Lucky Stars (65 page)

On the third blink, her eyes didn’t reopen and she drifted into sleep in the protective embrace of James Bennett.

Chapter Twenty-One

Possessed

Belle

Belle sat in the chair in the bay window in Jack’s study as Jack sat behind his desk.

She had her sketch pad in front of her but her eyes were trained on the view.

She wasn’t seeing the view though. She was thinking of the last four days through all of which nothing had happened.

Not one thing.

Well, not exactly

 
She woke up with Jack, she went to bed by Jack and she loved doing both. Jack also made love to her and, sometimes, he was adventurous in a gentle way and she loved that too (maybe even more). She always had breakfast with Jack and usually, due to the hour, they were alone and she also loved that. If he was at home, she usually had dinner with Jack, though they were never alone but were surrounded by family so she loved that as well. And Jack always came home in time for both of them to take Baron and
Gretl
for a walk and she loved that too.

She also went to work but spent half her time working, half her time trying to convince Belinda that Dirk was not her prince charming come to St. Ives to sweep her off her feet except he didn’t know it and had to be convinced. Belle was failing in this endeavour just as Dirk was failing in that same endeavour. This made work interesting and sometimes amusing if it didn’t help to get it done.

Her father was still there which meant anything could happen but luckily he was behaving himself and mostly spending his time sightseeing, sometimes alone, sometimes with Rachel. This meant, if he was (or they were) causing mayhem, it was luckily somewhere else.

But although she’d seen and spoken to Myrtle and Lewis several times since Sunday, it was only to get to know them. And the more she got to know them, the more she liked them and the more determined she was to get them “home”.

Other than that, nothing had happened. No great stroke of genius hit her as to how to release the children to the next plane. Lewis hadn’t come up with anything. And neither did any of the Ghost Helpers.

“Calm before the storm, love,
enjoy
it,” Jack had muttered when she’d shared her impatience with him.

And he was right. Something was coming.

She just wished it would
get there
so they could deal with it, she could take care of those children and everyone could move on.

But she currently had something else on her mind and that was the fact that Joy had finally talked Miles into having a chat. She, Cassandra and Lorna were with him at Yasmin’s as Belle sat in Jack’s study at The Point not seeing the view.

So she was also worried.

“Belle,” Jack called.

“Yes?” Belle answered the view.

“Love, look at me,” he ordered gently, her head turned to him and her eyes caught his green ones. “It will all be fine.”

As ever, he knew her thoughts and he knew when she needed his reassurance.

That said, she wasn’t exactly reassured.

“You keep saying that, Jack, but
nothing’s happening,
” she reminded him not remembering you should be careful what you wish for because just as she said it, she heard the door fly open.

Jack’s head whipped to it as he swiftly rose from his chair and Belle leaned and twisted to look around the back of her own.

Angus was advancing, looking agitated.

“
Laddie
, we got a –” he started to tell Jack but didn’t finish.

This was because Miles stormed in after Angus, his face red and his expression murderous.

With just one look at his face, not even fully taking in his threatening gait, Belle’s body froze solid.

“I cannot fucking
believe
you!” he shouted, stalking straight toward the desk and thus Jack.

Angus moved in front of him and Belle gasped and jumped from her chair, tossing down her sketchpad and pencil as Miles put his hands on Angus, threw him bodily to the side and Angus went flying, kilt awhirl, arms wheeling.

At that, the room became a bustle of action.

Jack quickly rounded his desk, growling, “Belle, do not move,” just as Lachlan, Cassandra, Joy and Lorna came flying into the room, in that order.

“
Miles,
calm down,” Jack ordered and Miles stopped in front of Jack, lifted a hand, planted it in Jack’s chest and pushed off but Jack stood solid and didn’t even sway. However, he did lift an arm to shove his brother’s hand from his chest.

“Jesus, I cannot believe you. I cannot…” Miles leaned in, his face getting redder, “fucking…
believe you!
”

“Miles, I will repeat, calm down,” Jack said in a low, even voice.

“Did you tell Belle that shit?” Miles bit out. “Did you tell Belle like you told
Mum
that I fucking
pushed your woman down the stairs?
” he bellowed the last words in fury.

Oh goodness
gracious!

Suddenly the room again filled with action as Miles didn’t pause for an answer but aimed a punch at Jack.

Belle gasped and took two steps forward but stopped when she saw Jack duck and Miles missed him. At the same time, Angus and Lachlan sprang forward and Lila, Rachel and Jensen raced into the room, Lila shouting, “What on earth is going on?”

Miles recovered, aimed another punch, Lila and Rachel gasped loudly and Dad ran toward the brothers as Lachlan latched onto both of Miles’s arms and yanked them hard behind his back.

“Please, don’t hurt him!” Joy cried, throwing a beseeching arm toward Lachlan and Miles while her other hand went to her chest.

Miles ignored his mother, struggled against Lachlan’s hold, his eyes locked on Jack and he shouted, “
I did not push Belle down the fucking stairs!
”

Angus got close and said in his soft burr, “You didn’t,
laddie
, the spirit inside you did.”

Still jerking against his captor, Mile’s enraged eyes sliced to Angus and he spat, “That’s what that brunette bitch told me, old man, and that’s
fucked up.
” His eyes then cut to Belle. “I did not push you.”

“Miles –” Belle whispered.

“Look at me,” Jack ordered before Belle could say any more.

Miles ignored Jack too, his eyes riveted to Belle. “I swear to Christ, Belle, I did not fucking push you.”

