Page 19 of Your Masked Haunting

You’re hot when you claim your territory, Ms. Possessive.

“Hey, lover boy. We’re here.” Kol flicks my phone down, and it crashes into my lap.

Fucker.

He doesn’t wait around for me to tell him off, and I’m still too busy thinking about Mona to care enough anyway. I pick my phone up and flip my hood over my head before stepping out of his pickup into the crisp fall air.

I think if I buy a house soon, it’ll be somewhere near here. I love the area, and the people seem nice and not crazy nosy, which I feel like is hard to find. Although, if someone wants to watch me blow my wife’s back out in our living room, I’ll move to the front porch so they can get a better show.

Besides, Mona seems like the kind of girl with a freaky side. I wonder if she likes being watched, likes the rush of a public hookup.

God, there are so many things for us to discuss … to try. But that likely won’t be happening tonight. I probably won’t be home until much later since we’re hanging out at Bates and Serena’s place tonight.I doubt we’ll have many more of these Sunday nights left together until next off season from the Sinners.

Soon enough, our hockey season will be fully underway, and we’ll be grumpy from spending every day together, so we’ll want our time away on the days off to do our own thing. Or we’ll be traveling to and from away games.

“Try to catch me,” Kol mutters randomly before digging his heels into the pavement and taking off for the front porch.

But his foot slips on the concrete, and down he goes. Thankfully, he trips, stepping toward the grass, which softens his landing. I pick up my pace, running carefully down the sidewalk and up the stairs. He bursts into laughter, and the sound is almost so joyful that it’s eerie, coming from him.

“Beat you.” I flip him off, then ring the doorbell.

“You’re aware that you’re Serena’s least favorite, right?” He smacks the back of my head when he reaches me at the same time the door swings open.

“Serena,” I whine. “Who’s your favorite between Kol and me?”

She ignores my question completely and hugs each of us briefly. “I love both of you equally.”

“Lies. But I’ll accept it for now because the most important, handsomest boy just walked over here.” Bates starts to smile as he rounds the corner of his entryway. But I’m obviously not talking about him.

I drop to a crouch and find Freddie wearing a Halloween-themed sweater and an almost-smile on his cute little cheeks. “There’s my boy!”

Scooping him up in my arms, I make sure he doesn’t happy-pee on me before settling him against my chest like a baby. His big ears flop down on the sides of his head. His gorgeous dapple coloring pokes out from his purple sweater, and I just can’t imagine there being a cuter dog than this boy right here.

But I am the type of person to stop in my tracks and ask if I can pet someone’s dog. I have no shame in that question. The worst they can say is no. And if I get bit or die from petting a dog, I’m going out honorably.

I follow Kol inside, and we all make our way to the dining table. Serena and Bates cook some nights, but most of the time, they bring a chef in because cooking isn’t their greatest skill. Kol and I pitch money in, too, alternating payments.

Tonight, Chef Lena made crab stuffed mushrooms and bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts. It takes less than five minutes for all of the appetizers to vanish and maybe even less time for me to clear my entrée plate. Freddie got a bite of my steak, just a tiny nugget. But he deserved it, the Freddie tax.

After we finish eating, we move to the theater room in the house for a movie, which takes us more time to pick out than it did to eat dinner. But eventually, we land on a classic, just in time for the season—Scream. The first one, obviously, because it’s the best one.

My phone vibrates as Drew Barrymore answers the call, and I take a peek at my screen, seeing a notification that there was movement detected in Mona’s room. Just in time. Usually, the door unlatching signals the first notification, so I haven’t missed anything yet.

I’ve been anxiously waiting for her to get to her room after work and find the present I snuck in there earlier. The card I spent way too much time overthinking about is sitting face up on her bed, next to the wrapped gift box. That present isn’t completely for her. But it’s something I think both of us will enjoy.

A plus side of these cameras is their sound quality, and, boy, I can hear every word and confession, each of which I’ve saved in a note in my phone. Her fears, her dreams—I’ve absorbed everything like a dying sponge, feeding off her words.

She talks to herself a lot—or at least, that’s what I thought before she told me about her eight-legged friend in the shell of a burned-out wall sconce. A jumping spider with furry little legs and big eyes that has made herself at home. I don’t know for certain if it’s a girl.

But I know two things:

1. Mona calls it Penelope.

2. It’s absolutely fucking terrifying.

Mona turns on the few lamps I surprised her with a time or two ago. I can’t have my girl, who is scared of the dark, living in a room without light. Besides, the solution of having candles lit constantly was not only temporary and expensive, but a fire hazard.

With the lamps on, she looks toward the bed and instantly perks up, rushing over and tearing the ghosty card from the bed.