Repossessed (18 page)

She’d had relatives like him. Bitter old men who had a switch you had to flip to ease their minds.

“I understand that you hate the hospital, but look at your poor wife. She’s sick with worry.”

Arthur pursed his lips. “It’s not that bad, sweetheart.”

“Twenty minutes ago, you were in agony. It’s time to go to the hospital.” His wife crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Matilda only wants the best for you.” Tessa took a step forward. “Who would take care of her if something happened to you?”

“How are you feeling, honey?” Matilda asked.

“Like garbage, but I’ll manage.”

Rob’s aunt turned to her. The woman’s face scrunched as if she searched for the proper words. “Did you eat the clam chowder Rob gave you?”

“Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to eat it. I took it to work to eat for lunch and my staff ended up eating it all.”

Her face brightened with relief. “Good thing you hadn’t. Arthur found out I accidentally substituted one of my herbs for a container of lovage. I was so glad you picked up the phone.”

Tessa offered a shaky laugh. Good luck pot of clam chowder indeed. The hospital visit would’ve been the other way around.

Two minutes later, they were in a cab on their way to the nearest hospital. In all honesty, Tessa avoided hospitals like the plague. There were plenty of supernatural physicians available, in particular wizards who operated clinics in their homes, but they didn’t come cheap or offer insurance plans associated with the majority of the employers in NYC.

The emergency room was comfortable, but left little to be desired. Most folks in New York told her not to go to the local hospitals. After hearing the receptionist, she wondered if they’d be issued pagers like they were diners at the local Bennigans.

“What’s the emergency?”

Matilda squinted at the receptionist. “My husband’s having a heart attack.”

“Please go through the double doors and see the nurse.” The receptionist droned the information like a telemarketer recording.

Rob arrived just in time. He stormed into the ER waiting room and spotted them. “How are you feeling?”

“Groggy, but not too bad.”

He addressed his aunt. “My cell died while I was at work. I noticed the phone message while I ate lunch at home.”

“I called Tessa and she helped us get to the hospital.”

He muttered thanks in Tessa’s direction while avoiding her face. She didn’t want him to look at her either. To see her desire under the layers of resentment.

A nurse appeared with a wheelchair to take him through the doors. Rob helped his uncle until he was safely in the chair. Matilda followed close behind until the couple left into the ER. Rob stood there watching them through the tiny window of the closed door.

As she watched his wide back for a few seconds, images flooded her mind of his body on top of hers. His hands intertwined with hers as he made love to her. After a deep breath, she jarred herself out of her reverie. She twisted her eyes away from him and headed for the door.

A strong hand grasped her shoulder. “Wait.”

She avoided his face. Somehow.

“Thanks for stepping in to help.”

She nodded.

“You didn’t tell them... about what I told you.”

“No, I didn’t tell them you were lying to them.” She regretted the words after speaking them. They were the truth, but nonetheless she couldn’t miss when he winced.

“I did what I had to do, Tessa. I was in a position to help, so I took a chance.”

“That doesn’t make being a liar any better. Your aunt and uncle are good people. They deserve the truth.”

I deserved the truth, too.

“You saw my aunt. She’s worried sick about ending up on the street.” He tried to lessen the distance between them, but she took a step back. “I won’t do that to her.”

“You’re gambling for a happy ending, Rob.”

“I’m more than aware,” he grumbled.

She turned to leave again, but he grabbed her arm. “I know you’re mad at me, but I’m still willing to help you if you need it.”

Their eyes locked for a moment. The pain from knowing things never would be the same hit hard.

As she turned to leave she heard him say, “If you’re interested I can pick you up outside of your apartment when the time comes. Just give me a call.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dating Tip #8: When a matchmaker suggests someone for you, there may be ulterior motives: you need to date someone your own age for your own good or perhaps you conjure up ghosts every time you sneeze. Either way, I only make suggestions. You may already know what you need. The true matchmaker lies within.

