by J. E. Taylor
My throat tightened. “You can’t film Bridget.”
CJ nodded. “That’s the only gap in the plan.”
“And how will you explain all of it?” I knew a later time stamp would show that they were okay despite the earlier videos, but what possible explanation could be given to the general public to wipe those scenes out?
“Well, Lucifer provided us with that when he mentioned my father. My dad was one of the best editors out there. So, we just have Alex explain that he was trying his hand at special effects and video editing and was attempting to produce a low-budget horror flick. The release to the news stations was meant to be teasers, and he didn’t think about the consequences that went along with sending those blind.”
“And what about the finished movie? They are going to ask about that.”
CJ glanced at me. “Computer crashed and a fire at the place he was filming destroyed his equipment.”
“You’ve thought this through.”
“Between the darker outcomes, yes. I’ve put some thought into this. As you said, the only gap is Bridget. We can even show Tom if needed. I just hope it’s enough.”
I didn’t want to think about the ramifications if we freed him but couldn’t exonerate him, so, I focused on a more troubling issue.
“What do we do with Grace?”
CJ shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What if she’s… pregnant?” I squeaked out. If Grace was pregnant, it would be CJ’s grandchild by blood. I knew how strongly Tom felt about family, and CJ was the same.
He was slower to answer this time. “I don’t know how to answer that.” His voice cracked. “If she is, it isn’t Alex’s child, regardless of the DNA. Sleeping with Grace was not what Alex wanted.” He wiped his face. “Alex won’t want anything to do with Lucifer’s child.” He glanced at me, and then his cheeks reddened. “Present company excluded.” He stared out at the road ahead. “If she is pregnant, she would be carrying your half brother or sister.”
My stomach clenched at the thought. Everything about this was wrong. I wrapped my arms around my abdomen and held tight, trying to reconcile what that would mean. My brain couldn’t fathom it, and I concentrated on the passing scenery so the darkness wouldn’t overtake me.
“We’ll deal with all that after we save Alex,” CJ said, closing the conversation.
He turned on the radio and began to sing along softly. The croon lulled me, relaxing the tightness of my muscles until my eyelids drooped. The last thought before I fell asleep nearly jerked me awake.
What if Lucifer had already destroyed Alex’s soul?
Chapter 9
My eyes fluttered open at the slowing of the car. I licked the dryness from my lips and swallowed the pasty taste of sleep from my mouth. The partially crumbled sign for Overbrook Asylum loomed before us. And beyond, large dumpsters piled with debris and construction equipment dotted the mostly cleared landscape.
“Your research sucked,” I said in a raspy voice.
CJ pulled the car to a stop. “It seems so,” he replied and pulled his phone from the holder, then texted Valerie. When he finished, he plugged the address of our next stop into the GPS and then turned the car off.
When he stepped out and stretched, I climbed out of the car as well.
“Do you want me to drive?”
“No. We have to drive through the city, and you’re too new at driving to do that.” He walked around the car and leaned on the hood with his phone in his hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure the other places I had listed aren’t going to be a waste of time.” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “As much as I like road trips, I don’t want to keep hopping from one to another to another that don’t fit the profile.”
I nodded. It was just wasting time. Time we really didn’t have.
“Did Mrs. Ryan get back to you about your idea?”
He put his finger up. “Hang on a minute.”
I leaned against the car next to him and scanned what he was looking at. It seemed the next few places on the list weren’t ruled out by tours or construction. He flipped to his messages and pressed play on an attachment Valerie had sent. It showed Tom and April sitting on a blanket having a picnic. Tom was framed by light. April wasn’t.
CJ sucked in his bottom lip and played the video again. “We might be able to fix the lighting,” he said, but his voice didn’t sound all that sure.
“At least Tom looks solid and not ghostly.”
CJ raised his eyebrows and nodded before he pulled the GPS back up. “It’s going to be another couple of hours before we get to Staten Island. I need to fill up the car before we hit the highway again. Did you want something to drink for the ride?”
“Sure.”
He handed me a twenty-dollar bill. “You can grab me a coffee while you’re getting something for yourself.” He turned and got back into the car.
I followed and put on my seat belt while he spun us out of there and back onto the main road. He pulled into a gas station with a convenience store, and while he topped off the tank, I went inside to hit the restroom and then find something that struck my fancy to drink.
The drinks were easy, but it was the fast-food section that had me lingering. I stared at the chip selection with a coffee in one hand and a sports drink tucked under my arm. Nothing jumped out at me. I walked down the sweets aisle and stopped in front of the packages of frosted cream-filled cakes.
My mouth watered, so I grabbed one of the packages and headed to the counter. It was probably going to give me another sugar crash, but it looked too good to pass up on and nothing else had drummed up that kind of reaction.
When I climbed in the car, I handed CJ his coffee and put my drink into the cup holder. As soon as we were on the highway, I dug into the cakes, offering one of the two treats to CJ.
“Thanks. But I’m good,” he said, but his gaze lingered on the chocolate.
“Are you sure?” I asked, waving the cake so he got a good whiff of chocolate.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Dimples appeared in his cheeks as he focused on the drive.
