Page 58

Turning, I head down the walkway of the house we were at, dodging kids on the sidewalk. When I get to the end of the driveway, I look back over my shoulder at Hazel, who is watching me curiously.
She sighs, orange locks falling into her face. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
I kneel down to her level and set Fin on her feet. She’s apparently had enough of me holding her and wiggles until I let her loose. Reaching for Hazel, I pull her into a hug. “You didn’t upset me, sweetie. I just miss her, that’s all.” It’s more than that and Hazel knows.
Hazel pulls out of my grasp and cups my cheeks with her hands. “She says she’s healthy and not to be sad anymore.”
While my eyes burn and I think there should be tears, there’s not. Only anger that my daughter died and I couldn’t do anything about it. I know she’s no longer in pain and in a better place, but it will never stop the doubt inside me.
With a deep breath, I stand and tug on Hazel’s hand. “Let’s go find Mommy.”
Hazel and Finend up ditching me for Ella about twenty minutes later.
I’ve never officially met Ella until tonight, and I’m happy to report she’s more like her mom than her dad. Not that there’s anything wrong with Steve, but you know. He’s… confused.
Ella has Sevi in her arms, laughing. “He’s so cute,” she says. “He thinks he’s a dog.”
“Yeah, it’s cute for now, but it gets old,” I mumble, leaving the kids with her. I normally wouldn’t drop my kids off with someone I didn’t know, but apparently, she’s the block babysitter while the adults go through a haunted house. I don’t make the rules. I’m just forced to follow them.
I’m left looking for Kelly on my own. Last time I saw her, she was with Kate and Ashlynn. Do you remember when I said I was a bit possessive sometimes?
Maybe I didn’t say that, but I can be. Like now. Just wait.
I find Kelly next to Jayden, Gretchen’s son, and his delinquent group of friends. They’re drooling over Ashlynn for sure, but it’s one kid’s attention on Catwoman I have a problem with. He puts his arm around my wife and whispers something in her ear.
Yeah, not cool.
Judging by the flush of her cheeks and the glossy eyes peeking through the mask on her face, she’s drunk. Leaning against the makeshift wall of the haunted house, I watch them for a moment. There’s nothing wrong with a little flirting, right? It wouldn’t hurt for her to get some attention from a younger guy to let her know just how hot she is.
In theory, that’s all fine. In my reality… it’s not. It doesn’t sit well with me, and the more this little shit touches my wife, the more possessive I get and fight the urge to rip the kid’s arm off her.
Kelly notices me about a minute later, her eyes narrowing in the distance. I’m standing in the shadows, barely noticeable but she sees me. She smiles but doesn’t move away from the kid.
I cross my arms over my chest and smile back. Then I give a nod to the haunted house. Kelly hates haunted houses, but I think she’s just drunk enough she might go in it with me.
She smiles at the kid with his arm wrapped around her and then moves away from him. He protests and reaches for her hand. “Where do you think you’re going?” the kid has the nerve to ask.
Jayden steps forward and says something to the kid and nods to me. With a scowl, the kid’s eyes drift to mine, and he lets go of her, his palms raised toward me.
That’s right, you little fucker. She’s taken.
Kelly reaches me, smiling, laughter on her lips as she wraps her arms around my neck. In the next moment, her tongue sweeps over my lips, silently asking for permission. She tastes like candy and wine. For a moment, it’s just kissing.
Until I notice the kid’s dark eyes on me. He wants what I have and the idea that he does, for some reason, drives me forward. I wrap her hair in my fist like a savage and yank her into me. If it wasn’t for my cast, I’d grab her tight ass in this leather jumpsuit just on fucking principle.
Her body responds, wrapping around me and melting at my touch. I kiss her until her lips are puffy and she’s breathing heavily. Our foreheads crash together as I suck her tongue into my mouth. “Ready to get spooked?” I ask, barely able to pull away from her.
Over Kelly’s shoulder, I can see Bonner holding Ashlynn’s hand and making their way over to us. Clearing my throat, I step back from Kelly, thankful for the darkness surrounding us because it’s like I’ve taken a Viagra again.
Bonner smirks when he pushes past us and inside the doorway. Jason and Kate follow, along with Charlee and Steve. Kelly and I are the last to enter, and she’s gripping my hand so tightly you’d think she was falling off a cliff and I’m the one to save her.
“Why are you so scared? Everything in here is fake.”
“Because I hate being scared.” Kelly buries her head in my shoulder. “I told you I didn’t want to do this.”
I laugh and wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Too bad.”
We wander around the haunted house with fake blood splattered everywhere and mummies that jump out to scare us. A man dressed as Freddie Kruger chases Kate, to which she punches him in the throat. A possessed bunny grabs Kelly from behind and the scream she lets out nearly breaks my eardrums. Then she kicks the poor fucker right in the balls. I’m pretty sure I heard his balls burst.