Page 78 of Midnight Curfew

We both left bloody, but I left standing.

Lifting the lid on a panel, Callum presses his thumb to a screen. The scanner moves up and down, flashes green, and the door opens, a beautiful young woman in a tight black dress smiling at us.

“Mr. Ames.” She holds the door wide, welcoming us in. “May I take anything for you?”

He unloads his cell phone, and I hesitate, until he glances over his shoulder at me.

Pulling out my cell, I drop it on the tray with his. I watch her put them in a bag and slip it into a wooden cubby labeled Ames.

Another woman approaches us, carrying a tray. A selection of condoms adorn the silver plate, a variety of textures and colors. No lube?

“An offering?” the first girl asks Callum, gesturing to me.

He nods, and I straighten as she moves to me.

“You may only do what you want and leave when you’re ready. You may—”

“I’ll make sure he follows the rules,” Callum cuts off her little spiel.

Aw, but I wanted the full experience.

He approaches the door ahead, and I gaze around the room, noticing there’s still a table with four chairs and a wall of compartments as well as a cooler with refreshments. I guess people need to hydrate as they leave.

There are monitors showing the outdoor perimeter, and above a sideboard table is a wall with masks. Mostly carnival type, but there are a few horror-themed ones.

“Should I wear one?” I ask Callum. “Some of them might not like facing their daughter’s high school teacher during a conference a month from now.”

“That’s specifically what they’ll love most about it,” he retorts.

I laugh to myself, staring at the back of his head. He’s gotten quicker.

I may actually have fun tonight.

He plucks two condoms from the tray, handing me one over his shoulder. I take it. “Just one?”

What if I need more?

But he simply growls, “Wear it.”

“But I feel so much better bare,” I tease, lowering my voice to a whisper. “You remember.”

I can honestly say he was the only one I ever did that with. He was a virgin, and I’d always been safe, and I don’t know what happened. The second time, I just needed to feel him.

Was it worth all the trouble he’s caused my family?

I still can’t be sure how I’d answer that.

Callum turns his head toward the screens, and I follow, both of us noticing the men approaching the unmarked brown door outside. I narrow my eyes, making out Jerome Watson, one of Macon’s old nemeses. I don’t recognize the other one.

Callum moves. “I’ll give you a head start,” he tells me. “I have to check on Sophia.”

One of the girls reclaims his phone, handing it to him.

I glance at the monitors again, seeing the two men entering the hallway.

“Browse.” Callum holds the phone to his ear. “You are completely safe for another ninety-eight minutes.”

Until midnight.