Nightmares Rise (Dark Shores Trilogy Book 1)

by Mirren Hogan

  He fished his key out of his pocket, unlocked the door and gestured for her to precede him inside.

  Grabbing her stuff, Makani walked past him, looking around slowly. He couldn’t blame her for being a little cautious, although he was almost certain they were perfectly safe here.

  Dropping her things on the floor, she took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sticking to tourist spots from here on out. The cool parts of this island are waaaay too dangerous.”

  He laid his key and camera down on the kitchen bench and put his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Don’t say that,” he said gently. “Today’s been exciting. If I’d known I was signing up for the adventure tour, I might have checked the fine print, but whatever did that to those cats is probably long gone. Even if it was a vampire or mananaggal, or even a bloodsucking werewolf, or zombie horse, it’s crawled back into its hole and will never bother us again.” When did we become an us, he asked himself.

  “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the couch and I’ll cook us up something.” Flynn grabbed the remote from the table beside the tiny, faded brown couch and flicked it onto the only channel the ancient TV would receive. Obscurely, he noted, the picture of some local anchor person on the evening news, was perfect.

  “Beer?” he offered, putting down the remote and heading for the fridge.

  She sat down heavily on the couch and tucked her bare feet up. “Yeah, please.” Makani looked at the old television, and smiled. “That guy doing the news was on Hawaii Five-0, back in the day. Did you know that?”

  “I can’t say that I did.” He shrugged. “I only ever watch the new one for the . . . ” Women in bikinis. “Action. You know, stuff being blown up and all.”

  He opened two bottles, handed her one and put the packet of steak on the bench. Opening the closet, Flynn hunted around for a frying pan. Finding a Teflon-coated one and some cooking spray, he had the pan heating up a few minutes later. The steaks sizzled while he found some salad in the fridge and put some on two old, chipped plates.

  “Hey, the old one was even better. Lots of neat plot twists. You want some help in there?” She got off the couch and stood up, beer in hand. “Mom always says, ‘gotta help in the kitchen, whenever you’re the guest’. Dunno if she told my brothers that.” She shrugged and grinned. “Mom’s really old fashioned, like that.”

  “No, I’m good. It’s just like a barbecue, but inside. Aussie men are obsessed with them and the fine art of turning perfectly good steak into charcoal. That and drinking beer while talking about football.” Flynn winked at her and flipped the steaks over. Of course, there was a lot more to Australian men than that, but he’d surrender to a stereotype if it took her mind off things.

  The smell made his mouth water. He wasn’t really that much into barbecues and was far from obsessed with them, but he could cook a steak to perfection when he put his mind to it.

  “Just those two things? Aren’t men into tits and ass, too?” She moved into the kitchen area and leaned around his shoulder.

  “That’s why women get invited to barbecues,” Flynn joked. “Well, that and the conversation.” Which was usually much more interesting than football. He’d be lucky to name more than one team that played any given form of the game.

  “I didn’t think I was hungry, but that seriously smells tasty,” she said. Makani sniffed appreciatively at the steam rising from the pan.

  Flynn slipped the steak onto plates and pulled out knives and forks. He handed some to her. Plate in one hand, beer in the other, he headed over to the couch. The news was still on and saying something about pregnant animals dying mysteriously, but he was only half listening. His mind was focused on the food and the company. And a little on the dead cats at the other place.

  Makani sat next to Flynn, long legs crossed in front of her. The fork hung limply from her hand as she listened in. A frown creased her forehead, as the announcer gave the story.

  “Four cows and two sheep were found dead on a ranch in Kualoa Valley a few hours ago. Police have no leads regarding suspects, and are seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the damage and crimes. If you have any information regarding this, or any other cases featured tonight, call our police hotline at . . . ”

  “That’s not too far from here.” Makani glanced at Flynn, her fork clattering on the plate as it dropped from her fingers.

  He glanced at her and then turned his attention to the TV. “Yeah and suspicious circumstances?” His heart pounded a little more quickly as the news reader described how police were speculating that a dog in Manoa had been attacked by someone and eviscerated without any wounds, but they hadn’t figured out how.

