A Fate Unknown: A PNR, Why Choose Novel (The Ghost Girl Series Book 1)

by Sinclair Kelly

  “Thanks, Mandy, for checking on us, but we’re pretty busy at the moment,” Cole responds in a low voice.

  “Nonsense. You boys need to eat, and I brought plenty of food.”

  She strides past Cole, down the hall into the kitchen. Sharing a panicked glance, Cole and I quickly follow to find her already unloading her bags onto the granite counter.

  A home-cooked meal would be nice, but there’s no way Mandy will be the one to cook it. She’s gotta go...now.

  I walk to the front of the large island that takes up a majority of the space, and Cole follows hot on my heels.

  “Mandy, really, we were just on our way out to do some research. Rain check?” I practically beg.

  “Don’t worry, silly. You go do your research, and I’ll just get this prepped and cooked, so it’s ready for when you get back. Hope you boys like lasagna,” she chirps, changing course and heading right for me. “Of course, we could always start with dessert.”

  I love lasagna...and dessert, but no way in hell am I telling her that, especially not when her breasts are like two heat-seeking missiles aimed directly at my chest. She stops with less than a foot between our bodies. Her fingertips start to trail back and forth along my waistline, pausing only long enough to fumble with the button on my jeans.

  My dick refuses to rise to the bait.

  Just as I’m about ready to step back, Fate’s voice joins us from the doorway.

  “Now, boys, you didn’t tell me you were expecting company.”

  I swear I hear a muffled “Uh oh” come from directly behind her, but I don’t have time to contemplate that because my eyes are locked on our little ghost. She looks stronger than she has all day, with a kind of fire in her eyes that I haven’t seen before, literally. I can see a flame reflected in them.

  Even in oversized sweats and a t-shirt three sizes too big, she looks amazing...and pissed.

  “Why don’t you introduce me to your...guest,” she quips.

  By this point, she’s made her way into the kitchen, the whole time glaring daggers at the blonde who’s still standing with her hand nestled awfully close to my cock. As Fate rounds the opposite side of the island, her fingers trail across the surface, leaving sparks in their wake. Those fiery eyes leave Mandy only long enough to send me a warning look. One that very clearly says, if I don’t remove Mandy’s hand, Fate will.

  Sparing a glance at Cole, who admittedly looks more unsure than I’ve ever seen him before, I swallow nervously before taking a big step back and gently removing Mandy’s wandering fingers. I briefly wonder if she noticed the power emanating from Fate, but she seems oblivious.

  Mandy isn’t looking at me though. Her eyes are locked onto Fate with a challenging gleam in them, obviously unaware of the danger, as Fate stops in front of the stove.

  “Hi! I’m Mandy Caldwell. The agent who helped the guys get this rental,” Mandy says, walking up to Fate and holding out her hand.

  Fate ignores it.

  Not the least bit affected by Fate’s rudeness, Mandy rambles on. “I was just in the neighborhood and thought maybe they could use a home-cooked meal.” She points at the food she’s unloaded onto the counter. I silently pray for divine intervention. That’s what we’re all going to need to get out of this unscathed.

  “By all means, just make yourself at home,” Fate snarks. “I’m Fate, by the way.”

  Cole’s eyes catch mine again, and a sense of mutual fear and panic floods the room.

  “Oh...Macklin, Thad, Levi,” Fate sing-songs loudly. “Your friend is here to make you dinner. You should really come say hello.”

  If those boys are smart, they’ll hear the underlying danger in that request.

  Of course, the numbnuts miss it.

  Footsteps and grumbling echo through the foyer. Reggie suddenly appears next to Fate, the counter and cabinets wavering through the haze of her ghostly body, takes one look at our former real estate agent, and chuckles. It’s not a happy sound either - more like a shit’s-about-to-hit-the-fan kind of sound. That doesn’t bode well.

  When Macklin reaches the doorway, he stops abruptly. The twins, talking amongst themselves instead of paying attention, run into Mack’s back causing him to stumble almost comically into the kitchen. Thad and Levi use that distraction to finally take in the room and immediately shoot worried looks at Cole and me.

