Page 12 of Bitten By Desire (Crooked Point #1)

Saturday

My throat made a weird squeaking noise as Callum lifted his arm, caging me in again. God, he was going to kill me. Why the hell had I come in here?

Callum reached out and touched the side of my neck. Where his lips had once left a bruise. I remembered it perfectly, when he said he’d expected me to scream. Was he going to make me scream this time?

I wanted to run. I wanted to knee him in the balls. But I was frozen in place.

“Emma?” Bennett’s voice broke through the fog.

Callum didn’t move. He just stared at me with his piercing gaze. Like he didn’t mind having an audience when he slit my throat.

“Emma!” Bennett appeared beside me.

And Callum still didn’t move.

“What the hell is going on?” Bennett asked.

Callum finally tilted his head away from mine. He dropped his hands, but stayed so close to me I could feel the coldness coming off his skin.

“She got lost in the maze,” Callum said. “She was panicking. I was trying to calm her down.”

Bullshit.

I ran to Bennett and threw my arms around him, pressing the side of my face to his chest. He put his arm protectively around my shoulders.

I knew I was shivering. And it seemed like the warmth radiating off of him was the only thing that could help.

All my boldness had suddenly evaporated. I couldn’t seem to find my words.

“Theo Gold,” Callum said and put his hand out for Bennett.

Bennett didn’t shake it. He just glared at him. “I know exactly who you are.”

Callum smiled at Bennett. Like he was used to being greeted with so much hostility. “Well I’m afraid I have no clue who you are.” It was such a flippant thing to say. He could have just asked Bennett who he was.

“I’m Emma’s boyfriend,” Bennett said.

That was a little presumptuous, but it seemed like the right thing to say to Callum’s smug face.

I held on to Bennett a little tighter. He had told me he’d beat the shit out of Callum if I wanted him to.

But I just wanted to get as far away from Callum as possible.

I wanted out of this maze. Out of this town.

“Hm. Interesting.” Callum glanced once more at me. “Well, I’m glad she’s in safe hands,” he said with so much sarcasm.

What the fuck was his problem? If he didn’t know who I was like he claimed, then why was he being an asshole to Bennett?

Callum’s golden eyes locked with mine once more. “See you around town, Emma.” And then he stepped back, disappearing into the fog.

I instinctively touched my throat.

“Did he hurt you?” Bennett asked.

“No.” I shook my head. But I thought he was going to.

If Bennett hadn’t shown up…I don’t know what Callum had been about to do.

I hugged Bennett a little tighter. I’d already known that Callum was an asshole.

But I never realized he was dangerous. He’d looked so an gry.

I’d thought his gold eyes were beautiful. But they were just terrifying tonight.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

I nodded against his chest.

“I’m sorry we got separated. I lost you in the fog. I shouldn’t have let go of your hand.”

I looked up at him. “You said it wasn’t a scary hay maze. You specifically said it wasn’t like those haunted amusement parks.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “There’s so many kids running around…I just figured it wasn’t scary.”

Were there a lot of kids running around in here? Because I hadn’t seen any. I hadn’t run into anyone but Callum. “God, that just really freaked me out.”

“The chainsaw noise or Theo?”

“Both. All of it. I’m so glad you found me when you did. I think…” I let my voice trail off. I thought what? Thought Callum was about to kill me in the middle of a festival? This eerie music and fog were getting to my head.

“You think what?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Was he who you thought he was? That coach?”

“Yeah, it’s definitely him. I don’t know why he’s going by a different name. But I know it’s him.” I didn’t have a doubt in my mind. Callum looked exactly the same. But he didn’t act the same. The ten years had hardened him. He’d seemed carefree when we first met. And now he just seemed…pissed.

“How about you don’t go near him again unless you’re with me? Okay?”

“Is this a protective boyfriend thing? ”

He laughed. “Sorry, he was being a dick. And I wanted him to know you were with me. I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”

“I didn’t either. And you don’t have to apologize, I liked it when you got all possessive. It was very sexy.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded.

He leaned down and kissed me.

I pulled back, probably too soon based on the expression on his face. “Can we please get out of this maze first? I swear if I hear another chainsaw I might start crying.”

