Came Back Haunted (Experiment in Terror #10) - Karina Halle Page 0,115

the cookies,” she says, sliding a sheet of freshly baked sugar cookies toward me. “These are for tomorrow.”

“Sure,” I say, and she hands me a piped bag of frosting.

“Listen,” she says, while I feebly attempt to decorate. This is not my strong suit. “I’m really sorry you’ve been going through all of that. You should have told me.”

I give her a quick smile. “You have your own problems, Ada. I didn’t want to add to them. But yes. I should have told you. And I will next time…”

I stare at her so she realizes it’s her turn to say the same.

She laughs softly. “Yes. I should have told you too. I should have opened up, but honestly, it’s just…I feel stupid. It’s embarrassing. I can’t believe that Jay would just…leave me like that. He left me, Perry. He listened to Jacob, picked him over me.”

“You knew that might happen…”

“I know. I know, but I didn’t want to believe it. I love him. I really do and I thought he loved me. But he fucking didn’t.”

She swallows hard and I go over to her, putting my arm around her shoulder. “Hey. Maybe he did love you. He sure acted like he did. I know he’s hard to read to an outsider, but even I could tell that he cared about you a great deal.”

“But not enough.” She pulls away, sniffing.

“He’ll be back though, won’t he? That’s what Jacob told me.”

“Jacob lies,” she says. “I fucking hate him.”

Perfect segue.

I fold my arms. “What if I told you that you could do something that would really piss him off. And that you would have to go behind his back.”

Her eyes go bright. Now I have her full attention. “What are you talking about?”

“All that I said earlier, I left something out. Something about the house.”

“What?”

“Maximus is in that house. He’s back.”

“Maximus!” Her eyes nearly fall out. “He’s alive?!” she squeals.

“No. No, he’s dead. But he’s back.”

She frowns. “Like a ghost?”

“I don’t know what he is. He’s more than a ghost, he’s very physically real, but we have an opportunity to pull him out of the Veil, out of that house. For good. Dex and I can’t do it, and we can’t get a hold of his ex, Rose, who would have been able to help. But you can do it.”

“I can?”

I nod. “I talked to Jacob about it. When I was here last. Jacob went into Hell and pulled Maximus out, but he could only get him as far as the Veil, in that house. I don’t know why he couldn’t do the rest, but when I asked if you could, he said you weren’t ready, and he also said he wouldn’t do it. To me, it sounded more like you were ready, and he just didn’t want you helping.”

“I can’t believe he said that,” she seethes, biting on her lip, her eyes flaring. “And didn’t even give me the choice!”

“Well, Maximus thinks you’ll be able to do it, no problem. And my witch…doctor…she said you should be able to as well. You went to Hell to get Mom, you can easily do this. We all have faith in you.”

“And you’re just letting me?” she asks, brow cocked.

I chuckle. “I’m not saying I want you to do this, but I know I can’t stand in your way if you choose to do so.” I pause. “Do you think you can do this?”

She breaks into a wide, sassy grin. “Perry, you have no idea what I can do.”

Christmas arrives the next morning, right on time.

There’s no snowfall here in Portland, but there’s a thick layer of white frost on the lawn that looks just as pretty.

We all get up slowly, and make coffee spiked with Baileys, have a big breakfast, then gather around the tree in our pajamas and slippers and house robes, opening presents. Christmas music plays, the house is warm, everything feels perfect for once. I have my loved ones, my family, and we’re all safe in this moment.

Like that darkness inside me lifts just a little, just enough to let the light in.

And when the day turns into night, Ada, Dex, and I start making plans.

Twenty-Two

“Can we go to the bar after this?” Ada pipes up from the backseat. “I brought my fake ID.”

I eye her in the rearview mirror. “Why don’t we play this by ear? You sure you want to go to a bar looking like Catwoman?”

She smiles like that’s a compliment, even though I think she was going