Page 32

Lasher

It amused me how many people were taking pictures around me. Whatever was behind this haunting had made everyone stop and take notice. The ‘haunting’ had taken on a life of its own, and now a legend was growing about a dancer and sheriff who’d been cruelly kept apart. Naturally, it didn’t help that Oil and I stuck our noses in and helped the story grow.

Inglorious may be loath to use this, but I didn’t see anything bad in it. The event had been packed for the last two weeks, and everyone was ecstatic about the money they’d earned. It had been the busiest fortnight since we’d opened. There was nothing wrong with that.

“Hey,” Daisy Duke said, swinging into the tattoo parlour.

“Darlin’,” I greeted her with a kiss.

“Did you notice what happened at the parade?”

“Couldn’t have missed it. Still, it’s not a bad thing for the businesses,” I replied.

Daisy Duke nodded, her eyes glowing. This woman had taken a chance on an ornery biker and given him the best of her. Ain’t nothing that would ever replace that, nor should it. She held my life in her hand, and my heart hurt for Oil. He’d loved my sister, Kitty, the same way, and since her death, he’d not looked at anyone else.

“Thinking of Kitty?” Daisy Duke asked.

“Yeah. I miss her,” I muttered.

“She was one of a kind. It was good of Inglorious to allow her to be buried here.”

“He didn’t have much choice. Neither did Oil. He couldn’t keep carrying her ashes everywhere. Kitty deserved rest, and I think it helped him let go a little.”

“That would be me, you know,” Daisy Duke asked as she peeked out of the window.

“Then we’re going to have to die together.”

“That simple?” Daisy Duke laughed.

“For us, yes,” I said, and she wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly. I’d fight the devil himself for this woman.

Nanci

I stared at the dancing legs on stage and shook my head. Beside me, Meadow clutched my hand. Amy lunged forward and positioned herself in front of me.

“Is everyone seeing that?” Mare demanded. He shoved forward to cover us from harm.

The player piano in the corner, an original to the hotel, tinkled, and chills ran up our spines. We all stepped back as we turned our heads, and the legs paused. The player piano groaned as Inglorious entered, with half the brothers on his heels. Then, with a loud whir, it started playing, and the legs began dancing.

“What the fuck?” Inglorious yelled.

A low chuckle came from the stairs, and everybody spun to face it. The piano stopped, and we saw a shadow on the landing. Red eyes stared down at us, then it slid down the wall. The insidious way it did made me shiver, and I hid behind Inglorious. Everyone seemed shocked when it reached ground level and lunged at Razor. He yelled and jumped back, and it disappeared.

“We need a fuckin’ exorcist,” Vortex ground out.

“Are we sure it’s not Phoenix Michaelson?” Widowmaker questioned.

“Yes. She fucked with Delta Force.”

Everybody turned to Tracker. “What do you know?” I asked, still hiding behind Inglorious. Rather magnanimously, I thought the spirit could eat him first because I was pregnant. That was his duty to me, and it made perfect sense.

I glanced over at the stage and saw that the legs had gone. I was so sleeping with the lights on tonight.

“Jacob was bitching that Phoe had a ghost chasing the people using their equipment and assault course. She accused him of being stuffy,” Tracker replied.

“Christ,” Inglorious muttered.

“Yeah, Jacob admitted it was a pretty good prank, once he’d calmed down. It also bought him some extra business in,” Tracker remarked.