Looking at Alexander again, he tapped his nose.
“You got it.” Then I realized what that meant. “Wait. Someone didn’t want his ghost to remain?”
“Exactly.” A note of pride hit Gretchen’s voice, lifting her voice an octave. “Alexander was one of the best spell users I’ve ever met. He’s clearly broken through the hold and fought against them.” She glanced around at the swamp with her flashlight, then finally looked at me. “I sense elevated magnetic fields in this area—that might be how he’s doing it. The use of the powerful fields would break most spells.”
Alexander confirmed her suspicions with a firm nod.
“Oh,” was my reply at that bit of nonsense.
While I had come a long way in believing in magic, my knowledge still lacked when it came to spells and such. If I hadn’t seen firsthand how magic did work, I might have laughed now, but I had banished a demon back to Hell. Restricting a ghost, and somehow breaking that hold, seemed possible.
Gretchen pinched her nose, staring at the beam of her flashlight on the grass before she lifted her head. “Do you suspect there was magic used at your death and that’s why you don’t know who killed you?”
He tapped his nose.
“Yup,” I confirmed.
My own questions rose, followed by frustration. He seemed to know about as much as we did, which was jack shit. “Is there anything else you can show me that can help? Your daughter wants to find out who did this to you.”
Shadows formed in his eyes as he shook his head.
My heart wrenched over the depth of sadness prevalent on his ghostly features. If I could see his emotions as clearly as I did in his current condition, they were raw and intense. And this was exactly why I tried to keep my distance from ghosts, their pain and dismay always sucked in me.
Gretchen took a step forward and her voice softened. “I promise I’ll do my best to break the spell, Alexander, so you can move on.”
He nodded with conviction.
“He likes that idea,” I told Gretchen.
Alexander smiled, staring at me with a fierce look, as if he had no doubt we could help him. Since I didn’t make the offer to help and I’d never met him, this seemed odd. The hair on my neck stood up in warning. “Um…do you know me?”
His knowing eyes said it all.
Bizarre.
Without the chance to press him further, his presence began to fade. “Oh, I think he’s leaving now.”
Before my eyes, his shadowy form flickered back into light until all that remained was the orb, floating within the dark sky. When the light vanished, I turned to Gretchen. “He’s gone.”
“I suspect the power he gains from the magnetic fields can only be held for so long.” She angled her flashlight up to show her face, and her gaze was concerned. “This is bad.”
“When did you get your first clue?” I snapped, totally understanding where she was going with this. “Bad is a dead man. A shit storm of trouble is that someone used magic on him.” Even I saw what that meant—only certain people would know of that spell. “How well do you know the members of Animus?”
“Very well.” Her voice lowered, saddened. “None of them would do this.” At my raised eyebrows, she hesitated and sighed. “Or what I mean to say is, none I would suspect of killing Alexander.”
I rubbed my face, blowing out a long deep breath as crickets sang around me. Dammit, why did things have to get so messy? Why couldn’t Alexander be a normal ghost—as ridiculous as the thought was—and tell me who killed him? I could make a call to the police and case closed. Another mystery was so not what I needed right now, but seeing his condition was all types of awful.
After another hard rub of my very tired eyes, I lowered my hands and shook them out to shed my frustrations. But as I did, a thought returned that formed earlier with vengeance. “Question, when did Alexander die?”
Gretchen appeared taken back by my switch of subjects with wide eyes and appeared to want to discuss something further, but she obliged me. “Days before we first met.”
I glanced at the grass beneath my plaid rain boots, noticing the dew from my flashlight. I thought over the past days, timed it all out, and a slow horror slid over me. Raising my head, I could barely manage, “Right around the time I took on the Lizbeth Knapp case?”
Gretchen cocked her head, regarding me with a crease to her brow. “I suppose it was around that time.” Her eyes searched mine. “Why?”
Sucking in a deep breath, my hands trembled and I clenched my fists. “In fact, it was the exact time.”
Was that a coincidence?
