Cooper sent Becky a thankful smile as Jackie and Tyler groaned in unison.
“Cooper is not right,” Tyler countered. “We’re talking about a little boy here. We have no idea what sort of torture he’s enduring. That’s on top of the fact that his father is dead. We need to get him out of there.”
Boone stirred. He’d been largely silent since returning, but it was obvious he had a lot on his mind. “We’re working under the assumption that the demon is what killed Todd Lincoln, right?”
Hannah nodded without hesitation. “Most definitely. How else would he have died?”
“I don’t know. The state pathologist refuses to answer that question.”
“I’m guessing that’s because he doesn’t know,” Danielle Garrett, the calmest member of the coven, volunteered. “The fact that they can’t find a cause of death has to be troublesome to them. They’ll wait until they get the toxicology results back before making a firm decision ... and that could take weeks.”
Hannah’s stomach did a slow, uncomfortable roll. “Does that mean I’ll be living in uncertainty until then?”
Sympathy washing over him, Boone patted her hand. “Honey, I know you don’t want to hear this, but Lindsey could file a lawsuit years from now. It’s not something that is going to magically disappear.”
“I know but ... .” Hannah trailed off. She knew better than believing truth would always prevail. She’d worked at a law office for years, for crying out loud. If anyone recognized that justice wasn’t blind, it was her. “We have to focus on the most important thing. That’s Logan. We need to exorcise the demon. Jackie says she can do it.”
“We can all do it together,” Jackie corrected. “It’s going to take the full coven.” Her eyes were heavy when they landed on Hannah. “That’s including you.”
Hannah visibly gulped, surprised. “Me?” Her eyebrows hopped up her forehead. “You want me to participate?”
“Yeah. It’s going to take all of us.”
“That’s not even our biggest concern,” Boone groused. “There’s no way Lindsey is simply going to allow us to waltz into the house and perform an exorcism.”
Hannah sighed. He was right. “Then we need to get her out of the house.”
“Do you have a suggestion on how to do that?”
“Just one.”
COOPER WAS STILL RETICENT WHEN the motley group of individuals returned to the Lincoln family’s quiet neighborhood. He sat behind the wheel of his truck and pouted as Hannah prepared to hop out and join the others.
“You should probably stay here,” she said finally, losing the battle against her temper. “We won’t be long. We’ll have some food after we save Logan.”
Cooper slid her a sidelong look. “I know you think I’m being difficult.”
“I think you’re trying to protect me, and while sweet, that’s not what I want.”
“What do you want?” he asked softly.
“I want someone who trusts me.”
“And you don’t think I do?”
“I think you believe you need to take care of me. I lived with someone who thought the same thing for a long time. He also happened to think I was an idiot, which led to a different set of problems, but at the heart of it he thought I couldn’t function without him. I don’t want someone who thinks like that.”
He was thoughtful as he ran his hand over her hair. “You still haven’t answered the question. What do you want?”
“A partner, not a boss.”
He sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “I’m not trying to boss you around.”
“I know. You’re trying to protect me, which is a noble thing. That’s still not what I want. We need to work together. If we’re not equals, this is never going to work.”
He stilled. “You believe I don’t think we’re equals.”
“I believe you’re a good man who likes to be in charge,” she clarified. “I get it. I need to be seen as an equal, though. And, while I know I’m new to this and haven’t yet figured everything out, I want to try. You have to give me that.”
He held her gaze for a long beat and then wordlessly nodded.
“Does that mean you’re going to work with me here?”
“Yes.” He answered without hesitation, killing the engine of the truck and pocketing the keys. “Boone managed to call in a favor with the funeral home. Lindsey is on her way to talk to the funeral director. That means the boys are alone inside.”
Hannah flashed a smile. It was small but heartfelt. “Thank you.”
He squeezed her hand, stopping her before she could climb out of the truck. “I’m going to do my absolute best,” he promised. “There are going to be times when my baser urges take over, though. If I feel you’re in danger, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from trying to protect you.”
“I think that’s a natural instinct. You can’t always shut me down, though.”
“That’s not what I was trying to do.”
“I know.” She felt markedly better when she reached over the console to hug him. “We’re going to figure this out.”
“We are,” he agreed, snagging her chin between his fingers and holding her in place so he could give her a quick kiss. “Let’s do this, huh?”
She beamed at him. “See. This won’t be so bad.”
Cooper was slower than her getting out of the truck, the rest of their group already gathered on the sidewalk. He didn’t miss the way Becky glared at him when he moved to the spot at Hannah’s side.
“Boone is parked on the highway,” he announced. “He’ll be watching in case Lindsey turns around. The funeral home has promised to keep her there for at least an hour — although we’re aiming for two — so we have to move fast.”
Jackie clutched a bag of supplies next to her chest and nodded. She looked nervous, which didn’t exactly make Hannah feel better. She opened her mouth to suggest they get moving when a scream ripped from inside the house and caught everybody’s attention.
“What was that?” Tyler asked, taking a step toward the house and staring at the second floor.
“Patrick,” Hannah answered without hesitation. “He’s in trouble. Logan is going after him. We have to get to him.”
