Page 49 of Stockholm (Angel of Mercy #1)

The Kept

D espite the dramatic scene at the cabin, when we finally get word that Patrick’s pulled through and is stable, Noah does his best to convince me to set my anxiety aside. We’re safer here, he assures me and Bo. Nobody knows where we are. Mercy is doing its work out of another central location.

To distract ourselves, Bo and I dive into preparations for Halloween, keeping alive a tradition that even being kidnapped won’t interrupt, apparently.

Jesse brings home pumpkins, and I immediately throw my hair in a messy bun to start carving.

Noah seems to like this, approaching me from behind where I sit cross-legged on the floor with a marker balanced between my teeth, running his hand along my arm to the carving knife it holds.

His other hand wraps around my unruly hair and tugs it to the side, sweetly biting my neck in a move that makes me shiver.

I only break free from the trance he puts me under when Jesse suggests I do the carving in just my underwear. My scoff and the burning in my cheeks is met by his devilish laugh. One of his greatest joys lately is saying whatever he thinks will make me squirm.

The next morning, a line of perfectly crafted pumpkins sits on the front porch, candles flickering softly inside, making the place look a little more like home.

The next day, Bo digs out Jesse’s collection of cosplay costumes and we have a field day going through it all.

“Why do you have all this,” Bo laughs, holding up a Joker costume in one hand and a Goku costume in the other.

“Cause I’m a master of disguise, my dear,” he says, turning to Bo with another bag in his hand.

“Forget that. I need you to put this Link costume on right now. I’m gonna fucking bust just at the thought of seeing you in this tunic.

” He throws down the accessories that go with it. “Don’t forget the hat and boots.”

I feel a hand around the back of my neck and Noah’s breath in my ear. “Is there a reason you’re holding on to that one so tightly, angel?”

I look down and bite my lip at the black outfit I’m holding, which Bo has already said is called Ghost Riley. “No reason, I just thought it might fit you.”

“Mmm,” he says skeptically. “That’s all that was on your mind when you chose this for me? That it’d fit?” he asks, picking up the mask from the pile.

I lick my lips, nodding as he calls me out. “Yeah, I just thought I’d save you the trouble of looking for something for Halloween tomorrow.”

“How sweet of you.” He smirks, his breath hitting the back of my neck and my body stills with anticipation. “Too bad there’s nothing here that fits you .”

I shrug, exhaling shakily. “Thats okay, I’m more of an observer anyway.”

“Not here, you’re not.” Teeth scrape the back of my neck, my hair tucked over my shoulder to give him access to my skin, bruised already from his habit of biting it when we’re together . “I think, here in this house, you tend to be more of the main event.”

My face flushes, and Bo snickers as he pulls on the soft faux leather boots of his costume before Jesse immediately barrels into him, sending them crashing into the bed.

I hear the oven beep downstairs and twist for the hallway, “Sorry. Can’t let the cookies burn.”

I fly down the hallways, and grab the oven mitt before pulling out another tray of Halloween desserts. The big day is tomorrow and—kidnapped or not—I refuse to not celebrate.

The mugs and packets of hot chocolate are on the table, along with all the pumpkin baked items I know how to make. Paper bats are strung along the windows and caramel apples sit in the center of the dining table.

Bo appears at the staircase, hair ruffled from escaping Jesse’s grasp. “I just barely got him the fuck off of me.”

I giggle. “It’s a nice problem to have. He just loves how you look in everything.”

“I know, but they’re up there whispering and the way their eyes are glowing is making me nervous.”

With apple donuts in one hand and the hot chocolate tray in the other, I follow Bo until I hear them coming down the stairs. They’re speaking in low tones, but Jesse has a wicked grin on his face that assures me it’s nothing to stress over.

Noah pins me with an intense look once he reaches the living room and takes in the scene of my endless crafting and baking.

“Um, Bo and I are going to start the Halloween movies now. I know we’re kind of taking over the living room, sorry. But if you feel like joining, I made some snacks.”

Jesse scans the food, grabs a pillow and sits on the floor by the table. “Looks great, Em, thanks. What are we starting this night off with? Some Rob Zombie movies?”

Bo opens the giant ottoman that holds all the extra blankets and pillows. “I kind of want to watch The Lost Boys.”

I set the plates down just as Jesse lowers Bo to the ground, pinned in the mountain of blankets. “Why, baby? You into some vampire action?” He thrusts Bo’s head into the blankets and makes a show of sucking on his neck while Bo tries to escape his grasp.

Noah grabs the remote and a pillow, sinking into the couch and motioning for me to lie in the space between his legs.

