“I’m fine!” she insisted as they entered the kitchen. “Really, you haven’t seen me on a real night in the Old Port!”
“It’s probably quite a show,” he muttered, just wanting to get her to bed without any casualties. “You really need to get some sleep. We open in the morning.”
“I know that!” she said and followed him clumsily into the bedroom. “I know.”
He was shocked when she suddenly shucked off her dress without so much as a thought. His cheeks turned red and he spun around. Shelley took note.
“You act like you’ve never seen me undress before,” she said. He heard the smirk in her voice. “Don’t tell me you haven’t peeked at least once.”
“Yes,” he said as Kismit came around the corner, steering clear of his feet. “But, you weren’t drunk those times, so it didn’t feel like I was taking advantage.”
She laughed softly. He heard the sound of the dress being laid across the bed, and then Shelley yanking open drawers, searching for pajamas. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his body from flickering.
“You can turn around now,” she said after a minute. He reluctantly did so.
She was in bed. The blankets were bunched to one side and only covered half her legs. Kismit leapt onto the bed and pranced along the headboard, settling at his familiar perch on the edge. His tail swished back and forth like a pendulum.
The dress hung off the side of the bed next to Shelley in a twisted heap.
“You should hang that in the closet,” Tadin said, and walked over to take the dress. It was soft in his hands, and he remember how it felt on her body when he touched the small of her back down at the party.
He found an empty hanger in the wardrobe and hung the dress neatly. Satisfied, he took up his normal haunt in the armchair. Maybe now he could finish reading Carrie.
“Does it make you nervous?” Shelley asked suddenly, and he set the book down on his lap to look at her.
“What?”
She brushed her messy hair over her head and it cascaded down in translucent curls around her face. Her eyelids were heavy with drink and exhaustion.
“Me being drunk,” she clarified. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“Maybe,” he answered. “Just a little bit. That’s mostly because there’s no chance I could make myself drunk, so there’s zero possibility of me joining you. Also, when you’re drunk you say what you really think.”
“Do I really?” she propped herself up on her arm.
“Yes,” he smiled.
“I bet you’re right,” she flopped back on the bed. “You’re usually right.”
She settled further beneath the covers, kicking at the bunched end until it landed haphazardly over her feet. Everything about her seemed animated. It felt foreign to Tadin. Shelley was always so well put-together. A few martinis weren’t exactly partying, but the tipsy version of Shelley was still nerve wracking. Part of his nerves were connected to images floating in his head, of the things he could say to her now that she probably wouldn’t remember them in the morning. He could be honest, and there was the rare chance to hit the reset button if things went sour.
“Tadin?”
He looked up at her. She was looking at him from beneath heavy-lidded eyes.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Would you come lay next to me?”
It fell upon him then like a wave of cold water — the excitement that filled him. It sent a tingling sensation down to the tips of his toes and the ends of his fingers.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said, hoping to brush her off for her own good.
“Please?” Shelley stretched out her hand and motioned for him to come. “It will be nice. I’ve wanted to do it for a while now. Come on, please?”
Tadin sighed. He knew that it would be best to leave her alone, but he found his legs acting of their own accord, lifting him out of the chair and over to the bed. Shelley watched as he maneuvered around the far side, picked up the covers and slid beneath them.
“There,” he said. “Is that good?”
He was shocked as Shelley settled against him. He hadn’t expected this, so her arm went through him completely. He squirmed around, and she laughed. Finally he was able to make himself solid and she wrapped her arm tightly around him.
“That’s better,” she said.
He wasn’t sure what to do. It was so long since he’d been intimate with anyone. He tried to relax, but he felt as stiff as a board.
“Am I doing all right?” he asked sheepishly.
“You’re doing great,” Shelley nestled against him, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. She sighed, a lovely sound, which settled Tadin’s nerves. “All you have to do is just be here.”
Tadin raised an eyebrow.
“That’s all?” he said.
“Mm-hmm.”
They lay there in silence for a few minutes.
“Tadin?” Shelley asked after a while.
“What?”
“I’m really glad, you know?”
“About what?” he asked.
She was silent a moment before she answered.
“I’m really glad that we’re starting this together...the gallery, and everything.”
“Me too,” he said. He could smell the scent of her green tea shampoo in her hair.
“And I’m glad you came to the party tonight,” she continued. “It meant a lot to have you there. I didn’t think you were coming, but you did. I always knew.”
“Always knew?”
“Mm-hmm. That you liked me.”
He laughed. What a random conversation!
“See that?” he said. “I told you the alcohol would make you say what you really think.”
“Yeah? Well, good for that. Because I’m going to tell you something else I probably shouldn’t tell you, Mr. Tadin.”
Tadin meant to interrupt her, to stop her before it went too far. But, Shelley finished her thought before he could open his mouth.