Cooper didn’t even try to stop her when she started jogging across the road. She was determined. So was he. The idea of her suffering from low self-esteem despite how great she was bothered him. He blamed this ex-boyfriend, making a mental note to visit him one day so they could have a serious talk, but applauded Hannah for wanting to make herself a better person, a stronger woman. This was the first step, and he intended to be with her when she embarked on her new journey.
By silent agreement, they headed for the back door. People on the street might ask questions if they witnessed them going through the front ... and they were questions nobody wanted to answer. Cooper slid ahead of Hannah when they reached their destination and he ignored the dirty look she shot him when he reached for the door.
“I’m head of security,” he reminded her. “That means I go through the door first.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
“Well, you’re going to have to get over it. If I’m supposed to treat you like a partner, respect your position, you need to do the same for me. As head of security, I’m in charge when we go on outings like this.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes. “Do you think we’ll go on a lot of outings like this?”
“Probably more than either of us will be comfortable with. We’re going to have to suck it up and learn to compromise.”
“I can do that.”
He grinned as he popped open the door. “Me, too.” He slid in ahead of her as Becky made a series of grumbling noises. It was obvious what she was complaining about, but no one had the time or energy to put up with her.
“Where?” Tyler asked as he joined the small club in the kitchen.
Cooper shook his head. “I don’t ... .” He didn’t get a chance to finish because, from the second flo
or, another scream careened through the house. “Stay behind me,” he ordered when Hannah raced toward the stairs.
The group pounded up the narrow steps, Cooper and Hannah arriving on the scene first. There, they found the oddest of scenes.
Logan stood outside a closed door, his eyes flashing red as he beat against the wood and kicked at the trim. “Let me in!” he screeched, completely ignoring the new guests.
“Go away, Logan.” Patrick sounded petrified on the other side of the door. Hannah could hear moving furniture, as if he was trying to barricade himself in his bedroom. “Just leave me alone.”
“Oh, it’s far too late for that,” Logan intoned. “You shouldn’t have said what you did.”
“I didn’t mean it!”
“You meant it, and I can’t let you repeat it. You’ll tell the wrong people and ruin things for me. I can’t let that happen. You shouldn’t have been eavesdropping when that rent-a-cop and the sheriff were visiting earlier. I didn’t even think you were here. You should’ve kept your mouth shut.”
“I was just asking a question!” Patrick started sobbing on the other side of the door as Logan redoubled his efforts. “Just ... leave me alone. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m ... .” His words became garbled.
“We have to stop this,” Hannah announced, her eyes flashing. “We can’t let this go on.”
Slowly, Logan stopped kicking the door and tracked his eyes to Hannah. He seemed surprised by the home invasion ... although he didn’t look nervous in the least. “What are you doing here?”
“We were just about to ask you the same thing,” Cooper replied. He wasn’t equipped with a weapon, but he stretched out an arm to keep Hannah back as he faced off with the boy. “I told you I would be back.”
“Yes, but I had no idea it would be today. You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” Logan snorted at his own joke before focusing on Hannah. “At least you brought me something pretty to play with.”
“You’re not going to touch her,” Cooper hissed. “I told you that earlier. If you touch her, I’ll ... .”
“What?” Logan challenged. “What is it that you’re going to do to me? You don’t have the power to stop me. She doesn’t either. She might be interesting, a plaything of sorts, but she’s not capable of taking me out.”
“She’s not alone,” Jackie announced, moving into the space behind Cooper and joining hands with Danielle and Becky. “We’ll all be doing this together.”
“Oh, really?” Logan remained calm. “And what is it you think you’ll be doing?”
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” Jackie gestured for Hannah to join them. “We need four corners,” she instructed. “You have to participate.”
Hannah cast one lingering look in Cooper’s direction, but he inclined his head to get her to move.
“I’ll be okay,” he promised. “Do what you have to do.”
On impulse, Hannah pressed a firm kiss to his lips and then moved to the spot between Danielle and Jackie. She linked her hands with theirs without hesitation, and then lifted her head to the sky as the other witches began to chant.
“How sweet,” Logan called out, mirth practically rolling off him in waves. “I can’t wait to get my hands on that sweetness. I’m going to rip her apart from the inside and treat her as yummy appetizer for my next act.”
Cooper openly glared at the creature. He could no longer think of it as a little boy. “I’ll never let you touch her.”
“You don’t have the strength to stop me.” Logan took a menacing step in Cooper’s direction at the same moment the witches started chanting even louder, the sound more powerful.
Hannah had no idea how she was following the spell. It was in Latin, a language she didn’t know, and yet the words somehow seemed to come naturally. Once Jackie started repeating the same phrases over and over again, Hannah joined in without any prodding. There were four voices whispering throughout the second floor of the house, but they sounded like one.
“Stop that!” For the first time since realizing he had company, Logan looked legitimately worried. “Stop that right now!” His voice was unnaturally high.
“Oh, now you’re afraid,” Cooper taunted, his eyes slanting. “You realize that you’re about to fall and you’re afraid. Maybe you’re getting a small sampling of the fear you put into Logan, huh?”
