Читать книгу Spirited Away - Angela Campbell - Страница 10

Sweaty palm tightening around the strap of her messenger bag, Spider sucked in a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. When a minute passed, she knocked on the door before she lost her nerve. She had no idea what kind of reception she’d get, but she knew that she could do this. Three espressos, a pep talk in the mirror, and enough remorse bottled inside her chest to induce groveling were the perfect recipe for courage.

Then the door opened, and she wished she’d had something stronger than three espressos.

Noah stared back at her from beneath hooded eyes, and he was dressed… well, actually, he wasn’t dressed. That was the problem. Her gaze immediately fell to his naked chest and lower, to the towel draped below his glistening rock-hard abs, to the trail of hair that led down. Eyes up, girlfriend! Jerking her head up, she focused on his face. The hair on his head hung in wet curls around his perfectly chiseled features, and he had the clearest, most enticing green eyes she’d ever seen.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” she squeaked. Tightening her grip on the shoulder strap again, she cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time. I can come back later.”

The little courage she’d mustered vanished at the sight of his half-naked body. She turned to make a run for it, but his strong grip on her arm prevented her from getting very far.

“Give me a minute to pull on some clothes.”

“I can come back later,” she said again.

“No need.” One side of his mouth quirked up. “Do you want to wait here, or would you rather come inside?”

She steeled her spine and walked past him into the foyer, glancing around to keep from looking at his sculpted body. And it was fine, too. She half tripped on his hallway rug and tried to pretend that she’d meant to lean into the staircase rather than using it to catch herself.

“Make yourself at home,” he told her.

His heavy footsteps climbing the old staircase signaled it was safe to untangle herself from the railing, and she sank into the comfy-looking chair inside the doorway to the living room. Peeling, faded wallpaper decorated the walls, but the oatmeal-coloured carpet seemed new and most of the furniture, too. The floor above her head creaked with movement, conjuring images of her hottie neighbour stripping the towel away and—

Shaking herself, she reached for her bag and pulled out some of the pages she’d printed before coming over. She spread them on the coffee table in front of her and waited, wondering how best to start the conversation.

Hi Noah, I think your house is seriously haunted and you should probably move.

That would likely get her tossed out faster than reminding him that she’d called the cops on him yesterday.

Right. New plan. Blowing out a breath, she considered what to say as his footsteps grew louder and evaporated all cohesive thoughts in her brain.

Noah’s voice was strong as he spoke from the middle of the stairs. “I’m surprised to see you.”

Moving to her feet, she turned and managed a smile. Not only was he barefoot with his wet hair still curling around his face, but he was also wearing a pair of snug jeans and had left a dark shirt hanging open over his muscular chest. A very nice, smooth muscular chest. The kind you usually saw on underwear models.

Down girl.

“I’m kind of surprised you let me in,” she countered.

He walked past, shot her a grin, and began buttoning up his shirt. Thank goodness. “I told you I wasn’t mad. What’s up?”

Following his lead, she sat down and began fiddling with the papers she’d laid out for him. “You’re gonna think I’m really strange when you hear what I have to say, but…” She chewed at her bottom lip and leaned forward. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go for it.” He leaned forward too, so close the scent of soap teased her nostrils and threatened to scatter her thoughts again.

She pushed back, needing to clear herself of the distraction. “Have you … noticed anything odd about this house since you moved in?”

“Define odd.”

“Things moving on their own. Unnatural sounds or smells. Weird feelings you get in certain rooms. That kind of thing.”

Some of the twinkle dimmed in his eyes and his smile fell just enough to be noticeable. Ah ha! He had experienced weird stuff. Excitement sizzled through her veins, and she continued before he could answer.

“Have you seen anything, like a ghost? You have, haven’t you? I knew it!”

“Whoa. Hold on.” He shook his head. “I haven’t seen a ghost. I don’t believe in ghosts.”

“But—”

He held up his hand. “Maybe you should explain why you’re asking.”

Sucking in a deep breath, she tapped her finger on the stack of papers. “You should Google your house, man. It’s listed on a haunted places index, and you would not believe some of the messages people have posted on forums about it.”