“I really like you, Tadin. A lot. More than I probably should.” She twisted beneath the covers and rolled to the far side of the bed until she was on her stomach, her right hand tucked beneath her cheek. “I just thought that you should know,” she said, and after that she was silent and slipped into a heavy sleep.
Tadin lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
Was this really happening?
He had to admit that he’d imagined this conversation a thousand times, but none of the fantasizing prepared him for Shelley finally admitting that she had genuine feelings for him.
Yeah, but she’s drunk, he thought and got out of the bed to return to his seat in the armchair. Odds are, she probably won’t remember any of this tomorrow morning, so what’s the point in dwelling on it?
Even with that idea firmly in his mind, it was a long time before he finally nodded off to sleep.
Part Two
Chapter Ten:
Thursday - 10:30pm
“What do you think, Miss Quimby?”
Candice stood on the welcome mat of Haures’s penthouse apartment and felt very out of place. The space was cavernous — every wall covered in meticulous detail — dark woodwork, neutral paint, and just the right amount of tasteful furniture to let everyone who walked through the doors know that Haures Grantley had class and money. Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, framing a magnificent marble fireplace that looked like it was never lit. The ceilings were tall and allowed for more detail to be crammed into the moldings and plasterwork.
Haures glanced at her as she examined the paperwork she handed him. He smiled expectantly.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
He nodded and tapped the small stack of papers on the desk, depositing them into a locked drawer.
“You should have seen it before I bought it,” he said. “The place was part of a factory. Everything was gutted, littered with old machinery and decaying newspapers. All my colleagues told me I was crazy when I said it
was where I wanted to live, but I had a vision for this place that they couldn’t even fathom. I saw the potential in it, what it could be. It’s so hard to find tall ceilings in this city, mostly because all the classic buildings were built decades ago when people were shorter. It’s the height that makes it feel so grand. You can’t help but look up.”
He walked to the center of the room and beckoned for her to join him, which she tentatively did.
“I wanted to create my own masterpiece,” he continued. “A place to store my collection. I put everything I had into renovating this place, and now look at it. Gorgeous! It’s the perfect place for parties. You like parties, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she folded her arms. “But, I don’t think we have the same definition of ‘party’.”
“That’s probably true,” he brought a hand to his lips. “You’re much younger than me. I’m sure the parties at the university are full of debauchery.”
She didn’t know how to respond, so remained silent. He promptly changed the subject.
“I haven’t thrown a party in a few years, so, that’s that.”
She wished he would get down to business. She wanted to explore the apartment because she needed to find the library. Wherever it was, she knew what she was hunting was hidden inside. Still, even with her eagerness, she couldn’t let Haures discover her ulterior motives to employment. If he caught her poking around, her goose would be cooked.
“I just can’t wait to get started,” she said, walking over to one of the large windows. The cityscape was lit up like a Christmas tree. “Where should I begin?”
“Nothing too important tonight,” he said. “I just want you to get acquainted with the apartment. It definitely could use a dusting. It’s been so long since my last assistant was with us. You’ll find everything you need in the second floor bathroom. The stairs are just over there,” he pointed to the corner where a set of stairs spiraled upwards into the second floor.
“Sounds easy enough,” Candice said. A little exploration was just what she was hoping to do from the start.
“I trust you’ll be all right on your own,” Haures walked back to the desk and took his coat from the chair. “I have a lot of paperwork to go over, so I’ll be down at my usual spot at the pub for most of the evening. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. I gave you my cell number?”
She nodded.
“I should be fine,” she reassured him. Just leave me be. Walk out the door and let me get on with it.
Haures took one last look around then turned to leave.
“I’ll be back around one. You can head home as soon as you’re done. Just remember to lock up when you leave.” And, with that, he disappeared through the entryway.
Candice waited until his footsteps faded away completely before closing the door and locking it.
The sound of her heartbeat drummed in her ears. She was alone.
Now it was time to search.
She started with the walls of the great room, knocking on them and pushing on bookcases. Nothing looked suspicious. She definitely didn’t uncover any secret passageways behind the paintings.
“Where next?” she muttered under her breath.
Haures said he collected one-of-a-kind objects. If that was true, and her suspicions were correct, then she would find her brother’s soul somewhere in the penthouse.
A small hallway was tucked next to the spiral stairs. She didn’t know which floor had better luck, so she started with the hallway.
Doors lined both sides of the hall. Anything could be behind them.
Come on, Reagan, she thought as she tried each doorknob. You have to be somewhere…
It was three years since she last saw him playing on the playground. She looked down for just a moment and he was gone. She’d hunted around the entire park when Reagan’s scream pierced the air. That was when she saw the dark figure take something glowing from her brother’s mouth and his body fell limp to the ground. She later learned that the glowing thing was his soul, and the dark figure was a soul stealer.
She was running out of doors to try. They were all locked. Haures must have forgotten to give her the key. She was trying her third door when a man cleared his throat behind her. The hair on her neck and arms stood up and she froze.
