AVERY
“Our home?” I ask, my mouth dry, the air sucked from lungs, making me faint. “Where we will live together…”
“Of course, silly.” Hayden smiles, but I don’t trust it, he’s eerily calm, the way a psychopath can be. Every cell screams, begs, pleads me not to set foot inside. The postwar townhome reaks of death and decay. Its pungent scent wafts through the enclosed limo, invading my nostrils, and overturning my stomach. “Let’s go inside, I want to show you around.”
My subconscious wails, begging me to avoid this trap at all costs. “Avery?” His tone drops two octaves, his gaze harsh, his cheery demeanor rapidly shifting darker.
“Of course,” I plaster on my best smile, hoping that placating him keeps him from snapping. This is a chess game. I have to make my moves carefully, and plan.
