The Dirty Dozen: Damsel Edition

by Kay Maree

  Gina’s mouth fell open. “But how?”

  Memories of April’s battered body suddenly assailed him. He shook off the images and ran his thumb over Gina’s knuckles. “I don’t know how or why it happens. I can’t see others like me, but I’m somehow able to hear cries for help from the living. And not always, obviously. But the ones that I can hear or feel somehow draw me to them.”

  “So I’m not the only one who can see or touch you,” Gina whispered, her eyes huge and seeking.

  Colton ran his free hand down his face. “You are. I’ve never been able to interact with any of the people I’ve saved. They never see me or remember my presence.”

  “Then how do you help them?”

  Shrugging, Colton explained, “I’ve never arrived to find them conscious. It takes an extreme amount of concentration and energy for me to move them or touch them in any way.”

  A small indention appeared between Gina’s pale blue eyes. “Maybe that’s why you can hear them, because they’re close to…”

  “Death,” he rumbled. “You can say it. I mean, after three years of being dead, I’ve grown accustomed to the word.”

  Gina took an unsteady breath. “How did you know where to find April?”

  “I didn’t,” Colton responded. “I heard her calling for help. When I closed my eyes, her desperation pulled me to her somehow. It always happens that way.”

  Gina didn’t blink at his explanation. “The FBI has been called in on this one. They believe it was the work of the Westcoast Strangler.”

  “I wondered that myself,” Colton admitted. Another thought occurred to him. “She was taken from DeFuniak Springs. Not too far from where you live. I don’t feel good about you staying alone.”

  Gina nodded. “I know. It makes me uneasy too. But I have locks on the doors and windows, and as you well know, I keep a pistol in the nightstand next to the bed. I’ll be fine. Unless…”

  “Unless what?” he prompted, hoping she would say what he thought she was about to.

  She quickly licked her lips. “You want to hang out at my place for a while?”

  Want to? he thought, tightening his hold on her hand. He wanted nothing more than to be with her. “Of course I’ll stay with you.”

  It felt so damn good to feel needed by her that Colton couldn’t bring himself to voice the obvious. If someone did manage to break into Gina’s home, what help would he, a ghost, be?

  He would make sure she kept that gun on her at all times. He might not be alive, but there was nothing wrong with his senses. And he would keep them on alert day and night to keep Gina safe. Gina appeared relieved by his vow to stay with her. She sent him a grateful smile, put the car in gear, and drove toward home.

  * * * *

  Colton held Gina’s hand the entire ride back to her house. He couldn’t seem to let go of her. She’d actually hunted him down and found him.

  He understood returning with her wasn’t right. He also knew that his presence in her life would eventually come to an end. An ache settled inside his chest.

  She pulled into the drive and got out. Colton followed suit.

  “Someone’s coming,” Colton announced, turning his attention toward the front yard.

  A short, beefy man suddenly rounded the house, wearing long tan shorts, a dirty T-shirt, and a smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Collins.”

  Gina greeted the man in the same friendly fashion. “Hiya, Mr Needlemyer. How are you today?”

  “I’m good,” he responded, making his way toward her. “I was just finishing up some yard work when I noticed your grass could use a cut. I know you live alone and you work a lot. I’d be more than happy to cut it if you’d like?”

  Colton didn’t miss the way the man looked at Gina, his hungry gaze touching on every part of her body but her face.

  Disgust settled in Colton’s gut.

  Gina turned to unlock the door as she spoke. “I have a kid coming this weekend to mow, but I appreciate the offer.”

  Colton watched as the man’s gaze dropped to Gina’s ass the moment her back was to him.

  “If you’re sure?” Ol’ Needlemyer persisted.

  “I’m sure,” she called back, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

  She glanced back as if waiting on Colton to follow her. “Have a nice day, Mr Needlemyer.”

  Colton stepped inside the house, relieved when Gina closed and locked the door behind him.

  “He’s a pervert,” Colton pointed out, going to the window to watch the beefy neighbor amble his way across Gina’s front lawn.

  Gina chuckled. “He is, but his wife is a sweetheart, and she makes the best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever tasted.”

  Colton’s lips twitched. He should have known Gina had the situation under control.

  He turned to face her. “What I wouldn’t give for a cookie right about now.”

  “You and me both,” Gina quipped, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  Colton moved forward until he stood directly in front of her, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

  She held his gaze, the teasing light in her eyes suddenly gone. “What are we doing?”

  “I don’t know,” Colton whispered, leaning in close. “But it sure feels good.”

  His lips brushed softly against hers, and the hand cupping her cheek moved around behind her head.

  He gently tugged her forward, deepening the kiss.

  If he remained in his current state for the next hundred years, he would spend every waking moment in Gina’s arms. Nothing had ever felt more right.

  A knock suddenly sounded, pulling Colton out of his fantasy.

  Gina broke off the kiss, an unsteady breath exhaling across Colton’s face. “Maybe they’ll leave.”

  Colton took a step back with the next impatient knock. “You should get that.”

  “Hold that thought,” Gina muttered, trailing off to get the door.

  “I’ve thought of little else.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Gina looked through the peephole to find her mother standing on the porch.

