Hideaway

Informationen zum Autor Penelope Douglas Klappentext "Buried in the shadows of the city, there's an abandoned hotel called The Pope, surrounded by a forgotten mystery. But you think it's true, don't you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor and the dark guest who and never checked out. You and your friends can try to scare me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me--and have ever since I was a girl--what you seek is so much closer than you'll ever realize. I will never betray him. On Devil's Night, the hunt will be coming to you. You have no idea what I seek, Banks. You don't know what I had to turn into survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again. I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want my life back. But the more I'm around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be. I've seen your hideaway. Time to see mine."-- Leseprobe Chapter 1 Kai Rain was like night. You could be different in the dark and under the clouds. I'm not sure what it was. Maybe the lack of sunlight and how our other senses heightened or the subtle shroud hiding things from our sight, but only certain times were acceptable to do certain things. Shrug off your jacket and roll up your sleeves. Pour a drink and lean back. Laugh with your friends and scream at the basketball game on TV. Follow a girl you've been eye-fucking for an hour into the pub bathroom and have your friends nod in approval when you come back out. Try doing that during the day with the intern at the office. Not that I'd want the freedom to indulge in anything at any time anyway. Things were more special when they were rare. But every morning, when the sun rose, the coils in my stomach wound tighter in anticipation. Nightfall was coming again. Letting my mask dangle from my hand at my side, I stood at the top of the second-floor landing and watched Rika sitting in her car. She kept her head down, her face visible by the glow of her cell phone, despite the downpour of rain hitting her windshield as she typed. I shook my head, my jaw flexing. She doesn't listen. I watched as my best friend's fiancée finished up, the light from her phone disappearing, and then she opened the car door, stepped out, and broke into a jog, dashing through the pounding rain. I darted my eyes, taking inventory of her. Head and eyes cast downward. Keys wrapped in her closed fist. Arms shielding her head from the rain and hindering her line of sight. Completely unaware of her surroundings. The perfect victim. Grabbing the harness at the back of my mask, I stretched it out and slid the silver skull down over my head, the inside hugging every curve of my face for a tight fit. The world around me shrank to a tunnel, and all I could see was what was right in front of me. Heat spread down my neck, seeping deep into my chest, and I drew in a long, cool breath, feeling my heart pounding, getting hungry. All of a sudden, the rain, like a waterfall in the alley outside, filled the dojo, and the heavy metal door downstairs slammed shut. "Hello?" she called out. My heart dipped into my stomach, and I closed my eyes, savoring the feel. The sound of her voice echoed through the empty building, but I stayed planted on the dark landing, waiting for her to find me. "Kai?" I heard her shout through the large space. I reached back and pulled the hood of my black sweatshirt up, covering my head, and turned to look down over the railing. "Hello?" she asked again, more urgent. "Kai, are you here?" I saw her blond hair first. It's what you always noticed about Rika first. In her black penthouse, in this black dojo, in the black alley outside, in dark rooms and on black streets . . . she always stood out. I rested my hands on the ...

Auteur

Penelope Douglas

Résumé
All the twisted games are back as Devil's Night returns in this dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas, now with bonus material.

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s an abandoned hotel called The Pope, surrounded by a mystery about the hidden twelfth floor and the guest who never checked out. Banks knows the local legend, but Kai Mori believes the myth around the hotel. He and his friends think they know her, think they can scare her, but Banks knows something they don’t. Even though she struggles to hide everything she feels when Kai looks at her, the person he seeks is much closer than he’ll ever realize.

She’ll never reveal her secret. This Devil’s Night, Kai will be the hunted one.  

But Banks doesn’t know what Kai had to turn into to survive three years in prison. He wants the hotel, its guest, and his life back. But the more he’s around Banks, the more Kai realizes this new version of himself is exactly who he was meant to be.

Kai’s seen her hideaway. It’s time for Banks to see his.

Échantillon de lecture
Chapter 1

Kai

Rain was like night. You could be different in the dark and under the clouds.

I'm not sure what it was. Maybe the lack of sunlight and how our other senses heightened or the subtle shroud hiding things from our sight, but only certain times were acceptable to do certain things. Shrug off your jacket and roll up your sleeves. Pour a drink and lean back. Laugh with your friends and scream at the basketball game on TV.

Follow a girl you've been eye-fucking for an hour into the pub bathroom and have your friends nod in approval when you come back out.

Try doing that during the day with the intern at the office.

Not that I'd want the freedom to indulge in anything at any time anyway. Things were more special when they were rare.

But every morning, when the sun rose, the coils in my stomach wound tighter in anticipation.

Nightfall was coming again.

Letting my mask dangle from my hand at my side, I stood at the top of the second-floor landing and watched Rika sitting in her car. She kept her head down, her face visible by the glow of her cell phone, despite the downpour of rain hitting her windshield as she typed.

I shook my head, my jaw flexing. She doesn't listen.

I watched as my best friend's fiancée finished up, the light from her phone disappearing, and then she opened the car door, stepped out, and broke into a jog, dashing through the pounding rain. I darted my eyes, taking inventory of her. Head and eyes cast downward. Keys wrapped in her closed fist. Arms shielding her head from the rain and hindering her line of sight.

Completely unaware of her surroundings. The perfect victim.

Grabbing the harness at the back of my mask, I stretched it out and slid the silver skull down over my head, the inside hugging every curve of my face for a tight fit. The world around me shrank to a tunnel, and all I could see was what was right in front of me.

Heat spread down my neck, seeping deep into my chest, and I drew in a long, cool breath, feeling my heart pounding, getting hungry.

All of a sudden, the rain, like a waterfall in the alley outside, filled the dojo, and the heavy metal door downstairs slammed shut.

"Hello?" she called out.

My heart dipped into my stomach, and I closed my eyes, savoring the feel. The sound of her voice echoed through the empty building, but I stayed planted on the dark landing, waiting for her to find me.

"Kai?" I heard her shout through the large space.

I reached back and pulled the hood of my black sweatshirt up, covering my head, and turned to look down over the railing.

"Hello?" she asked again, more urgent. "Kai, are you here?"

I saw her blond hair first. It's what you always noticed about Rika first. In her black penthouse, in this black dojo, in the black alley outside, in dark rooms and on black streets . . . she always stood out.

I rested my hands o…