Page 14 of Haunted Hearts

Jack rolls his chair and looks up at me. “Fine, but why don’t you take it easy for a few days. You have enough on your plate.”

“No. I need you to do a full background check on Kai,” I say sternly.

“Already done, the guy is clean. Bounced around in foster care until he was eighteen and worked minimum-wage jobs up until recently. No arrests, half-decent grades, which is impressive considering his background.”

I look down at Jack, giving him a knowing glance. “Good to know. I want you to keep an eye on him. Can you do that?” I ask casually.

“Got it, boss,” he says, going back to his screens. “Whatever you say.”

I walk away, wondering where the snarkiness came from.

You caught that, right? Fucking liar.

Jack is smart. One of the best hackers this side of the hemisphere. Not to mention he is clearly in love with my sister.

So why, I wonder, would he go out of his way to falsify a background check for Kai?

He has no motive for helping him, unless Kai threatened him. But why would they be acting so chummy?

His behavior doesn’t correlate to his usual baseline. But I need more information before I go accusing anyone of betrayal and conspiracy. I imagine there is an interesting story behind this, little ghost. And we are going to find out.

The air twists, and I know it’s you.

“I get it. You’re trying to tell me something.”

I sigh as I head to the garage and begin gathering what I need to fix the creaky steps in the living room.

“I don’t know what Jack knows or doesn’t know, but I’m going to find out. Whether he is in danger or has been compromised, he is still someone I want to protect—there aren’t too many people I care for, and despite the lying about him and Calli, and now this, he is still one of them. I wish you could help me, give advice. Something. It is your job to watch over me, right?” I smile to myself.

“I’m not usually one for relationships in the workplace, but I’ll have to make an exception for you.”

I put down the nail gun I grabbed and sit on the fold-up chair nearest the workbench.

“I wish I could say I had a plan, or knew what I was doing. But I’d be lying. I have been out of my element the moment I found out magic was real, that you were real. I have no other choice but to adapt.”

I exhale a heavy sigh. “I’ve never really cared what I needed to do, as long as I got the end result I wanted. But all this feels different. Like I’m at a loss; it doesn’t help that my wrists and shoulder still hurt like hell.”

Rosa’s torture methods are still fresh in my mind. I understand Ben had to be convincing, but a part of me knows he enjoyed it.

Just as I do.

I look down at my hand, closing it and opening it—checking my grip. I roll my shoulder and feel a twinge of pain shoot down my arm. Jack is right, I’m no good to anyone like this. I don’t like waiting, but I was always selfish in that way. People always did what I said, following my lead and trusting I knew what was best.

But I can’t be selfish with you; you slip through my fingers, giving me everything and nothing. You have taken my illusion of control and shattered whatever idea I had of it, and replaced it with something intangible.

A soft scent fills the air, I breathe it in. The room feels light, welcoming. I close my eyes, trying to identify the smell. It feels like the sun, warming me—embracing me. Like life itself.

“I find myself in a position where I would do just about anything to have more of whatever you have to give, regardless of how broken I may be.”

I shift in my seat, accepting the defeat of this feeling in my chest—as if I’ve lost a battle I didn’t know I was fighting—when I hear the door creak open. Kai walks in. The moment is gone at the sight of his face.

“What do you want?” I ask curtly. Can I not have a moment alone? I’m so fucking sick of everyone interrupting my time with you.

He puts his hands up as if surrendering. “Sorry, I was just exploring.”

“It’s not like you haven’t seen every inch of this house, demon.”

A look of surprise washes over his face, and his hands drop to his sides.