Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) - S.E. Harmon Page 0,111

and that’s all that matters. And that’s thanks to you.”

“You shouldn’t be thanking me,” I said a tad angrily. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place.”

“I’m fine—”

“You’re not fine. You’re in a fucking hospital.” I pulled back, but he wouldn’t let me get far. His hand secured around my wrist, keeping me in place. “I just… I never thought you’d be one of them.”

“You and me both.” His smile was wry. “But Rain, I have to say you were the one thing that made it okay. Seeing you and knowing you could see me… I knew everything was going to be all right.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just listened as he went on. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to not be seen or heard for years, even decades. And then finally meet someone who can see you and wants to help you.” His grip tightened on my hand. “If you ever doubt what you do for them, I just want you to know that it’s no small thing.”

I felt like I could breathe for the first time since I’d seen him standing in front of me as a ghost. I let out a whoosh of air. “I guess.”

“I know,” he corrected.

“You can’t deny that you wouldn’t have been in danger if I wasn’t a medium. We wouldn’t have to go on strange ghost missions. You wouldn’t have to wear a protective necklace.”

He glanced down instinctively, clearly seeing the corded leather rope and the thin pendant, small and flat as a penny, around his neck. “Well, now, that’s certainly new. Is this from your mother?”

I was too busy ranting to answer. “There wouldn’t be any ghosts in your home, invading your privacy, and butting into your life.”

“Rain—”

“Watching us have sex or riding with you in the car—”

“Rain,” he said sternly.

I blew out a frustrated breath. “What?”

“Kiss me.”

I opened my mouth to argue and then realized, yeah, that was a capital idea. I cradled his face in my hands and kissed him softly. When I would’ve pulled away, he chased my lips, stretching up to capture my mouth again. He deepened the kiss, and I relaxed into it with a sigh.

The machine to his left started beeping, and I pulled away, startled. Danny chuckled. “Now you’ve gone and done it. They’ll probably be in here in a few minutes.” He sent me a rueful glance. “Baby, you’re hell on my blood pressure.”

I blushed even as he laughed. “Fuck you, McKenna.”

Chapter 29

Two days later, they released Danny from the hospital.

He was pretty gung ho about leaving, and listened earnestly as the stern nurse relayed his discharge instructions. It was actually kind of cute—he would promise just about anything to leave. If she’d told him to tie one hand behind his back and hop on one foot, he would have, as long as it resulted in his release.

Everything went smoothly enough until a guy from transport arrived with a wheelchair. Oh boy. The poor man barely set one foot in the door before Danny declined his services. The nurse held up a hand for the man to stay and promptly explained hospital policy for discharges.

Danny’s face darkened ominously. The nurse didn’t look remotely impressed. She may have been over sixty and wearing a smock covered in colorful, smiling cats, but I could tell she was about that life.

I made some vague excuse about pulling the car around that neither of the combatants paid any attention to. I exited the room on Danny’s plaintive, I don’t need a freaking wheelchair, and headed for the parking garage.

I had company as I drove to the front of the hospital in the form of two ghosts, Ellen and Brian. My talk with Danny had given me perspective, and I’d relaxed my desire to vanquish on sight. I still watched them warily. The two of them only seemed interested in convincing me to complete the quest that ended their lives.

Yeah, sign me right up for that.

“Brian and I have always been explorers at heart,” Ellen said, her brown eyes earnest. “We were kind of obsessed with finding that lost treasure. Maybe we took a few more risks than we should have.”

“Lots of gold coins,” Brian said with relish. He was a short fireplug of a guy with spiky dark hair. “Supposedly from the Spanish treasure fleet of 1712.”

“That’s all well and good, but that doesn’t explain how you two got stuck in an