Page 39 of Ghost

Her eyes dropped to the desk, and she hesitated. “Uh, nothing really. Some of the guys that stay here can get a little rowdy is all.”

“Define rowdy,” Jingles growled. His face turned hard, and I elbowed him again. Thankfully, the girl didn’t see him with her eyes still downcast. We didn’t need her getting scared and clamming up.

“They just get a little loud. Some of the women they bring with them don’t always look like they want to be here.”

Fuck, I knew what that meant.

Some fucking asshole had been making the rounds, drugging women in bars and taking them somewhere to rape them. I looked around, wondering if this was where he was bringing them.

“Do these cameras work?” I asked, pointing at the corner of the room.

“The ones in here do. Not the ones outside.”

I was surprised with how forthcoming the girl was with the information. It had me wondering how much she had seen.

“You call the sheriff?”

She shook her head, dropping her eyes again. “Mr. Kelley said to call him when there was a problem and he would take care of it.”

“Does he?”

“No. He never even shows up.”

Jingles rapped his knuckles on the counter and told her, “Keep that card handy. Next time someone gets a littlerowdy, you call me. The club will take care of it.”

She nodded, but something told me she wouldn’t be calling. Maybe we needed to do more than have atalkwith Kelley. If the club bought the motel, we could clean it up and get it running the way it should be.

Adding to the coffers.

And cleaning up the town.

We walked back to my truck. Pulling out of the parking lot, we headed back to the clubhouse, and I thought about the possibilities the motel could provide. If King wasn’t interested, maybe I would persuade Kelley to sell it to me anyway.

I could use something to take my mind off the dark-haired siren that had burrowed herself deep into my soul.

Chapter Fourteen

Melissa

January 15, 2025, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

By the time Dani woke from her nap, I was ready to get out of the office. Somehow, the joy I was rewarded with by helping children through their trauma had become more of a chore.

In the two weeks since I had been responsible for Dani, I had done more things around the city than I had in the past ten years I had lived here.

My life in Oklahoma had consisted of school and work. Sure, there were a few friends, a few nights out at the bar, a few brunches on Sunday mornings. But I hadn’t ever really explored the city.

Today, Dani and I were exploring the Oklahoma City Zoo.

This was the third time we had been here. The first two times ended in tears when Dani, who had never seen an animal, was terrified by the size of the large camels and the roar of the lions.

The second time, it was the elephants, and the giraffes.

I guess what they say is true because the third time really was the charm.

I knew the animals frightened her. But I also knew that if she didn’t face this fear, it would further add to her trauma.

So, we walked slowly.

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