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“We’d love to have you.” He wrapped me in a hug. “Besides, I’m sure when Jamie has the baby, she’ll be wanting you to oh and awe over the little sprite.”

I laughed. “Definitely. It’s a deal.”

Zane shook Nolan’s hand then helped us out to our waiting car. By the time were on the road, the sun was climbing higher into the sky, burning off some of the frost on the ground. I settled into my seat and sighed while enjoying my danish. Beside me, Nolan flicked on the radio. Small note, I hate early morning radio. It’s more talk than music, yet, I also didn’t like the silence in the vehicle either.

“Did you see that show—The Simone Hadley Fines, Halloween night?” one of the DJs said to another person in their studio. “Do you think it’s real?”

“Well, she was in the hospital,” the second person replied. “I’d say it was pretty real, plus there was caution tape up around the Witch House.”

I rolled my eyes. They could believe what they saw, or they didn’t have to. It was up to them. I could care less about their thoughts on what happened. I was there. I went to turn off the radio, but Nolan stopped me. “Listen. People will start defending you now.”

I snorted. “My ankle is grateful.”

He shook his head. “Give them a second. People are so hyped.”

“Don’t go all fangirl stalker on me,” I said, half teasing.

“I’m not. I think I’m still in awe of it all. Sorry, I’m fixating, and I shouldn’t be. You probably don’t give a shit about this.” He scrubbed the top of his head.

“No, you’re trying in your way to show me the impact we made, and I appreciate it. I do. I feel like one show shouldn’t make us. Like, maybe we’re setting the bar too high and we’ll disappoint everyone in the coming weeks.”

Nolan waved me off. “We don’t have a show this coming Friday night to give you a little more time, but I believe in the long run, you’re going to win everyone over.”

“Okay, hype man, I believe you.” I laughed. “But, seriously, can we hook my phone into this system and listen to some tunes? This shit is a little boring.”

Nolan grinned. “Go for it.”

I hooked my phone into the system and hit play. The minute the music began, I gazed out the passenger window as the miles ticked by. The farther we got away from Salem, the less I felt like I was being watched. The prickling sensation at the nape of my neck had been a constant companion since we arrived and now that we were almost out of the area, I could breathe again. I leaned back in my seat and contemplated everything that happened in the last week. Most of it I would never fully understand. The rest, I chalked up to doing my job. We set some people—spirits free which was a good thing, they should have been, but what’d been unleashed there, as well, hadn’t been good. I had to hope Zane knew what he was doing, and he would reach out for help if he needed it.

Nolan threaded his fingers with mine as we crossed over into Boston. The oppressiveness disappeared completely then, and I relaxed. When I glanced over at Nolan, he too appeared a bit more like his usual self.

I couldn’t, again, quite tell you what happened to me at the Witch House, but whatever happened there, I knew would stay with me for the rest of my life. Did some malevolent spirit possess Chase and force him to dig that hole I fell into? Had he been doing it as a prank the whole time? We might never know. According to the doctors, when Chase woke yesterday morning, he couldn’t remember even arriving in Salem, let alone what he was doing there. I felt bad for him in a way. I understood what he was going through. I’d been through the same the next day after being in the canyon, but unlike him, I hadn’t done anything to hurt anyone.

Now, even if he couldn’t remember what happened, he’d have to face a reality where all the shitty things he’d done to people were about to nip him in the ass. I didn’t feel good about the idea of him having to face the looming charges or the social media backlash, I never wanted that karma thrown back on me, however, in this case, I hoped justice handed down a punishment befitting of his crimes.

“What are you thinking about over there?” Nolan caressed the juncture of my thumb and forefinger with the pad of his thumb.

I took a deep breath then grinned. “How much I can’t wait to get to Savannah so I can see what kind of trouble we can get into again.”

Nolan threw his head back and barked out a laugh. “You are a strange, strange woman, Simone Hadley.”

A small smirk tugged at my mouth. "And you enjoy my strangeness."

“Damn straight I do.”

I stared at him for a moment longer then turned my attention to the road laying out before us.Here we come, Savannah. I hope you’re ready for us...