Page 121 of Adored

This had to be Hemmingway.

As someone who was part Native, he believed in ghosts and spirits. He’d seen some shit in ancient places that he couldn’t explain, and this was one more thing to add to the list.

His lover’s dead brother was haunting the stable.

Oh, boy.

As his horse saw the figure, once more, Diablo went haywire, scratching at the gate with his front hoof, trying to get out.

Gamble just put his hand on Diablo’s neck, and watched as the apparition stared at him.

At first, neither spoke, as if the ghost wasn’t quiet sure Gamble could see him.

Well, he could.

Finally, he took a chance.

“Hemmingway?” he asked.

There was the same laughter that he heard, and it was different than when Poe laughed.

“I’m Gamble,” he said. “I was a soldier too.”

The man just stared at him.

“I’m your brother’s lover.”

God.

But that sounded tacky as shit. Mental note, he was proposing tomorrow. He was sick of the lover and boyfriend bullshit.

Instead of answering, Hemmingway pointed off toward a path that he and Poe had used today. He knew right where it led to.

The cemetery.

Well, shit.

Then, as quickly as he was there, Hemmingway was gone.

Into.

Thin.

Air.

Gamble wasn’t sure what to believe, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t asleep. For now, he had to make up his mind. Stay there and protect Poe, or risk this wild goose chase after a dead man into the trees?

It took him a good ten seconds to make up his mind. Grabbing the blanket that he used to ride Diablo, he knew that Hemmingway might be able to help him.

So, it was time to ride.

As soon as the gate was open, the demon horse took off, and Gamble had to drop the blanket and grab onto the horse’s mane to get on his back before he was gone.

It looked like they were going to race toward the cemetery, and after what the horse thought was his owner.

His old owner.

Gamble held on, and the trail was wicked and wild, but he had been right.