Corrupt (Devil's Night 1)

Kai had nothing to worry about. I loved Michael, and I would leave him before I ever betrayed him. I knew Kai was testing my loyalty to protect his friend, but it would never be necessary. While I didn’t regret last night, it wouldn’t happen again. We were friends.

Kai backed out of the doorway, leaving, but before I could shut it, he turned. “It’s not just Michael, you know?” He peered over at me. “Will and I were worry about you, too. You’re one of us. It would be hard to…”

And then he dropped his eyes as if searching for the right words. “We feel close to you,” he admitted, gazing up at me again. “We don’t want to see you hurt, okay?”

It warmed me to hear him say that, but I couldn’t help but retort, “If I’m one of you, then why is it I’m the one being cut out of the plans and guarded?”

“Because he loves you more than us,” Kai answered, flipping damn-near close to my own words back at me.

I wanted to believe that. I’d waited for longer than he knew to hear it.

Closing the door, I locked it and soaked in the peace and quiet. My phone was buzzing again, and I checked it, seeing that it was Alex, probably calling to check up on me.

But unless it was my mother, I wasn’t interested in talking to anyone.

I stood at the island, thinking about the assignments I had to get started on, the reading that was due in a few days, and the fact that I hadn’t checked my social media in over week.

But all of a sudden I was exhausted.

Kicking off my shoes and socks, I walked into my bedroom, dropped my phone on the nightstand, and collapsed on my bed, my body immediately melting into the soft, cool comforter and my eyes falling closed.

“MICHAEL?”

I popped my head up off the pillow and twisted it around, blinking my eyes open.

I thought I heard something.

The room was dark and silent, and I peered out the door, into the hallway, seeing it completely dark as well.

I noticed the light blinking on my phone, and I turned over, my back crashing to the bed again, knowing that’s what must’ve woken me up.

“Shit.” I rubbed my hands up and down my face, trying to wake up.

Turning my head, I glanced at the clock, letting out a frustrated sigh. Six hours. It was just after eleven.

I couldn’t believe I’d slept that long.

Picking up my phone, I saw several texts from Michael, the last one saying,

You better open the fucking door when I get there.

I hadn’t read his texts all day, but I guessed there was a progression of anger that was probably justified, since I’d failed to answer any of them.

Tossing my phone on the bed, I sat up and climbed off, padding my bare feet out into the hallway and toward the kitchen to make something to eat.

I’d skipped dinner, and I was starving.

But then I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, and I swung around, my heart leaping into my throat as I saw the back door sitting wide open and the light from the stairwell pouring in.

A dark form, dressed in a black hoodie, with the hood drawn, stood in the doorway, staring at me through a white mask. The same mask that the guys wore when then lured me to the Crist house.

I breathed hard, my hands shaking at the rush of danger crawling on my skin.

But then I stopped and glued my teeth together, anger tensing my muscles.

Michael.

“What?” I demanded. “You need your midnight snack?”