I had savored tucking both kids in, sharing giggles and kisses with them. Funny how facing death made regular life so appealing.
“Doc?” I whispered in the darkness, hoping he was still awake.
“What?”
I rolled toward him. “If anything happens to me—”
“I’m not going to let it.”
“But if—”
“Violet.” He turned, facing me. “You can’t go into this with doubts.” He took my hand. “Together we will kill this bastard.”
I stared into his dark eyes, wanting to believe him with all of my heart.
“And anything else that comes our way while we’re at it.” He lifted my hand, kissing my curled fingers. “Besides, I think you’re underestimating Cornelius.”
“What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you noticed that since he started helping us, his abilities have grown and improved, the same as yours, mine, and Prudence’s?”
“I guess so.” I shifted closer. “You aren’t worried about that freaky room in his head?”
“A little, of course. I’ve seen some of what’s behind that door, remember?”
“Yeah.” I shivered, easing in closer to him.
“Are you cold?” Doc asked.
“A little.” I rubbed my foot down his leg, tired of thinking about devils.
He flinched. “Your toes are ice nuggets. Where are the socks I bought you?”
“In the laundry.” I wrapped my leg around him, moving in to kiss his neck. “How about you warm me up?”
He rolled over on top of me, his eyes dark and sexy as he stared down at me. “Do you want me to start with your lips or your feet?”
I wrapped my legs around him. “How about somewhere in the middle?”
While he kissed me, his warm hands stole under my thermal shirt and found my soft parts. “Cantaloupes, huh?” he whispered against my neck.
“It wasn’t sexy, Doc,” I said, moving my hips against him.
He groaned. “Boots, everything on you is sexy.”
Epilogue
Wednesday, January 16th
A little after 9 p.m.
“I’m really getting sick of this place,” I muttered, shivering in the cold.
Once again, I found myself staring up at the Sugarloaf Building on a dark and snowy night.
“You and me both,” Doc said. “Don’t forget this.” He handed me my mace and then closed the back door of Harvey’s pickup, which we were using since my SUV might draw more attention from any locals driving past. We’d brought the mirror along in addition to the mace, but only as an “in case of emergency” option.
I shivered, squeezing my coat tighter at my neck. I’d forgotten my hat, but Cornelius had found one of Harvey’s in the back seat—a fur-lined bomber cap with ear flaps that he claimed made me look like a mad poodle thanks to my “crazy curls.” I let his hair remark go unpunished, too wired about the fight ahead of me to bother with giving knuckle-rubs right then.
Doc pulled his dark stocking hat lower over his ears, reminding me of a lumberjack minus his trusty ax. “You ready to do this, Killer?”
“Sure. Why not.” I looked over at where Cornelius stood near the front of the truck. “How about you?”
He held up his one-horned Viking helmet that he liked to use during séances. “Give no truces to your enemies.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It’s part of an old Viking saying.” He braced as a gust of wind whipped snow at us, peppering our faces.
Doc’s phone pinged. He looked down at the screen. “Coop says the coast is clear.”
Cooper was standing guard at the intersection down near the main road until we were settled in and the game was underway.
Another gust slammed into us, whooshing up from the Open Cut next door. My face stung from the freezing blast.
“Damn, it’s cold tonight.” Doc grabbed my elbow, leading me toward the chained front doors. “Let’s go see if this Hungarian bastard feels like having a play date.”
While Doc unlocked the padlock and pulled the chain free from the doors, I frowned across at the buildings that remained from Homestake Gold Mine’s days of shining glory. What was going on with the caper-sus problems Mr. Black had told me about last week? How much did Dominick know about this cult?
I hadn’t heard from the slick charmer since Sunday night on Aunt Zoe’s porch. If I succeeded tonight, I had a feeling he’d be paying me a visit soon. If I didn’t succeed … well, none of this would matter anymore for me.
But it would for Addy.
I shook off that gloomy thought and turned back as Doc shouldered open one of the paint-peeling doors and flicked on his flashlight. “I’ll go first,” he said.
“No, Doc.” I caught his arm and held him back. “I’ll go first tonight.” I could tell by his tight lips that he didn’t like letting me lead, but I slid by him anyway and stepped into the cold, musty darkness, my mace firmly in hand.
I shined my light around the big, open front room, taking in the pieces of plaster and critter droppings littering the floor. The footprints from our last visit had a small layer of dust coating them. The murky plastic still covered the windows, same as before. The faint orange glow from the street lights down the road seemed dimmer this evening, or maybe the previous visit was just brighter in my memory. Wind whistled through the old wooden panes, sending swirls of dust through my light’s beam. The cold had long ago settled into this place, making the air seem heavy and feel damp.
I sighed. I’d much rather be at Aunt Zoe’s house in front of the fire with the kids and Mona, who’d agreed to babysit for me this evening on one condition: When we returned home, I’d explain why she’d found the words “Not Alone” written in Jane’s handwriting on the whiteboard this last Monday morning. She also was curious why my stapler had been on the
