catching me before my face hits the floor. He yanks me up and literally throws me to his brother. He’s holding a shotgun and slowly turning in all directions.
“Behind you!” I shout, but he is already falling and twisting, bringing the gun up and firing. The shot hits the creature square in the chest and it explodes, flying into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke. My eyes widen. That’s the same thing it did in my bedroom.
“Are you okay?” Caleb asks me, concerned I guess, because I’m coughing. That’s the second time that thing has nearly choked me. It won’t get a third try.
“Dear God, Mattie!” Dan yanks me out of Caleb’s arms and wraps me in one of those bear hugs of his. “Are you okay? Did it hurt you?”
For five seconds, I bask here in his arms, then I remember what he did to me and I withdraw. He feels the change and pulls back, chagrin in his eyes and on his face.
“I’m fine,” I tell him and step away, closer to Eli. As much as it hurts, I need to put distance between us. Dan hurt me more than anyone has in a long time. I haven’t felt like this since waking up alone in a hospital and realizing my mom tried to kill me.
I want to curl up and cry like a baby and it’s not even stemming from the fact that he and Meg are seeing each other. I figured that out on the plane. He lied, kept this from me, and I trusted him. Everyone in my life has lied to me and I thought Dan would never be one of them. He’s supposed to be my rock, my anchor, the one person I can trust. He promised me he’d always be there for me and then he went behind my back and betrayed me. How could he?
Caleb growls and before I know it, a wall of muscles is in front of me. He and Eli had moved as one to stand in front of me. Dang, Eli has a cute butt! That random thought pops into my head, causing me to frown. Now where did that come from?
“What are you two doing?” I demand. You can smell the testosterone in the air. I swear…boys!
“You looked ready to cry,” Caleb explains.
“This is the guy that had you bawling, isn’t he?” Eli pipes in.
“I do not bawl!” I deny hotly. What had I said while I was out and delirious? “Do you want me to hit you again?”
“You hit him?” Dan takes a step closer. “He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
“No.” I shove both boys out of the way and step in between them. “I woke up and it was dark. I didn’t know he was in the room and…why am I explaining this?”
Both boys shrug.
“What are you doing here, Dan?” I ask.
His face becomes the mask he wears when he’s on the job and all the anger I have flies out the window. Something is very, very wrong. Dan never gives me that look no matter how bratty I’m behaving. Is it my mom? Does he know something?
“Is it my mom?” I ask softly.
“God, I wish it was your mom,” he mutters. His eyes become haunted, turning nearly black.
“Dan, what’s wrong?” I break free from Caleb and wrap my arms around Dan. “What’s going on? Tell me.”
He takes a shaky breath. “The PI, he found out…”
“Spit it out,” Eli barks, his voice hard. I chance a look at him and he’s staring at the way Dan’s arms are locked around me like a life-line, his face lined in anger.
“Later, Mattie, I’ll tell you later.” Dan hugs me tighter before digging into his pocket and pulling out a bracelet of some kind. “Here’s your gris-gris. Looks like you need it.”
I eyeball the thing with disgust. Don’t you have to believe in those things for them to work? I see an identical one on Dan’s arm and I look up questioningly. He has one? Dan has issues with ghosts, but he’ll wear a gris-gris?
“I saw that thing, Mattie. If this keeps it away, I’ll wear it,” he tells me, understanding my question without my having to ask it. “Arm out, Squirt.”
Like an obedient puppy, I hold out my arm and he ties it around my wrist. The oddest sensation creeps over me and I shudder, wanting it off. I almost
“Behind you!” I shout, but he is already falling and twisting, bringing the gun up and firing. The shot hits the creature square in the chest and it explodes, flying into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke. My eyes widen. That’s the same thing it did in my bedroom.
“Are you okay?” Caleb asks me, concerned I guess, because I’m coughing. That’s the second time that thing has nearly choked me. It won’t get a third try.
“Dear God, Mattie!” Dan yanks me out of Caleb’s arms and wraps me in one of those bear hugs of his. “Are you okay? Did it hurt you?”
For five seconds, I bask here in his arms, then I remember what he did to me and I withdraw. He feels the change and pulls back, chagrin in his eyes and on his face.
“I’m fine,” I tell him and step away, closer to Eli. As much as it hurts, I need to put distance between us. Dan hurt me more than anyone has in a long time. I haven’t felt like this since waking up alone in a hospital and realizing my mom tried to kill me.
I want to curl up and cry like a baby and it’s not even stemming from the fact that he and Meg are seeing each other. I figured that out on the plane. He lied, kept this from me, and I trusted him. Everyone in my life has lied to me and I thought Dan would never be one of them. He’s supposed to be my rock, my anchor, the one person I can trust. He promised me he’d always be there for me and then he went behind my back and betrayed me. How could he?
Caleb growls and before I know it, a wall of muscles is in front of me. He and Eli had moved as one to stand in front of me. Dang, Eli has a cute butt! That random thought pops into my head, causing me to frown. Now where did that come from?
“What are you two doing?” I demand. You can smell the testosterone in the air. I swear…boys!
“You looked ready to cry,” Caleb explains.
“This is the guy that had you bawling, isn’t he?” Eli pipes in.
“I do not bawl!” I deny hotly. What had I said while I was out and delirious? “Do you want me to hit you again?”
“You hit him?” Dan takes a step closer. “He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
“No.” I shove both boys out of the way and step in between them. “I woke up and it was dark. I didn’t know he was in the room and…why am I explaining this?”
Both boys shrug.
“What are you doing here, Dan?” I ask.
His face becomes the mask he wears when he’s on the job and all the anger I have flies out the window. Something is very, very wrong. Dan never gives me that look no matter how bratty I’m behaving. Is it my mom? Does he know something?
“Is it my mom?” I ask softly.
“God, I wish it was your mom,” he mutters. His eyes become haunted, turning nearly black.
“Dan, what’s wrong?” I break free from Caleb and wrap my arms around Dan. “What’s going on? Tell me.”
He takes a shaky breath. “The PI, he found out…”
“Spit it out,” Eli barks, his voice hard. I chance a look at him and he’s staring at the way Dan’s arms are locked around me like a life-line, his face lined in anger.
“Later, Mattie, I’ll tell you later.” Dan hugs me tighter before digging into his pocket and pulling out a bracelet of some kind. “Here’s your gris-gris. Looks like you need it.”
I eyeball the thing with disgust. Don’t you have to believe in those things for them to work? I see an identical one on Dan’s arm and I look up questioningly. He has one? Dan has issues with ghosts, but he’ll wear a gris-gris?
“I saw that thing, Mattie. If this keeps it away, I’ll wear it,” he tells me, understanding my question without my having to ask it. “Arm out, Squirt.”
Like an obedient puppy, I hold out my arm and he ties it around my wrist. The oddest sensation creeps over me and I shudder, wanting it off. I almost
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