Page 17 of Dead Calm (Cold Case Psychic #38)

After a quiet breakfast, Ronan got the kids settled in at arts and crafts.

Fitzgibbon agreed to stay and keep an eye on all of them, with the exception of Everly who insisted she be allowed to help Ten call out Walt.

She was convinced she could help and Ronan was in no position to refuse.

With the way things had gone over the last twenty-four hours between Lainie and Kurt and Hurricane Sophie roaring up the Atlantic coast, Ronan was ready to cut bait and head home.

Ten opened the door to their suite and took a seat on the sofa with Everly. Jude sat in an arm chair beside her and Cope sat next to Ten.

“You gonna let that asshole sit in your seat?”

Ronan looked around the room. Who the hell said that? He supposed it didn’t matter much. When you’re right, you’re right. He approached Cope and tapped his shoulder. “That’s my seat.”

“Oh, sorry.” Cope got off the sofa and sat beside Jude. He shot Jude a confused look.

Ronan took the seat on the other side of his husband, where he belonged.

“Walt, are you here?” Ten asked. His curious eyes kept landing on Ronan. Ten waited several seconds and spoke again, “Walt, we all know you’re here. Show yourself!”

“Yeah, where the hell is good old Walt? He’s the troublemaker. Tell him to get his ass in here. You don’t need this bullshit!”

Ronan grinned. He most definitely did not need this bullshit!

“Come on, you son of a bitch! You wanted a piece of me earlier, now’s your shot!

” Ronan shouted, his voice echoing off the high ceiling.

The entire situation with Kurt and Walt was bullshit.

He was on vacation. He’d earned this time off through his blood, sweat and tears.

How fucking dare this ghost fuck things up for him?

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Everly asked.

“Tell that brat to mind her own damn business. Women should be seen and not heard. Preferably not seen either!”

“I’m fine. The sooner we get this asshole to show his fucking self, the sooner we can get back to vacation.” Ronan jumped up from the sofa and began to pace.

“I think he’s already here,” Everly whispered.

Ronan rounded on his daughter. “What do you mean he’s here? If he were here I’d know! I’m the man of this fucking family! It’s time I run things my way!” His anger building even higher, Ronan balled his fists. “Walt! Where the fuck are you?” he shouted.

Jude reached for Everly’s hand. “I think it’s time to get you out of here. There’s something seriously wrong with your father.”

“I know, Uncle Jude, but I’m not going anywhere. I need to help Daddy.” As she spoke, Everly never took her eyes off Ronan.

“How can you help him?” Jude asked. “I’m worried that he’s going to get even madder if you try.”

“I know, but it will be okay.” Everly leaned over and whispered something in Ten’s ear that Ronan couldn’t hear.

“Are you gonna let her talk like that behind your back? Little bitch needs to learn some manners. No one better to teach her than you!”

“Hey, stop that! If you’ve got something to say, say it to all of us.” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. It was long past time he put his unruly, loudmouthed daughter in her place.

“Daddy, do you remember the day I was born?” Everly asked.

“Of course I remember! What kind of fool do you take me for?” Whatever game the child was playing wasn’t going to work. He was much too smart for that.

“Tell me what happened. It’s my favorite story.” Everly smiled at Ronan. She patted the seat next to her. “Come sit with me.”

He sneered at the child but did what she asked. “The day you were born was sunny.” He was fucked if he knew what the day looked like, but sunny was as good a guess as any other.

“No, Daddy, it was snowing, remember ?” Everly reached out and took Ronan’s hand.

The child’s hand burned his own. He hadn’t felt pain like that in years. “Nooo!” He yanked his hand, trying to get it away from the little imp. She was strong, despite her size and wouldn’t let go. He howled again as she dug her little fingernails into his skin.

“This isn’t Walt,” Everly said, trying to yank Ronan back toward her. “It’s someone else pretending to be Walt. I can’t hold on much longer. She reached for Ronan with her other hand, catching his shirt.

“Take your hands off me!” Who the hell was this girl to touch him? Pressure began building in his head. It felt like his head was going to burst open like a melon. He howled when he felt pressure in his skull ratchet up again. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Walt is hiding. He’s terrified to come out. He’s not the one hurting the women,” Everly said, her words rapid fire. “Who are you? Tell me!” she shouted.

Ten got up from his seat and set his hands on Ronan.

He could feel Tennyson trying to probe his mind, but didn’t know how to stop him. Between Tennyson and the brat, he felt his energy start to sap. What the hell was going on here? He was in charge! He made the rules! He doled out the punishments!

“You listen to me,” Everly shouted in Ronan’s face. “Let my father go. Do you hear me?”

Another howl of pain. He didn’t know how much longer he could last. Why was this little bitch so strong?

“You think this hurts?” Everly asked. She took the hand on Ronan’s arm and pressed it against his head. “Let my father go!”

