Lisa shrugged. “Just because you have those things, that doesn’t make you an investigator.”
Aiden and Noah shared an amused look before Noah’s attention returned to the house. He really wanted to go inside and find Alana. He hated standing around out here. But once he did find her, what would he say?
I want you now; drop your pants. Yep, he could see that going over real well. Even Aiden would smack him upside the head for that one.
A movement in the bottom-floor window to the right of the front door caught his attention. His eyes narrowed, his vision focused on the woman standing on the other side of the glass. It was the same girl he’d seen before.
“What is it?” Aiden asked.
“Do you see her?”
“See who?” Lisa asked as she looked as well.
“The window to the right of the door, fourth one down,” Noah replied.
“I don’t see anything,” Aiden said, frowning toward the window.
Noah blinked, then looked again. She still stood there watching him, her eyes pleading and fearful, her hair matted, her face pale.
“You have to see her,” Noah said.
Lisa snapped her fingers three times in rapid succession, getting one of the cameramen’s attention. “Film the window—fourth one on the right, bottom floor.”
“What are we looking for?”
“I don’t know yet,” she replied.
Noah shook his head. “Screw this, I’m going in.”
“Noah!” Aiden called as he headed toward the front door, a cameraman close on his heels.
Noah glanced over his shoulder. “If you’re going to follow me, stay out of my way.”
“I know the drill,” he replied, grinning.
Shaking his head, Noah stepped into the entry hall. Aiden joined him just as the cameraman spoke into his walkie. “Sheriff sees something on the first floor. We’re headed toward the main living room and parlor.”
“What have you got?” Tray asked, his voice barely above a whisper on the other side of the walkie.
“Not sure yet,” the cameraman replied.
Noah stopped and glared at him over his shoulder.
The cameraman shrugged. “It’s procedure. We have to let them know when another team enters the house.”
“I’m not a team,” Noah growled.
“Maybe not, but you are in Alana’s territory, and you follow her rules.”
“This is ridiculous,” Noah grumbled as he turned and began to make his way toward the parlor at the far end.
Had he really seen that woman, or was he losing his mind? At the moment, he’d go for the latter. In his opinion, insanity was the better option. He didn’t believe in ghosts. He’d convinced himself of that as a teenager. Even after he’d seen…
He froze, and the cameraman almost walked into him before coming to an abrupt stop. Noah tried to think. Even after he’d seen…what? He couldn’t remember. Why couldn’t he remember?
With a mental shake of his head, he dismissed it for the time being and pushed the door open slowly. He let his eyes adjust to the soft moonlight filtering in through the windows before he took a quick glance around the room.
A thick layer of dust covered everything from the furniture, to the windowsills, to the hardwood floors, but there was no sign of the girl or even prints in the dust to indicate she’d been here.
“Do you still see her?” Aiden asked.
“I’m not sure I ever saw her to begin with,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
* * *
Alana ran down the main stairs as fast as possible, curious as to what was happening on the first floor. So far since she and Tray had been upstairs, they’d heard three disembodied voices, heard two doors slam, and felt four cold spots.
Tray was already chomping at the bit to look at the footage and was ready to set up camp here for the next month. It seemed like every time they stepped into this house, something odd happened. It was an investigator’s gold mine.
“Alana, wait up, damn it! Don’t run down those stairs so fast. You’re going to break your neck,” Tray called from just behind her.
She still couldn’t believe she’d been the first one down. She fully expected Tray to mow her down in order to get there first.
“Who’s in the house?” she asked into the walkie. “It’s not Lisa, is it?”
“No. It’s the sheriff and his brother.”
“What?” she exclaimed before coming to a dead stop, causing Tray to barrel into her. She grasped hold of the railing tight to keep from falling. “Tray!”
“Well, don’t stop so damn fast. What the hell is the matter with you?”
“Nothing!” she snapped. “You go.”
“Me go?” he cried, half-surprised and half full of amusement. His smile widened as though it dawned on him what she was hesitant about, which made Alana scowl.
“Oh get over it!” Tray said with a giggle. “There’re too many people around; they’re not going to rip your clothes off here.”
“Very funny,” she sneered as Tray moved past her and headed down the stairs.
She reluctantly followed, both excited and worried that Aiden and Noah were here together. The two of them together was all she needed. The image of being sandwiched between them had played havoc with her libido all day long.
With a quick shake of her head, she tried to forget about sex and focus on the situation at hand. Excitement hung in the air as they quickly made their way to the cameraman at the far end of the hall by following the soft blue light on the top of the camera.
He stood in the hall, filming into the doorway, bouncing back and forth on his heels in excitement. He was one of the new ones who had been sent in and so far had proved to be adventurous and brazen, important traits to have in this line of work.
She and Tray slipped past him and into the room. Aiden stood to one side, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his brother. Noah paced the room, studying the floor. He wore the same jeans he’d had on earlier with a brown corduroy shirt open over a beige T-shirt that hugged his wide chest. She swallowed, remembering the feel of that chest against her breasts. He apparently worked out just as much as his brother did.
