Page 22 of Chasing Ghosts
All three of us turn when the sound of the door leading into the secret room slams closed. We rush through the tunnel only to find the door shut. When Roxie tries to open it, she can’t. I try, but the door doesn’t budge.
“Everyone, stay out of there until we can figure out what the hell is going on with that door. Let’s get back to the house girls, and figure out if Theo and Ripley have had any results while we’ve been down here.”
We push on until well after four in the morning and come away with some great data. Everyone’s getting ready to go to bed when I make my announcement to the one person I’ve not told about the changes I’ve made.
“We should go on up and get ready for bed.” I take Cori by the hand.
She gives me a little nod and follows behind me. When she tries to go around me to go to her room, I stop her.
“You’re sleeping with me tonight.”
“What?”
“I’ve suggested -strongly- that everyone double up with someone tonight.”
“Double up?”
“Yeah, I want everyone to have a buddy with them so what happened to us doesn’t happen to one of them. Roxie is sleeping with Tray right next door to us, and on the other side are Theo and Teddy, the other cameraman. And of course, Ripley is sleeping with Drake in the carriage house.”
“I…no. I can’t…we can’t…why don’t me and Roxie double up and you can double with…”
“No, no, baby. You’re mine.”
I take her hand and pull her into the room with me.
“Mac, I can’t…there’s only one bed.”
“Which is one more than we had last night.”
She stands there, stunned, with her sexy mouth open for a moment before trying to fight this again.
“Mac…are those mine?”
She finally realizes what she’s looking at. Her bags have been repacked and brought into my room.
“I had Roxie help. She repacked everything.”
“Mac, I can’t sleep in the same bed as you. What about your rules and…”
“I’m pretty sure we threw my rules out when we woke up wrapped around each other, baby.”
“Which is why I can’t sleep here. I’ve already caused you enough trouble, and Ripley…she’s just waiting for something to happen so she can use it against you.”
She’s cute when she’s trying to protect me. I’ve had loyal friends - Roxie and Tray, among the few - but nothing like this. Nothing like her.
“Ripley is pissed that I wouldn’t sleep with her. Let me handle Ripley. You just worry about staying safe.”
We talked about her attack, how she saw the shadow thing, and instead of running the other way, she decided to run towards it to keep it from us. Another example of her trying to protect me, but this one doesn’t make me happy. I want her - and us - off this island as soon as the boat gets here. We’re already a day late on getting supplies, and everyone is on a ration system with the essentials. The storm over us hasn’t let up, save for very brief periods, and everyone is a bit on edge.
Thankfully, I had thought about what I would do if this happened and planned accordingly. What I did not prepare for was the physical attack on one of my people. I’m all for stayingand toughing it out, but not at the expense of one of my people’s safety, especially not hers.
“Are you worried…it’s going to get worse?” Her brows furrow, and she looks at me with so much trust it almost breaks me. I end up pulling her into my arms.
“I’m going to make sure it doesn’t. Not for you.”
“Do…do you think the storm…? Do you think it’s on purpose?”
Well, shit! I hadn’t actually thought about it, but when she asks, it kind of makes sense. The thought sticks in my head like a nail being driven in deeper and deeper. There is something there that I need to be putting together. Something important that needs to be solved so we can get off this damned island.