He couldn’t stand it. There hadn’t been this much pain in years. Decades. A century. With one final screech, he released the detective.

Ronan slumped forward in his seat. “Everly?” he asked, his voice weak. His hand hurt from where Everly was digging her nails into his fingers. His head ached like it used to when he was drinking.

“What happened the day I was born?” Everly’s eyes bored into Ronan’s. Her grip didn’t slacken.

“It was a blizzard and I was afraid I was going to crash the car. Emilyn wanted to walk to the hospital, but I convinced her it would be safe to drive if I went slow.” Ronan managed a chuckle.

“I was never more scared than I was that day, until now.” He wrapped his arms around Everly.

“I’m so sorry I almost hurt you. He told me to and I was trying to resist, but he was so strong. ”

“Who was so strong?” Ten asked.

“I don’t know. It’s not Walt. Whoever this was hates Walt. He hates everyone. Women especially. I’m gonna be sick.” Ronan rushed from the living room and into the bathroom. He hit his knees and lost his breakfast. Sweet Jesus, he could have hurt Everly. He could have hurt them all.

“Hey, you okay?” Jude asked, a few minutes later, from the bathroom door.

Ronan hit the flush valve and with Jude’s help got back to his feet.

“I don’t think I’ll be all right for a long time.

” He reached for his toothbrush and paste, dropping a huge dab onto the bristles.

“I could feel it trying to burrow inside of me. I tried to fight it off and I just couldn’t.

I just kept getting angrier and angrier and then my hands were off the wheel.

I wasn’t in control of anything. Not my body or my mind.

Jude, it was terrifying.” Tears streaked down Ronan’s cheeks.

“It’s gonna be okay.” Jude pulled Ronan into his arms, hugging him tight. “I wanted to take Everly out of the room. I didn’t want her to see you like this or see me punch your ass into next week if you didn’t cut the shit.”

Ronan snorted. “In your dreams. Even with most of my energy gone, I would have put up one hell of a fight.”

“Yeah,” Jude agreed. “You probably would have. Let’s get back out there and see what Ten, Everly, and Cope are planning for this thing that got into your head. If it were up to me, we’d be loading our suitcases into the van and leaving this very second.”

Ronan had to admit it wasn’t the worst idea.

He wanted to go home. To sleep in his own bed, next to his husband, with his kids just down the hall dreaming sweet dreams. Before he could do that, he needed to make sure whatever the fuck had tried to control him wasn’t going to be able to do it again to him or anyone else.

He was weaker now than he had been before.

Ronan wasn’t sure if he could fight it off a second time.

“Let’s kick this spirit’s ass first, then we’re going home. Deal?”

“Deal!” Jude agreed, wrapping an arm around Ronan. They walked slowly out of the bathroom and back to the sofa.

“Are you okay?” Ten asked.

“I will be,” Ronan said. “Thank you for saving me, little miss.” He held his arms open for his daughter.

“I wasn’t letting go, Daddy. I wasn’t gonna let that man keep you. I could have hurt him worse, but I didn’t want to hurt you too. I’m sorry.” Everly buried her face in Ronan’s shirt.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine. Look at me.” Ronan pushed his daughter back, so he could look at her. “See? All good. You saved me, there’s nothing to be sorry for.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, obviously reading her father. “Okay.” Everly climbed off his lap and went to the fridge and grabbed a juice pouch.

“How do we keep that from happening again?” Ronan asked. “Was I possessed? Is it a demon? Holy shit, do I need an exorcism?” Ronan’s tired mind spun with the possibilities.

“I think you were possessed by a spirit, not a demon,” Cope said. “I want to do a cleansing on you to make sure whoever that was can’t reinfect you.”

“Yes, please do that,” Ronan agreed easily. “How do we get rid of that fucker and send him to hell or wherever?”

“Ten and I are gonna figure that out.” Cope got up from his seat and motioned Ten and Everly to follow him. They went into Everly’s room and shut the door.

“Meeting of the psychic minds.” Jude grinned. “Why do you think that spirit came for you?”

“Simple, it blamed me for taking away its marionette. It was obviously pulling Kurt’s strings and getting him to do whatever it wanted. I assume he thought I could take Kurt’s place, but there was something it didn’t take into account.”

“What’s that?” Jude asked.

“How much I love my daughter. There’s nothing more powerful than the love I have for my kids and Tennyson. No force on earth, hell, or heaven could make me hurt them.”

Jude slapped a hand on Ronan’s shoulder. “You and me both. If things had gone much further, I would have hauled your ass over the balcony myself to keep you from doing any more damage.”

“I appreciate that.” Ronan walked to the balcony door and stood watching the strengthening waves hit the shore. The ocean sure as hell wasn’t dead calm anymore. He offered up a quick prayer thanking God for giving him enough energy to resist the possession and keep his family safe.

Ronan would do everything in his power to make sure that entity never hurt another soul, living or dead.