Page 111 of Kill Feed

“What?” he grins. “You should've seen the look on your face! You looked like you were about to be murdered.”

My eyes flick to the movie screen, nudging with my head towards the canvas. “Give it time.”

Lucas snorts at that and stretches his legs out in front of him. “Oh, you got jokes? Have the aliens replaced you with a socially acceptable version?”

Amani curls beneath the blanket. Old orchestral music hums through hidden speakers, the crowd gradually quieting around us as an old monochrome movie stutters to life.

Lucas occasionally whispers dumb commentary under his breath that earns him annoyed shoves from Amani. I let the noise blur together with contentment. As much as I’ve incorporated myself into the spirit of Halloween, I’m grateful the fuckery is almost over. It’s going to be so refreshing not seeing a carved pumpkin around every corner and plastic skeletons, spiders, and witch hats hanging from every store ceiling.

We’re halfway through the movie when my phone buzzes.

Dante: “Meet me in the hedge maze.”

The corners of my mouth pull before I can stop it. I let the smile die down before locking the phone again and sliding it back into my pocket before either of them notices. When I glance over my shoulder, I spot the refreshment stand near the back of the field, the hot chocolate line uncomfortably long.

“I’m gonna get hot chocolate before the line gets worse,” I mutter, pushing myself up slightly.

I head toward the hot chocolate stand, and halfway there, I glance over my shoulder. Amani and Lucas are still glued to the movie screen. Lucas shifts closer and throws an arm around her. They seem pretty occupied, and judging by the line at the drinks stand, they won’t expect me to be back soon.

The smell of butter popcorn and cinnamon follows me as I walk past the stand without stopping. The crowd stays near the projector screen and the food stalls, distracted and loud enough not to notice me breaking away toward the hedge maze.

It’s still closed, with only a rope blocking the entrance beneath a crooked wooden sign.

I duck underneath it.

The hedge maze swallows sound fast. One second there’s laughter and the crackle of the projector somewhere behind me, the next there’s only the crunch of gravel beneath my sneakers and the low hum of orange lights strung along the narrow passages. The hedges are tall enough to block everything beyond the path and thick enough to make the air feel enclosed.

Where the fuck is Dante anyway? If he plans to jump scare me, I fucking swear—

I was just about to pull out my phone again, ready to call him, when hands grab onto my jacket from behind so wildly my neck snaps forward.

I’m spun around, my back pressing against a haystack when I’m met with a devious smile and soft brown eyes.

“You took your time,” he murmurs.

I stare at him for half a second before smiling, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and shoving forward. Dante lets out a surprised laugh as I spin him around and pin him against the haystack instead, forearm pressed across his chest.

The impact sends another shower of straw drifting down between us.

“There,” I say evenly. “That’s better.”

Dante’s grin only widens. “Did you miss me, little stray?”

I tighten my grip on his shirt instead of answering.

His eyes flick briefly to my mouth and then back up again, catching every tiny movement in my face with predatory precision.

My hands then slide into his hair before I can think better of it, gripping hard enough to pull a rough sound from his throat as I crash my mouth into his.

There’s nothing soft about it. No hesitation either as our tongues clash and breathing turns violent almost instantly as Dante grabs my hips with bruising force and kisses me back harder, his mouth opening mine apart like he plans to consume every thought still left in my skull.

Our surroundings disappear, and all I can register is pressure and heat and the way Dante grips me so tightly his fingers might pierce me.

“Fuck,” he breathes against my mouth before biting my lower lip hard enough to sting.

I grin into the kiss, sliding my tongue deeper into his mouth before shoving him backward. He looks at me with wickedness carved onto his face, dark and breathless, before grabbing my ass and settling his hands under my thighs. He lifts me with terrifying ease and slams my back onto a low stack of hay bales hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. Loose straw scratches against my neck and shoulders while the scarecrow propped beside me tips slightly sideways. Its stitched grin stares down at us beneath the orange glow of the maze lights.

I glance up at it once, and Dante follows my gaze.