Page 25 of Within Shadows
“Argue it all you want, but you feel safe with me. Trust your instincts.” I kiss the top of her head, and she jerks away but slowly lets me lead her to the edge of the woods.
“My instincts,” she scoffs, “ were screaming that you’re dangerous the first time I met you. You’re just likehim.” She spits the words with so much venom I almost pull away from her. Without saying his name, I know exactly who she means. I yank both of us to a stop and lean down into her face, not bothering to hide my anger. Maeve doesn’t flinch, but her eyes widen at the sudden movement.
“I am nothing like him. Oliver likes to break pretty things, and you are breakable, Maeve. But never by my hand. I will spend my life protecting you and reminding you just how brave you are. I want to treasure and worship you with every breath I take.” I reach forward to grip her chin, and Maeve tries to turn away, but I can see the war behind her eyes. Her trust is broken, but I plan to back up my words with action.
Looping my arm around her waist, I continue through the woods until we make it to the edge of the trees and I pull my mask back into place. Maeve is biting her lip, eyes darting around as she tries to plan an escape. If only she wasn't so obvious. She’s stopped fighting me and is completely distracted with her thoughts. It’s cute.
“You need a poker face, muse.” Maeve turns her face towards me, but I lean down and flip her over my shoulder and pin my arm across her thighs to hold her. She grips the back of my jacket with a squeal of panic, desperately trying to right herself.
“You prick! Put me down!” Her demands are drowned out by the noisy speakers we pass, jammed between stacks of hay bales to hide them. A group passes us, laughing as they watch Maeve kick her feet and struggle. They don’t even hear her plea for help, and I jostle her, bringing my free hand down onto her ass with asolid smack. She jerks and lets out a huff as I quickly make our way back to my car.
“Begging for help didn’t get you anywhere, did it? I’m not as heartless as they are. I actually enjoy when you beg.” I keep my voice low so that only she can hear me as I massage the tender skin on her ass. When I stop next to my car, I let her slide back down my chest but jerk my knee forward to pin her against the vehicle between her thighs. Maeve opens her mouth wide, planning to rip me a new one or scream, and I push my mask up. Before she can say a word, my mouth slams to hers, and I push my tongue against hers.
I grip both of her hips as I press against her, nearing losing control with the taste of her on my lips. Maeve softens in my hold before catching herself, and a sharp pain is followed by the taste of copper. We pull apart, both of us breathing hard as I swipe my bleeding tongue over my lips.
“My blood on your pretty lips is going to snap what little control I have left, muse. Get in the car and stop fighting me.” I grip the front of her dress and pull her to me while I open the door behind her. Defiance is bright in her expression, and her eyes flick towards the haunted house.
“You want to try and run?” Maeve swipes the back of her hand across her mouth, smearing my blood across her cheek, and my cock strains against my pants. Thank fuck I’m not wearing jeans this time. I still adjust myself, making sure her eyes follow the movement. Maeve swallows hard before her gaze snaps back to me, and I smirk at her.
“If you run, you won’t get far. And when I catch you, because I fucking will, I’m going to fuck that pouty look off your face,” I warn her. Maeve shifts, rubbing her thighs together, and I nearly laugh in triumph. She is just as twisted as I am. She backs up a step, slowly lowering herself into the car without taking her eyes off of me, and I’m a little disappointed that she’s cooperating.
“That’s my girl.” I start to close the door. Her boot slams into the door, knocking it into my knees and forcing me to stagger back a step as she darts from the car. Sneaky little minx. I slam the door shut and turn, following after her as she sprints straight for the house. Maeve ducks and weaves between the growing crowd without stopping to ask for help, and I snort, shaking my head as I follow. She glances back over her shoulder as she approaches the line, and I make a show of slipping my mask down and wave at her.
Instead of waiting in line, she shoves past, nearly knocking over the poor guy taking tickets. I stroll up to them and dig into my pocket, reaching for my cash until I hear him on his little radio. “Some crazy bitch just shoved through the line; security is dealing with the drunk frat boys. Can anybody get their hands on her, please?” he huffs, obviously irritated. I grit my teeth as he looks up at me.
“Do you have your scare actor’s badge?” he asks. My blood is pumping already, and hearing him degrade her has my jaw ticking, but I manage to keep my hands from snapping his neck by sheer will.
