Page 29 of The Silence of Hell

“Saw that!” Chatter chuckled. We began walking towards the truck he’d brought.

“Thanks for the meal. Maybe I’ll cook for you one day,” I said, nearly biting my tongue off.

“That would be great. I’m an okay cook but don’t bother much. No point when it’s just you on your own. And the one thing you don’t admit around my brothers is you can cook. Shotgun did that and had everyone camping on his doorstep for months,” Chatter explained.

“Poor Shotgun,” I replied. We reached the car, and I opened the door and climbed inside. Chatter frowned but walked to the driver’s side.

“Did I do something wrong?” Chatter asked as we were driving home. Conversation had become stilted, and there was an awkwardness between us.

“No. It’s my fault. I misinterpreted this as a date. It’s my problem, not yours,” I finally replied after a few seconds ticked past. Honesty was always the best option,

“This was a date, and I wanted to discuss dating.”

“That sounds formal,” I teased as a pink tint hit my cheeks again.

“It is. Because I want my partner to understand what’s involved before going in. I loved Hallie, and when she was murdered, it tore me apart,” Chatter said. “We were engaged and planning a wedding, and everything was perfect. Then Hallie was gone. That destroyed me. Took me months to recover, and I was a brute in the meantime. I got revenge for Hallie, and over time, I put my life back together.

“Lavender, I hate one-night stands. And I don’t stick my dick in club whores, either. But no relationship I have ever goes past six months. That’s my rule. And if I think a woman is getting attached, I end it. There won’t be invites to a club cookout or drinking there with me. I keep dating separate from my MC life. I do exclusive but short-term relationships. Don’t need emotions messing things up,” Chatter explained, and I was rather shocked.

“So, if someone gets strong feelings for you, you break up?”

“Yes. I’m not looking for kids or a family. The exclusiveness of a short-term relationship means neither of us has to worry someone’s cheating. We both go into this knowing there is an expiry date,” Chatter continued.

“Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about that. I’ve had two relationships, one lasted three years and the other two. My emotions did get involved, and if I started something with you, they would again.”

“That is fair enough,” Chatter said. He paused. “Are you saying no?”

Carefully, I searched my feelings, and Chatter let me consider my answer.

“Yes. I’m afraid I am. I’d probably fall in love with you, and you wish to avoid that. Chatter, I don’t want to be hurt, and you would possibly break me. Going into something knowing it has an expiration deadline. No, that’s not me. Thank you, but no,” I said firmly, even as I regretted it.

“Fair enough, but we could have been good!” Chatter replied with regret.

“Probably… what the hell?” I exclaimed as he drove up the lane to the Manor, and I saw a light on… in the widow’s tower. “That’s locked!”

Chatter parked up. “Stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

“Do you know how to get there?” I asked, and Chatter looked resigned.

“No.”

“Then you need me to lead the way.”

Chapter Seven.

Lavender

Tiredly, I tossed on my bed as I thought about tonight. It hadn’t turned out the way I had expected, and I was disappointed. Warring with disappointment was confusion and trepidation.

There had been a light on in the tower. Chatter and I had both seen it, and yet when we arrived at the entrance leading to the tower, it had been firmly locked. I’d headed back down, fetched the keys, and we had gone up. At the top, the widow’s tower door had been bolted. On opening, I had taken a deep breath and stepped into the darkness. Using my phone, we’d found a switch and discovered the electrics didn’t work up here.

What the hell had we seen? I didn’t believe in ghosts. Nope, not at all. But somebody had been up there. What, though?

Anxiously, I tossed and drew my duvet over me. I couldn’t settle. Ravenberry felt uneasy, and I was unsure why. It could be me transferring my unease, but something definitely seemed wrong.

A creak sounded from the room above, and my eyes flew open. It was three in the morning, and I’d still not fallen to sleep. Peering into the darkness, I listened intently. Just as I closed my eyes, somebody walked a couple of steps above me. That was fine, except the room above was jam-packed with dolls and locked. A loud groan came from above, and I shrieked and sat upright.

What on earth was going on? Jinx stumbled into my room, rubbing his eyes, and before I could speak, I placed a finger to my lips. In the moonlight, Jinx frowned and cocked his head. We heard a further three footsteps, followed by a thud.

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