Page 31 of Are You Gonna Run?
Damn, he’s good. I can’t stop myself from smiling at the fact that he’s got me twisted up like this without even doing anything. That’s talent.
It also means I flinch like I’m being shot when I feel someone’s hand on my hip.
“Such a beautiful little skeleton,” they whisper, and when I close my eyes, it sounds almost like my man. There’s something just a little different about it, but he’s proven he can change his voice before.
When rough fingertips slide along the exposed skin just under my skirt, I begin turning around for the reveal of his costume — only he doesn’t let me.
Both hands tighten on my hips and keep me facing away, making my heart climb into my throat. I’m suddenly very aware of everything touching my skin — the fishnets, tight tank top, the skull makeup covering half of my face, his hands, the strap from my purse. I’m hyper aware, and yet with the pulsing of the music and everything around us, I still can’t be certain that it’s him. The men at this party already proved they have zerorestraint, and I didn’t see Eris’ Tremor outside.
His hand ghosts up my stomach, slowly making its way to my breasts. But to my surprise, he doesn’t stop there at all. He continues raising it to brush over my throat, and then all contact comes to an abrupt end.
Spinning around quickly, I find the space behind me empty aside from some girl dressed like a slutty bunny rabbit. She’s throwing her hands in the air and dancing like nothing matters in the world, and my man is nowhere to be seen.
That had to have been him, right?
I’m sure of it, right up until I do another once-over of the crowd and see not one, but three fully masked men who fit my Eris’ build. One is in a really beautiful fox mask, another in a similarly styled wolf mask, and the third is an almost identical bear. Aside from the masks, all three of them are decked out in black from head to toe.
They’re too similar not to be coordinated.
Is he doing this to fuck with me?
My heart climbs a little higher in my throat as I wonder which one of them just had their hands on me.
And then the wolf waves.
It isn’t a welcoming wave in the slightest, the wiggle of his fingers sends chills down my spine like he’s taunting me, and then he slowly backs away into the crowd. I can’t see their eyes, yet I know without a doubt they were all just staring at me.
The fox pulls a butterfly knife from his pocket and begins flipping it around, his movements somehow matching the pounding of my heart. He tilts his head like he can somehow hear it then disappears just like the last one.
When the bear begins walking forward, I start to feel my heartbeat in my ears. Harder and louder it gets, making me back up a step. Is this Eris? Or is he the wolf? The fox?
My step back has him pausing, arms crossing over his chest like I did something wrong, and then he shakes his head twice and twirls his finger like he wants me to turn around.
Yeah, that’s safe I’m sure. Not creepy at all.
Swallowing thickly, I study the bear’s mask and then turn with jerky, slow movements. Every inch of my body feels alive as I wait for whatever he’s going to do. Two hands grab onto my hips and yank me back against him, a pleased growl leaving him that sounds familiar enough to have me relaxing into him... and then he speaks.
“Are you gonna run?”
I’ve heard that sentence before, but for some reason the feelings of familiarity fade with this man’s cadence.
This isn’t Eris.
Spinning away, I have a feeling there’s real fear in my eyes as I turn to face him. “Who are you? Where is he?”
Laughing, he slowly backpedals away from me, and just before the crowd swallows him back up, he speaks just loud enough for me to hear. “Marco...”
He wants me to hide.
Where the hell am I supposed to hide?
Shivering, I rub my arms and move away from the dancefloor, getting lost in the mass of people. I can’t see any of them now. There are doors down a hallway that’s been blocked off by fake, bloodycrime scene tape, so I duck under it and speed walk to the last door on the left.
It’s completely empty save for a trunk in the corner. It’s locked, dusty as hell, and looks like it’s been here since Helltown was abandoned the first time. It’s interesting enough that I walk towards it to peek inside, only when I close the distance and spot a sticky note on top of it, my breathing stops completely.
“Turn around.”
I spin faster than I ever have in my life and come face to face with all three masked animals blocking the doorway. The bear laughs, shaking his head side to side with his hands shoved into his pockets. “Really? The last door on the left?”