Page 107 of In The Dark
“Permission considered. I’ll consult with the rest of the participating parties and get back to you,” I say, squealing when his hand moves to my ribs and tickles me. “Hey! Both hands on the wheel! You have precious cargo here.”
“You’re right.” I hear the smile in his voice, the deep adoration he has for me like I have for him. “I do.”
Twenty minutes later, he’s helping me out of the car, the blindfold still in place. I listen to the noises around me, trying to piece together where I am, but there are too many competing sounds. I hear music and conversations and someone yelling about cinnamon sugar pretzels, and I’m even more confused.
“Just another minute, baby,” Hunter murmurs in my ear, a palm on my hip as he nudges me left then right. “And I want you to remember you trust me.”
“Oh, god. Now I’m scared about what this could be. If this involves bodily harm or blood, I’m going to be so mad at you.”
“Well, it doesn’t involverealblood.”
“Hunter.”
“Max.” His hand is at the back of my head, easing the blindfold off. I squint at the change in lighting and turn my chin, spotting a sign up ahead. “Tada.”
“You brought me toFright Nights? Are you out of your mind?” I stare at the entrance of Adventure Oasis with dread. Fog billows through the iron gate. The trees lining the path into the park are decorated with pumpkins and spiderwebs, and I burst out laughing. “Absolutely not. I’m not going in there.”
“Angel.” Hunter is leading me to a smaller gate away from the large crowd. He nods hello to a security guard and takes my hand. “We missed our one year anniversary. What better way to celebrate it than by going back to the place where we first met?”
“That requires being terrorized, and I’m not mentally prepared for this. I was expecting marshmallows decorated as ghosts and spiders made out of chocolate and pretzels, not complete and utter fear.”
“There are still going to be marshmallows and spiders. Just in a few minutes.”
“How long do we have to stay?” I ask.
“Ten minutes. We’ll be in then out, I swear.”
“A lot of good your promises have done so far today,” I grumble. I tug on his necklace, bringing his mouth to mine. “Fine. But only if you go first, tell me exactly where every scare actor is going to be, and don’t make fun of how much I scream.”
“I hear you scream plenty. Listening to you yell my name is one of my favorite hobbies.”
“It better be, given one of your other hobbies is murder.”
Hunter grins. “I love when you’re feisty, baby. I’ll point out everyone to you. I’ll even show you the buttons you can press in the house that trigger certain special effects.”
“Okay, nowthatsounds cooler than being chased by a werewolf.” I loop my arm through his and rest my head on his shoulder. “Fine. I’ll let you terrorize me. And since we’re here,we might as well stick around and watch Skyler perform in the show.”
“See how much fun all of this is? Maybe next year I can get you to do all ten houses.”
“We have very different definitions of fun.”
Hunter walks us to a special entrance no one else is using. He flashes a golden badge that tells me he’s very important and is welcomed inside with a wave from someone who looks very official.
“What’s with the VIP treatment?” I ask. “Feels like they should be rolling out a red carpet for you.
“I get free admission for myself and one guest whenever I want,” he says. “It’s the best part of this job.”
“Just for Fright Nights?”
“Nope. Fright Nights. During normal operating hours. I can come and go as I please.”
“Does that mean I can come and see the Christmas lights when they’re up?”
“Baby, I’ll take you to see the Christmas lights every night you want.”
I smile as we head through the park. Hunter points out the different scare zones and the stories behind them, and I notice there aren’t any other guests around us. Every sidewalk is empty, and I frown.
“Where is everyone?”
