[Charlie Rhodes 06.0] The Incubus Impasse Read online

  The way he hesitated told me that was not on the agenda. “I was only teasing you,” I reassured him. “I know we’re on the clock.”

  “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to play the ‘we’re a simple couple on a romantic wine cruise’ game,” he supplied. “Under different circumstances I’d be all over that. But we’re not going alone.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on me. “I didn’t realize the others were going with us.”

  “Laura overheard me making the arrangements. She’s inside, by the way. She pitched a fit and now everyone is going because Millie interrupted us and actually took Laura’s side for a change. She said she didn’t want to miss out on a booze cruise.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at Jack’s obvious annoyance. He was one of those guys who couldn’t hide his real feelings. It was one of the things I liked best about him. “It’s okay. There’s no harm in going as a group.”

  “I can think of a few ways that I feel harmed. It doesn’t matter, though. The reservations are already set.”

  “I didn’t realize the others were here.” I craned my neck to look inside. “Did they see me out here? I probably look like a loon staring at the ocean for so long.”

  “I don’t care how you look.”

  “So ... I definitely looked like a loon. Good to know.”

  He heaved out a sigh. “You didn’t look like a loon. Millie asked where you were and I told her you were enjoying some downtime outside. She poked her head out but didn’t join you. I think she realized you were busy with other stuff. She’s good like that, even though she’s often a pain in the behind.”

  “What about Laura?” I asked. “There’s no way she doesn’t think I’m a loon.”

  “We don’t care what Laura thinks. She’s a horrible person and we’re happy to pretend she’s not part of the group.”

  “She’s going to be upset when she’s the odd woman out again on the cruise.”

  “I don’t care. Although ... take it easy with the wine. It’s the job of these sommeliers to keep your glass full because if you’re tipsy you’re likely to buy wine. That’s what they want. You’ll think you only have one glass of wine, but because they’re refilling it you’ll get drunk very quickly. I want you to have fun, but you should probably be mindful of that.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry. I don’t even like wine.”

  “That’s even better.” He glanced at the villa to make sure nobody was watching us and then lowered his voice. “I want you to watch the water very carefully. If there are more ghosts out there, even though it’s a different area, I want to know. We need to see if we can get you in contact with them.”

  “I’ll be on the lookout.” I glanced at the three ghosts, who really did look like me from a distance. “This is getting creepier by the minute.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Do you ever get tired of saying that?”

  His grin was lightning quick and full of charm. “No. I mean it. We’ll figure this out. I don’t want you to worry.”

  That was easier said than done.

  THE WINE CRUISE BOASTED A full contingent of passengers. At least fifty enthusiastic guests were on the large sailboat, which glided slowly around the bay. Our small group was seated on one side so we had a clear view of the setting sun.

  “This is kind of nice.” Laura wedged herself between Jack and Chris before we left the dock. She was determined to be part of the action. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She shifted closer to Jack. “A sunset like this can give a person ideas.”

  He didn’t bother to hide his scowl. “Give it up,” he muttered before turning to focus on me. “There are a lot of older gentlemen here,” he noted. “I think we should try talking to them.”

  “Because you think that our victims were trying to hit on some of them?” Millie asked. She was on the other side of me, Bernard on her right, and she looked flushed with excitement and somehow serious at the same time. “By the way, I probably get this mentality better than the rest of you because I spent decades in a world where this regularly happens.”

  I hadn’t thought about that. “You probably saw it all the time; young women trying to entice older men just because they had money. Did any of them ever try to get a reality show deal out of it?”

  Millie snorted. “No, but I managed to extract myself from that world before reality television became big.”

  “It feels as if the Kardashians have been around forever, though.”

  “That’s true.” She patted my shoulder and then turned to study the group. “See those five guys down there.” She inclined her head. “That’s where we should start. They’re clearly here to ogle the women — and, seriously, could those bikini tops be any skimpier? They would’ve been the sort of men our victims targeted.”

  “I don’t want to be overt,” Jack said. “I want to question them, but I don’t want them to be suspicious. We have to be smart about this.”

  “Then you should send me over there instead of going yourself,” Millie noted.

  Jack’s face was blank, which made me want to laugh.

  “No offense, Millie, but I’ve never believed that it’s better to send you to question people rather than doing it myself,” he said finally, clearly choosing his words carefully. “I don’t want to give you grief, but you tend to spout off despite your best intentions.”

  “I know how to read a room better than you,” she persisted. “No, seriously. In this particular case, I can handle those men a great deal better than you.”

  Jack heaved out a sigh. “Whatever. How about we both go check them out?”

  Millie made a face. “You’re only saying that because you feel you need to keep an eye on me. It’s annoying.”

  “Welcome to the real world. There are numerous things that can ultimately turn annoying. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

  “I’ll take it.” The look on Millie’s face told me she wasn’t happy. “You’ll be begging me to take over the conversation. I understand these stuffy, rich dickweasels,” she continued. “You’re the straightforward type. These guys will play games. You’ll be glad I’m with you.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Jack shifted his eyes to me. “Do you want to come or stay here?”