  Flynn suddenly wasn’t so hungry.

  CHAPTER 7

  “Should we be worried?” Makani gripped the bottle tight in her fingers, and grit her teeth against the jitters that were starting to rise. It looked like that . . . thing, was on the loose. The tentative feeling of safety she had found with Flynn was slowly giving way to the fear she had felt in her own home, and it wasn’t pleasant in the slightest. “Do you think it’s following us?”

  “It’s got to be a coincidence,” he said insistently.

  She watched him put his plate down on the coffee table and go to get his tablet.

  “Let’s see what the news services have to say.” He tapped away at the screen for a few moments and then shook his head. “Nothing that we didn’t just hear. Maybe your cousin would know more? If he’d be allowed to tell us?”

  “If he’s not on his third pau hana beer, yet . . . ” She pulled the phone from her back pocket, and dialed her cousin the old fashioned way. Screw talking to the phone, the damn thing couldn’t understand her. Probably because of her pidgin accent. The company that designed the handset said they were still working on that. “Asa? Brah, where you stay? Nah, overtime again?”

  There was a long pause, as she listened in. “Yeah, I saw that on the news. How you figure? Nah, for real? Brah, dat’s nuts! Dakine, crazy yeah? Like the dakine, Aunty went tell us . . . yeah, Manong from the plantation told her. Eh, no ack, brah! Everyone scared already. Chillax, brah! Eh, I’m at Flynn’s place . . . yeah, dakine, the guy I was with. No. No! Eh, shaddup! For reals, brah. Yeah, we’re good. I’ll call you in the morning, yeah? Sandys is hitting six feet, we go. Yeah, I’ll borrow your shorty. Make it one for Flynn, too. Eh, shaddup! Kay, I’ll call you, brah. Shoots, cuz.”

  Makani hung up and shoved her phone back into her pocket. “Well . . . it sounds like the monster.” She reverted back to a less accented version of English. “Usually, fetus-nappers go through the uterine walls, I’m guessing? This culprit sucked it out. Like the mananaggal would do.” She shivered and put the beer down, not trusting her fingers to hold the bottle steady.

  “The cats were one thing, but this is something else. It’s really not teenagers, is it?” Flynn was looking a little pale. Even more so than he had when sitting on the passenger side of her car as it flew along the mountain bends.

  “Nope . . . not teenagers.” Makani shoved her plate next to Flynn’s and pulled her knees up. “We’re gonna close the windows, and not go anywhere tonight. Don’t look outside for any reason until the sun rises. That work for you?”

  “Deal,” he nodded. “In fact, I can think of something we could do that would take our minds off things for a while.” He grinned.

  Somewhere not far away, a creature licked its chops and felt the pull of something fierce. The creature’s mind was simple and only thought in the basest terms. But when it felt the pull, it flew fast, following the telltale signs of the spark.

  “Really?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s our big plan for staying out of sight? Get sweaty and make lots of noise?” Not that she had a problem with that idea. In fact, it would definitely take their minds off the craziness. Leaning forward, she angled his face down, her lips brushing his earlobe, “Is that what you really wanna do?”

  “I can think of a thousand reasons
why we should and none that we shouldn’t,” he replied. His arms went around her and slipped up the back of her shirt. The tip of his tongue tickled her cheek.

  “In that case . . . ” She pulled back and pulled her shirt off, revealing her bare skin underneath. Capturing his lips, her tongue pressed against his mouth for entry as she took his hand and brought it up to her chest.

  Contact.

  Makani drew in a sharp breath and slid her tongue against his, the room starting to feel warmer already. She wrapped her hands around his neck and drew him down, laying them both out over the couch.

  Warmth.

  His hands ran over her body, caressing lightly and moving down over her belly. He stopped to tickle her navel with his finger before moving to the top of her shorts.

