Page 36

And then he took my hand away from his cock, took a step back from me, eyes challenging.

“You need a shrink,” he said with a wink, a maddeningly smug grin tugging at his lips.

“You need a lobotomy,” I snapped.

He shrugged.

“It’s illegal now,” he said with a low chuckle before he strolled off, giving me a wave over his shoulder.

I stared at his ass, flushed and furious, angry and aroused.

“Bastard.”

It took me a while to steady my legs. Cursing Asher and my weak-ass self, I walked toward the outer gate of the Hollowhaven.

Mr. Harken gave me a wrinkled smile as he opened the door.

I turned around, glancing back at the massive building. Shadows clung to it like a dark shroud, creating an ominous feeling, like someone was watching you from the tower. The creepers and vines up and down the old walls looked like they were strangling the building, staining its soul from the inside out.

From where I stood, the asylum looked like a sinister omen, the air thick with unspoken secrets and hidden sins lurking just inside the walls, buried with decades-old bodies.

Asher was here for those secrets.

With a sigh, I unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat. I pulled out my phone and opened the tracking app to see Asher was still in the Sanatorium.

I started the car, driving through the winding road. It took me an hour to reach the outskirts of Hollow Heights. I drove straight to the Hollow Inn.

“How are you, Doctor Sharma? It has been a while,” Rexy said, opening the book in front of her.

I stayed in the Inn whenever I came to town. On my days off, I’d spend the whole day by myself, drinking and just walking around the town.

“I’m good. Work’s keeping me busy. How are you? I need two rooms, Rexy.” She shot me a strange look but said nothing as she handed me the keys. “If anyone comes asking for me, this is the room I’m staying in,” I said, pointing to the room number scrawled on the key.

“Something wrong, Doctor?” she asked with a frown.

“It’s fine,” I reassured her. “Don’t worry about it.”

She nodded, still perplexed, looking at me like I had lost it. Smiling, I walked down the dimly lit hallway, my footsteps muffled by the old, worn carpet.

I took a moment to collect my thoughts when I reached my room. I stepped inside, casting a quick glance around the small space, before locking the door.

Whistling, I unpacked my bag, taking out a small red box with cameras equipped with motion sensors and an audio recorder. I installed them around the place, making sure they were well hidden, but positioned just right to capture the whole room.

Cycling through the camera feeds, I watched with satisfaction as the room appeared on my screen from multiple angles. With a grin, I danced out of the room

And now, we wait.

Taking one last glance at the live feed on my phone, I slipped it into my pocket and drove to the police station.

I’m right outside, Sheriff. I sent Vincent a text.

“Hey there, come inside,” Vincent said, walking toward my car. He opened the door for me and gave me a sweet smile. Any normal woman would have melted for that smile. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Asher and his maddening grin. Something was definitely wrong with my brain. “Give me ten minutes, please. We just got the forensic report back.”

“Take your time,” I said, following him in.

The walls were red bricks, faded and chipped, giving the place an almost haunted look—it looked just as old as the asylum.

A woman sat hunched over her table, a worn paperback clenched in her hands. She stared at the pages with a grim frown, as though the book had offended her.