My kind? I couldn’t believe I was still hearing things like that in the twenty-first century. I peered around Logan and leveled the farmer with an icy stare. “I believe we signed a deal with your grandfather. Not you.”
The approaching car’s engine grew louder, and everyone turned as an old Buick pulled into the clearing. The outlines of two people sat in the cab.
Nighttime had fully set in, bringing with it the sound of crickets and rodents scurrying in the field. Mike’s chest rose and fell heavily. He cast Cecile an anxious look.
“Even if you’re conducting legitimate business, you still need the landowner’s permission to be here,” the officer cut in.
“He gave us permission,” Cecile replied.
A woman stepped out of the Buick’s passenger door. She fit the description of my next client, Lucy Basig. Limping, she rounded the Buick’s hood.
In the cruiser’s bright headlights, she looked thin and frail. The man I assumed was her husband hurried around the hood to support her. She draped a bird-like arm around his shoulders and sagged like a wilted flower.
They both looked middle-aged, except he appeared healthy. Strong shoulders and a flat abdomen pressed against his T-shirt. It was obvious he worked out.
“Is this where we meet Daria Gresham?” he asked warily, his gaze darting between the officer, the farmer, and me.
“No. Miss Gresham,” the farmer replied, sneering at my name, “was just leaving.”
“But your grandfather said I could—”
The officer held up his hand. “I know Earl quite well. Our families go way back, and I can assure you he wouldn’t want a supernatural healer doing business on his land. Josh here tells me he thought you all were having a family reunion.”
“But we paid!” Cecile said hotly.
“The way I see it, you’ve been here all day, so your time is done.” The young officer turned to the farmer. “Don’t you agree, Josh?”
Josh smirked at the officer as anger rose in me swiftly and strongly. They obviously knew one another. They probably grew up together or were old high school buddies. Whatever the case, Josh had the law on his side, which only meant one thing.
We were being kicked out, and my remaining clients would not be seen.
Chapter 6
“But you have to see her!” Lucy’s husband yelled from outside the barn.
Logan stayed near my side as the officer and Josh stood watch while we packed up. However, my client’s husband showed no signs of leaving. He stood in the barn doorway, his wife still hanging from his arm, looking entirely exhausted.
“I’m sorry,” Cecile replied. “But given the circumstances, that is now impossible.” She flashed a dark look toward the farmer and the officer before trying to usher Lucy and her husband back to their car.
But he held his ground. “We just drove seven hours to see her! And we already paid. Not to mention we’ve been waiting for months for this. Daria is our last hope!” The man ground his teeth together so hard I thought his jaw would snap.
My hands shook as I packed the remaining candles. I wanted to go to Lucy and her husband, to reassure them that I could see them at my next show in two days, even though it would be another long drive for them, but years of disappointing people had instilled several cold hard facts into my life: one, being able to help someone was never a guarantee no matter how much I wanted to, and two, if I went to them now it would only make the situation worse. I’d learned that the hard way.
“I’m sorry.” Cecile placed her hand firmly on the man’s arm and steered him away, while Logan watched him closely as though assessing to see if he’d turn violent. “Without a calm, peaceful environment, Daria is unable to work. You can speak to the officer and the farmer out there about that. Daria would happily see you now, if she were able to.”
The husband turned, shifting his anger to the two outside. He stalked out, dragging Lucy with him.
I shut my eyes tightly when he began yelling.
Even after years of such encounters, I still shook every time they happened. Lucy, whose sick body dangled from her husband’s firm grasp, had counted on me. Her husband had trusted me. They’d driven hundreds of miles to have her cured, and I’d promised to help them.
But Cecile was right. Without a quiet environment devoid of distractions, I couldn’t help them. I needed absolute peace and silence to work my gift.
The only option we had was to treat her on the bus while we drove away, and that wasn’t an option. The jostles and dips of a moving vehicle proved too hazardous to my sick client and me.
And even if Lucy and her husband offered to buy a hotel room and have me treat her there, I couldn’t. Once word got out that I would help someone under any circumstances, I would never live in peace. People would hunt me down to demand I cure them. It wouldn’t just be a crazy stalker I ran from. It would be everyone.
My mother had taught me that. While our gift was created to help others, we also needed to protect ourselves. The Gresham women walked a fine line.
“You can’t make us leave! You just can’t!” the husband yelled.
“Get in your vehicle now, sir!” the police officer replied. “I’m not asking!”
Finally, Lucy and her husband slid into their car, the husband continuing to yell at the officer.
Somehow Mike, Logan, and I kept packing our supplies as Cecile slipped back into the barn. She raised a shaky hand to tuck the wispy strands of hair into her bun.
“I’ve already contacted the remaining three clients and told them our work location has been compromised.” She bustled to the portable bed, the last thing to pack. “I told them we’ll do our best to work them into your schedule if possible, and I managed to slip Lucy instructions for how to find your next venue. It will be up to them to try to make it. Now, let’s finish up here and get going.”
Logan’s commanding presence hovered behind me, like an impending storm about to let loose.
