Page 79 of When Darkness Calls

Yeah. That…that should work okay.

Then the thought hits me. Why is she calling me? Why would she call the weirdo masked man outside her fucking window? Why wouldn’t she just text me like the other day?

“Wait, shit, are you trouble? Are you okay? Have you been hurt? Why are you calling me? This is a really, really bad idea.”

She sighs on the line and there is a pause. “I think that this is the best idea I have had for some time.”

I don’t reply. I just blink. Surely this is a mistake.

“I’m not in trouble. I’m okay, not hurt. What’s your name?”

I breathe deeply. Good. Okay. It’s not an emergency. She’s not being attacked again or something. No one’s broken in and Cade’s half dead in the kitchen and she’s hiding in her closet.

“Why do you want to know my name?” My spine straightens.

“I want to know who has been watching me. I’ve been watching you, too.”

Fuck. Me.

Unease fills me, my heartbeat quickens, the thumping pace ringing in my ears. “Why have you been watching me, sweet girl?”

“Why are you watching me?” She challenges me. Her tone is still the same calm, as if she is just talking to a friend, a normal night in. I can imagine her lying in her bed, twirling a stray curl around her finger as she stares off at the wall when she speaks.

“I’m watching over you. You seem to be a magnet for trouble. I’m protecting you.”

A little bit of truth in the grand scheme. But now it’s more than that. For weeks I have had my eyes on her when she is alone. And each second brings me closer to feeling like I may not be just doing Cade a favor, or upholding our promise to watch over her, but that maybe I am stalking her for my own means. She’s fascinating. Fierce, strong-willed, passionate. But yet, she’s also been reserved and thoughtful, except for the moments when she becomes aware of me. It’s then, in those moments, that she lights up. A beacon in the darkness of East End.

“You make me afraid,” Dani states, and my stomach drops.

No. No, I don't want her to fear me. But I guess that’s the only normal response she has had about my presence, no matter how much it guts me.

“I like this taste of fear. I have missed it,” she says quietly. And just like that, she surprised me again.

“You aren’t scared?”

“I am, but I love the way it feels with you. I feel alive. I haven’t felt alive for a long time. You know, you still haven’t told me your name.” I can hear her grin. The teasing little lift of her plump lips.

I wonder if she is wearing makeup or if she’s taken it off for the night. The last couple weeks, she’s taken a particular interest in this dark, rusty orange lipstick. It’s such a unique color, like that of the withered fall leaves that have begun dotting the streets and lawns of East End. It’s such a stark contrast to her natural lips, a soft dusty pink. Either way, the thought has my cock throbbing. Arousal stirs deep inside me, like a sweet little tease.

“My friends call me, Shadow. But you can call me whatever you like.”

She hums. “Hmm, Shadow. I find that very fitting for you. Do you always find yourself hiding in the dark?”

I smirk, shaking my head. Sitting back, I rub at the slight stubble lining my jaw. My tongue ran across the warm metal piercing my flesh on the inside of my lip.

“Yeah, you could say that I do. It makes it easier.”

“Makes what easier?”

“Observing. My job. Finding the truth. A lot of things, but mostly getting to know you, Dani. You aren’t who I thought you were. And I must say, I quite like the surprise.”

A crackle on the line cuts through her laugh. The sound of a symphony in my ears. That joy, that freedom, is all I ever want for her.

“That must mean you know a lot about me. Yet, I know so very little about you, except you have such kind words for me. That doesn’t seem very fair to me.”

“I do know more than you would think, Dani.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “Hmm…Tell me, Shadow. Do you like scary movies?” Her words have taken on a breathy whisper into the phone. And I can’t deny that I am loving it more than I should.