Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 129676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
I continued staring at her, too perplexed to speak.
“I’m sure you must be going through hell. Well, let me tell you a little bit about what I do.” Lina proceeded to explain that she specialized in communicating with people in comas who were on life support or had severe brain damage. She said she connected with the spirit guides of her clients—me or the person in a coma—to better understand what caused them to get stuck in limbo.
“Sometimes people are trapped in the in-between because things that are left unfinished are bothering them. I once communicated with a woman on life support who told me her astral cord was still attached to her body, but she hadn’t yet decided whether she wanted to die or not. Her father pushed her off the balcony and pretended to be concerned for her, staying in the room with her day and night. I was able to alert her distraught son who’d hired me, and the father was arrested. Shortly after he was sentenced to life in prison, she passed away.”
I shot Mum another look. I was skeptical about spirit guides, but I was also at a point where I’d try anything.
“You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to,” Tate interjected. “Just say the word, and I’ll send Ms. McCain packing.”
“You should do it,” Alix squeaked from the couch.
“Yeah,” Sadie added, biting down on her lip. “Telma was very mystical. She believed in spirits.”
I pressed my lips together, nodding. “Let’s do it.”
“I’ll get to work right away.” Lina approached Mum.
I watched helplessly, my breath bunched together like a ball deep inside my throat.
Tate clasped my shoulders. “You need a break. Let’s go to the cafeteria. Alix and Sadie can monitor Lina.”
“We’ll be here the entire time,” Alix reassured me. “Go.”
“Hold on a minute. How did you know their names?” I frowned at Tate.
Alix winced, exchanging glances with a deeply red Sadie.
“Tell her,” Sadie whispered.
“No, you tell her.” Sadie elbowed Alix.
I swear, if one of them had sex with Tate before we hooked up, I would have to attend more than one funeral this week.
“Well?” I narrowed my eyes between the three of them.
“So you know our ‘girls only’ weekend we do once a year?” Alix scratched her neck.
My face relaxed. “Yes. Shall we do Cancun this year? Or perhaps Key West? I will need some relaxa—”
“And remember how Alix always pays for it because her dad is loaded?” Sadie cleared her throat.
“Yes?”
“My dad is, in fact, loaded,” Alix rushed to say. “But he never paid for our vacations. Tate did.”
I swung my gaze to my husband. He paid for my holidays before we were even together. Why?
He erected a warning finger between us, scowling. “You were wound too tight. Always complaining about how overwhelmed you were. Sending you off once a year was a pleasure. I didn’t have to suffer through your huffing and three hundred Post-it notes.”
“It’s okay, sweetie.” I patted his shoulder, a teasing smile on my face. “I would secretly love me too if I were you.”
He ushered me out of the room and left Lina and Mum with my friends. Our walk to the cafeteria was silent. I bought a cup of coffee and a sandwich I had no intention of eating. The scent of impending death made food unappealing altogether. We settled in the corner of the busy room.
“How are things going with Tiernan?” I dropped my voice to a whisper, since the place was swarming with families and patients.
Tate immediately started tapping his side. His pupils moved in a way that let me know he was solving equations in his head to calm himself down. “He blew up my Ferrari the other day.”
I gasped. “Jesus.”
“I know. Getting another one customized is going to take months. He couldn’t blow up the standard Rover? Prick.”
I gave him a chiding look.
“Also.” He cracked his neck and knuckles. “I had a bit of an episode and might’ve scribbled all over the bedroom a few days ago.”
I hadn’t even noticed.
“Negotiate peace with him,” I demanded.
“Fine.”
“Really?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Really.” He sat back. “I evened the score after the Ferrari incident, so as far as I’m concerned, we’re squared away.”
“What did you do now?” Dread filled my lungs like a toxic fume.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Spill it.” I jerked my chair forward, the sound of its legs scratching the floor startling everyone in the room. All heads spun to us. “You dragged me into your mess, Tate. The least you can do is keep me in the loop.”
“Burned down his underground fight club.”
“Enzo mentioned it was huge. A UFC feeder.” I frowned. “It must be an important source of income for them.”
“Their main financial pipeline, yeah.”
“Jesus, Tate,” I whisper-shouted, drawing more curious glances. “I get it. Conflict is your favorite hobby. But I haven’t asked for any of this. Tiernan is going to do terrible things to me if he catches me.”