I enjoyed every bite of the sweet confections and grinned at CJ after I licked my fingers clean. I didn’t bother with the drink yet. The chocolate lingered on my tongue, and I closed my eyes, relishing it.
“We are staying the night in the city before we hit Staten Island because I have a feeling that going into one of these places in the dark will be the death of us.” He glanced at me with serious eyes.
“Pun intended?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“What? Are you afraid of the dark?” I didn’t mean for that to escape, but it was out of my mouth before I had the good sense to shut my trap.
The hard stare he sent my way sent a rush of heat to my cheeks.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. The lingering chocolate taste soured, and I opened my drink to wash it away.
“There is too much risk if we go after him at night. We don’t want to get blindsided by anything. Demons, hellhounds, other monsters. Who knows what he has at his disposal?” He took a sip of his coffee, winced, and swallowed it as if it were bitter. “The traps Gabe talked about; those won’t be fatal.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Lucifer likes to be the one who delivers the death blow.” He glanced at me. “And he will only kill us after he’s subjected us to the kind of torture that nightmares are made of. So, if it is all the same to you, I’d rather hit him during the daylight when I can see things coming.”
I nodded dumbly in the seat. The one thing CJ was good for was cutting right to the point. Although right now I would have preferred him not to be so brutally honest. I would have much rather just enjoyed my chocolate dessert and stared out at the uninspiring highway view.
* * * *
When CJ pulled into a garage across from Central Park in New York City, I glanced over at him in surprise. He bypassed the attendant with a wave and drove to the top fl
oor, then parked right next to an elevator.
“We own the penthouse,” he said and put the car into first gear before shutting it off and yanking the emergency brake. He stepped out of the car and opened the trunk to grab our overnight bags.
I took my jacket when he handed it to me and followed him to the elevator.
“None of us have been here since…” The elevator doors opening interrupted CJ.
He didn’t need to explain. I had Tom’s memories. I already knew neither of them had been to the apartment since their adoptive parents had been murdered by Lucifer. So, us going to stay there was a big deal for CJ.
He glanced at me as the elevator ascended. When the doors whooshed open, I stepped out onto the landing. There was only one door, and I wondered how many people took that elevator thinking it would bring them to their floor.
“The elevator works on either a key,” he said and held up a key on his keychain, “or fingerprint.” He waved his fingers at me with a dimple etched in his cheek. He shrugged. “It’s part of being obscenely rich, like my father used to joke about. I never was sure whether he was serious or not, and then he passed away and I got an idea of what we were worth.”
“Yeah. I looked you up after Tom told me he paid for the hospital bills,” I admitted, and my face reddened.
“I know.”
Of course, he knew.
I followed him inside the apartment and glanced around at the barren living room. It had been stripped down to the subfloor and studs on the walls. Even with everything gone, Jennifer William’s blood still stained the wood. What had been glass sliders was now just boarded over. The last of the setting sunlight colored the sky over the city through the oversized window next to the boarded sliding doors.
He stared at the spot on the subfloor for a long time. His jaw tightened, and he turned and headed down the hallway. He stopped short of the master bedroom and pointed to the right. “You can stay in there.” He opened the door across from mine and headed inside instead of heading into the master bedroom.
I opened the door he had indicated, and no sooner had I dropped my backpack and suitcase on the bed than CJ came in with his arms full of sheets.
“The beds aren’t made. Do you want help making yours?” he asked.
“I’m good.” I took the sheets from him, and he turned to leave. “Are we supposed to go to sleep now?” It was way too early for me to go to bed.
“I’m tired. I didn’t sleep much last night, so…” He shrugged. “Get some rest. I have a feeling we’ll both need it tomorrow.” He left me to figure out how to make the bed on my own.
After I put the sheets on the mattresses, I wandered around the apartment until I ended up unlocking the sliding doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The view of the city was incredible, and I took a seat in one of the lounge chairs. The air was warmer in New York than it had been up in New Hampshire. The leather jacket I wore provided almost too much warmth, but I knew the moment I peeled it off, I’d end up getting chilly.
My stomach growled. I wished I had thought to grab the snack bag from behind the seat, but I was too busy being overwhelmed by the city again.
When a bag landed on the lounge between my legs, I nearly blasted it with my fire. CJ crossed in front of me with two cans of beer in his hands and took a seat.
“There isn’t anything else to drink in the apartment.” He handed one to me.
“You could have just poured a glass of water.” I glanced at the beer and then at him. “And I’m underage.”
He turned the can around so I could read it. Non-alcoholic beer. “Tastes like piss,” he muttered after taking a sip of his.
“In that case, I’ll pass.” I opened April’s goody bag and scrounged around for a package of Skittles I thought I’d seen earlier, and then offered the bag to CJ. “I thought you were going to go to sleep.”
“This place doesn’t have a lot of good memories for me. The last time I slept in this apartment was the night before I saw my father being tortured by Lucifer in a warehouse. The time before that, my father died in a warehouse. So… just lying in that bed brought some of those nightmares roaring back.” He took a sip of his non-alcoholic beer.
