Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Yeah, you did,” Nikki said, smiling. She just couldn’t help it.
In her moment of need, when she had been terrified, the only person she had thought to call was the one person she knew above all else she could trust. Hawk.
He still hadn’t asked her about the Halloween party.
“See.” Darlene gave her ass a little swat.
“I don’t know.” The rule was, she wasn’t supposed to go to the club. “He hasn’t asked.”
“Well, I’m asking, and I am allowed to bring friends to the club. You’ve got to be on your best behavior and the rules that are in Vegas are the same as the club.”
“Huh?”
“What happens in the club stays in the club. So, what do you think? Are you game to come and party with us on Halloween?”
Nikki sighed and turned back toward the makeup and started to pack each item away, sanitizing it, washing it, getting it all prepared for tomorrow.
“Sure, I’ll have to talk to my mom first. I don’t want to leave her alone in case she has plans for us.”
Darlene let out a squeal. “Hell, yeah, that is what I am talking about. We’re going to party.” She let out a booming voice, and Nikki couldn’t help but laugh at her friend. She looked so excited.
This was unexpected. She was used to her friend being serious and making her jump through hoops. She wasn’t used to her friend being so open, so friendly, so … different.
“You’re happy today,” Nikki said.
“Yeah, well, it’s nearly Halloween, we’ve got a full list of booked clients, and that makes me happy. The recent snowfall was not a doom on you of signs to come, as it’s already melting. I know there is more snow on the way, but it’s the season, you know. Halloween is around the corner, which means candy, and sex, and more candy. Also, it has felt way too long since I’ve been able to party, and I really, really, really, really want to party.”
Nikki laughed. She couldn’t help it.
“I work my ass off all year round. I’m happy to miss the other holidays and vacations and parties because work takes priority. It always has and always will. But I am not willing to miss Halloween, through to New Year. There is just something special about it, you know?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I had no idea you were into Halloween.”
“Are you not?”
“In all honesty, I can’t stand the horror. I’m kind of … afraid of the dark, you know?”
“You are?”
“Yeah, it’s insane and stupid, and so childish. I know that, but it is something that happened when I was a kid, so…” She didn’t want to delve back down memory lane. Her mother had already remembered the time she had been locked in a closet. She never thought she would have to console her mother on a memory. It was so strange.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nah, I don’t. I never went out or got dressed up.”
Darlene clapped her hands together. “Then it’s official. I will be doing your makeup, and getting you ready for Halloween. No exceptions, I insist.”
Nikki chuckled. This was a lot of fun.
“You got it.”
After agreeing to let Darlene take care of her makeup and look, she finished cleaning and then headed out for the night. Darlene said her good night, and Dan was already waiting for her.
When she got to work this morning, the town was so busy as it was having one of its artisan markets, and that meant not many available parking spaces. She had no choice but to make her way around back to the parking lot. Her car was parked under one of the lights.
Getting to her car was easy. It didn’t matter that it was dark, with just the glow of a few streetlamps. It wasn’t dark, dark. It was just nighttime. Nothing bad was going to happen.
But her heart started to race, and she felt that horrible sinking feeling clawing up inside her, threatening to get out. She wanted to scream but stopped herself. There was a lot she wanted to do, and yet she held herself back. She felt so sick to her stomach. What the hell was wrong with her?
Then she felt it—the strangest feeling in the whole world, as if someone was watching her. At first, she stayed tense, not even daring to move. What was the point in moving? She didn’t even have the guts to close her eyes. It wouldn’t have mattered it was dark.
Nikki heard the rustling, and then she didn’t know why it mattered, she had to run. She needed to get to her car. It was like a horrible sixth sense where she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Nothing made sense to her. The panic had started to build and she wanted to scream, to cry. Instead, she ran to her car and was pretty sure she heard footsteps following her. The person who killed Diana was here, had to be, and now they were going to kill her.