Page 39 of Bitten By Desire
Officer Davis walked over to us. “Hey, Zoey,” he said with a smile and then turned to me. “You’re sure it was just a hand?”
I nodded. “I tripped on it when I heard a chainsaw revving up. There’s a little blood on my boot.” I pointed down.
“And you didn’t see anyone near the hand? Anyone at all?”
I’d only seen one other person in the maze – Callum. But he hadn’t been anywhere near the hand. I shook my head.
“And it wasjust youthat saw it?”
Did he think I was making it up? “Yeah, I was alone.”
“Okay, we’ll go check it out real quick. But don’t you worry. I’m sure it was nothing.”
Nothing?There was a fucking severed hand in the maze!
“There’s blood on her boot,” Zoey said. She could tell this cop didn’t believe me too.
“Like I said, we’ll go check it out.” Officer Davis turned on the flashlight in his hand and nodded to the other cops with him. They all proceeded to head into the maze.
“Wait,” Zoey said and grabbed his wrist. “Do we have to stay, or can we go? I think we’ve all had enough of tonight.”
“You can go home. I’ll call you if we need an official statement or anything.”
“Thanks, Officer.”
He smiled at her.
And I had a feeling that he’d only shown up because Zoey had asked him to. Because it didn’t seem like he believed me at all. He hadn’t even glanced at my boot. And he wasn’t shutting the festival down. He thought it wasnothing. What if there was a chainsaw murderer loose in that maze? Or just somewhere in the festival?
“I don’t think he believed me,” I said.
Bennett frowned and stared into the maze.
Zoey grabbed my arm. “I’m sure he did. And he’ll figure out what’s going on. Let’s just head home, okay? I’ve had enough creepy for one night.”
I nodded. I wanted to get these boots off.
“I’ll walk you ladies home,” Bennett said and tipped his hat.
I would have laughed if I wasn’t much closer to crying.
“How about we stop and get a little more hot apple cider before we head out? To warm up a bit?”
“Actually, that sounds great.” I was still cold from that maze. And now I was trying to remember if Callum had approached me from behind, where the hand had been. Or from the front, closer to the maze’s exit. Was it possible he had been somewhere near the hand? Should I have mentioned it to Officer Davis?
I shook away the thought. Officer Davis didn’t even believe me. And he already thought I was stalking TheoGold. If anything, he’d trust my story less if I mentioned Callum. And Iknewwhat I saw. It was a freaking lone hand.
The hot apple cider helped. Bennett’s arm around my shoulders during the walk home helped more. But it was his goodnight kiss that helped the most.
Zoey had gone inside and it was just Bennett and I on the front porch.
“I’m sorry tonight took such a weird turn,” I said.
“I mean…there were some ups and downs for sure. But I think it’s the Ferris wheel that I’ll remember the most.”
I wanted to agree with him. But that terror in my throat when Callum had cornered me would be hard to forget. And the bloody hand. I tried to focus on what Bennett wanted to remember. The good bits. I smiled up at him, trying to push away the chill in my bones. “The Ferris wheel and you winning Captain Floppy Ears. Definitely the cowboy hat.” I tapped the brim of his hat. “Oh, and the fact that you’redyingto be my boyfriend.”
He smiled down at me. “Is that what you think?”
