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“He said he had to hire a money numbers guy, right? How much do you want to bet it was Jay?”
“You always said he had a way with numbers. No wonder Knight sent Curtis after me when he did. I started digging into everything connected to the department after the pin was found. Including the charity. He thought I would find the connection. He had my apartment torn apart for my notes or anything else that may point in that direction. Mel, this is it. The charity would be public, we can request more information and the insurance policy will be found. So many pieces are circumstantial, but this… this is what we needed! Dammit, I’m in love with a genius,” Anastacia stammered, heart beating in her ears, eyes glued to the screen.
“You sound surprised.” Mel’s pout was genuine.
“Teaches me to never doubt you again. Time to call Grindel.”
Theevidencesatsafelyin Anastacia’s bag. Tomorrow she would take it all to the station before Knight arrived for his shift and could track her down.
It was all ending.
Mel would be leaving.
They didn’t know if it was going to be instantaneous, or if he would linger for a time before his light came. Over the past few days, they spent the daylight hours building the case but at night their focus was only on each other. Mel never shifted back to pure spirit with Anastacia. Every time she reached out to touch him, he was solid beneath her fingertips. He didn’t know if the incident with the Gatekeepers had anything to do with the sudden change or if it was a miracle sent to him for these last days he had with her.
Anastacia had fallen asleep attempting to stay up all night with him after a passionate round of lovemaking. When you fear every moment may be your last, it adds an urgency to everything you do, which is exhausting for the living.
The energy he pulled was minimal, and he still wasn't seen by other living souls. Checking to make sure Anastacia was safely asleep, Mel pulled the slightest bit of energy, making sure he was fully solid before stepping out the front door into the depths of the late night. He passed late-night revelers, but no attention was spared on him. Passing an outdoor café, he knocked over a chair intentionally. The stumbling couple nearby jumped, not giving him so much as a questioning glance. They mumbled something about the wind as they crossed the street. Mel sighed thoughtfully. Being invisible didn't bother him as much as it would have in life, especially now that the only person he cared to get attention from was the one who could see him.
Content with this knowledge, he went back to the apartment and slid beneath the covers beside her, wrapping his arms around her as he rested his cheek over the top of her head. Soft breaths brushed against his chest.
“You ever miss dreaming?” Her voice cooed at him, sleep still clinging to the delicate words.
He looked down to see her staring up at him. “Sometimes.”
With a full stretch, she pulled herself over him until she was halfway over his chest, her chin resting on his sternum. A lazy smile stretched her lips before she kissed his chest, just above where his heart would be. With one hand he ran fingertips over her bare shoulder as his other hand played with her hair.
“I don’t want to miss anything real while I dream,” he continued, watching her eyes switch between gold and hazel. “Do you have to try hard to see me?”
“Not at all. I think the gold just comes up because you’re a spirit.” She shrugged and closed her eyes, getting comfortable against him. “Did you ever figure out what they did to you to make you so solid?”
Mel thought back to the time in the darkness and fought off a shiver. His lazy patterns at her shoulder stopped.
She stirred against his chest, looking up at him. “Mel? If you don’t want to talk about it, I—”
“It's not that.” He sighed, wrapping both arms around her, her body flat against his. “They told me about your mom— or what had happened with her the day they took her.”
“They took her for being a lost soul. I get it.”
“They took her because she fell under the influence of a demon and because she failed their test.”
“Test?”
“She— or maybe it was the demon, I don't know— planned to take you over. They didn't take her just because she was there past her time. They took her because she would have taken you. They wanted her towantto protect you but, in the end, she only wanted what the demon did. To live on with your gifts through you.”
Anastacia blinked as the information soaked in. She retreated into the memories of the short time her mother's soul was with her. How it grew darker by the day, the way her mother encouraged her to grow her gift, pushing her to unlock other potential. How her voice changed to something deeper as if something else influenced her words.
“Stacia.” Mel cupped her cheek, bringing her back. His eyes searched hers through the gray light of the room.“Whatever or whoever your mother was when the Gatekeepers took her was not who she was in life. I'm promising you I will protect you. Nothing is more important than you. I'm sorry it's your luck I'm the first schmuck to ever tell you that.”
“I'm not.” She leaned up and kissed him softly. Her tongue licked across his lips. An appreciative hum poured from his lips onto hers.
He rolled her over and gathered her under him. The kisses heated as he trailed them from her mouth to her jawline. Her breaths were heavy in the morning air over his shoulder. He caressed the skin of her ribs down to her hip, and her breath caught as he reached the smooth skin of her inner thigh. He faced her, his blue eyes roaming over her face.
The clock on the wall above the mirror began to chime. He cursed himself for setting it to remind them of the morning hour.
“What time is it?" She panted in a whisper.
“Just after seven." He looked down with a sliver of regret. They wouldn't be able to make love again, but they did have enough time for one more thing. “Can I ask you a favor?”
