Page 44 of The Unseen

L UCAS MADE A QUICK CHECK ON R ACHEL, WHO SEEMED WORRIED and somewhat fatigued, but all right. He looked up to see Nicole walking through the front door.

“What’s going on? Christian looks like he’s been in a fistfight and Phillipe was as pale as a ghost.”

“Very apt comparison.”

She was wearing her paint smock, a dab of yellow ochre on her cheek. With her auburn hair pulled back in a bouncy ponytail, she looked so appealing, he had to tamp down a rush of heat he couldn’t allow himself to feel until all of this was over.

“I wasn’t here when it started,” he said. “But according to your aunt, Christian threatened to destroy Belle Reve, so Simone attacked him.”

“Oh, my God.”

“Bites, scratches, bruises, levitation of the body—it’s called demonic vexation.

The entity can cause severe burns, even broken bones.

Christian was in pretty rough shape when he left, but it could have been a lot worse.

Phillipe was in complete disbelief. I don’t think they’ll be back for a while. ”

“What about Aunt Rachel?”

“She seems to be all right. I think her friend Francois was here, at least for a while.”

“I’ll check on her and meet you back at the carriage house.”

Lucas watched her walk away, trying not to notice the sexy curve of her behind. The woman had his number—that was for sure. He blocked the image and was waiting in the carriage house when Nicole walked back in.

“Rachel seems a little shaken, but okay. She would never admit it, but I think she got a kick out of seeing the Villards bested, even if it was by a ghost.”

“Speaking of which, after what happened, we’re going to have to postpone the exorcism. We can’t attempt it tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“Considering the amount of energy Simone expended, I don’t think she’ll be able to make an appearance at the cabin. No use going through the motions if she isn’t there.”

Nicole’s shoulders slumped. “Dammit. I really thought after tonight, maybe all of this would be over.”

“No such luck,” Lucas said.

Nicole looked up at him. “I … umm … need to talk to you about something. I hope you won’t be mad.”

Lucas went on alert. When one of the kids at the center used that line, it was never good. “Why would I be mad?”

“While you were in town, Remy called to talk to you. He had the name of the man who’s been sabotaging Belle Reve. I asked him to give the name to me.”

“Who was it?”

“A guy named Joseph Mercer. Calls himself Jupp.”

“Mercer works for Villard?”

“That’s the rumor, according to Remy. He said the Feds are investigating Villard. He said it wasn’t public knowledge, but maybe you could find some connection to something that would help them.”

“Interesting. Anything else?”

“Remy reminded me that these were dangerous people and we needed to be careful.”

“No question of that.” Lucas studied her face and frowned. “Why would you think that would make me angry?”

“Because I didn’t just take the message. I called your friend Nathan and gave him the name.” Big green eyes looked up at him.

Lucas bit back a smile. If she had any idea how much she could get away with, he would be in very big trouble. “What did Nate say?”

“Nathan said he’d look into it. He said for you to call him as soon as you got the chance.”

“I’ll do that.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“Come over here and I’ll show you how not mad I am.”

She took a step toward him and he pulled her into his arms. Since the timing was wrong, he ignored the sweet temptation she made, gave her a quick soft kiss, and eased her a little away.

“I’m glad you called Nate,” he said. “With luck, he’ll already be digging for information that can help us.”

“I don’t think he liked me using his private line.”

“He’ll get over it.”

Her eyes remained on his face. “Lucas, what are we going to do about Simone?”

What indeed? “By tomorrow, her energy should have returned. How’s the painting coming along?”

“I was ready to work on it at the cabin tonight.”

His jaw tightened. “After what happened to Christian, the last thing I want is for you to be involved.”

“If I stay close to you, will you be able to protect me?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face and released a slow breath.

“I don’t know for sure. That’s what worries me.

A demon of that power can do a lot more than it did to Christian.

A demon can take control of a person, make the person speak and act as it wishes, make the person an instrument of its will. ”

“You’ve seen this happen?”

He nodded. “More than once. Demonic possession has been happening since before the birth of Christ.”

“Were you able to help the person?”

“I was. But it’s not a sure thing. I couldn’t stand for you to get hurt.”

Her gaze didn’t waver. “I trust you, Lucas. And I want to be there.”

He didn’t want her to go. He wanted her safe, but staying away wouldn’t necessarily protect her. Rachel had Francois. Working through Lucas, God was Nicole’s best protection.

“You wouldn’t just have to trust me, Nicole. You would have to put your total faith in God. Could you do that?”

Her eyes slowly filled with tears. “I think God might have sent you to me, Lucas. So, yes, I can do that.” The tears spilled over onto her cheeks. “God and you, Lucas.”

His chest clamped down. His heart thumped painfully as he reached up and wiped away the wetness with the tip of his finger.

He wanted to tell her he loved her. He’d known it for a while, but he wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it, and now wasn’t the time.

People were depending on him. God was depending on him.

He let her go and moved away. “I need to stay focused. I’ll text Nathan, tell him I’ll be in touch in a day or two. Then I’m going back to church.”