  “Hey, Mack! How’s the research coming along?” Mandy simpers before turning to the twins. “Hiya, big guys.”

  I didn’t think it was possible, but Fate’s eyes narrow even more. That’s when I notice she’s standing precariously close to the knives. We’re entering very dangerous territory here, folks.

  “Uh...hey, Mandy. How are you?” Macklin mumbles.

  “Oh, I think I’m doing much better now, Mack,” she titters.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Reggie whispering in Fate’s ear, and I’m not sure if she’s trying to calm the situation or incite violence. I could see it going either way. Luckily, Mandy seems to be oblivious to her presence - as the living tend to be.

  The twins are uncharacteristically silent. For once, they’re the smart ones here.

  “So, Fate, how do you know these boys?” Mandy asks.

  The kitchen has become a cesspool of emotions. Anger, jealousy, fear, even arousal - that has to be the twins. It’s all swirling through the room, and I have to take a few deep breaths to keep myself steady. Cole shoots me a look, making sure I’m holding up against the onslaught. I nod to let him know I’m okay for now.

  Fate’s arms are crossed over her chest, her fingers drumming at a concerning pace. She’s pissed and feeling extremely possessive. There’s also a slight sense of irrationality, but I would never tell her that to her face. Nope. Not if I want to keep breathing...or keep my dick intact.

  “Hmm...you can say we go way back,” Fate responds simply.

  Mandy seems to stand up straighter, rising to the challenge in the air, and I know the next thing out of her mouth is going to set all of this tension ablaze.

  “An old friend. That’s so sweet.” Mandy pauses, and I wait for whatever disaster is about to leave her mouth. I’m not left wondering long. “Oh, Cole, darling, remember the amazing time we had at that small restaurant in town a couple nights ago? Maybe the guys can take Fate there. I’m sure she’d enjoy it.”

  Cole looks like he’s been caught in the crosshairs, and his eyes lock on mine, both of us looking for a way out of this train wreck.

  Fate grins. I’d be relieved if that grin wasn’t completely sinister.

  “It’s so cute you think you can get rid of me that easily. As if you actually stand a chance. It’s the boobs, right?” Fate ponders, finger tapping her chin as if she’s in serious thought. “I mean, they are impossible to miss. I’ll give you that. But those jeans gotta go.”

  Mandy just stands there, mouth wide open, stammering while she tries to think of a comeback. Fate doesn’t give her the opportunity.

  “Of course, I’m pretty sure the boys prefer something a little more au naturel.”

  We all watch in rapt fascination as Fate brings both hands up to her own tits, giving them a nice squeeze. Pretty sure I’m not the only one that has to adjust my junk. We all know she’s bare underneath that shirt.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” Mandy sputters. “You honestly think you’re better than me, standing there looking like you just rolled out of bed in those ratty gray sweats? Why would they want trash when they could have this?” She waves her hand up and down her body.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I know I’m better than you. That’s not even a question,” Fate snarls. “You’re no better than a blow-up doll. One poke and you’d deflate faster than the Goodyear blimp.”

  “You bitch!” Mandy shouts before lunging for Fate.

  Before I can so much as twitch, Levi grabs Mandy from behind, halting her attack. The second Fate registers the touch, the atmosphere in the room changes, becoming heavier. Darker. Malicious.

>   Lights start to flicker, and the temperature in the room becomes frigid.

  Levi seems to recognize his mistake a second too late and immediately releases Mandy, stepping back with his hands in the air.

  “What the hell is happening?” Mandy asks nervously, her words coming out around a puff of air visible in the cold. She wraps her arms around herself and nervously looks around the room. Pretty sure I could feel her fear wafting off her even if I wasn’t an empath.

  “Mandy, maybe you should leav…” Macklin trails off as his eyes widen in horror.

  My eyes find the source of his shock and quickly do a double take at the same time registering Fate’s complete fury.

  The knives inside the block slowly pull themselves free, hovering briefly in midair before steadily turning their tips toward Mandy.

  Movement to my left catches my attention. The silverware drawer slowly opens, the forks and butter knives all ascending into the air.

  I risk a glance at Fate, and the fun-loving, sarcastic girl we’ve all become entranced with is gone. In her place is a powerful, angry woman.