His forehead crinkled as he considered the printouts. “You’re telling me this house is listed on a website, encouraging people to snoop around because they think it’s haunted?”

“Well … yeah.” Actually, she hadn’t thought about trespassers. “What did the realtor tell you when you bought the place?”

“I didn’t buy it.” Frowning, he picked up the paper sitting on top of the others. “I’m renting it, and the realtor didn’t say a damn thing about any of this.”

Oops.

“Have you caught anyone snooping around since you moved in?”

The dark circles under his eyes seemed more pronounced as he skimmed the story: the one about a group of teens who believed the house was haunted by two ghosts, one good, one evil, after their friend was thrown down the stairs during a ghost-hunting expedition. The front door had been locked, trapping them inside, until a gentle voice had whispered, “Hurry. The back door. It’s unlocked.”

A chill caused Spider to tremble, remembering the tale.

“No.” His voice was gruff now. “I’ve only been here a month. I don’t know, maybe it only happens around Hallowe’en.”

The calendar had just flipped over to April, so maybe he was right. “I’m sure people stay away if someone’s living here.”

His gaze lifted, amusement again in its depths. He set the papers back on the table. “So you think I’m haunted?”

It was an effort not to roll her eyes. She gestured upstairs. “The lady in your window, remember her? I saw her as clear as day, and ever since I saw her—”

Wait. She hadn’t meant to mention the strange things that had been happening to her since the night she’d glanced up and seen Miss Pretty Ghost in his window.

“What, Emma?”

He probably already thought she was cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Might as well tell him the rest. “First there were the sheets being ripped off me in bed. Then there was a weird message on my computer. The words help and danger kept scrolling across for absolutely no reason. No reason!” She sucked in a deep breath. “Last night, I ended up huddling with the boys in bed after—”

His brow lifted. “The boys?”

She flicked a dismissive hand. “The dogs and cat. Anyway, the TV in the living room kept turning off and on while I was trying to watch it, and after I changed into my jammies and went to bed—”

“Jammies?” He chuckled.

She ignored him. “A loud noise from the kitchen spooked the animals and then the bedroom door started opening and closing on its own, Noah. Opening. And closing. On. Its. Own! All of us were scared to death. It’s like the animals kept staring at something I couldn’t see and whining. I didn’t sleep a wink!”

She’d almost packed up her car and driven home, but she knew she’d be in for a round of twenty questions if she came dragging three animals into her house in the middle of the night. The only thing scarier than a ghost was her father intent on an inquisition.

The humour had fled Noah’s eyes, replaced by a brooding but otherwise unreadable expression. She pointed a finger at him. “You know what I’m talking about because a similar thing has happened to you, hasn’t it?”

Bam. Bam. Bam.

The loud knocking startled Spider so badly, she sprang to her feet and stared at the ceiling where it had seemed to originate while she considered making a run for the door. Noah’s eyes were wide as they locked with hers. Without saying a word, he darted for the stairs. She was right behind him.

The echo of their footsteps on the uncarpeted landing was the only sound in the otherwise silent house. Noah stopped outside the only room with an open door. His chest rose and fell with deep, heavy breaths.

She pushed to her tiptoes to look over his shoulder and glimpsed the edge of a messy bed.

Clunk.

The new sound drew Noah into the room. He flung open the closet door while Spider entered more cautiously, darting her gaze around every nook and cranny and seeing no one. A weight settled in her lungs that felt … unnatural, as if she’d suddenly walked into a sauna, only the temperature was rather cold up here.

She edged closer and spotted nothing unusual in the walk-in closet. “What was that, Noah?”

“I don’t know.”

She took a step closer and—

“Aieee!” The jab of something in the middle of her back shoved her forwards and into Noah. They tumbled into the closet together in a mash of tangled limbs, Noah’s weight cushioning her fall from beneath.

The door slammed shut behind them, flooding the room with near-darkness.

“Noah!”

“Are you okay?”

“Someone pushed me!”

“Are you hurt?” he demanded in a firm, but panicked voice.

