by Kris Norris
Dylan looked at his brother. “He killed the inmates?”
Avery nodded. “Makes it seem as if they escaped. I read that close to eighty people escaped from the island before it became a federal penitentiary. Maybe half a dozen of those never actually left.”
“Right. Because he wouldn’t be able to get their bodies off the island, so he stashes them somewhere on site.”
Avery pointed to an image of the prison. “They were in the midst of erecting the new prison. Apparently, they demolished the top two floors but left the bottom. There are a few underground rooms and tunnels. McCallister could have used one as a tomb or made his own. That would explain why he’s able to stay on this side of the veil, regardless of what happened to his body. He’s still tied to those victims.”
Dylan forwarded through another few months of pages. “Looks like his victims might not be the only bones still there. Seems authorities were investigating him for the last disappearance, but he vanished before they could catch him.”
Avery smiled. “Now you’re thinking like a paranormal investigator.” He put his arm around Temperance when she moved in beside him. “Guess our next stop is Alcatraz Island. Though the timing sucks. With tours running all the time, we’ll have to wait until after the last boat leaves to gain access. We can’t risk this entity harming anyone. Which means we’ll have to face this thing in the dark.”
Annie scoffed. “I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but…how were you planning on getting there if we don’t take the ferry?”
Avery chuckled. “While my brother may prefer to live rather modestly, it doesn’t change the fact that he has a boat. A yacht, actually. We’ll head out on a seemingly innocent cruise just before sunset then make our way over once everyone’s gone. Believe me, gaining access is the least of our worries. Fighting ghosts on their own territory at night isn’t the smartest decision. But in this case…” He raised a brow at his wife. “We should stock up on a few supplies. Since we aren’t sure what we’ll find, it’d be best to go in prepared for anything.”
Temperance pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Annie. “Here’s a binding spell I found. I suggest you practice saying it a few times, in case you need to do if for memory. If we can find all the victim’s bones as well as his, just burning them should work. But if we can’t tell whose they are, you might have to bind him back onto that picture. Though it’d sure help to have something physical of his to wrap around it, or it might not take.”
Annie took the picture, giving Dylan a concerned look. “You know this is all…”
“Crazy?”
“To be honest. Yes. I treat people who say they have spirits haunting them.” She gave her sister a sweet smile. “Guess I owe them all an apology.”
Temperance took a step back. “Holy shit! You actually believe. As in completely converted.”
Annie held up a hand. “Don’t go getting all sentimental on me. I’m sure it’s only temporary. But yeah. Which means I owe you and Avery an apology, too.”
“None required. Though you could explain why you’ve got this rosy glow you didn’t have before Dylan crashed our party.” She snorted. “Damn.”
Dylan gained his feet, not sure if things were about to go downhill. He motioned to Temperance. “Is there a problem?”
“Just that Avery won the damn bet. Seriously? Couldn’t you two have waited until tonight? There’ll be no living with the man now.”
Annie palmed her hands on her hips. “You two bet on us getting together?”
“After the stunning introduction you two had? Of course we did. I just thought soldier boy here would stay cold a bit longer. He seemed like a pretty hard sell.” She swatted at Dylan’s shoulder. “Guess I underestimated my little sister’s charms. Just be good to her, or I swear—”
“That you’ll not interfere.” Annie pointed toward the door. “Avery’s waiting. Guess we’ll meet you at the boat in a couple of hours.”
Temperance gave Dylan a knowing look then headed for the door. “I suggest you two stay somewhere relatively safe for the day…a church, another jail cell.” She smiled. “A vault made of silver. Just don’t leave yourselves vulnerable.”
Dylan sighed as the doors closed behind the couple. This was getting worse by the moment.
Annie nudged his arm. “Five dollars for your thoughts.”
He scowled. “That’s highway robbery, honey.”
“I’m looking to acquire new clothes, including some rather expensive lace panties. So spill.”
