Page 9 of Slaying for Sloan

I’m just part of the fucking scenery—until I decide otherwise.

Not that I’m worried. My sweet doe doesn’t see me; she doesn’t evensenseme. And that’s the beauty of this little game I’ve created.

She stops to check her phone, oblivious to how I’m closing in with each second that ticks by. She’s fucking beautiful like this—unsuspecting, wrapped in a red sweater dress that hugs her just right. Her gaze drifts from shop to shop as if in search of the precious boyfriend she thinks set up this little game for her.

Wrong again, sweet doe.

Tucking her phone in her pocket, she continues down the snowy lane. I bite my lip beneath my thick wool ski mask, watching the way her hips sway as she walks, each step giving me a perfect view of her plump ass jiggling just enough to make my mouth water. I’m only a few steps behind, savoring it, every part of me itching to sink my teeth into that warm, soft flesh to mark her as mine.

Icicles hang from the eaves outside the shops, catching in the yellow light of lamp posts while snowflakes drift lazily from the darkening sky, settling on the hats and scarves of tourists shuffling by amid their last-minute shopping. I track her silently, inhaling when the wind shifts, welcoming her scent as it hits my nose—a mix of amber and something sweetly wild.

Fuck. She’s warm even in the freezing air, and her scent lingers long after she’s walked through like she’s unknowingly marked a path for me. Every street she crosses and every alley she considers turning down leads exactly where I want her—I’ve made sure of it.

There’s only one path for my sweet doe to take, and I can already feel the thrill building as I watch her unknowingly walk right into my trap. The hunter in me savors every moment, anticipating the sweet satisfaction of watching her become my prey, helpless and bound to me.

There was a time when I loved this town and its people. It was home once, full of familiar faces, comfort, and laughter. But that was before they turned on me, before they looked at me with the same disapproval my parents did simply for being different. Before they cast me out and were more than willing to go along with my parents, pretending I never existed.

Now, I see them for what they really are: a town full of fucking cowards and sheep who sneer and gawk from a safe distance. They judge with their eyes, condemning anyone who doesn’t fit into their perfect little world or bow down to their silent god.

Every single piece of shit in this town is worthless to me—except for her.

She rounds the corner, and I follow without a sound, my pulse picking up as she turns into the narrow alley behind Sugar & Spice Bakery. I already knew she would take this route. It’sexactly as I had planned. A few steps more, and she’ll be right where I want her.

This alley is a dead end, it’s why I chose this one. She pauses, glancing around before realizing the way she turned leads nowhere. I watch as her shoulders tense, waiting, my eyes locked and waiting for the perfect moment. She hesitates and finally turns around.

And then I make my move.

In a single, fluid step, I’m there—my body crashing into hers, pinning her against the cold brick wall with a satisfying thud. My hands brace her shoulders, my presence close enough to catch the startled gasp that slips from her lips. The way her body tenses at first, then slowly softens, tells me everything I need to know.

My sweet fucking doe thinks I’m him.Alex.

She sighs—just a little—like she’s melting into me, and I feel her trust, raw and blind. She has no idea that I’m not my brother, but I can feel the way her heartbeat skips beneath my palms, hear her breath hitch as she leans into me, all too willing. She doesn’t fight; she doesn’t even pull away. No, instead, she presses closer, like she’s been waiting for this moment, forhim.

Her lips part, and I can taste the air between us, thick with her need. A soft smile tugs at her lips as she whispers, her voice almost tentative, “Alex…”

I could fucking laugh. The sound almost bursts out of me, but instead, I let her have this illusion. I let her believe in the lie a little longer. She relaxes, sinking further against me, like I’ve unlocked something deep inside her. The words she breathes send a charge straight to my cock, pulling me in deeper, urging me to take what I want.

She’s already fucking mine.

Leaning in closer, I let her feel the heat radiating off me and the tension that crackles in the space between us. Her bodypresses against mine, soft and trembling. The way she moves beneath me is fucking maddening; she’s so unaware of the storm she’s invited by playing my little game. To thinkhehad her like this for so long... It makes my blood boil. He didn’t fucking deserve her, not like this. He never knew how to take care of her, how to make her burn.

But I do.

She looks up at me, her gaze so trusting, it’s almost fucking cute. She has no idea. Her hands reach up, brushing over my chest, before hooking into the straps of my vest and pulling me in closer like she needs me—like I’m what she’s beencraving.

Behind my mask, a smirk forms on my lips as I gently lift the bottom part of it up, exposing my chin and lips to the cool winter air. I lean in, my lips brushing against the soft skin of her neck, and she shudders with the contact.

She melts into me, her breath quickening, her pulse fluttering like it wants to break free. Every soft kiss or nip I leave along her jawline, every touch—it’s like she’s unraveling in my hands, and fuck if I don’t love it.

Her pouty lips part, and I can hear a soft sigh escape her, I can feel the way her body tenses when she whispers his name. “Oh, fuck, Alex…”

Fuck, this is too good. It’s good enough to have my cock rock hard, throbbing to sink itself inside her. This is just the beginning. Tonight, I’m going to fucking ruin her, and my sweet doe is begging for it without even knowing.

I press closer, our bodies flush against each other, and when she gasps, I can taste her need. Her hands clutch at me tighter, her nails digging into my tactical vest like she’s trying to hold onto something intangible, trying to find stability in this chaos.

But there’s no stability here, not anymore. Not when I’m the fucking one she’s falling into.

I pull her in, my mouth tracing her jawline, feeling every tremble she can’t control.