For some reason a scene from a movie flashed in my head. The hero called for his support team and had them do background checks of people he suspected of being the big bad. What I wouldn’t give to have a group of people I could call on to help me figure out things. I knew he’d been at it for years and had taken a number of hosts. How many of those had been caught and jailed? How many lives had this… this monster ruined? How many families thought of their father as a murderer? Hell, had he only taken men? I didn’t know nearly enough about the person the spirit had been. There could have been women too.
Fuck, this was all such bullshit, and it was making my head hurt.
“Sofia, if you’re there, I really could use some help.”
Of course there was no reply. Not that I actually expected one.
My phone rang, and when I looked at the caller ID, I saw it was Ryan.
“Hey, Ry. I’m kind of in the middle of something. Can I call you back later?”
“Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your offer to watch the kids, but I know you’re busy, and Tim said he’d be happy to do it. So if you need—”
“Tim said? When did you talk to Tim?”
“About an hour or so ago. I was looking for you, but he said you were job hunting and couldn’t help out, but he was home today and had no problems watching them. I’m taking Karen to the doctor. She’s been feeling queasy. Last time that happened, we found out she was pregnant. So, yeah. Fingers crossed on that one. But when we’re done, if you need a ride, I can—”
“No! You can’t let Tim watch your kids.”
“What? Why the hell not?”
Oh damn. Images of Carter and Samantha came rushing back. They were blond with blue eyes. And Tim had been seeing them since they were born. He said he loved them like they were his own.
Oh my God, Tim was going to kill Ryan’s kids.
“THAT’S NOT Tim.”
“What the hell do you mean, it’s not Tim? I saw him with my own eyes.”
Oh God. How the hell could I convince him? “Remember when I told you I saw ghosts? There’s one inside Tim now, and it’s someone who’s killed children in the past. He likes them blond and blue-eyed.”
The gulp on the other end of the line was audible. “Please tell me you’re trying to be funny.”
“I’m not, Ry. I wish to God I was. Please, you have to get home. You can’t leave him alone with the kids.”
“Hold on, Karen.” The screech of wheels, a muffled curse from Karen, and then Ryan came back on the line. “So what am I supposed to do?”
That was a good question. I mean, Tim needed to be stopped, but how to do it without hurting him in the process? Was that even possible anymore?
“I don’t know.” I swallowed hard. “You do what you need to.”
“What? You can’t be suggesting—”
If someone had torn my heart out and showed it to me, I don’t think it could have hurt as much as my next words. “What you need to, Ryan. That’s not Tim. The ghost is wearing him like a skin. I think he’s still in there, but you know he’d want you to save your kids.”
“But he’s my best friend. I can’t—”
“The hell you can’t! You protect your kids, no matter what. And, Ry? Don’t try to approach him or reason with him. He’s insanely strong.”
A cab rolled by, and I stood out in the street, frantically waving my good arm. Thank God he stopped. I got in and gave him Ryan’s address.
“Look, I’m on my way there. I’ll do my best to help you.” A thought occurred to me. “And I’ll try to get in touch with someone who can help too.”
I disconnected the call without saying goodbye, then scrolled through my contacts and found the number I was looking for. I pressed Dial and hoped to hell Gavin would answer.
“Hello?”
“Gavin? It’s Scott. I need help.”
“Anything, Scott. What do you need?”
It took a few minutes to go through the story, and the driver kept scowling at me in the mirror. When I was finished, I admit, I thought Gavin would scoff like Ryan did, but he surprised me.
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
“You believe me?”
He snorted. “This isn’t the kind of story someone makes up. Knowing what you can see, I believe what you tell me.”
Thank God someone did. “I need you to meet me at my brother’s house. I’ll text you the address, okay?”
“Sure. We’ll be there.”
“We?”
“Rachel will be coming with me. She’s his friend, and she wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t bring her.”
“Okay, fine. Just make sure she stays at a safe distance.” I thought about it for a moment. “Do you have a gun?”
“Yeah, I’m licensed to carry.”
“Bring it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure?”
“No, but I can’t let him hurt the kids. I know he’d want me to stop him.”
So why did it feel like my heart was being run over a cheese grater?
The cab turned the corner onto Ryan’s street, and I could see his car parked out in front. Karen was standing outside, looking up and down the street. The cab pulled up, and I threw money at the guy and rushed over to her.
“You okay?”
“Ryan went in ten minutes ago, and I haven’t heard from him. What’s going on?”
“What did Ryan tell you?”
“He said you see ghosts and that there’s one inside Tim and he might hurt the kids.”
I rubbed her arm. “That pretty much covers it.”
“But that’s insane. He’s their godfather. He wouldn’t hurt them.” Tears were welling up in her eyes. “Would he?”
“I don’t know. I need you to wait out here. I’ve got some friends coming to help, and they should be here soon.”
“But shouldn’t we have the police here?”
God, any sane man would say yes. “I get you don’t know me, but you have to believe me. If something happens to Tim, the ghost will move on to another body. Maybe even Ryan’s. You have to trust me to handle this, okay?”
She nodded, but I don’t think she heard me.
