“Yeah.” He sighed dreamily, and I was so happy for him, I thought I was going to burst from it. “I can’t believe he just kissed me. I swear I could write a whole-ass romance novel out of that kiss.” He put a hand to his chest like a swooning Southern woman. “And the sword fighting. Christ on toast, if I didn’t think I was about to die, I would have let the vapors take me then. How did I not see how ridiculously gorgeous he is? Was I blind?”
I couldn’t stop myself, I dissolved into giggles. J seemed just so scandalized that Jimmy was a certified beefcake, and he was just now seeing it. “I think you just had the blinders on from when we were kids. He was just so little and defenseless back then. You just seemed to miss him growing up. Either that or you really are blind.”
I pretended my hands were scales and the blind side was the superheavy one. J practically shoved me off the couch, and I almost landed on my ass but managed to catch myself.
“Nerd. Now, I’ve got my own damn date to get ready for, so if you have any questions, you’re just going to have to wait until we get back to work. I plan on spending the next three days without a phone, without ghosts, and preferably without people. Just some takeout and some Bishop—preferably sans clothes—but we’ll probably have to work up to that.”
J rolled his eyes at me, which was fair. After a six-year dry spell, Bishop would be lucky to escape with his life, let alone his clothes. Or I would completely chicken out. That was totally possible, too.
“Fine, you dork. I can’t believe you’re just coming back to work like you never left. You hear anything from the ABI?”
I snorted. Not only had I heard nothing from my mother or the ABI, neither had Bishop or Sarina. I’d asked—when shit finally calmed down enough to do so—about it all, and all Bishop had said was that they were following procedure. Whatever the hell that meant.
“Nary a peep. I refuse to think bad things—at least for a little while. I’m going to enjoy the silence while I have it. Then it’s back to homicides and bad guys.”
I refused to believe the other shoe would always drop. Or at least I was trying really hard not to.
“Damn straight,” J said, nodding like he couldn’t wait to get back in the office with me. That was the rub about our job. None of us wanted there to be murders, but solving the riddles, working together? That was our happy place. Sorta.
I gave him a squeeze goodbye and booked it for my own house. I had T-minus twenty minutes until Bishop was supposed to arrive, and I hadn’t packed, showered, or shaved my legs.
Letting myself into my front door, I looked around for the ghost of my grandfather before ripping off my top. I had zero time to dawdle. Hildy had been scarce these last few days, preferring to “keep an eye on things” elsewhere. I think he just didn’t like seeing me and Bishop making out, but I couldn’t be sure.
It was the tented white card with the loopy scrawl on it that made me freeze. No one should have been in my house. Other than Mariana, nobody with a pulse should have been able to break in—not without me knowing, anyway.
Hands shaking, I crossed the living room to the kitchen and reached for the paper. The cardstock was heavy, and I cursed myself almost instantly that I wasn’t wearing gloves. Something told me it wouldn’t matter, and I was proven right not a moment later.
Your mother can’t protect you anymore, little one.
Game. On.
—X
This was what I got for thinking I could take a vacation.
Game on, brother.
Game. Fucking. On.
Darby’s story will continue with
Dead Calm
Grave Talker Book Three
DEAD CALM
Grave Talker Book Three
There’s not enough coffee or tacos in the world to deal with Darby Adler’s family.
If it’s not her death-dealing father, her back-from-the-dead mother, or her ghost grandfather, it’s her long-lost siblings and their bid for power.
With ABI radio silent and her siblings to find, Darby’s got a major problem on her hands. Especially when the local coven figures out that her father’s no longer bound.
Can Haunted Peak, TN handle this family reunion?
-Preorder now on Amazon-
Coming June 29, 2021
DEATH WATCH
Soul Reader Book Two
A prison break, a secret admirer, and a boatload of lies.
Just about everything Sloane Cabot knows about her past is a big old pile of malarkey. Couple that with the blank spot of how her family died, and she needs answers, like, yesterday.
But when a man shows up dead on her family’s grave, she knows it somehow has to be tied to that fateful night a year ago.
Too bad you can’t question the dead… or can you?
-Preorder now on Amazon-
Coming April 27, 2021
THE ROGUE ETHEREAL SERIES
an adult urban fantasy series by Annie Anderson
Enjoy the Grave Talker Series?
Then you’ll love Max!
Come meet Max. She’s brash. She’s inked. She has a bad habit of dying… a lot. She’s also a Rogue with a demon on her tail and not much backup.
This witch has a serious bone to pick.
Check out the Rogue Ethereal Series today!
THE PHOENIX RISING SERIES
an adult paranormal romance series by Annie Anderson
Heaven, Hell, and everything in between. Fall into the realm of Phoenixes and Wraiths who guard the gates of the beyond. That is, if they can survive that long…
Living forever isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Check out the Phoenix Rising Series today!
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About the Author
Annie Anderson is the author of the international bestselling Rogue Ethereal series. A United States Air Force veteran, Annie pens fast-paced Urban Fantasy novels filled with strong, snarky heroines and a boatload of magic. When she takes a break from writing, she can be found binge-watching The Magicians, flirting with her husband, wrangling children, or bribing her cantankerous dogs to go on a walk.
To find out more about Annie and her books, visit
www.annieande.com
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