Page 15 of The Haunting
“Yeah, but they really didn’t want us there,” I replied and headed for the door. They either came with me or not. My woman was here and my family, so I wasn’t going to rest until everything had been checked.
I shoved open the door and brought my phone out as a torch. I glanced around and discovered what appeared to be a sitting room. Once more, everything was shrouded in secrecy and concealment. Paintings hung on the walls, covered in dust, and I spotted footprints on the dusty floor.
“Let’s follow.” I strode off.
Lucian let out a low curse and chased after me while Vladimir merely sighed. I passed into another room similar to the previous one. The boarded-up windows allowed little light to pass, and I was grateful for my phone. The next room I enteredmade me stop as the phone highlighted what could only be destruction.
Something had happened here. The furniture was shrouded, but… what a mess. Huge slashes had been ripped through the silk wallpaper. They resembled claws, and I frowned. The damage was immense. Paintings had been slashed and hung wonkily on the walls. Two chairs had been reduced to mere kindling, and the furniture had been shoved aside. It looked like a fight had occurred, but my mind couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing.
“What?” I exclaimed as I shone the phone around. The light landed on the window, and the long, heavy velvet curtains had been shredded into ribbons. There was a large hole in the wall, as if a force had hit it hard, and I moved closer.
“Is that blood?” I murmured, and Vladimir approached. Dripping from the hole with its jagged edges was a red liquid.
“Yes,” Vladimir confirmed, his nostrils flaring. He looked to be battling a problem within himself and seemed tense.
“You okay, man? Do you wanna go back?” I asked.
Vladimir sent me a quelling glance. “I’m not frightened, I’m curious. Something bad happened here.”
“Gotta admit, you seem on edge,” I pushed.
“Wouldn’t you be? In a strange house, no idea what’s happening around you?” Vladimir retorted.
I couldn’t argue with his logic, but my gut told me there was more to this. I nodded as Lucian bent down.
“What did you find?” I asked as Lucian picked something up.
“A dagger. I’ve seen this style before. It’s rare and very old. Incredibly old,” Lucian said, holding it out.
“How old?” I frowned at the blade in Lucian’s hand.
“Several thousand years.”
“Not likely; the metal would have deteriorated by now,” I retorted. Did they think that because I was a biker, I was stupid? That a biker couldn’t possibly be educated?
Lucian shook his head. “No. This was a metal mix that we’re still unable to replicate, it shouldn’t be here.”
Unsure if he was messing with me, I headed for the next door. It was shut.
“It’s jammed,” I said, yanking on it.
Vladimir approached and tugged hard. The door didn’t open, and I flashed him a smirk. I wasn’t a damn weakling. Vladimir flashed his teeth and yanked once more, and it came open.
I sent him a dirty look and began to step forward, coming face-to-face with Jacques and Eden. Neither looked amused to see us here.
Shame, because I wanted answers.
Chapter Four.
Vladimir
“Oh!” Eden exclaimed. “You shouldn’t be here!”
“Why not?” Drake demanded. “What are you hiding? What happened in the room behind us?”
“That’s none of your business,” Jacques replied. Annoyed, he caught our gazes. A tingle ran down my spine, and I guessed what Jacques was about to attempt.
He spotted the dagger in Lucian’s hands. “That is mine, I’ll take it back, thank you.”
