Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) - S.E. Harmon Page 0,54

enough for her tastes, she smacked my arm. “I said, isn’t that right?”

“Jesus, yes. Right. I was already beaten up by a serial killer, you know,” I said with an extra dose of drama. “You don’t need to add to it.”

“He just smacked you around a little. Nothing a bag of frozen peas won’t fix.”

I glared. “Your empathy is astounding.”

She shrugged. When she touched my bruised cheek gingerly, I winced. “I have some salve that might help.” Her eyes brightened. “Hey, maybe next time the ghost will show you the murder. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

My eyebrows climbed my forehead. “Look, if you want to be the only twin, just say so.”

“I’m serious. If you could learn how to control that skill, it could be invaluable. Imagine how you’d be helping Joey.”

“Helping him relive the worst and last moments of his life?”

“Helping him know he’s not alone during the last moments of his life,” she said firmly. “You can take some of his burden, and then you finish the job by catching his monster.”

“Maybe,” I finally said.

“You’re doing a good thing, Rainstorm,” she said, brushing back the hair out of my eyes. It immediately fell right back over my forehead. “This is important work and they need you. You’ll figure it out.”

“That’s… actually a pretty smart way to look at it.”

“I’m a smart cookie,” she said with a grin.

“Definitely as smart as a cookie,” I agreed. I knew that remark would net me a punch in the arm. Even though I steeled myself, I still yelped when she socked me. “Ow.”

Her grin grew. “Wuss.”

Below us, two cars pulled up almost simultaneously—one I didn’t recognize and Danny’s Charger right behind it. He pulled next to the curb and got out. The car honked as he engaged the alarm with the remote. We waved as he disappeared inside.

The other car flashed the lights twice, and my sister waved as my nieces, twin girls named Kari and Kassi, tumbled out of the back seat. They spotted me at the same time and squealed.

“Let me get them settled and doing homework before dinner.” Sky groaned as she used my shoulder to lever herself to her feet. “They’ll be frothing at the mouth to see you, so it’ll provide some good motivation.”

I stood up too, smiling crookedly. Danny wasn’t the only reason I’d come back from DC. My family had played an essential role in that decision, also. Now I lived close enough to my parents to keep an eye on them, a little too close, perhaps, but that was another story for another day. I was also close enough to drop in on my sister anytime I wanted, and I was able to be part of my nieces’ lives, not just watch them grow up through texts and Facetime calls. And I get to do it all with the person I love the most right by my side.

“I want to see them too,” was all I said.

She looked at me for a moment and then smiled. “It’s okay to feel things, you know. I mean that with love.”

“And I mean this with love,” I said pleasantly. “Shut up.”

“Dinner shouldn’t be too long. I’ll send Danny up,” she said, patting my cheek. “You want me to let him know that you guys are staying?”

“No, I should be the one to break the news.” At her squint, I smiled. “I mean, tell him the good news.”

“You do that.”

She disappeared down the hatch, and I stood there in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the view. Dusk was approaching fast, turning the sky purple and pink, and it looked like a photoshopped picture. I wasn’t going to be building a yurt anytime soon, but the view was something I could get used to. Meryl Cheep chirped, and I gave her side-eye. She didn’t seem at all concerned that she was ruining the peace.

“You know, they may be vegetarians, but I’m not,” I said meaningfully. “I stand with the Colonel when I say birds are finger-lickin’—”

“Hey.”

I turned at the sound of Danny’s voice behind me. He didn’t look pleased and that was before his gaze dropped to my bruised cheek. Gentle, warm fingers turned my face this way and that. I felt strangely vulnerable in that moment, which was rather annoying. Danny went on the shortlist of people who could make me feel that way, right before my sister and directly behind my mother.

When he spoke, his anger was barely restrained. “Did Kane do this to you?” He