  “Mom?” Gina murmured, pulling the door open to allow Lani entrance. “Come in.”

  Lani stepped over the threshold, her hands fidgeting in front of her. “Did I come at a bad time?”

  Gina glanced at Colton before shaking her head. “Of course not.” She’d give anything to be able to introduce him to her mother.

  “What’s going on?” Gina asked, watching her mother amble toward the kitchen.

  Lani grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and returned to the living room where Gina and Colton waited. “I’m just worried about you. Your father told me that they found Sheriff Dennison’s daughter. She’d been assaulted, beaten, and shot.”

  Lani shuddered and took a seat on the sofa. Tears filled her pretty brown eyes. “The whole time he was telling me about that poor girl, all I could think of was you. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

  “Oh, Mom.” Gina hurried over and took a seat next to her mother. “Don’t cry. I’m perfectly all right. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

  Lani raised her tear-filled eyes. “I want you to come stay at the house until this monster is caught. You’re not safe here by yourself.”

  Gina wanted to assure her mother that she wasn’t alone. That she had Colton to watch over her. Instead she said, “I have protection, Mom. But if it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll have an alarm system installed on the doors and windows.”

  Lani reached over and took hold of Gina’s hand. “Promise me you’ll do that.”

  “I promise, Mom.”

  “I’d still feel better if you stayed at the house,” Lani pressed, squeezing her daughter’s hand. “And your father isn’t going to be happy about you staying here alone. Don’t be surprised if he pays you a visit.”

  Gina cleared her throat
. “Not to change the subject, but I wanted to ask you something about this White Buffalo totem you mentioned before.”

  Lani wiped at her eyes, giving Gina her undivided attention. “Are you still seeing spirits?”

  “You could say that,” Gina responded, avoiding Colton’s gaze.

  She peered down at her mother’s hand resting on her own. “Is it possible for a spirit to remain here with us? I mean— I guess what I’m trying to ask is, do they all eventually cross over at some point?”

  Lani tucked a finger beneath Gina’s chin and lifted. “What are you not telling me?”

  Gina could practically feel Colton’s anxiety, knew that he probably took her words the wrong way. “The spirit I recently told you about?”

  At her mother’s nod, she continued. “He came back. In fact, he’s here now.”

  Lani’s eyes widened. “Here, you mean, in the room with us?”

  Gina turned her head and met Colton’s stunned gaze before turning back to her mother. “Yes. His name is Colton. He died in a fire three years ago.”

  Lani slowly got to her feet, her gaze sweeping the room.

  Gina stood as well, holding out her hand for Colton. He slipped his palm against hers.

  Lani faced her daughter, a look of wonderment on her face. “I can feel a difference in the temperature.”

  Staring into her mother’s eyes, Gina was struck by a sudden idea. Her fingers shook as she lifted them toward Lani. “Take my hand.”

  Lani obeyed without question, accepting her daughter’s outstretched palm.

  A soft intake of breath was the only sound Lani made as her gaze shifted to Colton. More tears gathered in her eyes. “I can see you…”

  Gina felt the moisture spring up in her own eyes as her mother stared back at Colton without blinking.

  Lani slowly stepped forward, lifted her arm, and attempted to lay her palm against Colton’s cheek. “I can’t feel you, but I can see you.”

  Gina watched as Colton’s eyes slid shut and a warm smile touched his face.

  Lani pulled back, but kept hold of her daughter’s hand. “He needs your help, Gina.”

  “My help? How?” But she knew. Gina was more than aware of her mother’s meaning.

  Flicking her gaze back in Colton’s direction, Lani murmured, “He was drawn to you for a reason, my daughter. Partly, I’m certain because of the gift you were born with. But you are not the reason he has remained behind to begin with.”

  “How do I figure out what that reason is?” Colton questioned.

  Lani’s eyes grew large once again. “I can hear you.”

  Gina tilted her head up to gauge Colton’s reaction. He stared back at her with a look of wonder on his face.

  “Tell me about your death,” Lani demanded, a determination in her voice that Gina had witnessed on many occasions.

  Colton took a deep breath and recited the events leading up to his death three years ago, ending with, “The only time the screams stop is when I’m able to save a life, or when I’m with Gina.”

  Lani turned her attention back to her daughter. “I will bring you some books to read over. I will also speak with Ned Riverwind and hopefully get some guidance as to what needs doing from here.”

  Gina’s stomach clenched. “What needs doing?”

  “He cannot remain here,” Lani whispered, her sad gaze flicking to Colton and then back to her daughter. “It is unnatural. No good can come of it.”

  With her heart pounding in protest of her mother’s words, Gina asked, “How can you know that for sure?”

  “It is not the way of it, my child. Look deep inside yourself, and you will know I speak the truth.”

  Gina released her mother’s hand, subconsciously moving closer to Colton. “When will you talk with Ned Riverwind?”

  “I will go by his place on the way home. I must hurry. If I’m not back before dark, your father will have all of Walton County out searching for me.”

  Following Lani to the door, Gina pointed out, “He wouldn’t have to worry if you’d simply invest in a cell phone.”

