Chapter Fifteen

Bailey

M y heart raced. It pounded in my ears, louder than the rain hitting the kitchen window. Poe was finishing up the dishes in the sink, humming an unfamiliar tune to himself. I glanced through the double French doors that led outside and spotted Saint working in the garden. Grim was most likely in his room reading.

Poe took one look at me and knew. His nostrils flared. "Did he hurt you?"

I threw my arms around his neck. "I'm okay. I promise." His embrace was everything I needed. It felt like home.

"Bailey, don't cover for him." Poe looked me up and down, examining me for injuries.

I sighed. What do I actually tell him? "It wasn't like that… exactly. I can't explain it."

Poe cupped my face in his hands. "You can tell me anything. If he hurt you, I need to know. I won't allow it."

Raine scared me but I still wasn't sure if it was because I thought he would actually hurt me or if it was because he stirred a longing I didn't know was there.

I clasped Poe's hands in mine. "I'm still figuring him out. Trust me. If I thought I was in any real danger, I would have called out to all of you."

He pursed his lips. "That's the thing, Bailey. I'm not sure you trust yourself. Raine is manipulative. He will make you think you want something even if you don't."

I had considered that as well. But despite my better judgment, I was drawn to Raine. I nodded. "I know. He's… a bit unhinged. That could be because he hasn't had any real interaction with anyone for over a century. I just need more time with him."

Poe sighed and kissed my hands. "I just want you to be happy. But I swear to god if he hurts you in any way, I will never let him be alone with you ever again."

That was the thing about our life. I couldn't just leave Raine behind without leaving Poe, Grim, and Saint behind as well. I had to make this work. Otherwise, they would be glued to my side for the rest of my days. And we'd always live in turmoil and chaos. Raine wasn't going anywhere. And neither was I.

"I'm going to meet Maureen for coffee in town. Tell the guys I'll be back later and not to worry." I wrapped my arms around his waist and breathed in the sweet scent of vanilla and pastry cream from the pancake batter that still clung to his shirt.

Poe squeezed me tight. "I hope we can figure this all out soon. Halloween is next week. I just want our anniversary to be special."

My stomach knotted. "You know it's technically Raine's anniversary too… he admitted that he pushed me into the door. He brought us all together."

Poe nodded. "I know. Go have fun with your friend. We can talk more later."

I went to peck him on the cheek when he found my lips and slipped his tongue inside my mouth. There was an ache in his kiss I hadn't felt before. He pushed me back against the counter and kissed me deeper. Every nerve in my body tingled with love and desire. The night we shared made me feel more connected to him. The way we fucked was different. It was slower, more sensual. And now his kisses felt more intimate too.

I pulled away, breathless. "I love you, Poe."

His eyes lit up. "I love you so much, little fox."

"Girl, you better spill the tea. I can see it in your eyes. Something happened with the new guy, didn't it?" Maureen bounced in her seat while she added a third packet of sugar to her latte.

My cheeks burned. I was still getting used to talking openly about my unconventional sex life. Yes, she was my best friend, but I still had a lot of issues with shame I was working through.

"There was an incident. Yeah." I let out a nervous laugh.

Her eyes lit up as she squealed. "Ooh, what happened?"

The wind picked up, blowing a cold gust through my hair, sending chills up the back of my neck. I wrapped my hands around the hot mug in front of me, using it to warm my hands before taking a sip. The sweet flavor of pumpkin spice filled my mouth, invoking a deep sense of nostalgia for my favorite time of year.

We would have been way warmer inside the café, but I wasn't in the mood to be looked at under a microscope. It was bad enough that half the room looked up and stared when I walked into order. I also didn't want anyone eavesdropping on our conversation .

"Well, for starters, he's a complete fucking psycho."

Maureen leaned forward like she had a secret. "Like evil psycho? Or super-hot-I-want-to-fuck-you psycho?"

"A little bit of both, actually. He ambushed me in the shower, tied me up, and forced me to cum… Is it possible to hate someone so much you want to fuck them just so you can let it fester more?"

Maureen almost choked on her latte. "Damn, Bales. Okay, now I know he's hot for sure. And yes. Hate can be as strong as love. They might not look the same, but both spike your adrenaline. Your body doesn't know the difference."

My mouth dropped open. "How the fuck did you get to be so wise? That's like exactly how it feels."

Maureen batted her eyelashes. "You're not the only one with secrets, Bales. I've had a spicy rendezvous or two."

We'd been friends for so long that it was hard to believe we didn't know everything about each other. But I had been distant this past year. It only made sense that she would have had some adventures without me.

A wide grin spread across my face. " Touché . Maybe one of these days you can tell me about them."

A rustle of orange and gold leaves blew past me, drawing my attention to the street. The lampposts were decorated with strings of black and purple fairy lights. At the base sat carved pumpkins on haystacks. The storefronts boasted skeletons, ghosts, and broomsticks, and had already put out buckets of candy for the kids.

Wickford Hollow went all out for Halloween. Funny how they had no clue that the veil between the living and the dead really was about to come down. In just seven days, it would come and go. But I lived it every day.

Maureen broke off a piece of her chocolate-dipped biscotti and handed it to me. "How about another girls' night then? I can tell you all my dirty secrets." She winked.

As much as I hated being away from my guys, that was exactly what I needed. Raine had scrambled my head. I couldn't think clearly with him breathing down my neck. And I didn't have any answers for Poe, Grim, or Saint. Not yet, anyway.

