I can't die today. I don't have time for it, not with only one paper standing between me and my master's in journalism. But my meeting with my professor leads me on a wild goose chase that ends in a fake "office" with no way out-and a killer about to come through the door.

A masked killer I've been digging into for the scoop of the century. Obviously, I'm getting too close for his comfort. And I'm in possession of a file that could bring him down, or seal my fate.

What's an intrepid reporter to do? Leave him a voice mail to arrange an interview. I can't be the only one wondering why he uses playing cards to force his victims to choose how they'll die. In exchange, I promise to erase every detail that could lead to his arrest.

So begins my tale of an interview with a murderer. An interview that leads me into a dark, twisted, and strangely arousing world of blood, sex, and the mystery of whether my heart will succumb to his sensual pleasures-or his knife.