aA house?a Grant asked, pulling the book closer to him to get a better look.
The photo had been taken in the early 1900s, Brenda told us. Not long after her grandmother had acquired it in a trust left to her from her own mother. As children, Brenda, Mina, and Robert had spent many a summer at that house on the coast of Ireland.
aNot just any house. That house has a history. An auld one,a Brenda replied, pulling the chair out next to Grant and settling in. Her fingers stretched out to slide lovingly beside the old photo. aItas gone now, but before that, it belonged to my great-great-great-grandmother on my motheras side. Thereas a curse on that land, ye ken?a Airen huffed beside me. aItas all stories, aye? The Scottish and the Irish will make up just about anything to keep something interesting.a Mina, mid-pour of a cup of tea, set the teapot down hard against the table. aYe shouldna talk so, Airen! Ye ken what has happened in our family because of that house!a My interest peaked. aWhat happened?a Mina waved off my question, picking the teapot up with an unsteady hand.
aDeath, Aiden. Death happened to our family,a Brenda answered.
aItas not cursed. Death happens, Auntie. Thereas naught we can do to change that. No one lives forever,a Airen disputed, rolling her eyes with a shake of her head.
Grant tapped the photo alb.u.m with his thumb and then flipped the page. aThe house was close to the water, Iam a.s.suming, but was it rocky cliffside or beach?a aNo cursed? In the first month of our great-great-great-grandmotheras marriage, her first husband was killed on the beach returning home from a shipping venture. She found him halfway down the beach from where his skiff lay overturned in the sand with a knife sticking out of his chest.a Years later, our great-great-grandmotheras husband went out riding his horse. She watched from the window as the horse reared up, tossing him off. She ran over to where he lay unmoving on the ground, the horse nibbling the gra.s.s beside him, and him with a broken neck.a And letas not forget our great-grandmother, whose husband was out tending the sheep when a heavy fog rolled in, disorienting him. He ended up walking right off the cliff and fell to his death on the rocks below. If thatas no a curse, then what is?a aThatas all circ.u.mstance, nothing more,a Airen replied back hotly.
aAye? And what of my grandfather? He just decided to take a swim in the well for fun? And my father? Ye ken what happened to yer granddad,a Brenda said, leaning forward, staring intently at Airen.
Airen rolled her eyes. aThe reports showed he was drunk when his car went off the cliff, Auntie. Ye ken it as well as I do.a aYet he never drank a drop in his entire life,a Mina answered before Brenda could reply.
aAnd yer father?a Brenda asked, her voice changing to make the question less harsh.
Mina gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth.
Airen seemed surprised. aMy father died of a heart attack. At home.a aDid ye ken that yer father had been out to the old house taking measurements? Did ye not know that yer parents were going to be moving ye to Ireland to take over the upkeep of it?a aBrenda, no!a Mina cried out.
aYe canna keep it from her anymore. Iave stayed quiet all these years. Iall no do it anymore,a Brenda said, giving Mina a stern gaze.
aI think I would have known if my parents were moving us. There would have been boxes and everything else,a Airen said, looking over at Mina for confirmation.
Mina never looked up and never disputed what Brenda had said about the move.
aThe day yer father died, he was drawing up new plans for the house. Head gone out to inspect the roof and the foundation, but there was no saving it. It was also on the day yer father died of a heart attack that the house collapsed in on itself. The House de Fleur is no more. Do ye still think itas coincidence, la.s.s?a Airen shot out of her seat. Chest heaving, she pointed her finger between Brenda and Mina. aYe picked one h.e.l.l of a time te tell me all oa this. How could ye?a She ran out of the room and up the stairs, her door slamming hard in its frame, cracking like a gunshot.
Brendaas face, tinged in remorse, looked down as she took a few minutes to compose herself.
They were the longest minutes of my life, because all I wanted to do was run up the stairs and check on Airen. Hearing news like that in the midst of strangers was not only unfair, but it was also earth shattering. But I couldnat do that. I needed to stay and hear the rest of what Brenda hadnat said. The information about Robert. And I prayed shead give us something solid to go from, so we could nail the b.a.s.t.a.r.d once and for all.
Getting caught up in Airenas family was never the plan. I had to remember that.
aMy apologies, Agent Jackson. But ye have to understand all of it in order to understand it at all,a Brenda said, breaking the silence.
