Shadows Fall

by Denise A. Agnew

  He shook his head. “Don’t sugar coat things for me. I appreciate you saying what you think. My parents kept their true thoughts jammed deep inside. My father did anyway. Mom let it all hang out. No doubt what she was thinking pretty much all the time. The two contrasts ...”

  “Like us.” Her soft declaration brought his gaze up to hers as he chewed his sandwich.

  When he’d swallowed the bite, he sighed and a wry smile twisted his lips. “Not anymore. I’d say I’m closer to your way of thinking than I used to be.”

  “You’re not your father, Roarke. No matter what you say. Are you sure you want to participate in the investigation tonight?”

  Before he could answer, his cell phone rang. He left the table to snatch it off the breakfast bar. From the conversation Melissa realized Darcy was on the other line.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate that. No. I need to understand why she did what she did. And if it’s the evil, I plan on kicking its ass.” After a significant pause he said. “Okay, thanks.”

  After he hung up, he returned to the table.

  “Do they have any new evidence?” she asked.

  “No. All they have is my mother calling my voice and the thermal image.”

  Another silence crept in as they ate their quick dinner. “Roarke ... I have this funny feeling. I don’t know how to explain it, but I want you to humor me again. I think we should get your stuff and move it to my apartment. You said being here was safer than my apartment, but I’m not so sure. Before the investigation tonight, let’s get your things and take them to my place so when the investigation is done, you’re out of here. Maybe it’s my paranoia, but I believe this place isn’t good for either of us.”

  After chewing a bite of sandwich he said, “Sounds like Simple isn’t the best place to be either. If that Ivan Lakes asshole is wandering around anywhere ...” He shook his head.

  “You’ll be with me.”

  “Damn right.” His dark gaze was hard. “You aren’t going anywhere without me until this shit is over.”

  She laughed. “My, aren’t we the alpha male.”

  A lopsided grin warmed his face. “Sorry, but if anything happened to you, I wouldn’t forgive myself. I don’t want you hurt.”

  “After what Henrietta said is going on in Simple, I don’t feel comfortable staying here tonight.”

  Resignation filled his eyes. “You’re right. Let’s hurry.”

  It didn’t take them long to wolf down their meal and pack up his few belongings. They loaded up his SUV and headed into town. What they found in Simple, though, didn’t make her feel any better. No one wandered the streets, just as Henrietta had mentioned.

  With downtown dead as hell, Melissa felt the hair rise on her neck. “This is scary as hell.”

  “You’d think people would be out having Halloween parties.”

  “Not if the New Frontier Church scared the hell out of them and the paper is making up stuff about evil.” Roarke took a quick glance at her. “But they aren’t really making things up, are they?”

  Melissa couldn’t deny the truth. “You’re right. I hate to say it, but you’re right.”

  The side of his mouth quirked. “Don’t suppose I could get that written in ink. That I’m always right.”

  She laughed, glad to break the heavy atmosphere. “Don’t hold your breath.”

  “Damn.”

  Roarke pulled his SUV into the parking lot behind her apartment complex. “Let’s leave the boxes in the SUV for now.”

  An underlying unease overwhelmed her as they left the SUV and headed down the alley toward the front entrance to the apartments.

  “Why the hell isn’t that back door unlocked?” Roarke practically growled the question.

  “Good question. Several of us complained to the fire department, but no one has done a thing about it. I guess because there’s an exit in the alley.”

  “Why don’t we go in there?”

  She rubbed her arms, shivering with a bone-deep cold that wouldn’t leave. They continued up the alley. “It’s actually farther to my apartment. It’s liking going through a maze in there.” She didn’t feel any less disturbed when they entered the apartment building. “This is so weird,” she said to Roarke as they took the elevator to her apartment.

  “It is. Like Henrietta said, Jana has upped the panic. God, what a dumb ...” He gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to say it.”

  She smirked. “You’re very gallant to women, even when you don’t like them.”

  Once in the apartment, Roarke dropped his duffle bag in her bedroom. He smiled and drew her into his arms. “I just assume I’ll be sleeping in the master bed ... with you.”

