Spirit of Seduction

by Wynter Daniels

  Ryan shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Maybe having a cop in the family means you get away with murder.

  Tommy fisted his hands and the men approached each other with menacing stares.

  Emily couldn’t help but look at the man’s aura. The bright yellow color only told her what anyone else would immediately realize—that he was struggling to keep his emotions under control and trying to get the upper hand with Ryan.

  Ryan’s aura burned red, full of rage. “A black SUV rammed my truck last night.”

  “I was home all night. And I don’t have an SUV.”

  Emily prayed the men didn’t come to blows. She didn’t know what she’d do if they did. One of them could be a killer. All the blood drained from her face when she realized it was plausible that either one of them could have killed Becky. She reached for her cell phone, ready to dial the police if either threw a punch.

  “I had nothing to do with Becky’s murder, Ryan. Why can’t you get that through your head?”

  Ryan shoved Tommy’s shoulder and Emily’s heart lodged in her throat. Ryan was more muscular and broad but Tommy had a good twenty or thirty pounds on him. An image of her mother fighting with her boyfriend filled Emily’s head and her throat seized up. She struggled to inhale slowly and pray for calm but the intensity of the scene fired up so many painful memories from her past.

  Somehow she managed to get a grip on her emotions and she climbed out of the truck. “Ryan, this won’t solve anything.”

  Tommy fisted his hands but stood down. Emily ran over and grabbed Ryan’s arm. He started back to his truck then turned toward the other man and jabbed a finger at him. “I will find out who murdered my sister and I’ll kill the bastard. Mark my words.”

  Tommy’s jaw quivered. “I hope you do.”

  When they got back into the cab, Ryan leaned his head back and growled.

  Emily slid closer, rubbing his arm. “I don’t think it was him. I’m not getting those sorts of vibes from him.”

  He whipped his head toward her and and for a moment she thought he was going to unload on her, but just as fast, the energy diffused. Relief replaced her fear. She wished she could get into his head but he was still an enigma to her.

  He looked off into the distance. “There’s a storm coming.” His eyes softened as they landed on her. “What do you say to a cozy fire later?”

  Visions of making love with him by the fireplace heated her entire body. “Sounds good.”

  He drove them back to his place and they started inside.

  Ryan grimaced at the low pile of firewood outside the door. He handed her his keys. “Hang these on the hook, would you? I need to chop some wood then I’ll be right in.”

  She nodded as thunder boomed in the distance. Ryan rolled up his sleeves and the glimpse of those perfectly muscled forearms heightened her burgeoning desire.

  Moments after she stepped inside, her cell rang. She checked the display and her breath caught when she saw Arnie’s number. She answered immediately. “Hey, Arnie. Any luck yet?”

  “Yes. Are you alone?”

  She glanced through the window at Ryan and watched him disappear behind a dilapidated shed. “Sure am. What’s up?”

  He didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “How well do you know Becky’s brother?”

  She didn’t want to say just how familiar she was with the contours of his rock-solid body or the taste of his skin. Still, her stomach fluttered at the memories. “Why do you ask?”

  Another hesitation. “I sense danger around you.”

  Her pulse kicked up a notch. She’d hoped bringing Arnie into the case would remove the threat to her, but this was the third time someone had expressed concern for her safety.

  “I need your help if I’m to get any more information about Becky’s killer. Can you come right now?” he asked.

  She touched the pane of glass, wishing Ryan would hurry back. “We can be there in half an hour.”

  He grunted into the phone. “With Ryan? You might not be safe with him.”

  His statement hit her like a painful punch as the realization of why he’d inquired about their relationship settled in. “You couldn’t possibly think…”

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t want you to take any chances. I’m picking up on some bad blood between Ryan and Becky. I’d feel better if you stayed away from him until we get a clearer understanding of what happened. With your help I think we can accomplish that.”