She looked over to where Mina sat, stone faced and just as pale. aMina, it wasnat my intention to hurt ye, but she needed to know. She deserved to know.a Minaas lips pressed tight, forming a rigid line of white. Seeing she wouldnat get anywhere with Mina, Brenda turned back to Grant. aItas a terrible history of the house for sure. And I really donat know why Robert would choose to use de Fleur as his alias.a My mind whirled with everything she said. If it were true about all the deaths linked to the house, then someone as mad as Robert de Fleur would feel like the name of it would give him power. Using it was a way of boosting his evilness, if only in his eyes.
aIs, or maybe was, there a history of mental illness in your family?a Grant asked, pulling a notebook and pen from his pocket.
Minaas eyes snapped up, zeroing in on him. aYe ken what our brother is like, Agent Jackson. That alone should give ye the answer ye seek, but, aye, there is a history of it. The original great-grandmother was said to have gone mad after her husband was murdered. She raved about pirates and ghosts who visited the house at night. She ended up leaping off the cliffside herself to escape it, or so they say.a aWhat happened to the house in between her death and the next generation taking possession?a Grant asked as his pen scratched against the paper.
aIt remained unoccupied until her daughter was of marriageable age. Once married, her daughter moved into the house. The house has had more unoccupied years than it ever had anyone dwelling in it,a Brenda answered.
Grant looked up from his notes. aYou said that during the summers, you and your family would go there. Was there any odd or strange occurrences that happened to you back then?a aNay, by then, it was just a place we visited a couple weeks out of the year. Mum didnat want to live there, but Da thought we should at least make sure it didnat fall into ruin. Us kids would play, and they would do whatever needed to be done to keep the old house standing for one more year. And at the end of the month, wead pack up and head back home.a Grant added more notes to the paper as the clock on the wall ticked against the silence of the room.
aI ken what he wants, Brenda,a Mina said.
Grantas pen stopped moving as we both sat up a little straighter, leaning forward.
Finally, something we could work with!
aGo on then,a Brenda said, moving to pick up her teacup as Mina twisted her hands in her lap.
aRemember the last time Granny came with us to the house?a Brenda set her cup down with eyes squinted, as if recalling back the memory. aAye, I ken it. It was the last time we went there together before Daas accident. I think I was around sixteen at the time.a aDo ye remember being stuck inside that one afternoon during the storm? To keep us entertained, Granny told us stories about the history of the house,a Mina asked, looking up from her lap and at Brenda.
aOh, aye, I remember. She told us the stories about the pirates and how they hid their gold and other valuables there. I remember laughing when she said that if we lifted the house up in the air, wead find enough gold to buya Oh my G.o.d, thatas it, isnat it? He thinks thereas gold in the foundation? But that was just a story. Da told him it was just a story!a I shot a look at Grant, knowing his thoughts had to match my own. If there had been gold in the foundation and Robert had taken it, it would have been enough to live the life of the terrorist head become. Grant dipped his head slightly at me as if agreeing.
aMrs. Campbell, since the house collapsed, have you done anything with it?a Grant asked.
aAfter my husband Aaronas death, Brenda and I decided that instead of handing it down again, along with the curse, that she should sell it.a aAnd I did. Which is how I was able to purchase the coffee shop and keep it running. I also paid off Minaas house and put a good chunk of money away for Airen. So ye see, if itas the land or the old ruins of the house he wants, he canna have it. Itas no longer ours to give.a aItas no the house he wanted anyway. It was what could have possibly been underneath it,a Mina told her.
Brenda seemed confused. aWhat do you mean?a aAaron and I went down to the house together, before we told ye wead take it over. We hadnat seen it in years, and he wanted to get an idea of the condition before we made our final decision. We walked the floor, tapped on the wallsa everything to check the soundness, because Aaron said if the structure wasnat any good, it would cost too much for us to repair it.a She sighed as if what she said next was a burden lifted from one shoulder only to be placed on the other.
aUnder the stairs where the old bookshelf sat, remember it?a Her eyes flicked to Brenda. aIt was knocked over, laying on its side as if someone pulled it out from under the stairs and shoved it over. Well, I didna believe it, even seeing it, but there it was nonetheless, a doorway that led below the house, into the foundation.a Brenda gasped. aNoaa aAye.a Mina dipped her head, leaning forward as she went on to tell the rest of her story. aIt had the looks of an old root cellar. Dark and damp. You couldna see a thing past the first step, so Aaron grabbed a torch and made me stay above in case the stairs let go. When he got to the bottom, he called for me.a Tears trickled down Minaas cheeks, her eyes clouded with the past as if she stood in the underground room. aDaas jacket was there, along with an empty bottle.a Mina dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue shead pulled from her pocket as Brenda sat back in her chair, staring off across the room as if looking into the past. Both completely silent after Minaas revelation.
