Chapter 15

A split second of silence fell over the kitchen like a suffocating, heavy wool blanket. My pulse thundered in my ears, but everything else—the faint hum of the fridge, the ticking clock on the wall—faded into oblivion. My gaze locked on Hunter, his dark eyes inscrutable as they bored into mine. For a moment, I wondered if I’d miscalculated, hitting his thigh instead of the intended target. Panic prickled at the edges of my mind. I glanced down, just to be sure. My knee hovered mere inches from his crotch.

Yeah, nothing was lacking when it came to my aim.

Then, why the fuck was he just…staring at me? Not moving, nor reacting. Not so much as a damn blink.

The tension snapped when his laughter erupted—maniacal, unhinged. He released me, stepping back with an ease that should’ve unnerved me more than his initial stillness. “Dear, little monster,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement that curdled into something darker. “You think you’ve figured me out? You, claiming you know anything about me?”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as his laughter deepened. Each peal was a descent—a doorway thrown open to hell itself. At first, the lowly demons crawled out, their wicked grins promising ruin. Then came the bigger ones, the true monsters. And Hunter—he wasn’t just a gatekeeper. He was hell, and his demons were unleashed.

I’d unlocked his inner psycho. Not that I’d ever thought of him as stable. But this? This was a level of deranged I wasn’t prepared for.

My eyes darted to the knife drawer. It wasn’t far, but it was far enough to make me second-guess my chances. If I moved fast enough, maybe—

“It’s obvious you don’t,” Hunter said, voice slicing through my thoughts like a blade. “Because if you did, you’d know I revel in pain. I live for it. Bathe in it. Hell, if I could eat it—”

“You’re insane,” it came out before I could stop it.

He surged forward, planting his hands on either side of my head, caging me against the fridge. His breath fanned my face, hot and maddening. “Lesson number one,” he murmured, his tone deadly soft. “I sense lies better than any fucker you’ll ever meet. And I know you meant every word when you said I don’t know what it’s like to be exiled.”

Was he waiting for me to confirm it? A slow smirk tugged at his lips, daring me to deny it.

“You want a golden ribbon for the achievement?” I shot back, my voice steadier than I felt.

His wicked grin widened. “There she is.”

I scowled, every nerve on edge. “Okay, you’ve made your point. Now, here’s mine: Get. Out. Of. My. Face.”

He leaned closer, his gaze dipping to my lips. My breath hitched. “Not yet, little monster,” he purred. “Lesson number two: nothing turns me on more than pain.”

Heat rushed to my face, my body betraying me in the worst way. My skin burned, and I swore I shifted closer to him, even as my mind screamed at me to run. There’s not a single doubt in my mind that he’d ruin me in every way imaginable and then leave me for dead without a second thought.

He was a rogue. An insanely hot one at that, but he worked with my dad. I’d been through hell and back because of him.

Sure, it may have molded me into a tough bitch, but there’s a part of me that wished I still had that soft, sensitive nature. I missed being oblivious to what the cruel world had to offer.

I missed not having vengeance burning through every fiber of my being.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t undo any of it, and we were here, weren’t we? This meant I had to keep focus and do as I promised myself I would do.

No one else could keep promises, no problem. I sure as heck wouldn’t disappoint myself, too. If there was anyone I could rely on, it was me, myself, and I.

His lips parted, but before he could speak, I ducked under his arm and lunged for the drawer. My fingers brushed the handle when he caught me from behind, his grip powerful as he hauled me back.

“Let me go, you shitbag!” I snarled, thrashing in his hold.

He chuckled, infuriatingly calm. “Running out of good insults, little monster?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Why?” He planted me with my ass on the counter, right next to the knife block. Perfect. Though, I quickly lost any desire to inflict violence when he leaned in, too close for comfort. Or maybe, if he was closer, I’d be pretty content.

For freak’s sake, Elise, focus!

“It suits you.” His hands on my thighs burned hotter than the furnace designated for the devil himself. Holy hell, I needed to get out of here before I buried myself deeper in shit than I was already in.

I swallowed hard. “I don’t see how.”

Damn it, my voice was shaking way too much to my liking again.

Hunter cupped my cheek with one tattooed hand, his thumb grazing my jaw. “I think…” His gaze narrowed on my lips. And I wasn’t going to lie; I was extremely close to licking them to lure him in further. “We should get all that hate out of you, then talk.”

That was it. I grabbed a random knife from the block beside us, directing it to Hunter’s chest. It was a boning knife, which was perfect for what I may need to use it for. Inflict good damage, but not kill. Hopefully not. “Get. Away. From. Me.” I bit out.

“You seem…a little conflicted.” Hunter glanced down, his lips curling into a grin that sent a shiver down my spine. “And I thought I had demons to–”

I dragged the knife down against his chest, cutting through his black shirt and leaving a deep, crimson line in its wake. Hunter’s gaze shot down again as if trying to process what I had done. This gave me enough time to make a run for it.

I already knew I wouldn’t make it far, as he seemed to move faster than light at times, but I sure as hell would try.

I was praying I would be successful because I was worried I’d be waking up with some serious regrets tomorrow morning if I’d let him catch me.

He had the upper hand in this situation, and he damned well knew it. I was no fool to admit it to myself, either.

But also, my body and libido were a traitorous little shit at the moment, and I would fight tooth and nail before giving it what it wanted.

What the blue blazes was wrong with me anyway? He was the enemy. I hated him.

I was supposed to. This must be where the term, ‘hate fuck,’ must have come from.

I was surprised I managed to make it to my bedroom, passing a disorientated-looking Jace in the hallway on the way.

“What happened to you?” He called out sleepily, but I wasn’t going to waste time explaining to him. It wasn’t like my current situation could be explained.

I barely could make sense of it myself.

I slammed my bedroom shut, turned the lock, and then fell with my back against the door. I couldn’t believe I just outran him. I smirked, pushing myself away from the door and heading for my bed.

A dismissive sigh escaped me when it dawned on me that I had left my notebook in the kitchen in my haste to escape Hunter. I guess the worst that could happen was Darius spotting the pink pen lying there and my plans alongside it.

A small price I’d have to pay for Darius to have an aneurysm over it.

I was about to lift the blanket on my bed to climb underneath it when the light in my bedroom flicked off, and I was swallowed in complete darkness. I realized my blinds were shut. I sure a shit did not close them when I had left my bedroom.

Crap. I knew it had to be too good to be true when I thought I had escaped Hunter.

Sure enough, not a second later, I was grabbed from behind, and I was pressed with my back to a solid body. Hunter’s breath was hot as his lips grazed my ear, and he whispered, “Lesson number three. I’m nothing like any of the other men. I’m the one you never turn your back on. Ever.”

This being said, my back was turned to him. Awesome.

“Literally or figuratively?” I breathed, finding myself leaning toward him.

His response came with his teeth biting into my neck, and I released a half gasp, half moan. It was so fucking over for me.