Dead of Summer - Page 104

“Because I can’t not follow you around.” There’s honesty in his words, along with a touch of frustration and maybe, possibly, bemusement. “That’s insane, right?”

“I don’t know.” I yawn, covering my mouth. “You’re pretty insane, so it probably tracks.”

Kayde whirls suddenly, one hand coming up so he can press his thumb and forefinger to the base of my throat. My heart leaps to the space between his fingers, though it feels less like an escape response and more like I’m starting to crave this sort of touch from Kayde.

Though I definitely ignore the way my body wants to lean into the hold, to make him press harder to my neck around my pulse points.

“Careful, baby girl,” Kayde sighs, though there’s no real threat in it.

“Or you’ll hurt me?” It’s easier to be bold in the dark, when I can barely see the looming, blond consequences of my words glaring down at me.

“Or I’ll pin you to that tree about six feet behind you and fuck you until you can’t walk. Doubt you want to get back to camp with me carrying you. Just think of how we’ll have to explain things to Kinsley and Liza when I go get you an ice pack or a heating pad for your soreness.”

“Is that—” Somehow, I cut myself off. “Never mind.”

“No, come on,” Kayde leans closer, cooing. “I want to hear what risky, bold thing you were about to say to me.”

Well, fuck it, I suppose.

“Is that a threat?” I lean into his hold, staring up at him. “Or a promise, Kayde?”

For a moment, I think I’ve broken him. My psychopath stands there, completely still, like his brain is trying to reboot and remember how to run the Kayde program. I think I see him blink, and his fingers flex around my throat seconds before he barks out a laugh and drops his hand.

“I don’t know what I want more,” he admits, starting to walk again. “To fuck that attitude out of you, or let you keep going until you’re so deep in shit with me you’ll never get free.”

Aren’t I there already?

It certainly feels that way.

“I can’t leave you alone,” he admits again, picking the conversation back up from where we’d left off before…Well, my mouth got in the way. “I can’t. Especially when you’re so damned good at getting yourself hurt. I know I can’t tie you up and keep you in your cabin all day. Kinsley would come looking for you eventually and I don’t want to deal with her mad at me. But…”

I see him shake his head again, as if to clear it. “Guess I’m just too in love with you, Summer. That’s the only answer.”

I don’t know how to tell him that people in love don’t stalk each other. Maybe in his world, in his mind, they really do.

Wait a second?—

“I’m sorry, back up.” My voice is sharper than I intend, and Kayde turns, head tipping like he’s a confused golden retriever. “Are you telling me that the only reason you have against tying me to my bed in my cabin?—”

“Probably my cabin,” he muses. “Melody would probably break in and get you out of yours.”

“Whatever. Is that you don’t want someone else finding me, breaking me out, and being pissed at you?” Surely I’m mistaken and he’s just forgotten to mention how much of an inconvenience to me it would be.

“Uh, yeah. What else should I worry about?” Kayde’s footsteps crunch in the leaves, and he cracks down on a stick that sounds like a gunshot. “I’d feed you. You wouldn’t starve or dehydrate. I’d even give you bathroom breaks.”

“You should worry that I, Summer, might take offense to being locked in a damn cabin,” I tell him flatly.

“You think I couldn’t keep your mind off of it?” His tone is wicked when he asks the question, and I nearly stumble over a root. “You think I couldn’t entertain you, baby girl?”

God, okay, I’ve made a mistake, clearly. Instead of answering, I just snort at his words and lengthen my steps, walking off of the path and further into the woods like I’m going to go get lost just to free myself of his company tonight.

Though evidently, with his admission of stalking me, that might not be an option. “You’re insane,” I call back over my shoulder, feet kicking up forest debris as I stumble over a rock. “You know that, right? It’s not normal to just casually talk about stalking, or kidnapping, or imprisonment—” My foot collides with something big and heavy. Something that isn’t a stone or root.

I go down, arms wheeling at my sides and my flashlight hitting the ground hard enough that it flickers before steadying once more.

“Fuck,” I hiss, hearing Kayde coming at me through the underbrush. “Fuck, that was smart, Summer. What in the hell…” My words trail off as I grasp the flashlight to look at what I’ve fallen over.

Only to find an open, black duffel bag with metal pieces shining up at me dully. I move my legs off of it, aware I only have a few seconds before Kayde is within range to see it as well.