Animo - Avengers {Completed}

Chapter Six: Behind Locked Doors

*It's a shorter chapter, I'll admit. But you wanna know about the aliens, right? Well, here we goooo!*

          Chris Garfield stepped back and kissed my hand. “If your Jeremy doesn’t mind, my dear, would you like a tour of my home?”

          I didn’t need to look at Barton’s face to know that he’d tell me to go. “I think that’d be just fine, Mr. Garfield,” I replied smoothly.

          With an arm looped easily around my waist, we walked away from the rest of the group toward one of the large staircases. “Please, Princess, just call me Chris. It’s so much more…familiar.” He winked, a gesture that seemed a lot more provocative than Barton’s had been. What did I get myself into?

          The first floor of that mansion had a pretty simple layout. It was gigantic, with no large pieces of furniture to clutter the area. That or all of it had been put into storage for the event. There were two grand staircases, one on each side of the room. At the top, they merged together to make a large platform that branched off into a hallway with several rooms. Every single door was hung open.

          “Any particular reason you’re willing to show your guests all of your things?” I asked out of genuine curiosity.

          “I prefer the doors that way. We wouldn’t want any guests sneaking away for some fun time. Those places aren’t nearly as comfortable as the bedrooms, anyway. Remind me to show you them later.” The hand on my waist was beginning to make me uncomfortable, but I pressed onward, ignoring the feeling in my gut that told me something was going to turn wrong. Very wrong.

          I made myself keep talking. “Will do.”

          “The second floor is off limits, so it’s just the two of us up here. Are you enjoying yourself, Jenna?”

          I ignored him when I spotted a closed door at the very end of the red carpeted hall. Could that be where his information is? I thought, tilting my head. I gave a shaky, but hopefully convincing, laugh. “Maybe it isn’t just the two of us after all.” I motioned in that direction.

          He laughed back. “No, no, that door stays closed.”

          Aha! I tugged a little on his arm. “Will you show me what’s in there?” I kept my voice light and cheery, without any hint that underneath was hiding a very desperate girl.

          Chris looked a little wary of me. “No… I don’t know.”

          “Aw, please?” I giggled a little and hid my mouth behind my hand. That was girlish, right?

          He wrapped his arms around me until my fists were clenched against his chest. “What will you give me if I do let you in?” He leaned in until his forehead was resting on mine. “Hm?”

          I lifted my chin until our noses touched. “What do you want?”

          His breath still reeked of booze and desperation. It was warm against my face. Dark, animal eyes watched me. “Kiss me,” he growled, more seductive than dangerous, though I had a feeling it could work both ways.

          I pushed against him, moving myself backward. “Only if you show me the room first.” I grinned, because I knew there was no way he could say no.

          Right on cue, he slipped around me and stuck a key in the lock. Opened the door. Walked inside. Held it open for me.

          When I walked in, all of the lights were off, and for a minute I was afraid I’d made a mistake. Maybe it wasn’t the room I should be in. But once it became illuminated, I saw there was no way I could be wrong, for on a hundred screens around the walls, the aliens’ yellow eyes watched me.