Tessa had mixed feelings during the next repo mission with Rob. Maybe he knew her feelings left her torn and divided? Most of past boyfriends never read her that well. Even if her and Rob had a rocky start, she’d fight tooth and nail to save her business. And that meant facing him whether she wanted to be in his presence or not.

His eyes brightened when she got into his rental car. She tried not to return his gaze and failed miserably.

After some time heading east, Tessa finally ended the silence between them. “Where are we headed?”

“A job in Long Island. Should be nice and easy.”

From past trips to attractive spots on Long Island, she knew they had at least an hour of travel time ahead of her. Travel time where they’d be forced to talk.

The trip to Fire Island, their final destination, took under an hour. During the drive, he tried a few times to make small talk. She focused on the scenery instead. On a warm, breezy evening like this one, the Long Island coastline was pleasant and comfortable. The rows of beach houses reminded her of her parents’ vacation house on Lake Michigan. They’d spend a few weeks during the summer relaxing on the water during the days that weren’t stifling hot.

Their destination was a double-level beach house painted lime-green with white shutters. The house was dim against the neighboring houses with summer occupants.

“Are you sure they aren’t home?” she asked.

“Clive was told by the loan holder that the owner is on a business trip in Europe. Should be an easy walk in and walk out job.”

She nodded with a sinking feeling that easy should never be applied to doing repo work.

They approached the house from the back door facing the expansive deck.

“Do you want to try an unlock spell?” His attempts for conversation were persistent.

“I’m good.”

Once inside, the deathly quiet house beckoned. The motor within a large marine tank in the living room grumbled and buzzed. Above the tank a long bulb illuminated the space in a blue glow. The water’s reflection bounced along the walls, casting strange dancing shadows. Something didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t put to words the feeling that they weren’t alone. Rob crept ahead, checking around corners to make sure the coast was clear.

The flickering light drew her to the fish habitat where she peered inside to see what caught her eye. Floating near the bottom, a jar—one of those old-fashioned kind you used for preserving jams and such—had to be filled with what looked like snow. In a warm seawater tank? She took a closer look. A familiar marking on the container’s side consisted of three wavy lines. A water witch’s mark…

Now that’s weird
. But not exactly something she’d expect Rob to repo. She touched the tank’s glass and waited for the water to whisper its secrets. Tingles from the jar vibrated into her fingers. None of them good—almost like the hairy tips from a spider’s leg. What was even creepier was how the container slowly slid across the bottom in her direction.

Oh hell no…

Tessa took a step back. No need to lose what little common sense she had left. She should’ve asked Rob what they came here for. She could’ve sped up the process by assisting him in the search. Instead, she left the fish tank behind and looked for Rob in the living room. The furniture was so nice here. What she wouldn’t give to be able to afford this kind of stuff. Like any other luxury beach house, the kitchen had marble counters with a deluxe chef’s stove. She could almost hear the voices of a dinner party with sounds of banter and champagne bottles popping open. A bonfire on the beach would be seen outside the French doors. She’d be standing outside her home, rubbing elbows with the elite of New York.

And all of these riches would’ve come from
her
successful business—if she had one in the next year.

“Tessa, I found the earth witch’s painting. It’s in the basement.”

She turned to Rob as the sounds of the beach party faded from her mind. Time to finish the job and find her scroll at last. The path to the basement was dark until they reached it. Large skylights lit the room, but the focal point that drew her eyes was a set of Victorian sconces above an ornate golden frame of an old French period girl with her small dog. On the other side of the room, a home theater had been setup with two rows of comfortable seating and a projection screen along the wall.

As she approached the painting, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. The palm where she stored the wand itched like hives.

“Rob, let’s repo this thing and get out of here,” she whispered. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

He froze as if he listened for something in the silence.

A faint scent hit her nose. The house had been empty for months. Just a trace of fresh paint and cleaning products lingered in the air. But in this room, something familiar filled her with dread. A rainstorm during lunch. A man with a single name—Dagger.

