"Mom!"
She jumped off the sofa and enveloped me in a big hug.
"Where were you?"
"Erm..."
Stephen was standing behind her, jiggling from one foot to another as he reveled in the awkwardness of the moment.
"Isn't it great that she's here!" he said.
"Yeah! Oh my God, mom."
I hugged her again, squeezing her tight. There were lines around her red-rimmed eyes. She'd obviously been crying all the way here.
"You told me to come, and I did!" she said. "But I waited at the station for hours and you weren't there. Luckily Stephen answered his phone and came and got me. Where have you been? You didn't even come home last night!"
Swiping open my phone, I saw a dozen missed calls. I'd been so caught up with Delores, with Trevor, with whatever the hell we did last night that I'd forgotten to meet my own mother when she needed me the most.
"I'm so sorry."
I held her tight.
"I've been so busy at work."
It was a terrible lie, one Stephen wasn't falling for as he shook his head, but all I could do was shoot him a pleading look in the hopes it would keep his mouth shut.
"You live here!" mom beamed. "In this beautiful apartment. I can hardly believe it! And it New York City no less, my big girl."
She looked as though she was on the brink of crying again and I directed her toward the door.
"Get your coat, mom. Let's go sightseeing."
"Don't you have to go to work?"
"Erm... Not today."
Stephen was trailing behind us in brand new clothes, ones he must have bought yesterday.
"Nice kicks," I said as we stepped into the elevator.
"They're real sweet," he replied. "Say thanks to Trevor for me."
So, the two of them were living with me now. All I needed was a desperate call from my dad and we'd all be together. I shuddered at the thought and mom gave me a strange look.
"Everything ok, sweetheart?"
"Just worried about you," I said. "Does dad know you're gone?"
She shook her head.
"Well, I guess he does now."
"The bastard," I mumbled under my breath as we walked through the lobby.
~
After doing the tourist thing, we settled into a coffee shop in Williamsburg, a place that was playing punk versions of Christmas songs in an ironic way. A barista came over with a tray of steaming mugs, his beard almost touching the froth of my latte. As he walked away, I saw the tattoo of a vintage camera on the back of his neck.
"So many interesting people in this city," mom said as she stirred her coffee.
"Hmmm..."
I wanted to focus on what she was saying but there were too many thoughts in my head. What was Trevor going to do to Aiden? What happened to Delores? What was Ophelia plotting next? When was Trevor going to use the whip again?"
"Your father," I heard her say and honed back in on the conversation. "He knew I was going to leave eventually. He couldn't possibly believe I'd hang around after he hit me."
I flinched at hearing her talk about it. It hurt just to hear her sound so casual about the whole thing.
"Will you miss him?" Stephen asked.
"As long as I have the both of you I won't give him another thought."
"You're a tough lady," I said. "We'll take care of you."
She slid her hand across the table and I squeezed it in mine.
"Of course, you come from a family of tough ladies," she said.
"And tough men too, right?" Stephen asked.
She ignored his question.
"Your grandmother Lizzie, she died the year you were born, but she was the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Even when the cancer was crippling her body, her eyes were shining. When you were born people said you had embodied her, said that she had come back to be with us again."
A cold shiver ran down my arms despite the heated air in the room.
"That's kinda creepy, mom."
"Well, creepy is what our side of the family does best. Did you know that your great grandmother was a witch?"
"What?"
Stephen bounced in his seat at hearing the news.
"Like a real witch? Did she sacrifice babies? Did she dance naked with the devil and drink goat's blood."
"She did no such thing," mom sounded offended as she sipped on her coffee. "She did, however, know how to cure any ailment with the plants on her land and she could talk to the dead. I looked her up online once. It's so surprising how you can find anything on the internet these days. Found out loads about my granny Susanna. She associated with the richest people, you know. She was quite la di dah... Some even said she was a courtesan."
"Susanna..." I said to myself.
"Yep. Susanna Beckons her name was. The name changed over the years but the lineage of women remained. Maybe you'll have a touch of magic in you too."
She bopped me on the nose but I didn't move, didn't even blink.
"Susanna Beckons was my great-grandmother..."
"Are you ok, sweetheart?"
They were both staring at me.
"I'm fine it's just that... I've heard of her before, recently, I mean."
"Oh! Isn't that lovely," mom smiled innocently.
It was all starting to make sense. I looked just like her because I was part of her. I was part of the blood line.
"Were there others?" I asked.
"Ugh?"
She was fiddling with her phone, completely unaware of the magnitude of the bombshell she just dropped.
"Were there other witches in the family? Where did this lineage come from?"
"Oh, sweety I have it all back at the house in a big box, family trees and whatever. If we ever go back I'll show you it all."
"How far does it go back?"
She placed her phone down and saw the look in my eyes.
"Sweety, it's been said that our bloodline goes back to the witch trials, to the time before this country was even America. Who knows what you'll uncover if you go looking."
Chapter Seven
"How long do you think she'll be here?" Stephen asked.