  It felt like a loaded question even though I knew there was no hidden meaning behind it. “I’ll stay.” I’d been watching the water closely for signs of ghosts and, so far I’d come up empty. “I don’t particularly like dickweasels.”

  Jack’s lips quirked. “Fair enough. Remember what I said about the wine, and be careful when walking close to the sides. There are rope lines keeping you safe, but it would be easy to slip between them.”

  I could see that myself. “I’ll be on the lookout for sharks if something happens and I fall overboard.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “It’s kind of funny.”

  BECAUSE SHE COULDN’T TOLERATE BEING left out, Laura insisted on going with Jack and Millie. As much as I hated watching Laura try to flirt with Jack, I was relieved she’d opted to move away from me. That allowed me to watch the water without her prying eyes invading my space. As a gadget guy, Bernard was more interested in the nautical equipment, so he made his way to the steering column and started talking to the crew. That left me alone ... although not for long.

  “Nice night, huh?”

  A blonde in skintight capris, her hair pulled back in a long ponytail, plopped down in the open spot next to me. She wore a tank top that put all her assets on display and a pair of six-inch heels that couldn’t possibly have been considered safe on a sailboat.

  “I ... .” My mouth went dry when I lifted my eyes and scanned her face. I recognized her.

  “Harlequin Desdemona Stryker,” she offered. “You can call me Harley.”

  Like I could ever forget that name. “What are you doing here?” I took a moment to glance around, to see if any of the gues
ts were acting weird. They didn’t seem to be paying us any attention. “Can they see you?”

  The question made her laugh. “Yes. I’m not a ghost. You don’t have to worry about that. Speaking of ghosts, though, you know you have a situation, right?”

  Harley was a crossroads demon. She made deals with people for their souls. We’d met in New Orleans a few weeks ago, to my utter surprise she’d helped Jack and me out of a tight jam. I wasn’t sure I would ever see her again. Apparently I was to be graced with her presence on any number of occasions.

  “You know about the ghosts by the hotel on Folly Beach,” I noted, my interest piqued. “Can you see them?”

  She nodded. “I have an interesting skill set. Of course, you do, too. The ghosts are the talk of the paranormal world in this area.”

  “And what are you doing here? I thought you were stationed in New Orleans.”

  “That’s the thing. When you do what I do for a living, you have customers all over the world. I don’t stay in one specific place. I hop around.”

  “You must have a home base.”

  “I do.” She didn’t offer up a location, instead barreling forward. “Do you know why the ghosts are doing what they’re doing?”

  I was taken aback. “Why would I know? Why don’t you know?”

  “Because I’m not omniscient. Everyone is trying to figure it out. The ghosts are anchored here. They’re essentially being tortured. Their souls cannot move on unless they’re freed.”

  A sneaking suspicion stole over me. “One of the souls belongs to you, doesn’t it? I mean … you made a deal for it.”

  Her petal pink lips curved. “You’re smarter than you look. I’ll give you that.” She patted my arm and glanced out at the water. “One of the dead women did sell her soul for fame and fortune.”

  “Technically none of these women achieved fame and fortune.”

  “In local circles they did. That’s a semantics argument anyway. I can’t claim her soul until it’s freed and, try as I might, I can’t free the soul myself. I think you’re going to have to help me.”

  “I don’t know how to free the souls.”

  “You’ll figure it out.” Harley sounded sure of herself as her busy eyes landed on Jack. He stood on the opposite side of the boat, his arms folded over his chest, glaring in our direction. Millie stood somewhat in front of him, engaging one of the older men in conversation, and Laura was to his back talking nonstop. It was obvious she was trying to get his attention. “Your boyfriend doesn’t like me.”

  “He doesn’t know you,” I countered. “To be fair, I can’t decide if I like you either.”

  She chuckled, genuinely amused. “You’re funny. I like that about you. And, don’t even bother denying it. You like me and we both know it.”

  She was right. I did like her. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about the ghosts,” I insisted. “It started out as one and now there are three. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I haven’t either and I guarantee I’ve been around longer than you. The fact that the ghosts are showing up anchored to this plane in such a specific way makes me think your killer is doing it on purpose. Do you know what you’re dealing with yet?”

  I shook my head. “My boss thinks it’s an incubus.”

  “What do you think?”

  That was a good question. “I don’t know. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around. I don’t feel as if I know enough about incubi to even be certain they’re real.”

  “Oh, they’re real.” Harley’s lips curved as Jack slid around Millie and started in our direction. He looked to have fought his instincts for as long as possible and was now giving in to his baser urges. That meant he couldn’t leave us alone to converse in case Harley wanted to cause trouble. “I figured he wouldn’t be able to stay away.”

  “Don’t give him grief,” I warned, my voice low. “He’s doing the best he can. This is all new for him.”

