Soul Taker

by Nutt, Karen Michelle

  Chapter Twenty

  Isabella had planned to head back to Boston in the morning, but she decided to stick around for another day. No one had showed up at the hotel demanding entry and Johanna awoke in good spirits. She did look better. Even her aura flickered brighter. Isabella wondered if it was due to Harrison's attention last night. She beamed every time she mentioned his name.

  Once Johanna picked up the keys to the flower shop, they headed over to the place. Johanna slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. They walked into the spacious room where flowers and plants of all kinds would soon fill every nook and cranny. Johanna twirled around the room and giggled. "I can't believe the place is mine. As soon as my lease is up in Boston, I'll have to find something closer to here."

  Isabella knew she would probably move. It made sense since her new shop would require long hours until she drummed up business and could afford help. "I'll miss you."

  "I'm not moving to Mars."

  "I know, but it won't be the same. Who's going to try my new dishes for the restaurant's menu?"

  Johanna chuckled. "Well Harrison probably wouldn't mind. He's there almost as much as I am." Johanna flushed red and wouldn't quite meet Isabella's gaze. "He's kind of cute. You know, in that dangerous kind of way."

  "Dangerous?" Isabella lifted her brows.

  "You know what I mean. He has that bad boy image going. Don't get me wrong. It works for him. It's part of his charm."

  "You've sure checked him out, haven't you?"

  Johanna chuckled nervously. "He's hard to miss."

  "If you're interested in him—"

  "I have a boyfriend, remember," she said sharply.

  Isabella again sensed something wrong. Johanna's aura shifted. What was going on with her and that elusive boyfriend? Johanna raved about him, but he never came around so she could meet him. Who was he? What did he look like? "What's your boyfriend's name again? I keep forgetting."

  "Would you look at that?" Johanna ran her hand over the marble countertop where the cash register sat. "There's a scratch there. I didn't notice it the other day. I'll have to mention it to the realtor."

  Isabella's brow furrowed with concern. Johanna did it again. She avoided revealing her boyfriend's name and her aura spiked again. Fine, the boyfriend was obviously off limits, but…"Harrison has eyes for you," she pushed. Call it a sixth sense, but she feared the current boyfriend wasn't good for her. "I don't know why you can't see that."

  "What do you mean?" Johanna's cheeks flamed crimson. They always did when she was embarrassed or nervous. Isabella had a hunch it was a little of both. "No, he doesn't, Izzie. He said things last night, but I'm sure he was just being nice."

  Isabella lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "If you say so, but if you like him you should tell him."

  "Tell him I like him? I don't think so. I have no intentions of being shot down. Why would I risk it all for a maybe?"

  Isabella wanted to assure her it wouldn't be for a maybe. She had a hunch Harrison liked women in general, but he didn't look at them the way he gazed upon Johanna. His eyes lit up when she walked into the restaurant. And last night… He was like a knight, rescuing his fair maiden. What man scooped a girl into his arms and carried her to safety? Surely, not one who didn't care.

  "You shouldn't be here."

  Isabella and Johanna's gazes riveted to the door where a woman stood in the archway. She was short, overweight, and obviously not pleased they were in the shop.

  "My friend signed the papers this week," Isabella explained. "The shop is hers now. We aren't trespassing."

  "This shop is Milly Preston's dream. She wouldn't just give it up."

  Isabella glanced at Johanna who chewed nervously on her lower lip. She didn't want her friend's day ruined. Isabella spoke up again, "I guess Milly didn't want to run the flower shop."

  The woman choked on a laugh. "This was her life." She waved her hand around the room. "She put every last cent she had into this place to renovate it. The blue paint and the flower print border are new." She pointed to the walls. "She had hardwood flooring put in. Why would she turn around and sell the place, and without a word to me?"

  "And you are?" Isabella asked.

  "Georgia. I'm Milly's sister."

  Isabella didn't know what to say, but it wasn't Johanna's fault Milly took off without a word. "I'm sure once you find Milly, she'll explain everything."

