"Rather than turning the page, it's much easier to just throw the book away."
–Anthony Liccione

"BOSS?" I CALLED, my voice hoarse and thick as I rounded a sharp corner. I was currently pacing an unknown hallway, the walls lined with blinding unpigmented paint as my knees began to wobble.

I didn't have the slightest clue of my whereabouts, my stomach contorting into painful knots as the tips of my fingers brushed along the even drywall. A low, insistent muttering filled my ears, a clearly recognizable voice as I felt my insides distinctly come alive.

There was just something about his voice that absolutely intrigued me. I wanted to hear it at every moment of every day. I wanted him to tell me about every hardship, every memory and every dream, just so I could have an excuse to sit there and listen to him speak.

I hardly knew the painted-face man who called himself "The Joker". In fact, I'd only been employed for him for a solid four days, and the only contact we've had was that of a simple text message over a burner phone he'd provided me with.

"Boss?" I repeated, a jubilant tone in my voice when the volume of his began to increase.

I was getting closer to him.

Finally, I came upon a carob-tinted door. The wood was slightly cracked open, revealing a sliver of the internal lighting as my pulse promptly quickened. The Joker was behind this door, and boy oh boy was I excited to see him...

With trembling fingers, I grasped tightly onto the cool metal handle, applying the faintest amount of pressure to allow the door to swing widely open.

An abundance of purple sat at the foot of a king-sized bed, sinister eyes tinted black as a devious grin encaptured his features.

Was he waiting for me?

"Bo–"

"Come." Joker sternly ordered, outstretching a gloved hand in my direction, fingers parted.

My breaths emerged in short pants, the feeling in my legs nearly dissipating entirely as I raised a questionable brow. The bed was neatly made, vibrant sapphire sheets coating the mattress as half a dozen fluffy pillows lined the headboard. The blue hue coincided well with Joker's theatrical purple suit, causing my toes to curl at the sight.

Eventually, I obeyed. Joker remained unfazed, hardly blinking as I shuffled towards the foot of the bed, palms clamming up as I instantly grew anxious.

Hesitantly, I laced my fingers in his, heart nearly bursting clean out of my chest upon impact as he let out a considerably loud sigh. We sat hand-in-hand for several agonizing moments, my lips eventually parting to question his motives when the clown suddenly tugged my weight forward.

I let out an involuntary yelp as I collapsed atop of him, the wind escaping my lungs as the tip of my nose skimmed his. Before I could react, his lips had met mine.

I woke with a start, thick beads of sweat littering my creased forehead as my chest painfully heaved.

My vision struggled to adjust to the unlit room, a blurred blob of red glimmering off to the left as I blinked several times. The pain in my chest seemed to intensify with every staggered breath, vivid visuals of my dream instantly rushing back to me as I openly scoffed.

I wasn't gay. I wasn't attracted to men, not even in the slightest. And yet, I'd just dreamt of locking lips with the madman I called my boss...

Blue-hued eyes finally adjusted to the dark, the bright red numbers on the digital clock flashing four AM on the dot as I let out a groan.

I should've known the time, as my body never seemed to sleep past four in the morning. Not since Mom died.

Trembling limbs eased back into the comfort of the mattress, my eyelids slowly flickering closed as I began to revel in the glory of my dream. Feelings of confliction littered my brain, but I eventually allowed the erotic thoughts to take over. Plus, I was quite curious to know how that greasepaint would taste on my tongue...

Just as I began to ease back into a lightened sleep, the sudden scent of cigarette smoke raided my lungs. Instantly, my eyes flew open, a sense of panic overcoming me as I tore the handgun out from underneath my neighboring pillow.

Blurred vision steadily focused on a darkened figure seated in the far right corner of the room, a trail of smoke emerging from a lit cigarette as my wobbling grasp pointed the firearm in their direction.

"No need to get your panties in a twis-t, pal."

An immediate sense of relief overcame my every bone, the hold on the handgun faltering as I slowly lowered it to my side.

The Joker lounged against the back of the mahogany plush chair, left leg draped over his right as his pinstripe pant leg hiked up over his ankle. Ungloved fingers placed the cigarette back into the safety of his painted lips, eyes invisible beneath the dark black holes as I heavily squinted.

"S-Sir?" I stammered, leaning a bit to the left to discard the handgun onto the bedside table. My dainty fingers met the lamp, illuminating the stuffy room as Joker's features immediately brightened.

