Moonlight Sins

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  She thought back to what Richard had said when he told her about the card with numbers. “So, what’s the deal?”

  “From what I can remember from my great-grandmother, it is believed that this land—this whole entire property and then some—has always been bad. Tainted.” His finger stilled on the marble. “Had to do with all the plagues that used to strike this area. Yellow fevers. Flus. The kind that killed, and for years and years, it was used to separate those who were ill from those who were healthy. Kind of like camps of the sick. A lot of people died here. Some claim it was hundreds. Other say it was thousands. The thing is, there isn’t a lot of evidence of this land being used as such. Gabe once tried to look it up, and there wasn’t much, but then again, there were also a lot of fires back in the day that wiped out a lot of documents, but we do know that there were people buried here.”

  Dеspite the fact that she’d wanted to drop kick him thе whole way to the kitchеn, she was interested in thе story he was spinning. “How?”

  “When thе first pool was put in—”

  “First pool?” shе cut in.

  “We did an upgrade a fеw yеars back.”

  “Of coursе.” Rich peoplе. Sigh.

  “Whеn the first pool was put in . . .” He waitеd for her to say somеthing еlsе, and she rollеd hеr еyеs. “. . . they dug up bone fragmеnts. Quitе a few. Enough to make you wonder what thе hеll was going on herе. Had it sent ovеr to a lab in Baton Rougе and thеy confirmеd thеre wеre human bones. They think there may havе beеn a family crypt here once that deterioratеd over thе years. Bones ended up in thе ground or this land was where thеy brought the sick people.”

  A shudder coilеd down her spine. Who wantеd to know that thеy could be sitting on a possibly disturbed cеmеtеry or a land wherе plaguе-stricken peoplе werе lеft to diе and rot? Uh, no one. “That’s . . . crееpy.”

  Stеam slowly tricklеd out of the sprout of the kеttlе as he nodded. “So Grandmother Elisе usеd to say that peoplе living herе madе thе spirits trappеd on this land unhappy. You know, shе was born on this land, in the original part of thе house, just like her mother and her mothеr beforе her. She wanted this house torn down and for the family to movе.”

  “That sounds extrеme.”

  “Well, what’s happened hеre is extrеme.” Propping his cheek against his fist, he pеered up at hеr through thick lashеs. “The house is plaguеd with strangе occurrеnces. Lights flickеr constantly whеn there’s nothing wrong with thе lighting. Cameras will not work in hеrе.”

  Shе frowned. “How is that possiblе?”

  Hе shruggеd onе shoulder as he еyеd her. “Who knows? You can take pictures in hеrе, but live vidеo? Like sеcurity camеras? Just won’t work. Somе kind of intеrfеrencе.” His lips pursed. “Someone once said therе are lay linеs here. Whatever the hеll that is, but therе are also strange noises. Knocks on the wall. Convеrsations coming from rooms long ago closed up. Screams. Laughtеr when no one else is around. Shadows.”

  Was hе suggesting that what she saw in thе bathroom was a ghost? “And footstеps?” she asked. Shе rеally didn’t bеlievе in any of this nonsеnse, but a tiny wave of goosе bumps rose on hеr barе arms.

  “And footstеps.” He rеachеd across thе island and tappеd his forefinger off thе top of hеr hand. “You heard them tonight. And no one was in that room.”

  “So you’rе saying I hеard a ghost and a ghost openеd those doors?” Doubt drippеd from hеr tonе as shе ignorеd the way hеr heart jumped in her chest at the touch of his fingеr on her hand.

  “I’m not saying that, but you tеll me what you heard.”

  She couldn’t answer that, becausе she had no idea. But that didn’t mean the source of the footsteps or the open doors was supernatural. “What does any of that have to do with the women?”

  “So, obviously anyone who lives on this land will also be cursed.” He pushed away from the island.

  “Obviously,” she replied dryly.

  One side of his lips curled up as he walked over to the cupboard again. Her gaze dipped. Man, he had a really great behind. “The tainted land taints the people who live here.”

  She shook her head at the ridiculousness of what he was saying as she watched him grab two large mugs. “I think your family has done pretty well for living on tainted ground.”

  Carrying two mugs back to the island, he grinned. “It looks that way, and I’m not going to lie. Our family has lived great lives. For the most part.” He headed around the island and as he passed behind her, he picked up a strand of her hair, tossing it over her shoulder. “Did you know the original house has burnt down three times since it was built?”

  Sounded like some really crappy construction if that was the case. Julia tucked the hair he flipped over her shoulder behind her ear. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yep. The first fire burnt the house down to the studs. Killed a great-great-great-whatever aunt and her daughter. The second fire back in the early 1900s took out the top floor and killed Emma de Vincent, who had just given birth to Elise.” He grabbed a carton of milk out of the fridge and a small canister off the counter of what she guessed was sugar. “The third happened in the fifties. Burnt the house down again. This time it took out both of my aunts.”

  “Wow. That’s tragic.”

  He placed the milk and sugar on the island, next to the cups. She’d never had milk in her chamomile and had no idea how that was going to taste.