  Glad for the lightness in his tone, she teased him. “Think so, huh? Who says?”

  He kissed her, and the hot, deep stroke of his tongue sent her senses into overdrive. Perhaps grief, worry, and stress did it to them, but suddenly a firestorm seemed to overtake them. Kiss after kiss turned into another hot reaction and then another.

  “Roarke ...”

  “Mmmm?” He buried his face in her neck and teased the skin. She shivered and moaned.

  With one quick movement, his hands went under her sweater and found the clip on her bra. It fell open. He drew her sweater over her head and off, along with the bra. Rapid-fire need pulsed through her veins and mixed with raw desire to give them release from the tension. She’d do anything to make him forget his grief.

  “We don’t have much time to get back Tranquil View.” She whimpered as he leaned over and took one nipple between his lips. Heat shot through her as his tongue worked her nipple. His mouth drew deeply, sucking her.

  “Don’t care,” he mumbled, his breathing coming faster. His hands held her tighter, but it didn’t hurt. “I want you.”

  She clutched him with equal fever, her arms around his neck, her lips against his jaw. His power and sheer strength lit her fire, reminding her with sharp contrast how very strong and male he was. “I want you, too. I’m so cold.”

  He murmured against her breast. “Oh, baby, that’s an easy fix.”

  They fell into lovemaking with a fervent and hurried pace. She drew his sweater over his head and slipped her hands over hard muscle. She drew in a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, but it didn’t work. She wanted and needed too much, too fast to slow down. He stripped off the rest of his clothes and tossed them on the floor. Melissa palmed his biceps as his potent masculinity drove her desire higher. Her body awakened in a rush, frantic to connect, to feed upon his caring and affection and give as much back to him. His eyes blazed with lust, and she imagined hers did, too. God, she wanted him so much. He cupped her face and gazed reverently and long into her eyes.

  “Roarke.”

  “Now,” he whispered roughly. “Now.”

  “Yes.” She wriggled, trying to melt into him.

  He tongued her nipples into hard points, and she writhed in his hold. Hot arousal shot through her. He groaned when she clasped his erection and she felt the silky skin over unyielding heat. She broke away from him long enough to yank off her boots, jeans, and underwear. Roarke found a condom, suited up, and lifted her against the bedroom wall.

  He slipped between her legs and with a smooth, deliberate thrust, sank his cock into her heat. It was fast, animal. They’d made love quickly before and they’d made love with slow, sweet attention. Desperation fueled their sex. This joining felt like no tomorrow, as if this might be their last chance. She arched against his hardness, pushing and wriggling as her desire rose higher and hotter. She closed her eyes as her head fell back against the wall. She expected this to go fast, but he slowed, staying inside her for an eternity. She gasped softly as the heat and thickness of his body stroked hers inside and out.

  Cradled in incredible male power, she felt cherished. Tears flooded her eyes. Emotions swirled with physical sensations. His length plunged deep, starting a sweet stroking that claimed everything inside her. Over and over he sank deep, pus
hing and pumping until the incredible deliciousness of him within her brought her body to full flower. Her head was fuzzy, her breath panting as she grabbed onto his shoulders and held on with everything she had. He was a lifeline as her world spun out of control. Where fear and apprehension tried to overtake her, his lovemaking destroyed the darkness. Before long she gasped for breath, moaning as the heat rose so fast and hot she couldn’t catch her breath.

  “Yes,” he gasped against her lips. “Yes.”

  He started to pound into her, and she cried out as the eruption came. Bliss couldn’t describe the rapture. She twisted in his arms, cries and moans of pure ecstasy parting her lips. One last plunge, and Roarke echoed her with a growl. His entire body shook as he trembled in orgasm.

  “Jesus.” He breathed the word against her neck, panting. When he drew back, he smiled. Tears spilled from her eyes, and he sobered and slid out of her. He lowered her to her feet. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” She laughed as she brushed away the tears. “God, no. I just never. I’ve never felt this way before.”

