“Thank you.” He nodded and began to drive.
“You’re welcome.”
She directed Roger to the restaurant, and they were seated right away. The place was small, a hole in the wall really, but the food was exceptional. It probably wasn’t the kind of place Roger frequented. But then again, Logan was so down to earth, maybe his dad was too. She really had to stop judging him.
They ordered their food and sat in awkward silence. Where should she begin with the man she had only heard negative things about? What could she say? She swirled the water around in her glass and waited for him to speak.
“How long have you and Logan been together?”
“About a week or so.” She set down her glass and folded her arms on the table.
“Oh. So you’re not serious, then.”
“We’re exclusive, if that’s what you mean.” She held his distrustful gaze and let down her wall to absorb his emotions. She shouldn’t have. It was intrusive, something she rarely did without permission. But she had to know if there was an ounce of good in this man.
He emanated doubt and cynicism, certain she was only after Logan’s money. His entire aura reeked of self-importance and distrust. How could anyone live like that? She put her psychic wall back in place and straightened her spine. “I love him. Very much.”
“Okay. I can appreciate that. I want my son to be happy.”
“Do you, Mr. Mitchell? Because Logan doesn’t think so.”
He sighed and put his hands on the table. “What has he told you?”
“Enough for me to know how deep his scars run. It’s going to take more than a half-hearted apology to make things right with him. You know that, don’t you? Underneath that happy, outgoing exterior, Logan is very sensitive. He’s not going to forgive you that easily.”
Roger laughed cynically. “How is it that you know so much about my son, when you’ve only known him for a week?”
“I told you. I’m in love with him.”
He leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you are, Allison. Please accept my apology for assuming otherwise.”
“Apology accepted. Now, what is it you want to tell me?”
He crossed his arms. “What makes you think I want to tell you something?”
She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Let’s just say that Logan and I share similar gifts. I don’t normally tune into the emotions of others, but you and Logan seem to scream at me silently. You need my help, so ask for it.”
Her heart sprinted with the upfront way she spoke to the man, but she was tired of playing games. She was just downright tired. She wanted to go home, take a hot shower, and climb into bed. The quicker she could get this dinner over with, the better.
Roger opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He inhaled deeply and looked her in the eyes. “All right. I obviously can’t beat around the bush with you, so I’ll just say it. I’m dying.”
Allison took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She wouldn’t normally invade a person like she was about to do, but for some reason she felt the need to prove herself to this man. She focused in on him, reading the flow of energy through his body. There would be an energy block at the source of his problem, and she found it in his head.
She opened her eyes and held his gaze. “You have a brain tumor.”
He narrowed his eyes, his doubt rolling off him in waves. “That’s a lucky guess.”
“It wasn’t a guess. It’s what I do. I’m an energy worker. A healer. Would you like for me to help you?”
He chuckled. “I think I’m beyond help. The doctors have given me less than a year.”
“On conventional treatments, maybe. But I’d like to give it a try, if you’ll let me.”
Roger arched an eyebrow as he looked her over. “It’s my time to go, Allison. Thanks for the offer. What I was hoping for from you…I was hoping you would talk to Logan for me. I want to make things right with him before…I don’t want him to have any regrets after I’m gone.”
She stared into Roger’s eyes and thought about her own father. What she would have given to talk to him one more time. To heal the gaping hole his death left in her heart. She would never have closure, and she didn’t want Logan to go through that kind of pain.
“I’ll talk to him. But I think you need to try again too. You’ve taken the first step, so let it sink in with him. He might be more receptive next time.”
“Thank you, Allison. I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome.”
* * *
A group of nurses giggled outside Logan’s door before one strutted into his room. She checked his IV and brushed her fingers up his arm before leaning across him to check the monitor. He could feel her lust and excitement pricking at his skin as she leaned over, turning her body so he could see straight down her shirt.
Shit. Not from the nurses too.
Exhaustion weighed heavy on his mind, and he had enough to think about without this girl throwing herself at him. If he could just turn it off, maybe he could ignore her advances. Could the meditation Allison taught him help? This would be the perfect time to try it out.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he imagined the bubble around him filling up with light. As he focused on his bubble, a sense of relief washed through him. The only emotions left swirling through his head were his own. He knew the nurse was still in the room, but he had managed to tune her out. Her emotions no longer pricked at him, making his skin crawl with revulsion.
A smile curved his lips as he opened his eyes, and by the look on the nurse’s face, she thought he was smiling at her. But he couldn’t feel her reaction. It was heaven. She smiled back at him and flipped her hair to the side.
“What time can my girlfriend pick me up in the morning?” he asked.
Her smile deflated as she clutched the clipboard to her chest. “Your girlfriend? I’ll have to check. Do you need anything else?”
“I’m good.”
She gave him a half smile and hurried out the door. Logan held his breath. He didn’t feel the sting of her rejection or her disappointment. He just watched her walk away, and he felt nothing. Wonderful, fucking nothing.
