Dare Series Collection - Shantel Tessier Page 0,385

ignition, I exit, jerking the door closed behind me. I take a deep breath of the cool night air. Closing my eyes, I try not to lose my shit.

I’m pissed at Cole. No surprise there. That man has the power to make me want to set his ass on fire at times. I can loathe him as much as I love him. And that’s a motherfucking lot. For the past two days, I’ve ignored him. He knows I’m pissed, but he hasn’t asked what he did. In Cole’s eyes, he does nothing wrong.

I open my eyes to see Brynn and Demi standing before me. They glance at one another and then back at me. They don’t know what to do or what to say. Demi’s seen this side of me before. She knows that when I get pissed, I need space. But Brynn doesn’t know me all that well. She’s new to being with a Great White Shark. She doesn’t know my crazy exceeds her crazy. Demi’s a close second.

This is what I get, though, for falling in love with a man who would scare even the devil. Cole Reynolds is known as a killer. I am too. We’ve done what must be done with no regrets. No one is perfect.

Without saying another word, they turn and walk toward the entrance of Silence. I follow them.

Once an insane asylum shut down in the eighties, Silence is now the scariest haunted house in Texas. And the best part is that certain attractions stay open year-round. We came here a few weeks before Halloween last year but ended up leaving abruptly. Cole promised to bring me back, but that fucker never did.

Most girls would go out and have some drinks when they’re pissed at their man. Maybe get some dinner. But not me. Not my girls. Demi is always up for anything scary, and Brynn works here. So tonight, after arranging for a babysitter for Lilly, I called my girls up and said I was coming to get them, and here we are.

“Here.” Brynn hands me some tickets. “I had extras in my purse. And I also have passes for the blackout attraction …”

I stop walking. “What?” That’s what I wanted to do last year. They give you glow sticks to try to navigate your way out of the underground tunnels previously used to transport the dead bodies from one facility to another. And you have to sign a waiver ’cause they’re allowed to touch you. Sounds right up my alley.

Perfect.

Throwing my arm over her shoulders, I finally smile for the first time in two days. “You’re the best.”

I like her. We haven’t known her long. But ever since Brynn started hooking up with Shane, one of Cole’s best friends, Demi and I have spent a lot of time with her.

Pulling out my phone, I let my fingers fly over the keys, knowing what I must do. Cole knows exactly which of my buttons to press to set me off, and I know his. Once done, I hold up my phone. “Say Silence.” I snap a selfie after they finish laughing and upload it.

“Wait …” Demi watches what I’m doing. “I thought Cole deactivated your Facebook?”

“He did.” I smile. “I just reactivated it.”

Brynn’s brows rise. “Shane said that Cole doesn’t use social media. That the only reason he has his was for a dare.”

Something like that. I tag Demi since I’m not friends with Brynn on there yet and then pocket my phone. “He doesn’t, but Deke does.”

And just as I expected, Demi’s phone begins to ring. She holds it up to show me it says My Dirty Shark on the screen. It has a picture of them kissing. She turns it off and pockets the phone.

Brynn opens her mouth to speak, but her phone goes off.

“Going to answer that?” Demi asks with a smile.

“Nope.”

_______________

We make our way across the gravel parking lot, through the entrance, and over to the tunnels, filling out the waivers relieving Silence of any liability. I guess in case a guy dressed as Jason follows us and one of us falls, breaking an ankle, they don’t want to be held responsible. It’s probably happened before. They also requested our driver’s license number and tag number. Not sure what that’s for, but whatever.

“How many are in your group?” the man asks, standing at the entrance of the black double doors with two clipboards in his hands.

“The three of us,” Brynn answers.

The guy looks over our heads and lifts