“I’m not talking about the ghosts.”
“I’m well aware of what you’re talking about.”
So that was it. Gabriella had been called crazy. Her ability had been mocked and ridiculed— and more than that she’d been mocked and ridiculed. I hated that. And I was determined to make sure she finally understood how amazing her gift was. And more importantly how amazing she was.
Gabriella
I stared at the tall double wooden doors wondering why I was willingly putting myself into this situation. I’d spent my whole life trying to avoid ghosts, trying to pretend I couldn’t see them, yet here I was purposefully walking into a place to see one, or more than one.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about.” Rexton squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve got this.”
“Nothing to be nervous about?” I spun to look at him. “I read through the stuff you found. There may be more than one ghost here.” In total, four people had died in the Connor home. All seemed to be of natural causes or accidents, but one never knew how a ghost would feel even if their death was purely innocent.
“So? You’ve handled more than one ghost on your own thinking they were harmless. This will be easier.”
“Easier?” I gasped. “We know at least one of these ghosts likely murdered someone.”
“First, it may just be one. Let’s focus on that. Two, we discussed we don’t know if the ghost did anything. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
“I’d feel better about things if you’d explained to me more about the potential dangers I could face.” No matter how many times I’d asked, he had deflected the questions. Given that, I probably shouldn’t have been standing there outside the home, yet somehow, I was.
“Sometimes it’s better not to know.”
“And sometimes it’s far better to know and be able to react to it.” There was a reason for planning and preparation. Winging it wasn’t my thing.
“Certain types of ghosts can physically hurt you, but generally they can’t do that unless they’ve gotten into your head first. So, focus on protecting your mind.”
Even more panic set in. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
“Evidently you’ve been doing that already.”
“What do you mean?”
“You spend a lot of time with ghosts, yet have never had a bad experience. You have to be doing something right. That’s why I don’t want you to overthink things.”
“Oh. I’m not over thinking things. If I were, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Just stay calm. Everything is going to be okay.” He squeezed my shoulder again. The action was more comforting than it should have been. I didn’t want to be so comfortable with him.
“Easy for you to say. At least you have some clue as to what we are stepping into.”
He inserted a key in the lock and turned the knob. It made a slight creaking noise before he pushed the door in.
Sunlight streamed in through large windows, lighting the expansive entryway. Already my expectations were off. I’d been expecting cobwebs and darkness. Not a bright and airy space. “Are we sure this is the right place?”
“Of course it is. You were expecting a haunted house from the movies, weren’t you?”
“The way the brothers described things, yes.” They’d been positively frightened when they talked about the house.
“Even after all the time you’ve spent with ghosts?” Rexton walked down the hall and into a neat and mostly empty kitchen before circling into a totally empty room and back out into the front hall.
“Yes. I never experienced anything like what they said, so how was I supposed to know?”
“Let’s walk around more.” He headed in the opposite direction.
I glanced up at the stairs. We knew at least one person had died there. “Please don’t suggest we split up.” I’d never been scared of ghosts before, but there was a first time for everything.
“Of course I’m not going to suggest that.”
“Of course?” I had no idea what to expect from Rexton.
He glanced back over his shoulder as he walked through another empty room. “Yes. Of course. It may not look scary, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous.” He once again managed to freak me out. What was the point of comforting me just to get me worked up again?
He stopped in front of the stairs.
“We aren’t going up there yet, are we?” I shivered.
“We know at least one death occurred on those stairs.”
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?” An older man yelled from the top of the stairs.
“Oh. You must be Mr. Connors.” Rexton put a hand on the post at the bottom of the stairs. “Your sons sent us.”
I took another look at the man. He was nearly solid, but when you looked close enough it became obvious he wasn’t a normal person.
“My sons?” The ghost of Mr. Connors took one step down. “Why would they do that?”
“It seems they think this house is haunted. They don’t think they can sell it,” Rexton used an extremely respectful tone of voice, but he wasn’t sugar coating anything.
“Why would they want to sell it? Doesn’t one of them want to raise a family here?”
“Raise a family?” Rexton asked. “I don’t believe either is married.”
One didn’t necessarily have to be married to start a family, but I thought it better not to say anything. Mr. Connors may have been traditional.
Mr. Connors shook his head. “Not yet. But they will be.”
“Can we come up there to talk to you?” Rexton put a foot on the bottom stair.
The ghost shook his head again. “I wouldn’t.”
“We don’t want to hurt you. We only want to talk.”
“It’s not me I’m trying to protect you from.” He wiped his brow. “It’s her.”
“Who’s her?” I asked. I needed to know even though I was pretty sure he was going to say another ghost.
“I don’t know. She hasn’t given her name, but she’s horrible.”
“Another ghost?” I whispered to Rexton.
He nodded. “Is she upstairs?”
