Hate So Good: A High School Bully Romance (The Hate Series Book 2) Nina Lincoln (latest novels to read TXT) 📖

he’s denied anything with her up one side and down the other. If he’s said nothing about her, what else is he not saying?

After a few more minutes of misery, I wash my face and exit. From here, I can see Colt is still outside pacing as he talks on the phone, and with a pulse in my chest, I take a deep breath and will the hurt away. Was this what he said he’s not proud of?

“Finn?”

Turning, I see Tiffany standing before me with a vicious grin before everything goes dark.

*****

Slowly I open my eyes, glancing around with a shiver, but it’s cold and dark, and I can’t see a damn thing. Sitting up, I wince when I smack my head into something above me, the pain in my brain ratcheting to DEFCON 1 levels.

“Fuck.”

At this point, I should probably be worried about brain damage. How many times can you get hit in the head before it’s permanent?

Glancing around the darkness, I squint until shapes slowly form around me. There are stairs or steps below me and at the bottom is a tall pole with something attached at the top, the soft glow of an exit sign shining across the way.

Am I in the...gym? The stinky smell of sweat and plastic singes my nose as the idea pops into my head.

Confused, I stand on shaky feet and grab the bar above me, pulling myself up on the bleachers and weaving on my feet as I clutch the railing tightly and step down them carefully.

My shoes make a faint squeaking sound, and I wince, glancing around cautiously. The last thing I remember is the news about Portia, well that and Tiffany.

But why am I here?

A light clicks on behind me, and I scream, spinning toward it, but I can’t see beyond the brightness, black spots dancing behind my retinas.

“Here you are. I’ve been waiting for this, Finn,” a silky voice calls out, causing chills to race down my spine.

Fuck. Glancing around wildly, I take a single step back, gasping when I hit something firm behind me, and find Ben standing there with an evil leer, his eyes bright with wicked greed.

Shit. If Ben’s behind me, who’s behind the light?

Spinning so I can see both him and whoever’s behind the fucking spotlight, I say shakily, “What do you want?”

Chuckling rings out, and it’s so creepy, I shiver, wrapping my arms around my middle. Can you hear evil in just a tone? Because whoever it is, sounds completely mad, and it scares the shit out of me.

“You Finn, I want you.”

“Why? Why all this? Why not just talk to me like a normal human being?” I ask desperately.

“Because you’re special. I’ll admit, at first it was just a game, but then I saw Finn, I saw you,” he says reverently.

“A game?”

“Yes, just a little game,” he says casually as though no harm was done.

“You’re a fucking psycho!”

“Enough! This can end very badly for you, Finn. Don’t make me hurt you,” he growls.

“And Sarah?” I whisper.

“You don’t need to worry about her any longer. A shame since she was good at what she did, but she became a liability.”

“What did you do to her?” I whimper.

This is all so surreal I’m not sure my brain has caught up with the adrenaline surging through my system. How can it? It’s utterly unbelievable.

“I cut off her tongue,” he says baldly.

“Wh-what?” I gasp, stepping away, but Ben’s behind me and makes sure to block my passage.

“Why?” I say, unable to stop the tears that well. Poor Sarah.

If I thought my fan was dangerous before, now I know whatever I considered pales compared to the reality. This isn’t a simple crush. He’s fucking insane.

“Because she threatened what’s mine,” he says firmly. “And let’s be clear, Colt’s fucking next. I told you to stay away from him, but you just wouldn’t listen. You think that dick loves you? Jokes on you. He’s played the same damn game with others. Has he told you you’re his light? Has he said he can’t live without you? Newsflash Finn, Colt said the same damn thing to poor little Portia before he knocked her up and dropped her. He has no soul that one. He’s not capable of loving you, not like me. Finn, I love you. Me!”

Flinching, I bow my head, wondering if this is it. I’m going to die here, by a psycho with no moral compass.

“Do you understand, Finn?”

“I don’t understand anything,” I say miserably.

“No? Well, let me help you, then. Every step you take, I’m watching. I know who you're with. I know who you fuck. I know who you hate. Why do you think I took out Sarah? For you! All of this is for you!”

“No,” I scream, “No, I don’t want this!”

“Too fucking bad! You think you can defy me?” he roars.

Cocking my head to the side, I think I recognize the timbre of his voice, but he quiets, and it's gone.

“Enough! This is it. I’ve been waiting for this, and Colt, with his fucking lies and games, isn't going to take it from me. He’s a fucking liability, Finn. He doesn't want you. He wants to crush you!”

‘Maybe, he does,” I whisper, “but this doesn't change the fact that you’re a fucking psycho.”

“Bitch! You want to fucking mess-”

The blaring light flickers and then blows, leaving us in darkness once again. Without thought, just the visceral need to live, I spin on my heels and take off for the nearest door.

Thankfully, I’ve been in the gymnasium for pep rallies and other bullshit, otherwise, I’d be lost, having skipped PE this year.

“Fuck!” Ben curses behind me.

“Don’t let her leave!” The other voice barks.

Adrenaline surges through me like crack, and with a heave, I slam through the doors entering the dark hallway. Ben’s right behind me, and it’s dark enough he can’t easily see me, but this means I can’t see a fucking thing either.

Plastering myself against the wall, I blow out a shaky breath, relieved when he