Secret Worlds (172 page)

“Ow!” He winced, rubbing the injured spot. “Why am I being punished for being a gentleman?”

“Because I’m not a lady, dammit. Now give it here.”

“You paid for breakfast in Atlantic City. It’s only fair.”

“Since when has fair ever been a factor in this relationship?”

Krystal glanced between the two of us. “…are you
sure
you’re not married?”

“If by ‘married’ you mean me hating him, then yes.”

Michael rolled his eyes and handed her his Visa card. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” She walked away, shaking her head with an amused look on her face.

I sighed and leaned my head backward, trying to stifle my irritation. At least the meal had been good. I hadn’t eaten pancakes in ages. Michael had offered to make them once, but I declined the offer because it was too damned domestic. Our arrangement had been going on for nearly two months now. It didn’t need to become any more complicated.

“How far are we from our destination?”

“Not far. Maybe another hour’s drive,” Michael said, his voice less humorous this time. We didn’t have much of a plan for when we arrived in New Jersey, but that had never stopped us before. We were nothing if not determined.

I sat up straight and regarded him with a bemused look. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound worried.”

His brows knit together in the beginnings of a frown. “For good reason.”

His green eyes lowered their gaze to the spot over my heart where a faded scar lay hidden beneath my black t-shirt. I had gotten the stitches out, but the skin was still a light brown that didn’t match the rest of my chocolate complexion.

Two months. It’d be two months in a couple of days. I tried not to think about it too much.

“Don’t get your feathers all ruffled,” I scolded. “We’re being much more careful than we were before.”

“Being careful is never enough. You know that,” Michael replied.

I shrugged. “Being worried isn’t going to help any either.”

He seemed to take my words to heart this time, but it didn’t matter because Krystal reappeared with Michael’s debit card in one hand and a tray full of empty glasses balanced on the other.

“Thanks for coming out. Have a nice day!”

“You too.” I slid out of the booth and stretched my arms above my head before patting the pockets of my grey duster to make sure everything was in place. Just when I turned to go, Krystal’s tray started to slide out of her hand. Michael miraculously caught it in mid-air, saving the dishes from peril. He handed it back to the relieved girl, who sighed heavily and said:

“Thanks. You’re an angel.”

I laughed so hard that Michael had to shove me out the door.

By the time we reached the hotel, the day had wound down into sunset and the city seemed to swallow us whole. We’d have more time to take in some of the sights and local culture after I had a shower. The day was as sticky as the candy that would be passed out at the end of the month.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Michael opened the hotel door with his keycard, causing a blast of cool air to hit my face. Hurrah. The cream-colored walls and burgundy comforters were almost as inviting as that air conditioning so I shuffled inside with my suitcase and kicked the door shut. Michael gravitated to the queen-sized bed closest to the door since he was technically my angelic bodyguard so I dumped my stuff on the other mattress before collapsing face-first onto it. Michael let out a faint groan as well before silence enveloped us both. Once the sweat coating my spine dried, I rolled over and kicked off my Reeboks.

“How far is the place from here?” I asked.

“Ten minutes, or so MapQuest says.”

“Good. Means we won’t have to roll out of bed until noon or so tomorrow.” The socks came off next. I wiggled my toes on the fuzzy white carpet and sat up on the edge of the bed. Michael was sprawled on his back with his long legs trailing onto the floor. The urge to giggle rose in my throat. When he wore khakis, he looked like an enormous brunette stork.

“Sounds like a plan. Might give us some time to take in the sights, too.”

A frown tugged at my lips. “This isn’t a vacation, y’know.”

He shrugged, raking the hair out of his eyes so he could meet my gaze. “I know. But it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.”

I spared him a sarcastic smirk. “Yeah, because we all know what that idea was.”

The archangel rolled his eyes. “One day you’ll appreciate the sacrifices I make for you.”

“Sure, I will. Dibs on the shower.” He groaned as I unzipped my bag to get out my clothes.