Alexander had seemed to know of me and my gifts, didn’t he? He wasn’t at all surprised at what I could do and how I could do it. Even the other ghosts that arrived before him had been stunned at my abilities, but not Alexander. That meant before his death, he learned of me. Which also meant Dane had come to Memphis the day or so after his father-in-law’s death.
Why?
He told me himself that solving Alexander’s crime was important to him, so then why, at such a crucial time, did he leave White Castle? More to the point, he showed tenderness toward his grief-stricken wife. Why would he leave the woman he loved when she needed him the most—to help me, a complete stranger?
The answer was glaringly obvious.
“I’m going to rip his fucking heart out.”
Spinning on my heels, I made a beeline for the house, but the damn boots made it difficult. I curled my toes, doing my best to run. I didn’t give a rat’s ass if I looked completely ridiculous, which I assumed I did.
“Where are you going?” Gretchen’s feet banged on the ground behind me. “We have to talk about this, Tess. It’s important to…”
Her voice became lost to me as blood pulsed through my veins while my heart hammered. Intense anger fueled my steps and I pushed all my strength into my legs to outrun her. The warm wind brushed over my hot skin, but it did nothing to cool the scorching rage within.
“Stop! Tess!” Gretchen yelled. “Whose heart?”
Chapter Five
The ugly wallpaper in the living room became a blur as a vice grip wrapped around my middle. My legs swung around in front of me and my boots flew off my feet, splattering dirt on the fancy red-velvet chaise near the fireplace. Dane’s aftershave filled my flaring nostrils and smelled nicer than the man himself. I pounded my fists against his arms that caged me, and I would’ve bit him if I had the chance.
“Let me go,” I screeched.
He held onto me for a second longer, and then with no care, tossed me to the hardwood floor. His knee pressed into my lower back, pinning me beneath him. I groaned when he pushed the full force of his weight against me. Totally stuck, I stared at Wayde’s feet in front of me, now at eye-level, and cursed.
“You’ve kicked me in the balls—twice now, I might add,” Dane snarled. “Explain yourself.”
Well no, kicked him once would be more accurate for the present, but I’d kneed him in the junk after he kissed me in front of Kipp and put my current hell into motion. But really, who was counting?
“Best you explain yourself.” I bit off, even if it sounded like a grumble since the pressure he exuded on my back had taken the wind out of my lungs. “You, no-good-son-of-a-bitch.”
The pressure increased.
“Dane, get off her,” Amelia said in a soft voice, showing no hint of emotion at either being pissed at me for the attack on her husband, or bothered by his aggressive response.
“Promise you won’t kick me again.” He sneered.
I fought against his hold, wracking my brain to come up with a way to get my knee back at his jewels. To my annoyance, his hold remained fierce. He did work for the F.B.I. and perhaps that came with some combat training, explaining why, at the moment, I found myself royally screwed.
“Fine. I won’t kick you.” For now, I nearly added. It all depended on what he said next if his balls would be up in his throat again.
Slowly, as i
f it pained him to do so, he removed his knee, and then the pressure at my back vanished. I pushed off the hardwood floor in two-point-two seconds, noticing his pale face and the way he wasn’t standing straight. Good on him.
Gretchen finally entered through the living room doorway—perhaps she’d been stunned by my ninja moves. She stepped in next to me and fought her smile, but her amusement showed in the twinkle of her eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” I smoothed my pink T-shirt over my jeans, running my hands over my ruffled hair, noting the ends were a little crunchy. I needed a haircut—desperately—but who had time for such things? I sure as hell didn’t, and my broken fingernails proved it. “I’m fine.”
“You’re fine?” Dane’s eyes blazed with fury as he dropped down on the couch, a little stiffly. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
I didn’t care about his wrath. He had mine to face. “You set me up. Don’t try to deny it. I know you did.”
