Chapter 24

"Walk," I instruct.

I can sense the torment on her face, even though her back is facing me. Dropping her phone to the ground, she begins to walk in silence and like a magnet, I feel the forcefield she forever holds on me begin to pull as my steps trail hers.

Rows of pumpkins line either side of the freshly cemented path we walk on as we continue moving on the once desolate land of the abandoned mill which, surprise, is no longerabandoned.

I wish I could hear the thoughts that must be racing through that devious mind of hers, seeing the plot of land that once stood as an obstacle to us having our happy ending, now become the official landmark of our twisted love.

Just like in the picture I attached to the note from earlier this evening, at the end of the pathway, a cabin awaits. It's nothing elaborate but it will do. Building new construction with the kind of materials I prefer to use, to ensure what needs to be concealed is, in fact, concealed gets tricky. So, I opted for a simple design since the real appeal of this place is the land itself. Not only is it a vast canvas for every piece of gaudy Halloween décor my hellcat could ever want, it's sentimental. It just felt right to have a physical representation built to remind her how far she has come and how I will never let her forget our humble beginnings.

Her heels click against the wood steps that lead to the wrap around porch. There are more jack-o-lanterns on the porch, although they are scattered to make room for the Headless Horseman animatronic by the front door.

"What is this?" she asks, finally breaking the silence, her neck snapping in every direction trying to make sense of where she is now standing. "I don't understand, I thought this place was still abandoned?"

My boots continue to move until they are rubbing against the front of her heeled foot. I take my hand to her chin, tilting it in the direction of where my gaze is seared on her. I don't know how she does it. How she can be so unbelievably maddening, so downright malicious yet her beauty, undeniable and so unique to her black cat stare, always has me coming back for more.

I lower my head, my lips hovering over hers, the split of my tongue begging to be released so it can smother her the way her being smothers my entire soul.

"Our secrets are buried here," I remind her, brushing my lips against hers. "How else can we ensure they are concealed if we leave this place abandoned?"

"I can't believe you did this," she exclaims, pressing her lips against where mine hover over hers. Our lips crash together in a fervent kiss. She wraps her arms around my neck and I take that as my opportunity to swoop her up, cupping her ass in my hands as I move us closer to the large window next to the front door.

A playful and nervous giggle breaks from her, slipping through the cracks of our kiss, making my cock hard as I break the seal of where our mouths are meshed together.

"Turn around," I instruct her.

"Why?" she asks, apprehension now swarming her perfectly arched brows.

"Just trust me," I pivot her stance for her.

"But I don't," she deadpans.

Leaning into her ear, I whisper. "Good, that makes it more fun for me then," I tease, continuing to move her reluctant body around until she is facing the glass.

My hands glide from where they are stationed at her forearms until they are at each of her wrists. Cuffing them in my grip, I slowly move her hand up and onto the window, the motion forcing her body forward. With her wrists in my possession, I press my torso against her backside, securing her so she can't run away as I force her to look straight ahead, through the window.

I inhale, her scent invading my every sense. "Would you look at that," I begin, angling my head so that I can take in her physical reaction to what lies before her on the other side of the glass. "A window, just like the one I used to watch you through all those years ago. Dreaming of when I could make you mine."

"I can't believe you did this," she whispers, her mouth so close to the glass that a small ring of condensation forms.

My mouth slithers to her neck, working slow, intentional kisses onto her smooth skin. With each press of my lips, I feel her cold exterior melting away. "For you, I would do anything," I murmur, caressing the delicate area of flesh that exists between her neck and ear with my tongue.

Speechless, her head falls back into my kiss, pushing her ass against me. "Maddox," she breathes, "I–" she begins but she pauses, too distracted by the way I'm nibbling at her neck.

"Stop," she playfully squeals. "You're going to give me a hickey!"

A soft chuckle breaks from my lips as I reduce only a little bit the way I'm teasing her sensitive skin. "Baby, after the way I carved a damn jack-o-lantern face into your thigh and tore up that pretty little costume you had on this evening, a hickey is the least of your worries."

"But still."

"Still nothing, little hellcat." Moving my lips to her ear, I expel a teasingly long breath. "So, tell me baby, how did I do?"

Leaning her head deeper into the crevice between my face and neck, she sighs. "When? Before or now?"

"All of it. Tell me how daddy did?" I press her, now snaking my hands to hers, our fingers intertwined.

"I don't know where to start. It's perfect," she exclaims, for once in her life actually sounding like she's telling the truth.

A satisfied grin crosses my lips. "That's what I like to hear. I mean what can I say?" I breathe before shifting positions, twisting her so that she is still pressed against the window, but now facing me. "I know how my wife likes it."

Fuck, do I love the way that sounds. My wife. My fucking sexy as hell, bat shit crazy, beautiful, stabby wife.

"I'm not your wife…yet," she teasingly points out.

"Semantics." I shrug. "You've been mine since that night you tricked me here and you've been mine every day since. The last name is just a formality."

"Yeah, yeah, Boogeyman. I know, a promise is a promise," she playfully sighs. "Speaking of which, what time is everyone getting here?"

"Don't worry, we still have time before the guests arrive," I say, glancing quickly at my watch. "Now come with me, there's something I want to show you."

Weaving her hand in mine, I lead the way to the door of our new home.

"Oh, I like this," she points her free hand to the "Welcome to Our Nightmare" sign on the door that's nestled in the center of a black pampas grass wreath.

"I thought you would," I beam with pride as I reach for the key to the front door in my pocket. Skeleton key in hand, I tease the long, jagged edge of the key near the face I carved earlier on her thigh tattoo.

Her hand swats the key away, as she clicks her tongue. "Don't even think about touching me with that key," she snaps.

"Oh please. What are we, animals?" I joke.

She bobs her head, stifling a chuckle as her long black hair ripples with each shake of her head. "I never know with you. I didn't think the whole carving my leg in the cemetery was on the itinerary for tonight so, who knows, maybe you'd want to fuck me with the key too," she laughs.

"Ha, funny you should say that. I spoke to Alex earlier on the phone, he said Carmine finally got that girl he's been pining over to come to the city."

"And?" Blair juts her head forward, motioning her hand for me to continue.

I finish unlocking the door, its hinges squealing as it opens. "He fucked her with a key, similar to this one," I say, lifting the skeleton key for emphasis.

Blair looks at me in disbelief. "Jesus Christ, Carmine is fucking nuts. Even with what he's packing he decides to fuck the girl of his dreams with a key? Ha, and I thought I got stuck with the screwy friend of the bunch," she teases, her hand brushing a playful smack at my arm.

Cupping her face in my hand, my thumb swipes at her bottom lip. "Don't think you're quite off the hook. You still have the craziest one of the group. I just so happen to be your kind of crazy. Now, if you don't mind, I don"t want to hear my wife talk about any other man's dick please. Friend or not."

I stepaside, motioning for her to walk into the cabin.

"You aren't going to get tired of calling me that are you? Your wife?"

"Nope. Never."

I've waited so long for this moment, ever since the night in the woods when she swore to me that she'd always be mine.