WHO KILLED EMMALINE? (8 page)

“I thought most of this stuff would already be in boxes,” I comment.

“We leave one of everything out. It’s easier to find it than trying to read what’s on the boxes. We also prefer to box everything up with the store’s logo, so online items we box ourselves. Anything smaller for the store, we like to simply tag so that the customers can see it. We’ve learned that if everything is boxed up, people open them to look at the products, inevitably ruining the packaging in some way. Then they don’t even take the item they opened, they grab a new package.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

Then, I stare up at what looks like a twelve foot, demonic monster that we’ve come across on the tour. Goose bumps have risen on my flesh as I look at it with a sense of appalled fascination. “What the hell is that?”

Cord grins affectionately up at it. “That’s Darius.”

“Darius?” I echo over a particularly loud rumble of thunder.

“Dane named him. He was special ordered for a haunted house attraction in Massachusetts. We’ll be shipping him out there in a few days. He’s Dane’s biggest animatronic yet.”

I take in the demon’s spine-chilling expression, and it is so life-like that I feel the need to take a step back from it. I mean seriously, even its lethal, six-inch teeth look as if their dripping saliva with a tinge of blood mixed in. And those eyes…I bet they glow when it’s on. “So that thing moves?”

“Yeah. Want me to turn him on?”

“No! Absolutely not,” I say quickly. “So how much does something like that cost a person to order?” I ask, switching the topic in hopes of distracting him from my discomfort.

Cord names a figure as we continue walking down the aisle.

My eyebrows shoot upwards. “Seriously?”

“That’s another reason why the business is taking off. Dane can do anything these days when it comes to horror props.”

“I’m impressed.”

Cord chuckles as he gazes at me. “Impressed, but clearly not a fan of Halloween.”

“I like it just fine. I just don’t like the gory stuff.”

He walks over and pats a life-size snarling wolfman as if he’s a long lost friend. “Halloween is my favorite time of the year.”

“No shit. I never would have guessed,” I state dryly.

We move on and turn the corner of the next aisle, coming upon a vast array of torture devices. I could have done without this aisle, and I’m starting to wish I’d declined the tour. I already have a hard time sleeping at night due to the creaking of the house, now I’m going to have all these props invading my dreams tonight.

“C’mon, October is a blast. People like to be frightened, it’s the month you can get away with virtually anything. Within reason,” he adds.

I find myself studying what looks like a guillotine. “Not everyone likes to be frightened.”

Cord pauses and turns on me, blocking me from moving past so that I have no choice but to come to a halt. “Do you like scary movies?” he asks bluntly.

I fold my arms over my chest. “Yes.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “Ever been to a haunted house with friends?”

“Yes.”

“Ever pull a prank during October?”

“Okay, I get it. So we all like to be frightened to some extent.”

He looks pleased by my admission and moves out of the way so we can continue with the tour.

My nose wrinkles a moment later as I stop walking and stare at what looks like an upright coffin with sharp spikes all over the inside. “Is that real?”

“The iron maiden?” Cord’s eyes light up wickedly. “Want to find out?”

“Hell no. Is it?” I ask cautiously.

He laughs under his breath as he walks over to the coffin and wiggles one the spikes deliberately. “It’s rubber, Krista. Relax.”

“Give me a break. This stuff is gross, and coffins just by themselves are wicked scary. Toss in spikes…” I shudder. “You guys have carbon copies of every kind of torture device known to man. Maybe you guys are weirder than everyone thinks.”

Cord cocks his head slightly, something flickering in his green gaze as his eyes burn into mine. “First off, they are fakes, so they are harmless. Second, even if they were real, they don’t have to be used to brutally harm someone.”

His statement has me looking at him blankly as I try to decipher what he’s saying.

Cord’s eyes turn hooded as something devious flashes within their depths. “Let’s try an experiment,” he murmurs.

My eyes shift to the array of torture props. “Uh, let’s not.”

“Chicken?” he taunts softly.

I want absolutely nothing to do with anything that involves torture devices, but I’m not too keen on admitting to him that I’m frightened of them.

Cord shakes his head, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. “Guess all that ballsy pride of yours is just for show.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” I protest. “No one wants to play around with torture props unless they are the ones with the evil agenda. You were born with a few screws loose, buddy.”

“Probably,” he says, completely unaffected by my lighthearted insult. He walks over to what looks like a cross, though it is anything but. It has skeletal designs engraved in the wood, and there are restraints on each end for one’s wrists, and down below, is a flat wooden stand where restraints are used to keep the victim’s legs about two feet apart. He stands beside it and looks at me expectantly. “Come here.”

I instinctively take a step back. “You want to put me in
that?
”

He slowly smiles. “Yeah, I do.”

At the sight of that seductive smile, my heart starts to pound. I know he’s playing with me, and part of me wants to see more of this side that he rarely shows. Yet the other part of me wants to run away as fast as I can. Cord is after all a suspect in an ongoing murder investigation, and I’m here all alone with him…

“Do I scare you?” he asks softly as thunder rumbles overhead.

Does he? Do I really think he’s capable of hurting me? I stare into his eyes and recall the playfulness in his gaze when he’d asked me to humor his experiment. I might be scared of the stuff that’s in this warehouse, but oddly enough, I don’t think Cord is out to hurt me.

“Can I trust you to release me when I want out?” I ask warily. Am I really going to do this? Looks like it.

His eyes search mine. “I promise,” he says seriously.

I stare back at him as thunder rumbles loudly again, shaking the building and rattling a few things on the shelves. The storm outside is definitely not making this any easier. If anything, it’s setting the mood further, and Cord is probably loving it. I sigh loudly, still amazed that I have agreed to do this. “I can’t believe you talked me into this,” I mutter as I walk over to him.

