Page 66 of Road to Redemption

Leo gave my ass a spank, signalling for me to stand up. “Fine, but let’s not goof off.”

“Buzzkill.” Spencer laughed as she headed for the door.

As usual, Spencer and Lady jogged ahead of us. Ever since our encounter with the masked clown, Lady was persistently marking the abandoned amusement park with her piss. And Spencer likes to scout ahead, making her feel like she could predict the freaks that lurked in the shadows.

The place had gotten way more eerie, all of us aware that it wasn’t as safe as we’d thought.

“I’m sorry you keep hitting dead ends.” I nudged Leo as we walked.

Her hands buried in her pockets, Leo smiled at me. “Thanks, Princess. I just don’t know where else to look.”

“Me either.”

Up ahead, Spencer ripped a stuffed animal from its morbid noose and tossed it to Lady. “Here ya go, girl.”

Lady grabbed it in her teeth and gently carried it around the park as we moved forward.

“Maybe there’s some articles or something about it? I can’t imagine some journalist wouldn’t write about their ties.” It was just an idea, a last ditch effort really. “Some obscure blog might have it.”

“Not a bad idea.” Leo shrugged, watching the path ahead. “I think I just need to think on it.”

Jogging back toward us, Spencer was a bit out of breath. “Want to go toward the coasters? We haven’t gone that route yet.”

“Sure.” Leo nodded before pulling ahead to walk with Lady and get some quiet time.

Spencer and I stuck together, walking in tandem.

Licking her lips, Spencer looked down at my outfit. “Those shorts look unfucking real on your thighs, Bunny.”

“Is that right?” Raising a brow at her, I couldn’t help the pulse of excitement that spread between my legs. We’d spent days in the safehouse. And those days had been full of extracurricular activities too.

“I miss our alone time. That big mansion, all to ourselves. You with nowhere to run.” Spencer’s voice grew deeper with each word, getting lost in the fantasy of having me just a little afraid of her.

Before I could tease her for being such a pest, Spencer’s face turned stern. “Maybe I should make you a little scared again.”

“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes and kept walking.

But Spencer stopped in her tracks. “10… 9… 8…”

“Oh fuck.” From the look in her eyes, I knew she wasn’t joking. At the end of that countdown, she was going to grab me. And I wasn’t so sure that I wanted our hosts to see what I let Spencer do to me.

Taking off, I ran as fast as I could. Leo’s eyes darted back at me, smelling a game afoot.

I had a lead, and if I turned down the labyrinthine paths, I just might keep it.

As my feet pounded pavement, I looked up at the arrow-shaped signs.

Haunted Hills. Sounds like a good hiding spot. Spencer had a home-court advantage and I needed to take every opportunity I could.

I knew ten seconds had passed and they would be hot on my tail.

I zipped into the entrance to the halloween-themed ride, using the fast-pass lane to get inside as quickly as possible.

But when I hit the tracks, I wasn’t sure where to go. If I went farther inside, it would be pitch black without any lights to guide me. And if the lights were to flick on, the ride might start moving on the tracks.

Footsteps closed in behind me.

Hopping the barricade, I dropped down onto the tracks and ran inside. The darkness swallowed me, only the glow-in-the-dark features of the ride illuminated. In the first room was a haunted funeral parlor, a skeleton's hand peeking out from under the lid of a casket.