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“What the hell, Sam?” Jeff asked, twisting around in his seat trying to figure out what was wrong.

“It’s Roberto,” Samantha gasped.

“Cian’s dead minion?” Jeff lifted his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

Roberto’s smile grew as he casually walked over to the passenger door. His black suit and white shirt were immaculate. Gesturing for her to lower the window, he rested one hand on the roof of the car. Samantha stared at him through the glass, her hands trembling.

“Lower the window, Sam,” Roberto said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“You’re dead,” Sam informed him.

“I am aware of that,” Roberto said, his smile tightening. “Now, lower the window. ”

“You’re talking to him?” Jeff asked, staring past her. “He’s there?”

“Yeah,” Samantha grumbled, lowering the window. “And being a bossy ass as usual. ” She had never gotten along particularly well with Cian’s long time mortal companion. Roberto and Cian had met in Mexico over a hundred years before and had forged a strong friendship that had been destroyed by Roberto’s betrayal. Roberto had chosen to become a vampire and serve The Summoner instead of standing at Cian’s side. Samantha was sure Amaliya had pushed Roberto over the edge, but that didn’t take away from the fact that Roberto was a Class-A asshole.

Once the window lowered, Roberto leaned his elbows on the window sill and stared at her for a long moment. “So you’re finally useful. ”

“Fuck you. ”

“And still charming. ”

Samantha swallowed hard, leaning away from him. She remembered too vividly what happened when she had touched Cassidy. The last thing she wanted was Roberto gaining the ability to hurt them. “What do you want, Roberto?”

“Death does something to you. . . ” Roberto mused, his fingers playing along the edge of the open window. “Not being able to affect the world around you and wandering in circles, trapped. It’s not the most pleasant of experiences. ”

“Why didn’t you move on? You know, go into the light? Or was that light all flamey and fiery?” Samantha arched her brows.

Only Jeff’s steady breathing indicated he was leaning toward her. He was utterly still, waiting to see what would happen. She appreciated him letting her deal with the testy ghost.

Roberto grinned, laughed, and shook his head. “There was nothing. Just darkness and the knowledge that I am tethered here. ” Casting a sorrowful look at the hotel, he said, “I’m stuck in this hell hole. ”

“Why?” Samantha tried to stealthily unbuckle her seatbelt, but the click gave her away.

The ghost’s intense green eyes flicked toward her, his hand flexing slightly on the window sill. “I’m not sure, honestly. The night The Summoner died there were many of us here, trapped by his power. When he died, I fled. I ran down the road. I’m not sure if I even realized I was dead, I just wanted to escape. I got as far as the city limits and was tossed all the way back to the hotel. ” Roberto cast a wary look at the structure.

“And?” Samantha prompted, sensing he was scared and uncertain. She almost felt bad for him, but then she remembered he was a dick.

“The other ghosts were gone,” he said after a beat. “I was alone. ” The lines in his face seemed to deepen as his eyes darkened.

“What do you mean alone?”

“The other ghosts were gone. Some were barely there to begin with. Faded memories, but others were very vivid. Including the girl who shot me. She wouldn’t stop crying. When The Summoner died, I. . . ” He seemed to fade just a little, his form dissolving into the darkness that barely relented to the headlights of the Jeep. Appearing distracted, he stared into the night, toward the graveyard. “Even the graveyard was empty. ”

The sense of being surrounded by the menacing unknown intensified. Of course, she was also speaking to a ghost, so that had her nerves a bit frayed.

Her hands quivered as she twisted in her seat to stare at the phantom. His form was blurring. It was as if she couldn’t focus her eyes upon him. She needed him to talk to her. There was only one way to keep him from slipping away.

Timidly, she touched his hand. For a second she felt nothing, then his flesh became tangible, cold and hard like a corpse.

Roberto sighed with relief and returned his attention to her. “I’m sorry. It is hard to. . . hold on. ”

“Why did you stop the Jeep?” Samantha queried, curious.

“I felt you coming. ”

“How?”