“Are you okay?” His quiet question, laced with concern, made my head snap up.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“Well … unfortunately, things like this come with the territory.”
His eyebrows knitted.
“Let’s get everything on the bus and go.” I reached for the box of supplies, but he intercepted.
“I’ll carry it. Just follow me and stay behind me.”
“You done in here?” Josh’s sharp question filled the air when he poked his head into the barn.
His nasal tone made me grimace.
“We’re leaving now,” Mike called, his usual cheerful demeanor absent. He hoisted the chairs under his arms while Logan grabbed the bed and stacked the box he’d been carrying on top of it.
Despite Logan’s protests that I not carry anything, I grabbed the last of the supplies before following him out. Cecile gave the barn a once-over and closed the doors behind us. We left the barn exactly as we’d found it.
The sliver of a crescent moon shone as soft rustling from the wheat stalks swayed in the breeze. A million stars grazed the sky.
None of us said a thing as we packed the bus, but Josh’s sneer was impossible to ignore, and the cold way the officer watched me sent chills down my spine. I’d experienced hate before. That was something all Gresham women understood, but it never made it any easier.
“We’ll follow you out, just to make sure you reach the highway.” The officer strode to his police cruiser as Josh spat in the grass.
“We’ll be fine. No need for an escort,” Mike replied. He jumped onto the bus and started the engine. The loud rumble made the ground vibrate.
Cecile and I climbed the stairs next and Logan followed. An undercurrent of anger shimmered around my bodyguard. Darting an angry glare at the officer and Josh, Logan placed his hand on my lower back and guided me farther into the bus, not knowing that any touch normally triggered my light.
At the subtle contact, desire zinged insi
de my abdomen, taking me completely by surprise, especially considering how tired I was. My eyes widened, and I hastily inched forward until his hand dropped.
“You head on to bed, Dar.” Mike closed the bus door, a hiss emitting from the mechanics before he shifted into reverse. The bus lurched. “I’ll drive us to a rest stop for the night so we can all get some decent sleep.”
Cecile fussed around me by the couches while Logan stood at my side.
“Why don’t you change into your pajamas, honey. You look dead on your feet.” Cecile smoothed my hair. “In thirty minutes, those two will be long gone.” She glared out the window at the officer and Josh.
“I’m okay, Cece. How about you touch base with the clients again and see if you can work them more firmly into my schedule later this week. I’m sure they’re all disappointed.”
Cecile finished tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear before she nodded. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
She retreated to the front of the bus as Mike drove us down the gravel driveway. Behind us came the sounds of another vehicle. The officer and Josh were following us despite our protests that it wasn’t needed. Most likely, they would see us to the county line, just to ensure we left.
Logan trailed behind me to the bunks, not saying anything. His gaze followed me as I grabbed my nightclothes off my bed, my movements heavy as exhaustion set in.
The bus continued to vibrate under my soles. Acutely aware of Logan’s presence and my growing response to his touch, I swallowed sharply. I glanced up at him through my lashes. “You’ve done enough for today. You should turn in, too, unless there’s something else you need to do.”
Logan’s brow furrowed. “I’d feel better knowing that we’re far away from those ignorant pricks who harassed you tonight. From the sounds of it, they’re still following us.”
“Honestly, there’s not much any of us can do about that.”
He cocked his head. “Is that something you deal with a lot? Do people often harass you?”
I nodded. The soft worn cotton of my pajamas felt familiar beneath my fingertips. “It happens often enough that we know how to deal with it.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Though I tried to smile, the fatigue that rolled through me made it difficult. “Someone wants to kill me. It shouldn’t be that surprising, but it’s fine. Really, it is. My mom and my nan had to deal with the same sort of harassment as did all of my ancestors. It’s something my family is used to. Throughout the centuries, we’ve adapted as needed.”
Logan’s jaw locked before he said quietly, “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
I cocked my head, not entirely sure what he meant by that.
Logan remained quiet, his gaze staying on me. A deep swirling emotion swam behind his dark irises.
I had no idea what he was thinking, and I had to remind myself again that I was his boss, and that the tightening in my stomach was an entirely unprofessional reaction to him. Because at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to drown in those stormy eyes.
I abruptly twirled away and removed my earrings with shaky fingers. Despite trying to control my reaction, my hands continued to tremble when I placed my earrings in the jewelry box by my bunk.
We reached an intersection in the county road, and Mike turned us onto the highway. From the sounds of it, Josh and the cop were still following.
Logan reached a hand up to steady himself when the bus tilted. “Your show today was—” That groove appeared between his eyes again. “I guess I’ve never seen anyone so devoted to helping others. Not like you are. Have you always drained yourself mentally to heal other people?”
I shrugged and fiddled with my pajamas. “Well, yes. It’s part of my job. Healing people doesn’t come without consequences.”
“Yet the consequences are all yours, not theirs, and you still choose to do it.”
“It’s either that or they stay sick.”
His eyebrows knitted more. “Many would leave them to die. You haven’t chosen an easy profession.”
