Page 23 of Little Horrors & Deceptions

I shook my head, gasping for air. “Can’t… breathe…”

“Hey, hey.” His hand found mine in the darkness. “Focus on my voice. You’re safe.” The closet felt impossibly small. My heart raced. Sweat beaded on my forehead. “I’m taking off this mask,” Liam said softly. I heard rustling, then I felt his warm breath on my cheek. “There. Better?” I nodded weakly, still struggling to breathe. “Look at me, Jade.” His voice was gentle, but firm. “Tell me five things you can see.”

I squinted in the dim light. “Your… your eyes. Green. Shelves. Mop. Bucket.”

“Good. Four things you can touch.”

My fingers trembled as I reached out. “Your hand. Cold floor. Rough wall. My… my shirt.” As Liam guided me through the exercise, my breathing slowed. The panic ebbed. “Thank you,” I whispered, a little embarrassed.

“We all have our demons.” Liam hesitated then added, “I used to have panic attacks too. After… after I lost my family.”

The vulnerability in his voice surprised me. “What happened?”

His grip on my hand tightened. “It’s not a happy story. But I’ll tell you, if you’d like. We have the time.” I nodded, grateful for the distraction.

“My mother and sister were murdered, and they never caught the men responsible.” As Liam spoke of the tragedy and loss, I saw him differently. Not just as my moody boss, but a man shaped by pain. When he finished, I found myself sharing my own buried hurts.

Time blurred as we talked, connecting in ways I never expected.

“Sooo, Bones? What’s his story? Other than locking people in closets.” I asked him playfully, trying to lighten the mood after all the heavy topics. A part of me wanted to keep pushing, to dig deeper into the tension, but another part—probably the smarter one—knew it was better to take a step back, to breathe.

Liam chuckled, a soft rumble that made my pulse skip a beat. “He was a stray that Derek and I started feeding, and eventually he kinda just became the haunted house cat. I think with all the movement happening with Fright Night, he’s a little spooked.” His voice had a way of pulling me in, of making everything seem less complicated, even when it wasn’t. I glanced up at him, watching the way his eyes softened as he talked about Bones. There was something so genuine about him in moments like these, something that made my heart squeeze in my chest.

“I usually put him in my apartment when there’s an event happening, but I couldn’t find him this morning,” he added with a shrug, though the concern in his voice was unmistakable.

I smiled, feeling the tension slowly unravel as we drifted into safer territory. It was easier this way—safer—to talk about cats and Fright Night rather than confront the very real attraction simmering just beneath the surface. But no matter how much I tried to focus on his words, my mind kept circling back to the way he made me feel—off-balance, breathless, and undeniably drawn to him.

Before I could respond, a muffled voice cut through the darkness. “Hello? Is anyone in there?”

“Derek?” I shouted, my voice cracking. “We’re in here!”

Liam’s hand found mine in the darkness, squeezing gently. “Over here!” he called out, his usual smooth tone tinged with relief. Footsteps approached rapidly. The door rattled, then swung open. Light flooded in, blinding me momentarily.

“Jesus Christ,” Derek muttered, his eyes wide as he stepped into the room. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you two!” Hisvoice was edged with frustration, but his relief was clear. Then I noticed Jonathan trailing behind him, and it took everything in me not to burst into laughter. Derek was thehot guyJonathan had been talking about? Of course, he was. That was the secret. The pieces clicked together, and I couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. This was the guy that had Jonathan all flustered and giddy over the past few days.How did I not see this coming?

Part of me was thrilled for Jonathan. He deserved something good, someone who made him light up the way Derek clearly did. But in the back of my mind, the reality of our situation crashed down like a wave. We were both working an undercover case—and now I knew we werebothattracted to suspects of murder. It was ironic, really. Here I was trying to keep things professional, only to realize Jonathan was in the exact same boat as I was. I wanted to be happy for him, I really did, but this was a disaster waiting to happen.

We were so screwed. Not just a little bit—fabulouslyfucked. Two undercover agents tangled up in feelings we had no business having, falling for men we should’ve been interrogating, not fantasizing about.

I stumbled out of the closet, legs wobbly from being in there so long. Liam steadied me with a hand on my lower back. The touch sent a shiver through me.

“What happened to Fright Night?” I asked, blinking in the harsh hallway light. I’d talk to Johnathan about it later.

Derek ran a hand through his dark hair. “Canceled. We couldn’t find you guys, and everyone was freaking out. Thought something had gone seriously wrong.”

I felt a pang of guilt. All that preparation, wasted. “I’m so sorry. I—”

“It’s not your fault,” Liam interjected, his voice carrying that gentle authority I’d grown to admire. “These things happen. I blame Bones.” He chuckled softly.

Our eyes met. All the intimacy we’d shared in that dark, cramped space came rushing back. I quickly looked away, clearing my throat. “We should, uh, probably go explain to everyone.”

As we walked down the hallway, I could feel Liam’s gaze on me. My cheeks burned. I tried to focus on practical matters—rescheduling, refunds, apologies to be made. But my traitorous mind kept drifting back to the closet. To Liam’s soothing voice, his vulnerability, the way he’d calmed my fears.It was just the situation,I told myself.Extreme circumstances. It didn’t mean anything.

But as Liam’s hand brushed mine, sending sparks up my arm, I knew I was lying to myself.

Chapter 15

Olivia Bennett

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