“Are you lost?” the man’s voice asked.
She yanked her hand away from the doorknob to face the man. He was a good head shorter than her, but she felt as if he towered over her.
“I’m just getting ready to clean,” she said, keeping her face as blank as a stone slab.
“Preparing...and exploring,” the man grinned. He wore spiral ear gauges that cast shadows across his cheeks and neck. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell on you. I’ve done my fair share of looking around. How can you resist a little sight-seeing in a place like this?”
She clasped her hands together and noted the rest of the man’s appearance. He wore casual clothes, enough to make her feel like she was overdressed. His shirt left the top two buttons undone, revealing pale, hairless flesh beneath. The hair on his head was cropped and he had a goatee.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said, stepping towards him. Every move she made was calculated — deliberate. She needed to appear completely confident. A short man wasn’t going to stand between her and her brother’s soul. Reagan was in this building. She knew it. Her gut told her so.
“That’s correct,” the man stroked his goatee once. “We haven’t met. Part of that is on purpose. I don’t like to get comfortable with new hires until they’ve lasted an entire night. However, you seem to be different from the rest.”
“What makes me so special?” she asked.
“Why, this, of course,” he motioned to the door behind her. “You’re testing the boundaries. That’s good. It says that you have an adventurous spirit, which is something desirable in a place like this. The other women...they didn’t have determination. Needless to say, they didn’t last long.”
“Mr. Grantley mentioned that it was hard to keep help around here.”
“I’m sure he did. It’s one of his great pains — not having dependable help. Sometimes it seems like I’m the only one who bothers to stick around.”
“That must mean you’re a very loyal employee, Mr. —?”
“No ‘Mr.’ Just Pyro,” the man replied. His grin seemed perpetual.
“That’s an uncommon name,” Candice tried to steer the conversation towards the man — Pyro. If he were like any other man, he wouldn’t be able to resist the chance to talk about himself.
“Well, we don’t really get to pick our names, do we?” he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms casually.
“No, I suppose not. I just thought it was a nickname or something.”
“Nope. Nicknames are tacky.”
What kind of place is this? she thought, struggling against the butterflies in her stomach. Who knew these kind of...people...live just above us? This penthouse was undoubtedly a demon campsite. Places like this were all over the world, usually in very unlikely places. Candice found them in offices, libraries, and even church boiler rooms. But this? It brought her entire hunt to a new level. This place was so obvious. An expensive apartment above the Old Port? She couldn’t have written it better. Perhaps that’s why it went unnoticed, because of its banality. If she told anyone this building was a demonic hot spot, they would laugh in her face and call her crazy.
But here she was, investigating the secret lives of demons in Portland. The entire hunt felt like a stab in the dark for a long time, but now she knew her goal was within reach.
“What drew you to the job?” Pyro asked.
“I dislike public service,” she said, to which Pyro laughed.
“I like you,” he walked towards her. “It’s funny that you’re not giving me your name, seeing as I already know it.”
“Oh? And how do you know it?”
He stopped a few feet from her and his stare seemed to penetrate her skull.
“I’m in charge of Haures’s paperwork. I’ve read your application. In fact, I’m the one who slipped it into his hands and told him you were the strongest candidate. So, you can imagine how delighted I am that you’re working with us. Candice.”
“Well, that’s nice of you. But, I really should get to work —”
She went to walk by him, but he blocked her path.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
She blinked. Did he know? Or was he just fishing for information? If the man really was a demon, there was no telling how much information about her he was privy to.
She gave him a smile.
“I’m not looking for anything. I’m getting my bearings around the apartment.”
“Oh, come on! You can tell me. You’re hardly the first woman to go snooping around this penthouse. It was the money, wasn’t it?”
He thinks I’m a leech, she thought. She felt a tiny sense of relief when she heard that. She tried to brush him off, but again he stepped in front of her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied.
“Come on, Candice. Admit it. You were looking for the old man’s vault. There’s no shame in looking. Taking, now...” He licked his lips. “Taking is entirely punishable.” He ran a hand along the wood paneling.
This guy had to be Haures’s guard.
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and straightened up.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she said. “I don’t have sticky hands. I make my money the good, old-fashioned way.”
“I hope so. You might be surprised that there are no cameras in this apartment, but rest assured. I’m all the cameras that Haures needs. There’s nothing that goes on in this place that I don’t see and document.” He tapped his temple.
“Duly noted,” Candice smiled. “Now, if you’ll let me by — there’s a lot of dusting to do.”
Pyro waved his arm out and allowed her back down the hallway.
Well, he’s one new obstacle to overcome, she thought. It figured that being hired was the easy part. The biggest road blocks in the way to finding her brother were the people that came out the woodwork.
Macyntire & Hough (A Paranormal Romance) (The Macyntire & Hough Saga) Page 7