by Sofia Grey
“You’re not forgiven yet.” I stumbled over the words, trying to maintain my stern expression and failing.
“You’re too good for me, Kitten.” Keeping our hands linked, he stood up and closed the final distance between us, wrapping his free arm around me.
I dipped my head to rest against his chest, engulfed in his embrace. It felt as though I’d come home.
He dropped a gentle kiss on the top of my head and sighed deeply. “I don’t want you to become another casualty of my fucked-up life. Everyone who means anything to me, ends up getting hurt. Or worse.”
“Hey,” I murmured, unwilling to move. “I’ve managed to fuck-up my own life, I didn’t need any help from you.”
I heard a muffled laugh. “Baby, you don’t even come close.”
Burying my nose in his shirt, I inhaled the rich, sinfully erotic scent that I now associated with Dante. A hint of leather, something dark and spicy, and a whole lot of sexy. Lifting my head, I pressed my lips hard against his, catching him by surprise. “I’m still mad at you.” I stroked his bruised cheek with my fingers, skating along his jaw and grazing his mouth.
He groaned softly, pulling me closer and nuzzling my hand.
“Really, I mean it.” I tightened the hand meshed around his and relished the squeeze he gave me back. “I don’t share well, Dante.”
He gave me a crumpled smile. “Neither do I.”
At that moment, I wanted to throw caution to the wind and fall into bed with him, stroking and petting his artwork and tasting his skin, but I hesitated.
“We’ve got to be back here soon.” Without consciously thinking about it, I’d already accepted that Dante would come along. “And keep your tattoos covered.”
* * * *
Half an hour later, I instructed the cab driver to wait at the bottom of my father’s driveway. Dante had paid for a cab to take us back to Wilmslow where I drew a wedge of cash from my emergency bank account, the one my father knew nothing about. It would be good to have my purse back and get my hands on my bank cards. I wore Dante’s leather jacket but still shivered, with nerves as much as the cool air.
Hand in hand, I led him round to the kitchen entrance, and we walked in without anybody noticing. His strong grip reassured me that for once, I wasn’t alone. I half expected my bedroom door to be locked, for a giant padlock to have appeared, but I was wrong. The door opened with its usual gentle click.
I stared at the empty room in disbelief. Even the curtains had gone. I’d picked the fabric, a vibrant swirl of peony flowers, when I first moved in. They were my mother’s favorite flowers. The bed, wardrobe, and drawers had all gone. My bookshelves, stuffed with books and papers, overflowing on the lower shelves—all gone. Every single thing I’d owned had been wiped out as if I’d never been there.
“I don’t understand.” Dante wrapped both arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. “Have we got the wrong room?”
Blinking back tears, I shook my head, unable to speak. The photos of my mother. Gone. My collection of paperbacks, photo albums, CD’s, and DVD’s had taken years to amass. Some of those books had been like old friends. My research notes and studies were all backed up in cyberspace, but the thought of replacing all the textbooks was painful. And as for my clothes… I would have to replace everything. “He meant it.”
“Meant what, baby?”
“That I couldn’t ever come back.”
“Bastard.” He breathed the word onto my neck and hugged me tighter. “Sorry, Kitten.”
A soft footstep behind us caused me to spin round. Marina stood in the open doorway, her eyes locked onto Dante.
“I’m sorry, Katherine.”
I frowned. I would have expected condemnation from my stepmother, not almost-friendliness. “I asked Grayson to wait, to see if you came to your senses, but he wouldn’t.” She glanced over her shoulder, and then smoothed her immaculate hair. “It’s not too late. If you promise to do as he asks, he might let you come back.”
Without taking my eyes off her, I clutched Dante’s hand. “That’s not going to happen. I only came back to pick up some of my things. Do you know if he kept my passport?”
She shook her head and smoothed her hair some more. “I don’t know, I’m sorry. He’ll be back soon, you really should go.” With a series of rapid, jerky movements, she tore through her handbag and emptied the contents of her purse, shoving a bundle of notes and coins into my hand. “I wish it were more, but Grayson doesn’t like me carrying cash.”
