Chapter 1
“Alex? Are you even listening to me?”
Alex Teague jumped in his seat at the sound of his name, and the sharpness in the tone next to him. It took a moment to remember where he was. The sun was nearly hidden over the horizon. Quiet music played over his truck’s speakers. He was parked along a street in a suburb just outside Baltimore. A woman jogging noticeably slowed down as she passed by the open window, flashing him a smile. Shifting uncomfortably, Alex gave a shy wave.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the cobwebs. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
“You were asleep? Are you serious?”
“No, I wasn’t. I just…wasn’t awake.”
“Does Cindy know you snore?”
“You should hear some of the noises she lets out at night.”
He reclined his seat slightly as he regarded his companion. Laura Summers. She was a beautiful woman. Light brown hair, blue eyes, a smile that lit up the room. She twirled her hair as her bare feet hung out the window. Her head was uncomfortably close as she lounged, but Alex had gotten to know her over the past few weeks. She wasn’t trying to flirt, didn’t want to get intimate. The disintegration of her marriage was still fresh, still raw in her mind.
A dog stopped next to her side in the street. He tilted his head a few times before letting out several tentative barks. Laura sat upright and leaned out the window.
“Hi there, Fido. Aren’t you adorable?”
The dog growled and ran away.
“So, two days and counting,” Laura said. “Are you nervous?”
Alex stifled a cough, trying to stall for time as he thought of what to say. Laura noticed his nervous demeanor and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Alex, just because my marriage fell apart doesn’t mean we can’t talk about yours.”
Laura’s definition of a marriage falling apart was very much different than his, but he nodded and took a deep breath. Pictures of Cindy Marshall danced through his mind, soon to be Cindy Teague. Just the idea of a simple name change brought a goofy, child-like grin to his face. He tried to act tough and nonchalant in front of the guys at the warehouse, but the truth was he couldn’t be more excited. From what he knew of the supernatural world, he didn’t know if he believed in soul-mates. But if the possibility of such a thing existed, Cindy and Alex were made for each other.
“Uh, let’s see. Not so much nervous, I don’t think. Thrilled, anxious. We’ve known each other since we were five. We’ve been living together the past few years. So I don’t think marriage will change a whole lot.”
“Aww. Childhood sweethearts?”
“Something like that.”
“She seems like a real nice woman, the one time I met her. Tell me, does she know…?”
A smile touched his lips when she couldn’t finish the question. “About my wings? Demonic powers? My red eyes and nasty-looking face?”
“Hey, you have a real cute face. Well…now, at least. But, yeah, any of the above?”
Laura was alright. She made him laugh.
“Cindy knows everything about me. And she loves me anyway.”
“You make a real adorable couple.”
He rolled his eyes. “Now you sound like my sister. I think she’s been secretly plotting to get us together since high school. When we were at prom—”
“Shh.”
Laura leaned forward and pointed at the radio. The music stopped, and the station gave a quick update on the news story that had gone from regional to national interest. A young boy on a field trip to the Smithsonian had gone missing. Any innocent explanation was ruled out when they found his pack and cap in one of the many bathrooms.
“That’s just terrible,” Laura said. “Do you think someone kidnapped him?”
“It sounds like it. Sad, isn’t it? You have to keep an eye on your kids everywhere.”
“Don and I talked about having kids. But the more he worked, the less we talked about it. The truth is…he didn’t want kids with me, didn’t want me at all. I guess I should have seen the signs.”
“You can’t beat yourself up, Laura. He’s an asshole, plain and simple. After tonight, you’re gonna have to try to forget about him.”
“Believe me, I will. And, speaking of assholes….”
They both watched as the familiar red Civic slowed and turned into the carport next to Laura’s house. Don Summers stepped out and closed the door behind him, setting his briefcase down to stretch his arms over his head. Alex was amazed at how nothing stood out about the man. Tall, good-looking, jet-black hair, perfect teeth. He wore a suit and tie, and the look reminded Alex he’d be wearing a tuxedo in a few days. Don would blend in easily in a room full of executives. Yet, he was one of the lowest forms of life.
Laura clenched her fists as she stared out the window. She said nothing. She didn’t need to. Her breathing was short and loud as Alex watched a muscle twitch in the side of her neck.
“Laura, relax.”
Her head whipped around. “I’m sorry. Did you just tell me to relax?”
“Yes. Save all that energy for later.”
“Look at him. I mean…how can he just go on like that? After what he did to me? I loved him, Alex. I thought I knew him. I’m such an idiot.”
She slammed her fist on the dashboard. Alex jumped at the sound. He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, almost afraid of her reaction, as she cried into her hands. They’d been on a roller coaster the past few weeks. They kept an eye on Don, talked, plotted, Laura would occasionally cry, and then they’d start the process all over.
“This is it,” he said. “Today is the day. Are you up for this? Should we call it off?”