“Oh, c’mon, I drove for four hours. The least you could do is let me shower first.”

“I offered to drive and you declined.”

Michael finally sat up, scowling at me. “I’m a guy. We have things about driving.”

“Well, too bad. Ladies first.” Having gathered my clothes, I headed towards the bathroom, but he called to me before I got there.

“I thought you said you weren’t a lady.”

I stopped and glared at him. The archangel had the most infuriating smirk on his face. I contemplated taking another shot at his shin.

“I am when it suits me.”

The accursed smirk widened. “And when is that?”

I flashed him a very mean smile. “You’ll never see it.”

Before he could supply another snappy comeback, I slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. A few weeks ago, he might have talked me out of taking my shower first but I’d caught on to his methods by now. Sure, Gabriel was the most eloquent of the archangels that I had met, but Michael had a strangely compelling way of arguing. Hell, that was how he’d ended up accompanying me in the first place.

The hot shower left me in a much better mood than before. Maybe I had just needed the alone time. Michael was great and all, but I hadn’t been close with an attractive male aside from Gabriel in a while. It took some getting used to.

I redressed in comfortable clothes—a plum-colored t-shirt and black Capris. It took nearly an entire minute of adjusting my hair before I realized I was
preening
. What the hell. I shot myself an annoyed glare in the mirror before stomping out of the bathroom in a huff.

Michael had stripped down to a white tank top, proof that he too felt a little hot under the collar. His eyes tracked my movement across the room, but he didn’t say anything. That was a first.

The television spouted information about the weather and current events, which didn’t surprise me. Michael would want to know what kind of environment we’d traveled into and if it was any better or worse than Albany. If we were lucky, though, we’d only be here for a few days. It all depended on whether the psychiatric hospital had held onto the full records of my mother’s stay. I had called ahead and requested patient information but they needed me to bring legal documentation—in my case, a copy of my birth certificate—to confirm that I was her daughter in order to access the files.

“Shower’s all yours,” I said unnecessarily. Some part of me enjoyed pushing Michael’s buttons and I couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad thing. He stood, tossed me the remote, and began searching through his duffel bag for clothing.

“What’s the plan for the rest of the night?”

I shrugged, eyes locked on the TV screen. Ooh,
Castle
rerun. Nice. “Order a pizza and sleep?”

His back was facing me but I could hear the smile in his voice. “Great. Something new and different for us.”

Wonder if I could set his head on fire with my mind. Nah. “What would you suggest then, Mr. O’Brien?”

“We’re in a new city. The least we can do is have dinner somewhere.”

I paused. “Why does that sound like a date?”

Michael turned and arched an eyebrow at me. “Is there something you need to tell me, Jordan?”

I spared him a cold look. “Ha-ha.”

He flashed me that million-dollar smile and I snorted, waving in the direction of the bathroom. “Stop flirting with me and go take a shower, pretty boy.”

His soft chuckle lingered even after he disappeared into the bathroom. Stupid sexy angel.

We ended up wandering around town on foot just to save on gas. The slow pace wasn’t as annoying as I thought it would be, now that the humidity had crept off into the night. This city had a relatively small population and it showed: the streets were busy with people, but the traffic and general noise was low. Music drifted through the air from a nearby club, punctuated by occasional cheering from whatever game was on inside the sports bars. Girls hung together in groups outside of the movie theater, giggling as cute boys walked past them. The environment felt comfortable, maybe because I’d become so used to the vibrant but sometimes impersonal city of Albany.

Plus, there was always the amusing pastime of people watching, which became especially fun when I went out with Michael. The archangel was somewhat aware of his effect on the opposite sex, but no more than that. He missed the longing glances sent at him from married women, the flirty smiles from single women, and the nervous snickers passed between teens and tweens. I found myself smirking at the hate-laden glances they sent me when we strolled by them. It was one of the unspoken benefits of being in the company of a good-looking guy.

“Hungry yet?”

