Page 34 of Lovely Darkness

They don’t want money. They don’t want houses, or boats, or jets.

They want more life for themselves, but death for all others. They want breeding programs, and fucked-up mad-science experiments, and most of all, they want to be feared and they want control.

Supervillains, I guess. But they’re not the cartoon characters you see in comic books. They are stars in their very own horror show.

There are fewer of them than you’d expect. Most people aren’t truly evil, they’re just greedy, or angry, or violent—choose your vice. They can be reasoned with if you pay them enough. They are all still going to Hell, but they’re not interested in playing the role of Satan in real life.

“I think Carter is one of them,” I say.

“I have no doubt,” Nick scoffs.

“I think he might even be their leader. So what should we do about it?”

“Kill him. But only after I get what I need.”

I look him in the eyes and then we come to some kind of understanding. Because I say, “Agreed.”

CHAPTER NINE - DONOVAN

I am a man of accomplishments.

I thrive on them.

Achieving things drives me.

Like a goal, but not a goal, because the goal never seems to matter, just the effort it took to get there.

“That’s such a special thing, Donovan. You have no idea how rare it is to find a person who lives for the journey.”

Right. The journey.

“I’m glad you came back. I was hoping—you know…”

Ana Avery lets her sentence trail off. She’s an achiever too. She is never about the destination, just the journey. That’s why we’re so good together. But she’s not one to trail off in mid-thought, so I pay attention.

“I was hoping we’d spend our lives together. Out here, ya know? The wilds of Wyoming. I love it so much. I know it’s not your thing—”

I get a little lost in the view as she talks. We’re in her office. This is where she brought me when I was running away from that mess at Old Home. We’re sitting on a ledge on the side of a cliff. It overlooks a green plateau, a valley outlined in stone walls, and a flowing river.

How does she work in the winter? The whole place must get covered in snow.

“—and then we’d be together.”

Oh. Right. She’s chatty today. I’m supposed to be listening, I think.

“Can you hear me, Donovan?”

Oh, I hear you. I’m smiling. I’m envisioning our perfect life out there in the wilds. That little cabin—or fuck it, I’d even stay in her new-age healing lodge if she wanted me to.

“Donovan?”

I don’t much care for the lodge. It’s very nice, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nothing but earthy people talking about crystals and chakras and shit like that. And the incense.

I laugh a little. Because I loathe incense. But I would still stay there, if she wanted me to.

“Donovan? Can you hear me?”

Her voice changes mid-sentence. Becomes deeper and more masculine.