  And my dick definitely takes notice.

  “Uh oh,” Fate whispers menacingly, the sound having a melodious echo to it. “Better run.”

  With one glance at the floating kitchen utensils, Mandy looks like she’s ready to hyperventilate. She rushes past Levi and Thad, tears pouring from her eyes. She stumbles into the wall as she turns the corner but quickly rights herself and runs to the front door, throwing it open and hurrying out to her car.

  We all stand, unmoving. A car starts, its tires peeling down the gravel drive. Those are the only sounds disrupting the utter silence of the room. With Mandy gone, the lights stop flickering, and the temperature slowly returns to normal.

  “Hmm...guess she didn’t want to make dinner after all. Such a shame,” Fate tsks sarcastically.

  “Butter knives? Really, boss?”

  “It was effective, wasn’t it?” Fate mutters. “That shit wasn’t easy, you know. Cut a ghost girl some slack as she relearns everything, yeah?”

  “Knox explained a few things while you were cuddled up with Macklin. I can’t believe you’ve spent the last ten years as a ghost. Just wait until you get the hang of things again. We’re going to have so much fun!” Reggie claps excitedly. “Damn, I’ve missed you!”

  “I honestly expected to have to work a little harder to scare her off. That was kind of disappointing,” she pouts.

  “Maybe she has a fear of pointy objects?’ Reggie retorts.

  Fate smirks. “If she didn’t before, she does now.”

  The two burst into laughter like a couple of loons. The rest of us just stand around in shock, not one of us having so much as twitched.

  “Oh, c’mon, guys. Lighten up a little, would ya? I wouldn’t have actually hurt her. At least, not a lot.” Fate pauses, and then turns to us with a scowl. “But you all definitely have some explaining to do. Just how much time did you spend with that Barbie wannabe?”

  “Um...Fate?” I murmur softly.

  “Yes, Knox?” She blinks her innocent gray eyes up at me, and the distinct flame I saw earlier is gone.

  “Think you can put all the sharp things away now?”

  She looks around, startled for a second, before snapping her fingers. Knives and forks all slowly make their way back to their homes.

  Looking a little chagrined, she mutters, “Oops.”

  Just like that our little ghost is back, and as she turns to us, the look on her face says it all. We’re in deep shit.

  A paddle suddenly appears in her hand. Out. Of. Nowhere. Even she seems momentarily surprised but recovers quickly.

  “So...which one of you wants to explain yourself first?” she asks with a wicked glint in her eye, tapping her other hand with the paddle - the sound echoing through the space.

  Macklin blushes. Cole pales. Thad and Levi quickly raise their hands. I simply smirk and give her a wink. I want to see someone’s skin turn pink, but it sure as hell won’t be mine.

  “How is she?” Cole asks, seemingly calm. He’s seated at the kitchen table, with an honest to god newspaper in his hands, which crinkles when his grip tightens on it. That’s a telltale sign his nerves are getting to him. Bet he cracked his phone screen again, hence the reason he’s going it old school.

  “She’s still sleeping. Peacefully.” Walking up to the coffee pot, I pour myself a cup. I’m tired, and just feel off. My hand rubs my chest, like it can ease the weird sensation that’s been forming there.

  Knox is at the stove cooking breakfast, making the whole house smell amazing. There’s a small radio on the counter playing some current pop tune, and he’s humming along as he pops a bite of something in his mouth before dumping the rest into what looks like an omelet.

  “How long is she going to sleep? That can’t be normal, right?” Cole grumbles from behind the paper.

  “The woman just rose from the dead less than forty-eight hours ago, found out she’s tied to the lot of us, and had a confrontation with Mandy. All in the same day. Cut her some slack, mate.”

  “When the fuck did you become Australian?”

  Knox just chuckles, shooting me a look. “Blame the Keeper of Records. He told me words.”

  “Fuck’s sake, Mack. Didn’t I tell you not to give that dumbass useless facts?”

  I grunt, which earns me looks from both of them. I’m not normally a grunter. That’s Cole’s thing. But I’m suddenly tired of being the one responsible for keeping the peace between these crazy...fuckers.

