Page 24 of The Deceptions

I blink back the memory as I stare at the woman's face pinned to the business corkboard in the hallway of the bar, getting lost in the similarities. She's smiling at the camera with long brown hair and crisp blue eyes.

Missing. Meredith Monroe. If seen, please call Malic at 554-425-1933 with information. Last seen at X Marks the Spot. A week ago.

This damn bar.

I wonder what it is about this place? Earl was suspect. And now, there's a missing girl from this location?

I guess I need to bring this up to Jonathan face-to-face. Maybe it's connected to Franco and his bullshit gang. He's never above removing problems from the world. Except, Meredith doesn't look like a problem. Neither did Earl. Okay, except for his disruption. He seemed like a drunken old man spouting off about weird aliens.

I pluck the missing person's paper off the cork boards. The board is filled with business cards from local landscaping, casinos, and other businesses in the area. Community events like the blood drive hosted by the bar at Greenwood U line the board, hoping to attract the people of this town.

I shove the missing person's paper into my pocket with a sigh. If anyone can solve the mystery of the missing sister, it's me… if I have time.

“He's back. Again!” a frantic voice echoes through the hallway, coming from… Well, I'm not sure.

My brows furrow as I look around. Malic and Wilder haven't said much since they locked the bathroom door. Or, they've kept their voices low enough that I can't hear a damn thing anymore.

So, that leaves one of the many offices. Or the basement. Nick did say he lived down there.

Another muffled voice comes from… wherever they're hiding, but I can't make out their words.

Dangerous? Yes. If they're up to no good and stealing girls, then I'm a prime target. But I can't leave without sticking my nose in it. Who knows, it could be something juicy and interesting. Maybe I could convince Jonathan that this is what I need to focus on.

“Yeah, I…” I recognize Nick's panicked voice immediately the further I walk, hiding in the shadows. “Sir, I…”

Sir? Well, that tells me he's working for someone. Another gang, possibly? The options are endless.

I stop outside the basement door at the very end of the hall, holding my breath. Yeah. This is where Nick's voice is drifting up from. It's too bad his voice isn't coming through anymore. I slump. Now's my chance to make an escape. But I'll keep this place in mind whenever I go undercover.

“Malic.”Wilder's voice barely punctures through the euphoric fog taking over my brain. I swear, everything slows down, taking my manic thoughts with it.

Who would have guessed that I’d find the love of my life sitting in a bar? Certainly not me. Or Wilder. Judging by the way he’s looking at me with twisted brows and lips, like he can’t wrap his peanut brain around the fact that I had sex in the bathroom. Or sex at all.

The memory of her eyes on mine finally after so long, has my dick rising again. Down, boy. We’ll have her again. It’s not like she can run from me. Ever again.

I scratch my chin. Fuck. Was my flirting okay? I’ve never done that before. Never had any sort of interest. In anyone. Ever.

It was always her.

My one and only obsession.

My little ghost.

I smile more, watching her through the door. Or, I would if I could see her. I know she's there, though, like an invisible tether running from my chest to hers.

She's mine.

“Your smile is fucking terrifying. Are we setting someone on fire?”

I whip my gaze to Wilder, who stares at me expectantly like he’s spoken words and I’ve gotten too lost in my thoughts. I mean, setting someone on fire would be most enjoyable. Hearing their screams and smelling the flesh burn as it drops from their bones. Ah, it’s good times, especially if they deserved it.

Actually, that gives me ideas. Whoever harmed Meredith will meet a grisly end. Not only will I drill holes throughout their bodies, but I’ll light them on fire from the inside out.

But no. This smile is all for her. Olivia. My little ghost. She unknowingly signed our marriage license the moment my dick entered its home. And to think, if I hadn’t seen a lonely girl at the bar who looked vaguely familiar, I wouldn’t have wasted my time.

But it was the scent of her hair that pulled me in, reminding me of all the nights I watched from afar... And then got close enough to touch her while she slept. If her father thought the bars on her windows would keep her inside. Well, he was wrong. It also didn’t stop me from crawling through her window and watching as she descended into dreamland. Her scent engulfed me in her presence. Even now.

I had my doubts as I crept along the bar, watching her closely as she stared at her drink. Then I saw them. The scars lining her throat. An injury that should have taken her from this world.