I tried to refuse, but she insisted. Even more surprising was the impulsive hug, possibly the first she’d ever given me. “If I find anything of yours, how can I contact you, Katherine?”
I swallowed, a lump of tangled emotions trapped in my throat. “Sam and Ellie,” I croaked. “I’ll be heading down to Cornwall in a few days.”
10.3 Dante
I held Kitten secure in my arms as the taxi made its way back to the hotel. In my head, I catalog the things I’d like to do to her father. It was a good distraction from all the other problems waiting for my attention. Alistair’s voice rang in my head on a constant loop: Five days.
She sat quietly, her face pale and drawn, only becoming more animated when we pulled up at the entrance and she paid the driver. “Will you come to the shops with me, Dante? We can walk into Knutsford from here.”
You become mine for eternity. There had to be a solution. A way out of this clusterfuck.
“Sure.” I caught a flash of color in the corner of my eye—it was Ingrid, sitting on a low wall with her feet swinging. She waved a bright, yellow mitten at me and fiddled with her knitted hat, shoving it further back on her head. I turned to Kitten. “I just need to talk to someone, will you give me a minute?”
She probably thought I wanted to make a phone call so I dropped to a crouch in front of the wall and pretended to adjust my boot buckles. “Ingrid. Where have you been, munchkin? I missed you.”
Her giggle warmed my heart. I was so pleased to see her, I’d even agree to a twelve-hour marathon of playing I-Spy. “I’ve asked a friend to come along, Dante.”
“You mean Simeon?”
“No, silly.” She swung out a hand, and a teenaged girl appeared. “This is Eve.”
The spirit looked like a typical goth-girl. Ragged, black tights and a black leather mini-skirt, black and red lacy top with lace sleeves covering her hands, clumpy, black Doc Martens on her feet and enough eye liner to be a work of art.
She blew a gum bubble at me. “Who d’ya think you’re looking at?” A toss of her head sent a riotous wave of black curls flying.
“Hello Eve, I’m Dante.” I glanced to my left, conscious of Kitten’s curious stare, before turning my attention back to Ingrid. “Is there a reason you brought Eve to see me?”
She giggled and clapped her hands. “Eve’s new. She needs someone to hang out with.”
“Oh, right. You’ll be able to look after her, won’t you?”
“Not me, silly.” Ingrid huffed at me. “I want you to take care of her. Please, Dante.” My heart sank. Things were complicated enough without babysitting some newly deceased kid. Ingrid stood up, hands on hips, pouting at me.
“Look Ingrid—munchkin—I’ve really not got time at the moment.”
For a child, Ingrid could behave in very adult ways sometimes. She arched a finely shaped brow and assumed a thoughtful expression, one finger tapping her chin. “I thought you were my friend, Dante. And friends help each other, don’t they?”
“Yeah, of course, but–”
“But you’re too busy to help me?”
I knew when I was beaten. “Yeah, Eve can hang with me. Are you staying around too?”
Her face wreathed in smiles, she ran across and hugged me around my middle, little ghostly hands leaving a tingling chill. “Thank you, thank you, you’re the bestest friend ever.” Stepping back, she high-fived Eve. “Told you.”
Eve blew another bubble at me, snapping her teeth and shi
fting to stare sullenly at Kitten. “That your girlfriend?”
Was she? “Yeah, she is. Her name’s Katherine.” I looked back at her, waiting patiently, huddled into my leather. Holding out a hand, I beckoned her over and laced our fingers together. “Kitten, this might sound weird, but I’m talking to a couple of spirits.” She immediately looked interested. “This is Eve,” I gestured towards the teen, even though Kitten wouldn’t be able to see her. “And this is Ingrid, one of my two spirit guides.”
Another surprise for me. Ingrid threw her arms around Kitten, causing her to gasp, shocked.
“What just happened?”
“I like her,” announced Ingrid. “Much nicer than the other one.” Other one? She whispered in Eve’s ear then waved to me, calling, “see you, Dante,” as she vanished, leaving a sullen-faced Eve scowling at me. Yeah, I felt the same.
