25

I'm standing locked in a tiny room, deep inside an unfamiliar club.

With Hyde opposite me.

The few feet of distance between us seems to throb with tense energy in the neon half-light.

"I'll scream for help," I blurt out.

I can hear the smirk in his voice. "Go ahead."

I try to move my mouth, but I'm frozen. I want to tell myself it's out of fear. It's true that fear is surging through me as I stare back athismask. But there's something else stopping me.

He laughs at my paralysis. "That's what I thought, Ava. When are you going to stop lying to yourself? You've wanted me since you first saw me—no, since you saw the first body that I cut up. You want what I unlock in you."

He steps toward meandthe taut line of energy between us seems to shiver and snap, filling the room.

"If I'm wrong, then say it. I fucking dare you to say it, Ava."

A half-moan, half-gasp leaves my mouth. But no word of denial.

The breath is tight in my throat.Hereaches out to run a gloved thumb over my bottom lip. Heat pulses between my legs.

"One dayI'lltouch this pretty little mouth with myownskin." His voice is low, as if he'smore talkingto himself than to me. "I can't wait to knowexactlywhat it feels like for nothing to beinbetween us."

"Why did you follow me here?" I ask.

"I'd watch you every hour of the day if I could."

"I don't understand," I mutter. "I'm nothing. I'm no one. In fact, worse: I'm your enemy. You know I'm trying to send you to rot in jail. So why are you following me? Are you just trying to torture me?"

His hand tightens on my jaw. "I don't give a fuck what the law says. Two sides of the same coin are still part of the same whole."

I want to scream at him that none of this makes sense. But deep in my heart, I understand. That broken part of me is thrilled at getting so close to someone capable of such dark, twisted acts. I thought I was obsessed with the Hyde case because I wanted to catch the killer behind it. But maybe I just wanted to crawl inside his mind and not leave until I knew every part of itlikethe back of my hand.

"I'm a man of contradictions, Ava. You're a woman of themtoo.Sotough yet so breakable. So many defenses, butsofragile inside. Drawn to the darkness, yet terrified of its pull."

I don't have time to answer before he jerks down my jeans where I stand. His thumb rubs one firm circle over my clit through the fabricandI gasp. He wastes no time before dragging my panties downtoo, the black cotton ripping in shreds.

He lunges at my legs, swiping them out from under me. I gasp as my back hits the soft surface of the velvet couch. Suddenly he's on top of me where I lie, his fingers teasing around my clit without letting me feel pleasure.

"Soaked," he mutters. "Before I've even touched you. What kind of detective gets this fucking drenched for a murderer?"

I whimper, no words forming. The energy between us is primal.Hiscruelty should feel degrading, but it's justadding fuel tothe desire burning in my core.

"Why did you offer yourself up to that man?"

I sink my teeth into my bottom lip and thrust my head to the side. I don't want to talk. Ijustwantthe drug-like oblivion this psychopath brings to me.

"Answer me," he commands.

"I—I wanted a distraction."

"From what? Say it."

There's no point lying. "You."

"See, was telling the truth so hard? Good little detective." There's raw hunger in his voice. The sound of it makes me so much wetter. "He'll get what's coming to him for touching you."

I frown. "No. Don't hurthim."

"Ask nicely."

"Please, Hyde." My cheeks burn, but for some reasonbegginghim almost comes naturally. "Please don't hurt him."

"Fuck, I love hearing my name from your mouth," he murmurs. "As you askedsonice and pretty, I won't kill him. But if you ever let another man touch you,justknow you're signing his death warrant."

I nod frantically, even though he's making an insane demand. But I can't concentrate; he's staring down at my body between my legs.

His voice is raspy with lust. "I knew you'd have the prettiest pussy I've ever seen, little dove."

This is insane. Psychotic. Toxic in the most life-ruining way possible.

But the word perfect just won't leave my mind.

All I know is that this man is evil. But he'sevilin a way that fascinates mesomuch more than it disgusts me.

And my body falls under a spell every time he touches me.

He yanks my gray t-shirt over my head, his hands deftly freeing my breasts from my bra. He teases at one nipple between his fingertips and then the other. Fire blazes in my clit.

