Echoes (Dance With My Demons, #2)

by Steph Macca

Out of sight, out of mind they say. But that's just bullshit. Now that I know she's in the same building as me again, the tether between us pulls. And I'm going to take that tether and wrap it around her soft body—whether that's to fuck her or kill her, I don't know yet.

If anyone lays a single finger on her, bruising her perfect skin, I'll soak them in gasoline and make a bonfire.

"You're not going to avoid me any longer, Avery. I don't care the reason why. Whatever it is, I promise that I'm the bigger threat."

I want to fuck her so hard that it hurts. I want to slam into her with such force that we defy the laws of physics and become one person. It seems fitting anyway, since she already has my heart. She might as well take my body and soul too. At least then I'd find some type of peace. Sure, it would probably be hell too, but if she sends me there, I would have a nice family reunion no doubt.

I'm fucking possessive. I'm dangerous. I'll fucking kill for what's mine. And that extends to her.

Juice trickles over her lips and suddenly Damon's words hit me. I am playing with fire—I want to burn. When Avery's involved, I want everything. Life. Death. Torture. Pleasure. Pain. Every-fucking-thing she can offer me.

Sleep was always my comfort, because when you are away from your thoughts, life seems easier. You could tell yourself that the nightmares are irrational.

"You deserve love, Avery," he answers. "Which is why I allowed him to live." "But I want you too," I breathe out, grabbing his face in my hands. "You might not be mine, but I'm still yours."

I'm going to chase you, Grey. I'm not letting you go that easily.

In the real world, power is demanded, just like respect is earned. I've done both. No matter what he says or does, he will never have power over me. He will never control me. And that extends to Cirque des Morts. My Circus of the Dead. That's what we are here—dead. Dead to society, dead inside. And sometimes, like Hallman, actually dead. I'm their fucking leader. And the best thing about us? You can't fight death. It's inevitable.

"Who do you think killed Hallman, little killer? He didn't take his own life. No—I ended it. I ended that sad, pathetic excuse of a man because he touched you. He tried to hurt what's mine."

"Of course I did. Now do you understand? We didn't frame you. I killed for you. So, yes—I guess Damon is right. You do have a hold on me."

I can't help but smile at him. Perhaps I'm insane after all. Normal people get confessions of love. I get confessions of murder.

"This cold, black thing beats for you, Avery."

"I don't know how to make it work… yet. I want to kill him. I've thought about it every single day since I saw you together."

"He marked you in his own way," Grey murmurs. "Now, I'm going to mark you in mine."

Grey runs his fingers over my skin, mixing the red together. Leaning back, he smiles down at his work of art. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I hunch forward, looking down to see. MINE.

Lifting the blade to his mouth, he runs his tongue over the metal without breaking our locked eyes.

"You're fucking mine, Avery," he growls into my mouth. "This lifetime and the next one too."

My black-painted nails match the color of her hair perfectly and I let out a little smirk.

"Who. Do. You. Belong. To?" I ask her between thrusts. "You," she breathes out. "You, Grey." "Damn fucking right,"

"This is what you do to me," I breathe out, growling as her finger presses into my flesh harder. "You tear me apart from the inside out in the best fucking ways possible. You make me kill for you, you make me want to die for you. I'll burn this whole place down to ashes and paint you with them like the muse you are."

There he is. Immediately, I'm ready to kill him. Before my feet have even taken three steps, I've already planned at least seven different ways to permanently delete him. Shame there's an audience though.

"She's fine," I tell him casually, looking at my black nails. "More than fine last night, actually." Ashwood leans back from the table, folding his arms. "Is this your poor attempt at making me jealous?" "Not at all," I taunt. "Just reiterating that she's alive and well." "I should hope so," he replies. "Because if anything happens to her while in your care, I'll dig your grave myself."

"You're my only reason for anything. And I think you're theirs, as well."

"When you go to heaven one day, I'll drag you back down to hell to join me. Because I'm never leaving you, Avery."

"Promise?" "Promise. Now, I want you to explode on your other boyfriend's cock while looking at me."

I guess it just goes to show that you never really know what someone is fighting. Maybe it's the ones who seem okay that we should be worried about.

"We're bonded by this blood. Together, the King and Queen of the Unhinged."

Mine. No one is going to take that away from me. I'll kill every last person until we're the last two left. And then we'll burn the world down together.