Carnal (Her Dark Desires #1) by Lola Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

a
human-shaped shadow.
    Gasping,
I flipped on the light about the same time something fell to the ground,
followed by the sound of broken glass. Heart pounding hard, I looked around.
    Empty.
    I
stood there, panting and trying to get a grip on my terror. The window was up,
my curtains flapping innocently in the breeze. Which would have been fine had I
not been ninety-nine percent certain I’d closed that window.
    Anxiously
glancing around and assuring myself the room was empty, I crossed to the other
side and quickly shut and locked the window. Still shaking, I looked around,
trying to take a mental tally of anything stolen. It didn’t look like the
intruder had touched anything. Then what had made that shattering sound?
    I
started to step forward when I happened to look down, right before I would have
planted my bare foot over a piece of broken glass. Kneeling, I examined the
mess.
    One
of my picture frames lay in shambles, apparently dropped by whoever had been in
my room.
    With
trepidation, I picked up the picture and shivered. It was like picking up a
piece of ice, it was so cold.
    The
photograph was from the time Monique, Raoul, and I had gone to Six Flags. We
smiled at the camera as another tourist snapped the photo.
    I
squinted. Something shimmered along the edges. Brushing my thumb along the
icicle-picture, I gasped, realizing it wasn’t shards of fine glass.
    It
was frost.
    “What
the-”
    I
flipped over the picture, my eyes widening as I read the message scrawled in
what appeared to be blood.
    “Mine.”
    That
got me to my feet. Feeling cold all over - and not from the chill that lingered
in the air - I ran out of the room, calling for my roommates.
     

 
    Chapter 5
     
    THERE
ARE SOME THINGS you’re better off never seeing. Like your roommates going at
it, buck naked. But while mentally scarring me for life, that didn’t stop me
from telling them what had happened.
    They
immediately ceased their “sexual exploration” and joined me in my room. Then
Raoul did what any loving roommate would do.
    He
called the D.P.I.
    Not
fifteen minutes later, “suits” were prowling my room, taking apart anything
that might lead to a clue. I wish I could say it looked all cool, like in
C.S.I., but actually, there were about two agents who showed up, both of which
looked bored to death.
    The
woman flipped the picture over again, which apparently no longer bore the
handwritten message. “You said the writing was scrawled in blood?” she asked
doubtfully.
    “Yes,”
I gritted out. How many times did I have to answer the same questions?
    The
woman, Cassandra, apparently didn’t like my attitude. She stood and pursed her
lips, shoving the picture in my face. “Then how do you explain this? The canvas
is clean.”
    “I
don’t know,” I said, exasperated. “It evaporated? I thought you were supposed
to be telling me that, seeing as how you’re the cop and all.”
    “O-kay!”
Raoul said, stepping between us so we wouldn’t go at each other’s throats. “I
think we’ve both established this isn’t going anywhere fast. Thanks, Officer.”
He went to shake her hand, and she looked relieved to go. She handed him a
card.
    “If
anything happens, call me.”
    With
that, she rounded up her partner and left.
    I
watched them go, my mouth open and blubbering words coming out. “But - they
can’t - they haven’t caught him yet!”
    “Maybe
because there’s nothing to be caught,” Monique said quietly.
    I
rounded on her, about to argue, when all the fight was sucked out of me by
disappointment. “You don’t believe me.”
    Monique’s
face fell. “Gosh, I feel terrible saying this because I’m your friend, but do
you think there’s a chance you imagined the whole thing? You had a lot of
alcohol, plus you’re a lightweight.”
    No
one could imagine terror like that, drunk or not. “No,” I said woodenly. “I
couldn’t - wouldn’t – make something up like that.” I never dropped my eyes
from