Page 60 of Your Masked Haunting

Inhaling deeply, I hold my breath, not wanting to risk him hearing me. Go away. Go away.

My stomach hardens as a terrible thought dawns on me …

How can he clear the room in the dark?

But it’s far too late for that realization or for me to do anything at all because my shriek is cracking through air when my body is dragged across the floor with a hand fisted in my shirt.

I can’t think. I can’t move. I’m completely frozen as I’m yanked from under the bed.

A hand quickly finds my mouth, and something snaps in me. I rear my leg back, ready to send it home, but it’s like he expected it, and I’m suddenly soaring, being thrown over his shoulder like a doll.

“Put me down!” I slap, punch, claw at his back. But he doesn’t budge. “I’m going to kill you!”

“You can try”—the voice freezes my fist midair, the familiarity shocking my system to the core—“Scaredy-Cat.”

Relief floods me, not enough to shake the chill from my bones, but enough for me to gasp. “Oh, thank God.”

His arm bends, reaching up toward his face, and a second later, a purple glow floods the small room. My shoulders relax almost immediately.

“Happy to see me?”

“Always,” I exhale as he lowers me into his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist, like they’ve done it a thousand times.

But there’s an itch, a tiny bug under my skin, and I’m not sure if my brain feels slower than normal because of what just happened or⁠—

“Wait, hold on.” Flattening my palms on his shoulders, I shove him, locking my elbows. But he doesn’t put me down; he squeezes me tighter. “You … the phone … what the fuck is going on?!”

A maniacal laugh tears through the room, and he carries me over to the hidden door, pressing my back against it and caging me in completely.

“The people here …” His eyes are glowing purple from the lights of his mask, making his amusement even brighter and the anger in mine burn hotter. “They’re not going to hurt you or me. They’re ghost hunters, filming for their YouTube channel.”

Nothing. Not a blink. Not a breath. Not a twitch. I’m frozen to the core, processing what he just told me. And then reprocessing it because it means that he and I were never in any real danger.

“Do you remember what I said a minute ago? That I’m going to kill you?” I grind out through my teeth. He nods. “That threat still stands.” I wiggle violently in his grasp, not budging in the slightest. “Put. Me. Down.”

Balancing my weight in one arm, my back against the wall, he lowers his hand, and I’m not sure what he’s doing until I hear the metallic click of a blade opening.

I don’t have time to react before cold metal presses against my throat.

“Go ahead. Try and kill me, baby. Let’s see how far you get.”

My core pulses all on its own, ignoring the anger coursing through me. He faked this just to scare me, to heighten my senses, to drag me out from under the bed and haul me over his shoulder.

That’s hot.

Fuck off! I argue. Not helpful!

I told him I wanted to be caught off guard, and, boy, did he do that. But I can still feel the adrenaline in my system, my heart racing faster than normal. I was petrified. Meanwhile, he’s putting on an award-winning act.

And now you’re in his arms with his knife on your neck. Stop being greedy and appreciate the moment.

Sometimes, I wonder how crazy people would think I am, given the arguments I have with myself. But all I can think about right now is this. My stalker pressing a blade against me, pinning me to the wall, my panties damp. I think my inner monologue is the least crazy thing about me.

As much as I love the position we’re in right now, I have to tell him the truth. He’s always respected my needs, wants, boundaries, given the circumstances.

“You scared me. Really scared me.”

Squishing me between him and the wall, he leans his mask against my forehead. “For that, I’m sorry. I took it too far. It truly wasn’t until I got here that I saw their vans and heard them talking downstairs in the entryway by the front door about their plan for the night that I knew you were safe. I won’t do that again—at least without your prior consent. Deal?”