  He smiled with her, warmth and pleasure filling his eyes. This wasn’t masculine bravado, but pure connection. “Good. Neither have I.”

  They took a shower together and dressed in haste. Before they could leave for Tranquil View, she noticed his quiet. “Are you all right?”

  “I will be. You’ve ...” He swallowed hard. “Thank you. I don’t think I could do this without your support.”

  “Of course you could. Give yourself some slack.” Before she could stop herself, she said, “You’re a strong man, Roarke.”

  “Grief isn’t a situation I’ve dealt with on a regular basis.”

  “Did you know any Marines that died?”

  “Yeah. In war, in ridiculous accidents, of disease.” She imagined he’d thought he had experienced every facet of grief until discovering his mother’s decomposing body. “Maybe tonight I’ll get answers,” he said. “I’ll understand what happened to Mom.”

  Urgency pushed them from the apartment and out of Simple. Night had fallen, and with it a cold presence gripped Melissa. Nerves pinged and jumped within her, and she was eager to leave this town and its strange aura. She had a feeling tonight would clarify the haunting at Tranquil View once and for all.

  * * *

  “All done and turned and ready to serve on a plate,” Piers said as he gestured at the monitor in command central. “Everything is set up and ready to go.”

  The crew jammed the office and spilled into the hallway. Melissa and Roarke had returned to Tranquil View in time for Roarke to receive many condolences and hugs. He’d taken it in stride, his emotions fully under control. Or at least it looked like it from the outside. Melissa knew inside he still had to be hurting, but understood his need to continue the investigation.

  Darcy turned away from the monitor and smiled at the group. “Time to get into groups.” She glanced at Jana. “I’ll go with Magnus, Melissa, Roarke, and Jana. Yvette will go with Pippa, Lenora, Henrietta and Bradley. Works for everyone? Piers will be at the command center.” Everyone nodded or murmured assent.

  “Great. My group is going to the basement since Roarke and Melissa didn’t get a chance to investigate it last night.” Darcy patted Yvette on the back. “And you can take either the recreation center or the north ward area.”

  Yvette grinned. “We’ll do both.”

  The groups left the relative comfort of the offices and headed into the rotunda. Tonight the former asylum was cold. So cold. Melissa spoke before they split up. “Is it just me, or is it like ice in here?”

  “Temperatures are dropping outside,” Bradley said. “A blizzard is coming.”

  Melissa thought it was more than that. Silence blanketed the rotunda like an entity. Thick. Suffocating.

  Magnus, loaded down by his vest that held various investigation equipment, pulled out his thermal imaging camera and scanned the immediate area. “Lots of cold spots right here.”

  Henrietta, Bradley and Pippa all put their hands into the cold spots. “Cripes, there are four of them. Four distinct spots,” Henrietta said. “How weird is that?”

  “Very.” Darcy smiled. “Well, let’s move on to our places. Looks like Tranquil View is ripe tonight.”

  The people split into their respective groups. They headed into an unknown situation, but safety in numbers made Melissa feel more secure. She hoped her enthusiasm would last. She stayed close to Roarke, but so did Jana. Melissa didn’t like Jana’s continual clinging, but Roarke didn’t pay the other woman an iota of attention. He ignored her completely and hadn’t allowed Jana to hug him when she’d offered condolences. He’d slipped his arm around Melissa instead.

  Melissa had noticed that Jana looked odd. Her normally well-coiffed hair was uncombed and tangled. She wore no makeup, and she’d chosen a rumpled black sweater and jeans. She’d worn highly unfashionable black snow boots. A few other people had had given curious looks when Jana first appeared for the evening. Probably because of good sense and reasonableness, no one in the group had asked Jana why she remained involved in the situation when she planned to bring in someone to do an exorcism or blessing on the damned place on Halloween. Now that would be something to see, but Melissa didn’t want to attend it. She did want to ask Jana why her newly found church wanted to scare the living daylights out of Simple. She didn’t ask though; she’d had enough trauma today finding a dead body.

