Scream in the Wind (Paranormal Peacekeepers: Book Two)

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Loren

I enjoyed watching Miles' face go sheet white. It's the little things in life, yanno? But it was then, in that moment, that I knew my words had sunk in without the need to elaborate.

I shouldn't have been there, in Grace's body, but I didn't have a choice. I had the divine honor of suffering the grizzliest death of any person latched to Grace - of any spirit connected to her blood - and that gave power to the connection needed for a spirit attachment. So, without question, I latched on and dug my teeth in.

There was so much hate still flowing through my being. So much fear. No one knew the kind of pain I'd endured, not even the man responsible for my death. But something called out to me, beckoned me to find that spark- that beacon singing my name.

I found it in Grace. So I made myself comfortable and settled in. Even though the stupid girl had been able to bust through for a short amount of time - enough time to run to the authorities, confess, and get us locked away - I refused to budge.

I didn't know Grace, but I understood fear all too well. And the fear that spiked when that boy sneered at her from across the gas station aisle... it was too pure; buried too deep to be ignored. So, I'd reached out and taken his life. Just like that. No second thoughts. No remorse.

I hadn't expected Grace's guilt to be strong enough to cut my reins. But she did. She ran to the police station like a little nark, and it was all downhill from there. I had to play along, be careful not to attract the wrong type of attention, and wait for my moment to strike.

But I certainly didn't expect Miles to show up looking for his beloved Grace. Even though I'd been in complete control for months, seeing him falter at my skirted confession was fueling Grace's conviction to break free.

I couldn't let her.

"If I could kill you for this... I would," she said.

"Easy on the attitude there, princess."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked for the millionth time. "I tried to help you!"

I was tired of this same old argument.

"By banishing me to the other side?" I asked, my unspoken voice sharp as razor wire. "Don't act like you were doing me a favor."

"But your parents-"

"My parents don't matter! They didn't care about me when I was alive, and now that I'm gone they're throwing the world's biggest pity party!"

"No. I saw their faces. They're grieving. They miss their daughter."

More hatred boiled to the surface and my borrowed body shook.

"You don't know them. You don't understand anything."

"Grace!" Both our voices were silenced by Miles shouting mere inches from my face. His eyes revealed nothing but pain. "I know you're in there, and I know you're listening."

He leaned back once I focused my eyes, and I tilted my head, ready to listen to whatever it was he had to say to Grace. Surely it would be sweet, heartfelt, and vomit-inducing.

I'd never been one of those girls that was comfortable hearing men speak about their feelings, but as sickening as it was, Miles seemed like the kind of guy who didn't spout words just to placate someone. He genuinely loved Grace. Which made this whole setup even weirder and all the more inconvenient.

"You didn't tell me to walk up that ladder," he said. "It did."

"Thank God," Grace whispered in my head.