It made me wonder what the connection to their fatheras jacket and an empty bottle had with Robert de Fleur and the old house. What bridged that to him coming back and seeking out Airen? Even if Airen were the rightful owner, what would he have wanted from her? He could have snuck onto the property without contacting his family. There had to be more to it than that.
aMina, did you report your findings?a Grant asked, steering the conversation away from the history of the house and dove right into the facts of the death of their father.
Mina jerked as if shead been slapped. aNo. Iave never told a soul about it until I said something to Brenda earlier and ye just now.a Squeezing the balled-up tissue firmly in her hand, she straightened up in her seat and continued. aYe see, our family had been through enough after our fatheras death. Bringing to light that Iad found not only the missing jacket but an empty bottle together would have ruined us completely!a aMina, do you remember when Robert took off a few nights before Daas accident?a Brenda asked, fingers tapping restlessly against the table.
aHead told Mum he was going to a friendas and didnat show up until a week later, just after they fished Daas car from the rocks below. Aye, I remember. He didnat seem the same after that. Did he?a Brenda asked, but it sounded more like she was speaking to herself.
aNay, he didnat. What if Da found Robert there? What if Robert is the reason Da had the accident? What if it wasnat an accident after all?a Minaas voice broke.
aI think ye need to look into that house and the land it sits on, Agent Jackson. Mina might have the right of it. Why else would Robert call himself de Fleur and then come home demanding the ownership was turned over from Airen to him?a aHow do you ken thatas what he wanted?a Mina asked, the color completely leeching from her face.
aWhat else would he have wanted Airen for? He kens the ownership is handed over from daughter to daughter. I didnat have a daughter, so it would have been handed over to Airen. He wasnat around when I sold the property. In his mind, itas still in our possession, which means he either tried to get on the property and canat, or he wants the legal rights to the property to search the rest of the land for something based off stories told.a Knowing Robertas background and the business dealings he had, the property itself would be more valuable than anything. Head be able to use the private beach area for his own personal interestsa"child trafficking.
If the property were secluded enough, he would be able to use it for the same things his ancestors had spoken of over the years. Head have the perfect setup to hide what needed to be hidden, and no one would be aware.
With his a.s.sets frozen, head need money. What if there had been gold under the foundation and head found it? Maybe even moved it and only took a little at a time so that he could have a cushion to fall back on if he ever needed it?
aWould you happen to have the name of the buyer? Iad like to talk to them and see if theyave had any unusual occurrences there since theyave bought the property,a Grant asked Brenda.
aNay, it was a company that bought it, but their contact information is on the contract. Iall have to go to the bank and get the paperwork from my safety-deposit box,a Brenda said, nodding along with his request.
aHow do we know yer no in on it with Robert?a Mina asked, cutting a look of disbelief at Brenda. aHe could be, ye ken?a Grant loosened the tie he wore and shrugged off his jacket, aThe d.a.m.n things choke me half to death,a he said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.
He was getting comfortable. The sort of comfortable he got around the table at Cole Enterprises when we sat down to go over large amounts of intel.
aLadies,a he said, leaning forward on his elbows, ayouave been kind enough to open your home up to me and give me a lot of information that you didnat have to. In turn, let me tell you why Iam dead set on taking care of Robert de Fleur,a he answered, telling them about Jaredas kidnapping and the connection Robert had to it.
aSo you see, I have just as much interest in getting him off the streets as you do. And with your help, he wonat get away from us this time,a Grant said, standing as he finished his story.
aMrs. Anderson, if you donat mind, Iall pick you up tomorrow and take you to the bank. After hearing everything, I donat think itas safe for any of you to be alone.a Brenda nodded. aI appreciate that, Agent Jackson. What of Aiden? He willna be in danger now because of his presence?a Grant looked at me, as if thinking about it before he said, aYou might be right. Do you have anywhere else to go?a Anger rolled through me. He was pulling me from the case, or at least the part head set me up for. I wasnat ready to walk away from Brenda and Airen without knowing that Robert held no threat over them.
aNo, I was renting a place but my lease ran out. I donat mind staying here with them. At least theyad have someone here at night in case he shows up again.a Grant gave me a twisted smile. aI suppose a few more days wouldnat hurt. Robertas gone to ground again, but I have a feeling heall be popping back up soon. At that point, we may have to look into placing the family in an alternative location until heas caught.a Brenda sucked in a sharp breath. aI willna leave my house or my business. Iave lost many things over the years. Itas all I have left, and Iall be d.a.m.ned if heall chase me away from it.a Grant dipped his head, acknowledging her. Or better yet, it was more like pacifying her, because if it came down to her safety, head move her kicking and screaming to a safer location.
