Page 45 of Stay Scared

I look at the skull. “You think they’re why I stopped?”

“I think you wanted to know what I’d do if you finally let me catch you.”

He is close enough now that the leather cuff brushes the back of my fingers when I shift my hand.

Cade sees it.

“Take off the mask.”

His hand rises immediately, lifting the skull far enough to expose his mouth. His lower lip still carries the mark from my teeth, and the sight pulls the taste of whiskey and copper straight back onto my tongue.

Cade runs his tongue across the healing split. “You did that.”

“I remember.”

“You want to do it again.”

“You’re getting arrogant.”

“You keep staring at my mouth.”

I should move.

I stay where I am.

Cade steps closer until the bench touches the backs of my legs, and his eyes drop to my hand.

I lift the restraint.

Every trace of movement leaves him.

I let the leather fall back against the bench with a soft slap.

His eyes return to mine. “Tell me what you want, Salem.”

My name sounds different without the mask filtering his mouth.

One wrist first.

He remembers that much.

I can almost feel the leather closing before he touches it, the skull coming back down afterward and taking his familiar face with it.

My fingers tighten around the edge of the bench.

Cade waits.

“Come closer.”

He does.

Red light cuts across the exposed half of his face as I reach for his vest.

Movement appears behind him.

The beaked mask crosses the tunnel entrance.

My hand drops. “Cade, behind you.”