Chapter 5 Lainey
Iwoke with pressure on my bladder, blinking my eyes open to realize that I was resting on my left side and Pagan’s arm was securely wrapped around me, holding me tightly against his chest even as he slept.
His light snores were the only noise in the dark room.
I couldn’t be sure how long we slept after he pulled out and kissed me, rolling onto his back.
He must have been in pain since we never stopped to pick up his medication, but he never faltered. He fucked me even better than he promised, and I wanted more. A lot more.
I was sore and sticky between my thighs in the best way. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this well-used and satisfied. It had been years.
Nope. I wasn’t comparing him to anyone. Pagan held his own.
In fact, I could say with confidence that he pretty much fucked any other guy out of my head and left me with only thoughts of him.
He used his cock in ways I didn’t know were possible.
How could a guy know exactly which angle I needed, or how to stroke just right and deep enough to make me gush? Pagan did.
That was talent.
My bladder wouldn’t be refused, and I quietly slipped out of his embrace, moving slowly so I didn’t wake him. He needed the rest. I bet he never got more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep the entire time he was in the hospital.
They were the worst for that.
I stood and stretched, not quite realizing I was so close to the wall. My gaze swept over the mural in front of me, and I nearly screamed. A giant painted clown from It, the Stephen King novel, stared back at me in the meager light.
I almost screamed. My hands slapped over my mouth as I stumbled toward the bathroom, shutting the door with a soft click because I had to get away from the clown. Flipping on the light, I inhaled a deep breath and tried to calm the frantic beating of my heart.
As soon as my bladder was empty, I switched off the light and snuck back into the room. I could still hear Pagan’s deep, even breathing. He was worn out. I bet nothing woke him up until morning. It had to be late. I guessed it was at least midnight by how dark it was in the room.
There were two beds, and I sat on the edge of the one closest to the door as I found my clothes, got dressed, and took out my phone.
The time on the screen revealed almost three in the morning.
Pagan and I must have fallen asleep around seven or eight.
No wonder I woke up in the middle of the night.
My stomach chose that moment to grumble so loud I worried it would wake him. It didn’t. He mumbled something in his sleep and then quieted.
I swiped across my cell to open it and scrolled through recent messages. There weren’t many. Trish checked in. Nylah asked if there was anything she could do for Pagan. That was it.
“Hey,” a deep voice called.
I smiled, lifting my head to greet Pagan. “I didn’t realize you were awake.”
A light snoring was the only response.
Wait. Didn’t he just speak to me? Weird.
I went back to my phone and typed a few texts. The last one to come through was from Rael. He wanted to know if I was with Pagan. None of his goddamn business, and I replied with that, followed by an emoji of a middle finger. Why the hell was he messaging me in the middle of the night?
Oh. Probably because he saw Nylah texting me. I wondered why they were awake and figured their baby girl must have woken them up. She was only a couple of months old.
Warm breath tickled the back of my neck as I frowned and glanced over my shoulder. No one was behind me, but I had the weirdest sensation of being watched. From the glow of my phone’s screen, I could see the framed art in the room and the floor-to-ceiling mural of Pennywise the Clown.
This motel was super creepy, but in the best way. I shivered as I thought of the history and the proximity to the Tonopah Cemetery outside to the left of the parking lot. At least I wasn’t afraid of clowns. That would make this place terrifying.
As I sat there, I heard an eerie sound, almost like a wail coming from the bathroom.
It was low. If I was sleeping, I wouldn’t have heard it.
Heat, like someone had blown their breath over my neck, warmed my skin a second time.
My gaze landed on the Pennywise painting, and I swear he winked.
Every image of a clown in that room seemed to follow my movements as I shot to my feet, needing to get the hell out of the room for a few minutes.
I opened the door, slipped outside, and shut it behind me without thinking. As soon as I heard it, I realized my mistake. I didn’t have a key. It locked, preventing me from going back inside and waking Pagan.
“Shit,” I muttered as I glanced at the parking lot.
I didn’t intend to leave, but now I didn’t have a choice.
The only other option was to stay in my car until I could knock on the door and wake Pagan.
I felt guilty just thinking about waking him knowing he was getting the sleep he needed.
This place was too scary in the middle of the night.
I didn’t know if I would stick around once I slid behind the wheel and had a chance to leave.
I heard rumors once that a seven-foot ghost clown terrorized people at the hotel, usually in the middle of the night.
“Nice,” I whispered. Way to go. I’ll just scare the hell out of myself now. No clowns needed.
Pagan’s room was located on the first floor. I didn’t have to take the stairs, so it was a straight shot to the SUV. I had a small pep talk and internal monologue—You can do this, Snooki—before I began walking toward my vehicle at a brisk pace.
It should have worked. I nearly congratulated myself on making it there unharmed until I spotted a shadow moving away from behind the SUV. The figure wasn’t a clown—just a man.