My gaze lingered to the stairs that led to Airenas room as Brenda walked Grant outside.
With a sigh, I pushed back from the table and put everything back on the tea tray. It was the only thing to do, or else Iad bound up the stairs two at a time and make a complete a.s.s of myself.
Minaas hand came down on mine. aDo ye think ye can go and check on Airen for me? I donat think shead be up for a visit from her auntie or me right about now.a She gave me a soft smile and patted my shoulder as she moved past me to carry the teapot to the kitchen.
Shock rolled through me at Minaas request. Ever since Iad met her, shead given me the stink eye. Hearing her ask me to check on Airen threw me for a loop.
I HEARD THE SOFT KNOCK on my door, but ignored whoever it was on the other side. I had nothing to say to anyone. Especially to Mum and Aunt Brenda.
To think they not only thought that d.a.m.nable house was cursed, but that it had been the reason my da had died made me ill.
Iad known the both of them to be superst.i.tious, but the stories Aunt Brenda told to Agent Jackson had made a chill roll through me that I couldnat shake.
There was another soft knock, and then the door swung open. Buried under the covers like I was, whoever had come in wouldnat know that I was awake unless they walked over and peeked down at me, so I closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.
The door closed softly and footsteps, soft ones, walked round my bed, but didnat come close to where I was coc.o.o.ned against the world. Aiden. I knew it was him the minute I heard his bag slide across the floor and then open. Maybe he was putting his stuff together to leave. I couldnat blame him after the fiasco downstairs. Iad run too, if I had somewhere else to go.
He didnat leave though. He spent a couple of minutes moving things around in his bag, or at least, that was what it sounded like. There was a subtle shift in the air. A swish of fabric. The creak of shoes being toed off and moved. Then a zipper being lowered. The rustle of denim. My eyes snapped open. I moved the blanket enough to see Aiden standing in front of my window, outlined by the soft touches of moonlight through the sheer curtains.
The slope of his shoulder up to the curve of his neck was illuminated as if the moon wanted me to see him. Shadows played peek-a-boo with the ridges along his chest and arms where his muscles curved. He stood so still that he could have been man or statue in the moonlight.
It was eerily beautiful and all mine to witness. Lifting his arm, he pushed the curtain aside, allowing more light to spill into the room.
It moved along the carpet slowly and I closed my eyes, knowing his intentions were to bring enough light to see me in my nest of blankets.
The last glimpse I got of him nearly took my breath away. The image of him standing beside my window bathed in moonlight with nothing more than a pair of briefs on would stay with me forever.
I didnat dare open my eyes again until I heard him move away from the window. After that, I couldnat see much of anything but a flash of movement here and there as he pulled on a shirt and pants, lying down on the floor with the pillow Iad given him earlier.
I felt a little guilty that I didnat get up and offer him a blanket. The house always had a slight chill to it, but the floors were always cold. Head be freezing by morning. Iad wait him out, and after he fell asleep, Iad drape a blanket over him then. Unless, of course, Mum or Aunt Brenda stuck their head in and did it first.
Having Aiden no more than a few feet away from me did two things. One, it made me aware of the attraction he stirred in me, and two, it made the anger I felt earlier move on to something close to melancholy.
I missed my da with an ache that never really went away. Aunt Brendaas words had ripped the scab on my heart wide open again with an ache so deep it threatened to consume me. Iad lost him too young, and I would give anything to have him back. Knowing that could never happen made the ache spread and my heart want to shatter.
Aiden shifted, and I heard his breathing change as he gave over to sleep. The ache receded a bit, making me wonder if Da had a hand in seeing that someone like Aiden would come along and take care of his little girl for him. What if Aiden was that person? It was a fanciful thought that helped chase away the sadness.
Pinching my finger against the bridge of my nose, I took a slow, deep breath, willing myself to relax. The headache from earlier had crept back up on me as Iad cried what felt like a river of tears into my pillow before Aiden had appeared in my room.
My eyes, puffy and raw, ached to close and stay that way. My shirt clung to my skin, damp I realized, as I smoothed the covers and shifted to the edge of the bed to look down at Aiden.
