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If I had to rank the most inconvenient aspects of going to school in a small town, this next hurdle would be the highest on my list. After locating the cryptic-looking address on my map app, I knew I’d have to step outside of my comfort zone once more.

I had no driver’s license, and it wasn’t like I could ask Finn to take me to meet his brother.

I had to use our limited public transportation… and then, after, walk.

What other choice did I have?

It wouldn’t be a pleasant quest, as Damen apparently lived in the middle of nowhere. And we were in the mountains, during a season when the evenings were getting colder.

This adventure was going to suck.

Maybe I should have informed Dr. Stephens about my lack of transportation? But it’d been difficult to think at the moment. He must have assumed it wasn’t an issue.

So now I had to figure things out for myself. It was risky, but I could rest easy with the knowledge that it was for a greater cause.

All this angst for a meeting.

Perhaps it was a sign. Perhaps I shouldn’t go. Hadn’t the metallic banging noise stopped at some point mid-afternoon? Surely, that was a good omen.

Maybe the ghost had given up and moved on.

It was too much to hope, especially when evidence suggested otherwise. Around that time, I’d also face-planted into the corner of a table after a stool was jerked out from under me.

I’d concealed the blossoming bruise and dressed for both warmth and to impress. I generally didn’t wear pants unless I was gardening. But paired with my heavy, sage green sweater, my light blue jeans looked passable enough for this introduction. After all, despite the pit settling in my stomach, I really did want to make a good first impression on my potential future brother-in-law.

Inside, though, I was a mess. Being brave was becoming old, and new adventures were overrated. Hopefully, the rest of the evening wouldn’t be too stressful. Otherwise, I had no idea how I’d hold it together.

I’d learned that the best way to discourage small talk is to keep your nose buried in your phone. This skill also allowed the user ample time to research, and I did like to be prepared for anything.

Therefore, I burned through my network’s data usage and searched the internet for various helpful phrases such as: ‘Do tenured professors need to have thorough background checks?’ and ‘What should you do if you suspect that you might be used in a cannibalistic ritual?’.

A young girl couldn’t be too cautious, and Dr. Stephens had said something of the sort. Planning for the worst-case scenario was best—always.

Besides, what well-intentioned professor wrote down a cryptic address on a piece of paper and sent a vulnerable young woman to meet with strangers at said location? I’d read enough crime and mystery thrillers to know how this scenario might end.

Nevertheless, in the slim chance that this wasn’t a trap, I couldn’t afford to pass up this opportunity. I was desperate, and my only choice was to be prepared.

I’d also brought along my pepper spray, just in case.

However, after the shuttle dropped me off and I was left alone at some god-forsaken stop in the middle of nowhere, my internal alarm rang louder. I’d expected to walk—I wasn’t some princess—but I hadn’t planned to travel through such a densely wooded area. The sparsely located houses seemed mostly abandoned. This was far from the residential area that I’d envisioned.

Still, I stupidly trudged forward, reminding myself about the background checks the school would have performed.

The farther I walked, the fewer houses there were, and the woods became thick and dark. Eventually, the sidewalk gave way to dirt roads, and the streetlamps vanished. By this point, the only evidence of a residence was an occasional mailbox at the end of a long gravel driveway.

However, my phone indicated that I was in the right place. But…

Could there really be a meeting out here in this remote location? It didn’t seem likely.

Unless Dr. Stephens had somehow faked his background check. Our encounter had been very suspicious, and I felt as though I was missing something obvious.

It was entirely possible he had lured me out here to murder me.

Too late, the sound of an approaching motorcycle startled me from my thoughts. I hadn’t even had time to hide in the shrubbery before the rider pulled to a halt behind me.

“Hey,” a man called. His tone was deep, although not unkind. But I’d already nearly reached my limit for the day, and the possibility of confrontation caused my muscles to seize.

The back of my neck prickled. And as I peeked over my shoulder at the newcomer, the beginning of every horror movie I’d ever watched flashed through my mind.