"Hiya, kiddo." The clown mused, theatrical voice muffled by the obstruction between his lips as his left elbow claimed the armrest. I watched, wide-eyed as his colorant-tinted fingers unconciously rubbed together. What I hadn't seen before at Ryder's, was the absence of Joker's gloves. Apparently, he applied his makeup with his fingers, as the pale skin of his hands were nearly coated with faded white paint, along with a speckle or two of black and red.

"H-How did you–"

"Find you?" Joker finished for me, tearing the cigarette from his lips once again as he twirled it between two fingers. "Easy. You work for me now, so I always know where you are."

An audible gulp passed through my throat, two fingers darting upward to tear the collar of my navy blue t-shirt away from my neck. I was beginning to feel rather clausterphobic, and my lungs seemed to have forgotten how to intake air.

"D'you-uh, not have a home, Horton?" Joker pressed, extinguishing the flame against the armrest of the chair. The cigarette left behind a considerably dark stain, black in hue as my boss discarded the object onto the carpet.

"I just moved here recently, sir." I replied, tearing my desperate gaze away from his haunting features as he let out a simple "Hmph".

"So-uh, you wanna tell me abou-t that-er—" Joker's voice faltered, his lanky limbs shuffling against the fabric of the chair as he thrust either hand into the air, mimicking air quotes to enunciate his following words. "—wet dream of yours?"

The blood in my veins instantly froze at his inquiry, several additional beads of sweat littering my forehead as the visuals of him kissing me bombarded my thoughts.

"Was she purdy?" Joker taunted, his tongue lapping out to meet the destroyed flesh of his left cheek.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fu–

"Gorgeous." I dryly dismissed.
"I don't mean to sound rude, Mister Joker — Sir — But why are you here?"

The Joker let out a sinister giggle, unraveling his crossed legs as he abruptly stood. I cowered in place against the wilted wooden headboard, nearly gasping for air as several greasy blonde ringlets fell into his eyes.

"We're going on a bi-t of an excursion." Joker drawled, pacing the bleak hotel room as he ran the pads of his fingers along every single surface. A ball of dust collected at his fingertips, a scowl capturing his expression as he hastily flicked it off and onto the muted carpet.

"Where?" I breathed, shuffling from the warm duvet as I collected a pair of slightly worn jeans from the nearby chair. My cheeks immediately flushed at the sight of myself clad only in a shirt and severely tight boxers, a lump forming in my throat as I messily tugged the denim up my legs.

Joker's stare diverted to meet my frantic state, brows raising in confusion as I instantly became overwhelmed. I was standing before him in my underwear.

Fucking yikes.

"Er, all ready?" He thickly inquired, chewing irritably on his bottom lip.

He seemed to do that a lot...

"Yes." I stammered, adjusting the collar on my top as I tucked the firearm into the holster on my jeans.

Several strands of overgrown blonde locks concealed my vision as I scurried to Joker's hunched side, darkened eyes glaring in my direction as his ungloved hand met the door handle.

"You-uh, ever heard of the Iceberg Lounge?" The boss drawled, his pink tongue burying itself into the shape of his left scar.

I merely shook my head, the door swinging widely open as Joker muttered something inaudibly. A considerably cold breeze slapped the pair of us instantly, prompting an array of goosebumps to arise on my exposed flesh as we shuffled from the bleak hotel room.

"A guy named Penguin runs the joint," The Joker dryly explained, hooking left as the door swung closed on my heel. The outdoor hallway lay abandoned, several vehicles running idle in the parking lot one level below.

"He's no-t very fond of me." The clown added, an amused giggle slipping through his bloody lips as an awkward grin encaptured my features.

"Why's that, sir?" I lightly questioned, skipping slightly to keep up with his considerably large strides as we strut down the vacant hallway.

"You'll see."

The pair of us trudged along in silence, my eyes wandering frantically as the olive tinted doors remained tightly closed. Several muffled voices emerged from behind a number of doors, as well as a higher-pitched chorus of moans from behind another. At the sound of the moans, Joker had shot me a puzzling glare, deeply painted brows raising amusingly as we passed by. Something deep within me stirred at the innocent gesture.

