His to Fear (Nightmare Attraction #2)

Chapter 1

Nadia

Present day. Halloween night

A scream splits the frozen night, ragged and raw, like a body being dragged over shattered glass. It clings to every molecule, echoing with the promise of something evil. That sounded way too real to be a fraud.

It comes again: sending shivers down my spine like the sound of nails scraping against an old chalkboard. Haunted circus music fills the air outside the enclosure, neon lights illuminating the area.

This is the country’s best fair—Gravewoods Fair has, for the first time, come to our little secluded town.

Although I have no idea why they decided to host it here this year. People from all around the country have gathered, probably not even having a clue as to what transpired two years ago.

The Halloween night that turned into a purgatory. Our town’s first serial killer, taking the lives of at least ten people in the course of one single, brutal night. They caught the killer, though. There hasn’t been a single murder since.

A touch on my shoulder makes me flinch, my heart pounding like a hammer hitting its jackpot despite trying to stem my overly reaction.

“Relax. It’s me.” Eveline comes up beside me, offering me one of her soft smiles.

It does nothing to ease the jittery coil of nerves slowly eating me up from the inside out.

“So jumpy,” Eros—Eveline’s man—chimes in from behind, his muscled arm securely hooked through Zack’s. Tattoos snake up from his hands in sharp, thorny branches, disappearing beneath his long-sleeved black shirt. Zack—Eveline’s other man—smirks.

Yeah, they’re all together together. All three of them.

At least one good thing came out of that nightmare-inducing night; Eveline met the men of her life.

To be fair, I’ve only met them a handful of times. They went on a vacation last year, whatever that involved. They’ve all been secretive about it.

“Why did I even agree to come?” I mutter, turning to face Eveline again.

“Because you love me. And because you know it’ll be fun.”

“Sure…fun.”

The Halloween chill cuts through my outfit. My lace dress ends just above my knees, with bell sleeves flowing, and wine-red details glimmering under the neon lights. The patterned tights and black combat boots do little to keep me warm.

I’m going for the whole sexy-vampire look, while Eveline and her men have done their makeup like a skeleton.

“Come on! Your makeup is fire,” Eveline says, nudging my shoulder.

“These teeth are uncomfortable,” I grumble, touching the sharp fangs glued to my front teeth, careful to avoid the fake blood running down the sides of my mouth. Smoky red eye shadow, black eyeliner, and wine-red lipstick complete the look.

For the first time in months, I feel…sexy.

The queue is full of fairgoers clad in Halloween attire, adding to the buzzing, spooky sensation. But the closer we get to the main entrance, a gaping clown mouth streaked with blood and speakers playing eerie circus music, the more my stomach sours, nausea creeping up my throat.

That night started much like this—with excitement bubbling inside.

I shiver, trying not to meet Eveline’s gaze. Her too-kind smile makes guilt flood through me, because I know I haven’t earned her kindness. I haven’t been the friend she deserves, barely even been able to get through my own life.

At least she’s had both Zack and Eros. While I’ve had a cheating boyfriend that I dumped months ago after finding him in bed with another woman.

Fucking Max.

“Look,” Eveline begins, and her men instinctively step back, giving us some space.

“I know better than anyone what that night was like. The nightmares never really leave. But don’t you think it’s time to at least try living again?

To have some fun? Nothing like that can happen twice, and they caught the killer. ”

Her eyes flicker, a nervous trait of hers, and I wonder if she’s as scared of venturing inside as I am, even when she’s the one who invited me.

“Besides,” she adds with a wink, “Maybe you’ll find a fling. You need to get over that douchebag.”

We used to work together at the Rosén Newspaper—me, Eveline, Max, and another guy who was murdered that night.

Ever since, we’ve split up. I went on sick leave, going into extensive therapy, and now I’m slowly easing back into work.

Though it’s only two days a week as a proofreader at an editorial paper.

I sigh, because Eveline’s right.

“Look,” I tell her, mimicking her first word. I’m unable to meet her gaze, my eyes flickering everywhere but her. “I’m really sorry for not being the friend you deserve since.”

Her arms encircle me, which I didn’t expect. God, it feels so good to have my best friend’s arm around me, wrapping me in a cocoon of safety. I blink fast, refusing tears to come forth.

“You have nothing to apologize for. We all go through shit in our own way. Real friends stay, no matter what. I’m just glad to have you.”

My chest warms, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat. She looks back at her men, smiling and beckoning them closer.

“You okay?” Eros asks as Zack approaches Eveline, arms coming around her waist in a way that makes jealousy and longing twist sharp and hot inside me.

I wish I had that.

I force a smile, willing my words to come. “Yeah.”

“Liar.”

I merely offer him a smile, and he doesn’t push for more, which I appreciate.

“Let’s just head inside,” Zack grumbles, sending a sharp, playful glare at Eveline.

It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be here either, but he’s doing it for Eveline’s sake. I guess I’m here for her sake, too.

Halloween used to be our favorite time of the year, and we didn’t celebrate last year for obvious reasons.

“Have you gotten your tickets?” the admission attendant asks.

Red neon glows behind her from the park, bleeding through the gaping mouth of the ominous clown mouth, with the sign reading “Gravewoods Fair” in dripping letters.

We all give her our tickets, which she tears apart, before showing our identifications. This is, after all, an adult-only fair.

“Once you enter the fair, there are no rules, no guides, and certainly no mercy. There will be scare-actors in there, and they will be unpredictable, unrelenting, and far too close for your comfort. This is a park of terror.”

She twirls a lock of her blonde hair around her blood-red painted nails, doing the speech with as much ease as if she’s said this a hundred times.

“Everything here is strictly pretend. The actors may not touch you, and you, in turn, may not touch them.” She makes a dramatic pause to emphasize her words.

The attendant offers us each a map of the fair, circling four different levels. The one in red is numbered ‘1,’ indicating it’s the one we’ll begin with.

“Are you all ready?”

The others shout their yeses, but my stomach is bottoming out. My heart might just give out any moment now, leaving me collapsing onto the street.

The attendant unhooks the rope barrier separating the outside from the inside. Smoke filters through the clown’s mouth as she beckons us to enter the park.

Here goes nothing.

“Welcome to your worst nightmare.”