Page 88 of Love Sick

I don’t feel anything give under the force, but I persevere.

“Dutch, what are you doing?”

I continue moving the crucifix, realizing this hole is, in fact, a lock and I won’t give up until I feel…

“Oh my god,” Luna gasps when there’s a click before the brick wall of the fireplace slides across, revealing a secret passageway.

I crouch low, peering into the dark void, unsure where this leads. But I’ll be damned if I don’t find out.

Slipping the crucifix back on, I turn to Luna who is standing behind me, eyes wide as she too looks at the hole in the wall.

“Stay here,” I say, knowing how this will go down.

“No way. I’m going with you.”

Standing, I cup her cheeks, begging she does what she’s told—for once. “Luna, please. We don’t know what’s down there.”

“Which is all the more reason to come with you,” she interrupts. “Bad things tend to happen when we’re apart.”

Which is true. But not this time.

“What happens to Bobby and Kyle if something happens to us both? All of this would have been for nothing.”

“Please don’t ask this of me.”

“I’m not. In the end, it’s your choice. But after everything we’ve been through, I’m guessing what’s behind door number two isn’t good. If I’m worrying about you, I won’t be focused. And vice versa. I’ll be back in no time. In the meantime—” I offer her the gun, but she shakes her head.

“You need it more than me. Besides, I can take of myself.”

“I know you can, baby.” Noah’s corpse is proof of that.

We both know this is a horrible idea, but what other choice is there?

I’ve never been one for goodbyes, so I grip the back of her head and plant a quick kiss to Luna’s forehead. I don’t want to leave her. But I’ll be back.

I don’t look back as I snatch a candle from the mantel and crouch low and walk through the small doorway. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust, but then they do, I see that I’m inside the walls of the house.

I was expecting a room, but this leads out into a crossroads of walls. I turn left, leading toward the piano room and walk slowly, wishing to mask my steps. The walls are covered in cobwebs and insects and mice scatter when they see me approaching.

Creepiness levels just amped up to ten thousand because I hate to think who’s been inside these walls, watching, unbeknown to the occupants.

A thought suddenly occurs to me. What if Alanna and Daddy never really left and have been watching us the entire time, watching and studying us like mice in a maze?

I shield the candle with my hand as there is a slight breeze. This narrow passageway is no coincidence—this was constructed with intent. My senses are sharpened and I anticipate anything and everything.

I continue walking until I see a small doorway at the end of the hallway.

“Motherfucker,” I curse under my breath because I was right.

The moment I get to it, I crouch low and turn the old brass knob and open the unlocked door.

Wind and rain lash me because the door opens out to the roof. I peer out carefully and see the steep drop if one were to take one wrong step outside this doorway. The roof tiles look slippery, thanks to the rain and the moss growing on them.

I look to the left, however, and see there is some piping which leads to a long drainpipe. Far from ideal, but it can be done. If I can scale across this and climb down the pipe, then I can go to the front door where Noah’s keys are.

There’s no question as to what needs to be done.

I place the candle onto the floor, which has blown out thanks to the howling wind, and carefully grip the edge of the doorway and place my bare foot onto the piping to see if it’ll hold my weight. Instantly, my foot slips, but I hold on to the doorway firmly.

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