It was hard to miss his imposing, tall stature. But as he removed his helmet and shook his head, it was even more impossible not to be entranced, as long, loose waves fell gently around his chiseled face.

His movements mesmerized me, and I couldn’t pull my gaze away as he used a glove-covered hand to flip his hair back over his shoulder. He was wearing a torn, plaid shirt and extremely faded jeans, and had a layer of thick stubble over his jaw.

I was an idiot. Why was I staring? It was possible that I was admiring the person who was about to kill me. Was it a trap? Despite his stature, there was an otherworldly, alluring nature in the air around him.

It reminded me of a carnivorous plant enticing its prey to certain death.

Which, of course, made the knot in my stomach tighten.

I knew it. I saw right through him. No one that beautiful was capable of anything less than murder. It was just how things worked, the way of natural selection. This must be how he distracted his victims: he dazzled them. I was certain of this because, despite his good-natured appearance, something about this guy screamed danger .

“This isn’t the safest place to be wandering around by yourself.” His large green eyes twinkled as he grinned, showing off adorable dimples. It was his teeth, however, that captured my attention.

Why did they look so sharp?

“Do you need any help?” he asked.

Despite his friendly words, my breath caught. A familiar warning rang in the back of my mind.

Yes, unless I did something drastic, I probably would end up dead. I couldn’t let a lumberjack kill me. That would just be ridiculous.

“It’s fine,” I somehow managed to say. I couldn’t look at him anymore. I’d had just about enough strangers, and I hadn’t even made it to my destination. I needed to conserve my energy.

I had no choice but to move forward. Maybe if I ignored him, he’d go away.

“Where’s your chaperone?” His sultry voice drifted after me like a caress. I took the risk to glance back again—trying to ignore the ‘chaperone’ comment—and almost fell to the gravel.

He had gotten off his bike and was pushing it with him as he strolled after me.

Was this for real?

I could probably outrun him. I was fast, but I hated to run. Plus, despite his bizarre attractiveness, he didn’t look like he could afford much. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to abandon this expensive-looking bike just to chase me through the woods.

But there was also the possibility that I was wrong. Perhaps he was a good Samaritan—albeit a misguided, socially-unaware, persistent one. If he were going to hurt me, wouldn’t he have done so already ?

I slowed down and gave him a wary look. He couldn’t follow me the whole way, could he?

He grinned, realizing that he had regained my attention. “I’m just surprised. I rarely see your kind alone around here,” he pointed out. “But this place can be dangerous. There’s nothing around for miles except private residences and trees. It’d be a shame if something happened to you.”

My anxiety rose as I fought to maintain composure.

Why was he smiling? There was no reason for him to smile. He was totally preying on me. And his words… ‘ my kind?’ What did that mean? Wasn’t he basically implying that no one would find my mutilated body?

I had to do something. I pulled my purse forward as I continued walking. My pulse was racing as he followed after me, and I discreetly searched through my bag until I held my weapon. I was ready. If this guy tried anything, he’d never know what hit him.

“Don’t worry, princess,” he continued, somehow managing to become more persistent. “I’ll walk with you.”

I stopped—I certainly couldn’t show up at Damen’s with this interloper in tow.

“I’m fine.” I tried to reassure him in my nicest voice. I had to show no fear. “Please don’t bother. Besides, I don’t even know who you are.”

“It’s not a bother.” He smiled again as a shiver radiated down my back. “My name is Titus Ducharme. You might have heard of me. They call me Jin. I own Jinshu Security.”

Jin, Jin…

Why did that sound vaguely familiar?

He continued speaking, and I pursed my lips, barely paying any attention to his ramblings. I was even more suspicious now. I doubted he was the owner of a respectable corporation; he belonged more on the other side of the law.

Titus—if that was his real name—picked up on my doubt. “If you really don’t believe me, I can call my assistant. She’ll help.”

I raised a brow, unable to come up with a response. What was wrong with him?

And how would some random woman assure me?