He stands aside so I can put my back to the device, and I nervously lift my arms, positioning my wrists by the leather restraints that buckle.

Cord steps forward and carefully begins securing one wrist after the other. He’s standing close enough for me to smell his cologne, and he smells really, really good.

I swallow my nerves and ask, “Do people really buy this stuff?”

“We wouldn’t have it if they didn’t,” he says, double checking the fastenings, his touch oddly gentle.

“Why?”

“To put mannequins in at haunted houses or live people for a better visual effect.” He peers at me, his eyes unblinking as he studies me. “Comfortable?”

I glance at my wrists, which are now secure. “What do you think?”

His eyes gleam. “I’m referring to the restraints? Too tight?”

“They’re fine,” I grudgingly admit.

“Are you frightened?”

“I’m helpless, so yes.” If I’d answered any other way, he would have known I was lying.

“Do you like it?” he questions, watching my expression closely.

I look him dead in the eye. “No,” I say firmly.

He nods and steps forward until his chest is almost touching my own. With him as close as he is, I have no choice but to gaze up at him as nerves flutter around in my stomach. He’s so close that I can feel his body heat. I think I stop breathing when his hands settle on my waist, surprising me. His expression gives nothing away as he moves closer until we’re chest to chest, hip to hip.

I’m pretty sure he heard my breath catch in my throat at the feel of his body pressing into mine.

Warmth spreads throughout me as my heart quickens. His body feels really good pressed against mine, and I can feel the sexual tension rising between us.

“Are you scared?” Cord asks softly, his eyes penetrating mine.

Am I? I’m too distracted by the feel of his delicious body against my own. “I don’t know,” I confess.

“Do you want this experiment to end?”

“No,” I say quietly. I want to know what comes next.

His head slowly begins to lower towards mine, and it’s then that I realize he’s going to kiss me. I’m reacting on instinct and going with what my gut is sensing, and I know now that this was his intention all along. I definitely want to know what it feels like to kiss Cord Bodine, so I close my eyes, and when his lips lightly touch my own, I kiss him back. When he senses I’m not going to pull back, he deepens the kiss, and it grows intense as his hands run up along my sides, coming daringly close to my breasts before sliding back down to my hips. As our tongues dance against one another, I wish he’d touch me more. My hands clench in the restraints, and a frustrated sound escapes my throat, and he swallows the sound. The fact that I can only accept what he’s giving me is a major turn-on.

Cord slowly breaks the kiss, trailing his lips down my jawline, his hands roaming up my ribs again, taunting me. “Are you scared?” he whispers against my neck as he kisses my thrumming pulse along my jaw.

“No,” I say hoarsely.

His tongue trails across the sensitive skin between my neck and shoulder, causing me to instinctively shiver. “Do you like it now?”

“Yes,” I whisper self-consciously.

His lips lift from my neck, and he peers at me with dark, heated eyes. Then without a word, he backs away from me and starts unbuckling the restraints that are holding my wrists captive.

Holy crap. What just happened?

When he releases me, I step away from the device on rubbery legs.

Cord gives me a sly smile and nods at it. “Still scared of it?”

“No.”

“I think I’ve proven my point. You liked being scared to a point, but with the right person, it can become fun. And Halloween doesn’t necessarily have to be terrifying to be scary. It’s what you make of it.”

My eyes narrow dangerously.

Cord seems oblivious to my growing irritation. “I also showed you that props aren’t as scary as they might seem. It all depends on how you use them.”

By the time he’s finished speaking, my temper is boiling. So that kiss was just part of some game? It was the most intense kiss I’ve ever experienced, and for him it was just a means to prove a point?

Suddenly, there’s a loud crack of thunder that echoes loudly throughout the warehouse, causing me to jump. The warehouse is immediately thrown into darkness as the lights go out.

“Shit,” I hear Cord say.

I blink, hoping to see some sort of light, but there are no windows in the building, so it’s pure blackness. “Cord?”

“Right here,” he assures, his hand brushing along my thigh until he can grasp my hand.

I’m not a big fan of the dark, and I instinctively move closer to his body. “Are there back-ups?”

“Dane never had a back-up generator installed because we’re not here enough.”

“Are we leaving?” I ask, trying to keep the hint of hope out of my voice. I’m ready to leave all the grisly and hideous props behind. That, and a little space from Cord would be nice after that stunt he pulled with that kiss.

“The lights might come back on. Until then, we can use flashlights,” he replies.

“Okay. Where are they?”

“Dane’s office. Stay right here, don’t move.”

His hand tugs out of mine before I can process his words, and suddenly I feel alarmed that he might actually leave me alone amongst these horrible torture props. “Wait! You can’t leave me!” I reach out for him anxiously, and my hand connects with his hard chest. I grab a fistful of his shirt before he can dare walk away. I’m not letting him go anywhere without me.

“It’ll be a waste of time trying to lead you through the aisles. I know my way around this place, so it’ll be quicker if I go on my own to grab the flashlights and then come back for you.”

My hand tightens around the fabric I have clutched in my fist. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

Cord’s chest rumbles beneath my clenched fist as he laughs in the darkness. “Are you afraid something is going to come to life while I’m gone?”

I use my free hand to smack him across his shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.”

His laughter fades, and he lets out a drawn out sigh. “Seriously, it’ll be faster if you stay put.”

“You can’t leave me here by all this…stuff. It’s not funny, Cord.”

“Would you rather I leave you by the giant animatronic spider you have yet to meet? Or maybe leave you with Darius?”