“I…” He glanced at his wife, who stared at him with wide eyes, and then he looked at me. Some of the heat removed from his gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, really?” I drew in a sharp breath, scenting the spicy potpourri in the room that should bring comfort, but didn’t. My blood burned wicked hot. I tightened my fists in preparation to knock his damn teeth out. “It’s a coincidence then, that you did your best to ensure Kipp vanished, so I needed your help.” My voice rose louder. “Help I could only obtain if I came to solve the murder of your father-in-law.”
He avoided my gaze, looking to the hardwood floor. “It wasn’t my original intention.”
Gretchen took my hand, squeezing tight, probably to ensure I didn’t butcher Dane. Maybe she realized where I was going with this. “But your intentions changed, didn’t they?”
He slowly lifted his head, eyes darkened. “Perhaps, but it doesn’t change the fact I don’t agree with your relationship.” He looked at Wayde, who stood in silence, likely in shock I had kicked Dane in the nuts. “No one here does.”
My anger burned deeper, but I couldn’t deny the truth to his statement, since disgust filled Wayde’s expression. “Guess what?” I spat, staring both men down. “I don’t give a shit what either of you think.”
Wayde snorted as he took a seat on the chaise by the fireplace, covered in the mud from my boots, which he didn’t seem to mind. “Loving a ghost is wrong.” His features twisted. “Sordid.”
Disregarding Wayde and his stupid opinions, I focused on Dane. “Did you know Kipp was in a coma?” It all seemed to come together like some sick puzzle, and my stomach churned as if I had drunk sour milk. At Dane’s silence, I shouted, “Did you know?”
His eyes became ice cold. “Max told me the day I arrived.”
Max, the Sergeant I worked for on the cold-case files, thought I needed guidance with my gifts and went out to find it. He brought Dane into my life and a shit load of trouble, too.
Gretchen squeezed my hand so tight it hurt and shame sounded thick on her voice. “Dane, how could you?”
I pinched my eyes shut and inhaled the woodsy scent from the crackling fire to calm the rage pulsating in my veins before I opened them to Dane again. “This was never about my loving Kipp and holding him back. It couldn’t have been, because you knew all along that he couldn’t cross over. It’s always been about you getting me to help you because you knew full well I wouldn’t do it without a good reason.”
My voice elevated and my body shook from the inside out. “You came to Memphis not to help me, but to prove my abilities were accurate. Then, you found a way to force my hand to help you—through Kipp.”
The only indication my words affected him was his nostril flare, but I wasn’t nearly done. After seeing what happened to Alexander, there was a very good reason why Kipp vanished. “Did you cast a spell on him to force him into the Netherworld?”
Dane stared at me dead-on. “No, I did not.”
While no deception showed in his features, how could I believe him? I willed myself to think straight, calm down, and piece it all together. “But if you didn’t force him away, then how would you know Kipp would go into the Netherworld?”
“I didn’t.” His intense gaze was serious before he once again lowered his head. “But I hoped.”
Amelia dropped down next to him on the couch as if her legs held no strength. “No, that can’t be true. You didn’t go to Memphis for that reason. You went there because father asked you to.”
Wayde, who had stayed silent, cleared his throat. “Alexander asked you to meet with Tess?” He looked mildly befuddled that Alexander hadn’t asked him, or maybe that he hadn’t been told, since by all appearances, this was a new development to him.
Who knew why it bothered him—who freaking cared!
Lifting his head, Dane nodded at Wayde, then said to me, “Alexander learned about you from Max and asked me to look into your abilities. I arranged to see you before Alexander’s death.”
“What happened then?” I snapped, so wound with anger I thought I might combust. “You realized you had a way to force me to help you?”
He shrugged so nonchalantly I wanted to bash his face in. “I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
Before I could step forward to gut him, Amelia interjected, “Dad wouldn’t have wanted this.” She shook her head slowly and tears filled her eyes. “He’d be disgusted in how you’re all behaving.” She turned to me and in a much softer voice said, “I apologize for them, and for Dane. Your relationship is a personal matter and I, like Gretchen, understand you can’t help who you love.” She sent her now angry expression onto Dane. “You can’t turn your nose up at anyone for loving someone. It’s wrong.” She glared at Wayde. “Sordid.”
