Page 110 of My Killer Blind Date

Liam, who got into this mess to support me, and promised to see it through – and now he might die for it.

It’s not supposed to work like this. Bad people should die. Good people should live. When did everything get so fucked? I can’t let anything happen to him.

I think of Liam at my coffee maker, Liam whipping up eggs in my kitchen, Liam’s lips hovering over mine. I’m filled with the ache of potential. We’re just getting started. I want to go back to his cabin and do naughty things in that outdoor shower. This can’t be how our story ends.

I open my eyes to the merest slit, and fuck, Zoe is hovering right over me.

‘I should do it now,’ she says, and she sounds sad, which is so fucking twisted.

‘How?’ says Devin.

‘I’ll smother her before we cremate her. It always feels kind of gentle that way.’

‘Are you sure?’ Devin’s voice is dead serious. ‘Zoe … Margot is good people. She’s your best friend. And my coworker. She hasn’t done anything wrong.’

‘That’s what makes this so hard!’ Zoe shouts. ‘Do you think I don’t know how wrong this is? But this is on her! I gave her an out, and she wouldn’t fucking take it!’

My heart is beating so hard surely Zoe can see my chest vibrating.

She sighs. ‘Isn’t there some kind of pillow in this place?’

‘Yeah, I’ll get you one from upstairs. But we have to hurry, OK? They’ll look for us here next.’

Devin’s footsteps retreat. I open my eyes. The first thing I see is Liam, looking straight at me from his prone position on the gurney, his eyes steady, encouraging. Trusting. Zoe is still close enough I could touch her, but distracted, looking at the door that’s just closing behind Devin.

Now is my chance – when it’s just Zoe. I surge up, knife slippery in my fingers, and stab forward. I’m so buzzed with adrenaline I don’t even know where the blade lands, but it pierces flesh, and she’s stumbling back with a dry shriek as I swing my bound legs off the table and immediately bend to try and cut my feet free. But Zoe’s back, a crutch lifted, the sinewy muscles in her arm standing out. It comes crashing against my head, and I fall sideways, off the table, all the way down to the floor, the knife skittering away as I break my fall. She’s coming closer – I swipe my hand forward and knock out a crutch. Thrown off balance, she topples, and we’re on the ground, my hands in her hair, her hands around my neck.

She squeezes, and I can feel the feral strength in each digit, cutting off my air. My eyes bug out, my instincts scream, all I can hear is a high-pitched buzz.

Escape the chokehold … how did that lady do it again? … I think it involved legs … but mine are still zip tied …

Then, I see movement behind her. Liam. His hands and feet are still bound, but he’s upright on the gurney, pale, his teeth gritted.

I can’t breathe. She’s literally choking me. Every vein in my head is about to explode. And then, Liam launches his body off the gurney, crashing into us. The pressure on my neck relieves, and I gasp for breath as Zoe rolls off me and straddles Liam, clawing and punching. With his arms and legs restrained, he can’t defend himself. Blood spurts from his nose as he takes punch after punch.

‘Stop!’ I shriek, grabbing Zoe’s hair and pulling her away, because that’s the mouth that kissed me, and she does not get to ruin it.

‘Margot—’ Liam groans, releasing a gurgling cough. ‘I love you. I—’ And then his eyes roll back in his head.

I don’t have time to even process his declaration.

My hands buried in Zoe’s hair, I yank back and forth, but she seems impervious to any pain she may be experiencing and is already reaching for my throat again, impossibly strong, every tendon in her neck standing out, looking more monster than human.

The world starts to go dark again – and then, a noise. The door opening. A cry of surprise.

Devin. He’s back, and now I’m truly done for and I’ll never get to kiss Liam again, or hear that laugh that felt like it was healing me every time it tumbled out—

But it’s not Devin’s voice that cries out,

‘Found them!’ followed by another voice that shouts, ‘Get off her, you bitch!’

George – and someone else behind her. Elsie.

The weight goes off me as George grabs Zoe. My vision swims as I try to take in what’s happening. George advancing on Zoe. Zoe backing away from George on all fours, like a cowed animal, toward the retort.

‘The cops are on their way,’ says George, standing tall. ‘It’s over, Zoe.’

That’s when I notice the knife, right next to Zoe. She notices it too and reaches for it. Her eyes gleam, wild and wet.