He’d spent his entire life trying to shut people out, and Allison taught him how to do it in an hour. It probably wouldn’t be that easy in a crowded room, but it was a start. Was there anything that woman couldn’t do? Just thinking about how wonderful she was made his heart swell with joy. She was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he had to keep her safe. That’s why he was going to sell his house. He couldn’t let her back inside that place. Not after what almost happened. God, if he had lost her…
He couldn’t think about it. He had to push those thoughts out of his mind before they dragged him down. Allison was more important than any piece of property, so he’d call Tina tomorrow and put it on the market.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Tell me why Logan has been in the hospital for two days, and I’m just now finding out about it.” Tina’s voice over the line sounded more than a little aggravated.
Allison cradled the phone against her shoulder as she slipped on her shoes. “Sorry about that. Things have been kind of crazy around here.”
“I heard. What happened?”
“Boy, good news travels fast.” Allison slipped her purse over her shoulder and headed out the door. “Where do I begin?” She told her about finding Logan passed out in his house and getting him to the hospital.
“Jesus, Allie. That must have been so scary.”
“It was, but he’s okay now. I’m on my way to pick him up. And I would have called you last night, but his dad showed up at the hospital.” She got in her car and pulled out onto East Jefferson Avenue toward the hospital.
“That was nice of him. He came all the way from New York?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it was such a good thing. Logan and his dad have issues.”
“Issues, huh?”
&nbs
p; “Yeah, so anyway. After visiting hours ended, he offered to take me home. Then he asked if he could take me to dinner to show his appreciation for me saving his son. He kept calling him ‘my son’ like it was some kind of ownership right.”
“How’d that go?”
“It was interesting, to say the least. I don’t know. I have to talk to Logan about it. I was so exhausted by the time I got home, I crashed.”
“Wow. Okay, you’re excused for not calling me. I just hated having to hear about it from Logan. Guys are so bad with details.”
“Wait…You heard about it from Logan? When did you talk to him?”
“Right before I called you. He asked me to put his house on the market for him.”
“On the market?”
“He didn’t tell you he was selling it?”
“He mentioned it, but I didn’t think he was serious.”
“Huh. Well, he said after what happened to you, he had to get rid of it. He’s selling it for you, Allie. Isn’t that romantic?”
Allison pulled into the hospital parking lot and cut the engine. “No, it’s not romantic. It’s crazy. He doesn’t need to sell his house for me. I’m going to clear out that ghost. I have to.”
“No, you don’t. If he sells the house, you won’t have to worry about it anymore. You said yourself the ghost was attached to the house.”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “It is. But I need to clear it out. Not for him…For me. I have to prove to myself that I can do it.”
“I understand your need to conquer your fears, Allie. I really do. But maybe you need to do it somewhere you’re not so emotionally invested.”
“That’s why I need to do this. It’s personal now. I’m not going to let a spirit get the best of me. Not again.” The cool autumn air nipped at her ears as she darted across the parking lot and entered the hospital lobby. “Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. When are you going to do it?”
“Today. I’ve got all my supplies in the car. I’m ready this time; I can protect myself.”
“I want to be there when you do it. You know, for moral support.”
“Thanks. But I think it needs to be just me and Logan. I think we can do it together.”
Tina blew out a hard breath. “Okay. But you better call me right before and after you do it. I mean it, Allison.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m at the hospital now.”
“Okay. Go get your man. And be safe.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Allison slipped the phone into her pocket and padded down the hallway to Logan’s room, where she found him sitting on the bed, dressed in jeans and a light blue button up shirt. He grinned and swept her into a hug.
“I missed you.” He brushed her hair away from her face and brushed his lips to hers.
“Mmm… I missed you, too. Are you ready to go?”
“Yep. I’m all checked out.” With one hand on the small of her back, he stroked her cheek with the other and looked into her eyes. His gaze was intense, and his eyes smoldered with so much passion, her knees went weak.
“If you keep looking at me like that, you might have to check me in. I think I forgot how to breathe.”
“Then we better get you home.” He swung his bag over his shoulder without breaking his hold on her.
“I was thinking we could go have breakfast. Have a nice cup of coffee. Maybe treat ourselves to a pastry. You deserve it.” Hopefully she could butter him up with good food before she broke the news about the ghost. He probably wouldn’t give in as easily as Tina did.
He smiled. “You know me too well, woman. Let’s go.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her past the nurse’s station.
Allison giggled. “Are you sure you should be lifting me in your condition?”
“My condition? The doctor gave me the all-clear. I can do whatever I want.” He grinned and raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, really? And just what do you want to do?”
“You’ll have to wait till after breakfast to find out, won’t you?” He lowered her to her feet and took her hand as they crossed the parking lot.
