Page 24 of Little Horrors & Deceptions

Icouldn’t stop thinking about him and I was procrastinating. Jonathan had been sending Clemens clips of audio and updates and it was enough to keep him off of our backs but it wouldn’t last forever and I knew that. I was running out of time, I’d have to act soon.

But ever since that night in the closet, Liam had been on my mind more than I cared to admit, regardless of his little confessions. The way he had calmed me down, his voice steady and reassuring, even as my world felt like it was collapsing in on me. The way he opened up to me. He was a victim of violence just like the ones I did my best to protect. And then there was the way he’d looked in that fuckingScreammask, covered in fake blood, the playful glint in his eyes. I couldn’t help it. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured him—dangerous, sexy, and just out of reach.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d played with myself to all the thoughts of him. It was driving me crazy.

I wanted it to be his hands, his touch…

Now, here we were, a few weeks later, working the local fall hayride festival. Dead Man’s had a vendor booth set up, and Liam was over at the pumpkin carving station, helping kids scoop out pumpkin guts like it was the most natural thing in the world. He was laughing, and joking around with them. Less like the brooding boss and more like… well, more like a man I wanted. Badly.

Jonathan decided he was going to give in to all of his desires on the job, and honestly at this point, I couldn’t blame him. This case was becoming more like a fucked-up vacation that we’d needed for a while. We just hadn’t realized how many feelings were going to get involved.

I shifted on my feet, trying to focus on selling merch, but my gaze kept drifting back to Liam. His hands were big, deftly handling the pumpkin as he carved a goofy smile into it. The pull between us had been simmering ever since that night, and I couldn't shake the need that had settled deep in my chest. And between my legs.

I couldn’t even count how many times I’d thought of him in that mask, how the blood had smeared across his skin made my pulse race in ways it shouldn’t. I’d never wanted someone this much. And it honestly scared me.

My gaze flickered to the kids gathered around, laughing, their faces lit up with smiles as they waited for their turn to carve. I felt something stir inside me—something foreign and unsettling. When had I last seen something this simple, this pure? I had been so caught up in the chase, in the darkness of my job, that I'd forgotten what life could be. What it could feel like.

Amanda’s face flashed in my mind—her wide, trusting eyes, the way I had promised to protect her. I was always taking care of everyone else, always moving from one case to the next, chasing the next bad guy. There had never been time foranything else. No time to breathe. To stop and watch kids laugh at stupid pumpkins. To think about the things I might want.

Would I even want something like this?

I glanced back at Liam. His laughter moved through the crisp autumn air, the sound softening something inside me. It all made my stomach drop at the thought of going back to my cold, hard routine. Going back to the bureau, where everything was protocol and cases that blurred into each other.

“Hey, Jade,” Liam called out, his voice breaking me from my spiraling thoughts. He motioned me over with a crooked smile. “Think you can help me with this one? Could use a second set of hands.”

I hesitated for a second, then wiped my palms on my jeans and headed over, trying not to seem too eager. “What’s the matter, big guy? Pumpkin giving you trouble?”

He smirked, handing me a carving tool. “You could say that. Why don’t you show me how it’s done?”

I rolled my eyes but started carving alongside him. Every time our hands brushed or arms bumped, I felt it—the electric pull that had been building since the very beginning.

“Have you been practicing?” I teased, keeping my tone light. “You make it look so easy.” My heart did some weird fluttering in my chest with the way his forearms flexed as he carved.

“I own a haunted house. I better know how to carve a pumpkin,” he said with a wink.

The words flowed easily, but underneath them, there was a heavy sense of something unsaid. The way his gaze lingered on my lips when I spoke, the way I kept stealing glances at his hands, imagining them on me—it was too much, but I couldn’t stop.

For fucks sake Oli, get it together, there are children here.

Just as we finished carving, Derek appeared, announcing it was time for the hayride. Families and kids started gatheringaround the truck, excited to load up for the ride through the pumpkin patches.

“We’ll catch up in a minute,” Liam told Derek, waving him off as the crowd moved away. “We’re almost done here.”

I should’ve followed the others, I should stay away from him, but instead, I stayed behind, watching as Liam put the finishing touches on the pumpkin. The air felt thick with longing, neither of us saying what we were really thinking. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, my brother,Jordan, popped up out of nowhere, breaking the tension like a needle on a balloon. Perfect fucking timing. But it shouldn’t have surprised me. Wherever Derek was, he wasn’t far behind these days.

“There you are,” Jonathan said, his eyes flicking between Liam and me. “I was wondering where you’d gone.”

“Since you guys haven’t been properly introduced. Jordan, this is Liam,” I said, awkwardly introducing them after their last encounter. But I had told Johnathan I would introduce them at the next big event. “Liam, this is my brother.”

Liam nodded, a grin playing on his lips as he shook Johnathan’s hand with that same easy confidence that always made me weak in the knees. Knowing Johnathan and Derek were a thing now, I didn’t feel a drop of friction between them.

“We’ve met, Derek introduced us.” Liam said.No surprise there.

“I could really use a drink,” I muttered more to myself, making Johnathan eyeball me as if sayinggo get laidbefore he wandered off.

Liam chuckled. “Would you like a candy corn cocktail? I have everything at the house to make them. You could stop by after the hayride?”

I froze. I knew I shouldn’t do it. I should’ve just smiled and made some excuse about how I had plans or that I’d see him at work tomorrow. But I didn’t.

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