“Ingrid just hugged you, she likes you.”
Kitten beamed. “What about Eve, does she want a hug too?”
“Eew, gross. No way.” Eve rolled her eyes then prodded an icy finger on my chest. “And I’m warning you, I want plenty of notice if you two are going to be making out. I’m too young to see stuff like that.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Come on, didn’t you want to go shopping?” I dropped a kiss on Kitten’s hair. “Let’s go.”
* * * *
I had time for a shower before we met Josh. I luxuriated under the hot water and relishing the way it eased my aching muscles. Kitten was busy tinkering with her new mobile phone and sorting out replacement bank cards, otherwise I would have tried to entice her to join me. Was she still mad at me? How would she react when I betrayed Josh? Deep in thought, I stepped out of the cubicle and groped blindly for a towel, wiping the water from my eyes as I did so.
A towel was pushed into my hands, and I smiled—had Kitten joined me after all?
Apparently not. “Holy crap!” I yanked the tiny towel over my middle and glared at Eve, standing there grinning at me in the bathroom.
“Sweet inkwork, Tat-Boy. Nice pecs too.”
“Do you mind?” Sidestepping, I tried to grab the bath towel from behind her. Meanwhile, Kitten must have heard me.
“Dante? You okay in there?”
“Yeah, baby. All good.” I reached the sanctuary of the towel and tucked it securely around my body. “What the fuck are you doing in here, Eve?” I hissed at her, and she blew another gum bubble at me.
“Got bored. What’cha doing later?”
“Thanks for reminding me.” I ran a weary hand across my stubble. “I’m running a séance this afternoon, and I’d rather you didn’t watch. It might get nasty.”
She pouted, then winked at me and extended one slender finger toward my bath towel. “If I tug hard enough, will this fall down?”
“Eve,” I growled. “If you want to stay with me, you need to respect my boundaries. And they definitely include the bathroom.”
“How about the séance?”
I hesitated. Ingrid said Eve was new, so I assumed she’d only just died. No, my first thought was sound. “I won’t be able to look after you. It would be safer if you stayed out of the way.”
“Dante, who are you talking to?” Kitten again.
I groaned softly and wagged a warning finger at Eve. “Boundaries, Eve. Okay?”
“Yeah, whatever.” She vanished, and I sighed with relief, moving back to the basin to brush my teeth.
Babysitting a new spirit was akin to having a young puppy: lots of attention and constant interruptions. At least Eve was unlikely to pee on the carpet. Now I just had to explain it to Kitten.
10.4 Josh
Dante announced that we’d hold this second séance in the now empty dining room at Suki’s house. He spent a long time drawing complex chalk symbols on the walls and the floor—extra protection, he explained. After last time, he wanted to try to constrain Gabriel and limit what the angry spirit could do.
Suki was a bag of nerves. We’d quarreled earlier when I’d asked her if she was okay.
“Okay?” Her voice rose in pitch. “What do you think, Josh, really?”
When I tried to speak she had carried on over me. “Let me see. We’re about to talk to my dead husband for the second time. Keywords there are Dead and Husband. This is the man who tried to kill me—and you—and has been haunting me for the past month. In what way could that possibly be okay?”
I sneaked a look at her now as she stood by the window, staring out at the garden. Walking up to her, I touched her shoulder gently. “Suki? Baby? We don’t have to do this. We’ll just tell Dante to leave it.”
Her shoulders twitched, her face turned resolutely away from me.
“It was your idea,” I reminded her.
“God.” She rolled her head slowly from one side to the other. “And then what? Put up with him haunting me? For how long?” She twisted in a sudden movement and nestled into my arms, burying her face into my chest. “How is he doing this? How, Josh?”
I could only hold her close, trying to give her strength through my touch, and listen to her heart pounding like a caged bird beating its wings against the bars. We had to fix this. It was tearing her apart.
The séance started the same as the last one. I felt the temperature drop and squeezed Suki’s hand tight as the candles began to flicker. Dante alone seemed calm.
“Gabriel, I call to you. Come and show yourself to the circle.”