  Georgia shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Something terrible has happened to her, but no one will listen to me. Milly met someone. Some guy and he convinced her to run off with him. He must have drugged her… He did something to her."

  "I'm sure she's all right." Isabella hoped it was true.

  Georgia wiped away her tears. "I didn't mean to come down on you. I know it's not your fault, but if you knew my sister you would realize she wouldn't do this." Her gaze leveled on Johanna. "You need to be careful. I thought I saw him lurking around the shop the other day."

  "Who?" Johanna asked nervously.

  "The man who stole my sister from us," Georgia snapped.

  "Georgia, there you are." Another woman walked in. She looked a lot like Georgia only taller and thinner and with long hair. "Hello, I'm Celia. I hope my sister hasn't bothered you."

  "No, it's okay," Johanna said. "She was worried about her sister, Milly."

  Celia nodded. "She was my sister, too. She owned this place... Well, before…" She sighed.

  "Georgia told us." Isabella couldn't help but think the sisters were holding something back.

  "Well, we wish you luck." Celia put her arm around Georgia. "Come now, we have to leave them alone. You know the doctors said you shouldn't come back here. You only torture yourself."

  Georgia shrugged out of Celia's arms and leveled her gaze on Johanna. "Don't stay here by yourself. Never, do you hear me?"

  "That's enough, Georgia." Celia dragged her out of the shop and down the walk.

  "Okay, that was odd." Isabella glanced at Johanna.

  "Tell me about it." She wouldn't meet her gaze, making Isabella suspicious.

  "Did you know the other shop owner disappeared?"

  "She didn't disappear, Izzie," Johanna said. "Georgia's had some kind of… breakdown."

  "What do you mean?"

  Johanna met her gaze then. "Milly was found dead, Georgia found her."

  "Dead?"

  "She died of complications… a heart problem, I believe. Died right here, in the shop. That's why I got such a great deal." She ran a hand over her face. "Can we not talk about Milly? It's a sad story, but we didn't even know her. This should be the happiest day of my life. I bought myself a flower shop!"

  "You're right." Isabella forced a smile. "I'm sorry. Give me the grand tour and tell me what you have planned for the place."

  Isabella listened to Johanna babble on about the shop, but she couldn't help but worry. The owner died of heart problems like Marcy, like the other women Harrison mentioned. The coincidence was too creepy to ignore.

  "Izzie, are you even paying attention to me?" Johanna stood with her hands on her hips.

  She nodded. "You're going to set up a display for the holidays with homemade cards for the customers to purchase when they pick up their bouquets," she said and Johanna seemed satisfied and continued to chat away about her dreams for the shop. Isabella's mind kept wandering as she thought about Milly and the way she died.

  As soon as Isabella arrived home, she would run the shop owner's untimely demise by Harrison. He was looking for a serial killer. What if the killer he mentioned murdered Milly, too?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Johanna and Isabella stayed in Salem longer than they had expected. After a quick dinner, they ended up rolling into Boston about nine-thirty.

  Johanna waved to Isabella from her apartment door. Isabella worried too much, but she meant well. They'd been friends since the fourth grade. Isabella had been beautiful even then. She had always wondered why Isabella had chosen her over anyo
ne else on the playground. When she finally asked, Isabella told her, "It's because I like the colors surrounding you."

  Johanna smiled and shook her head, wondering why she thought of that moment now. "You're a good friend, Isabella Lucci." She would miss her. She wasn't going far, but with opening a new shop and juggling her relationship with her boyfriend, she wouldn't have time to do anything else. Sure, there was the phone, but it wasn't the same as Thursday nights at A Taste of Home.

  If she'd care to admit it, she would miss running into Harrison Connell, too. "He's too good looking. He'd never want you, not really." She'd seen the type of women he liked and she fell short in every aspect.

  Her boyfriend liked her, though. He was beautiful. He made her feel pretty, but when she was with him she lost track of time. It would be a good thing, if it didn't feel like she'd forgotten what they did. It was as if she blacked out, but if that were true wouldn't he say something to her? Maybe Isabella was right. Maybe she needed to see a doctor.

