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EXCERPT 2

Streaming sunlight filtered across the room, waking her gently. Incredibly enough, Nick had not graced Naomi with his presence during the night. Nor had she been plagued by nightmares. Who cared why she was given a reprieve, she would take it. After the night she had shared with Bryce, she felt positive about their future. All thoughts of Genna were long gone. The time alone with Bryce was exactly what they had both needed.

“You know what, Nick?” she called out, feeling refreshed. “I’m not afraid of you. We’ll deal with this unfortunate situation and then you’ll leave me to get on with my life.”

She was met with silence. Hm. Where was he? And for that matter, where did ghosts go when they weren’t lurking around?

“Well, fine. I’m pretty sure you can hear me. I have a book to write, and an appointment to make.” Shaking her head slightly, Naomi chuckled as she considered what others would think of her walking around talking to herself.

It was too early to call the doctor’s office, but never too early for a cup of coffee. Coffee first, then she needed to make up for the time she had lost with her writing yesterday.

Words flowed seamlessly as Naomi made the most of her upbeat mood. After practically begging for an appointment with Nick’s doctor, which she had no luck securing on such short notice, she had received a follow-up call stating there was a last minute cancellation for a late afternoon appointment. She would need to figure out the best questions to ask. She couldn’t just come right out and ask what he knew about Nick’s supposed drug problem.

Seconds had slipped to minutes and now Naomi realized she had completely lost track of time as at least a half hour had passed. Nick had invaded her thoughts and interrupted her writing once more. Gone was her carefree mood. Nick, tell me what you need me to do.

It wasn’t that easy and she knew it. Even Maggie’s kind soul had such difficulty conveying her thoughts to Naomi. Maggie had spoken in riddles and then she had eventually pieced together the clues and solved the puzzle of her death. Nick was being a tyrant. He projected his words more forcefully and in a more direct way. Then why the hell couldn’t he just come out and speak to her, tell her what happened?

A chill prickled Naomi’s scalp as she heard a strange noise. She turned around, instantly locating her cat across the room. It was coming from upstairs and it sure as hell wasn’t Zelda making that racket.

With each approaching step Naomi took up the stairs, the sounds grew louder. One of the voices she detected sounded an awful lot like a woman. No, not just any woman, but Maggie. Or rather, a distorted version of Maggie.

Afraid of what she would find when she walked into her bedroom, Naomi tried to steady her thumping heart. She would need to confront Nick and his demons head-on.

He stood holding his head, wailing. She heard Maggie screaming, she heard Ryan, and yes, Nick. What was she witnessing? The only person in the room other than her was Nick. But how was he doing this?

He faced her, eyes black and soulless. Sucking in her breath, she walked backward toward the door.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Nick’s words boomed. “You get to join me in the fun.” His sick eyes gleamed as his hand reached out for her. Sucked back into the center of the bedroom, she fell to the ground with the force of Nick’s spirit pushing her. Now it was just her and Nick, the other voices a play on his thoughts—a trick of the mind.

“No, no . . .” she wailed, crying out for someone to help her.

Beside her, Nick sat on the floor. She could feel him there, but was afraid to look. Heavy arms pulled her into his dark embrace.

And then she saw what plagued his troubled mind. She saw, from his point of view, Maggie and Ryan falling to their deaths from that high cliff, his hand reaching out. He was too late. She felt the depth of his fear, his grief. The images he had shared with Naomi sucked her down into her own place of bleak despair.

Darkness dissipated and her ragged breathing slowed. He had been gone for minutes, she knew that, but she wasn’t ready to open her eyes. He wouldn’t make this easy for her. He would make her suffer, just as he had. Nick would make Naomi feel every ounce of the pain he had experienced, even more if he could muster it.

He could make it so much easier on both of them. She knew he could.

But he wouldn’t.

It was to be a game of cat and mouse. Just how long would he make her suffer?

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EXCERPT 1-

Naomi

She sensed it before she heard the news. She could feel it deep in her bones. All night long she had tossed and turned, unable to find sleep.

Nick.

“No,” Naomi wailed into her pillow, pounding her fists.

No. But, of course, she knew it was true. After all, she had a sixth sense about things such as this. Damn, Nick. Why? How?

It had been several months since she had taken in his disheveled form, those cowardly eyes scanning her face, pleading for forgiveness from the other side of the depressing, stained, plastic divider at the county jail.

Forgiveness that was difficult to give, although she had been working on it. Too late, Nick. It’s way too late for you now. Part of Naomi’s heart ached for Nick’s troubled soul. For the troubled child he had once been.

Another part turned cold as she conjured up his face in her mind. As she had woken from a fitful night’s sleep, the image of Nick crying out, lost in the empty dark place where challenged souls lacked peace and closure, was too overwhelming to dismiss as a bad dream.

“Bryce.” Naomi spoke his name aloud, even though her fiancé was most likely sound asleep at his house just up the dirt road.

She needed Bryce.

But Naomi knew Bryce would have to wait. Right after her first cup of coffee, she would have to call Officer Marty to confirm the facts of what she already knew to be true.

How had it happened? Possibilities swirled through her mind. Endless scenarios came forth. It could be anything. Nick had been doing time for his part in the cover-up of Maggie Field’s death. Prisons could be dangerous, particularly for someone like Nick, a man who struggled to keep his emotions in check and often had difficulty conforming to the rules.

One with a dark, menacing presence.

One with attitude.

Memories of the not so distant past slammed Naomi. Images of Ryan and Maggie . . .

Maggie.

The ghost that had all but consumed her. Maggie had reached out to Naomi, demanding peace. Naomi admitted to herself that she had become obsessed at that time in her life. Preoccupied with putting both Maggie and Ryan to rest. Luckily, Bryce was loyal and patient to the core during the first hectic months of their new relationship.

