Page 9 of When Death Whispers

I nod, even though I’m not. Not even close.

He tosses his keys in the air and catches them with a grin. “Yeah. C’mon. I got you.”

Something in my chest eases—and tightens all at once.

“I owe you,” I murmur, trailing after him.

“You can pay me back by letting me pick the music.”

There’s only one car in the tiny employee lot—a Jeep. My brows lift. I’d pegged Hudson for the flashy sports-car type, something sleek and impractical, not a rugged Jeep. It actually looks like it’s seen real adventures, mud-splattered tires and all.

I glance sideways at him.

Maybe there’s more to Hudson than I thought.

The wind gusts suddenly, sending my braid whipping across my shoulder. Cold seeps through my hoodie, making me shiver involuntarily as my eyes dart nervously around the darkness. It’s quiet—too quiet—but at leasthisheavy, icy presence from earlier seems to have receded.

Thank fuck.

Still, my thighs clench at the memory of his shadows climbing my skin, of the phantom touch still burning in places I don’t want to acknowledge. I shove the thoughts away and bolt for the Jeep just as Hudson unlocks it. I jump in, slam the door, and immediately flip on every dome light. I even click on my phone flashlight and leave it glowing in the cupholder like a talisman.

The rush of bright, artificial illumination calms my racing pulse. Somewhat.

“You... okay there, Snow Pea? You’re acting even weirder than usual,” Hudson says, climbing in beside me. For once, his voice isn’t teasing or flirty—it’s genuinely curious, almost gentle.

I give him a half-hearted glare for the nickname, but it’s weak at best. He doesn’t know what it means. What it does to me.

Still, he deserves something. A sliver of honesty.

“I don’t like the dark,” I say at last, voice small.

He raises an eyebrow, probably expecting more. But to his credit, he doesn’t push. He simply nods and starts the Jeep, waiting for me to rattle off my address that’s only a few blocks away.

It’s quiet as we pull out onto the empty street.

Creek Haven is picturesque, charming, safe. A single main street houses all the local businesses, from a small hospital to the police department. Quaint houses line neatly paved roads, lush trees framing the quiet neighborhoods.

It’s the kind of town you’d see in a Hallmark movie, currently deserted at three in the morning. Even with the strong wind shaking up the trees around us, the town looks peaceful.

People here live without fear, blissfully unaware. But I know better. Safety is a lie, especially when the night has claws.

My eyes flick across the darkened houses, all blacked out from the power outage. The storm has passed, but the town feels… hollow. Like the calm before something worse.

I’ve just started to breathe again when Hudson curses under his breath and swerves sharply.

“Fuck! Did you see that?” he shouts, breath ragged. “Some idiot dressed in black was standing in the middle of the road!”

Heart hammering, I glance back, dread pooling in my stomach as a shadowy figure dissolves into the darkness. The chill returns, heavier this time—like cold hands wrapping around my throat.

He’s still watching.

And I know that feeling.

It’s the kind that slithers in before things start to break.

I open my mouth to tell Hudson to slow down, but before I can get the words out, a loudpop-pop-popcracks from my side of the Jeep.

Hudson swears and yanks the wheel, slamming on the brakes. We jolt forward in our seats as the Jeep screeches to a stop, the tires grinding into the wet pavement.

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