“So, just as long as we stay clear of warehouses, you’ll be okay,” I muttered under my breath.
CJ spit the beer out in a spray that covered the distance between the chairs and the ledge wall. Coughing and sputtering, he glanced at me like I had just told the world’s worst joke.
I peeked into the bag but didn’t see anything else I wanted. I dropped April’s care package on the decking between our chairs and avoided CJ’s blatant stare. Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I knew his gaze was on me like a laser that jumbled my nerves.
When I finally got the courage to look over, he was squinting up at the darkened sky. His lips turned down and he lowered his gaze to the city landscape before us.
“You can’t see the stars here,” I said as I followed the path his gaze had a moment ago.
“No. Even in the dead of night, you can’t see the stars in the same way we can in Maine or New Hampshire.” He sighed heavily and glanced over his shoulder at the boarded doors. “I should do something to renovate this place and then maybe sell it.”
“Why sell it?” I asked, but deep down I knew. It wasn’t a place Tom ever came. Not since their adopted parents were killed by Lucifer. He couldn’t stomach coming here.
CJ just nodded. “Tom and I have way too many houses. And someone could be happy here.”
“Why renovate? Why not just sell it as is?” It wasn’t like he needed the money.
He huffed and nodded. “I should.” But even his tone lacked conviction, despite everything he had said. This was the apartment his father had bought when he broke free of his stepbrother. It represented many turning points in his father’s life, but most importantly, it was where CJ had been conceived. Despite his hang-ups about being here, it still held a sentimental place in his heart.
“If you were to renovate, what would you do?” I decided something less ominous should be discussed, and maybe it would wipe the frown that had formed on CJ’s face away.
His bottom lip disappeared between his teeth and his head tilted to the side. “I don’t know. I might blow out the wall between the kitchen and living room and take that stupid divider between the door and the living room out, and I might make the sliders wider and floor-to-ceiling windows on either side. Put an island in the kitchen to separate the space.” He shrugged and glanced at me. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. It’s just that I’m not comfortable here.”
“I know. Tom wasn’t either.”
“I would imagine he wouldn’t be. Especially since it was his likeness that did the killing.” He raised his beer and polished it off in one long pull. “I wish this was real beer instead of this crap.” He sneered at the bottle. “There used to be a bar with all sorts of hard stuff, but I couldn’t find any of the bottles in the kitchen.”
“Should you really be drinking?” I didn’t think a hangover would help us if we found Lucifer tomorrow.
“No. You are right. A hangover wouldn’t help us, and I wouldn’t have the same reaction time that I had today.” He raised an eyebrow at me, and heat filled my cheeks.
I probably could have saved myself with the floor giving out under me, but I wasn’t sure I could have done anything about the ghosts without setting the building on fire. I nodded my thanks, and a yawn crept up on me.
“Maybe we should try to get some sleep,” he said and gathered his bottles and the bag he had brought out. “I think we’re going to need it.”
I couldn’t argue with him. All of a sudden, fatigue claimed my muscles and my eyes drooped from the absence of energy. It was like the sugar crash I’d expected hit with the power of a nuclear bomb.
He held the slider open for me, and then he shuffled to the kitchen while I headed down the hall to the bathroom to begin my evening routine.
Chapter 10<
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Morning came fast. Or should I say early afternoon. Both CJ and I slept much longer than we had anticipated. It seemed both our bodies needed it. Besides, we only had two places left on the list.
He had gone out to get breakfast while I cleaned up. When I came out of the shower in my jeans and T-shirt, he was already back, and his bags were next to the door.
“We can eat and then stow our suitcases in the trunk before we head out.”
I put my suitcase and backpack next to his and followed him into the kitchen. The table had some pastries laid out along with wrapped sandwiches.
CJ took a seat and unwrapped the sandwich on his side of the table. My mouth watered at the sudden smell of bacon, and I sat and opened mine. Egg and cheese along with bacon poked out from between light and fluffy croissants that melted in my mouth with the first bite.
We didn’t speak as we polished off every morsel on the table. With our bellies full and the garbage cleaned up, CJ glanced at me.
“Are you ready for this?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No. But I’m going anyway. Just like you are.
A dimple in his cheek appeared, and it reminded me so much of his son’s expression that I sighed. I certainly hoped we could save him. If we couldn’t, neither one of us would be the same, assuming we survived.
CJ was quiet as he grabbed the suitcases and headed to the elevator. I followed with my backpack slung over my shoulder. The locks engaged behind me as soon as I closed the front door.
“You’re right, you know,” he said as we stepped into the waiting elevator.
“How so?”
“No matter how much I want Lucifer dead and gone, I won’t be able to kill him while he is possessing my son. I would have been able to do it if he was still wearing Tom’s body, but that’s only because I know Tom’s already in heaven.” He shook his head in disgust. “But Alex…” He closed his eyes and leaned against the back wall.
The doors swished open, and he stepped out onto the concrete of the parking garage and headed towards the car. He opened the trunk and slung the suitcases inside.
