Page 32 of Hollow House
My head spun, finding someone dragging the other across the driveway. I recognized the black suit.
The Wraith pulled him into a headlock and cut off his air until he was helpless. I’d never seen such raw strength from someone.
He passed out, and the Wraith dropped him like he was nothing. The body hit the ground with a hard thud, and all I could do was watch.
“Apologies, love,” the Wraith cooed, stepping over the body. “It would seem some of those in Hollow Society have completely lost their manners. They will be dealt with.”
“Don’t hurt them,” I blurted out before I could stop it.
His brow ticked up in surprise. “I promise, they will not be harmed,” he said and held out a hand.
I don’t know why I did it, but this time, I took it without hesitation. Maybe it was because the gate was locked and Iknew it was useless until morning, or maybe it was the way he’d protected me without hesitation. I didn’t know.
I tried not to overthink it. Besides, I had a job to finish. If I didn’t get some form of an article out of the night, it would all be for nothing.
Before heading back inside, I caught a glimpse of the balcony above, two men watching me with intense stares I could feel even behind their masks. I lost sight of them the second I walked up the front steps, but something about them felt almost familiar…
Chapter 18
“Are you okay?”the Wraith asked the second we were inside.
He glanced me over like he was looking for injuries, and I stood frozen in shock. The sudden attention and care was too much.
“Why do you care?” I asked with a sigh of defeat.
I’d given in, went back inside, but part of me still wanted to run, to be done with this assignment. To write an article that exposed the place for what it was….
A house of horrors, not pleasures.
The place had a way of making you slowly lose your mind. All night long, I couldn’t tell what was reality and what was my mind playing tricks. The woman in the window, the one in the bathroom—was any of it real?
“Are you even real?” I asked without realizing I said it out loud until his brows raised.
He moved closer, and my feet remained firmly planted. If this wasn’t reality, what did I care if he was in my space? Maybe this was all a dream, and I’d wake back in my bed.
He reached for my hand slowly, watching me for any sign of denial, but I let him continue. It landed on his chest, and I could feel his heart beating steadily beneath my touch.
“This is real, love,” he promised. “Take a few deep breaths.”
I tried inhaling and exhaling to the same rhythm as the rise and fall of his chest. Eventually, the sheer panic that had grabbed me so forcefully resided. He watched me, never once letting go of my hand.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“Don’t be,” he insisted. “There’s nothing wrong with asking questions.”
I looked up and found his dark eyes glancing me over. My gaze dropped to his lips, and before I could change my mind, I stood on my toes and kissed him.
His hands moved to my face to hold me there, but after a second, he backed away.
“Let’s go somewhere with fewer watchful eyes this time,” he said, leading me back inside.
It wasn’t until we reached a new door in a hall I wasn’t sure I had been in that we paused. He opened the door, letting me in first.
The room was filled with mirrors and padded floors, a gym turned into a room of various desires. I spotted brand new vibrators still in their packages, bondage, even paddles.
“Tell me, love: which do you desire?”
The words tickled my ear on his whisper. I glanced around, but nothing specific caught my eye. Only a few hours in, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the Wraith to use some of the more unfamiliar toys just yet. Nerves crept through my body, self-consciousness at the fact that he was likely far more experienced.
