Page 25 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

The Tower

Creeps-ville

A Little After Five

O h, there was something to be said about teaming up and investigating a situation that had happened long before either of them were ever born. It was an adventure, and they were both looking forward to it. Granted, one of them more than the other.

Yeah, Finn was giddy, and that was because he was doing something with Gabby. It was a mini date of sorts as they played investigators.

Granted, he knew that they likely weren’t going to find anything, but honestly, if she wanted to get dusty and dirty in a haunted castle, well, Finn was here for it.

He wasn’t an idiot.

She was by his side, and that was all that mattered to him. Plus, she was holding his hand as they were climbing up the tower staircase, checking everything out.

Together.

It was kind of nice.

For Finn, it was very couple-y, and he’d be lying if he said that didn’t make him incredibly happy.

As they headed up, they noticed that the construction crews had unblocked the lower access, and nothing up here had been seen for a very long time.

“Why would whoever did this, block this area off?” she asked, knowing it had to be well after Duncan’s time.

Finn shrugged.

“I mean, if a woman took a header out of a window, I’d move. I guess there weren’t so many castles on the market then, so they locked it away, so it was out of sight, out of mind.”

Yeah, he was probably right.

Or it had been haunted, and they didn’t want to deal with it. Seeing what had been going on, she understood that.

At the top of the stairs was a doorway, and it had a thick wooden door blocking access to the room.

There was nothing past this room, since they’d reached the top of the tower.

“Well, it looks like we made it,” Finn said, feeling like he was being watched. He didn’t understand why, but it was making him uncomfortable.

BIG.

TIME.

“Shall we?” she asked.

Well, if this was what she wanted, count him in.

“Let’s see what we have,” he said.

As they reached it, the door opened in, and there was a ring for the doorknob. Gently, Finn pushed it, and the door creaked open.

“If I hear that tonight, randomly, I’m pissing myself,” he warned.

That made her laugh.

The man was funny.

Then again, if she heard that sound, she was packing up and moving to a motel.

Who was she kidding?

“Are you predicting it will happen or warning me? Do we need rubber sheets for you, Detective?”

He laughed.

“I mean, both, I think.”

When he peeked in, it was pretty dark in the room, and he knew why. Going over to a window, he pulled a piece of wood from the plaster that was blocking the light.

Immediately, the room flooded with natural light. Thankfully, there was still some outside at that time.

When he focused on Gabby, she was having a good time, clearly.

“Oh, wow,” she said, looking around. “This looks like a nursery,” she admitted, touching the rocking chair.

It moved back and forth.

Finn checked it out.

“It’s not from the sixteen hundreds,” he admitted. “This is more recent. They look more like eighteen hundred. I’m going to say it was boarded up and closed off around then.”

Honestly, he might be right.

She thought about it.

“Could the next generation of Granndachs be responsible for this?” she asked. “After Duncan?”

There was only one way to answer that.

“I think we’d have to look up the records. I mean, they are kept online, but I don’t have access. The church does. We’d need permission.”

She actually laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

“Sir, don’t insult me. I can get access, and I don’t need permission. I’ll dazzle you later.”

He stared at her.

Finally, he spoke.

“God. A bad girl is so goddamn hot,” he joked, winking at her. “Where have you been all of my life?” he asked.

She knew.

Across the ocean.

Because he was still holding her hand, she squeezed his in response.

This connection was kind of nice.

“Let’s see what we can find here,” Finn said.

And then get out of here. He felt like they were being followed around the room. Like someone was breathing down his neck.

It was uncomfortable.

To say the least.

Together, they moved around the room, and when she opened one of the stained-glass windows, it swung out. That was incredibly dangerous.

“A person could fall out of this window easily, or be shoved out,” she said, staring down at the courtyard and fountain below.”

He grabbed her by the back of the pants.

“Let’s not test that theory out, Lass. I’ve had all the scares I can handle today. The last thing I need is for you to take a tumble.”

Oh, that she understood.

Honestly, her too.

As they stood there, they let the breeze come in, clearing out the stale air. It was clear no one had been there for a while. Between the dust, and the spider webs, this had been secured from anyone’s eyes.

When she saw a writing desk, Gabby was curious. Heading that way, she got to investigating. Rifling through the drawers, she wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for anyway.