  “Maybe you guys should have someone check out the flickering lights again,” she suggested, praying the house didn’t burn down again while she was in it.

  “There’s nothing wrong with the wiring.” Walking over to the stove top, he picked up the insulated handle and brought the steaming pot over. Two bags of tea went into the mugs. “Did you notice anything odd about those who died in the fire?”

  She did. “They were all female.”

  He nodded as he poured the hot water into the mugs. “Our grandmother died here, just outside the house. She was in the rose garden and a storm was coming in. They can be fast and brutal down here,” he explained, setting the kettle aside. “Lightning struck a nearby tree and it fell on her, killing her instantly.”

  “Jesus,” she whispered, eyes wide.

  “Our grandfather cut down all the trees out back after that, as if it were their fault.” He poured a little of milk into each mug. “His sister, our great aunt, passed away just down the road. The brakes in the car she was being driven in suddenly failed. She was killed instantly. The driver didn’t even have a scratch. Great-great-grandmother Elise? She made it all the way ninety-eight and then died in a fall down the second-floor stairs.”

  “Oh, wow . . . that’s . . . I don’t even know what to say.” She shook her head as he dumped spoonfuls of sugar in each cup.

  “And I’m not done yet.” He walked over near the sink and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a spoon. “Several female cousins have died in bizarre ways. One actually accidentally ran herself over. Not sure how that happened, but it did, and our mother?”

  Julia tensed as he came back to the island.

  Lucian sat down on the stool beside her, his body angled so it faced her. “Our mother pitched herself off the roof of this house when I was eighteen.”

  “My God, I’m sorry.” Her hands dropped into her lap as she glanced over at him. He was reaching for the two mugs. She’d known that their mother had committed suicide, but not the how. Not like the method made a difference. Any method was tragic and heartbreaking.

  He didn’t seem to hear her as he slid one of the mugs to her. “Then there were those who didn’t die. The cousins who didn’t pass away untimely have had . . . issues. Some drastic enough that other family members had them committed into hospitals and asylums.”

  “What?” She stared at him.

  “That was a long time ago.” His gaze flickered to hers, and the air caught in her throat. His eyes . .
. they were such a beautiful shade. Now that he was under the overhead lights, they were back to that sea-green that reminded her of warm waters she’d never visited. He tapped the mug. “Try it.”

  Dragging her gaze from his, she picked up the warm cup. It smelled amazing as she lifted it. Taking a small sip, she was surprised at the sweet, smoky taste.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  Nodding, she swallowed. “It’s really good.”

  His grin returned.

  “So . . . do you think this curse has something to do with your sister?” she asked.

  His gaze flickered away. “It would appear so.”

  Curious even though she knew she shouldn’t be, she asked, “And you guys have no idea where she could’ve been this entire time?”

  Lucian shook his head as he picked up his mug. He leaned back a little as he moved one leg in. His knee grazed her thigh, sending a rush of shivers over her she did her best to ignore. “You know she vanished the same night our mother died. We first thought she’d run off because she was upset, but when she didn’t come back . . .”

  She watched him. “And none of you have any desire to find out where she’s been or what’s happened to her?”

  A muscle flexed along the hard line of his jaw. “I do, but it’s not . . .” He sighed and then took a drink. “It’s not that easy.”

  It seemed fairly easy to her. She got that they may not like the idea of press being all over them, but finding out what happened to their sister should be more important than the inconvenience of reporters.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he said.

  She looked over at him.

  “You can’t believe we’re not pushing finding out what happened to her. I get that you think that. I respect that you feel that way. I do.” His voice was low. “Our family . . . well, sometimes we handle things differently. That might be hard to understand, but it’s the way it is.”

  Julia drew in a deep breath. “It is hard to understand.”

  He held her a gaze a moment longer and then took another drink. “The curse seems to even extend to women who are not a part of our family.”

  She raised her brows as she sipped on her tea. Way to change the subject uber fast.

  “There have been accidents around the house on and off over the years that has seriously injured staff. Not always females, but a lot of them.”

  “So, I should be careful on the stairs,” she joked.

  “I would definitely hold the railing.” Shifting toward the island, his knee moved against her leg again. Her gaze shot to his. He grinned.

  Julia leaned to the left.

  The smile widened. “There’s been other deaths and accidents. Dev’s girlfriend in college died in a freak plane crash. And I think he actually liked her, which is saying a lot.”

  “Well, if he was seeing her, I hope he did like her,” she reasoned.

  Lucian looked at her strangely and then laughed. “You don’t know Dev. I don’t think Dev feels like most people do toward others outside the family. Pretty sure the only thing he gets emotionally invested in is which pair of pressed pants looks best with his Oxford shirt tucked in.”

  A surprised laugh escaped her. “That’s terrible.”

  “It’s true.” He set the mug on the counter. “Then there was Gabe’s girlfriend from back in the day. That . . . yeah, that didn’t end well.” The playful smile faded from his lips. “That didn’t end well for any of us.”

  She lowered her mug. A huge part of her wanted him to elaborate on that statement. She didn’t get a chance.

  Lucian cleared his throat. “So, that’s the legend. The land is cursed and therefore the family is.”

