24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Hydessa

I can hear the alarm going off from somewhere close by but I refuse to open my eyes. Maybe if I don't open my eyes I don't have to face the reality that I did a very bad thing…

Groaning, I roll over and bury my face into my pillow. Moving reminds me exactly what bad thing I did when I can feel all the little aches and pains that cover my body. The room falls silent as the alarm stops blaring and I sigh with relief. I don't even remember setting the alarm, or why I even would have set one.

I'm just starting to drift to sleep again when the alarm blares once more.

Annoyance flares within me as I grope blindly for my phone, almost knocking it off the nightstand before I finally manage to get ahold of it.

I pull the phone close to my face as I turn to squint at it against the bright light of the screen. 6:40 in the morning. Why would I set an alarm this early? It takes a moment before I remember the gym class at 7:30.

I don't even remember setting the alarm, and my body protests at the prospect of even going. But if I don't go, I will miss out on the opportunity to connect with Makai and anyone at the gym. As much as I want to skip the class and just sleep, I know I can't afford to.

With a deep sigh, I force myself to get up. The room is lit by the early morning light filtering through the curtains. I stretch my arms, feeling the tension in my muscles, and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

I take a moment to steady myself before standing up, my body protesting every movement. Slowly, I make my way to the bathroom, turning on the light and staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Instantly, I cringe, my hand going to my mouth in shock.

Surprisingly the cuts look like they've been cleaned, they even look like they have been sealed with surgical glue.

The cut on my arm aches the worst and I remember the knife digging in deeper there. I turn enough to look at it closer, my stomach dipping until I see the bump under my skin not far from it. I run a finger over it to assure myself that my birth control is still there before I look at the bruising.

There are finger marks in my hips, and my neck looks like I've been choked. Because I was.

Running my fingers gently across the marks littering my neck, I can't help but remember how they got there. The feeling of Abel's fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing tight. How they possessed me and claimed me. How they owned me.

"Well, time to test the staying power of my makeup," I mutter to myself, trying to push the memories aside.

As I carefully apply foundation to cover the marks, I think about the day ahead in order to keep my mind out of the past. The gym class is just the beginning. I need to stay focused, gather information, and keep my guard up. I need to stop being distracted by masked men who fuck like demons from hell. Maybe I need an exorcism.

Once I've covered the worst of the bruises, I pull on my workout clothes. Taking one last look in the mirror, I nod to myself. I can do this. I have to do this.

Grabbing my phone and keys, I head out the door, locking it behind me. A sliver of annoyance creeps into my mind as I try to remember if I locked the door when I arrived back at the house yesterday, could I have unknowingly left it unlocked as an open invitation for my masked stalkers. The morning air is crisp and cool as I walk along the street toward the beach. My thoughts drift as I go, wondering what makes the killers tick, what motivates them to kill.

They said to me in our texts last night that they only kill for a reason, that they research and nothing is random, so why were those particular tourists killed? What connects them all, and what exactly did they do that made them targets?

As I make my way to the beach, I replay every interaction I had with Cain and Abel in my mind. Their words, their messages, their demeanor, the way they justified their actions—it all felt disturbingly logical in a twisted way. They seemed convinced that their actions were justified, that their victims deserved what happened to them. But why? What was the common thread that linked their victims together?

I pass by a few early risers, joggers and dog walkers, who nod and wave. I try to return their greetings with a smile, but my mind is elsewhere. My thoughts are churning, trying to connect the puzzle together but it's as if the pieces are upside down and no matter what I do I can't reveal the part of the picture I need to put them together on the other side.

When I reach the beach, the gym comes into view, and so does a large area at the end of the street where I can already see barriers erected and carnival rides starting to be set up. The sheriff did say that that would be happening, so it's probably a good thing I didn't make it to the beachfront last night.

Plus with the masked me distracted by me, they couldn't have been out killing anyone.

I push open the door to the gym and step inside, greeted by the sound of upbeat music and the sight of people either working out on equipment or warming up for the class. I recognize a few faces from around town, and I make my way to an empty spot near the back, hoping to blend in and observe.

Makai waves to me from where he is spotting someone on a weight bench. When that person sets the weight back in the cradle and sits up, I can see that it's Eli. I spot Maddie exiting the locker room and when she spots me, she comes over with a grin.

"Hey Taylor," she says, her voice as bright as her smile. I haven't had enough coffee to deal with that level of happiness this morning, as a matter of fact, I haven't had any coffee yet at all. She may be lucky I don't have any of my knives on me right then.

"Morning Maddie," I respond with a smile, mustering as much cheerfulness as I can. "Ready for a workout?"

She nods enthusiastically. "Absolutely! It's going to be a great class. Nathan, one of the trainers here that runs this class, always knows how to get us moving."

I force a chuckle, trying to match her energy. "Looking forward to it."

Feeling eyes on me, I look up and notice Rye sitting at one of the pieces of equipment not far from Eli and Makai. His eyes are on me as he takes a drink of water, offering me a small smile.

I momentarily wish that the dim lighting and neon colors during all the times I've been with Cain and Abel didn't make it so hard to pick up on more details of the men beneath the masks. I doubt the men around here would simply let me make them line up and drop their pants and let me look at their cocks. Though from some of the looks I get from them, maybe they would.

There are other locals there, shooting glaces in our direction, but none I can put a name to. I spot Telvin working out on the shoulder press in the corner, headphones in his ears as he manages to ignore everything and everyone around him. I wish I had that sort of focus.

A young guy suddenly approaches our group clapping his hands and smiling. He isn't as muscular as Makai and his brown hair is short. "Good morning, everyone! Ready for the circuit class?" His voice is upbeat, and he radiates energy. He must be Nathan, the trainer Maddie mentioned.

