AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, come on, Rory. Me and mom both know you and Ben are together -finally- and we both approve. So, there’s no need to pretend or worry. We've been trying to get you two together ever since you came home.”
Her words shock me, “But, Te, what if…?”
“What if, what if? There are hundreds of ‘what if’s, Rory. But there are also ‘what can be’s and those are the things you should be focusing on. Ben…loves you, Rory. He’s never been like this before, all possessive and growly, soft and marshmellow-y in the middle. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him act like he acts around you. He beat a guy. That’s not like Ben at all.”
“I…I should buy new underwear?”
“Hell yeah! Let’s go shopping!”
“Oh shit, Te! My purse…it’s at the house still. I have to have my purse.”
“Okay, we can call Ben and…”
“You said he was probably already over there. And even if he’s not it isn’t like the place is a crime scene. My purse is right inside the front door. It would take like six seconds for me to unlock the door and stick just my arm inside before I shut the door and lock it back again.”
“It doesn’t sound like a good idea, Rory.”
“Come on. You can even bring your gun if it makes you feel better.”
“Alright, but as soon as we get there, I’m checking in with Ben.”
“Deal. Let’s get going, Te-Te.”
It doesn’t take us long to get to the house. Te stays in the car to make her call while I use my key to let myself in. I should have already installed an alarm, but things have been so crazy lately that it slipped my mind…until it was too late. Before I can grab my purse that is still sitting on the hall table a hand wraps around my mouth and I’m being dragged further into the house.
I should have just left the damned purse or come back with Bennet. Now, the phantom who already tried to kill me once has me and is taking me to the basement…a place I didn’t get around to checking since it looked dark and damp, and I couldn’t find a light switch.
The scent of mildew and dead hope assails my nose as I’m half dragged, half pushed down the stairs. Once we come to the bottom of the stairs, light floods a small area in the darkness along with a shit ton of gas cans and one lone chair.
I guess he failed choking me so now he’s going to try a new way.
“You should have just stayed away from this stupid fucking house, away from this town, away from all of it, but no! You had to come back! I knew you would! I knew you would come back here. This house, this fucking land, sinks into your blood and poisons you. It traps you until you can’t get away.”
Not a ghost! My phantom isn’t a ghost unless a ghost sweats profusely and talks out loud and has a limp -probably from that fall out of my stained glass window.
“It’s this damned house!” He all but howls it as he pushes me into the chair. I pop right back up again, pushing him and stomping on his foot -the hurt one. I take off running for the stairs but don’t get very far. He grabs me, spins me around, and smacks me across the face.
My ears ring as he drags me back with a surprising amount of strength. He starts tying my hands behind my back and my feet to the chair. And all I can think about is what I should have done, what I should have told Bennet. I should have told him…I love him!
Chapter Twenty
Bennet
“Where is she?”
My sister wheels around and gives me wide, scared eyes.
“She went in for her purse and never came out. I thought I heard shouting or something and went to try to get in but…the fucking door is locked or something. I couldn’t get in, Ben!”
“It’s alright, sis.” I can hear the fear and worry for Rory in her voice, and it’s only amplified in my own chest. But my panicking isn’t going to help anything. I fall back on my training and experience. “Go with Tanner and get back so I don’t have to worry about you being alright. I’ll go get her. I promise.”
I watch as Tanner takes my sister by the arm and leads her over to where my captain is standing with other officers. I take the time I use looking for an easy way in to finish fastening my bulletproof vest. When I start to smell the distinct odor of gas, all thoughts of taking a silent, easy way fly out of my head and I only worry about getting to my princess.
I check for wires before I break the fucking window and go in with gun drawn. The house is silent but there’s noise coming from under my feet. They’re in the basement. I stalk for the door before halting to listen again.
“You think you’re the first! You think you’ll be special! No! You’re just another idiot who bought this cursed fucked up house. They don’t even remember the names of anyone butthe first couple…the first murder/suicide. Good old gramps and gran. Oh, you didn’t realize…that’s because my father worked his whole life to make sure the taint of that one fucking night never reached his family. But he wasn’t successful.”
I silently pray the guy keeps talking and giving me a point of focus.
