Page 26 of The Queen of Nightmares

“I’ll show you caveman when I toss you over my shoulder and carry you to our room.”

She grinned. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

I raised an eyebrow, looking at her after I pulled out of the parking space. “No? What about when I pull your hair and stuff my fat cock down your throat, making you choke on it in apology.”

She gasped, but I didn’t miss the way she squirmed in her seat. “Apology for what?”

“For making me agree to this stupid fucking idea of going out in public while you’re in danger.”

She sighed and leaned into me. “You’re right. I just thought it sounded fun. We don’t have to go if you think it’s too dangerous.”

“Itisfucking dangerous. But I will do everything I can to make it as safe as possible. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner in your own home.”

“Thank you, Jack.” She brushed a kiss on the underside of my jaw.

“You’re still going to be punished,” I warned, my tone low and full of threat.

Her voice was breathy when she replied. “Oh, I figured.”

ChapterNineteen

THE QUEEN OF NIGHTMARES

Iwas so excited I was practically vibrating as we headed into town. The signs indicating the maze were easy to follow. I looked out of the rear window to see Doc’s SUV following close behind. He seemed to be just as reserved about the whole outing as Jack was and swore he wouldn’t be leaving our sides.

Jack had mentioned the prospects had already checked the whole area for any possible threats without signs of trouble. Even so, they would be standing guard around the property just in case. I felt bad about that because, even though the sky was clear today, it was still really freaking cold.

There hadn’t been any sign of Dr. Stein in or around town yet. When I called the number from the voicemail, I was told they had no further information. No one had any idea where Dr. Stein had disappeared to. It was strange to think that a man who could barely walk managed to get away in the first place. To think he was also able to evade the authorities was just unbelievable. Maybe Jack was right, and this whole thing was a really bad idea. I was about to call the whole thing off when Jack slowed down to turn into the maze parking lot.

It was almost like a carnival had come to town. There was a huge tent set up in the middle with rows of tables where people could sit and drink their hot beverages. Right next to the seating area was a long, enclosed building with a small line of people waiting to order.

As we climbed out of the truck, I could hear the music playing over loudspeakers. It was Christmas music but played on what sounded like an old pipe organ, giving it a decidedly spooky vibe. This town was nuts but in such a fun way. It was no wonder people came from miles around to enjoy what they had to offer.

We stood and waited near the truck as the others parked before making their way over to us. Jack fussed with my scarf, ensuring it was wrapped securely around my neck and sufficiently covered my ears while checking that my stocking cap was in place.

“I’m fine, Jack,” I huffed as he tugged the zipper of my heavy coat up even though it was already as high as it could go. “Is this how you’re going to be with your son or daughter?” I cocked an eyebrow, amused. He paused for a second before adjusting my scarf again.

“Probably. Why would I not make sure those that I love most are completely taken care of?”

My heart melted at his words. Okay, there was no arguing with that. When he put it that way, I would let him fuss over me as much as he wanted.

“Hey, Sally!” Kara called, and I turned to see her walking out from between two cars. “Glad the Prez let you out of the house finally.”

I cleared my throat, uncomfortable at her words and the way her tone implied that he’d been purposely keeping me locked away. “It’s too bad my injury kept me away for so long. But I’m here now!” I smiled, squeezing Jack’s hand in apology, even though it wasn’t my fault that Kara seemed to be in a weird mood.

“Yeah, you’re here.” She almost sounded unimpressed. I wanted to ask her what was up with her attitude, wondering if she was having issues with her boyfriend or something. “So let’s go have some fun.” She hooked her arm in mine and began leading me toward the large red tent. “Hot cocoa first, then we can go explore.”

I looked over my shoulder to see Jack scowling but close on our heels, with Doc and the others following right behind him. We went straight to the first open window and ordered our drinks. I chose hot apple cider while Jack and the other bikers in our entourage ordered coffee. Kara sucked the whipped cream off her hot cocoa before blowing on it.

We stood near a tall patio heater that gave off more radiant heat than I expected it to. While glancing around, I realized there were several throughout the tent area, making it a pretty comfortable place to relax and warm up.

“This place is amazing!” I said as I took a tiny sip of my cider. It was delicious.

“You should see the place when it’s set up for Halloween. Which, honestly, is all the time except for Christmas. That’s the only time they switch it up a bit. But Halloween is something else. It’s one of the biggest attractions for the town.” Kara looked around at the grounds beyond the tent and pointed.

“The maze entrance is right there. It’s about a half-mile long and a quarter-mile wide. It usually takes about an hour to make your way through it. Every year, they change the design so the locals don’t memorize it.”

“That’s huge! I can’t wait to try it out.” I couldn’t contain my bubbling excitement.

---