together in the first place, didn’t it? We were perfect for each other–I needed you just like you needed me. But I knew your management would never look twice at me without some sort of heroics thrown in. Pretty impressive stuff, huh?’ He stood up, dusting himself off. ‘You never even had a clue.’
Chloe lunged at him, but the drops had affected her depth perception and she went crashing to the floor.
Nate thought a minute. It wouldn’t do to leave her out here to catch pneumonia. Eventually some shred of conscience got the better of him and he bent to help her up, rolling her face round. Her eyes were clumpy with mascara and there was sick round her mouth. Her face was like chamois leather.
‘Shit,’ he muttered, hoping he hadn’t given her too much. ‘Come on, babe.’ He grabbed her wrists and dragged her over the threshold. There was a loud tear as her dress got caught under one heel.
Wow, she was heavy. He slid the door shut and stood with his arms folded.
‘Get up, Chlo,’ he told her.
When she didn’t move, he hauled her on to the bed.
‘Chloe?’ He patted her cheeks a couple of times. ‘Can you hear me?’
Nothing. He shook her. ‘Chloe, answer me.’ Silence.
Oh, Jesus Christ, thought Nate. Jesus fucking Christ.
97
Lester kicked the door shut behind him. He was trembling, every inch of his body alight again after all these years. He had touched her. He had touched her beautiful, perfect, murderer’s face.
Lana was whimpering. ‘You’re not real,’ she gasped. ‘You’re not real. You can’t be. You’re not real.’
He drew the gun from his pocket and waved it in her face. ‘This real enough for you?’
Lana let out a horrified sob, kicking her legs out, trying to crawl away from him.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he snarled, reaching down and grabbing her arm. He shook her like a doll.
She began to cry so he slapped her. He slapped her again and again. Fucking women, all they did was cry and bitch.
‘Not much of a welcome home for your brother, is it?’ he sneered.
She moaned, thrashing to break free. ‘You’re dead!’ she cried. ‘You’re dead!’
In a rage he spat on her. The white discharge landed on the neck of her gown, clinging there like foam. She let out a sob, a strangled, savage sound.
‘Is that right?’ he taunted, leaning close to her face. She recoiled, refusing to see him. Darting like a snake he went for her, licking her pink cheek, his tongue flat and wet on her skin. She tasted good–exactly like he remembered.
‘That feels very fucking alive to me.’ He grimaced. ‘Looks like you forgot to finish me off … Lana.’
She shook her head uselessly. ‘It’s not possible. You’re not real. Please—’
‘What the fuck are you crying at?’ he demanded, shaking her again, with more force this time. ‘Huh? What the fuck are you crying at?’ Her eyes bugged wild with fear. He could smell the fear on her and it was sweet.
‘You’re dead,’ she said again, quieter this time.
‘Dead?’ he barked, tightening his grip. ‘That’s how you wanted me, isn’t it, you murdering whore? Left me for dead and took everything I had, burned it right to the ground–but you didn’t take me, Laura; you didn’t take me!‘
He leered at her, forcing her to see what he had become. When he smacked her again, it was with the butt of his gun. She was thrown back, her head taking the force of the impact.
Excitement threatened to ruin everything–he had to keep himself in check. Things were moving fast. There was plenty more he wanted to do with her yet.
Weakly she turned to look at him, her face covered in blood. Shit, he’d split her eye.
She seemed to gather strength from somewhere. ‘You’re not him,’ she said coldly. ‘I know you’re not. Tell me who you are.’
‘You really want to know?’ he rasped.
She screamed it this time. ‘Tell me who you are!‘
Suddenly his hand was on her mouth, its sour taste gagging her; the other pressed the gun against her temple.
‘If you make another noise like that I will put a bullet in your brain,’ he told her. ‘I will kill you and I won’t think twice about it. Do you understand?’
Mutely she nodded, the whites of her eyes rolling. He kept the clamp in place, just in case.
‘Now listen carefully,’ he hissed, ‘because I’m going to tell you a story.’ He came closer; she could smell his rotten breath. ‘When I was