head
tilt and a smoky smile.
Still creepy.
Mace was extremely quiet in the car, leaving Tony to try his best at
impressing Nina sitting in the back seat with him. When they arrived at her
condominium, Mace parked the car, and both he and Tony got out.
“Guys, you don’t have to come in, unless you’re coming for a drink,
because that’s what’s on the dinner menu.”
“Just going to check things out, Kayla,” Mace said quietly, and lifted
one of Nina’s bags across his shoulder.
“Thanks, Mace. I can take that,” Nina said, but he pulled back giving
her a quirked brow.
Tony swung her other bag from the trunk, and thumped the lid closed,
taking up the rear, while Mace led the way up the front walk.
Kayla dug for her keys. Thane didn’t exactly know she was coming home,
but too bad. If he assumed she was going to be walled-up for the rest of her
life, he could stuff it. Throwing a strong arm over her head, Mace pushed open
the door, and she scooted under it. It smelled like someone had stashed a
gazillion pennies somewhere in her condo.
Nina blew out her breath. “Whoa, Kayla, nice place, but open some
windows, it’s a little stuffy in here.” Nina strolled down the hallway. “I need
to use the head.”
Everything happened so fast. Recognition of what the smell was, Tony
and Mace’s body language going taut, their eyes scanning the place as quickly
as she did.
“Oh, shit,” she muttered.
Mace turned abruptly. “Nina, stop,” he yelled, running after her, but
she’d already reached the bathroom.
Chapter Eight
A strangled cry flew down the hallway. Nina backed out of the bathroom,
and slammed against the wall sending a picture crashing to the ground,
shattering the glass. Mace yanked the bathroom door shut, and swung Nina into
his arms.
“Kayla, stay there,” Mace shouted at her, even though she was right
beside him.
Nina’s eyes widened like a silent movie star.
“What is it?” Tony grabbed Kayla around the shoulders. “Mace?”
The smell of blood curled through the hallway, and she glanced
worriedly at Nina.
“Hey, are you all right, Red?” Mace said to Nina, seeing her pallor
change to sheer white, her veins standing out like a blue maze.
“Watch out, Mace!”
“What?” Not taking his eyes off Nina.
“Uh-oh.” The woman could eat a mouth full of bugs and spit nails, but
blood—she couldn’t stand the sight of it. “Hang on to her,” she ordered. Mace’s
grip tightened, as Nina draped like a flag across him.
“Check the rooms, Tinman,” he ordered, picking Nina up into his arms.
“Kayla, follow me.” His hands were full with Nina, and she wasn’t so good at
following orders. Tinman was already in her bedroom when she forged a will of
steel, and prodded the bathroom door open with one finger. The smell of blood
wafted from the interior like a sticky, humid blanket.
There was no body, but her bathroom held a bloodbath. A stream of
blood from the overfilled sink crawled across the floor, staining the grout.
Sticky fingers of red liquid stretched across her white counters and pooled
against the backsplash. The stark white tub held a couple inches of congealed
blood, and the sides were splattered with droplets and streaks as if the Shark
had splashed around in it like a kid playing in a puddle. Her eyes stilled on
the message left on her mirror.
Your friend first.
“Kayla, get the hell out of here,” Tony growled, grabbing her from
behind, and yanking her backwards, slamming the door closed between her and the
gore.
The hallway darkened and began to spin, a cold numbness creeping
through her veins like an advancing enemy.
“Please, I can’t watch that again. I don’t know what to do.” He shook
her once. “Snow White, no!” She winced as Tony engulfed her in his arms and
squeezed tight. “Stay with me. No wandering into the dark zone.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” she murmured, her voice muffled by his chest.
Mace appeared
tilt and a smoky smile.
Still creepy.
Mace was extremely quiet in the car, leaving Tony to try his best at
impressing Nina sitting in the back seat with him. When they arrived at her
condominium, Mace parked the car, and both he and Tony got out.
“Guys, you don’t have to come in, unless you’re coming for a drink,
because that’s what’s on the dinner menu.”
“Just going to check things out, Kayla,” Mace said quietly, and lifted
one of Nina’s bags across his shoulder.
“Thanks, Mace. I can take that,” Nina said, but he pulled back giving
her a quirked brow.
Tony swung her other bag from the trunk, and thumped the lid closed,
taking up the rear, while Mace led the way up the front walk.
Kayla dug for her keys. Thane didn’t exactly know she was coming home,
but too bad. If he assumed she was going to be walled-up for the rest of her
life, he could stuff it. Throwing a strong arm over her head, Mace pushed open
the door, and she scooted under it. It smelled like someone had stashed a
gazillion pennies somewhere in her condo.
Nina blew out her breath. “Whoa, Kayla, nice place, but open some
windows, it’s a little stuffy in here.” Nina strolled down the hallway. “I need
to use the head.”
Everything happened so fast. Recognition of what the smell was, Tony
and Mace’s body language going taut, their eyes scanning the place as quickly
as she did.
“Oh, shit,” she muttered.
Mace turned abruptly. “Nina, stop,” he yelled, running after her, but
she’d already reached the bathroom.
Chapter Eight
A strangled cry flew down the hallway. Nina backed out of the bathroom,
and slammed against the wall sending a picture crashing to the ground,
shattering the glass. Mace yanked the bathroom door shut, and swung Nina into
his arms.
“Kayla, stay there,” Mace shouted at her, even though she was right
beside him.
Nina’s eyes widened like a silent movie star.
“What is it?” Tony grabbed Kayla around the shoulders. “Mace?”
The smell of blood curled through the hallway, and she glanced
worriedly at Nina.
“Hey, are you all right, Red?” Mace said to Nina, seeing her pallor
change to sheer white, her veins standing out like a blue maze.
“Watch out, Mace!”
“What?” Not taking his eyes off Nina.
“Uh-oh.” The woman could eat a mouth full of bugs and spit nails, but
blood—she couldn’t stand the sight of it. “Hang on to her,” she ordered. Mace’s
grip tightened, as Nina draped like a flag across him.
“Check the rooms, Tinman,” he ordered, picking Nina up into his arms.
“Kayla, follow me.” His hands were full with Nina, and she wasn’t so good at
following orders. Tinman was already in her bedroom when she forged a will of
steel, and prodded the bathroom door open with one finger. The smell of blood
wafted from the interior like a sticky, humid blanket.
There was no body, but her bathroom held a bloodbath. A stream of
blood from the overfilled sink crawled across the floor, staining the grout.
Sticky fingers of red liquid stretched across her white counters and pooled
against the backsplash. The stark white tub held a couple inches of congealed
blood, and the sides were splattered with droplets and streaks as if the Shark
had splashed around in it like a kid playing in a puddle. Her eyes stilled on
the message left on her mirror.
Your friend first.
“Kayla, get the hell out of here,” Tony growled, grabbing her from
behind, and yanking her backwards, slamming the door closed between her and the
gore.
The hallway darkened and began to spin, a cold numbness creeping
through her veins like an advancing enemy.
“Please, I can’t watch that again. I don’t know what to do.” He shook
her once. “Snow White, no!” She winced as Tony engulfed her in his arms and
squeezed tight. “Stay with me. No wandering into the dark zone.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” she murmured, her voice muffled by his chest.
Mace appeared
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