I rushed to the house, praying to anyone who would listen not to let anything bad happen.
Of course, I’ve never been lucky.
I shoved open the door and found Ryan standing there, pleading with Tim.
“Please, don’t hurt them. They’re only babies.” His voice shook and he was chalk-white.
Tim had one hand wrapped around Carter’s throat while he stroked his hair with the other. “They’re so fragile at this age, aren’t they? I mean, how much pressure do you think it would take before their throat was crushed and they suffocated?”
Ryan stepped forward, but Tim held up a hand.
“No, you don’t want to do that. See, one of your kids is going to die. I just haven’t decided yet.” He grinned at me. “Why don’t you decide, Scott?”
“Leave them alone. If you want to kill someone so badly, it should be me, right?”
Tim’s eyes flashed so quickly, I don’t think anyone else would have noticed it, but I did. Tim was still in there, and I had to hope he was fighting.
I moved closer. “If Tim hates me so much, then he should at least have the satisfaction of killing me, don’t you think?”
From behind, Gavin entered the room. For a big man, he was stealthy as hell. He held up a hand as he crept forward.
I pulled the collar of my shirt down, showing the bruises that Tim had given me. “Come on, Tim. Check them out. A broken bone is nothing. You want it to be my neck, so why not do it here and now?”
He inhaled sharply, then let go of Carter. His hands were shaking, but his attention was focused on me.
I moved right up in front of him and tilted my head to the side. “This is what you want, isn’t it? But it’s not what Tim wants. You think that if you kill me, it’ll give you complete control over his body
because he’s going to fall apart. Guess what? You’re wrong. Tim is the strongest man I know.”
With those words, Gavin grabbed Tim from behind, while Ryan rushed over and snatched his kids, hustling them outside. I was certain that someone as big as Gavin would have no problem holding Tim, but I wasn’t prepared when Tim snapped his head back and smashed it into Gavin’s face. To his credit, Gavin didn’t let go, but I could tell he was dazed.
The door swung open and Rachel strode in, headed straight for Tim.
“Rachel, stay back!”
She ignored me, lowered her shoulder some, and ran at Tim, striking him in the stomach. Together the three of them tumbled to the floor. From this vantage, Gavin was able to roll Tim over and climb onto his back.
“Get off me!”
Tim continued to struggle, actually bucking up, trying to dislodge the man-mountain that was Gavin. Rachel moved around and held Tim’s shoulders.
Tim shook his head from side to side. “I’ll kill you all! What do you think your wife’s pretty face will look like when I strip it of its skin?”
Rachel looked up at me, and I could see fear in her eyes. “If you’re going to do something, now is the time.”
I rushed to where they were and dropped to my knees, with no clue what I was doing. I recalled Silvanus’s reaction when Sofia touched him, how the anger and pain bled from him. I grabbed Tim’s face and held him still. As I looked into his eyes, I whispered, begging him to come back.
A sick smile crossed his face. “Tim is dead. This body is mine now.”
I refused to believe that. Tim was in there, because I was sure I’d know if he died. “You’re lying. I can see how terrified you are. You’re afraid that he’s going to win, and I’m going to make damned sure he does.”
Tim got his hands on the ground and pushed up, dislodging Gavin. He tore away from both me and Rachel, and stood. “You know, this only makes me hate you more.”
I grinned at him. “You said you hate me this time. Not Tim. Wanna know why? Tim’s angry with me, true, but he loves me.” I rushed forward and wrapped my good arm around his waist.
He started hitting me again, in the same spots where he’d already done damage, including my fractured arm.
“Tim, please, you’ve got to hear me. You’re my lock, and I need you. If I ever meant anything to you, fucking fight for me. Or was everything you said to me a lie? Just you trying to get laid?”
The next hits lacked the strength I knew he had.
“You wanna know when I first realized I love you? The day I died. I only made the jump because I wanted you to be proud of me, and when I went under, the one thing—the only thing—I could think of was getting back to you. I need you to do that for me now. Come back. Please.”
“Scotty?”
I leaned back and looked up into his beautiful brown eyes.
“Oh my God, what the fuck happened to you?” Tim reached out a trembling hand before he reared back. “I did that. I remember it. I… I….” He turned and lurched for a garbage can, where he proceeded to barf his guts out.
Everyone stood there, seeming uncertain. When Tim stood and swiped a hand over his mouth, his gaze darting for the door, I knew he was about to bolt. I grabbed his arm, and he collapsed against me, breaking into sobs.
“I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“This wasn’t you. I swear it.”
He turned slowly and stared at me, reaching for me. I leaned closer to him, determined to show him my faith. He slid his fingers along the bruises on my eyes, and tears welled in his.
“I don’t hate you. You have to believe me. Please, don’t think that.”
He was babbling, but the truth was in his words. He cared for me, and what happened hurt him as badly as it did me. I rubbed his back and whispered to him that I was okay.
When Tim finally calmed, he stepped away and looked around the room. His gaze landed on Gavin, who was wiping blood from his nose. “Thank you, Gavin and Rachel.” Then he noticed the gun at Gavin’s side. “Maybe you should have used that, huh?”
