Page 283 of Mayhem and Minnie

“Promise you’re not mad at me?”

She peers at me from beneath her lashes as she huddles closer, pressing her entire body against mine.

“I’m not mad at you,” I murmur.

She gives me a tentative smile.

And to show her the truth of my words, I cup her cheeks and lean in to press a kiss on her forehead, then her nose before finally reaching her mouth.

I let my lips linger on hers for a few seconds before drawing back.

She puckers her lips, waiting for more, and I chuckle.

“Later,” I whisper and tap her nose.

She lets out a disappointed sigh but graces me with a dazzling smile.

Not even the crow cawing in the distance can ruin the fuzzy feelings that smile gives me.

We step inside the house.

The foyer is fully lit, leading into an antique but well-maintained living room. There are two couches in the middle of the room facing a fireplace. Bookshelves are built into the walls, and they’re all littered with books.

Witches and books. Seems to be a common theme.

As we step deeper into the room, the entrance door suddenly closes.

Minnie startles and clutches my arm tighter.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” I tell her.

She licks her lips. “Not…scared.”

“But?”

“I watched a lot of horror movies while I was living at the cinema. They all had creepy houses like this.”

“Minnie, you hunt demons. I’m sure there’s nothing that can scare you.”

“Well…not exactly.”

I frown. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Zombies,” she squeaks. “I mean, have you seen them? They’re so ugly and decomposed and they want to eat your brains and?—”

“Zombies are real?”

“They could be,” she points out. “I haven’t been to every realm out there. There are thousands upon thousands of species. Zombies could be one.” She shrugs.

I chuckle.

The sound of the floor creaking has both of us abandoning the mirth and focusing on our surroundings.

“Hello?” I call out.

The house echoes a hello back.

Right. Not creepy at all.

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