“Let me guess, you’re headed…” He pointed in the same direction that I had been walking. “…that way. What a coincidence! I’m going that way too, so we can go together.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond. He was being so stubborn. It was time to take action.

He had at least a foot-and-a-half on me and over a hundred pounds of muscle. I stood no chance against him in hand-to-hand combat. There was only one thing that a small, helpless woman like me could do in this situation.

Yet, despite my fear, I felt guilty. “Titus—”

He grinned, almost as if he genuinely loved hearing his name on my lips. That small facial motion made me feel even worse about what I needed to do.

I’d give him one more chance.

“I’m seriously fine.” I gave him my most severe glare. “You can leave now, please.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable, but not at all deterred by my seriousness. “I don’t think you understand. I can’t just leave you. Your people would—”

Titus didn’t see it coming. The second he refused, I pulled out my hand and aimed the pepper spray right at his eyes.

Once I had downed the attractive stalker, I ignored his screaming and took off.

I had only this chance before he recovered. According to the map, I was already close to my destination. Between my speed and Titus’s temporary incapacitation, he wouldn’t catch up to me before I reached safety.

Who cared if Dr. Stephens sacrificed me during Damen’s secret cult meeting. It was a better alternative than a more immediate demise.

I didn’t stop running until I had rushed up a long, winding driveway.

The mysterious address had led to a dark red, three-story Victorian home that was way past its prime. The lot itself was overrun with foliage, and everything about the scene was worn with decay, even the wrought-iron fence surrounding the property and the dirt driveway circling toward the back of the home.

But besides the ghastly picture, there was something else here, too. Something I couldn’t see, yet sensed it on the edges of my awareness. I couldn’t tell what it was, but there was no denying that the presence was not of this world.

It vaguely reminded me of another supernatural encounter—one that had, incidentally, led to my friendship with Finn. My fingers prickled as my feet turned to lead.

I never should have come here. But if I left, I would run into Titus again. And I didn’t want that either.

What was this place? And why would any kind of club meet here? Damen and his friends could be on a job—ghost hunting, perhaps?

That made sense. It was obvious why the owners would call paranormal investigators.

There was only one way to find out, unfortunately. I forced myself to walk up the cobblestone path and across the porch until I stood before a massive door. I felt like an intruder. But I had been invited…

All I had to do was knock.

I had less choice now than I had in front of Dr. Stephens’s office. But before I even had a chance to touch my raised fist to the surface, the door swung open. A man stood there, looking at his hands as he furiously wrote on a clipboard. How he’d known that I was here, I had no idea.

This man, too, was insanely attractive. There must have been something in the water in this part of town. This much handsomeness didn’t exist back on campus.

He appeared to be a few years older than me. He had a square face and high forehead, and his copper-tinted hair was sprayed into a tidy wave at the top of his head. He had a small black hoop in his left earlobe, and he seemed both professional and stylish in designer jeans and a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled over his massive forearms. Right above his elbow, where the fabric creased, I could glimpse the beginning of a dark tattoo.

I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was almost as large as that Titus guy.

He still hadn’t looked up, and I was only able to grasp the tail end of his speech. “—believe you. This is the third time this month! I get that your job is important, but you can’t…”

He finally glanced up, and his voice trailed off. My expression must have been comical because I hadn’t looked away nor closed my mouth. Plus, my hand was still raised in the air since I’d been interrupted before knocking.

The man’s full mouth dipped, and he lowered his brown, square-framed glasses to study me. “What’s this?” he asked. He cocked his head as a slow grin appeared on his lips.

I gasped! He had the same eyes as Finn. There was no denying their relationship. I pointed at him triumphantly. “Damen Abernathy!”

This was an excellent development. After all that I had gone through to try to find him, I’d finally succeeded.

Now I just needed to figure out everything else .

Damen smirked and tossed the clipboard over his shoulder before he leaned against the door frame. “That would be me,” he said, crossing his arms. “But I’m not sure I know who you are, or why you’re at my home. However, I’m tempted to compromise my morals and find out.”