Rachel stepped over to him and smacked him on the arm. “Don’t you ever say anything so stupid!”
“It’s not stupid. I was going to kill the kids.”
“Stop saying that!” I grabbed his shirt and bunched it in my hands. “That’s not you. You weren’t the driver.”
Tim sneered. “I was too goddamn weak to stop him! That’s how you ended up hurt. That’s why I was going to hurt the kids.”
I turned to everyone else in the room. “Could you give us a couple of minutes?”
Gavin frowned. “Are you sure?”
I peered into Tim’s eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
They filed out of the room, leaving me alone with Tim. I knew I ought to be nervous, considering what happened to me, but I wasn’t. I had absolute faith in Tim.
“I would have killed you. And it’s my fault.”
“No.” My voice was soft, but it made Tim stop and look at me. “He’s soaking up negative emotions like a sponge. The upset you felt over me leaving, your mom dying, all this lock and key stuff being thrust on you, and then my saying I wanted to help, even if it meant my life would be shortened? That’s what helped him gain traction. But if you think about it, you never once gave in to him. You fought him with all your strength. Sometimes there are things stronger than us, but when we stand together, we’ll be okay.”
“Do you really believe that?”
I could hear the hope in his voice. What must it be like to have an evil spirit inside and never know when it would come out?
“With my whole heart. If you don’t want us to continue doing this, that’s fine. I won’t push you, and I won’t do it either.”
He ran a hand over his ribs where Rachel had slammed into him. “I’m going to say something, and just this once, you have permission to remind me of it whenever I get bitchy. Standing there, watching the ghost wrap his fingers around Carter’s throat, begging for him not to hurt the kids? He laughed at me. I never understood what it was like to feel so helpless before. It got me thinking about the other people this… thing has taken over and forced to kill. I never want to be responsible for something like that.”
My heart thumped a little faster. “What are you saying?”
His eyes shone as he looked at me. “It’s not the ideal life I wanted for us, but if you’ll have me, I’m going to be your lock. But there’s a condition.”
“Anything.” I would give him anything he wanted.
He turned pleading eyes on me. “Help get this thing out of me.”
“Baby, you read my mind.”
Chapter Nineteen
THE NEXT few hours were filled with explanations to Ryan and Karen, as well as Gavin and Rachel. We could see that earning back Ry and Karen’s absolute trust in Tim would take time, but for now, there was none.
Tim and I returned to George’s shop. When he saw Tim, he stepped back, his face gone white. It took just as long to calm him as it did to go through my whole life story, and in the end, he was wary, but not freaking out.
“I’m not sure I can approve of this.” George fretted as he flitted about the room, casting nervous glances at Tim. “You’re hurt, and we can’t know that Tim won’t fall under the influence again.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s got it back under control.”
“For how long? He changed so quickly last time, and we didn’t know it until it was too late.”
Tim stroked a hand over my shoulder. “George is right. I can’t be trusted to be here.”
I clutched his arm. “Right here is where you have to be. You said you were my lock, so stop being a wimp.”
Tim arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“Sit your ass down so we can do this.”
George stood, arms folded over his chest, his gaze locked on me. “This is dangerous, and I want you to remember I’m doing this under protest.”
I glared back at him, honestly getting s
ick of his attitude. “You were the one who said how important the lock and key were to the Romani people. Without Tim, there is no way we can help anyone.”
George sighed and reached for the kettle. “You’re right. This will take a few minutes, so why don’t the two of you relax a bit? Being in tune with each other is essential for this to work.”
Tim turned to George. “How do you know so much about this stuff?”
It struck me then that he seemed to know an awful lot when we were trying to find Tim. “What aren’t you telling us?”
There was a pink in George’s cheeks that hadn’t been there before. “I wasn’t completely honest when we met. I knew about you and Scott. I was your mother’s friend, and she taught me how best to help you and Beth’s child. Then when Beth’s husband died and it was obvious the line wasn’t going to continue, we all got together and mourned for the souls they’d never be able to help. And then Scott came, and your mother was so excited. I was leery, because there had never been anyone not of Romani blood who was to safeguard the people. I… I won’t deny, I should have stepped up sooner.”
“So what changed your mind? Or haven’t you…?”
George pulled a tin container from the cabinet, opened it, and dropped a teabag into each cup. “I admit, I was wrong. When you first arrived, I tested you to see if I shared your mother’s enthusiasm. She was right. Scott is the genuine article, and helping the two of you? I consider it an honor. And I’m sorry I’m being a dick about this.” He ran a hand over his throat. “I should know better. That wasn’t you who attacked us.”
Tim sighed. “Thank you. That means a lot. I’m not a violent person, and what he made me do? It was assault. He forced me to do something I didn’t want, and I couldn’t stop him.”
As he brought the cups back to us, George scowled. “I need you both to remember one thing: some spirits can’t be saved. They’ve given themselves over to the dark and are beyond redemption.”
I gave a terse nod. After the visions I’d had of the deaths of the children it had killed and seen firsthand the desire to continue? This thing, as the Ghostbusters said, was toast.
The Spirit Key Page 19