Free Altered Souls by Karice Bolton Page B
Authors: Karice Bolton
freedom to have in high school.
It’s funny. I knew Logan’s father sold his business right before he passed away, but I never thought it was a business that would provide something like this.
“It’s not looking promising,” Logan replied, snapping me back to the task at hand. “She rarely uses the garage unless she’s away, and her SUV’s not in the drive.”
He got out of the car and walked to the mammoth wooden door that looked more like it belonged on a castle than a house in a Chicago suburb. Well, maybe house was an understatement.
Not sure whether I should give him space or not, I slowly followed behind hoping the situation would direct me. I freed the snake from the box in the backseat and let out a sigh as I prepared for the inevitable. My heart already knew the answer as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. Peeking from behind, I saw the same thing as he did — nothing.
“Hey, mom?” Logan’s voice bounced off the entry’s slate floor.
I followed behind him as we entered the home, and I shut the front door. We both knew she wasn’t here. It didn’t need to be said.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, sliding my arms around his waist. He pulled me into him, and I rested my head against his shoulder.
“It never occurred to me that she could be a target.”
“My father seems to have an uncanny ability to persuade people to do what he wants though,” I stopped myself from continuing. Logan didn’t need to hear anything else. We were both well aware of my father’s abilities. I was finally starting to understand what we were dealing with, not who. Pure evil.
“So your mom wanted my mom to come visit or live?” he asked, dissecting everything I had told him from Trevor’s images. I wished I had more answers for him.
“It was strange. It’s like he’s got this compound where people are coming and hanging out. I don’t get it. But from what I could tell from Trevor’s memories, my mom wanted her there for a while. It’s really creepy what’s going on at his compound. He had all of these people, who seemed to be completely void of personality, pouncing on every word my father uttered.”
“Like a cult?” Logan’s eyes narrowed, as he ushered me through the gigantic foyer.
I nodded my head.
“Yeah, like that,” I sighed, walking down the endless hallway wondering where I was actually heading. My thought that this house was smaller than the others on the street was seriously mistaken.
Logan’s touch gently steered me to the right as the hallway came to an end, but I didn’t move forward. I couldn’t. The view was too breathtaking. In front of me was a wall of windows overlooking a shimmering carpet of water. Lake Michigan was this home’s masterpiece. The room framing this view was no less sensational. It was the size of our cottage, and this was only one room in the house.
There were beautiful sea-blue drapes falling in between each of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls were canvased in a velvety ivory with nautical sconces hung every few feet. There were several sets of overstuffed chenille couches placed in their own seating arrangements. It was quite astounding. I didn’t want to act impressed, but it was hard not to be.
“So what was your family’s business again?” I asked, turning to face Logan. “I thought it was fabric or something.”
“Textiles,” he replied, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I squinted at him as I tried gauge what to say or do. This wasn’t what I expected — not that it changed anything. But I was surprised I didn’t know.
“Huh. So that’s why you have such nice décor.” I wrinkled my nose at him as I thought about this new development.
“Oh, Triss. One of the many reasons I love you,” he replied, gently tapping the end of my nose, reminding me to relax.
“Let me give you a quick tour, and we can figure out what we want to do next. Since they’re both together in Saranac Lake maybe it’ll make it
It’s funny. I knew Logan’s father sold his business right before he passed away, but I never thought it was a business that would provide something like this.
“It’s not looking promising,” Logan replied, snapping me back to the task at hand. “She rarely uses the garage unless she’s away, and her SUV’s not in the drive.”
He got out of the car and walked to the mammoth wooden door that looked more like it belonged on a castle than a house in a Chicago suburb. Well, maybe house was an understatement.
Not sure whether I should give him space or not, I slowly followed behind hoping the situation would direct me. I freed the snake from the box in the backseat and let out a sigh as I prepared for the inevitable. My heart already knew the answer as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. Peeking from behind, I saw the same thing as he did — nothing.
“Hey, mom?” Logan’s voice bounced off the entry’s slate floor.
I followed behind him as we entered the home, and I shut the front door. We both knew she wasn’t here. It didn’t need to be said.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, sliding my arms around his waist. He pulled me into him, and I rested my head against his shoulder.
“It never occurred to me that she could be a target.”
“My father seems to have an uncanny ability to persuade people to do what he wants though,” I stopped myself from continuing. Logan didn’t need to hear anything else. We were both well aware of my father’s abilities. I was finally starting to understand what we were dealing with, not who. Pure evil.
“So your mom wanted my mom to come visit or live?” he asked, dissecting everything I had told him from Trevor’s images. I wished I had more answers for him.
“It was strange. It’s like he’s got this compound where people are coming and hanging out. I don’t get it. But from what I could tell from Trevor’s memories, my mom wanted her there for a while. It’s really creepy what’s going on at his compound. He had all of these people, who seemed to be completely void of personality, pouncing on every word my father uttered.”
“Like a cult?” Logan’s eyes narrowed, as he ushered me through the gigantic foyer.
I nodded my head.
“Yeah, like that,” I sighed, walking down the endless hallway wondering where I was actually heading. My thought that this house was smaller than the others on the street was seriously mistaken.
Logan’s touch gently steered me to the right as the hallway came to an end, but I didn’t move forward. I couldn’t. The view was too breathtaking. In front of me was a wall of windows overlooking a shimmering carpet of water. Lake Michigan was this home’s masterpiece. The room framing this view was no less sensational. It was the size of our cottage, and this was only one room in the house.
There were beautiful sea-blue drapes falling in between each of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The walls were canvased in a velvety ivory with nautical sconces hung every few feet. There were several sets of overstuffed chenille couches placed in their own seating arrangements. It was quite astounding. I didn’t want to act impressed, but it was hard not to be.
“So what was your family’s business again?” I asked, turning to face Logan. “I thought it was fabric or something.”
“Textiles,” he replied, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I squinted at him as I tried gauge what to say or do. This wasn’t what I expected — not that it changed anything. But I was surprised I didn’t know.
“Huh. So that’s why you have such nice décor.” I wrinkled my nose at him as I thought about this new development.
“Oh, Triss. One of the many reasons I love you,” he replied, gently tapping the end of my nose, reminding me to relax.
“Let me give you a quick tour, and we can figure out what we want to do next. Since they’re both together in Saranac Lake maybe it’ll make it