  She started to squirm under him, her own hands venturing over his back and down his sides. Makani’s eyes closed as she wrapped a thigh around his, and caught his lower lip between her teeth. A thought occurred to Makani and she paused, “You’ve got protection, right?”

  “Of course,” he replied. “I’m always hopeful and always prepared. But they’re in my drawer in my room. Do you want to move into there?”

  “Probably a good idea. This couch just isn’t quite big enough for the both of us.” She smiled and kissed him one more time, before pushing at his chest to get them both up and moving.

  “It’s barely big enough for one of us.”

  He climbed to his feet and held out his hand to her. As she took it and got up, Makani pressed herself against Flynn for a brief moment. She ran her lips against his collarbone to tease him as she smiled a feline’s smile. “Come. Keep me safe.” Her hands were working their magic very quickly.

  “In that order?” he asked, grinning.

  “Whatever happens first.” She ventured that his room was the closed door on the far side, and grabbed his hand before walking over and opening it. Glad that she had guessed right, Makani knocked the lights off before closing the door behind them.

  Warmer.

  His hands returned to her back. She felt his mouth capture her earlobe with his lips. The tip of his tongue traced around it in sweet, damp circles as he breathed a moan against her cheek.

  He stepped back to pull his shirt and shorts off before tossing them down into a pile that was probably the rest of his dirty clothes. When he stepped forward again, he undid her shorts and started to slide them down her hips.

  She wiggled them down the rest of the way, before stepping out of them. She looked up at Flynn, the naughty smile back on her lips, as she started nibbling down his chest. Makani stopped at his chest, giving him playful nips with her teeth, followed by caresses with her tongue.

  His hands massaged her scalp lightly, tangling in her dark hair. They moved to her shoulders, rubbing them gently, his fingers moving up and down on her heated skin. “You’re tense,” he commented, rubbing at a knot in her muscles.

  She groaned in reply, his fingers working magic. The entire day had been a long series of ridiculous events, every happening being weirder and scarier than the last. And if that thing was still out there, she had a good reason to be tense.

  Makani straightened up and ran her hands over Flynn’s shoulders in the same way, “So are you.” She pushed him back towards the bed, not wanting to stop for anything. He lay back on the bed, taking her with him.

  “I don’t know why. This is much less stressful than studying law.”

  She straddled his hips and leaned down over Flynn. “Really? Are you sure about that?” She laughed and started to tickle his sides, nuzzling his neck.

  “On second thought, I think I need a lot more research before I can come to an informed, objective conclusion,” he replied, giving a husky laugh. He reached over to his drawer with one hand and tossed a little packet in her direction.

  Her hand went up and caught it mid air. “Research? Yeah, we should conduct some more research.” She leaned over Flynn and kissed him, trailing little playful pecks over his chin and cheeks.

  “Lots and lots more.” He put his hands on her hips and then rolled them over so he was looking down at her. “Fast, slow, hard, soft and everything in between.”

  Warmer, still.

  Her tongue licked out against his throat, “We could be here for hours, if we’re gonna research this subject properly.” Not that she’d mind.

  “It could take all night,” he agreed. Flynn nuzzled his nose against hers, and chuckled softly. His stubble scraped against her soft skin.

  “Really can’t think of a better way to spend it,” she mumbled against his lips. Her eyes slowly started to close, and she pulled him closer, a soft smile spreading over her lips. If this was how he got rid of tension, then she was going to milk this for all it was worth. Heck, she’d do a lot of things, just to keep enjoying this kind of stress therapy!

  The next few moments were spent exploring and teasing. Being with someone new always meant experimenting, trying new things and learning an entirely new set of likes and dislikes. That was Makani’s favorite part of this—the excitement of new and unexplored territory. It was a rare event when Makani fell into bed with someone as quickly as she had. But, for the third time since they had left the house that morning, she was floored by how synchronised they were without even trying.

  Hot heat. There. There. Here . . . .