Why do I have butterflies ? I’ve done some unspeakable things with this man and yet the thought of cuddling and watching a movie has reduced me to a bundle of nerves.

“Let me guess, you like…” He scans the stack of movies. “Donnie Darko.”

I narrow my eyes. “I do, not sure why you’d think that though.”

He shrugs. “Lucky guess. Maybe I just know your tastes. ”

He pulls me down so that my back rests against his chest and I try to hide the smile at our closeness. “Jesse talked me out of getting a Frank the Rabbit tattoo as a teenager. He said it was cliche for emotionally unavailable boys to get Donnie Darko ink.”

“No,” Jesse says, sitting up from where he’s feasting on Bo’s neck, his hair wild. “I said don’t get the rabbits face, get ‘Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?’”

I smile up at Noah, and he holds my face in his hands for a beat, then runs his hand through my hair and returns to the stack. “Friday the thirteenth. Classic. Everyone good with that? Whatever we don’t finish tonight we can spend tomorrow doing a marathon.”

I see Bo’s hand reach out and clutch a donut and shove it in Jesse’s mouth, who is distracted enough to lose his grip on him. Bo jumps up and darts to the couch, wrapping up in a blanket by my legs. “Leave me alone. I want to watch this.”

Jesse sprawls out on the ground, a devious look on his face. “Sure. You enjoy your movie but you’re gonna pay for that.”

Noah’s hand in my hair feels so good, and my eyes start to feel heavy. Halfway through the movie, I’m barely able to stay awake. Bo’s hand circles my ankle, and I can hear the evenness of his breath hinting that he might have already fallen asleep.

“Noah,” I say sleepily.

“Yeah, angel,” he says, continuing the soothing petting.

“As much as I love this, I’m getting tired.”

“Sleep then, baby. We’ve got all day tomorrow to do this. Okay?”

“Okay.” I yawn. “Night.”

There’s a smile in his voice when he responds. “Good night, Emma. Sweet dreams.”

I sink into a peaceful sleep, the feeling of Noah against me sinking me like a drug.

A sharp slam rouses me from a seductive, hazy dream world, and I sit up bleary eyed, looking around the dark living room. The only light comes from the large picture window that faces the woods, which are currently drenched in moonlight.

The clock strikes midnight.

My eyes dart around, noting Noah and Jesse are missing. As soon as the clock goes quiet, it’s dead silent.

Goosebumps break out across my body from the feeling that something is watching me.

I shake Bo. “Bo, wake up,” I whisper.

He breathes in, rolling onto his stomach to look up at me. My wild expression has him sitting up, concerned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I heard something, and Noah and Jesse are gone .”

He looks around, taking in the dark room when we hear another creak come from behind us.

I scream, my heart thudding in my chest dangerously. I’ve never had great survival instincts and fear tends to make me freeze like a mouse. “Noah!” I shout, yanking Bo closer to me on the couch. He climbs over us, caging me beneath him as he strains his eyes to see into the black room.

“Who’s there?” Bo says, sounding much braver than I feel. He pulls me to his chest as he gets to his feet, clutching me to his side as we back toward the window. “Show yourself.”

I cover my mouth, the sound of my labored breathing making us both more anxious.

“I’ve got you, Em,” Bo says. “Jesse, Noah, if this is a joke it’s not fucking funny, you’re scaring her.”

“Aw, don’t be scared, Princess ,” I hear a robotic voice sound from the darkness, and a tiny flame illuminates under the mask of a steampunk, apocalyptic-style gas mask. It covers the person’s full face, a black hoodie pulled over striking, messy green hair.

“Yeah, angel, we didn’t mean to scare you,” says a voice much closer, the beam of a flashlight hitting me in the eyes and I blink them shut, Bo’s noise of pain telling me he’s been blinded also.

When I open them, dots swim in my vision, and I can barely make out the soldier’s mask I’d held in my hands earlier.

“N-Noah?” I say, my voice shaking right along with my body.

“You fucking assholes,” Bo says through gritted teeth. “She’s gonna have a heart attack, pricks.”

At the very least I feel like my legs are going to give out. The two of them haven’t moved at all, and it’s making me uneasy.

“You’ve got three minutes,” Jesse says, tossing two flashlights on the ground by the back door. “I’d run as fast as you can, or it's going to be a very long night for you.” Their lights go out and I hear the floor creaking in the hallway leading away from the living room.

My breath is heavy and I look at Bo, who looks back at me with a shellshocked smile forming on his face. “Get your jacket now. You can wear my shoes and I’ll steal Jesse’s.”