Scream in the Wind (Paranormal Peacekeepers: Book Two)

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

Miles

I'd grown to be one hell of an actor. Grace didn't even seem to sense my unease as we drove through the uneven back roads of Fatherville.

The truth of the matter was, I was scared shitless. As soon as Grace had woken up the day after we banished the spirit from her bones, everyone seemed to forget about it. Even Grace. She didn't want me fussing over her, she kept her head held high like nothing had ever happened, and everyone else talked and joked like we hadn't almost lost her.

But we had almost lost her.

And that was something I would never, ever forget.

As we entered the gates of the Altham property, the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end, and I knew something was off. A sixth sense had my nerves humming as we unpacked and readied ourselves for the night.

Bodhi returned from talking to the property owners and rubbed his hands together, ready to get to work. "Everyone good to go?"

"Yup, all set," Grace answered with a smile. The rest of the Peacekeepers seconded her words and before I knew what was happening, we were knee-deep in an investigation I wanted no part of.

When the sun finished setting and I found myself alone with Grace, she nudged me with her shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

I swiveled the camera in my hands toward her face and she cringed. She hated cameras.

"Nothing's wrong with me," I replied calmly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you're acting weird. You're quiet. Withdrawn."

"Says the girl who was possessed yesterday."

"Shh! Don't say that!" She spat. "I wasn't possessed. I was-"

"Whatever. I don't want to talk about it."

I started walking off in the opposite direction, but stopped when Grace grabbed the back of my shirt.

"See? Right there. What's wrong with you?"

I sighed, feeling more exhausted than I had in months. "Nothing, Grace. I just- I want to finish this investigation and go home. Okay?"

"Go home?" Her voice hitched. "As in?"

"Christ, Grace. I don't want to go back to Triple Oaks if that's what you're implying. I want to go home, back to headquarters, with you, and sleep for a week. Is that so wrong of me?"

She stepped back, lowered her head, and dejectedly kicked a stray rock at her feet. "No. I guess not."

"Good. Then let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Okay." She held her arms out toward the barn with a placating smile. "Lead the way."

Without another word, I took off through the overgrown field, documenting my every step, hoping Grace would drop the inquisition. As we reached the barn, she shone the beam of her flashlight on the doors and pulled them open with a creak.

The smell of wet hay and mildew hit us both, and I moved in front of Grace. But before I could step foot on the bowed floor boards, she roughly grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

I lowered the camera.

"What's wrong?"

Grace's dark eyes darted from my face to the barn and back again. I had no idea what she was thinking, let alone feeling, but I didn't push. I waited for her to get her bearings, squeezing her hand as she struggled with something I would never understand.

"I love you."

My eyes narrowed, honing in on her face. Grace wasn't the type to display any sort of affection during an investigation. She was all business. But something was bothering her. For the first time in a long time... Grace was scared.

"I love you, too," I said slowly.

To say I was worried would have been a vast understatement, but without questioning her, without taking the time to figure out this change of pace like I should have, I gestured for her to enter the barn.

"Ladies first?"

She flashed me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and I followed her into the dank, smelly barn. As she called out, beckoning to whatever spirit was haunting the property, I stood behind her and held the camera steady, hoping for some kind of sign, something to point us in the right direction.

The only thing echoing off the rotted walls of the barn was the sound of Grace drawing in a long, deep breath.

"Everything okay?" I asked, watching her shoulders relax.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

A warning tingle flew down my spine and I fought the urge to grab Grace and run from the building. That urge was so strong I had to dig my fingers into the hard plastic of the camera I was carrying to keep from reaching for her.

"Why don't you check upstairs? I'll check the stables."

I stalled at the ladder she was pointing to.

"You mean, split up?"

Even in the darkness, I could see Grace roll her eyes.

"Just run up, then run right back down. I'm sure there's nothing up there but mold and mice. I just don't want Bodhi on our asses because we didn't cover all our bases."

Fair enough...

I strapped the camera to the holster at my chest.

"Be right back."

Grace smiled, then set off in search of the stables at the far end of the barn. I watched her black hair swish along her back before looking up at the small hole I was supposed to climb through.

The ladder was sturdier than I gave it credit for and it held my weight without question as I made my way up. That was the easy part. Looking out at the dark floor, I knew that if I just walked along the beams of the loft, I wouldn't risk falling through. As long as I played it safe, I would be fine.

After extracting my own flashlight from my pocket, I swept the beam from side to side, searching for... something. I was convinced there was nothing to see except for piles of old hay, but as I turned to descend back down the ladder, something caught my eye.

"Hello?" I called out on instinct.

I held my light on the pile of hay I'd just seen move before carefully approaching it with bated breath.

"Please be a mouse," I whispered. "Or a cat."

I inched closer and closer, my heart hammering away in my ears as I reached forward to swipe back the top layer of hay.

And that's when I heard the crack.

Seconds later, I screamed as the floor gave way beneath my feet, and I fell through cold, haunted air.

***GRACE***

I told him I was evil.

He didn't believe me.

And then, I broke him.