  Flynn was one of those rare people who took life in stride, rolling with the ride and not finding offence when things didn’t go his way. It was refreshing, to finally find someone who thought life was meant for living, and not trying to scramble for another dollar or a promotion. It took some people years to find that kind of bravery, but every so often, someone like Flynn was just born with that instinct. It felt good . . . so good! The minutes rolled on, their bodies moving in time to the faint sound of the ocean as it came over the sandy beach behind the cottage. Sometimes, with the right person, it felt like the earth moved with you both, and at the right moment, time could stand completely still. And with Flynn, despite the horrible things they had seen together, time stopped for a moment as they forgot about the things going on outside.

  Outside.

  The creature found the heat source and started looking for a way in. The windows and doors were shut tight, but the sills weren’t joined perfectly. Slowly, its mouth gaped wide and a long, purplish tongue emerged. It slithered out like a snake and began searching for the small opening where the window and frame didn’t meet perfectly . . .

  Makani half-opened her eyes, and she bit her lip as she smiled. “Wow . . . so that was good, right?” She chuckled quietly and pushed his hair back, taking a deep breath.

  “When you’re hot, you’re hot. And you are. I don’t know how you’re not fighting men off.” He held her a little closer as though he needed to fend off the hoards.

  Makani looked at the ceiling for a moment as she pondered the question. Turning back to Flynn, she quirked her mouth to one side, “I don’t do threesomes? My driving scares them? Did I release a demon monster onto the island? Take your pick.”

  “Neither do I on the first one, and the other two are just a part of your charm,” he replied. “But what I’d like to know is, what do you do for an encore?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Well . . . tomorrow, we’re going surfing in shark infested waters with my cousin.” She laid her hands on his chest and pushed him back into the mattress, straddling him. Her hair tickled his chest while she pinned his arms down. “But for right now, I’m thinking . . . ” Something heavy hit the roof with a thud. Makani looked up, then back down at Flynn, “What the hell was that?”

  “Falling pineapple?” he suggested. “Or a coconut? Falling tree?” He looked up, past her, his eyes flicking as though he could see through the ceiling. “Do you want me to go and check?” He was obviously reluctant.

  “Get dressed.” She sprung off of him, and grabbed her clothes off the floor. There was another thud on the roof, followed by a sliding noise. Fearing the worst, Makani scr
ambled back into her shorts and shirt and padded back into the living room for her pack. She grabbed her tactical flashlight and knife from a side pocket, getting both ready for whatever was on top of the house.

  Flynn was close behind her. “Are you sure you’re not a ninja?” he whispered. “Bet you were a Girl Scout.”

  “I was a brownie, but I punched a boy in the nuts for calling me a ‘girl’. Brah, for real, shhh!” She started running the flashlight around the door frame and windows, checking for cracks or poor joining. Just at the edge of the bright beam, something darted away.

  Makani’s breath was coming fast and hard, and she tried to gulp more air down to stop her hands from shaking. She carefully inspected the eaves of the roof down to the floor, and all around the furniture. But the shadowy thing kept eluding her. Makani felt something touch her foot, and she started. Reacting on blind instinct, she came down on one knee, slamming the knife down into the carpet.

  Another noise issued from the roof, a screech that rattled the door on its hinges and made Makani jump back against Flynn’s solid form. She scrambled with one hand and found the lights, flicking them on. Lying impaled by her knife, was a wriggling pink thing, an object that vaguely resembled a giant earthworm. It seeped black and purple ooze and smelled awful, like rotting meat that had been left in the sun.

  “What the hell?” Flynn stared. “Please tell me that’s a Hawaiian possum. Or a hairless cat.” He covered his nose with his hand and looked disgusted.

  “Ummm . . . ” From the time she was a child, Makani had been the one to pick up dead birds and other little corpses left by the cats at her grandma’s house. But nothing had been quite as disgusting as this thing.

  She went to the kitchen and grabbed the roll of paper towels, gagging at the stench. Taking almost half the roll, she carefully wrapped the sheets around her hand and picked up the pink monstrosity, trying to hold back the urge to flush it down the toilet. “It’s not a whole animal, that’s for sure.”