  She recalled the uneasy feeling she’d had when they were in Arnie’s office, then again outside Tommy’s place. Ryan had told her he and Becky had argued the last time they’d been together. Maybe she was minimizing the possibility that Ryan was the murderer because of her feelings for him. Tears filled her eyes as she allowed herself a final look toward the shed. “I’ll be right there.” She hung up then grabbed Ryan’s keys. Her instincts told her Ryan couldn’t have harmed his sister but she couldn’t deny she’d wondered if he’d had anything to do with Becky’s death.

  Quietly closing the door behind her, she tiptoed across the old, creaky porch but when she heard the whine of a chainsaw, she quickened her stride. With a backward glance, she started the engine then gunned it. It wasn’t the first time she’d run from something that had felt like home. She’d get over it.

  Chapter Four

  Ryan split the last pine log then started hauling the wood to the house. A gnawing feeling niggled at him as he strode to the back of the shed to grab the rest. He glanced toward the spot where he’d parked his truck and immediately froze.

  What the hell?

  He was sure he’d left it right outside the door but it was gone. Something was very wrong. His heart shifted into overdrive. He charged toward the house and practically ripped the screen door from its hinges. “Emily?”

  The silence confirmed what he’d already guessed. She was gone. His chest ached with terror. Not only had he failed at protecting his sister when he’d had no inkling she was in trouble, but now he’d let Emily slip through his fingers and possibly into a life-threatening situation when he knew damn well that she’d been in danger.

  He reached for his phone and dialed Emily’s number as he raced outside, heading for Becky’s old Toyota. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to sell or even drive the car after the funeral but now he had no choice. Reaching Emily trumped all his reservations about stirring up his grief.

  “This is Emily. You know what to do,” her voicemail said.

  “What the hell is going on?” He disconnected and called the police, told them Emily was missing.

  “You and your girlfriend have a fight?” the officer—one he’d dealt with more than once in the last month—asked.

  Ryan’s gut clenched. “No, it’s not like that. She drove off in my truck with no warning. She wouldn’t have done that unless something was wrong.”

  “Mm hmm. How long has she been gone?” The man’s tone instantly set every nerve in Ryan’s body on edge.

  “Just a few minutes but she’s in danger.” He could hardly explain to the cop how he knew but he prayed the man would believe him anyway.

  “Look, Mr. Barnes, you just told me she left on her own. There’s not much I can do to help you unless she stole your vehicle.”

  He briefly considered reporting the pickup stolen but time was ticking past and every moment might be taking Emily closer to trouble. Without explaining himself, he hung up then drove toward Tommy’s place.

  “Tell me where she is, Beck,” he said in the car. When no response came, he smashed a fist onto the Toyota’s steering wheel.

  Tommy’s house was dark when he arrived and there was no sign of Emily or of his truck. He drove all around the property with no luck. Again, Ryan beseeched his sister to help him. Only silence greeted his pleas.

  He jumped out of the sedan and stalked toward Tommy’s house. The front door jerked open before he reached the porch.

  Tommy stood there wearing a scowl. “What the hell do you want now, Barnes?�
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  Ryan stopped a few feet from him. “Where’s Emily?”

  “Who?”

  “The woman you saw me with before.” He didn’t have time for these games.

  “I have no idea where she is. But if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell away from here. Do I have to get a restraining order against you, too?”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I didn’t want to go legal on Becky but she wouldn’t stop coming around, apologizing and begging me to take her back. Swore she made a huge mistake but I said it was too late.” Tommy dropped his gaze and sighed. “I wish to God I’d handled it differently but there’s nothing I can do to change it now.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Tommy met his stare. “She didn’t tell you I’d taken out a restraining order against her? After she admitted she’d had an affair, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive her.” He wiped a hand over his face. “Shit, Ryan, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  Suddenly unsteady, Ryan grasped a post. “Who’d she have an affair with?”

  “She wouldn’t say. The whole thing came out of the blue. I still can’t believe it.”