She shook her head.

“Emma?” He practically shouted.

“I’m fine. You?”

“Fine.”

He pushed up and against her, and it took serious effort to uncurl her hands from his hard biceps to let him go. Fear clawed at her insides as he shoved her away and frantically rattled the doorknob. She reached a hand around and massaged her back. What had shoved her so hard that she still felt the sting there?

Noah swore so harshly that Emma felt her face warm. She scrambled to her feet as he kicked at the door and then stepped back when he threw his shoulder against it. She wasn’t thrilled to be in here in the near-dark either, but geez.

Um, why wasn’t the door opening?

Her voice was a squeak. “We’re locked in? How are we locked in?”

The door burst open and Noah rushed out, grabbing the edge of the bed to steady himself from falling. When he glanced back towards her, his eyes were alive with something wild and dangerous. The white of his knuckles as he gripped the bedpost betrayed his terror.

“Noah, are you okay?”

“Claustrophobic. Give me a minute.” His breathing was as labored as if he’d just climbed a mountain. She reached out a tentative hand to comfort him, but drew it back when he looked away.

“Sorry,” he managed. “Closets and I don’t get along, especially when I’m locked inside one.”

“No arguments here.” Something about the tone of his voice triggered her curiosity. “You’ve been locked in one before?”

“Few times.”

Well, that sounded awful. She shifted on her feet, uncertain what to do next. She was dying to ask him why he’d been locked in a closet a few times, but that probably wasn’t polite. Turning, she realized the door was hanging at an angle, torn from one of its hinges. Dang. Noah, one – closet, zero.

She risked a step closer and another, until she was back inside the small space. The air didn’t feel as heavy in her lungs as it had a few minutes before. She spun around, taking in the contents, mostly clothes and boxes, and noticed a small hole in the wall near the floor. Kneeling, she reached out and poked her finger in it. Coarse fabric scraped her fingertips.

“Noah, I think I found something.”

“What?”

A shadow fell over her as he moved into the doorway. Dry plaster crumbled in her hand, expanding the opening. “Do you mind if I see what’s behind here?”

He reached into his jeans and retrieved a pocketknife. Passing it over, he said, “Be careful. There could be wires in there.”

Carefully, she jabbed the hard metal into the surface until the rotted area collapsed into dust. Not wires, but some kind of box covered in rough cloth. Sticking her hand into the enlarged hole, she retrieved a small black box caked in white powder.

“What is that?” he asked, lowering to his haunches beside her.

She lifted the lid and gasped. A gorgeous diamond ring sparkled in the stream of sunlight pouring into the closet. Arching an eyebrow, Spider lifted the piece of jewelry for him to see.

“I’d bet my entire Marvel collection someone tossed us in here because they wanted us to find this.”

* * *

This was insane.

When Emma had pried the wall away with the knife, the loud scrape of metal against dry wood had sickened him. He’d attributed the gut-wrenching feeling to his hatred of small spaces and the traumatic feeling of getting trapped inside one again. But as the smooth, cold metal of the ring touched his skin, dizziness sent the walls spinning around him.

Memories of his father’s voice mocking him through the closet door sent a rush of anger and fear coursing through his mind.

No!

Pushing to his feet, he escaped the cursed closet. Maybe he couldn’t stop the panic, but he could shove it aside, or, better yet, hide it. He turned to see that she’d followed him, and his spine straightened. “None of this proves the house is haunted.” Even to his ears, the statement sounded weak.

“Noah, don’t pretend something weird didn’t just happen.” She pressed closer and snatched the ring from his grasp. “We were pushed into that closet. I think your ghost wanted us to find this for some reason.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” She paced to the window, held the ring up to the light and examined it closer. “But I know people who can help. My friend, Alexandra – she’s psychic. She’ll know what to do. She deals with this stuff all the time.”

His first inclination was to argue, but the mention of King stopped him cold. This could be the opportunity he’d been looking for to get closer to the supposed psychic detective.