Black mask and a hoodie. Gloves. Dark jeans.
He hunched over when I spotted him, arms lifted and stretched out, staring me down like he intended to chase me. Well, fuck. I couldn’t get into the room with Pagan. Everyone else in their rooms would be sleeping. The office was closed.
I didn’t have a fucking chance if I didn’t run, especially when I saw something glisten in his hand, the light reflecting off the surface. Metal. A knife? Gun? I didn’t have a clue.
All I knew was that I had to run. Now.
There were only two options—the barren road to the left or the cemetery on the right. I chose the foggy, creepy cemetery that seemed a better choice than running on an empty road where I could easily be seen.
As the masked man took a step in my direction, I bolted across the parking lot and darted left, rushing through the fog as it swirled around my ankles. My heart pounded in rhythm with my shoes as I sucked air into my lungs.
I rushed through the gap in the fence, feeling rather than seeing my pursuer. In my head, hot breath blew on the back of my neck again, and I fought the urge to scream. Terror seized my lungs as my vision tunneled. If I died right here, Pagan would find my body and never know what happened.
There wasn’t anywhere to hide. Cactus, tumbleweeds, and old headstones provided little cover. A few spots had extra quadrants of fencing, but I wouldn’t be able to conceal myself for long. I dashed behind one, dragging air into my aching lungs.
Where did the masked man go? I didn’t dare poke my head out to look. It was horror movie 101. Second only to the dreaded phrase “I’ll be right back.”
No one ever survived after saying that aloud.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the dirt as I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying not to betray my location. I heard them reach me... but nothing happened. No one appeared.
This cemetery was haunted. I was sure of that. Disembodied voices carried on the wind, some of them full of sorrow, others spewing anger at sins long forgotten. The fog grew thicker as I crouched in the shadows, clutching at my useless car keys.
“Lainey.”
A woman’s voice whispered my name in my ear, sending shivers down my spine as I startled, shifting my body to see who spoke. No one greeted me. Not even an apparition.
But that didn’t mean I was alone. This cemetery held more than a frightened girl, graves, and a masked hunter. The spirits of miners and Tonopah residents rested here. They kept vigil over the small town, wary of strangers.
If I lingered here, I would die. I knew it as certainly as I knew I had to run.
The fog might be able to conceal me long enough to reach the SUV.
I could use the fob to unlock it and start the engine, locking it again before the masked man could get inside.
If he tried to break in, I’d run him over.
It seemed like a good plan.
You can do this, Snooki!
I decided to go for it since staying where I was only increased the likelihood that I’d be found sooner rather than later.
I jumped up and sprinted toward The Clown Motel.
Eerie wails seemed to flow from the headstones as I passed them.
One screeched as I stumbled, almost faceplanting right onto the grave.
Move your ass, girl!
That was when I saw the masked man. He caught the movement and spun toward me, his heavy footfalls thudding the ground hard enough to shake it. I probably exaggerated that sound in my head, but fear did crazy things to your psyche. Trust me. I had experience with this.
Like the first time I saw Rael’s Reaper.
Focus!
Adrenaline flooded my bloodstream, and I raced faster than I would have thought possible. When I reached the SUV, I yanked on the door and opened it, slamming my ass on the seat as I shut the door. I swear I mashed the lock button seventeen thousand times before I felt like I was safe.
With my lungs aching and my ears ringing from the cool night air, I threw the car into drive and pressed down on the gas pedal. Never in my life had I driven that wildly, speeding out of the parking lot of the motel like the hounds of hell were on my heels.
When I glanced in the rearview mirror, I didn’t see the masked man. He wasn’t anywhere in sight as I juggled my focus between the road and the mirror, trying to figure out what happened to the guy chasing me. How could he disappear like that? There wasn’t anywhere to hide his big body.
What the hell was happening?
No way I imagined this. I saw him. He was real.
I battled that idea in my head the entire way to The Crossroads. When I approached the gate, waving like a crazy woman, the prospect Zane opened it and gave me a funny look.
I’m not crazy.
I parked and exited the vehicle, glancing around me like I expected the masked man to appear any minute. I sure wanted him to show up here. I fucking dared him.
The Tonopah GBMC always enjoyed a good reaping.
I rushed inside and nearly collided with Grim.
“Whoa.” He reached out and steadied me after I bounced off his chest. “You okay, Snooki?”
I didn’t have a clue.
Sudden exhaustion overwhelmed me. I had slept hours with Pagan, more than enough to keep me from feeling fatigued, but the ordeal at The Clown Motel drained me.
I needed to slide beneath my covers, close my eyes, and know that nothing could harm me. I was safe.
Grim escorted me to my room, clearly not believing me as I assured him that I was okay. Tomorrow, when I had a chance to calm down, I could repeat what happened.
Right now? I just needed to forget the whole thing.