“What’s going on?” Tray asked.
“Noah thought he saw a woman watching us out the window. He’s the only one who saw her, though. The rest of us didn’t.”
“Is it the same woman you saw before?” Tray asked.
Noah’s head lifted quickly, and he pinned his brother with a glare.
“Yeah, I told them. Get over it,” Aiden replied. “Just answer the question.”
“Maybe,” Noah said, sighing before turning his attention back to the dust on the floor. “I leave footprints. When we came in here, there weren’t any.”
“Ghosts don’t leave footprints,” Tray said.
Noah glared at him through his lashes. Alana had to bite back a grin as she watched him. He was good-looking; they both were, but there was a dark, sexy side to Noah that made her heart pound wildly. She looked at Aiden, and he met her gaze over Tray’s bent head.
In his dark blue eyes, she could see a reflection of that same dark quality. Had she been wrong about the good and bad thing? Maybe they were both bad.
Her skin tingled just thinking about it.
“Alana!” Tray snapped.
“What?” she snapped back, jumping at the sound of his voice so close to her ear.
Aiden’s lips twitched as though he knew she’d been thinking about them, and the heat of a blush moved over her cheeks. She turned away, hoping the dark would conceal her embarrassment.
“Maybe we should get everyone out of here but two people. All the commotion may have scared her off,” Tray suggested. “Do you want to stay?”
“No. I think I’ll leave it to you. Noah should stay as well since he’s the one who initially saw her.”
“I agree,” Tray said with a nod as he turned to look at Noah. “You ready for this?”
Noah glanced at Alana, and the hungry look in his eyes made her stomach flutter. It only lasted a second before he turned back toward Tray. “Ready for what?” he asked.
“Well, that’s twice you’ve seen her. Maybe she’ll talk to you.”
Noah put his hands on his hips. “Hasn’t she already talked to you?”
“Sort of. But if everyone was looking at the window, and you’re the only one who saw her, maybe it’s you she’s trying to contact.”
“Why would she contact me?” he asked skeptically.
“Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out.” Tray grinned. “Come on, Sheriff. You’re not afraid of a little ghost, are you?”
“I’m not convinced she is a ghost,” Noah replied.
“Then stay here and prove me wrong.”
Alana grinned at Tray’s enthusiasm. Noah shook his head then shrugged. “Fine,” he grumbled.
Alana couldn’t help but chuckle at Noah’s obvious reluctance. That man was definitely a skeptic, but to her it seemed as though it was something a little more than just disbelief. Aiden put his hand at the small of her back, leading her quietly from the room and down the hall. His touch sent a wave of warmth up her spine that she struggled to ignore.
“How about if the three of us go out for coffee after we’re done here? So we can talk?” Aiden asked.
Alana glanced back at him, unsure exactly what she wanted to do. “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”
“I promise we’ll keep our hands to ourselves.”
Alana snorted. “It’s not your hands I’m worried about.”
Aiden grabbed her elbow, turning her to face him. “Really?”
She stood before him speechless, her heart racing, her breathing becoming more erratic by the second, and her body humming to life with a hunger she’d only imagined before. Ever since she’d found out they were twins and that both of them wanted her, she couldn’t seem to keep her body under control.
“Aiden,” she whispered as he pulled her closer.
“Have you been thinking about my brother’s suggestion?” he asked.
“I’ve thought about it,” she whispered, then licked her lips. “I’ve never done that sort of thing before.”
“Experience is not a requirement, Alana,” he murmured as his lips dropped closer to hers.
Behind him, she heard the cameraman clear his throat, and she quickly tried to step away. “We’re not alone.”
They followed the cameraman back out into the main entrance, quiet for the most part. Clearing her throat, Alana decided to break the silence.
“What’s up with Noah?” she asked.
Aiden glanced down at her, the moonlight highlighting the planes of his face as they stepped out the front doors and onto the porch. “What do you mean?”
“He’s not just skeptical. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to believe.”
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel it… His reluctance, his wariness.”
“You feel it?” she asked.
Aiden nodded once. “Yes. It’s like we were trying to explain earlier. It’s how we are. We have no secrets from each other—we can’t. Well…except one,” he added, frowning.
“The night the two of you were separated? He never remembered what it was that frightened him so much?”
Aiden shrugged. “No. Noah never talked about it either, but ever since that night, we’ve been able to feel things. It’s…” Raising his hand, he rubbed it across his mouth. “It’s weird and hard to explain.”
“Do you think it could’ve been ghost related?”
“It would certainly explain his attitude now, I guess. But I couldn’t say for sure.”
Chapter Eleven
Noah stood back and watched Tray hold the recorder out, asking questions softly. Shaking his head, Noah glanced toward the window and froze. In the panes of the glass, the reflection didn’t match the room. He frowned, glancing around the room slowly while still watching the glass.
What the hell?