A man named Travis lived in 303, I'd come to learn. He had a mop of jet black curls that framed his heart-shaped jawline, along with a pair of spectacles so thick that they magnitized his jade eyes. He claimed that he was not married, but the dainty gold band that circled his ring finger said otherwise. However, I never once questioned the fact of it, and we tend to have decent conversations at the midnight smoke session at the hotel pool. The overwhelming stench of marijuana and chlorine stuck to the lining of my lungs most of the time, but it was worth it to hear all of Travis' interesting stories.

My chest clenched when the low muttering of a womans voice emerged from beyond Travis' door. I hadn't expected Joker to stop in his tracks, but something must've caught the madmans attention, as I nearly ran flat into his hunched back. My toes collided uncomfortably with the toes of my wilted sneakers, a wince tugging at my thin lips.

"Hear that?" Joker whispered, thrusting a colorant-tinted palm into the air, slender fingers only inches from my nose.

A strangled breath escaped my lips, a simple nod answering his question as the muffled womans voice from behind Travis' door intensified.

"I know tha-t voice." The Joker told me, palm still raised in front of my face as he slowly craned his neck in 303's direction.

"S-Sir?" I stuttered, a ball of bile rising in my throat as the man twist on his heel. I watched, open-mouthed as he approached the olive hued door, the paint flaking off in the corners as the silver room numbers hovered the peep hole.

"She works at the Iceberg Lounge." Joker added, a sinister grin tugging the scars further up his face.

"Raven."

My jaw plummeted, words failing me as I dread the absolute worst: Travis was going to die. I wasn't quite sure of what this man was capable of, but I could only imagine...

The air went stale as I observed The Joker, his arm curling around to meet the Glock-17 fastened into his belt buckle. Chalky white fingers twisted around the cool silver of the firearm, tearing it from the safety of his trousers as he brought it to the heavy steel door, clinking the barrel against the material several times, emitting an obnoxious knock.

I blatantly flinched at the noise, toes curling beneath the worn fabric of my shoes as deep chuckles resonated through his broad chest. I oh-so-wished I could read his mind... that I could take a toe-dip in his wild thoughts...

The muffled voices ceased, and chilled air plummeting several additional degrees as I openly shivered from head to toe. The Joker's lips curled inward, a high-pitched giggle slipping through the miniscule crack as he twirled the gun about in his grasp.

"Hello?" I heard Travis call from within.

"Knock knock." Joker lowly taunted, the barrel of his pistol colliding with the door once more as his lazy eyes suddenly met mine.

My entire body went rigid upon impact, several strands of loose blonde curls hanging messily in his eyes as the brown hue met my abstract blue. His greasepaint was sweaty, pale skin peeking through in thick lines upon his forehead as the black holes circling his eyes began to dramatically drip into the laugh lines of his face. If he sweat any more, I swear that he would resemble some type of sad, pitiful clown.

The familiar lock of the door loudly clicked, my blood running cold as magnified-eyed Travis appeared in the doorway, a lit cigarette clinging limply to his bottom lip.

Joker swiftly concealed his firearm behind the small of his back, out of view from Travis' prying eyes as he took in both mine and Joker's differing expressions.

"Chris?" Travis rasped, vision focusing on my shaking frame.

My lips parted to formulate a response, but Joker had beat me to it.

"Where's my Raven, pal?" My boss slurred, craning his neck to view the woman who apparently lay sprawled on the bed.

"Your Raven? I beg your pardon?" Travis spat, practically scoffing at the thought of the gorgeous woman called Raven even glancing in this mans direction.

Just as Travis was about to add an additional sly comment, Joker had tore the firearm from behind his back, shoving the barrel harshly against the mans hooked nose as spectacled eyes instantaneously grew.

Wordlessly, my boss instructed Travis to shuffle back into the boxy room, instructing me to enter with the simple wave of his ungloved hand.

My pulse quickened as I entered 303, the overwhelming scent of marijuana and cigarettes immediately overcoming my senses as Travis threw his arms into the air in surrender. The door clipped my left ankle, swinging tightly closed as the clown let out a series of mocking laughter.

A lanky woman lay twisted beneath the off-white sheets, eyes wild with fear as her bare features lay concealed beneath the thin material. A mop of clearly dyed red hair framed her paling face, several pieces tangled with her lips as she found refuge against the wooden headboard.

"J?" She croaked, voice hoarse and thick, as if she'd smoked an entire pack of cigarettes.

"Bingo." The Joker drawled, forcing Travis into a neighboring corner as he paced the dreadfully small room. His toe caught on a stack of discarded newspapers beside the charcoal desk, a grunt escaping his figure as he slightly stumbled.

