15. Lyric

Chapter fifteen

Lyric

MY SNEAKERS CRUNCHED ON brOKEN glass as I stalked away, anger radiating from my tense shoulders. X's eyes narrowed, and a snarl escaped his lips. In two strides, he closed the distance between us.

"Hey!" His fingers bit into my arm, forcing me to face him. "You have clearly forgotten who is in charge here." His voice was ice-cold, sharp, and cutting. "Don't ever kill without getting their confession first."

I stared back, fire meeting ice, defiance etched in every line of my body. With a jerk, I wrenched my arm free, my breath in ragged gasps. My trembling hands reached for the mask, the barrier between my true self and this cold, unforgiving man before me.

"Fine," I spat, ripping it off. The mask tumbled to the ground, discarded like trash, sending X a clear message about how I felt toward him. "But stop pretending like I will ever feel something other than disgust for you!"

X's eyes smiled, never leaving my face. "Disgust, huh? You say that now, but I know you better than that. I know what makes you tick, what makes you come alive." His fingers trailed down my face, sending shivers down my spine. "And I know how to make you feel things you never thought possible."

I flinched away from his touch, my eyes widening at the implication of his words. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

X chuckled darkly. "You think I don't know about the fantasies you keep locked away in that pretty little head of yours? Oh, how you yearn for someone to take control, to dominate you." His hand snaked around my waist, pulling me closer. "Lucky for you, that someone happens to be me."

"Don't flatter yourself," I retorted, trying to push him away.

But his grip on my waist tightened, his fingers digging into my sides. "I'm not flattering myself. I'm stating facts." He lifted his mask just enough to bare his lips and leaned in, brushing them against my ear, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine. "You crave this, don't you? The power dynamic is the exchange of control. Let me show you what it feels like to be truly dominated."

My heart raced as I struggled between the desire to flee and the fiery longing building within me. X's words were dangerous but excited me in ways I never thought possible. I wanted to feel his hands all over me, to feel the power he wielded between us.

His hands roamed my body, feeling each part of me as I shivered and gasped with pleasure. This was wrong. My conscious mind shouted for me to flee from this man, but something deeper within me wanted him. Wanted to stay.

He pushed me against the wall, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered dark promises of pleasure. I couldn't deny the growing heat between my legs, and the desire for him was becoming too intense to ignore. I needed him to touch me, but my rational self reappeared, and I shoved him back.

"No!" I exclaimed sharply. "I don't want you to lay your murderous hands on me anymore. You are no better than the people who hurt me. You want revenge for them taking what you claimed as yours, but I am not your property. I am human and do not require your retribution for those who wronged me." As I spoke, my angered gaze remained fixed on him.

He put his mask back across his mouth and said, "Alright then, do it your way, but don't forget that your stubbornness has a cost." He finished speaking and walked away, turning the corner and leaving my view.

Shit Carmen.

I sprinted at full speed, with my legs powerfully propelling me forward and my breath coming out in rapid, shallow gasps. "X?!" I called after him. As I rounded the corner, X stood next to Carmen, his head tilted slightly to one side as if waiting for me.

He always claimed to be able to understand me as if he were reading a book. He possessed a deep knowledge of me that surpassed my own understanding of myself. As the days passed, it felt like his words were true. He accurately predicted my return for the sake of my friend. He knew I would never walk away.

"Let her go, please!" I begged, dread overwhelming me as my heart slammed against my chest in anticipation of X potentially taking Carmen's life right before my eyes. The weight of responsibility bore heavily on me, knowing it could all be attributed to my actions.

"It seems you're a bit late trying to save your friend, don't you think?" X's voice was calm but held a sinister undertone. "You already made your decision."

"Please," I pleaded.

X stared at me momentarily as if he were contemplating letting her live. Then, without warning, he pulled out his knife and swiftly stabbed it through Carmen's temple.

