Sweet Nightmares (The Damned Series Book 1)
Page 18
Jake shrugged. “Seems fair enough. But, are you okay with some stranger living in your house, taking care of an invalid?”
“You are not an invalid, and I’m having the nurse’s background thoroughly checked out. I made a phone call to your boss and he said he would personally see to it that the nurse meets our criteria and has a completely clean background. In fact, he said that by the time he was done with checks he would be able to tell me if the sperm that impregnated the nurse’s mama farted before it entered the egg.” I wrinkled my nose at the thought. It was kind of gross.
Jake laughed. “Sounds like Hanson. Did he say when I could go back to work?”
Cole leaned forward. “Hanson is bringing in Turner. As soon as I found out you were awake, I called and discussed this with him at length. He’s going to give you some time to recover before he calls to work out the details, but he said that your job is secure. He also said that you’ll be back in the game as soon as you’re able to. Just relax and take things easy. Turner will do fine while you’re gone, then I’ll get my partner back.”
Jake just nodded.
After Cole left, I was sitting on the couch next to Jake, watching a movie. I put my hand on his leg and he looked down at it. Then he looked up at me with an eyebrow cocked.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re wearing the ring,” he said.
“Oh, yeah. Your mom told the doctors we were married so that I could stay with you. I didn’t know what to do with it and didn’t want it stolen. I had been putting it in your hand, and on my finger if I had to leave the room. I guess I just forgot about it with you waking up.” I started to take it off.
He put his and on mine, stopping me from taking it off. “Don’t, darlin’. It looks good on you. Better than I ever imagined it would. Keep it on.”
“Are you sure?” I asked him. I hoped he realized how much meaning was behind that question.
“Oh, yeah darlin’. I’ve never been so sure in my life. I do hope we’re on the same wavelength, because that ring on your finger means forever to me,” he admitted softly. He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “And at some point over these past couple weeks, we’ve both promised forever. I intend to keep that promise.”
I intended to keep it too.
Epilogue
Jake and I were sitting on the porch swing listening to the birds sing, when we heard the rumble of an engine heading to the drive. I looked at him and a moment of panic seized me. I took a deep breath and tried to lower my rapidly beating heart. I had to remind myself that it was over, the danger was gone. I was still having nightmares, but they consisted of what had happened in the ritualistic circle. I could still see Jake’s dead body on the ground. I would feel the gun in my hands, the way it jerked when I pulled the trigger. The sight of the bullets entering Ethan Price’s body still flashed through my head.
Jake put his arm around me and pulled me closer to his side, in a protective gesture. I could tell by the tension in his arm that he wasn’t quite over the ordeal, either. We stared at the driveway waiting to see who would be coming down the drive.
As the black SUV pulled into sight, I relaxed. It was just Cole. I had known that he would be making an appearance sometime this week. He had told Jake that he was going to bring his new partner over for us to meet. Jake and Cole already knew Agent Turner, so introducing her must have been for my benefit. Jake had also told me that it was Agent Turner who had identified the sigil on the back of my neck.
At the thought of the sigil, I reached back and touched the brand. The skin was raised up, like I had been branded with an iron. I had hoped it would go away when Ethan died, but it hadn’t.
Car doors shutting pulled me from my musings. I watched Cole and a woman approach. She was a little taller than Mia, but a little shorter than I was. She had dark curly hair that seemed to bounce all over the place. Her curves were well defined. I wouldn’t call her big, but she wasn’t petite either. She walked with a confident stride. As they stepped up on to the porch, I saw that her eyes were dark and stormy.
“Hi, Cole,” I smiled. I turned my attention to the woman. “You must be Agent Turner. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
“Hello,” she answered shortly.
Jake reached out and shook hands with both Cole and Agent Turner. “Cole, hey man, good to see you. Turner, nice to see you again as well. This is Lex. Lex, this is Agent Becca Turner.”
Agent Turner nodded her head at me. Then she turned back to Jake. “When do you see yourself back on your feet?”
Jake shrugged. “I’m well enough now, but the doctor and Hanson both think I need extra healing time. They’re projecting another several months. Hanson directed me to use the sick time and vacation time I’ve built up, and completely recuperate before I return.”
“That’s a good idea. I know you have plenty of time built up, I’ve never known you to miss a day of work before this,” Turner told him.
I looked over at Cole who was fidgeting around. It didn’t seem like him to fidget. “Do you have something in your pants that you can’t be still?”
Cole looked at me. “Did the brand ever go away?”
I shook my head no. “No, it doesn’t feel like it’s changed at all.”
Agent Turner spoke up. “That’s one reason why we’re here. Theoretically, the brand should have gone away once the threat and contract made with the demon was voided by Price’s death. This makes me think that maybe Price wasn’t working solely for his on benefit.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means that it sounds like there was something more sinister at play here. I have also noticed a spike in demonic activity.” She looked at Jake. “Not just in the area either. This is becoming a national epidemic. I’m starting to worry.”
I looked at Jake. His eyebrows were pinched together. He looked like he was thinking hard about what we were being told. Was he as concerned as I was about demonic activity increasing? It didn’t sit well with me.
Jake caught me watching him and he smiled. He leaned over and kissed me on the temple. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I got your back.”
I smiled back, but my insides were in knots. Were the nightmares over? I had a feeling that Ravensville was in for quite the rollercoaster ride.
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Table of Contents
(Untitled)
Prologue
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Epilogue