Chapter 20
Penelope
It's Halloween. The doors of Dex’s Midnight Rodeo swing open, and the music hits me first. Not the usual country twang, but Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.
The bass vibrates through the floor, the beat rattling straight into my chest. A few bold couples attempt the iconic dance, cowboy boots stomping clumsily across the wood planks.
I grin, shaking my head. Ridiculous. Fun.
And somehow perfect for tonight. Pumpkin-orange string lights stretch across the rafters, their glow casting ghostly shadows over the packed crowd.
Fake cobwebs cling to the antlers mounted on the wall, and a fog machine spits out a thin, eerie mist that rolls low across the dance floor.
Cas threads his fingers through mine, his grip steady, warm, grounding me in the chaos. He guides me in like he’s done it a hundred times before, like he already knows I’ll follow. My Clyde. My partner in crime.
My black lace mask clings to my face, eyelashes brushing against the edge of it.
The grey mini skirt rides higher with every step, my blouse slipping loose at the shoulders.
Stilettos make my calves ache, but Cas’s gaze drops to my legs more than once, and the heat in his eyes makes every step worth it.
The finishing touch, a black beret tilted just so, completes the look.
For once, I don’t feel like the quiet kid who faded into corners. Tonight, I feel alive.
When Cas first saw me at the top of the Hawthornes’ stairs, his eyes went dark, hungry. His voice had dropped into a growl that curled hot in my stomach:
“I think I’ll take you straight to bed looking like this. Are you trying to kill me?”
I only smirked, lips painted bold red, my answer in the curve of my smile.
And he, God, he looked devastating. A dark vest over a crisp shirt, holster slung low on his hips, black hat tipped low, a mask framing those sharp, gleaming eyes.
My Clyde. The hat shouldn’t have made him hotter, but it did.
He looked like he’d stepped out of some old gangster film, dangerous and untouchable.
We weave through the crowd, and I catch sight of the Hawthorne clan spread like sentinels across the room.
Grace floats in a shimmering angel costume, the wings so delicate they catch the light as she moves.
Caleb, dressed as Peter Pan, holds her hand.
My heart warms, watching them glow in the center uncaring of her brothers hovering around the edges like a wall of muscle.
Arms crossed. Eyes sharp. Ready to strike at anyone who comes too close.
“She looks happy,” I murmur, leaning toward Cas.
“She’s growing up too fast,” he counters, his gaze flicking to the group of young men staring at her. His voice sharpens, low and dangerous. “She’s getting more beautiful every day. I’ll need to start carrying a baseball bat to keep the guys off.”
The second they feel his glare, their heads whip away, attention suddenly elsewhere. Cas smirks, dark and satisfied. “It’s already killing me that Caleb is with her, now that the other bastards saw that she can date they became bolder.” He growls.
I laugh softly. “She’s going to college next year, you know?”
His smile vanishes instantly. “Don’t remind me.”
My laughter bubbles out harder, and before I can poke at him again, Dex appears with two beers in hand. His slicked-back hair and sharp suit scream Peaky Blinders, mobster-cool.
“What’s so funny?” he asks, eyebrow cocked.
“Just reminding your brother that Grace is off to college next year,” I say sweetly.
The brothers groan in unison.
“You’re evil,” Dex scowls, though the grin tugging at his mouth gives him away.
Across the room, Ethan leans against a post in head-to-toe black, vampire fangs catching the light as he smirks.
Asher, beside him, looks like he just stepped out of a military base, camo sharp against his frame.
Ethan’s eyes, though, aren’t on me. They’re locked on Summer, who crosses the room in a curvy Red Riding Hood costume.
Her cloak swishes over the floorboards, and when his stare lingers a beat too long, her cheeks flush scarlet.
Tonight, Mia is with Lily and Josh, who took her trick-or-treating.
The Hawthornes are already half in love with the little girl and always enjoy having her over.
Summer catches me looking, and I snicker. Ethan is absolutely gone for her, no question. But Summer? She won’t even hear his name without rolling her eyes. Her ex left scars too deep, and she can’t yet see what’s obvious to everyone else, that she’s stunning.
Jude strolls past in a football jersey, ignoring the women eyeing him from the bar. Cas nudges me, tilting his chin toward Ethan and Summer, both pretending the other doesn’t exist. Typical.
