Page 121 of The Devil and His Ghost

“Great. I came because I’ve been doing pictures, and I … I wanted some with you. I asked the photographer to wait while I grabbed you.”

My entire body locked up.

He saw it the minute I tensed, because he rushed to explain, “It’s just you and me. No one else is in the room. I already took pictures with Mom and Dad, and I … I mean, I’d love a family photo with all four of us. But I get if that’s too much for you. I sent everyone to the lounge on the first floor to get a drink so that you and I could take some photos alone together.”

My heart raced at the idea of leaving this room and venturing into a space where my nightmare in human form dwelled. The fear manifested as a grime popping up along my hands, making my fingers twitch and rub together with the need to scrub them clean. I tucked my trembling hands behind my back and tried to focus on Terrance’s reassuring words.

The man best suited for Hell wasn’t there. He had been sent away for my sake. Terrance’s sacrifice wasn’t lost on me. He was willing to give up a family photo of those he loved most on his special day for my sake. He didn’t even understand or believe in my reasoning for wanting nothing to do with his parents, yet he still chose protecting my boundaries as opposed to doing what he wanted.

All so he could have a picture with me.

Swallowing the panic, I croaked, “No one else will be there?”

He shook his head excitedly. “No. It’s just the two of us and the photographer. It won’t take long.”

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Xander should get here soon. I wouldn’t be alone long, and in the meantime, Terrance would be there. No one would bother me. I’d take photos with my brother and return to my room before anyone could make it back to his suite.

Clearing my throat, I steeled myself and met his eyes. Slowly, I nodded. “Okay.”

I grabbed my phone in case Xander called sooner than expected. I shoved it into my dress pocket and followed my brother. Terrance was livelier than I’d ever seen him as we took the elevator to the fourteenth floor where his suite was, but I could hardly hear anything he said. I felt submerged underwater, an almost weightless, hazy delirium pulling my anxious gaze and mind every which way. I searched with quickening breaths for the beast lurking within the elevator or within the hall leading to our destination.

“Here we are,” Terrance chirped as he opened his suite door.

A sitting area welcomed us, and connected to the vast space was a large bedroom. Balcony doors were open, and they led onto a stone balcony that looked out on the city below, though the street on this side of the building was closed due to construction. Still, the creature of my memories didn’t appear.

“I think the photographer is still on the balcony,” Terrance explained, waving me along. “That’s where we’ve been taking the pictures since the lighting is so good out there.”

I followed Terrance out onto the large balcony where the photographer stood, looking down at her camera. When she looked up, she smiled at us. “Oh, great! You found her! It’s crunch time, so you two come stand here.”

She waved her hand at a space that had been decorated with hanging white and green sheer curtains, floral arrangements, and a stone archway. The haze clouding my mind began to ebb as I followed Terrance to the backdrop. I stared down at my dress and pretended to adjust the skirt just to give my quivering hands something to do as I finally let go of the wary tension in my gut.

It was fine. I was fine. We were alone.

“Perfect!” the woman gushed. “Now you two come in and get on either side of them.”

The air rushed from my lungs. My eyes widened where I stared down at my dress skirt, and I felt the color drain from my face. New voices drifted closer, voices I’d long forgotten. Or tried to.

“Wait,” Terrance called out. “What are you guys doing here? I told you to go downstairs to get a drink.”

“We thought it would be a fun surprise,” a high-pitched feminine voice laughed.

“Come now,” a deep voice chuckled. “Did you really expect us to pass up on a chance to get a family photo after thirteen years?”

A pair of black dress shoes filled my peripheral while the sweet cologne I recalled from all those nights filled my nose. Slowly, I looked up while my heart crashed further and further down. I met those evil dark blue eyes and chilling smile set in an aged face.

“Don’t you think so, daughter?”

Everything froze. The world came to a screeching halt with a terrible whine ringing in my head. I wavered on my feet, only to have an arm wrap around my waist.

“You look lovely,” the man and owner of that arm grinned. “All grown up like this.”

“Dad,” Terrance grumbled between his teeth.

“Hurry, hurry,” the camera woman yelled. “The lighting now is perfect! Everyone squeeze together, face me, and smile! Yay wedding day for Terrance!”

I couldn’t get oxygen in. Even as the photographer got impatient with me and turned my head to stare her way. Even as Terrance stepped into my opposite side with quiet questions on if I was okay. Even as I stared wide-eyed and blankly at the camera while she snapped photos, only to grumble about my uncooperative facial expression.

He was touching me.