Page 82 of Midnights
Cam sighs, but there’s something about the way he shakes his head before scooping her up effortlessly.
“Oh my God, put me down! It’s just a scrape. My leg isn’t broken!” Rachel protests, squirming in his arms. “I’m not bleeding to death either, it just needs to be cleaned up a bit.”
Raven crosses her arms, watching him with a grin. “See?That’show you rescue someone. No fees required.”
I smirk, tilting my head toward her. “I don’t know, Princess. I think you’d enjoy owing me.”
She sucks in a breath, but recovers quickly, narrowing her eyes. “In your dreams, Mr. I-Don’t-Ask-To-Hold-Hands.”
I grin. “More often than you’d think.”
Her lips part slightly and her eyes widen for just a second before she catches herself. And just like that I know I’ve won.
Rachel groans. “Icannotbelieve I just tripped, but at least I made it look graceful!”
Cam snorts. “Sure, if cartwheeling mid-air counts as graceful.”
Despite her protests, he doesn't put her down. I have to admit, it’s pretty damn entertaining. If it were Raven, I’d be doing the same thing, ignoring every demand to be put down. Something tells me she’d be even more stubborn than Rachel, which would only make it more fun.
We make our way back to the estate and through the back entrance, stepping into the mudroom. Playful banter still fills the air and laughter bounces off the walls as I grab the first aid kit.
“Alright, hold still,” Cam says, crouching in front of her. “Wouldn’t want you to lose a leg over this.”
He grins. “You might end up with a sick scar though.”
Rachel scoffs. “That’s the least of my problems.”
Something about the way she says it makes my stomach tighten. It’s offhanded, casual even, but there’s somethingunderit. I look up at her, debating whether to push, but she quickly covers it with a bright smile.
Raven is already bouncing on her heels, completely oblivious to the shift in Rachel’s tone. “Okay, now what?”
Tossing the bandages back into the kit, arching a brow at her enthusiasm. “What do you meannow?Didn’t we just spend an hour in the woods? I thought you’d be ready to sit down, catch your breath…”
She gasps like I just said something offensive. “Absolutely not. We haven’t even seen the castle yet.”
Cam chuckles. “Technically, we are in the castle.”
“Okay, smartass, you know what I mean,” Raven huffs, crossing her arms. “I want the full experience! I want to see the throne. Is there a throne?Can I sit on it?Are there secret rooms? Hidden passageways? Wait!Are there any ghosts?”
I blink at the onslaught of questions, barely holding back a grin. “I’m sorry, am I supposed to answer those in real time, or—”
She waves a hand dismissively. “I expect you to answer all of themeventually. And if I think of more, I’ll be adding to the list.”
Rachel hums in agreement, hopping off the counter with a grin. “I also want to know about the ghosts.”
Cam laughs. “Oh fantastic. Now we’re ghost hunting.”
Raven perks up. “Wait,canwe ghost hunt?”
I cross my arms, leaning against the counter. “You planning on running out the front door screaming the first time a shadow moves?”
She scoffs, lifting her chin. “Excuseyou, but that would never happen.”
I raise a brow. “You sure about that?”
“Positive.” She folds her arms. “I’ve seen all the horror movies. I know the rules.You, on the other hand, are exactly the type of guy who’d ignore all the obvious signs and end up possessed.”
Cam snorts. “I can see that. Kane’s the one who hears the weird noise and says, ‘I’ll check it out’ right before he gets dragged into the woods.”
