12. 3/5.

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The ride home was filled with humming and vibing to the songs playing in her earphones. Upon reaching her apartment, Tara collapsed onto her bed with a sigh. Curling into a ball, she allowed herself to sink into the comforting softness of the mattress, seeking solace in its embrace.

Soon, her phone rang, and she grimaced, dreading the cheerfulness she had to fake to deceive her parents.

Once the call ended, Tara sat up and stared at the device. Her finger tapped against the screen as she pondered her next target. After scrolling through their social media profiles, she stood up and stretched.

"Nathan Anderson," she yawned, deciding on him. Dragging herself to the kitchen for an early dinner, she retrieved the fresh meat she had bought. "No need to stalk you, my sweet lamb. You'll come to me instead."

Tara sat behind the wheel of a car she had rented for tonight, parked at the edge of the forest, her nerves coiled tightly like a spring

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Tara sat behind the wheel of a car she had rented for tonight, parked at the edge of the forest, her nerves coiled tightly like a spring. She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror, adjusting her hair and checking her appearance one last time. The heavy layers of make-up covered her taut features, providing a protective mask.

Suddenly, headlights pierced through the darkness, and Nathan's car emerged from the shadows, pulling up beside hers. He rolled down his window, his face illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard lights.

"Hey, Alex," he greeted with a lopsided grin. "Where's your friend?"

Tara snickered inwardly, enjoying his obliviousness to the origin of her fake name. Alex was dead, but at least his name shall be used for a good cause. Her practiced smile grew when he didn't recognize her.

"She's already waiting for us," she replied smoothly, her voice betraying none of the tension swirling inside her. Instead, it was dripping with suggestive undertones. "Just follow me, and I'll lead you to the spot."

She had promised him three days of nonstop fornication at her rich best friend's cabin in the woods. Everything was on them, all he had to do was participate. It was a tempting offer no one could refuse, especially not a threesome fanatic such as him. All Tara had to do was call him and pretend to be a friend of Ethan's who appears to have been their matchmaker...or pimp. Then, as she purred and spoke seductively, he was already in the palm of her hand.

He didn't even care that his friend, Alex, had only died a few days ago.

"Okay, lead the way, sweetheart." Nathan nodded, a smirk playing on his lips as he revved the engine. 

Tara drove ahead, cringing at his antics, and muttered, "What's with all the endearments? Yuck!"

Her heart pounded harder the deeper they went along the forest road. Initially, Tara had thought of using his car. However, she needed a safety net and a means of escape. Phantom pain shot through her core, and she squeezed her thighs together. She didn't trust being alone with him. Out of the five of them, he was the most violent.

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