We were both looking down at mom who had fallen asleep on the couch. She was snoring gently and occasionally muttering to herself.
"I don't know but... I think we're going to need a bigger place."
We looked at her for a minute longer, looking for some sort of sign as to what she was dreaming about.
"She'll be ok, won't she?" he asked.
"She's always ok."
"Well, if she's a witch like the rest of you then God help Dad."
He gave me a weak, playful smile to show he was ok but I could tell he wasn’t.
"I never want to see him again," I said.
"I'll kill him if I do," Stephen seethed with his hands closing into fists.
It was dark outside and the sounds of the city’s nightlife were starting to stir into action.
"How much do you want to go on an adventure?" I asked.
"What kind of adventure?"
He looked at me out the corner of his eye.
"Delores... The police aren't going to do anything about her and Trevor's being weird and secretive. He's covering for his sister, I know it."
"So... Like, are we going to go out into the night and investigate it ourselves like Scooby Doo or something?"
I nodded.
"Yep."
"Are you shitting me? What would we do? Walk the streets trying to sniff out a bloody dress?"
"We're going to The Hamptons. I'm going to find out what happened to her."
~
"I thought I told you to wear all black," I moaned as I looked down at Stephen's red sneakers.
"Why? Are we going to be working on a set at the theater?"
"Stop being such a smartass."
He grumbled something barely audible and looked out the window. The lights of the city were dissolving into the background as the vast expanse of the countryside spread
out before us.
"I hate taking the bus," I mumbled to myself as I struggled to get comfortable.
"Why? Because you're so fancy now and get to go everywhere in Trevor's limousine?"
"No... Because it smells like tramp balls and there's always some weirdo shooting up heroin in the back."
"Really?"
Stephen, trying his best to look inconspicuous, turned around in his seat and peered over to the back of the bus. A gray-haired hobo was passed out along the back seat with an empty bottle of beer rolling back and forth in front of him.
"I wonder where he's going," he mused.
"Somewhere far away from where we're going."
Stephen began to fidget, something he'd done since he was a baby. He was always terrible on long journeys. Spent most of the time complaining about how bored he was and demanding to stop for a bathroom break every ten miles.
"I need to piss," he complained.
"You can use the bathroom there," I pointed.
He took one look at it and recoiled din his seat.
"I'll pass," he said as he grimaced.
He resumed his fidgeting, toying with the shoelaces on his new shoes.
"Trevor's really spoiled you. I think he's bought you more shit than he has me."
"Maybe he just likes me better," he joked.
"Maybe he's just trying to get you out the way."
"Maybe he's trying to buy my silence."
Stephen looked back out the window. In the cold night, we couldn't see a thing except for the occasional street lamp. Leaning in close to the window, I tried to see better.
"I think we're nearly there," I said.
"What? No way!"
I stood up and tapped the driver on the back.
"Hey buddy. Mind dropping us off here?"
The old guy looked over his shoulder at me as though I was crazy.
"Are you nuts?" he asked. "There's nothing out here for miles."
Meanwhile, Stephen was nudging me in the ribs.
"Seriously, there's nothing here," he said.
"Shhh..." I nudged him back. "I recognize the road. I know where we are."
The driver glanced back at me for a split second.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yep!"
He stepped on the breaks and the bus groaned to a halt. Some of the passengers began to stir and the drunk at the back woke up and shouted:
"Hey... Hey! Where are we?"
Everyone ignored him and eventually he lay back down.
"I really shouldn't be doing this," the driver said as he pushed the button for the doors.
"We won't tell anyone."
"I can get in real trouble letting a couple of youngsters out here when there's not even a stop."
"We'll be fine. I promise."
And we stepped out into the night, shaking with the cold as we zipped up our coats. For an excruciating second, the driver just stared at us, waiting to see where we would go. I waved to show we were fine but he just kept staring.
"Start walking," I said to Stephen. "Or he'll never fucking leave."
At last, the sound of the bus roared past us and we were alone in the darkness.
"Sis, I've never told you this before but right now I hate you."
"You're a real charmer."
"No, I'm serious. There could be anything out here, sasquatches, werewolves, bigfoot, maybe even a serial killer."
"Ok, three out of those four things don’t exist and I thoroughly doubt there's a serial killer out here."
Something rustled in the trees beside us and we both jumped.
"Fuck!" Stephen panicked.
A fox trotted out from the tree line before noticing us and scampering up the road.
"See? No serial killers," I said.
"You say that but we're in the middle of nowhere trying to find a woman whose bloody dress appeared in your office! Do you know how freakin' crazy that is?"
"Shhh...."
We continued to walk, our senses heightened to every smell, sound, and shadow that passed us.
"Tammy, did you know there is an estimated three hundred serial killer loose in the United States every year?"
"No, Stephen. I did not know that. Thank you so much for sharing."
He suddenly stepped off the road and into the trees.
“Where are you going?”
“If I don’t pee right now I swear to God my kidneys will burst.”
“Whatever.”