“Okay. And this time I won’t let us get separated.” He turned around and tapped on his back. “Climb on.”

“I think you’re my new favorite person.” I hopped onto his back. “Zoey is going to be so sad that she’s been replaced as my #1.”

Bennett laughed as he started carrying me through the maze.

This was so much better being able to hold on to him whenever I heard a scary noise. Or saw something shadowy cross our path. I screamed.

“It’s okay,” Bennett said and turned his head. “I’ve got you.”

I kissed his cheek. And then nipped his ear.

He groaned. “You’re sure you want to leave this maze? I feel like you secretly love it.”

“I definitely don’t. Please escort me out of here, cowboy.”

He laughed and kept walking. “This way or that way?” he asked when we reached a fork in our path.

“Umm…left? Maybe?” I had no idea. “Wait, where is Zoey? ”

“We found the exit while we were looking for you and she saved herself.”

I laughed. “Yup, she’s definitely no longer my favorite person. So you know where the exit is?”

“We were on the other side of the maze. So I’m not exactly sure…” He turned in a circle. “I think maybe it’s the next right?”

“Please just get me out of here.”

“Wait, I think it’s this way.” He made another right. And then a left. And the fog suddenly cleared.

“Thank God you’re alive!” Zoey yelled and ran up to us.

Bennett laughed as I climbed off his back. “The maze wasn’t dangerous. You two just get spooked easily.”

“Oh yeah? Then why is Emma covered in blood?!”

Wait, what? I looked down at the front of my dress, but there was nothing there.

“On your boot,” she said and pointed to it. There was definitely blood smeared on the leather, right above the heel.

I’d hardly classify that as being covered in blood. But that was beside the point.

“I thought you said Theo didn’t hurt you?” Bennett reached out and touched the side of my neck. Like he was looking for there to be a cut across my throat.

Why was that what he expected? When the blood was on my shoe? “He didn’t,” I said. Maybe he almost had. But Bennett had shown up. I shook away the thought. “There was a severed hand. I tripped over it while I was running from the chainsaw.”

“What?!” Zoey shrieked. Her floppy hat fell over her eyes. “Oh my God, I’m calling Officer Davis.” She pulled out her phone and lifted it to her ear. But then she pushed her hat back up and stared at Bennett. “Wait, did you just say Theo?”

“Yeah, when I found Emma, that jerk was talking to her.”

Zoey shook her head and glanced at me.

“I told him about how I thought Callum was Theo.”

Zoey sighed. “So…was it…” her voice trailed off. “Yes, hi, Officer Davis?” she said into her phone. “I think someone may have gotten hurt in the hay maze.”

I tuned out the rest of her conversation. I wouldn’t say that losing your hand was just getting hurt. And I was a little worried about where the rest of the body was.

“Are you sure it was real?” Zoey asked me, her cellphone still pressed to her ear.

“I think so?” It had definitely looked real. But all this creepiness was getting to my head.

Bennett bent down and looked at the blood on my boot. He ran his index finger through it and then sniffed his finger. “It’s definitely blood.”

Zoey looked like she wanted to throw up. “Yeah, you need to come here right away, Officer Davis,” she said into her phone.

Bennett stood back up.

“Are you sure it isn’t just ketchup or something?” I asked him, praying that it wasn’t actually blood.

“Positive.”

I didn’t know how he was so sure. I certainly wouldn’t be able to detect the difference just by smelling it. I felt as sick as Zoey looked.

Bennett pulled me in close, like his embrace could somehow shake away the horror of the maze. But that wasn’t possible. Seriously…why was there just a hand? Where was the rest of the body?

Red and blue lights lit up the festival. And the sirens covered up the eerie music. I expected the crowd to scatter. But everyone was too nosey to leave. They wanted to see what Officer Davis and several other cops were doing.

Officer Davis walked over to us. “Hey, Zoey,” he said with a smile and then turned to me. “You’re sure it was just a hand?”

I nodded. “I tripped on it when I heard a chainsaw revving up. There’s a little blood on my boot.” I pointed down.

“And you didn’t see anyone near the hand? Anyone at all?”

I’d only seen one other person in the maze – Callum. But he hadn’t been anywhere near the hand. I shook my head.

“And it was just you that saw it?”