I squirm under him. I'm completely naked under his maskedstare,while he's covered up and utterly in control.

He grabs my knees, parting my legs. "Stop hiding, little dove. I want to see you playing with that pretty little cunt for me."

I nervously slide a finger down. My clit is so sensitive already, swollen from the unfulfilled coil of desire inside me. I circle my clit, but I know I need more.

"Don't look so shy," he growls. "You're the hottest thing I've ever seen. Look what you do to me."

My head is dizzy as he undoes his zip, pulling his hard cock from his pants. The coil of hunger tightens in a spasm as my eyes settle on his length.

Nerves and arousal burn through me at the sight of his fingers wrapped around his huge cock. He palms it a few times.

"Tell me what you want, Detective."

The words are frozen in my mouth. Dirty, shameful thoughts are barreling through my head. One in particular: does Hyde fuck the way he kills? Dominant, crushing, and all-powerful?

I whimper as I feel the tip of his cock teasing at my swollen clit.

"I asked you a question, Ava. What do you want?"

"You," I breathe.

He pushes intome,slowly at first. Teasing me. My breath hitches at the sensation.

Pleasure throbs through my core. It feels like I'm being split in two. I suddenly know the world couldbe endingoutside this roomandI might not even care.

If I was in trouble before, now there's no going back. Like a criminal who's just heard the guilty verdict, my fate is sealed as soon as I feel Hyde's cock sink into me.

I'mgasping,even before I glance down and realize he's only halfway inside me.

"You're going to take it all like a good girl," he orders.

It's not a question, but I moan out an answer. "Yes."

I don't even know if I believe it, heseems too big to even fit inside me—

He bucks his hips upward, pounding into me until I feel his hips against my ass. My eyes roll back as I feel every inch of his length filling me up.

His breathing is sharp as he takes in the image of me wriggling on his cock.

"Fuck…" He pants, another thrust sending aching pleasure through my body. "I've dreamed of this, Ava. But none of the dreams match the reality. You feel so much better than that. This tight little cunt is so much sweeter than anything I could dream up."

My fingers grasp at him, desperate forthere to beno space between us at all. His body is taut, the muscles in his abs and arms tensed as he pounds into me. I want so badly to tear off the rest of his clothes. I want to see the face of the man who's tattooing my soul with this twisted ecstasy.

"Your body is so perfect. It was made to take my cock."

My mind is so drunk on ecstasy that, in that moment, I think he might be right.

"God made you just for me," he gasps between rough thrusts into me. "Or maybe it wasn't god. Maybe the devil crafted both of us from the same piece of clay."

He grabs me, tossing me down so I'm splayed out on my front. His hands close around my hips, dragging them up to his cock.

I have my answer: Hyde does fuck in the same way he kills.

But not like how I thought.

It's not just cruel and brutal; it has the passion of an artist. Like my body is his canvas, he's paying attention to every inch of me. As his cock pounds into me, his gloved hands are teasing, kneading, and pinching at every other bit of me. My clit, my ass, my throat.

I can hear myself whining and whimpering, a stream of nonsense rushing from my mouth. A stream of please, yes, don't stop. It sounds like a prayer, like I'm reaching some religious ecstasy, and maybe I really am,maybeI've found godin the devilhimself—

Stars dance behind my eyelids, squeezed tightly shut. The orgasm is torn from the deepest part of me. I throw my head back, convulsing with wave after wave of pleasure. It feels like dying and being brought back to life.

"Fuck, Ava," he groans, thrusting harder. "I can feel you coming tight around me."

His voice is ragged. Through the daze of my orgasm, I feel fresh flames of pleasure in me. My body made this terrifying, brutal man's voice sound like that.

I feel Hyde's body go still, his cock pulsing inside me as he reaches his own release. There's a warm sensation in the deepest part of me. I hate how much I love it, but I feel completely on fire knowing he just came inside me.

He eases back, pulling out of me. I'm still coming back down to earth as his head drops, his concealed stare settling between my legs. "Look at my cum dripping out of your tight little pussy."