“You do know breaking onto the island is against the law, not to mention if we actually destroy anything. If we get caught, I can pretty much kiss my job goodbye. That’s if Captain Walsh doesn’t decide we should just stay and become the new inmates…for old time’s sake.”
“Sounds like a step up from kissing your ass goodbye.” Her face sobered. “But if you’d rather not, I’ll understand. It seems to be me it wants, so—”
“Don’t. Don’t even suggest I wouldn’t do whatever it took to keep you safe. They can lock me up. Hell, they can shoot me down, as long as you’re okay.” He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “It’s just all so…”
“Crazy.”
“Batshit with a capital B.” He wrapped one arm around her, leading her toward the exit. “Come on. There’re a few supplies I want to grab, too. If Mr. Ewan McCallister wants a fight, I’m definitely the man for the job.”
* * * *
Annie sat in the front seat of Dylan’s Jeep, staring at the collection of silver plates lining the bottom of the vehicle. Half a dozen more covered the ceiling, giving off distorted reflections of the interior. “If my colleagues could see me know, you know what they’d do?”
Dylan looked over at her. “Institutionalize you?”
“In a padded room for a very, very long time. And quite honestly, I don’t think I’d fight them.”
He brushed his hand over hers. “At least you look attractive in white.”
She pushed his hand aside, sneering at his sexy smile. “Jackass.”
“Say it loud and say it proud, honey.”
She rolled her eyes, motioning to the plates. “Do you really think all this was necessary?”
“Your sister did say something about encasing ourselves in a silver vault. At least it beats spending the day in one of the holding cells.”
“We could have gone to a church.”
This time his smile was pure sin. “I’m fairly certain the good pastor would have kicked us out the moment I backed you into a wall and pounded into you.”
She huffed. “I doubt even you would try to have sex in a church.”
“Which is why we aren’t in one.” He slid across the seat, laying one hand on her thigh. “The silver should prevent the bastard from surprising us. It also means we have about an hour to kill before Avery and Temperance arrive.”
“Are you trying to seduce me in the front seat of your car?”
He inched his hand up, stopping with his fingers just grazing the vee of her thighs. He flicked his forefinger, raking it across her clit. “Is it working?”
She couldn’t stop a moan from trembling past her lips. He leaned over her, reaching to the side of her door. Her body tilted as he reclined the seat, climbing on top of her with surprising ease. Her hands rose to rest on his shoulders as he bared his weight on his elbows.
She traced her fingers up his arms, humming at the obvious strength hidden within. “You do realize we’re parked in a warehouse.”
“It beats the side of the street.”
“Aren’t you worried someone might happen along, like a worker or owner or something?”
Dylan sighed. “Remember the part about my family having old world money? We own the warehouse. Actually, my father’s company owns a few.”
“You own…” She couldn’t help but laugh. “Then I’m all yours.”
“I like the sound of that.”
His mouth slanted over hers, his tongue hot and insistent.
She ran her hands along his body, squeezing his muscles, lingering in the feel of hard flesh tempered by soft skin. She inched her way down to his waist, flipping the button open and lowering the zipper. The harsh sound made her pussy clench as she freed his erection, his cock springing forward behind his briefs.
Dylan made a raw, gasping sound as she eased her hand inside his underwear, brushing her fingers along the long ridge of his shaft. Slippery fluid slid beneath her touch, and she groaned at the thought of taking him inside her mouth. Feeling the sheer strength of him pulse as she took him deep to the back of her throat.
Dylan leaned in, resting his forehead on hers as she teased his shaft, finally fisting her hand around the base. He grunted as she drew her fingers up his length, swirling more fluid around the crown before sinking back down, squeezing the base. His breathing panted across her neck as his heart thrashed in time to hers.