The creature snorted, his eyes wild. “Oh, you have no idea what you’re even talking about.” His head swung from left to right and then he tried to bolt around Cooper in a desperate attempt to make it down the stairs. “Let me go!”
Cooper grabbed him around the waist, holding tight. “I can’t let that happen.” Even though Logan was small, he put up a terrific fight. “Tyler, I need your help,” Cooper grunted as the boy landed a hard elbow in his stomach.
Tyler didn’t think twice; he threw himself into the melee. He was on his knees, helping Cooper hold the child in place, as the spell grew. Flashes of magic began bouncing off the walls and the terror emanating from Logan was palpable.
“No! You’re killing me! Patrick, help me!”
Realizing what the creature was trying to do — create a distraction — Cooper held firm. “Patrick, stay in that room. This will all be over in a second. It will be better after that.”
Patrick merely continued to sob on the other side of the door.
Hannah, completely lost to the spell, started funneling more magic into the ritual. She felt drained and yet exhilarated ... and then the wall of magic stood up straight before barreling toward the boy.
“No!” Logan viciously fought against Tyler and Cooper, but it was already too late. The magic rushed into him, immediately knocking the boy to the ground.
Cooper and Tyler scrambled away from the magic out of instinct, but it remained in the center of the room, bursting through Logan’s body like a nuclear explosion ... although keeping him whole the entire time. The magic built to a crescendo, thunder echoing through the house, and then it was over as quickly as it had started and Logan remained prone on the floor.
“Well, that was interesting,” Tyler muttered, dragging a hand through his hair.
“I’ll say.” Cooper shifted to check on Logan, letting out a relieved sigh when he realized the boy was still alive. “I really hope that worked because it’s too much for my heart to take if we have to do it again.”
Tyler laughed ... and then coughed ... and then went wide-eyed when he heard footsteps on top of the stairs.
As if tied together, everyone from the Casper Creek contingent turned in that direction in unison ... only to find Lindsey staring at them with incredulous eyes.
“Just what the hell is going on here?”
Hannah thought she might fall over. “Uh-oh.”
All Cooper could do was shake his head. Uh-oh was right.
14
Fourteen
Lindsey’s fury was palpable. Her confusion was almost overwhelming. Panic gripped Hannah by the throat and didn’t let go. Cooper was the first to speak.
“This isn’t what you think,” he offered.
Lindsey glared at him and moved toward Logan, who was just beginning to stir on the floor. “Oh, really? And what is it I’m supposed to think?”
“Well ... .”
“Tell her we’re selling Girl Scout cookies,” Becky suggested on a whisper.
Tyler shot her a disdainful look. “Yeah. That should fly.”
Hannah swallowed hard and searched for an explanation that would make sense. It wasn’t surprising that she came up with nothing. “Um ... .”
Patrick picked that moment to open the door. His dark hair was disheveled and he looked perplexed. First, his gaze dropped to his brother. Then, slowly, he tracked all the faces in the room. He didn’t speak.
“What is going on here?” Lindsey practically shrieked. “I’m being serious. I want an explanation right now!”
“We were checking on the boys,” Cooper offered lamely. “We had a bad feeling they were i
n trouble and ... well ... we just wanted to make sure they were okay.”
“You wanted to make sure my sons were okay?” Lindsey was incredulous. “I can’t even ... I’m calling the police.” She dug in her pocket for her phone as Hannah looked to Cooper for help.
Patrick was the one who finally spoke up. “They saved me, Mom.” His voice was low but firm. “They only ran in because they heard me yelling.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but Cooper enthusiastically bobbed his head. “Yes. We heard Patrick screaming and came running.”
Patrick made a face. “I wasn’t screaming. Guys don’t scream. I was yelling kinda loud, though.”
Cooper wasn’t in a position to argue, so he didn’t. “Fair enough. You were yelling ... loudly.”
“Why were you yelling?” Lindsey’s face was bare of makeup and she looked haggard, as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Hannah figured that was probably the case since the woman was essentially navigating her way through a living nightmare.
“Because Logan was being ... .” Patrick searched for the right words.
Cooper took pity on him and cleared his throat. “Ma’am, I think it’s possible that your son is disturbed.” He gripped his hands together and barreled forward. “He’s been showing signs of aggressive behavior.”
“I’ll say,” Hannah muttered under her breath.
“Aggressive behavior?” Lindsey looked to be working herself up into another lather. “He’s ten. What sort of aggressive behavior could he be displaying?”
“He tried to kill me,” Patrick replied in a sullen voice. “He was going after me, trying to kick in the door of my bedroom, and kept threatening he was going to rip my throat out.”
Lindsey blinked her eyes several times in rapid succession. Finally, she shook her head. “No. He’s a good boy.”
“He’s a monster,” Patrick countered.
“He’s just acting out because of what happened to your father,” Lindsey argued. “He’s upset.”
“He’s been a monster since before then,” Patrick argued. “Besides ... I think he might’ve been the one to kill Dad.”
A Fistful of Demons Page 13