He scoops up the drops and plunges his fingers back into my sensitive opening. I moan as I realize what he's doing. Pushing back every bit of his seed inside me. Claiming me entirely.

"This is all for you," he murmurs.

He raises his fingers to my lips. Flames burn on my cheeks as the meaning dawns on me.

"Open up."

I hate how obedient I am. But my core is aching again. I part my lips, pleasure flushing me as I see howhishands flex at the sight of my pink tongue sticking out forhim.

He shoves his fingers into my mouth.

"Clean it up," he orders.

I close my mouth around his fingers. My eyes stay fixed on the lifeless stitches of his mask. I obediently suck, my lips parting from his fingers with a pop.

His voice is caught between mocking and lustful. "I hope you aren't on birth control, Ava."

"I am," I mutter.

"Not for much longer."

My stomach flips, the fear and anger of my rational brain returning as the last flush of the orgasm fades from my core.

Like I would ever dream of having a child with a psychopath like him, a man whose face I've never even seen. But still—some twisted, animal part feels a sick thrill at the thought of feeling him come inside me again, claiming me as his, and knowing he's going to own my life forever.

I've had to fight for survival all my life.Maybe that's whyit feels so good to just letthis man take control and use me.

But this can't happen again. I can't let this killer keep stalking me and using my body like it's his. What happens when we arrest him? Will he tell the world what's happened between us? Will—

His voice cuts off my internal spiral. "Come with me."

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"I know you can't stop thinking about me. Think of what we could make together. I see your heart, Ava, and it's as pitch fucking black as mine."

The implication of his words sinks into me like poison from a snake bite. He's not threatening to take me hostage—well, not yet. He's asking me to be his accomplice.

Guilt burns in my chest, hot and savage. How doesheseem to know what I did?

I shake my head. "I'm a detective. I don't know why you think I'm like you, but I'm not."

"The law doesn't bring about justice. I'm just taking things into my own hands, and it feels so fucking good."

The blood goes cold in my veins. "That's why you targeted those men. It's revenge. They did something to you."

He twitches, as if he hadn't meant to reveal it.

"What did they do? Did they hurt you—"

"If you come with me, I'll tell you everything."

I shake my head. "I'm not going to become your accomplice."

"Why not? You're already my begging little slut."

Blood rushes to my core. A harsh sob falls from my mouth. I can't even deny that.

"We were both born with dark, burned-up hearts," he continues. "Why are you pretending you're any different to me?"

"Why do you think you know anything about my heart?"

"Because I'm the same. I can sense it on your skin. It was fate that led you to me. Fate sent you to solve my crimes."

I shake my head violently.

Broken.

"That isn't me," I say. "I chose the law. I've dedicated my life to justice and trying to protect people."

"Is it really about protecting people, Ava?Or do youjustwant to get as close to the bloodshed asyoucan,while pretending you're one of the good guys?"

No. No. No. I can't lethimbe right about me.

I quickly pull my clothes back on. "Stop stalking me. Stop acting like you know me. I'm going to be the one to take you down."

I stand up to leave, but his hand closes around mine in a vice-grip. I jerk backward, and for asecondI thinkhe's going toattack me.

But I'm wrong. Just like I always seem to be when it comes to Hyde. His fingers crush my own as the distorted sound of his voice sends chills down my spine.

"You can run from me, Ava. You can even try to hide. But you can't hide forever."

His grip loosens. He's letting me go. This time, at least.

I do what he says.

I run without looking back.

Out of the club's labyrinth of passages into the dark street, hailing the firstcabI see.

The driver whisks me away. I try not to shake as I stare at the rear-view mirror.

What would Hawkins think of me? I briefly consider calling him, but I know Hyde will be long gone by the time any cops can arrive at the scene.

What would Jackson think?

Guilt jabs at my heart. Why do I even care what Jackson thinks?

Why are both these men occupying my brain like competing storms?

Jackson's goodness, intelligence, and warmth.Hyde's animal darkness, roughness,his understanding of the most broken parts of my soul.

I'm caught in the middleandit feels like hell.