A chorus of affirmatives echoes around the room. I nod along, forcing myself to match the enthusiasm. Nathan's eyes scan the group, lingering on Maddie for a moment longer than anyone else. She returns his gaze with a smile that's just a touch more personal than casual.

Interesting. Maddie and Nathan have some sort of connection. Something to keep an eye on.

Nathan claps his hands again. "Alright, let's start with a warm-up! We'll do some light jogging in place, then move on to dynamic stretches."

As we begin the warm-up, I steal glances at Maddie and Nathan. They exchange more secretive looks, and Maddie seems especially animated whenever he's nearby. The circuit class begins in earnest, and I force myself to focus on the exercises.

My body protests, but I push through. Nathan's instructions are clear and precise, and he moves through the group, offering encouragement and correcting form. His interactions with Maddie are just a bit more familiar than with anyone else.

As I move from station to station, I try to listen to the conversations around me. People chat about the carnival, the latest gossip, and mundane life details. Nothing particularly useful, but I file it all away just in case.

During a break, I take a moment to breathe and grab some water. Looking around, I see that a few more people have come into the gym and started working out while I was focused on the circuit.

Makai is now chatting with Telvin as he works out on the leg press toward the back. Eli is on his own doing pull-ups, and Rye is making his way toward where I'm standing.

I take a long drink of water, trying to steady my thoughts. Rye approaches with a friendly smile. "Hey Taylor, how's it going?" he asks, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Hey Rye," I reply, returning his smile. "It's going well. This class is intense."

"Yeah, Nathan doesn't mess around," Rye says with a nervous chuckle. "It's a great way to start the day, though."

"Definitely," I agree, feeling the burn in my muscles.

Rye hesitates, as if he's about to say something more, but Nathan's voice cuts through the moment. "Alright, everyone! Time to get back to it. Let's keep that energy up!"

Rye glances back at Nathan with a scowl, then he is smiling again as he turns to me. "Umm, I'll see you around sometime, Taylor." He gives a quick nod and heads back toward the equipment.

As I watch Rye walk away, I notice him pass Makai, who nods at him before heading over toward Nathan. Makai murmurs something to Nathan, who nods in response before Makai moves on to help someone else. Nathan claps his hands together, calling everyone back into the circuit training one final time.

The rest of the class passes in a blur of movement and effort. By the time we're done, I'm drenched in sweat and my muscles are screaming. But I feel a small sense of accomplishment too. I managed to keep up and even learned a few more names and faces.

As I'm cooling down, stretching out my sore muscles, I see Makai approaching with a friendly smile. "Hey Taylor," he says, stopping in front of me. "How did you like your first class?"

"It was intense," I reply, chuckling despite the fatigue. "But in a good way. Nathan really knows how to push everyone."

Makai nods appreciatively. "Yeah, Nathan's great at what he does. It's good to see you pushing through. A lot of people don't come back after their first class."

"I can see why," I say with a laugh, stretching my sore muscles that aren't entirely from the workout. "I'll admit, I'm pretty stubborn. I'm determined to stick with it."

"That's the spirit," he says, his eyes studying me for a moment. "We have this class every week. We need more people with that kind of attitude around here."

I nod, genuinely appreciative of Makai's encouragement. "Thanks, Makai. It's good to know there's a regular routine I can stick to."

"Yeah, and if you're interested, we've got a few other classes that might interest you," Makai offers, his expression thoughtful. "Apart from this circuit and the yoga class I already mentioned, we also run Zumba, Pilates, and another high-intensity session. In the afternoons and evenings, there's also sometimes boxing and kickboxing, even mixed martial arts in the back room."

My ears perk up at that. "That sounds intriguing," I admit, "I do some kickboxing here and there."

Makai's eyebrows rise in mild surprise. "Oh, really? That's great to hear. You'll find a few enthusiasts here, especially in the evenings. It's a good way to blow off steam and stay sharp. Definitely a good workout."

I smile. "I might have to check that out sometime. Are you the one that does that training?"

Makai laughs and shakes his head. "Nah, I'm more into weights and strength training myself. It's actually Telvin who volunteers to handle the MMA and kickboxing sessions." He gestures subtly towards Telvin, who's now back to being deeply engrossed in his workout, oblivious to everyone else around him.

"Really?" I respond, glancing over at the man. He seemed so quiet and withdrawn when we met.

"Yeah," Makai chuckles again. "What's that saying? It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for? Apparently, it helps him focus or some shit."

I nod thoughtfully, considering this new piece of information. "Interesting. Do a lot of tourists attend those?"

He shrugs. "Some, but not many and it's not overcrowded during that time if that's what you're asking."

With a grin I stand up straight and shake my muscles out, then I start patting away any lingering sweat with the towel. Someone calls out to Makai and he glances over my shoulder for a moment, when his eyes return to me they flick down briefly.

He opens his mouth but before he can speak someone calls out his name again. He waves his hand in that direction but there's a momentary pause before he starts walking towards the person calling him, still glancing back at me.

"Maybe I'll see you here in the evening and you can really work up a sweat," he says with a grin. Then, not waiting for my response he heads off to attend to the gym's business.

Before I can react to Makai's parting comment, Maddie bounces up to me, full of energy. "Hey Taylor! Are you grabbing a coffee from the bakery before heading home too?"

I give an exaggerated groan, half-playful. "Yes, I need coffee. Just hook me up with an IV of it."

Maddie giggles, clearly amused by my dramatic response. "You might also need some more makeup," she points out, her tone teasing. "Your neck is a very pretty shade of bruised."

So much for the foundation's staying power.