Head lain down on his stomach, tucking one arm underneath the pillow head turned lengthways under his head and chest, as if hugging it.
I fell asleep wondering what it would be like to have his arms wrapped around me like that.
MY ENTIRE BODY FELT HEAVY, all but my head. That ached a low, dull throb with every heartbeat. Iad wrapped myself up so tight in the covers the night before that Iad well and truly pinned myself inside of them.
I shifted my leg, pushing against the blanket to wiggle free as the pillow behind me mumbled and a band of muscle tightened against my chest, pulling me closer to a solid warmth against my back.
My heart skipped a beat as I realized Aiden had moved from the floor to my bed at some point. But when? I hadnat felt him climb in beside me, and surely, I would have realized it the minute he did. Wouldnat I have?
I wiggled, trying to put some s.p.a.ce between us. When he moved with me, I realized it wasnat the blankets holding me in place. It was him. He was under the blankets with me. Head thrown his leg over mine and was using me as a body pillow. Quite literally.
I didnat know how to feel about that since there were several feelings trying to invade me at once. I needed room to breathe. Room to think. I moved slowly, very slowly as to not wake him, until I was on my back with Aidenas arm sliding down my body.
He stirred then, only slightly though. I blew out a breath of relief that hitched in time with the skip of my heart. If I moved slowly enough, I could make it out of bed without waking him and go downstairs to the couch.
Leaving the bed and Aidenas warmth held no appeal to me. And really, it wasnat as if we were doing anything wrong. Both of us were sleeping, or at least, he was.
Honestly, it felt nice having someone there beside me. I didnat feel quite so alone. I could pretend, just once, that I had someone who cared for me, slept beside me, and chased away my fears. Iad make the most of the moment in the quiet solitude of my room.
Closing my eyes, I let myself pretend that he was mine and I was his. Shifting closer, I took the warmth Iad needed for so long. His hand flexed against my hip, pulling me closer as his breathing changed slightly.
The weak light that came as night gave over to morning touched my face and I turned my head away, not wanting the moment of peace Iad found to slip past me before I was ready.
My forehead b.u.mped into Aidenas shoulder, and he stirred. Keeping my eyes closed, I waited for him to move from my bed and make a hasty retreat back to the floor. But he didnat.
His hand on my hip squeezed tightly as he propped himself up on his elbow, and I knew he was looking down at me. Probably wondering what the h.e.l.l he was doing in my bed and why I hadnat woken up when my head b.u.mped into him.
His hand moved from my hip, taking away his heat immediately. I felt him move away, putting some distance between us. His slow movements took him further away, inch by inch, and I wanted him to stay. To share his warmth. To hold me.
I opened my eyes and found him looking down at me, searching my face. When his eyes met mine, he reached out with his fingers, tracing them along the side of my face and pushing my hair behind my ear.
I sighed, moving my cheek against the palm of his hand. It was like throwing a lit match onto a trail of gasoline. He surged to life, pulling me against him, straining to line our bodies up so that we touched everywhere.
His lips sought mine, hungry and scorching, each kiss deeper until I ended up on my back with his body pressing me into the mattress pushing against the barriers of our clothes.
His labored breaths pushed against my chest, and I trembled in response. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. The question wasa"how far would either of us let the moment take us? Could we take away all the barriers and allow what we both desperately wanted? If we dida"what then?
The questions tumbled fast in my mind until his hand slid underneath my shirt, gliding up to cup my breast.
All thoughts ceased, spinning into a vortex of need, clawing at my tingling nerves all the way to the core where his body pressed firmly against mine.
What felt like electric shocks broke out along my skin, tingling as each wave burst, shattering around me until I could do nothing but push myself back against him, seeking the only thing he could give me, a release for whatever it was building up inside of me.
Iad known the feeling of need, but never like what Aiden built up in me. It was consuming me, bringing me to a madness that had me digging my fingers into his back, whimpering as he brought me closer and closer to the breaking point.
He gasped a ragged breath against my neck and let go of my breast, sliding both hands under my shoulders. His lips blazed hot kisses along the side of my neck, and then he bit down lightly.
I shattered, crying out against his shoulder as his hips dug into my thighs. His breaths came in short pants until he shuddered against me.
It was the most intimate moment Iad ever had in my life.
I opened my mouth to say something, but just sighed with a mumble of appreciation as to the way I felt.
Aiden rolled over to his back, taking me with him, tucking me against his chest. I snuggled in, draping my leg over his and resting my hand over his drumming heart. Closing my eyes, I willed the moment to stretch out and stay with us.