Did he think I was making it up? “Yeah, I was alone.”

“Okay, we’ll go check it out real quick. But don’t you worry. I’m sure it was nothing.”

Nothing? There was a fucking severed hand in the maze!

“There’s blood on her boot,” Zoey said. She could tell this cop didn’t believe me too.

“Like I said, we’ll go check it out.” Officer Davis turned on the flashlight in his hand and nodded to the other cops with him. They all proceeded to head into the maze .

“Wait,” Zoey said and grabbed his wrist. “Do we have to stay, or can we go? I think we’ve all had enough of tonight.”

“You can go home. I’ll call you if we need an official statement or anything.”

“Thanks, Officer.”

He smiled at her.

And I had a feeling that he’d only shown up because Zoey had asked him to.

Because it didn’t seem like he believed me at all.

He hadn’t even glanced at my boot. And he wasn’t shutting the festival down.

He thought it was nothing . What if there was a chainsaw murderer loose in that maze? Or just somewhere in the festival?

“I don’t think he believed me,” I said.

Bennett frowned and stared into the maze.

Zoey grabbed my arm. “I’m sure he did. And he’ll figure out what’s going on. Let’s just head home, okay? I’ve had enough creepy for one night.”

I nodded. I wanted to get these boots off.

“I’ll walk you ladies home,” Bennett said and tipped his hat.

I would have laughed if I wasn’t much closer to crying.

“How about we stop and get a little more hot apple cider before we head out? To warm up a bit?”

“Actually, that sounds great.” I was still cold from that maze.

And now I was trying to remember if Callum had approached me from behind, where the hand had been.

Or from the front, closer to the maze’s exit.

Was it possible he had been somewhere near the hand?

Should I have mentioned it to Officer Davis?

I shook away the thought. Officer Davis didn’t even believe me. And he already thought I was stalking Theo Gold. If anything, he’d trust my story less if I mentioned Callum. And I knew what I saw. It was a freaking lone hand.

The hot apple cider helped. Bennett’s arm around my shoulders during the walk home helped more. But it was his goodnight kiss that helped the most.

Zoey had gone inside and it was just Bennett and I on the front porch.

“I’m sorry tonight took such a weird turn,” I said.

“I mean…there were some ups and downs for sure. But I think it’s the Ferris wheel that I’ll remember the most.”

I wanted to agree with him. But that terror in my throat when Callum had cornered me would be hard to forget.

And the bloody hand. I tried to focus on what Bennett wanted to remember.

The good bits. I smiled up at him, trying to push away the chill in my bones.

“The Ferris wheel and you winning Captain Floppy Ears. Definitely the cowboy hat.” I tapped the brim of his hat.

“Oh, and the fact that you’re dying to be my boyfriend. ”

He smiled down at me. “Is that what you think?”

I nodded.

“Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. We still have to have our first official date.” He leaned down and kissed me again.

I looped my hands behind his neck. “Surely this ended up counting. I mean…we did Ferris wheel stuff.”

He laughed. “Yeah, it counted. But I’m excited for it to be just us next time. Are we still good for lunch on Monday?”

“When do you want me to stop by?”

“Noon? ”

“That’ll be perfect.” I smiled up at him.

“And you swear you won’t go anywhere near Theo Gold or Callum or whoever he is again unless you’re with me?”

It was the second time he’d brought this up. I’d already said okay. But the way his eyes darted to my neck made me nervous. “You don’t actually think Callum would hurt me?”

“Like I said, I didn’t like the way he looked at you. And that maze was a crime scene. The only other person you ran into in there was him.”

“Are you implying that Callum ripped someone’s hand off in the middle of a maze?

” Just saying it out loud made my heart race.

I really should have mentioned seeing someone else in there to Officer Davis.

And Callum had seemed different. Angry. Violent.

I reached up and touched the side of my neck, remembering ten years ago when he’d left me with the biggest hickey ever.

“I’m just saying that he’s dangerous, Emma.”

At first, Bennett had acted like he didn’t know Callum. But now it kind of seemed like he did. I was just about to ask him about it when the front door opened.

“Um…you guys?” Zoey said. Her face was ghostly pale. “Officer Davis just called. He found the hand. And…that wasn’t all.”