pieces together.

I didn’t think much of it when Candi was murdered. She was a stripper at a cesspool, and sometimes those girls hang around the wrong people and end up dead. It sucks, but shit happens.  

It wasn’t until Shadow was axed that I knew the person responsible was sending a subliminal threat to Aspen, and I needed to keep her close so I could protect her.

Staci and Traci showing up dead next only confirmed that.

Ice flows through my veins and my lungs lock up.

The one and only thing all these girls had in common was Aspen.

And me.

A torrent of anger kicks up my pulse.

But as it turns out…the murders weren’t warnings for Aspen at all.

They’re for me.

And if I don’t handle this now, there’s only one way it ends…

With her being his next victim.

My hand clenches around the steering wheel.

Maybe that’s why he did it.

Because he knows the monster he created is even darker and more fucked up than he is.

And that fucking terrifies him.

He thought marrying Aspen’s mother and making her my stepsister would teach me a lesson and keep me in line.

However, he fucked up.

Because if you’re going to keep a wild animal in a trap and taunt it with its favorite toy...

You better make damn sure they don’t end up loving that toy more than they fear you.