Page 19 of Deceiver (Soul Chasers #2)

“We’re assigned to regions, and mine is the East Coast, so I could end up anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard.

But there have been times, if we’re short or we’ve had a lot of Horrors escaping, that they’ve pulled us from our regions and sent us off to other areas.

I’ve been to Spain, I’ve been to Italy, and there was one time when I even traveled all the way to Australia for a particularly difficult Horror that they needed a team of us for.

But those are rare instances. Most of the time, there’s enough coverage for everybody to stay in their own region.

For better or worse, people die every day, so we always have opportunities to find new Soul Chasers. ”

I nod, listening to his words like they make any sense to me.

I understand what he’s telling me, I just can’t really comprehend it.

Everything that happened with Calliope earlier was kind of a mind fuck.

Like, I saw the smoke coming out of me, I felt it happening, and she acted like it was just another day.

No big deal. Just pulling ghosts out of somebody.

I end up laughing to myself, confusing Wilder. “What’s going on?”

“Sorry. I was just thinking about how crazy all of this is, and how if somebody had told me this would happen a couple of months ago, I would have thought they should be committed, but I’ve seen it with my own eyes, so I know it’s real.”

Wilder nods. “I understand. It took me a while to get used to it, as well.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes. Prior to that happening, I didn’t actually believe in ghosts.”

“Were you a religious man?”

“Not at all. I went to church because it was what proper men in my day did, and if I was to blend in with society and find myself a wife, that’s what I had to do.”

“How awful,” I whisper. “Being forced to marry somebody just so you could blend in with society.”

“It wasn’t that long ago that it was still necessary, at least in the United States.”

“Yeah, I know.” I sip my tea again, glancing around the room. “It’s really quiet now, isn’t it?”

He nods. “This is how my house always is.”

“Until I got here.” I snicker, but Wilder just stares at me.

“I’m glad you’re here, and glad I can help.”

“Me too. Who knows where I’d be if you hadn’t shown up. I don’t think my dad came here to hurt me, but I guess I wouldn’t really know.”

“And as I said before, it’s not really your dad. It might look like your dad and sound like your dad and have your dad’s memories, but it’s a whole different thing. I think that’s important for you to remember, because I’m going to have to banish it.”

“I know. I remember. Trust me, I can hardly think of anything else.”

“Right. Do you need to call your job or anything or do you need to be somewhere at a certain time? I can make sure you get there.”

I shake my head. “I work from home, and I’m on contract right now, so as long as I get my work done, nobody really cares where I’m at or what I’m doing.”

“That’s good.”

“Oh, I meant to ask you—I need a little desk or an area where I can work. This room doesn’t have anything.”

“You’re welcome to use my study.”

“Thanks.”

“Of course. Are you hungry?”

“Not yet. I think it might take a while for me to feel normal again after what happened earlier.”

“That makes sense. Just let me know. We can definitely order something.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll leave you alone for a bit to rest.”

My heart rate spikes. “Um, could you not? I don’t want to be alone.”

Wilder nods. “I understand.”

“Sorry to be so needy. I don’t feel comfortable by myself.”

“You’re not needy. You’ve been through a traumatic experience, and I’m more than happy to stay with you. Just give me a minute to grab a couple of things, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” I watch Wilder leave, noticing how my heart rate stays elevated while he’s gone. I want to believe I’m safe. I can feel that Calliope did something to me, but just knowing I had something inside of me that I didn’t even know about is fucking with my head.

I set my tea mug down, scooting up until my back is against the headboard, and I stare at the door as I wait for Wilder to return.

I can hear his footsteps in the hallway, which brings me a sense of comfort.

The door opens again, and he’s there with a book and a notepad.

He smiles softly. “Why don’t you rest? I’ll be right here taking some notes.”

“Okay, yeah.” I scoot down until my head is on the pillow and close my eyes.

Maybe a little nap will help, and when I wake up I’ll have my energy back. It feels good to lie down and even better to close my eyes. The room is silent except for the comforting sound of Wilder’s soft breathing and the occasional flipping of a page.

As sleep slowly drags me under, the images dancing in my mind are not at all what I expected. I can see Wilder leaning close to me, almost feel his lips on mine. My body warms as heat spreads through me, flowing right between my legs.

There’s probably some fucked-up psychological aspect to me having a crush on Wilder, but I couldn’t care less. Being horny is way better than being scared.