Protecting His Windflower (A Spirit Hunters Series Novel Book 1) by Temperance Dawn (best black authors .txt) 📕

brushed his as she took the business card, and he felt an electrical current shoot through his arm. It was the same pulsing sensation he felt last night when he had shaken her hand, and again a little while earlier when he helped her off of the sofa. He wasn’t sure if Emily had felt the same sensation. She stared at the card. Her thumb caressed the ink on the paper, making it hard for him to read her face. A part of him hoped she’d felt something.

“Thank you, Liam.”

Emily looked up and met his eyes. They were the most magnificent whisky brown color he had ever seen. “I’ll let you know when I get back. Can I bring you anything? Some lunch?”

“Oh, you don’t have to.” Emily shook her head while she spoke.

Something sparked in Liam. He needed to come back anyway and install the latches on her window, and for reasons unknown to him, her well-being was now his top priority. “It’s not a problem. My treat. As a belated housewarming gift. It’s the least I can do after the kind of morning you had. I’ll let you get some rest. When I get back, I’ll install those latches for you too.”

“That’s sweet of you. Thank you.”

“Rest up. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Liam took a step away from her door as she closed it, and he waited to hear the sound of the deadbolt engaging. He waited for a beat before heading out of the building. Outside, Liam paused, taking a cleansing breath. If he wasn’t one hundred percent sure who she was a few minutes ago, there was no doubt in his mind about who she was now.

“My god,” he said to himself. He needed to get to his team. Fast.

Five

The wind blew more forcefully than usual. The waves crashed violently against the rocky shore, sending a salty spray into the air, colliding with the foggy mist that kissed the coastline. The robust scent of damp earth and pavement was magnified by the morning fog that had not yet retreated back, and sprinkled droplets coated everything in cold dampness. Dark overcast skies blanketed the city, indicating that heavier rain was on the way. Despite that, the natural beauty of the landscape and Mother Nature coming together created a picturesque scene.

Liam sat at a table by a window watching the waves break. He had ordered a drink and waited for Trey and Luke to arrive. Emily had told him that it was okay if he shared her paranormal experience from that morning, and Liam was glad she trusted him and his friends to help them get to the bottom of the situation.

Liam had reservations about leaving Emily alone. But her insistence that she would be fine eased his anxiety, and she now had his phone number. And, he hoped she wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

He requested a table in the back corner of the restaurant to ensure privacy. While waiting for his friends, his mind relentlessly turned over theories in a desperate attempt to find answers to what was happening. Under normal circumstances, a new case would excite him. He would relish in the opportunity to sink his teeth into a new case and gather new evidence of paranormal activity. Adding the investigation to the ever-growing cases of unexplainable phenomenon while trying to develop solutions for the anomaly victims.

However, the case with Emily had his stomach wrenching with uncertain apprehension. Why had the activity begun as soon as she arrived? And why was she so familiar to him? What was the shadow figure?

The moment Liam made eye contact with her last night, electricity shot through him. He instantly knew who she was. But at the same time, he was certain he had never met her before. How could she be real? She only lived in his dreams. It was as if a forgotten memory of her was floating beneath the surface, blurry at the edges, becoming more defined as he dove deeper.

“Hey, Liam. Snap out of it.”

Startled, he looked up. Having been so lost in his thoughts, he had not noticed Trey and Luke walk up to the table. “Hey. Sorry, guys. It’s been a morning.”

“Seems like it,” Trey said while he and Luke took their seat. “What the hell is going on. I’ve never seen this look on you before. You’re worried. Spill it.”

If there was anyone Liam could trust, it was Trey and Luke. He was not so much afraid about telling them what was going on as he was finding out what was really going on.

After the waitress jotted down their breakfast orders, the three of them talked for about an hour. Liam explained in more detail what he had seen while working on the furnace the night before. He also told them about Emily’s window being open, as well as her story about the shadow figure in her bathroom. That was when Luke spoke, “Where is she now? From how you described what happened, it sounds like she’s pretty freaked out. Is she okay?”

“I talked to her before coming here. She insisted she’s fine. I gave her my number, told her not to hesitate to call if anything happens.” Liam rubbed his hands down his face, clasping them together under his chin, and resting his elbows on the table. “I have a feeling she’s not sharing everything with me, though. I need to talk to her more. She’s definitely leaving out some details.”

He took a sip of his vodka and cranberry, deciding at the last moment to down the rest of it. The stares from his friends were palpable.

“Liam, what is it? There’s something you’re not telling us.”

Liam was the leader of the team. The levelheaded, calm force that held everyone together in stressful situations. Now, he was a shaky ball of nerves with a case that he had no idea how to tackle.

Inhaling deeply and deciding that he should not keep his teammates in the dark,