Her body went limp, and her head slumped back in the chair as I cried out, not able to move from shock. Tears welled up in my eyes and fell silently down my cheeks as I watched him slowly pull the blade from her head. His eyes remained steady on mine, searching for something profound within me while I stood there with a storm of conflicting emotions—anger, fear, grief, and guilt.

X stands in front of Carmen now, the blade dripping red onto the disgusting floor beneath us. He stepped closer and looked into my eyes. "I told you that your stubbornness has consequences. I'm not a forgiving man." His voice was low and sinister as he stood there, eyeing me across the room.

The raw horror of what happened finally began to hit me, and I hurried over to Carmen, collapsing to my knees next to her lifeless body, still tied to the chair. My mind raced with the thought of Carmen and her family never getting the justice they needed because X was unstoppable, and how was I supposed to do anything?

In desperation, my hands tugged on the ropes wrapped around her as X came closer and sliced them with his knife.

I pushed him away from her and stood up. "Don't you fucking touch her!"

I started landing blows to his chest. He didn't fight back or do anything to stop me. All the while, I was pounding on him. I sobbed into exhaustion until I eventually collapsed onto the floor in defeat.

"I hate you. " I breathed with my eyes cast down on the floor.

"You won't always feel that way," he replied, and I looked at him with an icy glare through my lashes.

I rose from the floor and returned to Carmen's side without giving him the pleasure of a reply. I embraced her lifeless form. "I will bring you justice, " I whispered before kissing her cold cheek and walking away, leaving X behind to clean up his mess.

As I ventured out of the warehouse into the nearby fields, my only thought was getting revenge for my friend as I wandered down the gravel road back to Savannah.

A week later, there was still no sign of X. I doubt he had any remorse over killing Carmen, considering he was a killer in the first place. He had no regard for life.

I tried to convince myself that he had moved on and left me alone, but deep down, I couldn't ignore the fact that if he were gone, all the deaths would ultimately be blamed on me. And if that were the case, I would have no choice but to give up on my painstaking efforts to hold my life together—a battle that seemed inevitable in the end, regardless.

As I made my way back to town that night, an older woman from the rural areas of Savannah gave me a lift back to town. She dropped me off at the campus entrance without asking any questions as to why I was wandering around in the middle of nowhere. I was grateful for it, but I couldn't bear to return to my dorm. Carmen wasn't there, and all I would feel was guilt and loss. So, I left the college grounds and found myself on the back street behind the cafe, cradling my knees as I cried until my tears ran dry.

That's when Xander showed up, like a knight in shining armor on a white horse. He took me back to his place, and I cried to sleep on his couch without saying a word. As always, he seemed to know that I needed my space.

It took me a few days to summon the courage to talk to Xander and tell him what had happened. He knew my circumstances with X, and I felt I could rely on him.

He created a sense of safety and comfort around me, as if X couldn't do anything while Xander was there. I knew deep down that X could hurt or even end Xander's life, but my friend was highly trained in many of the same skills as X. I was sure he wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Hey," Xander said as he walked into the living room.

I couldn't help but smile a little as I looked over my shoulder at him. "Morning."

"Did you get a cup of coffee?" he asked, placing a cup under the Keurig machine.

I raised my mug. "Yes." I smiled.

After filling his cup, he entered the living room and stood beside me, following my gaze as I glanced back out the window. "We have class today. Are you going?" He asked before taking a sip from his cup and glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

As I placed the mug on my lips, I shook my head, indicating I was still avoiding the world.

"Lyric, you can't hide out in here forever. You have to live your life, or he wins."

"He wins no matter what." I lowered my head. "He'll never leave me alone."

Xander set his cup down on the table and inched closer. He used one finger to tilt my chin so we could gaze into each other's eyes. "He only wins if you let him. You have the power to move mountains, Lyric. I knew that from the first day I saw you. Don't let him control your life with fear."

My throat tightened when I looked into his eyes, soulful and entrancing. My body wanted to give in to the desire to touch his lips with mine, but I quickly diverted my gaze, realizing I wasn't much different from the monster who haunted me. If Xander had known who I really was, he wouldn't have said these things.