“Yes, I think, but I haven’t seen her in a while. My guess is she will come out eventually. She usually does when anyone visits.”
“Is it you sending visions to your sons?” Rexton took another step up.
“What?” Mr. Connors took a step back. “What kind of visions?”
“We’re going to come up to discuss this.” Rexton continued to climb. “Stay close,” he whispered.
The temperature dropped as we made our way up the stairs. It made no logical sense. Warm air rose, but I knew that touching ghosts made you cold, so walking closer to multiple ghosts could do that. But even having that knowledge didn’t make me feel better. What was wrong with me? I lived with a ghost, yet I was afraid to meet these other ones? I’d never been afraid of a ghost before.
We reached the top of the stairs. “Why are you here? Have my sons lost their minds sending a young woman into a dangerous place?” Mr. Connors looked visibly shaken.
“She is very good at her job. They knew she’d be with me.” Rexton gave me a look that I interpreted to mean I should just go along with what he said.
“She’s coming.”
“Who is this exactly?” I asked. The look had said I shouldn’t argue with him, not that I shouldn’t question things at all.
“I already told you. I don’t know.” He started to fade out until he was completely gone.
“Get out!” A voice screamed from somewhere nearby. I jumped around and came face to face with a young woman. She was maybe late twenties.
Rexton put his hands on my shoulders. “Hello, Miss. We mean you no harm.”
“What are you doing here?”
“We are just looking for—”
“Get out!” She screamed again. “Get out now!”
“If you would only let us explain.” Rexton seemed to be struggling to k
eep his voice calm. “It won’t take long.”
“Explain?” She laughed dryly. “Explain what? Why you like breaking hearts? Why you like to destroy anyone’s experience with true love?”
“I’m sorry. Have we met before?” Rexton asked with a grin.
“Get out!” She lunged toward us.
In a blur we were off the ground, as in not standing. We were in the air.
She jumped up as if to get us, but we were out of reach.
“I told you we are here to talk.” Rexton spoke with a soothing tone.
“What the hell is going on?” Was the ghost making us levitate? I tried to look over my shoulder and all I saw was something big and black. Big black wings.
“I’ll explain later, babe.” Rexton’s arms were tight around my waist. “We have bigger problems right now.”
“Bigger than the fact that you have wings and can fly?” I was pretty sure I was in shock.
“Let’s not view those two things separately.” Rexton adjusted his arms around me. “They are related.”
“Fine. Whatever you say.”
“Make him leave.” Tears spilled down the ghost’s face. “Please make him leave. I’ll talk to you.”
“To me?” I put a hand to my chest, somehow still having some wherewithal even though I’d just discovered that on top of being an incubus and able to communicate with ghosts, Rexton also had wings.
“Yes.” She nodded. “Please.”
“Do you promise you won’t hurt him?” She seemed to have a thing against men.
“If he goes outside.”
“I’m not leaving her inside by herself,” Rexton snapped.
“It’s okay.” I was crazy. Positively crazy. I knew that. I also knew I felt for this ghost. I needed to know why she was so angry. Had a man hurt her? Is that why she wanted Rexton to leave?
“I can’t do this, babe.” There was real fear in Rexton’s voice. “Please.”
“We need to find out why she’s upset.” I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want to give away that we were trying to get that ghost out of there.
“You sure you want to do this?” He landed back on the ground.
“I do.”
“If you hurt even a hair on her head…” He pointed a finger at the ghost.
“I won’t.” She crossed her arms. “You have my word.”
I tried not to freak out as Rexton slowly walked down the stairs and toward the front door. “One hair.” He eyed the ghost.
“She will be fine.” The ghost shook her head. “Stop worrying.”
He slipped outside and the door closed behind him.
* * *
“Wait. Start again. From the beginning.” I was sitting cross-legged on the floor across from the ghost. I now knew her name was Mary.
“I fell in love one week before he left for the war.” She got a far-away look on her face.
“Which war?” I was hanging on to every word that came out of this ghost’s mouth.
“The Great War. The War to End All Wars. And before you say anything. I know it didn’t work out that way.”
“No. It didn’t.” I nodded. “What happened?”
“My father happened. He forbade me from marrying my love. He said we were from different worlds. But I loved my Stanley. I didn’t care how much money he had.”
“Oh. I’m sorry… and… well, I know it was a different time.” I tried to word things carefully.
“Why didn’t I just run away?” She pursed her lips.
“Yes, that’s what I was trying to ask. I mean if you don’t mind answering.” I hoped I wasn’t about to anger her.
“I couldn’t. He locked me up here.”
I let out an audible gasp. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know what you want to ask next.”
I was starting to wonder if she could read my mind, or maybe it was just so obvious. “How did you die? I didn’t see a cause of death in your obituary.” Once she told me her name, I deduced she was Mary Connors. The house had been in the Connors’ family for generations.
