Chapter 4

Olivia Bennett

T he moment I stepped through the worn Gothic archway of the haunted house, my pulse quickened. A chill skated across my neck, the air too cold against my sweat-slicked skin from the warm midsummer day outside. The distant wails and groans that echoed down the shadowy corridors tugged at the corners of my mind, along with the dance of flickering candlelight against the walls.

I moved quietly, boots pressing into the creaking floorboards. This place looked massive and terrifying. And that was saying something because horror shows and Halloween were two of my favorite things. My eyes darted, scanning for anything as goose bumps pebbled my skin. I breathed in the musty scent, the faint trace of smoke mingling with a hint of something coppery. Blood? Or was it just my imagination playing tricks on me? Now that I was looking, it must have been from the fog machines.

“Quite the ambiance, isn’t it?” His unexpected and smooth voice cut through the silence like a knife. I spun around. Liam O’Connor stood behind me, the shadows seeming to cling to him as if they were part of his attire. I only knew it was him from the briefing file my boss had given me. He definitely matched the photos. But damn, the man was even more attractive in person. Dirty blond hair, stubbled jaw line and don’t even get me started on the way his body looked.

“Fuck,” I gasped out, hand clutching at my chest where my heart hammered against my ribs. “You scared the hell out of me.”

“Apologies,” he said, lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Green, they were the color of fresh moss, gleaming with an edge of amusement. “It’s part of the charm here.”

That smile—absolutely devilish.

“Charm isn’t the word most people would use.” My voice was steady, belying the adrenaline rush that still coursed through me.

He chuckled a low sound that seemed too warm for the cool air around us. “Come on, you must be Jade, here for the interview. My office is this way.” He gestured with a hand.

I followed, alert and absorbing every detail of this place while trying to get used to answering to my undercover name. The corridor stretched before us, lined with portraits whose eyes seemed to follow us. The effects were so realistic. It was impressive.

“Watch your step,” he warned as we approached a particularly narrow staircase leading upward. The wood creaked under his weight about halfway up.

“Thanks,” I murmured, grateful for the heads-up but not for the flutter in my stomach at his proximity. Jesus, focus, Oli.

Upstairs, his office was the complete opposite of the rest of Dead Man’s—modern, organized, with a large desk taking center stage. Books lined the shelves against the walls, titles ranging from the occult to criminal psychology. I filed away that information.

“Please, take a seat,” he invited, motioning toward the leather chair opposite of his desk. As I sat down, his gaze lingered for a fraction longer than necessary, a silent assessment that I met unflinchingly.

“Thank you, Mr. O’Connor.”

“Please, call me Liam,” he insisted, settling into his own chair with a grace that seemed almost predatory. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

I nodded, shifting to get comfortable.

“So, Jade,” he began, his tone shifting. “What brings a woman like you to the world of haunted houses?”

“Well, I’m new to town and I’ve always loved spooky season, and in the advertisement, you pay rather well for a haunted house. It sounded like a job that would be right up my alley,” I answered

“Darkness doesn’t frighten you, does it?” His tone was teasing, but the look in his eyes was anything but.

“No, should it?” I countered, trying to sound bolder than I felt.

“And what about blood? You squeamish?” he asked.

“Not even a little. I have plenty of hands-on experience.”

“Oh, have you worked in a haunted house before?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” I responded with a smirk. Being an agent of the FBI might as well have been called its own house of horrors.

“Lovely... Alright, what about lighting and sound? Have you worked with those things before?”

“Yep, I can totally do that.” I lied smoothly. Anything involving electronics was essentially my arch nemesis. If they were going to malfunction, it was going to be while I was handling them for absolutely no reason. It was like a curse that I had carried with me my entire life. They were Johnathans thing.

Why couldn’t things be simple like before? Just give me a pager or tell me to flip a light switch. Liam flipped through a few more papers as I went about my internal rant.

“Would this job be more for behind the scenes things, or would I be involved with the props, acting, and scaring?” I asked.

“Honestly, all of the above. I’ve been needing an extra set of hands around here for when I need to leave or handle other business. And I think you’re the perfect fit.” He added the last statement while giving me a bright smile and jotting something down on my paperwork with his pen.

“Amazing,” I said finally, my decision firm. “I’d love the job.”

“Excellent. Welcome to the madness.” His grin was slow, knowing.

I couldn’t help but return it. “Madness seems to be a recurring theme in my life,” I quipped, the edges of my resolve softening.

“Then you’ll fit right in,” he assured me, standing and clasping my hand a moment too long. His eyes held mine, and when I cleared my throat, he released me. “I’ll need you here in the morning at eight. I have a meeting I have to get to, but Derek will be here. He’s the co-owner and can go over all the basics with you.”

“Sounds great, I’ll be here,” I said before leaving the man far too attractive for his own good in his office. With every step toward the exit, I could feel his eyes on me, and the thrill of the hunt pulsed through me, mingling with his allure.