"I-uh, gotta say, babe," Joker added, a hint of displeasure in his tone as his palms met the surface of the cluttered desk, fingers applying pressure as he swiped several of the materials from the surface, intently watching as they fell to the floor.

"I'm offended at this — Er — downgrade." He jabbed a thumb in Travis' direction, where he still stood planted in the corner, stick-like arms held high in surrender.

Raven's jaw went slack, purple painted lips parted in puzzlement as she merely shook her head.

"You haven't really been 'round, J." She croaked, but let out a considerably noisy squeak when Joker turned the gun on her.

I stood frozen in front of the exit, arms-length away from a trembling Travis as Joker toyed with the pistol in his palm.

The woman — Raven, I think — curled her manicured fingers around the nape of the sheet, tugging it further up to completely conceal her bare chest as she choked back a sob.

"Please don't do this, J." She begged, bottom lip violently quivering as The Joker chewed mindlessly on his own.

A sharp breath caught in my throat when he finally lowed the firearm, the barrel tugging the flap of his coat back as he tucked it into the safety of his theatrical coat. Raven let out an exasperated sigh in response.

"It'll always be you, J." She assured him, her tone low and uneasy as Travis let out a considerably loud grunt.

"What the fuck, Rae?" He hissed, arms still raised tall as both The Joker and I shot him questionable glares.

"Oh, stop it." Joker mused, a devious grin tugging at his gruesome scars. I stilled as the boss shot me a giddy glance, his feet shuffling against the massively stained carpet. Raven stirred upon the mattress as the painted-face man approached her, his arm outstretching to reach her bony ankle.

Both Travis and Raven let out a yelp when Joker's calloused fingers circled her pertruding ankle bone, tightening his hold on her leg as he tugged her frail body down the length of the mattress. The woman cried as the sheet slipped from her hold, a surprisingly large pair of perky tits falling from the material.

Her auburn eyes widened as her nose collided with his, a blob of white smearing against her pointed nose as he struggled to contain his giggles. Raven's lanky legs instinctively draped on either side of the madman, the cerulean sheet just barely covering her goods as she let out shallow breaths.

I hardly blinked, too afraid that I'd miss anything as Joker stood between her legs, arm raising higher and higher to meet the soft flesh of her dainty throat. My legs turned to goo at the sight, growing more fearful of the complicated man by the second as he laced his painted fingers loosely around her throat.

"You see," Joker began, the tone of his voice inflating as that damn tongue routinely snaked its way out of his mouth, claiming the left corner of his lips before disappearing once again from sight.

"Don't think for one second that you have-uh, some type of hold on me, buttercup. You're nothing bu-t a good fuck."

Thick tears clouded Raven's vision as I squirmed in place, glancing occasionally in Travis' direction as he shot me a menacing glare.

"B-But—" Raven stammered, but she was ultimately silenced by the haunting cackle that tumbled from my employers mouth. The sound was horrifying, so much so that the little hairs on the back of my neck stood sky high. The Joker apparently had a variety of laughs, but this particular laugh was terrifying enough to send anyones balls straight up into their body in fear.

My stomach violently churned as Joker's eyelids flickered shut, the paint heavily creasing on his forehead as his back bent at a bizarre angle. His hold on the womans neck, however, did not falter.

"B-But." He harshly mocked, prompting Raven to cry harder.

"Keep tha-t pussy tight for me, darlin." My boss finished, releasing his hold on her reddened neck before loudly clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

Raven drew blood from her bottom lip, courtesy of her front teeth as she quickly covered her exposed breasts from view, glancing watery-eyed in my direction as I shot her a sympathetic glare.

Who the fuck am I working for?

"Let's get outta here, Horty."

I silently nodded, lacing my fingers around the door handle before gently prying it open.

"Ooo, married, are we?" Joker cooed.

I diverted my gaze for a mere second, apparently missing Joker's following actions as a body suddenly fell at my feet.

Travis stared blankly up at me, eyes widened beneath the bulky glass of his spectacles as the color quickly drained from his irises. A crimson hole sat upon his forehead, about an inch or so above the rims of his glasses as a trickle of blood oozed from the fresh wound.

My jaw slackened at the sight, a breath hitching in my throat as my ears continuously rang. The scene had happened too quickly, and my mind struggled to process the situation properly.