Annie released his cock, pushing at the tight bind of denim, shucking the jeans over his hips and down to his knees. He whispered her name against her neck before snaking his arm around her waist and cinching her tight against him. She inhaled when he bodily spun them, placing her on top. She palmed his shoulders, loving how his muscles bunched below her fingers as she pushed herself up, legs nestled between his.
Dylan’s hands flew to her pants, dropping them to the floor before she could do more than rock her hips once then straddle his legs. Then he worked the buttons of her shirt free, leaving the sides to hang open as he trailed his fingers up her torso, the roughness of his pads sending tiny shocks of arousal vibrating through her core.
“Your skin is so damn soft.”
He grazed over her breasts, giving her nipples a slight tweak before curling his hands over her shoulders and slowly sliding her shirt back. The material rustled to the floor, leaving her dressed in only her bra.
He hummed, tracing the seam of the lacy fabric. “This is how it all started. Where you lured me in. God, when I looked down in the house and saw you were only wearing the bra…” He sighed out a deep breath. “I thought my heart was going to pound clear through my chest.” He eased his hands around to the clasp at her back, gently twisting it open. His breathing caught as he removed the cups, laying the garment across the stick shift. “So pretty. I could touch you forever.”
Annie’s head fell back as he cupped each breast, rolling her nipples between his forefinger and thumb. Pleasure arced through her veins, coiling desire low in her belly. He urged her forward, lowering her across his body until he could sip one tightened bud into his mouth.
“God, Dylan.”
She held her weight on her elbows, tangling one hand through his hair as he drew on the bud, flicking the tip with his tongue before sucking on it. Moisture collected along her cleft, and she knew he’d be able to feel it as she pressed her groin against his.
He groaned, thrusting his hips up enough to rub his length against her slit. “So wet. Always so wet for me.”
He removed one hand from her back, dancing his fingers down her hip then across her mound. She inhaled a harsh breath, fire spreading through her limbs as he dipped two fingers through her folds, swirling the slick cream around her nub.
His name left her on a prayer, her body strung tight. She wanted to move, to touch and taste his flesh, but every flick of his finger pushed her higher, clouding her vision until it was nothing more than the color of his skin.
“You’re so beautiful when you’re on the edge. When your body is begging to come, but you’re fighting it, not wanting the sensations to stop.” He pinched her clit. “I want to watch you come, but I want to be deep inside you when that happens.”
He levered his hips back just enough to angle his cock down until it was nudging her entrance. She locked her hands around his shoulders as she tilted her pelvis, slipping him halfway inside her. Dylan’s head pushed into the seat, his hand falling from her chest to rest on her hip as his fingers continued to torment her clit. She shifted forward, suspending herself over him before slowly sinking down and burying him completely inside her.
“Yes.” The word hissed through her clenched teeth as the full thickness of him threatened to unhinge her. “You feel so good.”
“Almost as good as you do. Now hold on to my shoulders while I make you shatter.”
His fingers quickened their pace, rubbing across her clit as he worked his cock back and worth, teasing her with short strokes she knew were only a means of keeping her wanting. The coil in her belly tightened, sending heat spiraling outward in every direction as her release gathered strength, heating her from the inside out.
“That’s it. You’re close. I can feel your pussy trembling around my cock. Damn, you’re so fucking hot. Now come for me.”
He pinched her clit at the same time he rocked out and slammed back in, driving so deep she thought she’d explode. Her breath held on a rasp as her body tensed then released, and she broke, his name hot on her lips as a wash of warm fluid drenched his cock.
“Oh, Annie. God I love watching you give yourself to me. Now it’s my turn.”
He clasped his hands around her hips, holding her still as he pistoned into her from below, each stroke harder and deeper than the last. She cried his name, clenching his shoulders, certain she’d leave marks as evidence of her need. Dylan didn’t stop, his hips thrusting into hers as his body tensed beneath her. She felt his cock thicken then jerk, the increased penetration sending her over again. She arched around his hands, bouncing on his lap as he pushed through his climax, finally stilling beneath her.