I sighed quietly and stepped away from Xander to sit on the sofa. "Xander, I'm no better than him," I murmured, my head still pointed toward the floor as if all the answers to my questions were scattered pieces on the floor.

He looked at me. "What do you mean?"

Silence filled the room.

Xander came and sat beside me, taking my hands in his. "Lyric," he said softly, "you can tell me anything. We've all made mistakes we aren't proud of."

Our eyes met again.

It was like having two opposing forces wrestle inside my head. One urged me to take responsibility for my actions, while the other told me X was to blame. The feeling of accomplishment after I killed Trey and James was something that only a deeply troubled soul could fathom.

"I am a killer, too," I exhaled.

His hands stayed firmly on mine as if the words that I had spoken made no difference to him. It was almost like he had known about my actions and didn't mind them. He gazed at me like I could do no wrong. I wished he were right.

X was a masked Satan, but I was the demon who followed him. X got me to kill them, but it wasn't like the thoughts weren't already there. He just brought them to life for me. The truth is, I enjoyed it. Yeah, I felt guilty at first, and for that, I blamed it all on X, the psychopath.

"Only because of him," he said, interrupting my inner turmoil as his hand reached up and his thumb caressed my rosy cheek. "You're not a bad person. He's trying to make you one, but I don't think you could ever be."

My eyes glistened as they stared at him before practically leaping into his lap. Our lips collided like a tsunami tearing through a city, the wave forcing us back onto the sofa.

Xander's hands settled on my hips as he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. A warmth spread through me that I hadn't felt since I met X. This was what it felt like to be desired and loved, and I never wanted it to end. But as much as I had been craving this, I couldn't ignore the lingering, nagging guilt.

I broke the kiss, pulling away from Xander. "I'm sorry," I whispered, tears forming.

Xander looked at me with confusion etched on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do it. He's watching me. I refuse to put you in danger, too," I said, trying to detach myself from him, but he kept a firm grip on me.

Xander looked at me quizzically as he asked, "Me? In danger? What do you mean?" His gaze sought out any hint of what I was attempting to express.

I let my body collapse into his embrace as I muttered the words, "Carmen is dead." The tears flowed freely from my eyes as I hugged him tightly.

Xander held me close, rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I'm so sorry, Lyric," he said softly. "I can't even imagine what you're going through."

I buried my face in his chest and let myself cry. It wasn't often that I allowed myself to show such vulnerability, but with Xander, it felt instinctual. He was my haven, where I could let my guard down and be me.

After a few minutes of crying, I pulled away and wiped the tears from my eyes. "I have to do something about X," I said, determination etched on my face. "I can't keep living like this, constantly fearing that he will come after the people I care about. He will never leave me alone. He made that very clear."

Xander nodded in understanding. "I'll help you in any way I can," he said. "But we have to be careful. X is dangerous and smart, and we don't want to tip him off."

I gave a brief nod. "Alright, so what should we do?" Our eyes locked as I waited for his response.

He smirked. "We train."

With a smile, I leaned gently back against his chest. We stayed like that for a while, lying comfortably on the couch.

I hadn't heard from X in a few weeks, and it seemed like he was gone for good. But I wasn't leaving anything to chance. Xander and I practiced every day. He taught me how to fire a gun, use a knife, and how to fight to protect myself.

I was prepared to face X if he ever decided to show himself again with his stupid mask.

Xander and I haven't had sex, but we have kissed to the point where it always leads to that part, but I always get worried that the actual act won't live up to my expectations of how X would make me feel. And that terrified me.

X was a murderer, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't something about him that drew me in.

The creak of the door interrupted my train of thought, and I looked up to see Xander peeking around the corner. I smiled, but he went to the kitchen instead of his usual greeting.

As I rose from the couch to join him, I asked, "How was work?"

"Good…" he said, looking in any direction but mine.