The candles flickered again, but this time, stayed alight. The temperature dropped another few degrees, and Dante started humming.
Suki had her eyes screwed shut and her face contorted. I realized she was trying very hard not to cry.
My heart broke some more.
“Gabriel.” Dante’s voice was soft. “I thank you for showing yourself.” Katherine’s sharp intake of breath startled me, and I looked up—to see Gabriel standing just outside the circle. Fuck me. He looked the same as he had alive, just fainter, as though he stood in a cloud of mist, all his edges blurred. That cocky, sneering smile was the same though.
He leaned back against the wall, arms folded, surveying our group. I prayed Suki kept her eyes closed.
“Suzu,” he murmured. “You’re looking good, babe.”
I knew the exact moment she saw him.
Her hand went limp in mine as though all the blood had drained from her body. “Gabe.” Her agonized whisper cut through me, and she swayed alarmingly.
“Keep the circle intact.” Katherine’s warning snapped me out of my stupor.
Suki trembled so hard her teeth chattered. She was fixated on the sight of her one-time husband, and he noticed.
“Suzu, my darling.” He moved closer, pausing by the outer salt line. “I know how much you’ve missed me, how you dream of me night after night.”
“No.” Her voice faint.
“I need to be closer to you.” The spirit frowned and then beamed at her again, before skirting carefully around the edge of the circle to stand behind her. “Oh dear, can’t you see me from there?” He sounded puzzled but I saw the cruel smile. “If you let go of Joshy-Boy and turn around, you can see me, babe. Go on, you know you want to.”
Suki whimpered but clung to my hand, fixing her gaze on the floor in front of her.
Dante interrupted, his voice hard. “Gabriel, it’s time for you to return to the spirit realm. You are no longer needed here.”
“Return? You’re fucking kidding me. Not while Suki’s here. Not now.”
Beside me, Suki whimpered, tears running freely down her cheeks. “Please don’t,” she cried, “just don’t.”
Don’t what? Dante’s next words were squashed by Gabriel’s peal of laughter. “He doesn’t know, does he? Suzu, you really should have broken the news by now.”
Her head snapped up, and she yelled over her shoulder, “Shut up, shut up!”
The laughter continued.
Anger burned in my veins.
“Oh my.” Gabriel mimed shaking my hand. “Congratulatio
ns, Joshy-Boy. You’re going to be a father.”
“Shut up! Just shut…” Suki howled, her breath coming in great shudders as she sobbed. “Please Gabe, just shut the fuck up.”
His words slammed into me. A father? I narrowed my eyes at him. Gabe yawned, the image of boredom. “You’re quiet today, Joshy-Boy. Not going to bother threatening me?”
I turned to look at Suki, her body racked with sobs. A father? Was she pregnant? How the fuck could Gabe know that?
“Oh hang on.” He looked immensely pleased with himself. “I forgot to mention one tiny, little detail.” I realized what he was going to say. Oh God, please no, not that. Anything but that. Suki wouldn’t hide something so amazing from me, unless…
“Sorry to break the news, Joshy-Boy. That’s my baby she’s carrying.”
10.5 Katherine
The séance was falling apart. Suki yelled, and burst into a weeping fit while Josh just looked bewildered, like a child offered a favorite toy only to have it snatched away again.
Dante raised his voice over the noise, trying I think, to get Gabe’s attention, but he was ignored.
Even shimmery and a little fuzzy, Gabe oozed power and confidence, and I stared, awestruck, as he strolled around the salt perimeter.
“It’s a shame you’re already dead, I want to kill you.” Suki’s voice rasped as she screamed, twisting her head to see him over her shoulder. She was a hair’s breadth from breaking the circle, and I yelled to Josh to hold her tight, but it was no use. Seconds later, wrenching both hands free, she struggled to her feet and focused on Gabe. He leaned against the wall examining his fingernails while Suki ranted at him, hurled insults, and told him to keep out of her life.
“Grab her, Kitten. Don’t let her leave.” I was already half way up, and I snatched at her arm, holding tight as she tried to shake me off.