What would he say now, knowing that a spirit was back? Knowing that this time it wasn’t the sweet spirit of a girl named Maggie or a quirky, kindhearted man that needed her help?

This time it was worse, far worse.

This time the spirit was unsettled, tortured—and to make matters even more daunting . . .

He was her ex-boyfriend.

Would Bryce be as understanding about Nick as he had been with Maggie and Ryan? Hopping up out of her bed to make her cup of coffee, Naomi figured she was about to find out.

***

Moments after she hung up the phone with her friend, Officer Miriam Marty, Naomi reached for her coffee mug but then placed it back on the counter with a gentle thud.

Damn, Nick.

Miriam had confirmed Naomi’s worst suspicions and provided the bare facts surrounding Nick’s death.

He was, indeed, dead. But the strange thing about it was that it appeared to have been intentional on his part. It was too early to say, but Miriam suspected that traces of drugs would be found in his system.

An overdose? Could he have intentionally taken his own life? No, that didn’t sound right. Then again, how well did Naomi even know Nick anymore? For that matter, how well had she ever known him? Naomi supposed it was easy enough for an inmate to have the means to obtain drugs. And, let’s face it, prison life could be grueling.

No, no. Something didn’t feel right about this. Nick’s sentence was only to last just a few more weeks, why would he purposely harm himself? As Naomi tried to make sense of the news, she paced the floor. Zelda, her loyal feline companion, weaved in and out of her legs as Naomi stopped and grabbed her coffee mug from the table.

Sharp rapping on the door startled Naomi, causing her to spill her coffee on her blouse. “Shoot!”

Voicing her own displeasure at nearly being stepped on, Zelda screeched as she tore into the living room. Naomi snatched a napkin, wiping at her top as she made her way to the door.

“Are you ready?” Bryce raised an eyebrow as Naomi stepped to the side to allow him through the front door. He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

“Ready?”

“Ah, yes. Remember? We were going to grab a bite and then head over to the trail for a walk?”

Yes. That’s right. She and Bryce had plans this morning. With everything going on, she had clearly forgotten.

“I . . . I’m so sorry. Give me a minute to change my shirt. Sit, I’ll be right back.” She scurried up the stairs to her bedroom to change. This could be a good thing, the time alone with Bryce. His young daughter, Holly, was in school, and she could have Bryce’s full attention.

Dressed in a clean shirt, Naomi sprinted down the stairs and grabbed her sneakers. She attempted her best smile as she tied the laces. “Almost ready,” Naomi managed.

“What’s with you? Why are you out of breath?” Bryce cocked his head as he studied Naomi.

“Just excited to spend the morning with you,” she offered a bit too cheerily, glancing up at him as she felt nagging guilt rise in her throat. He wouldn’t be happy about the news regarding Nick, and that was putting it mildly. He simply couldn’t even begin to understand. He would tell her to leave it alone, not to get caught up in somebody else’s problems.

Naomi swallowed hard and gripped Bryce’s warm hand as they made their way to his truck. Once inside, Naomi glanced at her fiancé and then gazed down at her lap.

“Bryce?” she whispered.

Concern etched his handsome face. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He reached for her hands.

“We need to talk.”

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EXCERPT #1-

“He scooped her up and placed her on top of the large rock. Following suit, he climbed up the slight incline and joined Maggie. Kissing her again, he cupped her head in his hands. Moments later, his hands smoothed over her body.

Maggie stiffened, pulling away. He sat back, eyes wide. “What is it, Maggie? What the hell is the problem now?”

“I’m just not ready.”

Placing his head in his hands, he sighed dramatically. “You’re not ready.” His laugh was sharp.

“Why not? Didn’t I just tell you I love you?” His tone rose in agitation.

Was that why he had declared his love for her? Her face must have given away her thoughts.

“Are you kidding me? You think that’s why I shared my feelings with you?” He stood and paced on the boulder. “Let’s go. Time to go.”

What had just happened here? How had everything deteriorated in a matter of mere minutes? And how much of it was her fault?

“No. Don’t. Sit down. Please.” Her eyes looked up at his height, pleading for him to stay.

“I don’t get you, Maggie. I have to be honest here with you. You’re kind of driving me crazy. Pushing my limits, you know?” His face flushed red as he paced.

How was she pushing him? “Sit, please just come back and sit beside me.” Maggie patted the spot beside her, her lip trembling. She didn’t know why he was so upset, only that she wanted things to return to how they were prior to this walk by the river.

“Fine.” He plopped himself beside her, leaving at least a foot between them.

Maggie reached over for him, taking his hand in hers. He didn’t

move closer but didn’t pull away either.

“Maggie. You’re killing me. I love you. I freaking love you, and I feel you not returning my feelings.”

“I…”

“Let me finish. I open up to you, try to show you how much I love you and I’m met with a slam of the door.” His hands moved dramatically. Maggie leaned back so that he wouldn’t swipe her as he spoke.

“No response from you, telling me that you love me back, and now I can’t even show you how I feel.” He was upon her, grabbing her face, his eyes intense.

It was true. She hadn’t said she loved him back. She hadn’t been ready. What she definitely wasn’t ready for was showing him. The words slipped out of her mouth before she could think. “I love you, too.”

Tears sprang from his eyes as he kissed her face over and over. “Oh Maggie, you have no idea how happy you have made me.”

Maggie’s shoulders slumped. Uneasiness washed through her. It was almost as if she had been bullied into saying the words. Then again, she had always had the tendency to overanalyze her thoughts and actions.

Maggie bit her lip and kissed him.