Page 16 of Deceptively Dead

I physically and mentally give myself a little shake and force myself to move a few more steps into the imposing foyer. Once I get myself to the middle of the room I pause, entirely unsure where to go or what to do with myself in this grand space. Hunter enters the foyer again, back from whatever mission he was on and catches my eye on his way past. He grins at my dumbstruck look. He spreads his arms wide and gestures around the foyer.

“Welcome to our cabin in the woods, sweetheart.”

I make a horrible sound, somewhere between a choke and a snort of disbelief, which makes Hunter chuckle. Which in turn causes me to stare and try not to faint. Hunter’s chuckle is like sin personified, all dark and raspy and suddenly the room just got really, really hot.

It takes only a moment for Hunter to feel my change in awareness it seems, because his chuckle tapers off and he fixes me with an impossibly dark look as he prowls slowly toward me across the pristine marble floor. My heart rate ratchets up to a million and I can’t get enough air in as I get trapped by his hooded gaze. I’m frozen to the spot as his big body crowds into my space and he lowers his head, seeming to breathe me in for a moment.

“Hey, Angel! Do you want a tour of the house?” Chase’s loud voice sounds from one of the corridors and after the quiet walk here and the tension that seems to have grown between me and Hunter, I nearly fall flat on my ass as I jump away from Hunter. Like I was doing something naughty and nearly got caught. Hunter steadies me with a hand on my arm and turns to growl at Chase, who wisely takes a step back and puts his hands up in defence.

“Oh shit, sorry did I interrupt something?” he actually looks contrite for about two seconds before a sly smirk curves his lips and he adds “Please, don’t stop on my account, just pretend I’m not here.”

He then proceeds to whistle. Loudly. While staring at Hunter who still hasn’t let go of my arm.

Yep, this tension is a bit much for my broken soul and I duck away from Hunter’s hold, squeaking out that I will go explore upstairs now but I’ll call if I need them and thanks, bye!

I quickly scuttle my way over to the cream carpeted stairs and drop my pack at the bottom. I keep my weapons on though, and all but sprint to the safety of the second floor.

Chapter Nineteen

Once I’m at the top of the stairs it takes me all of five seconds to lose myself exploring the rooms one by one. And there are a lot of rooms. This place is freaking huge. It takes me a few minutes of exploring to find the master bedroom, but when I do I wonder how I missed it, huge double doors lead into a massive cream and gold decorated room with a huge four poster bed also, shockingly, in cream and gold. But the main thing I notice about this room is that it’s notperfect. This is the first room that looks like it belongs in a zombie apocalypse. The gilded gold wall paper is hanging in shreds and there’s large dark brown stains on the ruffled, cream carpet.Old blood most likely, I’ve seen enough to know what it looks like. The bed in the middle of the room is rumpled and torn on closer inspection and the door to what might be the ensuite looks like it has been scratched up by human hands. I shudder at the sight of the dried blood and deep gouges in the wood and find myself walking towards them so I can run my fingers over the deep gashes in the wallplaster. I then push open the door to the bathroom, completely confident the guys wouldn’t let me up here if there was a danger. What I find inside the bathroom is just as disturbing as the main bedroom outside.

There’s blood everywhere. An attempt has obviously been made to clean it up but there’s so much it’s just been kind of smeared around and left to dry. I choke a little on the smell before my body gets used to the odour of old, dry blood. The whole room is in a shambles, the glass shower is shattered, a potted plant is knocked over and withered in the middle of the room and someone has obviously walked through the dirt, tracking it all over the floor to mix with the dried blood. It looks like a bomb went off in here. I turn to leave but the mirror over the double vanity catches my eye. Written in messy, cramped letters using the same dried blood as the stuff on the floor is a note.

‘Son, I hope you come home soon. I’m sorry, I waited as long as I could. Stay safe, don’t leave the house and remember we will always love you.’

Well, if that isn’t the creepiest damn thing I’ve ever seen…

Deciding I’ve done enough exploring I bolt from the room and straight out the door of the master suite, slamming the double doors closed as I go.

“Kinda spooky, isn’t it?” says a voice from behind me. I jump so hard I end up spinning in mid-air to land facing the new threat, my back now to the creepy but empty room. My eyes travel up a well-muscled chest to meet the laughing gaze of Chase. I straighten from my defensive crouch with a scowl.

“I’m gunna put fucking bells on you three assholes.” I mutter, still glowering at the amused giant. “What the hell is that all about anyway?” I ask, gesturing behind me with the arm not confined to a stupid sling.

Chase takes my hand and starts to walk me slowly back down the hall.

“The old owners of this house. Our best guess is that the old guy had a heart attack while they were sleeping but the lady managed to lock herself in the bathroom before he got to her. When we found this place it was locked up tight, but there was a key hidden out back, like your parents would leave for you after a night out you know?” I nod my head, having experienced that tradition many times and Chase continues, “Well, when we swept the house that first time, we just found those two, the old man was trying to rip down the bathroom wall still, but his fingers were all worn down, like to stubs. After we dispatched him, we checked the bathroom, thinking there might be a survivor in there but it was just the lady’s body rampaging about and it looked like… like she’d cut her wrists. Killed herself after writing that note to her boy, we think. She must have been trapped for a while…”

Chase tapers off as he catches a look at my horrified face.

“Uh, sorry Angel. I guess it’s a bit depressing for a story.” He says solemnly.

I cough out a laugh as I look at him incredulously. “ ‘A bit depressing’? Chase. That story is fucking tragic. Jesus. That’s the kind of story that goes with a haunted house. Fuck! Is this house haunted? I’m so not ok with that.”

“You live in a world filled with zombies, but you’re worried there might be ghosts? Seriously?” the big guy laughs at me.

“Hey! You can see dead people coming when they are zombies! Ghosts, not so much. It’s fucking freaky.”

“Whatever you say, sunshine.” He replies dubiously, then he gives me a roguish smile and drops his voice a bit lower, causing Goosebumps to race along my skin “Just in case, you better bunk with me tonight. I’ll protect you from the spirits.”

He trails his big hand down my back, causing me to shiver. But I snort at him and shake my head as I roll my eyes, trying to shake off the unfamiliar feelings he’s giving me.

“Fine, don’t believe me, but when you get strung up by your feet tonight by a pissed off ghost, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Chapter Twenty

Chase herds me back down the stairs and through the foyer into a gaudy, over the top dining room with yet another chandelier hanging over the gold inlaid wooden table for twelve.Twelve.I don’t think I even know twelve people I’d have over for dinner… Well especially not now, but maybe not even pre apocalypse. Why the hell does someone need to sit twelve people on a regular basis?

My table critique is cut off abruptly when I realise what’s on it. Food. The ridiculous thing is topped with food! Glorious, hot, steaming bowls of actual food! With a girlish squeal that I’m sure I will regret later, I launch myself across the room and all but collapse in one of the plush seats, bringing me eye to eye with a huge bowl of steaming rice set in the middle of the table. I hear Chase chuckle behind me as I scoot closer to the edge of the seat, wondering if I’m allowed to just dig my whole hand into the bowl or if that would be rude.

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