"Yes, let's do it," I mumbled through a bite of my cookie.

Maureen clapped her hands together. "Yay! Okay, I'll get all the food and drinks this time. Ooh, maybe we should do a tarot reading or a séance."

My stomach knotted. "Maybe. I think I have more ghosts than I can handle right now."

Maureen pouted her lips. "Well, maybe I want in on some ghost dick too, Bales. Ever consider that?" she teased.

I snorted into my pumpkin spice latte. "You're right. How selfish of me. Maybe one little séance."

We both burst into a fit of giggles. But it was short-lived.

Maureen tensed as she looked past me, the muscle in her jaw clenching. "Fuck."

A flutter of nerves danced in my belly. "What is it?"

Her leg began to bounce as she tapped her nails on the table. "Douchebag alert. Headed this way."

Billy and Chad. Fuck .

I surveyed the table, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. It didn't matter if it was broad daylight or a public space. No one would jump to our defense against these assholes. Both their dads were on the city council, and I was the town freak. Maureen had some pull with her dad being the sheriff but not enough to garner any sympathy for me.

As Maureen's tapping increased, I assumed they were getting closer. I saw their shadows on the sidewalk before I heard them approach.

"Well, if it isn't Sheriff Gray's mouthy daughter and the town freak," Billy drawled.

Chad planted his feet beside him and snickered. "More like the town slut. "

My cheeks were hot.

Maureen flipped her hair. "Don't you assholes have anything better to do?"

Billy planted his hands on our table and leaned over her. "Come on, Maureen. We used to have so much fun together. Remember when you sucked my cock last Halloween?"

"Fuck you," she spat. "You got me so drunk I could barely stand."

My blood was boiling. I had never wanted to punch anyone before until Billy. I wanted to smash his face in and wipe that smug look off it. I gripped my spoon, wishing it was a knife.

"Get away from her, Billy."

He turned his attention toward my hand. "Or what? You going to feed me to death?"

Chad laughed. "That would be a sight."

"Maureen, let's go." I started up out of my chair when Billy dug his fingers into my shoulder and forced me back down.

He hovered over me, snarling. "I haven't forgotten about the little stunt you pulled the other day. You almost broke my jaw, bitch."

Maureen hissed. "You attacked her first."

I glared up at him. "Take your hands off me or I will break your jaw for real this time."

A few people in the café started to peer out the window at us.

Chad gave him a nod. "Let's get out of here. Too many eyes on us."

Billy flashed a toothy grin through the café window and stepped away from me. "Yeah, don't want anyone thinking we're friends with these bitches."

I wanted to scream and cry but I wouldn't let him see me do either.

"Fuck off, Billy," Maureen spat .

He kept his malicious gaze on me. "This isn't over, Bailey. I will make you pay for punching me."

I swallowed hard and didn't break eye contact as he backed away. I wouldn't show him how terrified I really was. I was angrier than I was scared, anyway.

Maureen was fuming just the same. She drank the rest of her latte in quick jittery sips. "This harassment has got to stop, Bales."

I covered my hand with hers, forcing her to stop tapping. "Why didn't you tell me what he did to you last year?"

She shook her head and looked away. "Because I felt like an idiot. I got so wasted, I didn't even know what I was doing. I haven't been to another one of his parties since."

"Oh, Maur. You're not an idiot. He took advantage of you. You have every right to get drunk and still be safe. You should report him before he does it to someone else." My heart broke for her. And I felt like a horrible friend for not noticing that she was not herself lately.

"What I should have done was bite his dick off." She folded her arms to her chest. "It doesn't matter anymore. I just want to forget about it."

I nodded. "Okay. I'm here to listen if you ever want to talk about it. And I'll go with you to the station if you change your mind."

She shuddered and then flashed me a smile. "Okay enough depressing stuff. Let's talk about our girls' night. I'll make a list of what we need."

Maureen was always good at flipping a switch. She could turn off emotions she didn't want to feel quicker than I could take another sip of my coffee. We spent the next hour planning the menu and drinks list for our girls' night over another round of pumpkin spice lattes.

I wished I could compartmentalize the way she did. As much as I tried to exude a light and easy vibe, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that Billy had planted. He was getting more aggressive with each run-in. I really didn't want to tell the guys, but Billy's threats were scaring me.

But if they found out, they would want to lock me away in Wickford Mansion forever to protect me. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea, though. This town had caused me nothing but grief.

On my way back home, I took the long route so I could drive past the mortuary. It was boarded up and the weeds were overgrown but it was still mine. Since I never reopened it, the locals had to drive to the next town over, Ever Graves, for their funeral needs. I just wasn't ready to deal with it. I doubt they'd come to mine anyway even if it were open for business.

I idled out front for a moment, basking in that feeling I could never fully grasp. It was an emptiness. An ache that hadn't gone away since the fire. Sometimes I wondered if reopening Bishop Mortuary would help. It might make me feel closer to my parents in some way.

My breath hitched as a shadow flickered in the front window. Probably just the reflection of my headlights playing tricks on me.

I shuddered and threw my car back in drive. Fuck. Living with four ghosts was making me see things everywhere. I glanced back before pulling away and the shadow flickered again.

Yup, definitely something in there. Of course, I would own a haunted mortuary. Fuck me.