  Darcy led the group to the basement door. “Since we don’t think investigating in the dark is the only way to do things, we’ll leave the lights on for the first few minutes. Then we’ll turn them off and see what we get.” No one argued with the idea, and after Jana unlocked the door, they headed down the steps one at a time with Darcy leading. “I’d like everyone to take a cell and sit in it with their digital equipment.” Darcy counted off. “There are five of us and more than enough cells in here to do that. We’ll do a quick EVP session and then move on to the next room.”

  Everyone shuffled off, but Roarke took Melissa’s hand and kissed it. “You all right with being alone?”

  Melissa grinned. “More than all right.”

  Melissa went into the first cell as the others spread out into their own cells. Unease spread through her body. Dim light filtered into the cells.

  “Should we close the doors?” Jana asked.

  “No,” Darcy called back.

  “Bloody hell, no,” Magus said.

  Melissa laughed, and she thought she heard a few other chuckles.

  “Everyone turn on their digital recorders. Ask questions, but not at the same time. Let’s start at the south end of the row,” Darcy said.

  Jana said, “I don’t have a recorder.”

  “That’s okay,” Darcy said. “The rest of us do. Just call out your question or statement clearly.”

  “Are you the devil?” Jana asked loudly. “Are you here to bring everyone into the depths of hell?”

  All the hair on Melissa’s arms prickled. Jana’s over-the-top question made Melissa’s skin crawl. If she was trying to scare the shit out of people, saying things like that might do it.

  After a pause, Darcy added her contribution. “Are you trapped here and need help? Tell us how to help you.”

  Every silence led to the next question. Magnus was next, his crisp accent a contrast. “Is anyone here who wants to leave? Do you want to escape?”

  Roarke went after that with, “Mom, are you here?”

  “I don’t hear a thing,” Darcy said. “Melissa, please give your question.”

  “Can you tell us your name?” Melissa asked.

  “We can’t hear you.” Jana’s snarky tone came through loud and clear.

  Pissed, Melissa exaggerated her tone and volume. “Jana can’t hear you! None of us can! Who are you and why are you here? Are you haunting this entire building? Are you causing the town to lose its mind? Are you influencing people to do horrible things because you’re evil?” Melissa realized she was trembling wi
th anger, and she took a deep breath. She half expected Jana or the others to speak but they stayed silent. Ridiculous thoughts filled her head. What if the cell doors closed now? What if—?

  She moved toward the cell door, but it seemed a million miles away. Each step was hard, and she felt as if she moved through molasses. Her breathing became thick and heavy. God, what was happening?

  “Come on, damn it.” Magnus said with equal fervor. “Answer the lady’s question.”

  After a significant silence, Darcy said, “All right, let’s meet in the main room and play back our files.”

  Melissa caught a gasping breath. “Oh, God.”

  She couldn’t move, and she leaned against the left wall. Her hands trembled.

  “Melissa.” Roarke stepped through her cell door, concern etched on his face. “You all right?”

  “No.” She launched into his arms. “The air feels thick, almost as if I can’t breathe. I’m almost claustrophobic down here, but that doesn’t make sense. I’ve never had that problem before.”

  He held her tightly. “It’s all right.”

  Others clustered at the doorway. She pulled back from his embrace and realized all it had taken for her to recover was his arms around her. “Sorry. God, I’m sorry.”

  Darcy came into the cell. “Sometimes the body will react to a presence.”

  “I’ve never had a panic attack before, and I’m not claustrophobic.” Melissa took a heaving breath, embarrassed that she’d allowed herself to be frightened by feelings she couldn’t understand. “I don’t know what happened.”

  Roarke encircled her in his arms again and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

  That’s when Melissa glanced up and saw Jana glaring at her from the door. The woman’s eyes were completely red. Melissa blinked and Jana’s eyes went back to normal. Heart beating in her ears, Melissa wondered what she’d seen.

  “Can we get on with the investigation?” Jana asked, her voice pleasant and filled with arsenic at the same time.

  Darcy nodded. “Let’s go to the main room.”