“I killed myself.” She looked down. “I just couldn’t … when I found out Stanley had married someone else.”
I reached out for her, feeling the coldness the second my hand grazed her. “I’m so sorry.”
“I shouldn’t have. I know. But I did…”
“Did you… I have to ask, Mr. Connors? His death?”
“I didn’t kill him!” She yelled. Then her face fell. “At least I didn’t mean to.” She looked up at me as more tears sprung from her eyes. “I tried to get him to understand. What he was doing was wrong.”
“What was he doing?” This was it. Finally, something.
“He told his son not to marry the woman he loved. She wasn’t from the right family. Just like my father said to me.”
“Oh.” And everything made sense. “Do you know which son?”
“Marist.” She wiped her eyes. “And his girlfriend is so lovely.”
“And you thought if Mr. Connors wasn’t around...”
“No!” Her eyes blazed. “I already told you I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was only trying to make him understand. But he didn’t listen. And then even after he died, Marist still didn’t marry her. Maybe he thought it was too late. I don’t know.”
“Why are you punishing the sons? Why are you giving them those visions?”
“I’m trying to get Marist to change his mind. And to keep them away from here. This house is an awful house. This family is cursed.”
“But what if they sell it to a new family? A different sort of family? Wouldn’t you like that?” I was reaching, but I didn’t know what else to do.
“You think a family would buy this house?”
“If they didn’t think it were haunted.” It was a beautiful old brick house. If I had lots of money and couldn't communicate with ghosts, I’d have considered it.
“Okay.” She nodded. “I could do that.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. If they find a good family, I’ll stop. I’ll forever stop. But I wish I weren’t stuck here forever.”
“I’m going to find a way to get you out of here.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I don’t.” I stood up. “I promise, Mary. I’m going to help.” I headed back down the stairs and outside, ready to fill Rexton in on everything I’d learned.
Rexton
She was amazing, absolutely amazing. How Gabriella had calmed that ghost down and gotten the information we needed was sheer genius. I was still in awe by the time we made it back to my place. “I knew you’d be good. But not that good.”
“I just followed my instincts.”
“Well, your instincts are good.”
“It may also help that I’ve been friends with ghosts for years.” She smiled. “Are you ready to admit that I might be right?”
“You may have a point.” I still didn’t think being friends with a ghost was a good idea, but Gabriella had a gift that went beyond communication. Ghosts trusted her. I’d never seen anything like it. “But that doesn’t mean it was a good idea. It comes with danger.”
“The situation we were in came with danger, too. Everything comes with danger.”
“I’d like for you to lead the conversation with the brothers.”
“Why?”
“You were the one who communicated most with the ghost. I bet there is a far better chance of Marist listening to you.”
“I wouldn’t bank on it, but I’ll try.”
“All I ask is that you try.”
“I really impressed you, huh?” She sipped a glass of ice water. She’d turned down my offer for wine this time.
“Yes. You did.”
“Good.” She set down her glass.
“You like knowing that.”
“Isn’t it normal to want to impress your new boss?”
“Boss?” I could feel my brow wrinkle. “I don’t like that term. You aren’t my employee.
We’re partners.”
“Oh?” She eyed me skeptically. “I didn’t know you were the type to have partners.”
“I wasn’t. But I’m ready to change that now.”
“I suppose I should feel honored. Special.”
“Well, you are special, but not because I want us to be partners.”
“I’m not sure I even know how to deal with all these compliments.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get plenty used to it,” I winked.
* * *
I held up my newly filled champagne flute. “To us. And to our new venture.”
“To us and new ventures.” She tapped her glass into mine. “And to mixing business and pleasure.”
“Now that’s a line I never expected to hear come out of your mouth.” I brushed my lips against hers.
She shrugged. “What can I say? The last few weeks have changed my perspective.”
“The Conners’ House has sold. Marist is engaged. We have another five clients lined up. It’s going to start getting busy.”
“Busy is good.” She frowned. “But I still worry about Mary. I need to get her out of there.”
“And we will. At least she’s leaving everyone alone.”
“I made a promise to her. I can’t break the promise.” Gabriella looked legitimately upset. She cared. And despite my views on ghosts, I liked that she cared. I liked that she had that kind of heart.
“And you will stand by that promise, but not tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” She pulled her legs up under her on the couch.
“Tonight is a celebration.” I took her champagne from her and set it down on the coffee table.
“Such a celebration that you’re taking my booze away?”
I kissed her hard on the mouth. “I’ll give it back later, but first I want to celebrate in a different way.”
“Before we do that, you owe me an explanation.” She clasped her hands together.
“And which explanation is that?” I tried to play innocent.
“The fact that you have to say that says all I need to know. You don’t tell me anything.”
“Fine. I’ll start talking.” I owed her that. Eventually I’d tell her everything, but I wasn’t ready.
Shadow Kiss: Ghostly Shadows Page 7