  He couldn’t afford to delve into the matter more, not with Emily missing. “I’ve got to go. Sorry I—”

  Tommy held up his hands. “Don’t. I understand.”

  With a nod, he started back to Becky’s car. He didn’t have time to deal with his sister’s secrets now, not with Emily missing. Getting behind the wheel, he racked his brain to think where she would have gone and why. Nothing came to him. All he could do was hope she’d contact him and that she was all right.

  * * * * *

  Emily grabbed Ryan’s jacket from behind the seat of his truck and pulled it on before getting out at Arnie’s place. His scent wrapped around her and a pang of regret tugged at her heart. Arnie could be wrong about Ryan. She prayed he was as she climbed out of the cab.

  The front door to his shop was locked so she knocked and peered through the glass when he didn’t answer after several minutes. Thunder cracked nearby and rain started moments later. She moved under the awning.

  Finally he came out from the back and opened the door. “Sorry, sweetheart. I was on the phone with a vendor.” He glanced over her shoulder. “You didn’t tell Becky’s brother where you were going, did you?”

  She shook her head. Deep down inside, she almost hoped he would find her and proclaim his innocence.

  “C’mon inside. Looks like it’s getting nasty out there.” Arnie locked the door behind her then led her back into the office where they’d spoken earlier. He disappeared behind a trifold screen for a moment then returned a minute later and set a cup of tea in front of her as he sat opposite her. “It’s chamomile. It’ll calm you down.”

  She sipped the steaming liquid, wondered how he’d made it so quickly. Maybe he’d brewed it for himself. The tea tasted much sweeter than she liked. She winced then immediately schooled her expression.

  Arnie laughed. “Too much agave syrup?”

  “It’s fine, thank you.” She drank more to convince him. “You said I might not be safe with Ryan. Did Josiah tell you that?”

  He nodded. “That’s why I had you get away from him. Josiah said Becky’s spirit is in turmoil because she was betrayed by her brother. She didn’t have many people who cared about her and truly loved her, you know. And certainly not that boyfriend.”

  What was he talking about? She tried to concentrate but her stomach was burning.

  “Tell me exactly what Becky’s spirit said to you.” He leaned toward her and looked at her expectantly. “It’s important that I know…so I can tell Josiah.”

  “Wait, I’m confused. I thought Josiah told you things.” She blinked, trying to focus but she couldn’t seem to concentrate. She grasped the edge of the table, suddenly lightheaded.

  No one knew where she was or who she was with. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know Arnie that well. She swallowed hard and glanced out the window. She tried to focus on his aura but she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. She blinked several times but the sensation didn’t lessen.

  “What did Becky say?” Arnie’s hands were clenched into tight balls on the table as if he planned to punch something. “Tell me.” His voice was rougher now, almost angry.

  The steely curtain around his emotions lifted for a brief moment and she gasped at the waves of cold menacing evil surrounding him. She stared down into the teacup, struggling to stay awake. “Oh, God. You drugged me.” Meeting his gaze, her worst fears were realized.

  Arnie’s eyes were wild. He bolted from his chair, knocking it over then grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “What did she say? Does she remember who was at her house and…” his voice trailed off.

  Emily could barely suck in a breath. She struggled against the effects of whatever Arnie had put in her tea, tried to figure out how to get out of there.

  “Answer me.” Now he was shouting.

  Her voice was locked in her chest, not that she’d tell him a damn thing. All she could do was try to wrestle herself free.

  He was slightly built but she was no match for his strength. He pulled her up and held her so close she smelled his breath, like stale cigarettes. “Emily! What do you know?”

  She wanted to tell him to screw himself, but she couldn’t even make her mouth work enough to say that.

  “You’re a whore, just like Becky.” He shoved her onto the floor and she scrambled back into a corner, frantically searching the room for anything she could use as a weapon. But the sparsely appointed office offered nothing.

