Page 56 of His Haunted Desire
“I swear, Aurora.”
“That means my instinct was right.”
“Oh yeah? What was your instinct?”
“That you weren’t acompletedouchebag.”
He laughs warmly, moving in for a kiss. “I think you’re forgetting something…”
“Sir,” I whisper before he crashes his lips against mine.
Before we can get carried away, there’s a knock at the door. “Madam Blackwell requests all the guests to come for breakfast.”
“We’d better hurry up,” I mutter. “We don’t want to miss the show.”
I dress in jeans and a strappy top, something casual, which looks out of place with my mask. Raiden wears a T-shirt and khaki pants and puts on his mask. He offers me his arm. “Shall we?”
I link arms with him gratefully. The storm is still raging, but I’m not a scared kid. I’m not going to let it dominate me. Though I’d be lying if I said it didn’t upset me on some level, and that I’m not grateful for Raiden.
We gather in a large function room. Fifty or so people sit at the tables, the most I’ve seen in one room, all of us wearing masks. The waitstaff/ security stand around the edges, watching us all closely. Evangeline stands on a raised section, the only person in the room not wearing a mask, with a microphone in her hand.
Raiden leans into me. “When she gives the order, don’t look at her. Look around. See if you can notice anything or anyone suspicious.”
I squeeze his leg under the table. “Gotcha.”
Evangeline taps the microphone. “Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention.”
Fifty-some masquerade masks turn to her. I look at her, but peer out of the corner of my eye to watch the people across from me. I’m determined to catch something, if there’s anything to find.
“Last night, the Retreat was desecrated. For years, we have come here as a sanctuary from the outside world, to indulge our Halloween darkness in private… darkness, I say, meaning the debauchery, the anonymity. Neverpain. Neverdeath. Whoever has done this wicked thing, you have ruined the Retreat. Now, I would like all of you to remove your masks. This killer, this traitor, thislowlifehas stolen from us the chance to forget who we are.”
I remove my mask quickly, place it on the table, and then look around at the others. It’s difficult to tell anything definitive. Many hesitate before taking their masks off, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were involved in the murder.
It could just be that they don’t want to sacrifice their shield. I know the feeling.
“Look around at your fellow Retreat goers and know this… this is the final Retreat we will ever have.”
A gasp resounds through the room.
“Whoever you are, murderer, know that you have ended more than a life. You have ended a decades-long tradition.”
Raiden looks around the room, his eyes narrowed.
“Anything?” I whisper in his ear.
“Not a damn clue,” he replies gruffly.
He nudges me under the table. “Watch Julian. He’s the one with the curly black hair. See how he reacts to the next bit.”
“Got it.”
“I have spoken with the police,” Evangeline says. “They’ve informed me they have a team waiting. In two hours, the stormis scheduled to abate. They will arrive and investigate before the end of the day.”
Julian runs a hand through his hair, but he doesn’t say anything. The woman at his side stares down at the table, seeming nervous. I’m tempted to let my overactive imagination skip ahead.
She’s nervous because he’s a killer…or perhaps she’s worried she’s next.
“The police have given the killer one opportunity to step forward now,” she goes on. “If you turn yourself in to the island security and wait for the police to arrive so you can be handed over to their custody, they have assured me they will recommend leniency to the judge.”
