Please Hate Me (Unholy #1)

32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Sebastian

three weeks later…

I sat in my SUV, chain-smoking, watching the wind rustle through the half-dead leaves clinging to Sophia’s apple trees. Three weeks had passed since I started pursuing Cameron. Though I had cleverly used romance to shroud my intent, my true interest rested purely in apprehending him. However, indicting Cameron was taking much longer than I assumed it would. I had no concrete evidence that he’d committed any crimes. But I was used to long chases—that wasn’t the issue.

The real problem was, the closer I got to him, the less he screamed, ‘ I’m a serial killer ’. If he were a murderer, he probably would have at least attempted to kill me to keep his secret safe. At the very least, he’d be preparing the usual ritualistic sacrifice with Mason. The previous victims of the Sons of Christ had all been “ tested ” exactly thirty-one weeks into their respective pregnancies. I was certain there was some twisted reasoning behind that timeline, but I had no idea what it could be.

All I knew was that the house had not yet been set ablaze.

Besides, Cam’s personality didn’t appear to contain any of the sociopathic tendencies you’d expect to find in a cold-blooded killer. On the surface, he was kind—and incredibly patient with Mason, which was the quickest way to earn my favor. But I couldn’t ignore the glaring evidence that something was amiss with Cameron Cole.

I had conducted several discreet interviews with him, Lucian, and Sophia individually. Cameron had opened up to me a bit about his past, but he wouldn’t tell me where he was born. He’d also told me his parents were dead, whereas Sophia claimed he simply didn’t speak to his father. And Lucian, despite being heavily involved with the church, couldn’t tell me why Cameron had been sent to France, nor why the church had been closed during his absence. It was as if Saint Samael’s couldn’t exist without Cameron.

I knew he was involved with the Sons of Christ. I just didn’t know how. Which was terrible, considering how desperately I wanted to kill him.

He was getting too close to my girlfriend, and I didn’t like it. Every single night, he’d try to convince Mason to change Lavender’s name, and I was fairly certain she was considering it. I told Mason that I was okay with whatever she decided, but that was an outright lie. I wanted her to shoot him down immediately. She needed to stand her ground—to tell him she loved me, that I was Lavender’s father figure, and that it was my right to name our daughter. But she never did.

Come to think of it, Lucian was pissing me off too. He was constantly fawning over Mason like a love-sick puppy. To make matters worse, he doted on her every need before I had the chance. If she was craving fruit snacks? He’d come home with a 60-pack as soon as I grabbed my keys to head to the store. Her shoulders hurt? He’d dash over to give her a massage before I could even blink. She was feeling stressed and incredibly overwhelmed? Lucian would run her a bath, light candles, and tell her to unwind. I had never heard her ask Lucian to do any of that—it was like he just fucking knew . It was as if he and Mason were connected by an invisible thread, one that allowed them to know each other’s thoughts. What could I possibly be missing?

Never in my life did I think I’d envy a felon, but here I was, wishing I could be more like my degenerate brother.

The heat of my cigarette kissed my fingers as I exhaled one last puff of smog before extinguishing it in my car’s ashtray. I had been smoking more recently, and the tray was getting pretty full... but it still closed, which meant the chore of emptying it was better saved for another day. I stepped out of the driver’s side before popping the hatch to retrieve the goodies I had purchased for Mason. I always brought her gifts when returning from a work trip. This time, instead of flowers, I elected to snag a few things for the baby.

My suitcase stared back at me as I neglected to grab it. I wanted to up the ante with Cameron Cole, to see him actually afraid, so I left a white shirt saturated with the blood of my last extermination in my luggage. I didn’t want to risk anyone else, especially Mason, seeing it. And so, here it would stay.

I locked my vehicle as I headed to the porch. Though it was barely autumn, the wind was bitter as it whipped against me, almost causing me to drop my presents for Mason. Fuck, even mother nature was annoying me today.

Fortunately, I knew just how to escape her. I fumbled with my keys for a moment before locating the bronze one that matched the front door’s lock. I held my breath as I opened the door, and a rush of excitement filled my veins. As soon as I saw Mason, I’d feel better. I always did.

Upon entering the house, my face was immediately blasted with heat and the smell of pumpkin spice. A nine-foot-tall spruce tree, half-decorated with orange fairy lights, stood in the center of the foyer. The lack of pine scent hinted at the fact that the tree was plastic, rather than wood, but you’d never guess based on appearance alone.

In any other house, a Christmas tree at the beginning of October would be a strange sight, but Sophia was a chronic early decorator. Apparently, Lucian used to throw a fit any time she brought out Santa Claus before December first, which led to the creation of what Sophia liked to call ‘ the holiday tree ’ . For the final three months of the year, the tree would remain up and decorated for each of the main holidays. Part of me wondered if this was just Sophia’s excuse to redecorate every month.

I slipped my shoes off before shutting the door, the house creaking as I did. When I looked up, Cameron was descending the steps, holding a storage bin labeled Halloween . His face didn’t light up when he saw me, but he no longer grimaced when I came home. He paused for a moment, our eyes locking before he continued walking.

“You’re home.” A tight-lipped smile crossed his face as he placed the box on a nearby table.

I breathed in the tension between us. Since my confession, Cameron and I were caught in a never-ending dance of hostility, thinly veiled under forced adoration. However, we only kept the fa?ade when surrounded by others.