Perhaps Amelia did deserve to be in my good book; she seemed to have an effect on the men. Heads lowered in shame. Turning to Dane, she narrowed her eyes. “Did you spellbind, Kipp?” Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t believe him.
He frowned. “I just said I didn’t.”
Part of me—the evil part wanting to hurt him—hoped I could ruin his life, as he’d ruined mine. I’d never been vindictive, but right now, I couldn’t hold back. “No, he kissed me.”
Amelia’s head jerked to me, eyes huge. “Pardon me?”
“Oh.” I blinked innocently. “Didn’t Dane tell you?”
The man in question shot me the look of death, but I returned it. “That’s how he forced Kipp away. He kissed me—a big, hot kiss—when I didn’t know Kipp was watching, making Kipp think I was cheating on him and pissing him off so he’d leave me.”
Even as I said it, it sounded so absurd. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Kipp had actually believed I cheated. He should’ve known better—known I’d never love anyone else but him. Exactly why, deep down, I knew Kipp had left for another reason. He trusted me—I didn’t doubt that. So why did he leave? And that daunting question drove my motivation now.
Amelia slowly stood from her seat next to Dane, glaring down at him. “Is that true? Did you kiss her?”
Dane’s eyes practically threw daggers at me before he looked at his wife with a tender expression. “The kiss meant nothing. We need her, Amelia.” He softened his voice as if to soothe his wife’s concern. “You know this.”
Obviously, he’d said enough, since tears now rushed down Amelia’s cheeks. I snorted at her tears. Dane didn’t deserve her sadness, but more so, the removal of his masculine parts.
She shook her head, wiping at her face and whispered, “I’m so ashamed of you. Everything you’ve done—it’s horrific.”
Maybe it irritated me she wasn’t more pissed about the kiss. But I suspected she knew Dane wouldn’t cheat on her, but that his intention was to do exactly what he did—put me in a situation where I needed their help. Besides, her reaction only firmed up why I believed Kipp wouldn’t have fallen for it either. Which only confirmed to me, once again, there was no logical reason for Kipp’s departure, le
ading me to believe Dane magically forced him away.
Only problem? How to prove it.
Amelia finally tore her gaze away from her husband, glancing at me. “I would’ve never agreed to Dane’s actions. My father wouldn’t have gone about it this way.” Her lip quivered, sending more tears rushing over her face. “He was a really good man and would’ve just asked for your help.” Her gaze shifted to Dane and she snapped, “Not tricked you, or put you in situation where you didn’t have a choice.”
Dammit, why did she have to be so nice? “You should lead this group and put it in the right direction, since you’re surrounded by a bunch of assholes.”
Dane, the biggest one, glared at me.
Amelia cut in, giving him a look. “You’re right—I should’ve come in Dane’s place.”
“What?” he growled at his wife.
Another stern look from her had him grumbling incoherent swear words. He huffed and left his place at the couch to stand by the fireplace with his back to me.
“I’m sorry for what’s happened,” Amelia went on, softer now. “Really, I am.” Her voice rose in desperation and her gaze shone with an equal longing. “But I need to know what happened to my father.”
I glanced between her and Dane’s back, repeating the move several times. When my gaze slid to Wayde, his smart-ass smile told me our promise remained and if I didn’t tell them what I knew, I’d never get the spell.
Not to say I wasn’t hell-bent on finding a way out of this. Now, to form an escape route…
Chapter Six
After considering all possibilities of getting myself out of this without breaking the binding spell, I finally admitted defeat. Wayde had me trapped…for now. Once I told him my end of the bargain, as in, what I learned about Alexander, I could leave with a way to find Kipp.
Staring at the maddening smirk on Wayde’s face, I muttered, “There isn’t much to tell. I found Alexander, yes, but—”
Mystically Bound (Frostbite, Book Three) Page 3