  Lani opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. “I never have cared for modern-day technology, and I’m not about to start now.”

  Stopping at the screen door on the porch, Lani turned back. “I’ll bring those books by tomorrow and let you know what Riverwind has to say.”

  “I love you, Mom. Please be careful on the way home and call me the minute you get there.”

  Her mother nodded. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  Gina waited for her mother to get in her car and back out of the drive before closing and locking the door behind her.

  She turned to face an unreadable Colton. “I’m sorry about what she —”

  “No,” he interrupted, surprising Gina. “She’s right. No matter how much I might want to stay here, I can’t. Eventually, I’ll have to go. Whether by choice or fate. I’m not alive, Gina. No matter how much I wish otherwise.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Colton watched the play of emotions on Gina’s face before she blanked her expression. “Be that as it may, you’re here for the time being, and we need to figure out why.”

  “How was it possible for your mother to see me?”

  Gina shook her head. “I don’t know. I had this thought that if she could somehow touch you, maybe she could interact with you.”

  “So, you held both of our hands,” Colton pointed out. “I just can’t believe it actually worked.”

  He stood completely still as Gina moved closer to him.

  She brought her hands up to his face, stood on tiptoes, and softly kissed his lips.

  Colton’s body reacted instantly. “Gina…”

  “Okay. If you don’t want—”

  The rest of her words were cut off by his lips slanting over hers. She thought he didn’t want her? She couldn’t be more wrong.

  Another knock sounded at the door, and Colton inwardly groaned. He wanted nothing more than to take Gina to bed and love her through the night.

  She pulled back. “Hold that thought.”

  Hurrying to the door, Gina looked through the peephole once more before glancing back at Colton. “It’s Claire and Jaxon.”

  Colton had no idea who Claire and Jaxon were, but he assumed by Gina’s reaction they were friends.

  She unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Hey, you two. What are you doing here?”

  “May we come in?” a masculine voice rumbled from the porch.

  Gina stepped back and threw her arm wide. “Sorry. Yes, of course.”

  Colton watched as a pretty brunette holding a black cat stepped inside, followed by a tall, fierce-looking man and an even bigger man bringing up the rear.

  The cat immediately hissed, springing from the brunette’s arms to run in Colton’s direction.

  Peanut bolted from the room to hide in the spare bedroom, apparently afraid of the cat.

  Colton stared in shock at the feline as it slowly circled him, a strange sound coming from its throat.

  He looked up in time to see the fierce-looking man and the giant behind him both staring intently at him.

  Oblivious to it all, Gina wrapped the brunette in a hug. “Hi, Claire. Where’s the baby?”

  “My mom’s watching him. How have you been?”

  “I’m great, thanks. Have a seat.”

  Gina nodded toward the two men. “You too, Jaxon. Hi, Ben. I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “Hi, beautiful Cherokee.” Ben stepped forward and hugged Gina hard enough her feet came off the ground.

  Colton wanted to rip the man’s arms away from her.

  Jaxon moved to sit next to Claire, but his gaze continued to stray in Colton’s direction.

  “You can see me,” Colton stated, keeping his gaze on the one known as Jaxon.

  The guy sent him a small, quick nod before turning his attention back to Gina.

  Gi
na’s head swiveled in Colton’s direction, a questioning look in her eyes.

  “They can see me,” Colton murmured in awe, nodding toward the occupants on the couch.

  Gina appeared nervous as if unsure of what to do or say.

  Colton took the decision from her. “She knows I’m here,” he informed Jaxon. “The question is, how do you?”

  Jaxon slowly rose to his full height, his lips peeled back over his teeth. “Who are you, and what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I second that,” the one known as Ben growled.

  Claire glanced from Jaxon to Ben to Gina, then back to Jaxon. “What on earth are you doing?”

  Gina’s face turned white. She stumbled forward until she stood next to Jaxon. “You can see him?”

  “I can see him. The question is, how can you?”

  Colton rushed over to Gina’s side, keeping an eye on the hissing cat that seemed to be watching his every move.

  Taking hold of Gina’s hand, Colton gave it a gentle squeeze and met Jaxon’s gaze. “Are you vampires as well?”

  “No, but it was a vampire that sent me here to check on Cherokee.”

  Claire stood also, moving forward to loop her arm through Jaxon’s. Though she spoke to Colton, she kept her gaze trained on Gina. “I can’t see what they can, but we’re not here out of malice or to judge you. Damien asked us to check on Gina since you’ve been following her.”

  Pinning Gina with a questioning look, Claire asked, “You can see him?”

  Gina finally found her voice. She held up a hand for silence and asked the room at large, “Is it true that Tori and Damien are vampires?”

  Claire nodded. “It’s true.”

  “And you, Claire?” Gina whispered, moving closer to Colton’s side. “What are you?”

  Colton noticed the pretty brunette glance up at Jaxon before answering. “Maybe you should sit down.”

  “Just tell me,” Gina demanded, taking hold of Colton’s hand.

  It warmed his heart that she looked to him for protection.

  Claire cleared her throat. “Jaxon is a shifter.”

  Stunned, Colton could only stare as Gina repeated in a wooden tone. “Shifter?”