Demonically Tempted (Frostbite 2)

I narrowed my eyes on him. “There has to be rules. This is crazy. Don’t I get privacy anymore?” I waved my hand in dramatic fashion. “They can’t just waltz into my bedroom.”

He gave a measured look. “I agree with you.” He glanced at Holly. “Next time, choose a better method to make contact.” At her nod, he focused on me. “I’d imagine it must be important.”

“It’s very important,” Holly confirmed.

I looked away from Kipp to Holly, then sighed. “I have no idea why I surrounded myself with y’all.” Oh yeah, I pouted and didn’t give a shit. “Go out in the living room and let me get dressed.”

“Thank you.” She exhaled, obviously relieved, then she morphed through my bedroom wall.

I glared at Kipp. “Thanks a lot!”

“She clearly needs help, Tess.” He jumped off the bed, which appeared wonderfully graceful.

I all but fell out of it, grabbed my jeans and T-shirt off the floor, not bothering with a bra since I intended for this conversation to be quick so I could return to bed. “Yes, I see that, but do I want to be involved in this help?”

Kipp said nothing, merely watched me with that half-amused, half-intrigued look he owned so well as I dressed.

It only raised my irritation, and I cursed through each article of clothing I forced on.

Once clothed, and with nasty words echoing in my mind, I followed Kipp into the living room. Holly sat on my tan leather couch and upon further study, she did in fact seem incredibly nervous as she twined her fingers together. A big headache was in my future.

I sat in next to her and pulled my legs up underneath me. “Out with it. What’s the problem?”

“There’s something dark in the area.”

I waited for her to say more, but she didn’t even blink so I added, “Am I supposed to understand what you’re talking about?”

Kipp laughed as he sat down on the loveseat across from me. “What do you mean by something dark?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Holly said, her voice holding a slight tremble. “But something has been scaring the ghosts here in Memphis.”

“You can’t be serious?” I mused. “Ghosts are afraid of something?”

Her eyebrows drew together. “This might be amusing to you, but it’s not to us.” She sucked in a long breath as her features darkened. “Honestly, ghosts are scared to even go outside. It’s gotten out of control.”

I peeked sideways at Kipp in disbelief. The frown on his face as he studied Holly said our minds were thinking alike. “Just to be sure, I’m not dreaming, right?”

He smiled. “You’re wide awake.”

“Now that we have that settled, I can actually start to believe this conversation.” I glanced at Holly. “You need to tell us a bit more than you are since I have no idea what the hell you’re going on about.”

Her gaze drifted to the outside wall. “I think I better let the others tell you.”

To my horror, ten ghosts melted through my living room wall. I scowled at each and every one of them. “Oh, I’m so not okay with this.”

A gentleman sat down on my glass coffee table—or floated was more like it—while he studied me. His gray eyebrows furrowed over his blue eyes. He looked worn, all wrinkled and aged. Clearly, when he lived, it’d been a hard life. “You’re the one I’ve been hearing about?”

I sighed, deep so they’d all hear my frustration. “I’m not happy that y’all are talking about me. What do you do, have meetings to discuss the living people around you?”

He ignored my dig and simply said, “What matters more is what’s been going on.”

I again waited for someone to fill in the blanks, but all the other ghosts merely stood against the wall staring at me “Do tell then.” I waved him on, feeling that little burn of impatience rise. “What’s been going on?”

“There’s a ghost here that’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”

I rolled my eyes, but Kipp interjected, “In what way is this ghost different?”

“He’s dark,” was the man’s reply.