Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1)

by Penelope Douglas

There were dark deeds and bad seeds, but who cared if the house was falling apart as long as it was pretty, right?

I wanted to get into a little trouble. I wanted to catch some rain, find something that made my heart pump again, and I wanted to know what it was like to not have anyone to grab onto.

The closer you got to anything beautiful, the less beautiful it became. Allure was in the mystery, not the appearance.

“Own who you are,” he commanded. “And don’t apologize. Do you understand? Own it or it will own you.”

“Run all you want, Little Monster,” he said, sounding like a threat. “We’re faster.”

“When you want to make an impression and you think you’ve gone far enough, go a little further. Always leave them wondering if you’re just a little bit crazy, and people will never fuck with you again.”

I spotted Will with a rag now stuffed in the bottle of alcohol as he, Damon, and Kai headed for what looked like the Witch’s Hat Gazebo in the park. What? “Why’s he going after the gazebo?” I asked Michael. “Because he’s in love with the girl who built it,” he replied, “and she can’t stand him.” I pinched my eyebrows together, confused and not caring who saw my face anymore. “Emmy Scott?” I shot out, wanting to laugh. “What?” Michael looked at me, not sharing the joke. “Well, she’s not . . .” I trailed off, thinking of moody little Emory Scott in her black-rimmed glasses and overalls who never wore a stitch of makeup. “Well, she’s not really his type, is she?”

the things that were irreplaceable in life were the only things of value.

Redefine normal. None of us know the full measure of our power until we start pushing our boundaries and pressing our luck, and the more we do,

“That’s what scares you, isn’t it?” Kai prodded. “It doesn’t scare me.” “I hope not,” he said, staring down at her. “Because you’ve corrupted her nice and good. She’s a force now, and it won’t be long before she’s brave enough to demand what she wants. If you don’t give it to her, she’ll find someone else who will.” I turned my head, peering over at him. “I don’t need your warnings. I don’t lose.” “That wasn’t a warning,” he shot back, not taking his eyes off her. “That was a threat.” And then he looked at me as he turned to leave. “Watch your back, brother.”