She waited…
Waited for him to burn her…
She opened her eyes to see him staring at her.
A lighter in his hand.
"You don't get it, Peace…" he said as he held the flame near her dress, letting it slowly catch fire.
She was shaking, caught in fits of sobs. "You don't get it at all…"
"If you close your eyes, I can't enjoy this," he said, and her heart stopped.
"What's that look in your eye?" he murmured, watching her as the flames consumed her dress. The fire licked at her flesh, but it wasn't as hot as she expected.
"If you burn… I burn," he said, his raw skin brushing against hers, both of them engulfed in flames.
"You're crazy," she whispered, trembling.
He caressed her cheek. "I know."
---
"That concludes the PTA meeting for today," Principal Beck's voice cut through. "Any contributions, Miss Reed?"
Peace snapped awake, realizing she was in a PTA meeting. How long had she zoned out?
"Um… nothing much, just that the kids are going on an excursion soon, so the flight tickets and all…" she muttered.
"Mr. Martins has agreed to cover the costs. Isn't that right, Mr. Martins?" Principal Beck said, gesturing toward the ridiculously handsome man in a crisp black suit.
"Yes, anything for my one and only…" His gaze lingered on Peace's lips before he added, "…nephew." His eyes dropped briefly to her thighs.
Peace swallowed, looking away. Why did he have to look at her like that? She'd had enough incidents with men to last a lifetime.
---
The meeting ended, and Peace returned to her classroom, focusing on the pile of assignments waiting on her desk.
She spent hours marking papers, her pen scratching across the pages when she felt the air shift.
He slipped through the window.
"You are incredibly difficult to reach, darling," he snarled.
Peace gulped, clutching her pen tightly. "What do you want now?"
"I want to see you," he said, his fingers trailing across the desks.
The sound of sirens echoed in the distance. "I'm sure that's why the cops are chasing you," she said, narrowing her eyes.
He chuckled darkly. "Well, I might've killed a little asshole for staring at my girl's lips…"
Her breath hitched. "You wouldn't—"
He smirked. "I don't want to take chances."
"Goddammit, Darco, will you stop?!" she screamed.
"No!" he shouted, his voice vibrating through the room as the desks flew violently into the air.
"No, I can't stop," he whispered now, his tone softer as the desks arranged themselves back in place.
"Maybe if you return with me, to my home, then maybe I—"
"No." She cut him off sharply. "I'm never going with you."
His smirk widened as the cops burst into the building. A lifeless body materialized in the classroom, and Peace stifled a scream.
"Well, then," he said, heading toward the window, "have fun in jail."
She didn't hesitate.
Ignoring the height, she climbed out the window, gripping the railing tightly. Letting herself fall to the second floor, she hit the ledge hard before repeating the process until she reached the first floor.
Her body ached, but she peered over the railing. The cops were everywhere, the school wrapped in yellow and black tape.
She was trapped.
"Psst!"
She looked up and saw him, Darco, standing upside down from the ceiling.
"You may not believe it, but your criminal boyfriend can save you," he said with a crooked grin.
"You're not my boyfriend," she hissed.
"Take my hand," he urged.
She hesitated.
"Over there!" a cop shouted, their voices drawing closer.
Reluctantly, she grabbed his hand. He pulled her into an air vent with ease.
"God, I hate your fucking guts," she muttered.
He smirked in the darkness. "But you can't deny that I'm the fun in your life, Peace."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not interested in fun."
"All lies," he whispered by her ear. "You love the danger…"
"It's intoxicating…"
He licked her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Like when I fucked you in a cop car… remember?"