Jaded (Jaded #1)(109)

I wasn’t up there and I was supposed to be. I was supposed to have rushed out to silence her or to warn her. I was supposed to have remained behind, but I hadn’t. He realized that now and he stopped—confused for his next plan. I saw his hands tighten around the knife. The edge still dripped blood and my hands tightened around my gun’s handle.

I raised my arm swiftly, ready to enact my vengeance, but something crashed through a window in that moment. Marcus instantly turned in that direction and my arm swiftly returned to my side. I stepped past and he moved beside me, back into the darkness cover where he could wait and plan his next move.

I flattened against the wall once more and he moved past…again.

I knew my luck was about to run out, but I couldn’t stop.

He went back to the garage door and rattled the locked handle once more. Still nothing.

He didn’t dare move towards the front door. That was too obvious. So he tried for a window instead.

They were all locked. The alarm system ensured it and it only allowed the front door to be opened. It was pretty marvelous and I thanked Bryce for installing it properly.

Marcus cursed, not for the second time, and I heard Logan’s weeping in the background. We both heard her call 911 and I waited for Marcus to decide his next move.

He either chanced it and ran through the rabbit-hole or he stayed for the cops.

And then I heard the front door slam shut, lock, and a second beep sounded throughout the house.

Bryce shut the door and we were all locked, ready and waiting for the next move to be had.

And then I heard his voice, high above, and omnipresent, “Hey, Marcus…”

Marcus froze, but said nothing.

Bryce laughed shortly and commented, “Do you want to know what it’s like to be hunted?”

Still nothing from Marcus.

Logan wept in the background. I could imagine that she cradled Corrigan in her arms as her knees became covered in his blood.

My eyes went a little more lethal in that moment, as I thought that sight.

It was symbolic, in a way. Corrigan bled because of me. Bryce hunted because of me.

In the end, I was the one who stood beside the murderer.

Bryce called out, “I can see you, Marcus.”

And I knew that he could see me too. The videos were still being used and I looked up to where I remembered one was poised.

I smiled, almost soullessly.

Marcus shivered in front of me and gripped his knife tighter.

It wouldn’t do any help.

I had the gun and I had the smarts to ensure I pulled the trigger and not him.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew that he could knock it out of my hands. He could probably overpower me and wrestle it free, but he didn’t have the clear head. His heart pounded wildly and he was barely holding onto any calmness.

His breathing was ragged while mine was anything but.

And I knew that Bryce saw it all.

“You’re being hunted right now, Marcus,” Bryce continued, cruelly. Cold. “I’m watching you and I know where you are.”

“Stop this!” Logan suddenly screamed. There was a thump and then her footsteps were heard on the stairs.

The sudden movement unhinged us both and as Marcus whirled to the stairs, so did I—but he saw me instead of the empty hallway.

I froze.

He froze.

And then he smiled while I leapt into action.

Marcus lunged for me, but I spun out of his grip. I dropped to the floor, remembered a wrestling move from Bryce, and I kicked desperately up—trying for any weakness he might have.

My foot connected to his groin, but his hand connected to my jaw.

We both spun from the hit and saw stars from the pain.

I still held the gun while the knife was securely gripped in his own hold.

“You bitch!”

I blinked back the pain and rolled to my feet. I backed up and raised the gun.

Marcus saw it now and he stopped abruptly.

From the look in his eye, I don’t think he even cared.

He saw his point of obsession in front of him and he smiled, triumphantly. He wasn’t thinking clearly and that was a point on my side.

I lowered the gun, slightly, to my side and I remarked, seemingly casual, “So what is this? Between you and me? Is this because you got bullied all your life?”

We heard the sirens in the distance. They were coming…

“Wouldn’t you like it to be so cut and dried.” Marcus actually laughed.

“Is this because I’m popular and you’re not?”

“As if,” he mocked with a twisted grin.

“You better start talking, Marcus,” I said faintly and stepped back. “I’ve got the gun while you’ve got the knife.”

“And I’m a man,” he countered.

I smiled, a taunt, and moved another step back. I held the gun tight, but still kept it at my side, “Were you expecting me to quiver in my shoes? Maybe pee my pants? Is that what you wanted?” I heard Logan scream again and smiled, cruelly, “Maybe you wanted me to scream like her. Is that it?”

“God, yes,” he breathed out and I knew his libido sparked at that image.

I murmured, “I only scream for Bryce. You should know that—you’ve watched enough.”

His smile was wiped clean.

Give me a reason, I prayed.