Page 12 of Misery Manor

I was expecting another dead body, or severed limbs hanging from the ceiling, or even blood splattered all over the place. Any of those would have been preferable to the sight in front of me.

Jamal and Megan are standing in a sunroom holding each other and looking out the windows at the night sky.

A sharp pain lances right through my already broken heart at the sight of them.

Jamal has never held me like that.

Not once.

Why doesn’t he love me?

My eyes burn with unshed tears. Maybe tonight was the wake-up call that I needed to finally snap out of it. Jamal doesn’t love me—he doesn’t even like me—and yet I keep trying so hard to keep this relationship from falling apart.

I’m just about to walk away when they start talking.

“Midnight will be here before we know it,” Megan says quietly, pulling away from Jamal and looking deep into his eyes. “We have to do something quick, Jamal.”

He nods and places his hands on her hips. “I know. I want that money more than anything, but we still have plenty of time. Why don’t we just have some fun before we kill her?”

What? Are they talking about me?

Rage washes over Megan’s face, distorting her normally perfect face into something ugly and almost unrecognizable. “I don’t want to have fun, Jamal,” she snaps. “The others are gone. I don’t know what the hell happened to them and quite frankly, I don’t really care. I want Aliyah dead so we can get that money and get the fuck out of here.”

That’s why he was so eager to get married so soon…

Shortly after Mom died, I’d mentioned to Jamal that she’d left me a small inheritance. I wrote him into my will as the sole beneficiary of the $200,000 she’d left me plus the extra $50,000 from her life insurance policy. I had no intention of spending that money unless we were going to buy a house because Jamal provides us with everything we need, but now it’s clear that he’s decided to cash in on the money by paying with my life.

I’ve never heard Megan sound so cold and callous before; it sinks in just how much this bitch hates me. She’s the one who’s been having a whole relationship with my husband—I’ve never even done anything to her.

Chills spider-walk down my spine, and I take a step back to put some distance between us, but unfortunately, the wooden floors decide to creak and give me away. Jamal and Megan’s heads whip in my direction, and without thinking, I turn and run.

CHAPTER 8

HIM

Cherise’s muffled screams follow me out of the basement until I slam the door closed and lock it, shrouding her and Tyler in complete darkness. Once I find the others and Aliyah, I’ll bring her back here so she can give them what they deserve.

In the meantime, my cock aches with the desire to chase her again, to wrap my fingers around her curls and pull her head back as I fuck her from behind.

Goddamn it, she’s completely taken over my mind and I’ve barely touched her.

“What are you going to do with them?” Syn asks from somewhere in the dark hall, breaking me of my lustful thoughts. I look to the left and see her silhouette standing just a foot away.

Wiping my hands on my cloak, I grip my scythe and stroll past her to go look for Aliyah. “Kill them,” I respond shortly.

For a moment I think she’s stayed behind, but when she speaks again, I have to admit it almost scares the shit out of me.

“They were her friends, weren’t they?” she asks curiously. I don’t miss the way she emphasizes her or the slight hint of jealousy beneath her words.

I ignore her and turn a corner sharply, hoping she’ll get the hint that I’m not in the mood to talk.

To her, anyway. I’d happily strike up a conversation with Aliyah if it meant hearing her voice all night.

Maybe Gideon was right—I might actually be “catching feelings” for her. Love at first sight is a very real thing, and I’ve experienced it before. I didn’t think it would ever happen again, but here we are.

“Gideon told me about her,” Syn continues, oblivious to my silence.

Of course he did, I think to myself, gritting my teeth in frustration.