“No. No more delays. No more putting it off. I need to put this all behind me, if I’m ever gonna move on. You have no idea how badly I want to kill him.”
Alex let out a sigh. “You know I won’t do that. I’m not gonna kill anybody.”
“I know, I know. I wouldn’t want you to, anyway. I’d never ask you to do that.”
“Okay, well, let’s—” His heart sank as he saw another car pull in behind his. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Sara Jordan stepped out. The leggy brunette marched up to Don and wrapped her arms around his neck. They smiled at each other and kissed passionately in the driveway. He playfully grabbed her ass, to which she jumped and swatted his hand away, giving him a mock-serious scolding. She was dressed professionally, like Don, which didn’t surprise Alex as they worked together.
He kept his eyes on Laura as Don and Sara walked hand in hand across the lawn to the front door. Her ex-husband, and the other woman. Alex watched Laura’s hand on the door handle, squeezing for all she was worth.
“I thought she was supposed to be at a late-night meeting?” he asked.
“Well, she obviously isn’t, is she?”
“We’ll do this another day—”
“No. This is actually good. She should be here. I want to see the look on her face. I want her to know what she was a part of.”
“If you say so. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Alex left the truck and stood on the sidewalk. Shrugging out of his jacket, he folded it neatly and set it on the seat. He wore a black tank-top that was narrow enough in the back to fit nicely between his shoulder-blades. The shirt had several purposes, not the least of which was to get Cindy’s attention. The shirt also served his powers, which he hoped he wouldn’t have to demonstrate to Don.
Laura floated through the passenger’s door, sliding her right leg out first, as if the door wasn’t there. A car drove through her as she waited for Alex in the middle of the street. She raised an eyebrow at his choice of clothes.
“I think I see what Cindy sees in you.”
He shook a finger playfully at her. “Now, now, Laura.”
The normalcy mixed with the surreality of the scene wasn’t lost on Alex, and it nearly made him chuckle. A half-demon and a ghost, exchanging banter as they crossed the street to confront the ghost’s ex-husband.
“Hey, you’re an attractive guy. There’s no harm in looking. What’s the saying? I’m married, not dead? Well, in my case, I’m not married, and dead.”
Laura stopped in the middle of the street, her face betraying her emotions. Alex took a few steps before realizing she wasn’t at his side. Her lip quivered before the tears streamed down her face.
“I’m dead,” she said. “I’m fucking dead.”
She tried to lean on the hood of the car next to her, but her hands passed through, and she nearly fell. After regaining her balance she slammed a fist on the hood, this time connecting. It was loud, perhaps because Alex wasn’t expecting it, and he glanced around to make sure no one was watching.
Laura fell to one knee and lowered her head. The tears fell from her cheeks and vanished before hitting the pavement. It was a sight that, sadly, Alex was getting used to over the past few weeks. All he could do was kneel next to her and put a hand on her back. A man driving by slowed down to gawk at the unusual sight. From his point of view, Alex knelt with his hand outstretched over nothing.
“Hey, you want to get out of the road there, retard?” the man called.
Alex looked up, not amused. He showed the driver a glimpse of his face, the face he wore when his powers were on full display. Red eyes, dark skin, ugly and brutal. The driver sucked in a quick breath before hitting the gas. He was afraid, and Alex sucked in that quick jolt of fear like a sponge. It was delicious, made him feel stronger. He shoved aside the stab of guilt and shame he felt for what he was, and resumed his normal appearance before turning his attention back to Laura.
He didn’t know how long Laura had been dead. It was a question he didn’t feel comfortable bringing up, and she didn’t volunteer the information. He was still feeling his way through what he considered a side-job, helping ghosts. It must have been long enough that Don felt no problem whatsoever kissing his mistress, now girlfriend, in full view of anyone watching on the street, but short enough for Laura to feel such pain. However, did the pain of dying really ever go away completely?
“After tonight, it’s all over,” he said. “I’m gonna help you through this.”
She finally rose to her feet and stood up straight. She looked at her old home, and then back at Alex. Shoving the pain aside, her face took on a hard look.
“Sorry. I’m ready.”
They resumed their slow walk. He kept an eye on her, studying her expression, her body language. He didn’t pretend to know what she was going through, how hard everything had been for her.
“How’s the haunting been going?” he asked, trying to point her thoughts somewhere else.
“Some days are better than others,” she said, finally smiling. “Sometimes I can’t even move a paper-clip, and the next day I can shake the living room. It helps if I’m an emotional wreck. Like now.”
They stopped side by side at the front door.
“Okay. This should be fun.”
Just wanted to drop an update. I’m trying to do better than the “once a month” thing. As a writer, you’re supposed to try to keep your name out there as much as you can. Not always easy to do. 🙂 I’m one of those shy guys, keeps to myself, so “marketing” yourself is definitely not easy.