  She'd been doing odd things—like the time she woke up in the flower shop amidst rose petals. Then another day she woke up in her car to the sound of classical music, and she hated classical music. Her driver's seat was all the way down in a supine position as if she decided to sleep in her car instead of her bed. And now there was the graveyard. She didn't want to admit it to Isabella and Harrison, but the incident had scared her.

  She probably needed to see someone, a psychiatrist most likely, not a physician.

  A chill spread through her, making her shiver. She couldn't shake the feeling of apprehension. She wished her boyfriend were here. He'd make everything better. He always did.

  Johanna headed for the stairs, but a knock at her door halted her steps. "Coming." She sighed in frustration. She was tired and hot and wanted to jump in the shower. She had a hunch it was her neighbor Mrs. Teague. She asked her to pick up the mail while she was away. She appreciated it, but she wasn't up to entertaining. Mrs. Teague would want to know how everything went in Salem.

  Johanna threw open the door intent on telling her she wasn't feeling well. She wouldn't exactly be lying. "Listen, I—" Her face lit up at the sight of him. "You're back. I thought you had business until the end of the week."

  "I didn't want to be away from ye for so long," her boyfriend told her. Johanna usually loved the sound of his voice, but tonight it sounded different, on edge. "Are ye going to ask me in, Johanna?" She realized he'd never been to her place. They always met at the flower shop.

  "Johanna, luv?" He drew her attention.

  "Hmm… Yes, of course. Come in, come in." She moved to the side, expecting him to move around her, but instead he took her into his embrace as if starving for affection.

  His lips feathered down her neck. For a moment fear, sliced through her, but then he kissed the tender flesh at her collar bone, sending a spiral of emotions through her—passion, erotic pleasure, but always her mind tried to rebel against them as if someone whispered in her ear that what she felt was only an illusion. The sensation played with her mind and left her weak and disoriented.

  "I want ye." He nibbled her earlobe.

  "I should take a shower. I…" She lost her train of thought as his mouth caressed, siphoning her willpower, turning her legs to jelly. "Maybe later." Her response came out in a breathless whisper.

  He chuckled. "Say it. Say ye want me." He nibbled at her neck, sending a pulsating response down to the pit of her stomach.

  "Please," she gasped.

  "If ye want more, Johanna, ye must ask."

  "Please… Please, Alexander, do whatever you want, but don't stop what you are doing to me now."

  "Don't worry, sweet one. I don't plan to."

  He swept her up in his arms. She felt like she was floating. She glanced down shaking her head. She was floating.

  She looked up at him and for a moment, she thought his eyes flickered red. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and a voice in her head warned her to run. "Put… put me down. I…"

  Alexander sensed he was losing control. Something warned her to be afraid. He smelled the prayer on her, the holy incantation. Someone had prayed over her recently.

  He had thought with all of Johanna's insecurities she'd be a loner. He found out she had too many friends who cared about her. He would have to take desperate measures. He cursed, angry that he couldn't take his time devouring this sweet morsel. He could have had her for weeks, taking a little at a time, but now…

  His mouth swooped down on hers with a devouring kiss. He breathed in deeply, moaning as he felt the warmth of her enter him.

  Again, a voice urged Johanna to struggle, but she just couldn't find the willpower. The sensation proved too wonderful, making her body tingle as if he kissed every inch of her skin. Her heart pounded erratically threatening to shatter. His kiss deepened, sucking, sucking… sucking her resolve to resist.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Isabella opened her purse and fished out her cell phone. She did a quick search for Harrison's number then hit dial.

  "You rang?"

  Isabella could hear the smile in his voice. He wasn't expecting her call. "Harrison, I—"

  "Isabella?" His voice turned serious.

  "Yes. I don't mean to bother you, but you said I could call you if I saw anything unusual."

  "Aye. What did you see?"

  "Remember how Johanna found a great deal on a flower shop in Salem?"