He killed Travis.

Last nights dinner traveled up the length of my esophagus, my legs darting forward as I cradled the chipped paint of the outside railing, hurling myself forward as the contents of my stomach spilled over the side and onto the deck below.

"Yuuuuuuck!" Joker enunciated, the palm of his hand meeting my shoulder as I hastily shoved him off. The moment his fingers met my skin, a fire lit deep within me, sending a peculiar warmth through my every limb. I needed more, I craved more.

Yet, I pushed him away.

I spun on my heel, darkened eyes meeting a sea of black as Joker threw his hands up in mock surrender, the shiny silver Glock-17 still laced between pale fingers as he cheekily grinned.

"Friend of yours?"

"Acquaintance." I groggily dismissed, wiping the excess bodily fluids from my mouth with the back of my palm.

My head was spinning, vision slightly blurred as Joker's white, black and red face blended into one giant blob of color. Goosebumps arose on my exposed flesh as Travis' dead body taunted my thoughts, threatening to give me nightmares for the rest of my days.

When my vision finally refocused, I witnessed a frantic Raven tugging Travis' limp body back into the room and out of the doorway, her eyes wild as she motioned for Joker to exit the premises.

Was she going to cover for him?

I openly gawked at her mute reaction, stunned that she hadn't even shed a tear or emitted a cry at Travis' death. Apparently, he was nothing but a good fuck to her, just as Joker had said about her.

A slight twinge prodded at my belly as I clearly remembered Joker's phrase, the unwelcome visuals of him screwing that beautiful woman created a peculiar feeling in my stomach. I wasn't entirely jealous — I don't think? — but I definitely did not like the idea of it.

I fell into a trance, the door to room 303 slamming shut as Joker tugged at my shirt sleeve, urging me to get a move on.

"C'mon, kiddo." The man urged, his voice deep and hoarse as we continued to shuffle down the outdoor hallway, the lights to the surrounding rooms absent. Had no one heard the gunshot?

"Tha-t fucker was married." Joker spat, skipping to the left as he directed me towards a winding concrete staircase, complimented with a sloppily painted maroon handrail. I struggled to keep up with the clown as he took two, sometimes three, steps at a time, reaching the bottom quickly as my knees continued to wobble.

"Y-Yeah." I breathed, eventually answering his statement about Travis being married. All I knew was that he lived at the Inn four days a week.

"I did tha-t douchebags wife a favor." My boss added, winding down a darkened hallway as I followed closely on his heel. My vision struggled to adjust to the dim lighting, sporadic gusts of wind prompting patches of goosebumps to litter my flesh as I suddenly regretted wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

"Cheaters are fucking filth."

With that, the madman pointed me in the direction of a 1999 Jeep Cherokee parked out back, the windows rolled down as it sat hidden behind a rather large oak tree.

The Joker dug deeply into his purple pant pocket, the metal keys clinking noisily together in his hand as I climbed into the unlocked passenger side.

The Jeep smelt of stale cigarettes and gunpowder, an odd combination of scents as I settled into the torn fabric. A flourescent green pack of cigarettes lay discarded on the dashboard, along with a sleek black lighter. An old, crinkled water bottle claimed one of the cup holders, a mysterious substance sloshing about in the plastic as the theatrical man climbed into the drivers seat, a low grunt escaping through his parted lips as he readjusted himself in the chair.

I hardly breathed beside the man, his intoxicating scent of cologne and gunpowder filling my nostrils as my heart skipped several beats.

I'd never felt this way about another human being. Period. And by God, did that fucking scare me. What was it about this creep that drew me in so much? I barely knew him, and I didn't want to be apart from him. He was just so interesting, there just wasn't a better word to describe it. My mind was currently a jumbled mess, and I was plummeting deeper into a pit that was The Joker.

The man let out an exaggerated exhale, stealing a glance in my direction as he ignited the engine.

"We're going to have a lo-t of fun together, Horty." He grinned, winking in my direction before peeling the Jeep from the parking space.

A/N: Helloooo, I'm back!!! Sooo sorry for the several week delay, hubby & I took a month long vacation (yes, an entire month!) and I've been having the absolute worst writers block. I really want to make this book the best that it can be, so my updates may not be as frequent as they were with "Paper Planes".

As always, thank you so much for reading. I love you guys! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I did a quick skim so I might've missed a few things.

xo. allie