A tired smile curved my lips up. “This job chose me. I’m a Gresham. This is what I was born to do. I can’t run from that.” I shifted from one foot to the other. Since Logan’s hand still gripped the edge of my bed, he stood so close. If I leaned a few inches to the right, my cheek would brush his arm.
I abruptly straightened. “I’d better get to bed.”
Logan cleared his throat and took a step back. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t mean to hold you up.”
He was halfway to the front of the bus before a response formed on my lips.
Chapter 7
Quiet voices woke me the next day. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Logan asleep across the aisle as Cecile and Mike spoke in the front, but all that greeted me was an empty bed with tangled sheets.
Gurgling from the coffee pot reached my ears. The tantalizing fragrance and familiar sound told me a new pot was brewing.
After a quick peek at the bunks below, it became apparent everybody else was up. Bright sunlight peeked through the curtained windows. I definitely missed breakfast. But at least I felt rested.
The rumbling bus engine and swaying old suspension system were absent. Since we were parked, I figured we’d made it to the rest stop.
Staying in my bunk, I listened to the conversation taking place only yards away. Everyone’s voices were hushed as they tried to not wake me.
“I promised I would tell her.” Logan’s tone, while soft, held a hint of irritation.
Mike’s reply came readily. “This is going to scare the crap out of her. We can’t tell her.”
“Mike’s right,” Cecile whispered. “The previous emails frightened her enough. This one may send her over the edge.”
My heart rate increased. Obviously, I’d received a new message from my stalker, apparently worse than the previous ones.
“I don’t know,” Logan grumbled. His movements sounded restless, as if he were pacing. “I promised to tell her.”
“You can’t!” Cecile hissed.
I hopped off my bed and landed with a quiet thump.
The conversation stopped, and Logan whirled around to face me. Mussed dark hair stood up on his head, as if he’d been running his fingers through it.
I padded to the three of them. “What will scare the crap out of me?”
Mike and Cecile shared guilty looks from where they sat on the couch. Logan simply raked a hand through his hair.
Cecile fingered her bun. That telltale sign gave her away. “Oh … um … we didn’t realize you were awake, Dar.” A strained smile stretched across her face.
I frowned and put my hands on my hips. “I heard you all talking. What are you keeping from me?”
Mike threw up his hands. “Okay. We’re caught! The psycho sent a new email last night, but it seems he’s added a new twist to his messages. He’s no longer just threatening your life.”
I gulped, and shallow breaths filled my chest. “What do you mean?”
Logan handed me my laptop. My email was open.
Dear Ms. Gresham,
I’m disappointed that you haven’t replied to my messages. I know that you’re getting them. It only makes me itch to kill you.
However, considering I’m a fair person, I’ve decided to make a deal with you. I won’t end your life if you agree to pay me fifty thousand dollars.
Tick tock. Tick tock. Your time is running out, witch. I hope you make the right choice.
Your biggest fan.
A stone settled in my stomach and became heavier and heavier with each sentence I read as if weighing me down and pushing me to the floor. By the time I finished reading, I dropped onto the couch by Mike.
“That’s extortion!”
Logan nodded. “Exactly.”
I reread the email more slowly.
Bile rose in my throat. My hands were gripping the laptop so tightly that Logan had to pry it away. He snapped it closed and set it aside.
�
��He’s making even more threats now, Daria,” Cecile said. “We should really go to the police.”
Tangled snarls threaded through my fingers when I tried to run a hand through my hair. I bit my lip before shaking my head vigorously. “You saw what the police were like yesterday. You know firsthand how they treat me. I can’t go to them. I won’t forget what my mother taught me.”
“But this is serious, Dar.” Cecile moved from her seat to sit beside me. “Your own mother would probably have had second thoughts about contacting the police by now. You need to think about your safety. Even if this bastard is full of hot air and wouldn’t actually do anything, he’s now trying to steal money from you. Money you don’t have.”
I waited for Logan to chime in, also agreeing that we should contact the police, but surprisingly, he stayed quiet.
Mike scooted closer to my other side, sandwiching me between him and Cecile. “She’s right, Dar. We’re getting in over our heads. We should call the cops.”
He and Cecile loomed around me, creating a wall of opposition as my gift sparked to life, their close presence lighting up my nerves.
I abruptly stood, breaking the contact. “No. Not yet. I’m not ready to do that.”
Before either of them could respond, I raced to the bathroom, my feet thumping against the floor.
Slamming the door behind me, I crumpled in a heap. The hollow door pressed against my back as my butt landed hard on the faded linoleum of the cramped space. I drew my knees up and buried my head in my hands.
Though the sick bastard was demanding money, the police weren’t the right answer. Mike and Cecile knew what my family and I had gone through with law enforcement. No way was I going to the police.
Tears pooled in my eyes. More than ever, I wished my mom and my nan were with me. They would know what to do, and they would be on my side. They’d always been on my side. Together, we would have figured a way out. I miss you, guys. I miss you so much!
A soft knock came at the door. “Daria?” Logan’s deep voice carried through the flimsy material.
Magic in Light Page 5