Mason’s goodies joined Cameron’s box on the table, and I placed a hand on his shoulder. I had been trying to work up the gall to kiss him, but honestly, I was too far out of his league. To kiss Cameron Cole would be to belittle myself, and I would avoid doing that at any cost.

“You’re home.” he repeated. His tone seemed carefully measured, so as not to sound too irritated with my presence.

“I am,” I breathed. “Where’s Mason?”

He rolled his eyes before shrugging me off and unfolding the top of the box. After a moment, he pulled out a length of orange lights and began carefully winding them around the tree.

“The gym. Sophia took her to that prenatal couples’ yoga class they like.”

The lights on the tree illuminated Cameron’s face with a carrot-colored glow, casting shadows across his strong features. I watched him for a moment, trying to convince myself to find this behemoth of a man attractive.

Honestly, it’d be easier if he wasn’t so fucking stupid.

“The gym, huh? That’s new,” I mused, reaching out to help him with the lights.

Cameron’s gaze hardened, and he stopped decorating to look at me.

“It ain’t new. You’d know if you paid attention to anything Mason tells you.”

He snatched the strand of lights from my hand.

“I pay attention to everything she tells me.” How could he say I didn’t? I knew Mason’s blood type, her favorite food, every address she’d ever lived at. Everything there was to know about Mason, I knew it.

“Listen. I really want to like you, because Mason does. But you ain’t makin’ yourself very likable,” Cameron groused. “You only pay attention to what you think is useful. Unfortunately, it’s something I’ve noticed about you.”

My eyes widened from shock before anger could take over. Who was he to talk to me like that? I was the detective, and he was the suspect. If anyone was going to make accusations, it should have been me.

“If you have me all figured out, why don’t you tell me more?” I challenged, placing my hands on his.

The heat from his bear-like mitts immediately soaked into my palms. My breath hitched as I realized... I wasn’t entirely opposed to the feeling.

“Because you ain’t worth my time.” Cameron’s grumble reverberated through my chest. There was a strange flutter in my stomach, a feeling I couldn’t place. Even if I didn’t like Cameron, the thrill of the chase was too strong to resist. I didn’t want him , but I wanted to toy with him. So, I closed the already narrow gap between us.

My hands launched an expedition across his impossibly broad chest as I allowed the heat emanating from him to envelop me. The silent challenge in his gaze sent a shiver down my spine.

“You say I’m not worth your time...” I trailed a finger from his chest up to his jaw, running it over the copper stubble decorating his neck. Gross, he needed to shave. “... But I think you’re just afraid of what I might uncover.”

I closed in, pressing my lips to his ear. “Tell me what you’re hiding, Cameron.”

“Sebastian...” He whispered my name like a secret. “You’re playing with fire.”

I pulled away at the implication of his words: ‘ playing with fire ’. Was his choice of words intentional, or just a coincidence? Either way, I had to keep up this momentum.

“I’m not afraid to get burned.”

His eyes bore into mine, and my lips curled into a smirk.

“I wish you’d stop playing with me,” he relented. “This would be easier if you just interrogated me and got it over with.”

“You think this is a game?” I feigned a gasp. “Cameron, I can assure you, my feelings for you are as real as that tree.”

He rolled his honey-brown eyes before grumbling “ feelings ” under his breath. I wasn’t sure if he meant for me to hear it, but I did.

“If you like me, I’m gonna need you to prove it. It’s been almost a month of you pussyfootin’ around, and I’m gettin’ sick of it.”

My breath caught. “And how would you like me to do that?”

“Kiss me.” His lips struggled into a smile. “If you have a crush on me, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

I fought a grimace at the idea of his five o’clock shadow scratching my chin. A kiss was too personal, too raw. But another brilliant thought struck me: one-night stands happened all the time, and they were often with someone you didn’t know. My virginity was already gone, so it wouldn’t hurt anyone if I let Cameron fuck me instead.

“Kiss me,” he repeated.

My mouth went dry, and my chest warmed.

Here goes nothing.

“A kiss? What are we, teenagers?” I snorted. “I want to do something more… intimate with you.”

Cameron inched in, his nose dangerously close to mine. The strange fluttery feeling returned, but this time, it was faster, harder, as though his very presence was whipping it into a frenzy.

“You want me to fuck you?” He smirked.

My stomach flipped, and I choked on spit. My chest was hot, so unbearably hot. What the fuck was this?

“Y-you said p-prove it.” My words were meant to come across as cool, but the shake in my voice betrayed my composure.

He inched in, the scruff of his beard brushing against my cheek. I went stiff as every nerve ending in my body fired off, making me shake at his touch.

“I’d rather take a vow of celibacy than share a bed with someone like you.” His voice reverberated through my body as he pulled away. “Now, do me a favor and go fuck yourself.”

My chest heaved. I was a mess, but Cameron didn’t give me a second thought. He went back to winding the orange lights around the tree, pretending I didn’t exist. I should have stayed and argued with him, told him just how lucky he was that I would even consider sleeping with someone like him. But my mind was full of static.

I snatched my gifts for Mason before darting up the steps. The house flew by in a blur of whites and pastels as I made a beeline for my apartment. Once I was safe, I slammed the door behind me. The sound echoed through the small space as I leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath and gather my thoughts.

Cameron’s rejection stung, but it had no reason to. I shouldn’t have even been considering the idea, let alone eager for it. I got caught in the moment, thrilled by the chase, that was all.

Soon, I’d see Mason, and everything would be right again. I just needed to be patient until then.