Haunted

Chapter 2: The Big Reveal

We're only about half an hour outside of downtown, but it seems like we've traveled through a portal and crossed into a picturesque European forest. We've turned onto a dirt and gravel road, the potholes and bumps making the Jeep jump and tilt all over the place. The boys seem to be having fun, but I'm not about to let up on my death grip on the "oh shit" bar handle.

"North!" I squeak when he seems to speed up to drive over a giant bump and my butt leaves the seat for a second before landing again. The "oof" grunt noise I make is not attractive.

North gives me an unrepentant smile that makes his entire face beam and I can't be annoyed with him. I smile back, before Luke reaches his arms around my entire seat from the back, grabbing onto my chest.

"I'll keep you safe, Sang, don't worry!" He says, squeezing my boobs. "Nice and secure, aren't we?" I gasp just as we hit another bump, his fingers slipping over my nipples.

"For fuck's sake," North grumbles, reaching to dislodge his brother's grip while keeping an eye on the treacherous road. Sneaky Luke pulls his hands back right before North's land, and now I've got another man's hand on my chest. I laugh as Nathan chooses that moment to look ahead and cusses, shoving North's arm off.

"Caveman..." He grumbles. "Hands off the goods."

"The goods?" Gabriel asks, sounding unimpressed with the word choice.

"More like goodies!" Luke snorts.

"I'm surrounded by children. Trouble, you and I are the only sane ones in this car." Gabe says, but then yelps when North hits a deep pothole that makes my stomach drop. "Motherfucker! You did that on purpose!"

"We're gonna need a dozer to fix this drive, it's so long." Nathan says, changing topics.

"Where are we going?" I ask for the nine hundredth time.

No one answers me, for the nine hundredth time, but as we take another curve on the dirt road, the trees open up ahead to reveal a huge tudor style house. No, not a house–mansion is a better word.

Three stories, stone cladding on the foundation, beautiful archways over the giant porch, and even a turret. There are gothic accents, spires on the roof peaks, and as I press my face to the window as we pull up, I see an honest to god gargoyle looming above the porch. It's old, moss covered, but still menacing as its neck curves over the roof to peer down at us, protecting its home.

I'm staring at the gargoyle, waiting for it to move, it looks so lifelike, and I don't even realize we've parked and the boys have gotten out of the Jeep until my door is being opened and Luke is grabbing my arm. "C'mon!"

I uncurl my fingers from around the safety bar, surprised they can even move after my clenched grip from the driveway. I pop out of the seatbelt and slide out of the seat into Luke's arms. He swings me in a circle before putting me on my feet.

"It's like a castle!" I say as I steady myself and turn to face the huge house. Luke's arms slide around me from behind, his body leaving no space between us. I love the feeling and push further back into him. "So what are we doing here?"

Luke shuffles us forward until we're at the base of the porch steps. This close now, I can see the gargoyle's mouth is open, revealing menacing fangs and a wicked curved tongue. Creepy. But so cool.

There's a metal post with brackets that must have held a sign at one point to the side, the thin chains blowing in the wind. A creaking noise and the massive wood front door opens. Kota steps out and my eyes go wide.

"Come inside! We've been waiting forever!" Kota pushes his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. He's nervous. For what?

Luke finally releases me when Gabe grabs my hand and pulls me up the steps. We enter the house with the others behind us, and step into a wonder. The ceilings are high with plaster missing in parts, the walls in the same condition with lath showing through in some places, wood floors that have seen better days, but still, this was once a beauty. This house has seen some hard times, faced some neglect, but who hasn't? A little–a lot–of elbow grease and some love and care and she'd shine.

"Whose house is this?" I whisper as we go through a formal entry. There's what looks like a study or living room to the left, with furniture covered by sheets, but we turn right. We walk through another huge room that could also be a living space with more sheeted furniture, through a large cased opening with beautiful columns bordering it, and into a dining room with a gigantic, thick, dark wood table with chunky legs surrounded by wooden chairs with high backs.

That's not what I focus on, however, it's the fact that Owen, Sean, Victor, and Silas are standing under another cased opening on the opposite side, between its own respective columns. A banner hangs above their heads, and my mouth drops open.

W E L C O M E    H O M E !