Penmort Castle (Ghosts and Reincarnation #1)(150)

Abby’s stomach did a nosedive.

“Who brought my cat?” Abby shouted, glaring down at her friends.

“We did, Mrs. Truman and me,” Jenny answered.

Vivianna jerked this way and that, still keeping firm hold on Abby’s waist and all of Abby’s limbs were pulled to the breaking point.

“I thought I said no Zee!” Abby snapped.

“We figured we could use all the help we could get!” Jenny snapped back. “And it looks like we weren’t wrong!”

Abby thought, somewhat hysterically, even though she wanted to she really couldn’t argue with that.

Vivianna’s struggles were fierce and Abby’s body was wrenched painfully with Vivianna’s fight against Abby’s cat as everyone kept hold on her limbs.

“Hold her steady,” Angus encouraged from somewhere behind Abby.

“You hold her steady! This ghosty she-bitch is strong and she’s freaking out!” Jenny cried as Vivianna gave a mighty tug at Abby’s waist and all of Abby’s friends went skidding several inches along the floor boards.

“Angus, goddamn it!” Cash shouted from somewhere close but also somewhere Abby could not see. She didn’t have time to look as she was still shoving against Vivianna’s arm and praying she nor Zee would be torn limb-from-limb.

Abby, however, didn’t have to see Cash. She knew by the tone of his voice that his patience was depleted and she knew exactly how he felt.

Then suddenly Angus shouted, “Now!”

Abby saw something golden and glistening fall around them. It settled at Abby’s waist then passed through, as if it was a mirage. Vivianna was yanked back viciously, Zee leapt away and at the same time all Abby’s protectors jerked her forward.

Vivianna’s arm came loose from Abby’s waist and Abby was falling.

She twisted automatically, not wanting to fall flat on her face but before she hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her, one at her back, one at her thighs.

Abby looked up to see Cash had hold of her and he didn’t waste any time. He started sprinting, Abby in his arms, toward the door.

Abby saw Suzanne open it for them then Abby looked back, watching Angus struggling wildly with what looked like a golden rope which was lassoed around a mad-as-hell Vivianna’s waist.

Then she saw no more, they were out of the room and heading down the hall.

Halfway down the hall Cash stopped and put her on her feet. He grabbed her hand and started running again, dragging her on her high heels toward the stairs.

Abby noted absently that Zee was right there with them.

They rounded the stairs and both of them (as well as Zee) came skidding to a halt.

There was a ghost on the stairs.

And it was not the ghost of Cash’s father.

Abby took one look at him and her chest expanded painfully at the same time her heart stopped beating.

Then, heart restarted, hammering in her chest, she whispered, “Ben?”

Ben’s ghostly eyes took in Abby for a moment, roaming lovingly over her face and down her body then they moved to Cash.

The minute her dead husband’s eyes hit her lover, Abby’s heart stopped beating again.

“Take her to the north parapet,” Ben told Cash, his beautiful, deep, sweetly familiar voice disembodied and hanging weirdly in the air.

“I’m not taking her to the parapet,” Cash ground out and Abby looked up at him.

His face was pale and tight, his eyes scorching and locked on Ben. One look at him and Abby knew that Cash knew to whom he was speaking.

“Trust me. Take her to the parapet,” Ben repeated and Cash ignored him, making to move forward.

Ben’s gaze swung to Abby. “Honey,” his beloved voice whispered the casual endearment, Cash’s body stilled and Abby felt her mouth fill with saliva as her eyes pricked with tears. Ben continued gently. “Get him to take you to the parapet.” Abby’s head shook jerkily both with fear and the all-consuming desire not to be seeing her dead husband’s ghost, not now, not ever, and Ben went on. “Please, Abby, trust me. We don’t have much time.”

Then he looked behind him, down the stairs, then back at Cash and Abby.

In an instant, he shimmered to nothing.

Immediately Cash pulled on Abby’s arm and moved forward saying, “Let’s go.”

Abby pulled back, Cash stopped two steps down and looked up at her, his hand still clasping hers.

“Darling, let’s go,” he demanded softly.

“Take me to the parapet,” Abby whispered.

Cash shook his head but his voice was still soft when he replied, “No f**king way.”

“Cash.”

“Abby, no f**king way.”

“Cash,” Abby said, “Ben would never hurt me. They have something planned. You have to take me to the parapet.”

“Abby, I’m certain you’ve already noticed that none of their plans are working. I’m not taking you to the parapet.”

She tightened her hand in his and walked down one step all the while looking into his eyes. “Please Cash. You can trust Ben, I promise. Take me to the parapet. Let’s finish this.” She stopped, noted he looked unyielding, so she begged, “Please.”

“You were flying through the air,” Cash returned.

“I know that.”