There was an intensity in his eyes despite his playful words. I had a feeling he was sizing me up. “Very tempted,” he repeated. “But as cute as you are, I don’t take bribes for grades and—”

“I’m not one of your students,” I interrupted. I didn’t need him to get the wrong idea. Plus, really, this was his home? I would have to reserve judgment. I couldn’t say anything rude. We were practically family, after all. Considering that I one day might be this man’s sister-in-law.

“Is that so?” Damen perked, and he leaned toward me, closing the distance between us as his gaze hooded. “Then how can I help you, baby girl?” His voice deepened into a seductive purr.

Or at least, I imagined he’d thought so.

Baby girl? It was a terrible nickname, but even so, I found it hard to breathe under the weight of his attention.

Was he flirting? I wasn’t sure. Something about his presence—his intense demeanor—made it hard to think.

Still, I held my ground. I had a mission. The semi-prepared speech I had mentally repeated to myself spilled from my lips. “Hello, Damen, my name is Bianca Brosnan. I’m Finn’s friend. I was looking for you earlier at Dr. Stephens’s office because I need your help with—”

“Hold on.” Damen held up his hand and stood straight as he stopped me mid-sentence. He was gazing at me with confusion and something else that left me slightly offended.

“What?” I couldn’t imagine what could be wrong.

His lips thinned. “Finn really has a friend?”

Why were people shocked by this? Finn wasn’t all that mean .

At least not to me.

I leveled my deadliest glare at him, ready to defend Finn. “Yes, Finn has a friend! In fact, I’m his best friend . We’ve been friends for ten years.”

If anything, my admission confounded Damen even more. But before he had a chance to respond, another man joined us in the doorway.

This newcomer was slightly shorter than Damen. However, he was also broader and more muscular. He had an angular face and dark chocolate hair that curled away from his eyes. The windblown style accentuated the pure goodness that seemed to pour from his features, as did his expressive brown eyes.

“Who’s this?” he asked, and the sound of his slightly accented voice soothed away the edges of my nerves.

Damen remained subdued and did not remove his attention from me as he answered the other man. “This is Bianca. Apparently, she is Finn’s best friend.”

The other man stepped backward as he gasped. “Finn has a friend?”

“I know,” Damen replied dryly, then reiterated, “A best friend.”

“Stop it!” I was glowering at them. I’d leave if they were going to be this way. “Don’t make fun of him.”

No wonder Finn didn’t talk to his brother. The haunting had moved down on the list of priorities. If the ghost hurt me because I’d chosen honor over help, then it was a necessary price to pay.

The brown-haired newcomer seemed to read my intentions. Before I had a chance to move, he stepped through the doorway and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry.”

I tensed, startled by his unexpected action. This was worse than being stalked on the street by Titus—worse than even my fear of the unknown .

Touch.

“It’s not often that Finn… befriends a person,” he continued. Despite myself, and even though it didn’t make any sense, I felt the tension melt away under the onslaught of his soothing voice. It was impossible to remain guarded in his presence. “We didn’t mean to make fun of him—or you. Please, forgive us.”

Damen scoffed, but the other man ignored him.

“With that out of the way, let’s get better acquainted.” He smiled. “We’ll pretend that none of this happened. I am Miles Montrone. And you are…?”

There was something odd going on—something I couldn’t quite explain. Normally I’d be out of my mind in terror, but I felt no threat from this man.

I could trust this Miles person. He seemed sincere.

“Bianca Brosnan,” I responded after a moment.

Miles’s smile brightened, and I felt as though something significant had just happened. But I couldn’t fathom what. “Damen seems to have forgotten his manners. Won’t you come in?”

He gently pulled me after him into the house, and I silently followed. My stomach was churning as I expected the panic to choke me at any moment. Normally, I would be fighting the urge to flee in such situations. But surprisingly, nothing was happening.

I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was entrancing. It was very strange for me to feel at ease around two practical strangers. But they both seemed normal enough.

And surely, talking to them would be better than letting the ghost haunt me.