Page 13 of Bold Mercy

Wyatt, the one who’d spoken and the commander of his little group, was around six feet tall with dark blond hair and brown eyes. He was pretty, but his eyes were cold and his scars were somehow more sinister than the others. Across his forehead and over his cheekbone were two long scars, dotted on both sides with what looked like puncture wounds, as though his wounds had been stitched up with a huge needle.

“Kait,” Rick said, his voice polite even as he stared at the new arrivals with careful suspicion, “may I have a word?”

I noticed that he put himself just slightly between me and the wolves, his fingers twitching as they probably itched to reach for his gun. I could understand, really. He’d been through a lot, was jumpy and angry, and the wolves…they couldn’t have looked more dangerous if they’d tried.

I didn’t want to send them back into the waiting room to scare my clients, so I sent them a smile and an invitation to sit while I walked the detective out. Zach went to stare out the window, a man apart as usual, but there was just something different about him. Something had happened while he was with the alpha, and it went beyond Lennon’s spells and charms.

Max, completely unafraid and very nosy, stood when Rick and I walked from my office. “I’ll see if anyone wants a coffee,” he said, and hurried by me.

“Ms. Silver,” one of my potential clients called, standing. “I need your help!” She was a small woman with dark hair and a bleak expression, and a dark bruise spread across her cheekbone. I could see that she’d slathered on makeup to try to hide it. As she darted a quick look at the man who’d sat beside her, I saw another bruise on the side of her neck.

“Sit down, Georgia,” the man said. “She’ll get to us when it’s our turn.” He shot me a grin, darting his tongue out to wet his thick lips. I believed immediately that he was abusing the woman. I just wasn’t sure how his abuse tied in with whatever spirit was giving her trouble.

She twisted her clasped hands, and her lips trembled before she pressed them into a thin line. “Ms. Silver,” she said. “Please.”

“Give me a second,” I told the detective, and left him standing near the door while I went to calm the woman. I held out a hand, and she took it immediately. Her fingers were cold, and despair came off her in waves. I could smell her fear. My wolf stirred, interested in that fear.

Down, girl.“I’m not leaving,” I assured her. “I’m going to walk this gentleman out and I’ll be right back.”

But when I started to pull away, she held onto my hand with a desperate grip. “There’s a ghost,” she whispered. “Andrew let me come to see you, but he won’t wait much longer. I don’t want to go back.”

“Maybe,” I said, not taking my stare from hers, “Andrew can go on home. I’ll see that you get a ride afterward.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Andrew said, no longer smiling. “You have ten more minutes, then we’re out of here. Ghost or not.” He reached up, grabbed her arm, and yanked her back to her seat.

I looked at him, then, and pulled in his scent, and I realized that Georgia wasn’t the only one filled with fear. Andrew was terrified, as well. And I smelled blood, fresh blood. Andrew was bleeding—I couldn’t see it, but I could smell it.

“Tell me,” I said.

“We live in Heritage Towers apartment building,” she said immediately. “Our neighbors have a…a ghost.” She gave a watery snort. “Ghosts are real. They have two of them. Mean ones. Cindy is my best friend. I knew something was wrong so this morning, I took Andrew with me and refused to go away until Cindy opened the door.”

Everyone in the waiting room was staring at her, fear in their eyes. Two people got up and hurried from the room. I nodded at her encouragingly. “Go on.”

“They’re evil,” she murmured. “They…” she swallowed hard and her fingers drifted to her bruised face. “They hurt us. They hurt Andrew more than me. He—”

“Shut up, Georgia,” Andrew muttered. “Tell her what she needs to know or we’re leaving now.” He stood and grabbed her arm. “Tell her about the baby.”

Shit. “Baby?” I asked, my voice calm. I didn’t have to look to know Rick was now standing behind me, listening intently.

Georgia nodded. “Cindy’s newborn. They want him. One of the ghosts followed us, but he couldn’t come in when we entered this office.”

I’d had the office warded—no spirit could enter the space. At least not easily. “How did you get out of the apartment?” I asked, keeping my voice mild. I understood the threat. The spirits would harm the baby if they felt threatened. They were going to harm him anyway, and I needed to hurry.

“We escaped after they threw us into a couple of walls,” Andrew said. “They didn’t really want to keep us there. They want that kid, and that’s all they care about. They can’t decide whether to kill him and take his spirit back with them or stay there with him.”

“They’re afraid they’ll lose him if they kill him,” Georgia said, her voice stronger. “They’re not…sane. Especially her.”

“She sent her man after us,” Andrew said. “Like Georgia said, he couldn’t come in. I don’t know if he’s outside or if he went back to the apartment.”

They were talking about two ghosts like they were flesh and blood people. They’d heard them talking, had been abused by them, and one had followed them to my office.

“Are you sure they’re ghosts?” Rick asked, apparently having the same thought.

“Most people can’t see or hear them,” I explained.

“We’re sure,” they said at the same time. “They’re ghosts.”

Fucking November.

“I’ll go with you,” Rick told me.

I was glad to have him. I went to Joe as Rick spoke with the couple to get the apartment number and whatever else info he needed. “Tell the wolves I had an emergency,” I said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I didn’t care if they be pissed that I’d ditched them.

There was a baby to rescue.