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Her eyebrows rose. “A favor? Already?”

“You just told me you help dead people do shit they can’t do.”

“That was not exactly how I phrased my role.”

“That’s what I heard. Anyway, I need these people out of my damn house.”

Miss Veda glanced past me toward the family, who had already gotten entirely too comfortable for my liking. They had only been there a few hours, but every voice carrying through the halls and every set of footsteps moving around upstairs reminded me that strangers were settling into a place I had built for my own family.

Her mouth curved. “Looks like you have company.”

“No, shit. But I prefer the term ‘unwanted guests’.”

“The same people your mother personally chose to live here?” she asked.

“I know what she did.”

“Then perhaps you should respect her decision.”

“I did… for damn near four hours.”

That finally made her laugh for real.

I pointed toward the hallway. “Mothafuckas talking about painting my cabinets, changing my fixtures, wallpapering rooms, and putting their little stamp on every damn thing they can reach. They been here a few hours and already acting like this their forever home.”

Miss Veda followed my attention to the father, who was currently measuring one wall with his hands like the deed already had his name on it.

“I see.”

“Exactly.”

“No. I see that you are territorial.”

“It’s my fucking house,” I gritted.

“And your mother is attempting to preserve it.”

“I understand that part. Hell, after hearing her explain it, I even understand why she doesn’t want the place sitting empty. What I don’t understand is how the fuck these people got here four hours ago and already feel entitled to start changing shit in a house they don’t own. Renters are supposed to unpack, pay they damn rent, and mind their business… not walk through my shit making plans like they waiting on closing papers. They lucky I’m dead, because if I could still put their shit on the curb myself, this conversation wouldn’t even be happening.”

Miss Veda chuckled and folded her arms. “And what exactly are you asking me to do?”

I rubbed my hands together. “Help me remind them they’re renters.”

Her eyes narrowed immediately. “I will not hurt or possess anyone.”

“I ain’t ask you to do either.”

“Nor will I be dragging people down staircases.”

“Damn, what kind of ghosts you usually deal with? I wasn’t planning to drag nobody.”

She continued staring at me.

I shrugged. “I wasn’t.”

“And I’m certainly not stopping anyone’s heart because they insulted your furniture.”

“Now you just making shit up.”