“Nope, but I can run in and grab her for you,” I spit the words, and he frowns, looking over my shoulder at the crowd that’s growing more irritated with every moment that passes.
“Make it quick. We had some morons already trashing the place. I don’t have time to deal with some crazy chick right now.” He waves me off.
Humming to myself, I step through the door before he can change his mind and kick it closed behind me. The house is dark, with specks of blue and green lights, too many fog machines, and more awful eerie music that pumps from hidden speakers.
“Alright muse, time to play,” I call out, earning myself a man dressed as some type of crazy doctor that leaps out with a bonesaw. “My new test subject!” he yells, trying to scare me.When I just stare blankly at him, my bored expression hidden behind the mask as I walk away with my hands in my pockets, his shoulders sag. I do love to disappoint strangers.
A creak comes from the floor above me, and I stop at the bottom of the stairs. Amongst the shadows, I catch a glimpse of white sneakers that sprint past with a startled shriek as they’re chased by a woman wielding a chainsaw.Now that’s interesting, I think with a snicker. Ahead of me, a door creaks, and I walk closer until I’m glancing down a set of very rickety basement stairs with a single flashing bulb at the bottom. “Cliché,” I mutter. Just as I start to turn away, I hear a voice call out from somewhere below.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” Of course, Maeve is in the creepy basement. I quickly jog down the steps and peer through the darkness, my vision limited more so from the mask. I see the flash of something reflective by the far wall, and huddled in the dark is Maeve.
A man looms over her, a fake knife in his hand as he laughs, reaching for her hair as she bats his hand away. Our game is over, and I’m done playing when I see the rip in her top that she is struggling to hold over her breast. I pick up a fake bone prop while swinging at the light, shattering the bulb and plunging us into complete darkness. Maeve screams, and I launch myself forward, slamming against the man.
Chapter 16
Maeve
Garrett is Knox, or Knox is Garrett? It doesn’t matter. What is important is that I get the hell away from him. My heart is pounding as I shove through the crowd and into the creepy ass house. I don’t stop at the door, but when I turn for the stairs, a woman with a massive hatchet is waiting with a horrific, bloody smile.
“Nope, fuck that.” I turn and run to the hallway, ripping open the first door I come across. I’m staring down rickety basement stairs, cursing myself for picking the worst possible option when I hear a demonic giggle and the brush of something cold across my arm. With questionable self-preservation, I all but throw myself down the stairs and yank the door shut behind me. The only light comes from a dim, flickering bulb at the bottom of the rickety wooden stairs, and I stand under it. Struggling to listen over the sound of my pounding heart, I squint around the darkness. There are some old shelves to the left, stocked with various props, and I quickly scan them for anything I could use as a weapon. The door at the top of the stairs creaks, and I dive around the corner, ducking to hide behind a shelf.
“You sure she ran down here?” An unfamiliar man's voice grumbles from the top of the stairs.
“Positive. Boss said to get her out quickly and keep it quiet. We’ve got a group of college kids causing enough problems.” An irritated feminine voice is followed by thumping footsteps as somebody shuts the basement door. I lean forward, trying to see who is now in the overly creepy basement with me, and my stomach turns. It isn’t Knox, and instead of relief, I feel uneasy. The man is broad shouldered and tall, wearing a butcher costume that’s splattered by fake blood. He starts humming to himself while pulling a duck mask over his face, and I almost laugh at how ridiculous it looks.
“Alright, girly, come out and we won’t have any problems,” he calls, turning his head and sweeping the basement. I jerk backwhensomethingcrawls over my hand and slam my back into the shelf behind me, making an audiblethump. I slap a hand over my mouth, trying to slow my breathing when he snorts a laugh and heads in my direction.
“Oh, you’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you?” He leans against the shelf, looming over me. I leap up and try to bolt past him, but he lunges out to snatch the collar of my shirt and toss me right back onto my ass. There’s a loud ripping sound of fabric and a cold breeze over my chest as I fumble to cover myself. Footsteps slowly creak across the floor above me as I flinch at the pain on my now bruised tailbone.
“Don’t be difficult, sweetheart. You can make this so much easier. You are the one who is trespassing, after all, and putting us in danger. Now you’re alone here, with me,” he sighs, pulling out a knife and twirling it for show. It’s most likely fake, but I’m not sure that’s a risk I can take. The collar of my dress is split wide open, and I’m now down to one hand to fight, keeping the fabric in place.