“About time you two showed up.”

Rob whipped around and pushed her behind him.

From the shadows on the other side of the room, Tessa noticed the brief flare of Dagger taking a drag of his cigarette, before blowing it into the air. The smoke trailed around him, then settled at his feet like an ominous fog.

“I expected you to come alone. But your lady friend is more than welcome to join in on the fun.”

The painting behind them hummed. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Dagger as she fought to remember to breathe. A trap had been set, and they’d waltzed right in.

Rob stared Dagger down without blinking. “Let her leave. This is between you and me.”

“It’s much too late for that now. I promised my pet a chance to play.” Another spark of his cigarette briefly lit the corner. “And both of you triggered his release from the painting anyway.”

Slowly, Tessa turned her head to see the painting had morphed from its original form. In the place of the small dog with its brown coat sat a beast from hell. The girl had vanished, evidently smart enough to flee or maybe she’d been its first course. With bristly black hair and large orange eyes, the beast’s drool dripped down the painting and pooled along the floor.

Oh, shit.

Tessa tapped Rob’s shoulder.

“I know.”

She tapped even harder as the beast in the painting grew in size as it approached the threshold of crossing into the basement.

“I know!” He shoved her toward the stairs. “Run!”

They scrambled up the stairs with Rob taking the lead. They dashed through the kitchen and barreled out of the French doors as the beast exploded out of one of the bedroom windows. It landed with a thud into bushes in the landscaping. The bushes rustled as it approached their position along the beach. They broke into a run.

The grunts of the beast urged them to run faster. Her chest started to burn as their sprint along the uneven ground tired her. The creature sprinted ahead to drive them closer to the water. They came to an abrupt halt as the hellhound jumped ten feet in front of their path. Rob pushed her behind him while reaching into his satchel.

“Do you have a staff?” she hissed. “Maybe a gun?”

Did he roll his eyes at a time like this?

“Do you think guns work on demons?” He searched his bag for something suitable as the monster ambled forward with a menacing growl. They backed up until water lapped at their ankles.

As the creature approached, its size had grown from that of a German shepherd to the size of a large horse with flames spitting from its nostrils. Its skin sizzled as the water touched its paws.

“Water now!” Rob pushed her into knee-deep water.

He pulled her deeper until they waded twenty feet away. She knew how to swim, but after ten minutes of avoiding the shore, her body tired. Rob tread water as if he did it every other day.

“Hang onto to me.”

She didn’t want to touch him, but begrudgingly she wrapped her arms around him. He easily supported her additional weight as he continued to keep their heads above the water.

They had to be in the clear. Until a tingling sensation hit her insides from the shore. Something was gathering energy. Powering up like an engine revving. “What’s that bright light over there?”

Rob took the words right out of her mouth before he pulled her under. “Oh, fuck me…”

From under the water a bright wave of light burst from the coast and spread toward them like lightning. The water rippled as the shock wave propelled them into the ocean’s murky depths. She closed her eyes, her head rattling. For a moment she floated in darkness. Large hands touched her face, then Rob pushed her to the surface.

“Quick breath, another wave’s coming,” he belted out.

She did as instructed before another blast came at them from the beach. The vibrations coursed through the water sending them rolling across the bottom, farther away from the shore. All she could do was hold onto him and hope it all ended soon. Everything was dark. Not even the moonlight penetrated this deep.

Once the onslaught ended, Rob established a hold on a rock to keep them from drifting away while his other hand locked around her arm in a tight grip.

A few seconds later, the water settled once again. From the depths of the cloudy water, it was difficult to make out anything in the distance. The demon’s overwhelming power lurked on the coastline, most likely pacing in circles.

She turned to see Rob staring at her. His face stiffened like stone, imploring her to hold her breath for a bit longer. His body was strangely relaxed. As a water witch, she should be swimming circles around him.