I lightly touched his arm and tried to get him to look at me. "What's wrong?"

He glanced briefly in my direction but couldn't bring himself to meet my gaze. "It's been a tough day," he exhaled, unraveling his forearm from under my hand. "I'm gonna shower." And with that, he quickly shuffled off without another word.

Xander's behavior has shifted over the few weeks I've been here. He seems pulled in two directions but has yet to speak of it. I didn't push for an explanation, as he left work every day, never discussing the details of his job. Whatever was happening, he seemed reluctant to talk about it.

Once Xander had showered, he retired to his bed, and I sat on the couch with my laptop. I was typing up an idea for a screenplay involving X. I didn't know why he'd suddenly come into my head again. But it did make me wonder why I hadn't heard from him in almost three weeks after he told me there was no out for me, only death, yet he was the one who disappeared.

Frustrated that my writing wasn't going anywhere, I shut my laptop and placed it on the coffee table before venturing into Xander's room. I wanted to be near him, feel his tender caressing hands on my body, and see if he could bring forth the same sensations X did when he pleasured me.

I moved silently into the room. His back was to me as I shut the door, kicked off my slippers, and pulled down my leggings before lifting my sweater over my head and letting it fall onto the ground.

The room was dimly lit as a solitary light shone through the near-black curtains.

I gingerly trodded closer to his bed, where I was met with a massive tattoo on his back. I swallowed my nerves, admiring the artwork as it aroused me. His tattoos were always so attractive.

I gently peeled back the sheets and slid into bed. Xander stirred but stilled when my hand settled on his abdomen.

"What are you doing?" He spoke huskily.

"I figured you could use something to take your mind off of things," I said, taking his hand and guiding it onto my exposed chest.

Xander moved closer and kissed me passionately, his large hand gently cupping my breast. The space between us vanished as his muscled chest pressed against mine.

"Are you sure?" He whispered.

"I want you," I said tenderly, tangling my arms around his back.

Those words were enough to set him off, and his kiss was fervent as if the world were ending and we were the only two people alive.

He licked his way down my neck and bit my shoulder softly as he moved lower. His teeth grazed the curve of my breast before taking it into his mouth, sending shivers down my spine. Our breathing turned to panting as Xander's hand traveled southward, exploring further until he reached between my legs.

The sensation of his fingers tracing circles around me caused me to arch into him. I wanted more, so I lifted myself slightly and pressed against him with a moan. My head rolled back in pleasure as Xander teased me with long, passionate kisses.

He then shifted his weight and positioned himself between my legs.

His eyes locked with mine, and he asked, "What do you want?"

"I want you," I breathed, my voice trembling.

He captured my lips in a deep and passionate kiss before he moved ever so slowly inside of me. I clung to him, my legs quivering as I tried to get our bodies closer.

The sensation overtook me as he moved ever so slowly back and forth, increasing his speed until I was gasping, my body trembling with pleasure. We moved in tandem, finding a steady rhythm, each thrust pushing me higher and higher.

Xander picked up the pace, and I arched into him, my fingers clawing into his back as desire began to ripple through my body. I gasped his name as I climaxed, and he followed soon after.

We lay there afterward, Xander draped over me like a blanket, our sweat-soaked bodies intertwined. I had wanted to experience this with X, but I found the connection with Xander in ways I hadn't expected.

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead as we both drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

The morning after, Xander left for work. I packed my bag to head to class, thinking about last night. I had never felt so safe and connected to anyone as I was with Xander. I felt ready to take on X and whatever else came my way.

The thought of X still lingered, but I cast it aside, vowing to never return to that world of darkness again. With Xander by my side, I was sure we could tackle whatever was thrown at us. Smiling, I swung my bag over my shoulder and started for the door. I glanced at my phone, realizing I had a message from the night before. His name stared back at me like Satan himself was reaching through the phone and choking the air out of my lungs.

Masked spawn of Satan: Miss me?