Hunter Beaumont doesn't understand his grandmother's deathbed wish: "Destroy Beaumont House." He'd never even heard of the place. But after his grandmother passes and his first love betrays him, the family house in the Wisconsin woods looks like a tempting refuge. Going against his grandmother's wishes, Hunter flees to Beaumont House.<br><br>But will the house be the sanctuary he had hoped for? Soon after moving in, Hunter realizes he may not be alone. And who -- or what -- he shares the house may plunge him into a nightmare from which he may never escape.<br><br>Sparks fly when he meets his handsome neighbor, a caretaker for the estate next door, but is the man salvation...or is he the source of Hunter's terror?

A Demon Inside

“Good-bye.” Hunter closed the door and began swiftly striding home. There were still lots of things he could find to do. He felt nauseous and didn’t quite want to analyze why. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Michael standing at his window, watching. He looked sad. Hunter felt heat rise to his face, shame. “Don’t be stupid,” he whispered, turning back to watch the passage of his feet through the snow.


As soon as Hunter opened the kitchen door, he cursed. The burned smell had returned. The room was filled with smoke. Leaving the door open, Hunter dashed inside to open all the windows, trying to fan the smoke out. He switched off the gas underneath the pan on the stove, where something burned beyond recognition smoldered, threatening to burst into flame at any moment.


The kitchen smoke detector screamed, unnerving him even more.


Chapter 57