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Prologue
I , Cassidy Blake, had no idea what I was doing in merry old England but there I was. Well, that’s technically not right. I did know why. I was summoned by invitation to attend the Black Flag pub and to be there at 6:30pm sharp. But that’s all I knew. Easy right? Except it wasn’t, not when I lived clear across the ocean. Here let me explain, it went like this...
Chapter 1
J essica Parker, my baby sister, looked at me as I lay sprawled across, her spare bed. “Cassidy, when are you moving out? Your apartment has been ready for over a month now and we could really use the extra room with the baby coming.”
I inwardly groaned as I rolled onto my back to look at her. Knowing she was right; I said the first thing that popped into my head. “Soon. I’ll be moving out soon. The paint smell is still strong, and I get an instant headache.”
She gave me a look that said she knew otherwise but didn’t say a thing. Instead, she tossed a stack of mail onto the bed beside me, stopped and wrinkled her nose. “What’s that smell?”
“That smell is me. I need a shower.”
She arched an elegant brow then quietly left the room.
She would never understand the feelings I was going through. Having a loving and attentive husband like she did, shielded her from ever knowing.
Guilt settled into the pit of my stomach. My divorce was settled last month and at 35 years old it was time I spread my wings, and she did need the room. But I was afraid of being alone. Always living with someone since birth, it was scary to take the leap in the direction of the unknown. Thoughts swirled in my head, like, what if my cat hated me? It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a cat but at this rate I would have several.
My phone pinged, pulling me out of the wallow of my pity party. It was a reminder that I had to get on with my day. Not that it would be any different than the day before. Heaving a sigh, I put my hand down to push myself up off the mattress. Instead of the softness of the down comforter that I was expecting, I felt the mail that Jessica had left for me.
Looking at it sourly, I picked the stack up and sorted through it. It was the usual, junk mail, bills, a flier for duct cleaning service, coupons for a local eatery and a black envelope.
Talk about a foreboding feeling. The second my hands held it I knew it was something that I either would cower from on a normal day or embrace it with open arms. Turning it over in my hands, the seal, stamped in wax stared up at me. Like literally. It was an eyeball in the middle of a ghostly face. Fearing that it would be an anthrax laced letter from my ex, I cautiously opened it and peeked inside. I thought it was empty, and in a sense, it was because the letter was the envelope. I unfolded it and held it with shaky hands. I started to break out into a sweat as I started to read it.
‘You, Cassidy Blake are hereby requested to join us, Watchers of the Night at the Black Flag pub in the town of Sussex at 6:30 pm sharp on August 1st. Your flight and accommodation will be provided. All that we ask is that you come with an open mind and to hear us out. We will explain the need for your attendance once you arrive. Please RSVP no later than July 18th so arrangements can be made by calling 011+44+ 370+395+6143.
I laughed as I tossed the letter down onto the bed. Yeah right, like I was going to fall for that! My luck, it was a kinky sex club. I got up to gather a change of clean clothes because Jessica had been right; I was a bit ripe smelling.
The whole time I showered I kept thinking about that letter though. What if it wasn’t a kinky sex club? Maybe I won something, like a cottage in the English countryside. That would certainly beat the barren apartment over the meat market I was the proud renter of. I decided I would call that number, hoping to glean some information when I did. But first I would do a quick search online for the Watchers of the Night.
I shut the water off and wrapped my head and body in towels then headed straight for my room. I felt like an idiot racing down the hall towards my bedroom door and even worse when I slammed it closed behind me. But it was the most exciting thing that ever happened in my life, and I needed to know what it was about, whether I went or not.
I took my laptop and plopped down on the bed then quickly typed Watchers of the Night into Google. They were a YouTube sensation, a ghost hunting team made up of five men. Despite that, kinky sex club did flash through my mind as I looked at their bio’s, they were all in their mid to late twenties, except one. Who from the looks of it, was around my age. I was safe that way. There wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell that I would fall for someone younger than me, and the other dude? No thanks, I had enough of men. My eyes fell to the letter on my bed. After tugging my underwear on I spent no time snatching it and my cell phone up then dialed the number.
“Hello?” A man with a British accent answered. I quickly hit the end button and tossed the phone onto my bed.