They drove to a little café down the road from Allison’s apartment, and Logan ordered two huge cinnamon rolls, dripping with icing, and two cups of coffee. Allison grimaced when he set one down in front of her.
“I never eat like this. It’s so bad for you.” She picked up a fork and took a bite of the pastry, closing her eyes as the sweet, gooey goodness melted on her tongue. “Oh…But it’s delicious.”
Logan shrugged. “I eat healthy all day. Breakfast is my one time to indulge.”
“I can see why you like it so much. This could get addicting.” She sipped her coffee and watched Logan enjoy his meal. After she finished half of hers, it felt like a brick sat in her stomach, but he finished off the entire pastry.
She traced her finger around the edge of her coffee cup. “Tina told me you called her this morning. She said you want to sell your house.”
“I can’t have that ghost pushing you around, so I’m going to get rid of it. You’re way more important to me than that house.” He paused, searching her eyes, and shook his head. “You don’t want me to sell it. It’s not safe for you to be in there.”
She sighed and folded her arms on the table. “I appreciate that you want to protect me. But, I need to clear out that ghost for you.”
“No, you don’t. It’s not worth it.”
She reached out and took his hand. “Okay. I don’t need to do it for you. I need to do it for me. It’s personal. It’s about conquering my fears and moving on with my life. Do you understand?”
“I understand how you feel. But that’s just because I can feel it too. I don’t understand why you feel that way, though. Did something happen?”
“Yes. Something did happen. It was a long time ago, and I’m just now getting over it.” She took a deep breath and rubbed the back of her neck. If she really was going to move on with her life, she’d have to start by reliving that horrible night.
“It was Halloween last year, and I was investigating an abandoned mental hospital with D.A.P.S. The owner wanted to turn the building into condos, and I was supposed to clear out the lingering spirits. Normally, it would have been a simple exercise.
“But there were so many of them. And the veil between the world of spirits and the living is thinner on Halloween, so they were strong. So strong.” She shuddered.
Logan reached across the table and took her hand. “You don’t have to say anything else. I can imagine.”
“No. I want you to know.” She closed her eyes for a long blink. “They assaulted me. Twenty mentally ill spirits all trying to communicate with me at once. They got inside my head. Infected my soul. I might have died, had Gage not pulled me out when he did.”
“Oh, Allison.”
“It took me three months to get over it, Logan. Those spirits took three months from me and left me in fear for another eight. I hadn’t talked with another ghost since…until your party.”
“I had no idea. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about Lily.”
“It’s okay. How could you have known? But I’m ready now. I know what to expect, and I can protect myself. I need to do this. Will you help me? Please?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Jesus, Allison. I don’t know. If anything happened to you, I couldn’t forgive myself.”
She leaned forward and took both his hands in hers. “You won’t let anything happen to me. I trust you. I need to do this.”
“Okay. We’ll do it. If…”
“If?”
“If you promise not to push it too hard. If it gets to be too much, you’ll stop. Let me sell the house, and forget about it.”
“All right. It’s a deal.” Excitement bubbled in her chest, and she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Logan.”
He ran his hand through his hair and cracked his neck. “When do you want to do it?”
“I’m ready now. I have ever
ything I need in the car.”
“Shit. Are you serious?”
“Why wait?”
“Doesn’t it have to be dark?”
She giggled. “Not for your ghost. She’s strong. I don’t think she’s going to be affected by the time of day.”
Logan put his elbows on the table and leaned his face in his hands. “Are you sure, Allison? You really want to do this now?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, then.” He shrugged and shook his head. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Thoughts rolled through Logan’s head on the drive to his house, but he couldn’t seem to verbalize them. He wanted to talk her out of it. To find some way to convince her she didn’t need to do it. It wasn’t a risk he wanted to take, but he understood how she felt. She needed to conquer her fears, and she’d helped him so much with his own. How could he not help her?
But shit, what if something happened to her? What if the ghost took control again, and he wasn’t able to stop her? What if she spiraled into another depression like the one before? He had no idea how to stop something like that from happening. Or worse…What if she jumped out the window? Visions of Allison lying dead in a pool of blood on the concrete flashed in his mind. She’d probably have to crash through the glass to get past him, but it was possible. That window was old, and the glass was thin. Her delicate, pale skin would be sliced to shreds if she did that.
Fuck!
He was doing it again. Allison needed his help, and he could not fail her. He had to get it together. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the passenger door as he tried to force the thoughts out of his head. God, there’d be so much blood if she died that way. Her slender frame would be crushed from the impact. He’d probably be charged with murder. Hopefully he’d get the death penalty. Shit! He had to stop. He needed something to count. Something to organize. Anything to get his mind off the sick, twisted shit he was thinking.
“Logan, are you okay?” Allison put her hand on his thigh as the car rolled to a stop in his driveway.
“No, I’m not.” Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his breathing grew shallow and rapid.
To Catch a Spirit Page 21