  “No promises.” Her eyes sparked as she glanced at me. “Did I mention how much I love messing with guys who are as tightly wound as Jack? This is going to be fun.”

  That was not the word I would’ve used to describe our predicament.

  Eleven

  Jack managed to plaster a smile on his face, but it was hardly pleasant. He immediately positioned himself so he could act as my personal security guard, something I found mildly amusing given the fact that Harley was a demon. She could’ve taken him out without batting an eyelash.

  “Good evening.” He greeted her tersely. “I didn’t realize you lived in Charleston.”

  Harley grinned. “I’m a world traveler at heart.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” Jack glanced around. No one was paying us any attention as far as I could tell. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Laura was watching from the other side of the boat and it was obvious she was curious.

  “You mustn’t worry, Jack,” Harley offered in a low voice. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “I don’t care about me.”

  “I’m not here to hurt Charlie either,” she promised. “I happened to be in town for something else and discovered her presence. I thought we might compare notes, nothing more.”

  Jack didn’t look convinced. “How did you find out she was here?”

  “She has a certain presence. I’m certain you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  Jack didn’t look amused by the statement. “I think you should go.”

  “Oh, really?” Harley arched a challenging eyebrow. “How should I do that? Do you want me to throw myself over the side and swim for the shore? I’m guessing that would draw attention, which is the exact opposite of what you want.”

  Jack scowled. “I don’t think you should be here. People will talk.”

  “What people?” Harley was enjoying herself far too much. “None of these people have any idea who I am or why I’m here. If I suddenly disappear into thin air, that might cause some talk. You need to chill out.”

  Jack glowered at her. “Why are you here? What do you want from Charlie? You don’t want to ... take her ... do you?”

  The question caught me off guard. Was that what he was worried about? “Jack, I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  His gaze never left Harley’s face. “You can’t take her.”

  Even though she was the sarcastic sort — she could’ve majored in it at college she was so good — she took pity on him and sighed. “I’m not here to take her from you, Jack. I don’t operate under parameters of that sort.”

  “Charlie told me how you operate. You steal souls.”

  “I barter for souls. There’s a difference. Charlie isn’t stupid enough to trade her soul away. Besides, she already has everything she wants — well, almost everything — and she’s not stupid enough to trade away her future for answers on a past that will become clear without me at some point.”

  It took me a moment to sort out what she’d just said. “You know about my biological parents?”

  Harley hesitated before sliding her eyes to me. “No, but I could find out if you made a deal. That’s how it works. You don’t want to make that deal, though.”

  “Definitely not,” I agreed. “I want answers, but I’m not willing to trade my soul for them.”

  “So we understand one another.” She flashed me a winning smile before focusing on Jack. “I understand that you’re gripped by fear at the notion someone you don’t recognize or understand — or rather some thing — will someday take her from you. If you constantly live life looking over your shoulder, you’re going to lose out on the joy she brings to your life. Is that what you want?”

  He hesitated before shaking his head. “This is new for me.”

  “I know. You’ll be fine.” She patted his arm and grinned as she caught my chastising gaze. “Don’t look at me like that. I get my kicks where I can. This isn’t always an uplifting job.”

  “Is that why you’re here?” Jack asked. “Are
you on a job?”

  “She’s here for one of the women,” I supplied. “You haven’t told me which one.”

  “I can’t tell you. It ultimately doesn’t matter. I’ve asked around, stopped in to chat with the local reapers. They all say the same thing. None of the souls were present to be gathered. Whatever creature is doing the killing is somehow restraining the souls as well.”

  “And what sort of creature does that?” Jack asked, his hand automatically moving to my back so he could lightly rub his knuckles up and down my spine. “I mean ... do you know what’s doing this?”

  Harley shook her head. “No, and don’t think I’m not interested. I’m stuck in this place until I can claim my soul. I was hoping Charlie would have an idea — and I am intrigued at the notion of an incubus — but I can’t say with any degree of certainty that we’re dealing with a demon. It could be something else.”

  “Like what?”

  “Not all creatures are one thing,” she explained. “Like Charlie here. She’s magical at her core, but she’s also a good person firmly anchored in a human world. I can’t get a true sense regarding her blood. I think she’s a hodgepodge of things. There’s some witch in there, maybe a little mage. It’s ... weird.

  “I’ve done a little research since meeting you in New Orleans,” she continued. “What I’ve found makes you even more intriguing. It’s been suggested that you’re the culmination of several lines of little magic, meaning that all those tiny magic genetic markers somehow erupted into a big line ... and you’re something new.”

  “And who suggested that?” Jack demanded.

  “People in the trade,” Harley answered, waving her hand. “I’m not providing you with that information, Jack, so you’ll have to let it go. All I can tell you is that Charlie is garnering interest. Before you freak out, you should know that doesn’t mean people want to take her from you. They will, however, want to tap into her magic. It’s a simple reality when you’re as powerful as Charlie. You’ll have to get used to it.”

  “I won’t let anyone hurt her.” Jack’s tone was icy. “That includes you.”