  “I wanted her to leave that dumb redneck boyfriend, but she didn’t want to hurt him.” He rolled his eyes and took a menacing step toward her. “We were in love, but she left me no choice. Do you see?”

  Black dots appeared in her field of vision. She tried to hang on to consciousness.

  Help me, Ryan!

  But she knew he was closed off to her telepathic messages. “Ryan!” she managed in a hoarse voice she barely recognized as her own. Then the darkness overtook her.

  * * * * *

  Ryan drove out of Tommy’s driveway toward the road but he had no idea where to go.

  “Where the hell are you, Emily?” She wouldn’t have taken his truck if something wasn’t terribly wrong. What if someone had been waiting inside his house and kidnapped her as soon as she entered. Why hadn’t he gone in with her? Unless he’d inadvertently done something to upset her.

  He replayed the day in his mind, but he couldn’t come up with any reason why she’d be pissed off. Leaning his head back, he concentrated on everything he knew about her. He put the car in Park then phoned the salon where she worked.

  “Sorry, she’s off today,” the receptionist told him.

  He tried her cell again but he went straight to voicemail again.

  Damn it. He punched the steering wheel. If only he was psychic, he’d know what was going on.

  “That’s it,” he said aloud. That psychic they’d met with might be able to contact her telepathically. He put the car in Drive, practically blind with panic, and sped toward Raleigh.

  The occult bookstore was dark when he arrived.

  Too damn bad.

  His heart felt like it skipped a beat when he spotted his truck parked under a tree, nearly hidden from view. His relief was short-lived when the questions started tumbling through his mind. Why had she disappeared without a word and why hadn’t she even called him? She had to know he’d be frantic.

  He approached the truck, opened the driver side door and looked inside. Nothing seemed out of place. He started toward the building when a flash of chrome and metallic black caught his eye. A freestanding carport peeked out from behind some tall shrubs. His pulse did double time when he neared the structure and found a black SUV with several dents in front.

  He shifted into high alert. Glad he’d brought a weapon, he headed to the door and tried to see through the win
dows but the curtains were drawn. He banged on the glass then tried the knob and found it locked. “Emily?” he called but was greeted with only silence.

  Somewhere deep inside him, he heard—or felt—her reaching out to him. She was in trouble. He headed around the back of the building and found another entrance that looked like it went to the office they’d been in earlier.

  Without another thought, he slammed his shoulder into the door, once, twice, finally breaking through on his third try. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sight of Emily tied up in a chair in the corner. Her head slumped forward and her eyes were closed.

  Please let her be okay.

  He rushed over, knelt in front of her and touch her cheek. He nearly cried with joy when he felt the warm moisture of her breath fan over his wrist. “Emily?” She didn’t stir when he lightly slapped her face and his hope plummeted.

  “Get up,” a male voice said from behind him.

  He started to reach for the gun in his waistband until the cold metal of the other man’s weapon jabbed against the back of his neck.

  “I’ll kill you both if you make a move for it.” Arnie’s voice was flat and Ryan had no doubt the man would carry through with the threat.

  But he refused to just give his power up to the son-of-a-bitch who’d tied up Emily and done God knows what to her. He clenched his jaw and started to raise his hands in the air. But instead of surrendering, he thrust his elbow back and it connected with the other man’s gut.

  Arnie yelped and Ryan spun around in time to watch Arnie’s gun drop to the floor. Before Ryan could grab his own weapon, Arnie landed a punch to Ryan’s jaw. Then Arnie bent and charged him, knocking them both to the ground.

  Arnie straddled him and tried to choke him. “Why couldn’t you leave it alone? I didn’t want to kill Becky but I couldn’t make her see reason.”

  Fury supercharged Ryan’s strength. He knocked the other man off and reached for his gun. When Arnie came back at him, Ryan fired.

  Arnie froze, then looked down at the tiny dark hole in the breast pocket of his white shirt. Blood soaked the fabric in seconds as Arnie slumped to the floor, his eyes wide with shock.