Jack got close.
“Eyes to me, Miles.”

Miles stopped struggling against Lachlan and glared at Jack. “I did not push her.”

“You didn’t,” Jack said quietly. “I know that.”

“Then why did you tell Mum I did?” Miles fired back. “She –”

“You didn’t push Belle and I know it sounds insane but although you didn’t push her, you still did.”

“I
did not!
”

“You were there, Miles,” Jack told him. “You were seen.”

“That isn’t fucking
true,
” Miles hissed, his eyes narrowing.

“You were seen,” Jack repeated.

“Yes, by
a ghost,
” Miles spat. “They told me.
Jesus, Jack, seriously?
You believe that shit?
All these years, now you believe that shit?
That is
fucked up!
”

“Okay, so where were you that night?” Jack asked.

“Not here,” Miles immediately answered.

“Where were you?” Jack pressed.

Miles again jerked against Lachlan’s hold but Lachlan held true.

He stopped just as suddenly and clipped loudly, “Tell the ginger to let me go!”

“I’ll let you go, mate, you don’t throw another punch,” Lachlan said from behind him.

“I won’t throw another punch,” Miles bit out.

“Right, then I’ll let you go you don’t call me ‘ginger’ again,” Lachlan went on.

“
Lach
, let the lad go,” Angus said low.

Lachlan looked to his uncle then pushed Miles off and stepped back.

Miles immediately twisted around to glare at Lachlan then he turned back to Jack when Jack pressed on, “Miles, the night Belle was hurt, where were you?”

“I wasn’t fucking here,” he shot back.

“All right.
Then where were you?” Jack kept at it.

“Not here.”

“Then where?”

“Not… fucking… here!”

“Miles, if you weren’t here, where were you?”

“
Not fucking here!
” Miles roared, stepped swiftly to a table that was close, grabbed a vase and threw it across the room. It sailed safely between Jack and Lachlan but exploded against the wall.

Belle jumped as did others and Joy cried, “Miles!”

The men closed in on Miles but he was now staring at the floor, body mostly motionless except he was breathing heavily. Jack correctly sensed he was no threat and lifted his hand to the other men to stop their advance so they did.

He gave his brother a moment then, quietly, he said, “Miles, if you weren’t here, tell us where you were so we can –”

Before he could finish, Miles’s head snapped up and his eyes locked on Belle.

“I dream you.”

The air in the room went still and Belle figured this was because everyone had stopped breathing. She figured this because she had.

Therefore, she had to force her question through stiff lips.

“What?”

“Since then.
Since it happened.
I wasn’t there. But I dream it. I dream of pushing you.”

“Oh my God,” Joy whispered and Belle felt tears sting her nose.

“I didn’t do it.” Miles’s voice was now raw. “In my dreams, I feel my hand on you, I see you going down the stairs. But I didn’t do it. It’s been torture but I swear to fucking Christ, Belle, I didn’t do it.”

“You dream it?” Angus asked quietly and Miles tore his eyes from Belle and looked to Angus.

“Yes,” he bit off.

“Do you dream of anything else?” Angus questioned and Belle watched in horror and distress as Miles’s face became ravaged.

“I lose time,” he whispered his admission.

“Bloody hell,” Jack muttered.

Miles closed his eyes tight then opened them and looked at Jack.
“Since I met her.
Since I met Belle, I’ve lost time.”

Jack held his brother’s gaze even as he ordered, “Lila, Rachel, take Mum out.”

“Jack, I –”

Miles and Jack both looked to Joy but it was Miles who spoke. “Mum, please.”

Her teeth worried her lip as she studied her youngest son. Then she looked at her oldest but she nodded to the floor before she went out, Rachel and Lila following her.

Rachel closed the door.

Belle’s eyes went back to Miles to see he was addressing Angus when he said, “I dream of a woman.
A woman and a man.
I’m watching them. They’re not from this time.”

“Joshua and Brenna Bennett,” Cassandra murmured and Miles looked to her.

“I don’t know who the fuck they are but I wake up pissed off.”

“He’s got hold of you,
laddie
,” Angus said gently and Miles’s eyes swung to him.

“That’s insane,” he whispered.

Cassandra moved cautiously closer. “We can help.”

Miles stared at her for long moments as everyone was silent.

Then his eyes moved slowly to Belle.

“I didn’t push you, gorgeous,” he whispered, his voice an ache, his eyes filled with pain and it was the first time she didn’t mind Miles calling her “gorgeous”.

“I know Miles,” Belle said softly and moved to the side of the desk but when she sensed Jack’s eyes on her and glanced briefly at him to see his face hard and his head shake once, she stopped. Then she looked back to Miles. “Let them help.”

She watched Miles pull in a ragged breath.

Cassandra sensed capitulation and pushed, “We have a potion.”

Miles turned to her. “It’ll stop this?”

She nodded.

“It’s safe, mate,” Lorna put in.

Miles moved his gaze to hers when she spoke then he lifted a hand and tore it through his hair with no small amount of agitation. When his hand dropped it seemed as if it took every effort for his eyes to move to his brother.

“I killed your child.” The words were tortured.

“Miles,” Jack murmured.

“Yasmin was right. It’s like I’m possessed. All my life –”

“Don’t,” Jack
interrupted,
his voice a low rumble. “Just let them help.”

For long, tense moments the two brothers held each other’s eyes.

Then Miles nodded.

Jack looked to Belle. “Go to Mum, poppet. We need to talk with Miles.”