  "Down by the wharf. I remember."

  "I thought maybe you should know the woman who owned it before Johanna died of heart complications. She was young like the others you mentioned."

  Silence met her.

  "Did you hear me?"

  "Aye, I heard. I'll check it out. Is Johanna still in Salem?"

  "No. I just dropped her off at her place."

  "Good, good. I'll check out what you told me. Chances are it was only a coincidence."

  "I hope so. I'm worried about Johanna working there."

  "Don't panic yet. Let me see what I can find out."

  ****

  Harrison rang off and turned to find Garran staring at him, the newspaper spread out on the table, where he'd been searching through the obits for possible Soul Taker victims. "Yer human again?" he asked.

  "Stop with the your human thing. Her name is Isabella.

  Garran rolled his eyes. "What did she want?"

  "We may have missed one of the Soul Taker's victims." He strode over to Garran's computer. The vampire's home may look like a Scottish medieval castle with its drab stone walls and brightly colored tapestries, but he had all the modern conveniences like a top of the line computer and Internet connection. He typed in the flower shop's name. An article came up about Milly Preston, a young woman found dead in her flower shop.

  "Milly was a quiet woman," he read aloud. He scanned the rest of the article about Milly opening her own shop. "She died of heart complications." He looked at Garran. "How does the Soul Taker decide on who he'll take next? There has to be a pattern here. What do these women have in common?"

  "They were vulnerable women who weren't comfortable in their own skin. Quiet and they kept to themselves," Garran said as he stood to his full height.

  Harrison nodded in agreement as he went over what they knew about the Soul Taker. "The victims were all in their early to late twenties, all unmarried, but everyone mentions how they had a new boyfriend in their life. I bet if I called Milly Preston's family they'd tell us the same."

  "Quiet, vulnerable women make easy prey," Garran said. "They're cravin' attention and the Soul Taker is willin' to feed into it—literally, I suppose."

  "Damn wanker."

  "Aye," Garran agreed.

  Harrison thought about Johanna and her odd behavior of late. No one, not even Isabella, had met her new boyfriend. Isabella hinted her aura was off, too. Maybe the incident in the cemetery wasn't random. Maybe the Soul Taker was— The blood in his veins ran cold. "I have to check on Johanna. She'd be a prime candidate for
the Soul Taker." Harrison stood and donned his jacket. He would just check on her, make sure she was all right. Hopefully, he didn't freak her out by showing up on her doorstep.

  "Do ye plan on datin' this human, too?"

  "She's a friend. You should try being one sometime, and I don't mean to a preternatural being. I'm talking about a human friend. You want to live among them, why not get to know them."

  "What's the point? What could we possibly have in common?"

  "Oh aye, I can see your argument, then." Harrison's sarcasm came through loud and clear. "You like to read. I'm sure there's some human out there that enjoys reading as well. Heck, you could join a reading club."

  Garran snorted in his highlander stop-giving-me-grief guttural vibration that started in the back of his throat. Most beings backed off immediately.

  Harrison smiled, not in the least bit intimidated. "Anyway, even if I wanted to start something with Johanna, I couldn't. She'd be a handful."

  "Really?" His brows shot up.

  "Not in the way you're thinking. I intimidate her and I don't have the luxury to take my time to break down her defenses." He sighed.

  "Sounds like ye're smitten, my friend," Garran stressed the word friend.

  Harrison rolled his eyes. "To be sure, a Mac Tíre is never smitten."

  Garran's raised his eyebrows. "Clearly, I have hit a nerve." Garran grabbed his car keys on the table. "I'll go with ye to check out the hu… yer friend's place. I'll see if I pick up the Soul Taker's scent there. Then ye'll know if he's stalkin' her."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Garran reached for the dagger in his coat pocket the moment he stepped onto Johanna's walkway. The air reeked of vampire—a Grim Sith to be exact, his sept if the earthy scent was any indication. Garran's fangs lowered automatically, his weapon poised for use. "The scent is fresh. He may still be here."