Then I notice Asher. His jaw is tight, eyes locked somewhere behind me. I turn, following his line of sight, and see Grace kissing Caleb in the middle of the dance floor.
“Asher,” I warn, but it’s useless. His expression darkens, and he mutters something to Ethan. In an instant, Ethan’s glare shifts from Summer to Grace. He storms across the room, grabs his sister by the arm, and drags her back toward us.
“Ethan!” Grace protests, cheeks flushed. “What are you doing?”
He doesn’t answer, and her brothers, Cas included, pin poor Caleb with a look that could cut glass. Caleb grins sheepishly. “Sorry, she’s just looking too beautiful tonight.” His eyes on Grace. The boy is smitten.
“I told you,” Cas growls at my side, “I need that damn baseball bat when Grace is around.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll be right back, baby. I need to talk to Trevor about next week’s game."
Caleb kisses her cheek and walks over to his friends. I tug Grace gently toward me. “Come on. Let’s leave these cavemen to their nonsense. Want to dance?”
She sighs but nods, and I motion for Summer to join us. Together, we escape to the dance floor just as Monster Mash kicks in, laughter spilling from our lips as we move.
Moments later, I feel him. Cas. His arms slip around my waist from behind, pulling me flush against him. I lean back, his breath tickling my ear as he sways us with the music.
“This is wild,” I whisper, breathless.
“You think this is wild?” His grin presses against my cheek. “Wait until I get you home.”
I laugh, warmth spilling through me. Around us, his siblings bicker and tease, their overprotectiveness clashing with their love in the way only family can manage.
Watching Cas laugh with them, watching him protect them, I wonder, dangerously, what he’d be like with a little girl of his own someday.
The thought ignites something soft and warm in me. Then panic follows fast. What the hell, Penny? Cas’s little girl? Get out of your head.
Before I can chase the thought away, Cas spins me to face him.
His grin is mischievous, daring, his hand sliding down my back as he pulls me closer.
Heat crackles in the air, our bodies in perfect rhythm as the music swells around us.
I can’t stop smiling. Watching him watch me.
Feeling the chemistry spark like fire between us.
Costumes twirl. Laughter roars. The smell of beer and smoke and hay lingers heavy in the air. I tuck my face against his chest, grounding myself in him, the steady thrum of his heart beneath my cheek. For a moment, it feels like nothing else exists.
And then, that feeling.
A prickle at the back of my neck. The shift in the air when eyes find you.
I stiffen, scanning the room. Familiar town faces. Strangers hidden behind masks. Nothing unusual. But the unease claws deeper.
Mark?
He hasn’t called. He hasn’t tried anything. Maybe he’s gone. Maybe.... But what if he’s here? I feel panic rise.
Cas lifts my chin, his thumb brushing my jaw. His eyes burn into mine. “Everything okay, Sunset?”
I force a smile, my voice light. “I’m fine.”
He doesn’t buy it. His gaze lingers, searching. But I break away, resting my head against his shoulder.
The night spins on. Music. Lights. Laughter. Cas never lets me go, his hand always somewhere on me, anchoring me. But the feeling never fades. It gnaws at me until I can’t ignore it anymore.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur.
Cas’s hand tightens instantly around mine. “I’ll come with you.”
I shake my head. “It’s just a quick break.” My smile is weak, but I force it anyway. I can’t ruin the night. I can’t spook him. “I’m safe. Just a few minutes.”
He hesitates, eyes dark, but finally nods.
The bar is chaos as I weave my way toward the back hallway.
The bathroom door swings shut behind me, muffling the music into a distant throb.
Inside, the air is cooler, faintly scented with soap and cheap perfume.
A group of girls touch up their lipstick at the mirror, laughter bubbling as they sway tipsy in glittering costumes.
I wait, slip into a stall, and lock the door. My pulse slows as I sit, breathing deep. Just nerves. Just nerves.
When I finally push the stall open, the bathroom is empty. Silent. Too silent.
The hairs on the back of my neck rise.
I step to the sink, reaching for the faucet…
And a gloved hand clamps over my mouth.
The sharp reek of chemicals burns my nose as cloth presses hard against my face.
I jerk, twisting, trying to scream, but the sound dies in my throat.
Panic seizes every nerve. My heart slams once, twice.
Then everything goes black.