As his body disappeared into the shadows and I was left alone in the middle of the road, I was suddenly hit by the madness of the moment. I looked up to the sky and saw the stars scattered across the darkness, the full moon shining down on me as my cloudy breath mingled with the air. Somewhere in the distance, a bird ruffled its feathers.
"Stephen hurry the hell up."
"Why? Are you scared?"
"Erm... yeah pretty scared, come on."
He emerged from the bushes and looked down at his shoes.
"Ah, crap. Only had these a day and they're muddy already."
But I didn't stop to look. I was walking briskly down the road, trying to be careful not to slip on the frost.
"I know it's around here somewhere," I said in an attempt to reassure myself more than him.
"Are you sure? Doesn't look like there's anything around here."
"I'm sure! I remember the bend in the road back there and the way these trees arch over themselves. We're close by, I know it."
He went quiet and began chewing on his nails as he dawdled behind me.
"I'm sorry," I said.
"What for?" he grunted.
"For not going to pick up mom."
"It's ok. I went and got her."
"But it should have been me."
He went quiet again and we plodded on into the night, the temperature dropping with every passing minute. I was starting think I'd made a terrible mistake. What kind of idiot brings their little brother out here at night in the search for evidence of a violent crime? Idiot, Tammy, idiot.
Looking ahead, the only thing I could see were the trees, long lines of evergreens that stretched out toward the horizon. I was so fixated on the distance that I barely noticed Stephen pulling at the back of my coat.
"Do you hear that?" he whispered.
"What?"
I stood still.
Music.
There was music playing from deep within the woods. I recognized it from the party, remembered the melancholy patterns of the violins along with the booming undertone of the drums.
"We're here," I said. "We've found it."
Chapter Eight
My feet sunk into the mud as we stumbled through the trees.
“This is madness, Tammy. You’re a nutcase.”
“Shhh!”
The music was getting louder as we scrambled through the forest.
“There’s something out there,” Stephen said.
“Where?”
He pointed but I couldn’t see a thing.
“You’re literally pointing into darkness,” I moaned.
“There!”
He shoved me into position and I saw it, the stone turret that was poking through the trees.
“That’s the house! I knew I wasn’t crazy.”
“Ok, fine. You were right, we weren’t lost, but now what?”
We crept a little closer, the sound of the music growing louder and louder until we were on the edge of the forest with the graveled drive only a few feet in front of us. I reached out my foot but before it could connect with the ground, Stephen grabbed my hood.
“Security!” Stephen whispered and yanked me back into the trees.
Three men in suits were walking around the side of the house with torches. They did not look like men you could push your luck with.
“This is a really bad idea,” Stephen said. “One of them looks like a fucking Bond villain.”
He wasn’t wrong. The man had a vertical scar down one side of his face and a
glass eye that was weirdly opaque and whitish. Meanwhile, the other two were at least six foot tall with wide set shoulders and bald heads.
“It’s probably just an animal,” one of them said to the other.
“We were told to investigate any noise we heard,” the glass eyed one grumbled.
“Fine, but I’m telling you, buddy, there’s no one out here.”
We watched them with baited breath as they disappeared round the other side of the house.
“Now’s our chance.”
I grabbed Stephen’s hand.
“No!”
“Come on!”
I dragged him out the bushes and across the driveway, pushing him onto the grass lawn as we ran as fast as we could.
“Come on!” I waved him over.
"There's someone coming," he gasped and hit the ground, ducking behind a rosebush.
"Come here!" I called out to him but he didn't move. "Stephen, stop fucking around!"
He was still out of sight, hiding from whatever it was he thought he heard. Something caught my attention, a spark of light out the corner of my eye. Looking up, I saw a candle flicker in the window. Then a hand extended out to grab it. It was attached to a painfully thin girl with hair down to her hips. I tried to figure out if she noticed me but as I looked to her face, I saw she was wearing a mask. I gasped and she turned to face me, lifting her forefinger to her unmoving plastic mouth before walking into the darkness, the candle lighting the way.
"Stephen?"
I wandered over to the rose bush and looked down. He wasn't there.
Chapter Nine
All I could feel was panic. I wanted to scream out and find him, wanted him to show himself and stop this moronic, childish prank he was playing, but something at the back of my mind told me he wasn't fooling around.
"Stephen? Quit the crap."
I raced through the bushes and back to the trees thinking he might have returned to the darkness, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Stephen?" I whispered into the night. "You can stop trying to scare me now."
There was no sign of him and there was nothing else to do but cry. Sniveling into my coat sleeve, I glanced about the darkness for a glimpse of his red sneakers but saw nothing.
"Fuck," I flung up my arms. "Fuck!"
Behind me, the music was reaching a crescendo, the drums beating as fast as my heart. What was going on in that house? I needed to know. Somehow I felt as though I was fated to be here, meant to be in the place where Susana Beckons history lay. I was supposed to be led here, to the heart of the mystery, to the place where Delores was, to the place where I'd had the best weekend of my life.
Too Curious Complete Series (Books 1-5) Box Set Romance Series: (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Series) Page 19