In one of the drawers, she found a journal, and it, like the rest of the place, was covered in dust.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I think it’s a journal,” she said, excitedly.

Opening it, she flipped through the pages and settled on the last entry.

“Oh, listen to this, Finn,” she said, sitting on the floor and having him join her.

As soon as he parked it by her, she read it to him.

‘Journal entry, eighteen eighty-seven.

Today, my father-in-law, Marcus Granndach told us that we are leaving for the United States. He’s procured passage for us on a vessel. Half of the family plans on staying, but the other half is going to start a new life in the new world.

I don’t know what to think.

I’m scared and excited. Taking my sons to a new place where we have never seen is terrifying, but we’re built of healthy stock.

I’m sure we’ll be okay. I dream of a day where we cannot struggle.

While being a Granndach is a good thing, and we’re important to this village, times are tough here.

Between the British and the Irish, it’s a nonstop struggle.

Bad times are coming, and we need to do this now.

I hope we survive.

I’m leaving this journal here so that anyone who finds this one day will know the truth. We existed, and we lived in this castle.

Oh, and it has ghosts.

That’s what happens when you’re idiotic enough to put graves in your home. Whoever thought of that was not thinking with their whole head.

See you in the new world.

Rebecca Granndach.’

She turned the page, and there was nothing else there. It appeared that she meant what she said about leaving the book there.

“I bet the Blackhawks would love to have this in the library. It’s the history of this castle.”

Oh, she had that look in her eye.

“You’re going to read it, aren’t you?” he asked.

She actually laughed.

“I mean, yeah. I’m a nerd. Of course, I’m going to read the book. I’m curious.”

He kissed her on the tip of her nose.

“But an adorable one.”

She blushed.

It had been a long time since anyone thought she was attractive. When he said it so easily, it made her giddy.

This man was sweet.

“Oh, Lass, don’t do that. It gets me all worked up when you flush that color,” he admitted the Scottish accent getting thicker. “It makes me want to see it more.”

Well, if he kept looking at her like that, it just might happen because looking at him got her all hot and bothered. She’d seen what was under his clothing.

He.

Was.

Spectacular.

“You don’t say?” she asked, moving into his body, and pressing herself to the front of him. Immediately, she felt him react, and his erection showed up to the party.

He hadn’t been expecting it, but he wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t thrilled. Apparently, that one kiss unlocked the path to this woman, and he felt bold.

Like he wanted to push harder and get her to be his.

“Gabby,” he whispered, knowing he needed to kiss her again. Since he did that one time, he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t think.

There was laughter, and it sounded so real in his head. Then, it became so distracting, he couldn’t focus on anything but the sound of it.

Finn started feeling odd.

The temperature in the room got chillier, and he could see his breath.

When he blinked, that was when Gabby saw the change.

His eyes got glassy.

And his body moved differently. He was no longer moving like himself.

This.

Was.

Off.

“Finn?” she asked as he was backing her up toward the wall but not saying anything.

When his mouth took hers, it was different. It was rough, brutal, and punishing.

And she didn’t like the way it felt.

There was a stark difference between the previous kiss and this one. This one didn’t feel like him. She couldn’t explain it, but this one felt like kissing a complete stranger.

When he lifted her up, she had no choice but to put her legs around his hips as she was crushed to the wall.

He took what he wanted, and the whole time, she felt that panic filling her. It was when she pulled her mouth from his, and shoved at him.

It must have registered with him because he shook his head, and snapped out of it.

Whatever ‘it’ was.

Suddenly realizing what was going on, Finn set her free, and she dropped back to her feet.

That’s when he looked around in confusion.

“What happened?” he asked.

She was standing against the wall, and her mouth was swollen.

When he saw the fear in her eyes, he knew something bad had happened, and he’d blacked out. He remembered holding her, and wanting to kiss her, but that was it.

From the way she was staring at him, he was pretty sure he’d done something.

But what?

“What did I do?” he asked, his eyes huge, and in that moment, he was pretty sure he’d lost her.

“You forced yourself on me.”

Oh, God.

Those words traumatized him so much that he took five steps back. He moved until his back was to the door and he was far enough from her that she wouldn’t be fearing him.

Only, now, he feared himself.

“Gabby, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened,” he said, profusely apologizing.