Lights Out (Into Darkness, #1)

by Navessa Allen

What would happen if I actually broke into her house? In reality, she’d either shoot my dumb ass or run away and call the cops,

Maybe it was time to accept the fact that I wasn’t normal, and I never would be. I wanted things most people didn’t, craved darkness and depravity instead of light and love. I’d been fighting my nature for as long as I could remember, and I was tired of it. So fucking tired.

I lost an entire minute afterward as I relearned how to breathe. This was fucking crazy. Full blown batshit. And yet, I couldn’t seem to stop myself

I hadn’t lost my mind and imagined my things in his video. That was really my dresser in the corner of the mirror, because he’d filmed the thirst trap I’d been lusting over all night in my actual goddamn bedroom. Holy shit. What was happening?

Oh. Fred was her cat. My jealousy deflated, and I unclenched my hands from where they had a death grip on the arms of my computer chair. Wow, okay. This knee-jerk rage was new.

Maybe I’d done her a favor by breaking in and showing her the error of her ways. I grimaced. Yikes. No to any more thoughts like that.

See? She’d started it. And yes, I was aware that argument wouldn’t hold up in a court of law, but this was the hill I chose to die on –

Aly was fucked up too. Hallelujah.

I definitely wasn’t snaking a hand into my shorts and choking the base of my dick. Stop that. Bad hand. We’re not doing this.

“I feel like I remember you saying your roommate was good with computers?” Oh. Fuck. No.

A glance at the gun showed me her finger was nowhere near the trigger. Not that anything would happen if she pulled it. I’d replaced her bullets with blanks. I was horny, not suicidal.

I just hoped I’d done enough to earn her trust last night and that she didn’t run straight for a gun when she found me sitting in her room covered in blood while holding a knife.

Was Aly turned on right now? Did she find me attractive? I felt both elated and slightly betrayed. Well, this was a weird feeling. I was jealous of myself.

She looked more relaxed than a moment ago, like her back was no longer up now that she didn’t suspect me. Mwah ha ha ha ha. My evil plan was working.

Because, holy shit, Josh was hot. Like, the kind of hot you didn’t see walking around in the wild with the rest of us plebeians.

See, this was why you had to keep your eye on women. They were always up to no good, invading your privacy, pushing right past the boundaries you set for them, with no care for things like societal norms or laws. What next? She broke into my house?

This was, perhaps, the proudest moment of my life. If I died tomorrow, it would be with the knowledge of this one perfect prank.

Yup. It was Josh. On a scale of 1-10, how mad are you about the tracker? he asked. One being you need a day or two to cool off, and ten being we need to start drafting a joint custody agreement for Fred.

I had no idea how he kept doing this to me: pissing me off one second and making me want to burst out laughing the next. I’d never met anyone quite like him, and his personality was addicting because of it. It didn’t take much imagination

Every womans dream man!!

couldn’t cook for shit – the bacon was still raw in the middle, and I stopped eating the eggs after picking the third piece of shell out of my mouth – but no man was perfect.

Maybe not intentionally, I said. But I’ve been watching you a lot longer than you’ve been watching me, and I’m worried – Fuck. How did I say this without giving too much away? – that this is only kink fulfillment to you. It’s not, he said. Watch my video later. Take some time if you need it. But Aly? Yeah? I’m only willing to allow you a few days. After that, I’m coming for you, baby, whether you’re ready or not. And until then, I’ll be watching.

Holy shit! Not me over here fan-girling!!!

It made me want to be bratty again, hold out until his patience snapped and he hunted me down. Oh, fuck, that sounded like a good plan. Yes, I was definitely going to do that.

The phone started ringing as I walked away, and I heard Erica answer it. “Wait, come back! There’s a man on the line for you!” “Tell him I’m fine,” I called over my shoulder. Josh must have hacked into the hospital again and saw what I was about to do. I almost smiled. He said he’d be watching me, but it was nice to have it confirmed. It was like having my very own guardian angel keeping tabs on my welfare,

Part of me almost hoped that Brad tried something so I could learn how far Josh would go, and how far I’d be ready to go with him, because if he went after Brad, there was no way I wouldn’t be along for the ride.

