Chapter Thirty-One Goldie
Chapter Thirty-One
Goldie
My hand in Noah’s feels like a homecoming.
Yes, I know he lied, and I know there are still a thousand questions to be answered, but what I also know is he had a reason for lying.
A reason that ran so deep and scared him so much that he betrayed my trust and was still willing to risk his own life to come here and get me.
“Over there,” I say breathlessly, pointing to another set of doors besides the main entrance to the hall the party is being held in because the line is too long.
Too long for us to wait. Like he said, time is of the essence.
Noah’s leading me, walking quickly, making me almost jog to keep up. As we near the door, he looks around to make sure nobody is watching before he grabs the door, pulls it open, and leads me through first.
That was slick.
The moment we’re inside, the music’s blaring and there are people everywhere dressed in all manner of costumes. They’re dancing, drinking, partying—enjoying Halloween.
But, Jesus, they have no idea that there’s something heinous lurking.
“What is she dressed as?” Noah says, leaning in so I can hear him better.
I shake my head, looking out around the crowd. “A vampire.”
“Great,” he levels sarcastically. “That should be easy enough.”
As he says it, a group of women with fangs and red contacts walk by us. I give an empty kind of desperate laugh as I squeeze his hand tighter, feeling my fear grow by the second.
“Do you think whoever is after us would try something here . . . and now?” I question, hoping for an answer that will make my blood pressure lower.
“Yeah. Especially tonight. Look around . . .”
I frown because people are pretending to kill each other in all the corners of the room. There’s enough fake blood to hide any of the real kind. Fuck.
So much for lower blood pressure.
We’re making our way through the crowd with more urgency as I whip my head around, desperately looking for Evie. There are just too many people packed in here.
“Evie,” I yell, but the music’s too loud for her to ever hear me.
But Noah leans down to my ear again. “Baby, don’t yell. If they’re close, you’ll bring attention to us.”
I’m suddenly rocked with a wave of fear as I look around. Noah’s hand on the small of my back is the only anchor I have keeping me from getting swept away. I swear to god, all I want to do is turn around, wrap my arms around him, and hide my face in his chest. Surely then all of this would go away.
A shaky breath leaves me before Noah stops me, pulling me into a giant hug. It’s like he’s read my thoughts. My chin quivers, but I inhale him.
Fuck. I’m feeling too much—fear, relief, happiness, and terror all at once.
He kisses the top of my head before I turn my chin up toward him.
“Killer, I promise we’re going to be okay.” His hands gently rub my shoulders as he pushes me away just enough to really take me in. “Believe me?”
Damn me to hell, but I do.
I nod, but another thought has my hands sliding up his chest and hooking around his neck before pulling him down to me.
If we do die, I’m kissing him one more time.
Noah’s lips seal over mine, and I swear, we both sigh into each other as he wraps his arms around me, and we kiss. Faintly, because all my senses are stolen by Noah, I hear our song play: “These Dreams,” by Heart.
He pulls away, half a smile crooking his mouth. “I think it’s a sign.”
I smile too.
His hand slides back into mine before we turn, looking back out to the crowd and pulling strength from each other.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone onstage tapping a mic. They must be getting ready to start the scene from that damn movie my sister was talking about.
A light bulb goes off.
“Noah.” I tap his arm to gain his attention and point to the stage, but he shakes his head.
“It’s going to take too long to find her this way,” I press, but he’s not listening, so I tug my hand from him and dart away, zipping through the crowd before he can stop me.
I don’t care if it brings attention to us. It’ll help me find my sister, and then we can get the hell out of here. But the moment I make it to the stairs up to the stage, Noah grabs my waist, having followed behind closely.
“Noah, we could find her quicker.”
He urges me back down. “It’ll put a fucking spotlight on you.”
But I refuse to listen. I shove his hands off me and run up onto the stage anyway before looking back at him.
“Get to her faster than he does,” I rush out, but he looks panicked as he takes the stairs too.
I rush to the microphone and push past the guy standing there before I grip it with my hands. The guy tries to pull it back, cursing me for being onstage, but I ignore him and hold on to it for dear life.
“Evie.” My voice is louder than I expect as it echoes through the room, which makes me blanch, but I say it again as I struggle to keep the microphone in hand. “Evie Monroe.”
The crowd begins to stare at me, and the music that was playing fades out. All their eyes are focused directly on me. Fuck. Noah was right. I may as well have an arrow over my head, but from up on the stage, I can see the whole crowd.
The crew guy manhandles the mic away and walks the setup offstage as I head toward Noah. I’m searching and so is he until my gasp gets his attention.
I see my sister in the back of the room. She’s waving at me.
“Noah, she’s there,” I say, pointing in her direction.
His face whips away from mine, and he cups his hands around his mouth as he bellows, “Chase!”
My eyes search frantically, then see my favorite chef give us a thumbs-up as he hauls ass her way.
“Oh god,” I rush out as my shoulders sag, because it finally feels like everything’s going to be okay.
But as I step toward Noah, I hear my name. I turn and lock eyes with a familiar face. The man of the hour.
Remus walks toward me, but Noah’s already onstage next to me. The kindness that’s usually on Remus’s face is gone, replaced with animosity as he stares directly at Noah.
Noah’s arm moves in front of me protectively, guiding me back just behind him.
“What are you doing, Goldie? You’re not supposed to be up here,” Remus says as his eyes go to mine before returning to Noah’s.
I look up at Noah’s profile and see his jaw tensing before I whisper my words out on a very shaky breath. “That’s him. That’s the guy who I think sent you the picture.”
Noah’s face darts to mine. A frown forms before he ever so slightly shakes his head like I’m wrong.
Remus asks Noah how he got to the camp, since he doesn’t recognize him, but I’m lost in my thoughts.
I don’t understand. Remus is who told me this story. Remus is who seemed too attached . . . too callous about the deaths. He gave me the shirt and knew I was taking a hike.
My lips part to say as much to Noah, but he looks away toward the sound of heavy footsteps joining us. I follow his gaze to another man coming in behind Remus, who is looking down at his phone.
Ice-cold chills slice through my veins because I’ve seen him before too.
This man was standing in my doorway the day I forgot to lock it.
“Oh my god . . .” I rush out.
Noah’s chest is heaving, and his muscles feel like stone as he stares past Remus at the man who still occasionally visits my nightmares. My eyes volley between the transient and Remus before finally landing on Noah.
“Do you know him?”
Noah nods. “That’s my father.”
Everything happens in slow motion. Remus looks up and smiles at me before the man steps in behind him and takes him by the chin. And the knife slices straight across his throat.