Page 9 of All Hallows' Haunt
Without giving her a chance to answer, I stepped back and turned away. I made eye contact with that asshole who sneered at my goodbye salute.He’s going to enjoy his special trip inside.
“Sienna,” he barked. “Are you okay?” His callous tone held no sense of concern.
“I’m fucking fine, Shawn. Just shut up already,” she bit back.Fucking feisty.Shawn felt more like a thorn in my side as the night went on, and I needed to remove it. I kept my gaze ahead and moved toward the front of the line. Shawn’s grumblings trailed off with the distance I put between us.
Everyone moving around me did so in a slow blur. I couldn’t feel the cold breeze against my skin; I just felt Sienna’s lips against mine. A craving settled deep inside my chest. I’d had a taste, but I needed more. No other woman consumed my entire being like her. Someone bumped into my shoulder, but I didn’t look down or utter a word. I kept moving toward James.
“Kid,” he greeted, but he hesitated as he took in my face. “You okay? You look out of it.”
“I feel perfect, James. More than perfect, actually.” My smile widened and my cheeks ached.Did I smile the entire walk back?
“Well, since you’re feelingperfect, get in there and switch out with Bobbi. She’s about a third of the way in; I think she’s at the hospital unit.” He counted in another group with his hand tally, and I looked back at the line. Three more parties and Sienna would be inside.
“On it,” I rushed out and darted inside, using the employee hallways. I was sure James called after me, but I was on autopilot and shut out everything that didn’t push me to Sienna.
Lights strobed as bangs rang out and brought shrieks of terror.Bobbi. Bobbi. Bobbi.I crossed the connected hallway in front of me, but I didn’t think about any guests. When I stepped through gauzy linen covering most of the doorway, people making their way to the end screamed at my sudden appearance.
Paying them no mind, I drew back a matching curtain and stepped into the partially lit room. Bobbi stood there fiddling with her gloves.
“James wants you,” I intoned. Her head popped up, and she crossed the room with quickness.
“Thanks, a group just passed so you should have a couple minutes before the next round.” She stopped before walking out the way I came. “You’re Everett, right?” She looked me up and down.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I said before turning my back on her and moving to the corner of the almost office-like room. I messed with papers on the desk and didn’t offer her any more conversation. She left the room, and I waited a bit before stalking any movement in the hallway. It would be about ten minutes before Sienna and her friends found their way down to me.
Let the haunt begin, Little Fox.
* * *
I watchedthe clock as it ticked on. Her group would come by soon. Focusing, I strained my ears to pick up any sounds in the area before mine. Faint scuffling came to me, and I strained harder. Loud bangs echoed, and predictable as ever, Shawn’s crying came soon after. It was muted, but the tone and weird ass phrases matched.
Muffled voices grew louder, and in the strobing light, I saw a flash of red hair. She clutched the pink-haired girl to her side. The pale blond guy moved close behind them, keeping a hand on their shoulders.
“It’s fine, Vera,” he muttered before rounding the corner toward their next room of terror. I looked back and saw Sienna push against Shawn.
“I’m not the one who’s scared. You don’t need to paw at me, please.” She sounded frustrated, the complete opposite of how light she’d been in the grass.
“It’s a haunted house, babe. You’re supposed to hold each other.” Shawn tried to reason with her as they passed my door, but she pulled them to a stop.
“I’m serious, Shawn. I didn’t come here on a date, we didn’t turn it into a date, and no matter how many times you ask me out, there will never be afuckingdate!” Her hands flew up while she yelled at him. She was louder than the three in the next room.
“You’re a fucking piece of work, Si. You know that? I swear, all you’ve managed to do is turn into a massive bi—”
I slammed my gloved hand against the wall, and the noise caused Shawn to jump in the air before yelling a string of curses and taking off. I didn’t care to fight unknown battles for an unknown girl who was very capable of handling her own, but I wasn’t in the mood to have her whittled down like that in front of me. Grabbing her by the backside of her jacket, I pulled her through the black gauzy drapes and into the work room. She stared at me for a long beat. I didn’t feel uncomfortable in her scrutiny; I was desperate.
Desperate to touch her.
Desperate to kiss her.
I closed the door to the empty hallway and engaged the locking bolts. When I faced her again, the previous upset she felt dissipated: her eyes softened, her shoulders relaxed, and her breathing calmed.
“Hi,” I said, stripping the gloves from my hands and throwing them in some odd corner of this small room.
“Hi,” she whispered back. The empty space between us felt immense, and I couldn’t stand it any longer. In two large strides, I crossed the room and scooped her into my arms. Sienna was warm against my torso; her kiss burned against my flesh and branded my soul.
Her tongue slid along my lips this time, and I let her in easily. She tasted so sweet—a berry-like flavor that washed into my mouth. My hands slid over her shoulders and into her hair. I tugged at the hair ties until they gave away from the tension and let her silky hair fall against her shoulders. My fingers twisted in the strands and firmly held her to me as I backed us against the desk.
“Everett,” she gasped, breaking our kiss. My lips were numb, and her face paint looked hilarious.