She fell forward onto his chest, breathing labored, every inch of her exhausted. He smoothed his hands along her back, drawing tiny patterns as his body finally eased. She closed her eyes, drinking in the smell of spice and sex, smiling against his skin as he pulled her against him, encasing her with his arms. She sighed contentedly, knowing she’d gladly spend a lifetime in his arms and never regret a moment of it.
“You’re wicked, honey. A true vixen. Maybe you’re really a witch.”
She chuckled against his chest, raising her head just enough to gaze up at him. His eyes sparkled in the evening light, the orange tones gleaming in through the rear window highlighting the different shades of brown in his hair.
“I like the sound of that. Does that mean I can get you to do my every whim?”
“Wouldn’t doubt it. Women are the deadliest creatures known to men.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing you’re well trained. You might just survive this.”
“I’d go willing to my death if you were going to kill me like this.” He tapped her ass. “Though I do wonder if we’ll be able to adapt to merely making love in a bed.” He winked. “It appears your tastes lie in more rugged surroundings.”
“I’ll manage, as long as it’s yours.”
“Deal. Now we’d best get cleaned up before Avery’s knocking on the window. Time to hunt us a ghost.”
Chapter Nine
Dylan anchored the boat, staring at the island looming off to their right. The sun dipped below the horizon, reflecting hues of red and purple off the windows of the penitentiary. Long shadows stretched out across the water like fingers reaching for them. A cold fist settled in his gut. This was it. Either they finished the ghost and sent him back to the land of the dead, or they’d be forever plagued by his torments.
Avery’s hand landed on his shoulder. “I haven’t been to Alcatraz in years. It’s just as creepy as I remember.”
Dylan glanced at the island again. “Never been.”
Avery gawked at him. “You’ve called San Francisco home for over a decade, and you’ve never been to Alcatraz?”
He shrugged. “You know better than anyone I haven’t actually spent much time here. I was always out on deployment or doing some kind of training.” He chuckled. “Annie says my house is ‘disturbingly tidy’.”
“Women are the experts in that sort of thing. Half the time I don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.” He nudged Dyla
n. “And you’ve been around a lot more since you joined the SFPD.”
“Maybe I’d just had my fair share of prisons.”
His brother’s face sobered. “Dyl. I didn’t mean to—”
“Forget it. Water under the bridge, little brother.”
Avery narrowed his eyes. “You told Annie. Everything.”
Dylan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “She’s about as hard to keep a secret from as you are.” He gave Avery a punch in the arm. “At least she allowed me to actually tell her. She didn’t go spying inside my head.”
“You were so angry I didn’t see any other viable alternatives. Besides, I doubt you offered the information willingly to Annie. More likely she pulled some of her psychologist bullshit and all but read you like an open book.” Avery toed at the deck of the boat. “That girl’s something else.” He punched Dylan back. “You’ve definitely got your work cut out for you.” He moved back a bit when Temperance and Annie joined them. “All right. One last check of the supplies then it should be late enough to start.”
Annie rubbed her arms with her hands as she stared at the dark shadow floating in the middle of the bay. “So how do we get there if you’ve already put the anchor down?”
Dylan motioned toward the rear. “There’s a small pontoon boat hanging off the stern. We can use that Zodiac. That way, the main boat isn’t so close it might attract attention. We’ll land on the far side and make our way to those old tunnels, unless you want to check out the main prison first.”
“Let’s see how it plays out once we get there.” Avery nodded at Annie. “You up for this?”
“Of course. What’s weird is that I think I’m more nervous about being caught by some kind of security than the ghost.”
Dylan gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I spent ten years carrying out highly covert missions. I think I can sneak us onto an island without it resulting in jail time.” He turned to Avery. “Just don’t set fire to the entire place. I know how burn happy you get around evil spirits.”
Avery held up his hands. “It’s not my fault that’s the one way to cleanse a place.”