I reach down over my crotch, my erection stiff and throbbing needlessly and—
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
“Jesus,” I swear under my breath.“Vivienne Henry, you have immaculate timing.”
Brom immediately removes his hand and sits up, eyes wide with fear.Kat presses her hand to her chest.“That’sher?”she whispers.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Right outside the damn door.
I get up and grab the candlestick.
“You two stay here,” I say, heading toward the door.
“And let you go out there alone?”Kat says, getting to her feet alongside Brom.
“I don’t want to put you in any danger,” I tell her.
“Your late wife tried to drown me in the bathtub,” she points out.“I think I can manage.”
I nod, feeling a little guilty over that, then I open the door to the hall.
“Wait,” Brom whispers, and he runs over to the desk, coming back with the key brandished in his hand, the one that had been left behind with the dead snake.“We might need this.”
“Good thinking,” I tell him.
I poke my head out and look.
There’s the trail of blood as usual, going past my door, and then the sight of Vivienne’s feet being dragged around the corner.
“Oh my goodness,” Kat gasps, her head below mine.“That’s really…that’s a ghost.”
I step out into the hall, only then realizing I disturbed the line of salt I put around the room to keep the horseman contained.
“Do I need to keep you in chains?”I say to Brom.
He stares down at the salt and shakes his head.“He won’t be a problem.”
“You know I’m trusting you with our lives,” I tell him grimly.
He swallows and gives me a single nod as he holds my gaze.“I know.”
I believe him.I truly do.
But I don’t trust the horseman.
I’ll just have to keep a close eye on him.Part of me wants to run back into the room and grab the gun, but I’m afraid that will hurt Brom’s own trust in me.So I don’t.
I lock the door behind us, and then the three of us walk down the hall after the ghost, following the trail of blood.My heart is already racing and from the shallow, anxious breaths that Kat is taking, I know she’s feeling the same.I reach down and grab her hand while I hold the candlestick with the other, perhaps more for my comfort than hers.
