Kill Switch (Devil's Night 3)

I just turned around. “Would you please refasten me?”

She let out a sigh, seeing clearly that my bra had been off. “Did he hurt you?”

She tugged at me as she pulled the belt of the clasp tight again, and I no longer had the energy to muster any tears.

“Not as much as I hurt myself,” I told her.

Damon

Present

I brought the lighter to the tip of my cigarette, lighting the end and sucking in a puff of smoke. The taste and burn hit my tongue, filling my lungs, and I blew it back out, already relaxing.

People walked about as I stood around the side of one of the concession stands, keeping an eye across the way on the restroom door for Winter and Alex to come out, just to make sure they were still together.

I didn’t give a shit if Winter was happy right now, but this place was sketchy as fuck. Perfect for me, really, but she didn’t have a sign on her saying she was blind, and if one of these actors picked her up and carried her off, like I just did, she might be in trouble.

Will was doing a piss poor job watching out for her. Grabbing her was way too easy.

I took another drag, noticing a couple of girls in line watching me. I caught the eyes of one of them, and she smiled, giving me a little wave.

I blew out the smoke, flicking the ash off the cigarette, but it was ash that dried my mouth. Everyone in this town knew my history and women could either be really distant—which suited me just fine—or they were really into it, like I was some dangerous animal, and it totally turned them on. While some were of the opinion that I took advantage of Winter, and judged the gossip they heard about my weird sexual appetite for watching others, no one saw that video and thought I forced her.

I was either the victim of a technicality or a deviant who messed with a girl they didn’t know was far from a one-night stand.

Winter’s age wasn’t the problem to me. I didn’t even see it.

The crime was, I couldn’t tell her who I was.

And the crime was, she didn’t love me back.

Her heart was so shallow she couldn’t understand and know that I was real. Every moment with her, I was real. I would’ve been faithful, and I would’ve died protecting her.

As soon as she knew, though, she cut me out. It was over. That quickly, she hated me, her fickle heart abandoning me and completely forgetting it all.

I was going to take great pleasure in making sure she never stopped hating me.

And at twenty-one, there was no question she was old enough for what I just did to her. I’d wanted to fuck her like that since I moved into the house, and she had come downstairs in her skimpy little shorts and tank top that night looking for her dog. She didn’t deserve better.

I tightened my fist, crushing the cigarette and closing my eyes through the burn being snuffed out on the inside of my palm.

And a smile curled my lips, thinking about what I should do next. Maybe Will or Alex—or both—would like to join me for the next round.

Winter seemed to like them, after all.

Opening my eyes, I saw her and Alex step out of the restroom, Winter’s clothes and hair back in order, but her face tight, containing some anger I was totally responsible for. Alex smiled and waved, and I saw Rika approach and grab Alex in an excited hug.

What?

And then I noticed someone coming toward me out of the corner of my eye and turned my head to see Michael, Kai, and Will head straight for me.

“Oh, fucking great,” I grumbled, throwing the cigarette away.

Michael came up right into my face, all of them dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts. “I want to talk to you in private,” he said.

I straightened my spine, meeting him eye to eye. “Private?” I teased. “Like steam-room private? I’m game.”

He folded his arms over his chest, his hazel eyes, piercing me. “Speaking of which, pay any visits to Hunter-Bailey recently?”