Michael’s voice jolted me out of my petty thoughts. I shook my head. “Nah. Maybe in another hour or so. Besides, it seems like we’ve got company.”

I jerked a thumb backwards to the willowy blonde in a red sweater and black skirt who had been trailing us since we left the hotel.

Michael’s dark eyebrows rose in surprise. “When did you notice?”

“About a minute or two after we left the hotel.”

A slow smile touched his lips. “Would it be wrong to say I’m a little proud?”

I rolled my eyes. “I have been doing this whole ghost thing for two years, you know.”

“Point taken.”

The average person wouldn’t have noticed, but we did walk a little faster. The back of my neck tingled as if I could feel her stare from here. The nasty business with Jacob taught me to be much more cautious around spirits. Fortunately, Michael had taught me a few chants that would hold an evil spirit at bay, but the potential danger still hung over me like mist—thick, almost palpable.

Crickets and frogs serenaded our entrance into the park. Like the main streets, there were people, but the place wasn’t crowded. Most of the visitors had gathered at the shore of the placid lake. The cuter couples were skipping stones on the silver water and watching the ripples fragment the moon’s reflection. Nice date spot.

Michael and I headed for a more secluded area along the winding trail lit by the occasional lamppost. Thick foliage enclosed us on both sides of the path, making the place seem much more private than public.

We stopped in front of a park bench and turned towards the specter. She continued towards us with a calm expression, her pale but pretty face betraying nothing.

I casually slipped my hands into the pockets of my grey duster, checking that the blessed rosary was still in place, before speaking up.

“Can I help you?”

She jumped, shock evident in her voice even through the light British accent. “You can see me?”

“We both can. My name is Jordan and this is Michael. We noticed you’ve been following us for a while.”

The woman winced. “Sorry, it’s just that…something told me to follow you.”

“It’s an instinct that all human souls have. You’re drawn to people who can see ghosts. That’s what Jordan is,” Michael said.

The woman’s shoulders relaxed and she let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness. I’ve felt so lost and alone.”

“It’s alright. We’re here to help. What’s the last thing you remember?” As I spoke, I rummaged through the inner pocket of my duster for the ever-present notepad and pen. Michael had a better memory than me, so he didn’t need one. Higher brain capacity, I supposed.

“Well, I was standing outside of a restaurant. I think it was an Applebee’s or something. I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there or how long I’d been there. Someone walked right through me and that’s when I realized I wasn’t alive.”

“Do you remember your name?”

“Marianne.”

I began my list.

Marianne

Appears to be in her mid-to-late twenties

Red sweater, black skirt

Blonde hair

Blue eyes

British accent

Woke up in front of Applebee’s

“Anything else? Can you think of your last name or your address?”

She shook her head. “But there is this.”

Marianne reached inside the sweater and pulled off a gold necklace, holding it out. Michael and I stepped forward, though not close enough for her to touch us, and examined the oval locket. On one side, there were the initials M.R. and below them, the initials J.A. On the other, there was a photograph of a very young Marianne and a Middle Eastern boy. They couldn’t have been older than six or seven.

I wrote down a few more thoughts on the paper. “Alright. We’ll start working on your case tonight and see what we can come up with. If we’re lucky, it won’t take long.”

“What about them?”

“Them who?”

Marianne pointed behind us. Michael and I turned. My mouth dropped open.

There were at least ten ghosts standing behind us.

Holy shit.

They didn’t seemed organized or menacing. There were six men, three women, and one child all dressed differently, but each with the same needy look in their eyes.

I cleared my throat, my gaze traveling from one specter to the next. “This isn’t normal, is it?”

“Not in the least,” Michael replied, his green eyes wide. Ghosts never tended to appear all at once. On average, I encountered one every two to three weeks in Albany. The odds that ten of them would gather in New Jersey around Michael and I were incredibly improbable. Then again, no one ever said my job made any sense.

“What should we do?” I asked.

Michael ran a hand through his hair—a nervous habit of his. “I don’t think we have much of a choice but to try and help them.”