The furniture was different. It was older, and there was more of it. He squeezed his eyes shut, then reopened them. The image was gone, replaced with a reflection of what was actually there.
The pounding of his heart echoed in his ears as memories from a weekend years ago played through his mind. A weekend he’d spent in this house, without his brother, without his Gram. A weekend he couldn’t remember.
“Aiden called?” he asked. “About me?”
“Yes, dear,” Karen replied, smiling. “He sensed you were upset.”
“How?”
“It’s you,” Karen whispered as she brushed his bangs from his brow. “Tonight you learned how to use your ability. Tonight you found your strength. You’re the connection, the power, the center, the receiver, and the sender. You’re the reason the two of you are the way you are. And when you find your third, the power will increase, the connection strengthen.”
“I don’t understand,” he whispered.
Karen handed him a small glass of milk, encouraging him to drink it. “You will.”
“I’m scared, Karen,” he whispered. “What if he comes back?”
Karen adjusted the sheets around him, her eyes full of sadness. “He may,” she said. “But you’ll be protected if he does, just like you were tonight. She won’t let anything happen to you. And I promise, when you wake up, you won’t remember anything of tonight.”
Noah remembered falling asleep. What had Karen been talking about? Who was it he was afraid would come back, and who was it that had protected him?
“We’ve been in here for a few minutes. Why don’t we call it done for now? I’ll check the recorders and see if we caught anything.”
Noah blinked in confusion at Tray. “What?”
Tray snickered. “You haven’t been paying the least bit of attention, have you?”
Noah shook his head. “I’m sorry, Tray. No. I was…”
Tray stared at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. “You okay, Noah?”
“I’ve been better. I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that I know that woman. I’ve seen her or something.”
“Seen her? You mean somewhere besides here?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, sighing.
“Let’s go find Alana and start uploading some of this footage. Once it’s on the computers, we can start reviewing it. If you have seen her, it will come to you.”
Noah followed him out, deep in thought about the past, the present, and what awaited them in the future.
* * *
Alana stood in the shadows, watching the two brothers talking softly. Did they know she was there, watching them, desiring them? Did they know her body burned to feel their touch? Did they know how confused she felt at the moment, fighting the need to touch them?
She rubbed at the back of her neck and glanced toward the night sky. This was insane. Truly. She so didn’t need this complication in her life right now.
“Alana.”
She glanced around, convinced she’d heard her name whispered close to her ear, and frowned. No one was close by. A shiver ran down her spine as she began to search the surrounding yard. Noah and Aiden had walked closer to the van. Aiden was talking while Noah glanced around as though looking for someone.
His gaze met hers, and Alana got the distinct impression he wasn’t surprised to find her there. She swallowed, for the first time wondering if there wasn’t something to this so-called psychic connection of theirs and that just maybe that connection filtered over to other things and people. Her in particular. This was the second time he’d found her hiding spot.
She dropped her hand from her neck with a tired sigh. That was just ridiculous. Wasn’t it?
He crooked his finger, his attitude one of command and confidence. She could tell he expected her to comply, and part of her wanted to walk in the opposite direction just to piss him off.
She raised an eyebrow in challenge and did just that.
&
nbsp; “Alana,” he called out, but she ignored him.
Was it childish? Probably, but at the moment, it didn’t matter. They were overwhelming her. The question was whether or not it was deliberate.
Noah came around the front of the truck, startling her. Her hand flew to her chest and she squealed in surprise. “Damn it, Noah,” she snapped.
“You’re not avoiding me, are you?” he asked with amusement as opposed to the annoyance she’d expected.
“Of course not,” she replied. “That would be childish.”
“Yes, it would,” he countered, his luscious lips twitching.
She knew because she couldn’t stop staring at them.
“I need to get back into the house. I left one of the audio recorders on the second floor.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to convince him not to, she silently walked past him, not looking back to see if he followed. She didn’t have to look. She could feel his stare—his hot, sultry, sexy stare as it bored into her back.
She could feel herself getting wet, imagining all the things he could do to her with his hands, his mouth, his body.
Rolling her eyes, she pushed through the front doors and headed for the stairs. He remained behind her, quiet until she reached the recorder on the second-floor landing and turned it off.
“Are we really going to keep playing this game?” he asked softly.
“What game?” she asked.
“The ‘nothing happened, so let’s ignore it’ game, or the ‘I’m still pissed at you’ game, when we both know you’re really not.”
She turned to glare at him in disbelief. “You lied to me.”
“You think I lied to you. I never said a word; you just assumed I was Aiden. My story isn’t changing. What I told you earlier was true. Aiden and I are connected. Aiden and I like to share. We want to share you. It’s that simple. Which one is it you have a problem with? The sharing or the connection?”
She slapped the side of her thigh in exasperation. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have time for this, Noah.”
He stepped forward, his eyes narrowed to tiny slits of deep blue. It wasn’t anger that gave him that hard, dangerous look—it was hunger. Hunger for her that made her knees shake in weakness, made her heart flutter like a scared bird.
Darkness Falls Page 10