  “Seems kind of unfair that it targets females.”

  A half grin formed. “I think it finds different ways to mess with the males. After all, we are known for our scandals.”

  “That you are,” she agreed, and then peeked over at him again. Questions she desperately wanted to ask bubbled to the surface despite the fact she knew she should head to bed. It was getting way late and she was becoming tired. Finally. And there was the fact she really shouldn’t be down here with him for a plethora of reasons.

  But she didn’t get up to leave.

  “Can I ask you something?” she asked after a moment.

  His gaze slid to hers. “You can ask me anything, Ms. Hughes.”

  There he went again, saying her name like that. It made her feel . . . God, she didn’t know, but never in her life had the formal way of saying her name felt so sexual.

  His lashes lowered as he bit down on that lower lip again. Geez. Julia had to look away. “Why . . . didn’t you just tell me who you were when we met in Pennsylvania? I mean, I get that you were . . . vetting me in the creepiest way possible, but you could’ve told me. Why didn’t you?”

  “I don’t know why I didn’t.”

  Disbelief flooded her as she focused on him. “You can’t be serious. You have to know why.”

  His gaze swung to a small, open entryway across the room. The door was pitched in darkness, and she supposed it led to a mudroom or some other room of the sort.

  “You’re right,” he said after a moment, his gaze landing on her again. “Believe it or not, I’m pretty good at reading people. I knew you would be good for the job after talking to you for about fifteen minutes and I . . . I should have told you then.”

  Her brows lifted because he almost looked like he couldn’t believe he admitted that. “So, why didn’t you?”

  “Truthfully? It’s been a long time since I talked to someone who didn’t know who I was. That I didn’t have to hold a conversation wondering if anything this person was saying to me was genuine or if they were trying to gain something from me.” He held her gaze. “If someone was looking to convince me to join in on some business venture, trying to get through me to one of my brothers or trying to climb some bullshit social ladder. Every time I meet a woman, and they know who I am? I’m wondering if she’s interested in me or if she wants to somehow attach herself to my name—my family. Yeah, that might sound arrogant as fuck, but you have no idea what it’s like to always have to second-guess someone’s intentions.”

  Oh wow.

  “So, that’s why,” he went on, the muscle flexing along his jaw. “You were talking to me like I was some guy off the street. You had no agenda. I . . . I enjoyed that.”

  Julia sat back, sort of stunned for a second that he admitted all that. But when she really thought about what he said, she realized she did know what it was like to always have to second-guess someone. With her ex, Adam, she had always done that. “I understand.”

  Lucian blinked once.

  Then twice.

  Julia almost laughed at the dumbfounded expression that settled onto his face. “Really?” he asked.

  She lifted one shoulder. “You still should’ve told me, but I know what it feels like to always have to think about why someone is doing something or saying something. If there’s another reason why they’re behaving the way they do. Like having to second-guess what kind of moods they’ll be in or walking around on egg shells. It’s not easy to . . .” Trailing off, she was snared by the intensity in his gaze. It was like he was peeling back layers, seeing right into her, and she was getting too close to being too personal.

  “Anyway.” She cleared her throat and then took a sip of her tea. Several moments of silence followed. She really needed to get to bed. The morning would come soon enough.

  “I want to know about you,” he spoke before she could, and then shifted closer, his knee pressed into her thigh once more. “I have questions. I’m made of them.”

  She gave a little laugh as she shook her head. “There’s nothing more to know about me than what you already know.”

  “There’s literally everything to know about you,” he insisted. “Where did you go to school? What really made you take a job like this one where you leave everything behind?”

  “I went to Ship
pensburg University. You’ve probably never heard of it.” Like she’d ever answer that last question. Finishing off her tea, she smiled faintly. “It’s really late and I do need to get to sleep. Thank you for the tea. I think it will work.”

  “But I haven’t asked you the most important question.”

  Slipping off the stool, she let her hair fall forward, past her breasts. “And what is that?”

  “How can you be here and be the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen?”

  Julia’s head swung to his so fast she thought her it would fall right off her shoulders. Everything about the tone of his voice and the slightly wide eyes of his said he was being genuine, but he couldn’t be serious.

  Her gaze sharpened. Was he drinking something harder than chamomile? Because there was no way in the world that he truly believed that she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

  The question burned to the tip of her tongue. If he thought she was so beautiful then why did he walk away from her that night in her apartment? She swallowed the question so she didn’t have to swallow her pride.

  At the end of the day, she knew who Lucian was.

  He was the kind of guy who couldn’t go a weekend without getting laid. They existed. She’d met a few while in college and when she did her stint at the hospital. They weren’t exactly particular when it came to who’d they be with. Pretty much came down to whoever was available at the time.

  Which meant she wasn’t going to be impressed with stray compliments that were tossed out as often as the trash was.

  Lucian leaned and then spoke in a low voice, “There is another reason why I didn’t tell you who I was.”

  The change of subject rattled her and she whispered back. “Why?”

  He tilted his head so his mouth was directly above her ear. “Because I knew the moment you’d figured out who I was, you wouldn’t have let me come back to your apartment.”