Emma looked at him, moved closer. “You wouldn’t hesitate if you didn’t want help.” Her fingers clasped his upper arm, and some of the tension eating away at him seeped slowly through his pores. It was strange, the calming effect this young woman had on him. “Let me call her. She’ll probably come right away. We can rid ourselves of this pesky ghost by evening. What do you say?”

Did that mean King was back in town already? Or did Emma not know her co-worker had left? Either way, it was worth finding out.

“All right.” He leaned closer. “But I’m only doing this because of the experiences you’ve been having.”

One of her brows lifted. “Yeah, right.” A beautiful smile erupted all over her face. “This is going to be awesome. I’ve always wanted to see her do this up close. My phone! Where’s my phone?” She spun around and hurried down the stairs.

Sighing and wiping a hand over his tired eyes, Noah glanced around the room. Something damn strange had happened in here. This could be an ideal opportunity to see King work her magic, figure out how she conned people. He could be packed up and ready to move on in a few days if whatever was happening here escalated.

The distant sound of Emma’s voice captured his attention and sent an unexpected pang of guilt piercing through his chest. It was a shitty thing to do, using her like this. He liked her, didn’t want to hurt her.

His father’s genes kicked in and reminded him that it was also an opportunity to spend more time with her, get to know her better and find out if she was willing to act upon their mutual attraction. Oh, yeah. He could tell she was interested. She hadn’t been able to hide her appreciation earlier.

Don’t even think about it, West. There’s no telling how innocent she might be. Not to mention, the police chief’s daughter. That was a whole mess of complication he didn’t need.

He was the son of a convict: an abusive asshole, womanizer and alcoholic. Those things had a tendency to rub off, one way or another. Even if he was the type of man who believed in fairy tales, this young woman deserved better than him.

She’d also claimed to have a boyfriend, and Noah wasn’t the type to poach a woman, no matter how attractive he found her.

Strange thing was, he was still tempted. How long had it been since he’d been with someone? Six months, at least. He’d been tiring of the whole dating scene, if that’s what you wanted to call it. His longest relationship had only ever lasted a week. It had never bothered him until recently. Loath as he was to admit it, coming home to this empty house every day was damn lonely. The feeling had been amplified the more he’d observed Zachary Collins and his fiancée interacting. The friendship between them had been as obvious as their sexual chemistry. Such a weird thing to witness. All he usually saw were couples fighting. What would it be like to enjoy a woman’s company so much you wanted to spend time with her out of bed as much as in?

With heavy limbs, he slipped on some socks and shoes before heading downstairs to see what Emma’s plan was. He caught the tail end of her conversation. Didn’t sound promising.

“So you don’t know when you’ll be back?” Emma dropped into the chair, frowning as she listened to the response. “Well, any ideas on what we can do in the meantime? I’m serious, Alexandra. I was terrified last night.” She twirled a finger around her ginger locks and then sighed. “Okay. Thanks. I really appreciate it. And I’m sorry about your brother’s marriage. I hope you can help him get things worked out.”

Noah wandered over to the glass of whiskey he’d abandoned last night – another failed sleep aid – and downed the contents in a gulp. He’d found a half-empty bottle of the stuff in the cabinet and taken advantage, something he rarely allowed himself to do. She ended her call and sighed loudly.

“Sorry. She won’t be able to help right now. She’s out of town with a family emergency and doesn’t know when she’ll be back.”

He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “Shame.”

“Yeah. Her brother’s in the military and his wife just filed for divorce. Since her brother’s overseas, Alexandra went to try to find out what’s going on. She’s always trying to help people like that.”

Interesting. “Except you.”

She shot him a look of disapproval. “She’s going to call a friend, some guy she knows who’s psychic like her. Anyway, she’s going to see if he’ll stop by and help us figure this thing out. She actually seemed worried when I explained some of the things that had happened.”

“So what do we do in the meantime?”

Excitement danced in her eyes. Wow. She really believed in this stuff. “I was thinking about it.” She reached for her bag and pulled a laptop out. “I think the ghost is trying to tell us something. I think she wants help. If we can find out who used to live here and why they hid this ring in the closet, maybe we’ll find some answers.”