I love how shes just calling him Josh now!!!

People like Bundy and Kemper and that one handsome guy from the recent Netflix documentary my co-workers kept talking about. What was his stupid nickname? The Ken Doll Killer?

Oh shit!

I didn’t even try to stop my body’s reaction to Scary Aly because, goddamn, watching her go full bad bitch on Brad was fucking hot. If she actually hit him, I might come.

I recognized his normal voice instantly. I fucking knew it was him.

“Then what the fuck are you sitting still for?” he purred into my ear. “I told you to ride it.” Hot damn. Dom Josh could get it.

Josh turned toward it and yelled, batman-style. “Have you no respect for our alone time?” Yowl. “I’m not having this argument with you, young man!” Josh called back. Yowl. “Excuse you, sir. You better not talk to your mother like that when I’m not around.” I shook my head as he strode to the door and yanked it open. Fred was right on the other side, tail swishing as he gave one final, almighty yowl. “That’s it,” Josh said, scooping him up and carrying him out of sight. “Ow. Jesus, be gentle, Fred. You’re clawing through my shirt again. Yes, I know you’re glad to see me.” His voice grew quieter the farther away he walked. “Yes, I missed you too, but screaming at people isn’t the way to show that you care, and don’t you dare point out my stalking. We’re talking about your eccentricities right now, not Daddy’s.”

There was that shirtless jump roper and a firefighter or two, though.”

I can’t explain it, and I know it sounds stupid and illogical and dangerous, and, god, it is, but something in my gut told me to trust you.” I leaned down and bumped my forehead against hers. “It was the snacks, wasn’t it?”

The woman was down for kinky sex, knew how I liked my coffee, and was more than willing to aid in the murder of a rapist. What had I done to get so lucky?

“This is probably a bad time to gloat over the fact that I was right about your identity, isn’t it?” Reader, I puke-laughed.

“I’m lowkey considering pulling over so I can stab him a few times and make myself feel better.” “Haha,” Josh said humorlessly. I gave him a blank look. His eyes flashed wide. “Jesus Christ, Aly.” I winked to let him know I was kidding – kind of –

He was like a soft dom – sweet in the streets and mean in the sheets.

“Are you saying that the couple who commits homicide together, stays together?” He snorted. “Too wordy. I prefer the couple who slays together, stays together.”

“You’re doing the same thing I am,” I said. “Trying to rewrite history.”

“You got a real creepy vibe going on right now, and I don’t know if I should be worried or turned on.” He glanced at his lap, hidden by the island overhang. “Never mind. My body figured it out.”

“No. Absolutely not. This isn’t a job for a woman.” I reared back in Josh’s arms. Overhead, I heard my boyfriend suck in a sharp breath and then let it out with the kind of ooh noise better suited for a playground. He let go of me with one hand and held it out in front of me. “This is the part where you take your earrings out, right?” he said. “I can hold them for you while you beat his ass.” I craned sideways to look at him. “What about not resorting to violence in front of the baby?” Josh’s expression was stoic. “I changed my mind. Sometimes, examples must be made.”

“Aly, you can’t. I’m serious. The men on the team are rough. You shouldn’t be around them.” Another ooh came from behind me, followed by a crunching sound. I glanced over my shoulder and found Josh staring at us with rapt attention. He’d pulled a single-serving popcorn bag out of the box of food he’d packed and was eating it with the kind of glee reserved for someone watching a Real Housewives reunion episode. I shook my head at him, instantly deflating – which was probably his goal –

Josh looked like he was having far too much fun. His eyes pinged back and forth between Junior and me like he was at a tennis match. I was beginning to think that Josh didn’t just enjoy needling me himself but took great pleasure from others giving me a hard time, too. Why? Because he was antagonistic by nature, or did he just like it when I got all riled up?

Josh had gone from an easy-going, loveable golden retriever to a full-blown hellhound in the blink of an eye.

INSTANT book boyfriend. This is why I love Josh's character so much!

“You owe him a favor, remember? His payment for all this is dinner once a month with the family.” I turned to Josh, wide-eyed. “Am I being Gilmored right now?” He nodded. “Yup. He’s going full Emily on you.”