  Yeah. Crazy fuckers.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Cole demands. Not with his power. With his dad voice. That just grates even more.

  “What? Can’t a guy grunt every now and then? You sure do a hell of a lot of that.”

  Cole’s eyes narrow, and he sets the paper down.

  Knox places the omelet in front of Cole, wiping his hands on the apron he’s wearing, and gives me a look. “Since when do you cuss?”

  “Sorry, Mom,” I mock, eyeing the apron and the hands he’s just placed on his hips. “Am I not allowed to cuss? Need I remind both of you that I’m an adult and can do whatever the hell I damn well please? Christ. Now I know what it’s like to be a teenager.” I’m working up some righteous, though highly irrational anger, and stalk over to the cabinet with my cup in hand, grab the bottle of irish cream off the shelf, and add a healthy dollop to my coffee mug. I’m not normally a drinker, but this isn’t a normal kind of morning either.

  Take that, shitheads!

  “Uh oh. The resident nerd is drinking at seven in the morning. Pigs must be flying,” Thad snarks, taking a seat at the table. I didn’t even hear him come in.

  What is wrong with me?

  Levi chuckles before adding, “Has hell frozen over? Sure would make our jobs a damn bit more difficult.”

  Glaring at the lot of them, I grab a donut from the counter and make my way to the table. Cole is still eyeing me while he eats his omelet, and Knox is throwing together food for the twins who are bouncing clichés back and forth like they’re the funniest things they’ve ever heard.

  Dumbasses.

  Frustration hits me. Along with a slew of other emotions. I’m not normally the emotional one. I deal in facts. Facts and logic. All of these feelings must be short-circuiting my brain.

  “Seriously. What is going on with you?” Cole demands with a little of his power this time.

  “I…” Trailing off, I try to come up with an explanation, but I don’t have one. “I honestly have no idea. Does anyone else feel...off?”

  They look around at each other before their eyes all fall on me.

  Surprisingly, it isn’t Cole or Knox that respond. It’s Thad.

  “Yeah, I feel it too, bro. Like something in my chest is fighting to break free.”

  “Same here,” Levi agrees.

  “I’ve felt it since the very first day,” Knox adds, setting new plates in front of the twins, with a
bagel in his hand for himself.

  Cole just stares at all of us like we’re a few numbers shy of a full equation.

  “Oh, come on, boss. Even you have to admit you feel something,” Levi coaxes.

  Cole takes a quick drink of his coffee before setting his cup down a little harder than necessary.

  “Fine. I feel it too. It’s the same feeling I’ve had for damn near ten years, except it’s stronger now.”

  “So, let’s put together the facts, shall we?” This is what I do best, putting the details together to get a glimpse at the full picture. Something inside me starts to settle with the familiarity of the action.

  “Fuck, here we go,” Thad grumbles around a mouthful of food.

  My glare is enough to have him muttering out, “Sorry, bro.”

  Yes. The sky must be falling if Thad is apologizing. Oh hell, now I’m spouting clichés.

  “It’s safe to say Fate is the cause of these feelings. We know that before this all happened, she was an important part of our lives. All of our lives. How do we feel about that? Aside from the twins, sharing hasn’t really been a thing for any of us.”

  Silence. Bingo! Score one for the resident nerd, or should I say sexy nerd?

  “For the record, she makes me feel things I’m not sure I’ve ever felt before. Or at least not that I can remember. I’ve...uh...dammit, I’m just going to say it. I haven’t been with anyone since I woke up in New York,” I blurt out.

  Their stunned faces lock onto me with looks of disbelief and wonder like I’m some mystical creature they didn’t believe existed. Not sure why they’re surprised. Even Levi noted they’ve never seen me with anyone. It just never felt...right.

  “You mean to tell me,” Thad begins, pointing his finger at me like he’s having a hard time comprehending the words that are leaving his mouth, “you haven’t had sex in over fifty years?”

  “No fucking way. I call bullshit,” Levi retorts.

  “Believe whatever you want. There was just never anyone that excited me enough...if you know what I mean. And in reality, it’s been one hundred years.” Fuck. I’m blushing again.