Free CnC 4 A Harvest of Bones by Yasmine Galenorn Page A

getting away with that so easy, lady.” He reached out and drew one finger gently along my cheek, gazing at me through heavily lidded eyes that could see inside every corner of my being. “Pay up. I want your body.”
    Desire flickered in my breasts and the pit of my stomach, but I pushed it aside, just for the moment. “I’m serious, Joe. This is weird shit.”
    He sighed. “So tell me, what do we need to do? Is it dangerous?”
    I mulled over the question. I could try to clean the lot, but without knowing what was going on, it probably wouldn’t take. Cleansing required at least a working knowledge of what entities or creatures I might be dealing with and I hesitated to go in there waving my Florida water and charms until I knew what I was up against.
    “I don’t know. I haven’t got the faintest idea of what’s going on. Nor do I know who—or what—our visitor last night was. I think we need to do some research to find out just what kind of people the Brunswicks were. Meanwhile, be careful over there. Okay? I’m keeping the kids away until I know more about it.”
    He yawned and stretched. “That’s probably the best we can do for now. Do you think your lady last night is connected to the lights you saw?”
    I shrugged. “I have no idea. We’re nearing All Hallows Eve. The dead walk during this time of year. Spirits rise to visit their loved ones, and the veil between worlds grows thin.”
    Joe regarded me solemnly. “You’re really the one who needs to be careful, you know. I’m not head-blind, but I don’t get hit by as much as you do. Promise me you’ll watch yourself?”
    He was serious, and for that I was grateful. Usually the men who’d entered my life ran when it came to matters like this, but Joe accepted the entire spirit world as part and parcel of my life. At the same time, he was cautious, not letting testosterone get in the way of clear thinking.
    As I reached over and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, the door opened and Kip ran inside. He took one look at me, shook his head, and ran upstairs. I wasn’t about to get his hopes up by telling him about the groggy vision of Samantha on my bed or in the lot next door—too much possibility the sightings had been born out of my own desire rather than from reality.
    “He’s hurting. I hope we find her soon, or our whole family’s going to be heartbroken, me included.”
    Joe cuddled me with one arm. “Don’t forget about me, hon. I think the world of Sam and her kittens. Now, I’m going to go finish tearing out the last of those brambles so we can get down in that basement and find out what’s going on.” He stood up and headed toward the door.
    I caught him by the arm before he went out. “Be careful. As I said, I don’t know what we’re dealing with. Just … take care of yourself.”
    With a nod, he slipped on his jacket and work gloves and headed next door. As I toyed around with the remote, trying to decide whether to go help Joe or hunt down Randa and see how she was doing, the phone rang. I picked it up and a familiar voice echoed on the other end of the line.
    “Emerald? This is Maeve. I got to thinking about your birthday this morning and had the feeling that I needed to call you.”
    A feeling of relief swept over me, and I realized that I wanted to talk to her, too. “Maeve, I’m so glad you called. Listen, can we meet for tea?” She agreed to rendezvous with me at my shop in half an hour and I hung up and grabbed my keys. I should check in with Cinnamon and Lana anyway. Might as well head out early.
    After letting Kip know where I was off to, I slipped through the hedge to peek in on Joe, who had built up a sweat. The beads of perspiration glistened on his skin. I fought the desire to rip off my clothes right then and there.
    “I’m taking off for the shop. I’ll be gone an hour, maybe ninety minutes. You can reach me on my cell if you need me, and Kip knows to come over and get you in case something