Cash’s jaw clenches. “And your mother? Is she dead, too?”
“No.” My smile turns cold. “But if I had my way, she would be.”
“You can’t tell an FBI agent that you wish your mother was dead.”
“Yes, I can.” I raise my chin. “While my father inflicted punishment and pain, she simply ignored it. Ignored us. I raised my sisters, not our parents. In fact, when I turned eighteen, I moved out and took them with me, filing for full custody. She didn’t fight it. She still lives in that godsforsaken house in the bayou, by herself, slowly dying.
“She didn’t believe us when we told her about what we saw, what we felt. And she would beat us with the belt if we talked about it.”
“Christ.”
“So, when we left, I immediately called other people in the area that were like us. And I started to ask questions. Built a community around us. We learned, we grew stronger, and after a while, we healed.”
“I’m so glad. I hate that you went through that.”
“Maybe we’re all stronger because of it,” I reply honestly. “We learned to control ourselves out of necessity, so our gifts aren’t messy or frivolous now.”
“That’s a positive way to look at it.”
He blinks slowly, watching me.
“What about your family? Tell me about them.”
“Does it sound weird for me to say that I feel guilty that I had the exact opposite of you?”
“You shouldn’t feel guilty at all.”
“Andy is my only sibling. He’s a couple of years younger than I am, and he works for the New Orleans PD.”
“Lots of law enforcement in your family.”
“My dad was a cop,” he says and nods. “He was killed in the line of duty when I was eighteen.”
“Oh, Cash. I’m sorry.”
He nods and drinks the rest of his tea, then sets the mug aside. “It was tough. Mom never remarried. She still lives in Savannah. She’s been sick lately.”
His eyes hold mine.
“Cancer.”
“Why aren’t you there with her?”
“I was,” he says on a sigh. “I went there first, and she’s doing much better. She basically shooed me out the door and told me to go spend some time with my brother.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
“She is,” he says with a nod. “But, to be honest, I was ready to go. All she does is lecture me about working too hard, and that I need to find a nice girl to settle down with.”
“She loves you.” I set my empty mug aside and lie down, facing Cash. I pull the blankets up around my shoulders and smile at him. “I swear, it’s not the company making me tired.”
“You had a busy day,” he says, letting out a small laugh. “And an emotional one. If you need me, I’ll be next door, okay?”
“Okay.”
He crosses to me and kisses my forehead, then turns off the light and leaves the door open just a crack. I hear him walk to the kitchen, set our empty mugs in the sink, and then into the guest room. His feet shuffle around as he gets ready for bed, then the bedsprings squeak a bit as he climbs under the covers. And then it’s quiet. Even the spirits have settled down.
My eyes droop, and before long, I sink into sleep.
This is new. It seems today is the day for it, whether I’m awake or asleep.
Have I mentioned that I don’t like surprises?
I’m walking through the Quarter on my usual route to work. I nod at people I know and ignore the shadows that lurk in the corners. I’m used to them. Some don’t know I’m here, and some try to get my attention, but I always keep my eyes straight ahead.
Focus. Focus is always the key. Stay centered. Grounded. Keep my mind calm. If I let the fear sink in, I’ll make myself vulnerable, and that’s not good.
The sun is up and bright in the sky, but suddenly, a shadow covers it, sending everything into darkness. I stop and blink, trying to let my eyes adjust to the dim surroundings. When I can see at least some things again, they’re right in front of me.
The two women.
The two apparitions that have been following me for days.
“You have to help us,” Tammy, the one from my tour group says. “You have to find us.”
“Find us,” the other agrees. They reach out for me. Both are covered in blood, and wounds still seep all over their bodies. The girl I don’t know has a slit throat, and one eye is missing.
Tammy doesn’t have any fingers on her right hand.
“Who hurt you?” I ask, but no sound comes out of my mouth. “Tell me who hurt you.”
“There are more,” Tammy says. “So many more. We need you. You have to find us.”
“Who did this?” I ask again, frustrated when no sound emerges. Damn it! I need to communicate with them. “Please, tell me how to find you.”
“Help us,” they say in unison. “Please. You have to help us.”
“Holy shit.”
Suddenly, I’m sitting up in bed, gasping for air. Cash holds my shoulders firmly.
“Brielle, wake up. You’re safe, baby. Wake up.”
“I’m awake,” I gasp and lean in to rest my forehead on his chest.
“You were having a nightmare.”
“No.” I look up into his green eyes. They seem brighter in the dim light. “I was dream-walking. The girls are talking, Cash.”
“What did they say?”
“They asked me to help them. Find them.” I feel a tear slide down my cheek. “Horrible things were done to them.”
“They told you?”
“I could see it.” I swallow hard. My mouth is so dry. “He tortured them.”
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know.” I shake my head in despair. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Five
Brielle
“Good morning.”
I smile at Cash as I walk into the living room and sit on the couch next to him. He passes me his coffee, and I take a sip.
“Good morning.”
I think I could get used to having him here like this. After he comforted me in the middle of the night, he stayed with me, holding me until I fell back to sleep. And this morning, when I woke up, he was no longer in bed with me, but I could smell the coffee.
“How do you feel?”
“Tired.” I shrug and take another sip of his coffee, then pass it back to him. “I guess dream-walking will do that to a person.”
“You guess?”
“This week is full of firsts.”
Cash frowns and takes my hand in his, linking our fingers. “I’m worried about you, Brielle. And I barely know you.”
“Thank you.” I lean my head on the couch and watch him thoughtfully. “I’m seriously shocked that you haven’t escaped yet. Why are you still here?”
He blows out a breath and sets his mug aside. “I was asking myself that this morning. It’s not that I feel bad for you, or even that I feel an obligation.”
“Good.”
“I’m drawn to you in ways I can’t explain. Like I said before, it’s a…recognition. Like, I was looking for you and didn’t even know it.”