Six Times a Charm Read online

  My heart swelled. Finally, she’d heard me about Dan.

  Kat snapped her phone shut. “Okay, he’s on his way.”

  “What? Dan’s coming here?” I stood up, ready to bolt from the room.

  “No. Why would I call him? You know this is so not his thing. I called my friend, Ian. He hunts ghosts.”

  ***

  I hadn’t known what I was expecting, but the person who showed up definitely wasn’t it. A man in his early thirties, looking as if he’d stepped out of a skateboarding magazine, strode up to me.

  “Hi, Jade.” He waved.

  “Ian? I didn’t realize it was you who was coming.”

  His lips quirked into a lopsided, sexy little smile and pale blue eyes searched my face as he reached for my hand. I’d met Ian once before, shortly after I’d gotten to New Orleans. He’d been at one of Kat’s dinner gatherings. Grimacing in embarrassment, I realized I’d monopolized most of our hour-long chat. I hadn’t even remembered his name.

  “Nice to see you again.” He paused and tilted his head toward a marquee on my building. It read, Hundreds of beautiful women and three ugly ones. “You live above a strip bar?”

  I glanced at Kane’s club, Wicked, and shrugged. “The price was right.”

  “Interesting marketing tactic.” He laughed.

  Kat appeared beside me and handed over a pair of flip-flops she’d purchased from the corner store. “I’m off to get some food. Want anything?”

  After Ian and I placed our orders, I gestured for him to follow me. My plastic shoes clattered on the brick pathway as we entered my wisteria-perfumed courtyard. Humidity hung in the air, finally warding off my chills. I shed the sweatshirt as I sat at a wrought-iron table. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”

  He shook his head. “Nope, perfect timing. You saved me from some rather dull reports, actually.”

  “Reports? Ghost hunting reports?” Visions of a school lab, with Willow and Buffy fighting demons, filled my head.

  “Oh, no. Research reports. I’m an assistant to a meteorologist at the University. I type up his reports and help out when needed.”

  Nothing about his appearance—tousled sandy blond hair, wire-rimmed glasses and torn-up Converse—said professional. But his easy smile and the warm inner glow radiating from him put me at ease. “So, ghost hunting is a hobby of yours?”

  “Sort of. More like an obsession. Tell me, what can I do for you?”

  What did I want him to do for me? Validation? Expulsion of my ghost? “Well, I don’t know. What do you normally do?”

  “There isn’t a lot of ‘normal’ about what I do.” His smile widened. “However, why don’t you tell me what prompted Kat to call me, and we can go from there?”

  I took a calming breath and told him about the Honey Dust and the black shadow.

  “Honey Dust?” His eyebrows rose with the question.

  “It’s an edible skin powder.” I averted my eyes. When I dared a glance he was writing in a note pad, his lips turned up in a sly smile. I bent my head, hoping my face wasn’t as flushed as it felt.

  He put down his pen and took a long swig from a can of Coke. “Ah, that is exactly what I needed,” he said with a sigh. “Long night last night, you know.”

  “Oh?”

  He started writing again. “Yeah, the video tape jammed, and we had to stop in the middle to fix it. Then, of course, we had to start all over. But the mood was shot, so we didn’t really get much action.”

  I stared at him, my brow pinched in confusion.

  He chuckled then sobered as I frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just I get that look a lot. I meant I was out late on an investigation. The best time for measuring paranormal activity is at night between nine p.m. and six a.m. We had some equipment issues.”

  “Obviously, I know nothing about what you do.”

  “No problem. I always forget not everyone lives, eats and sleeps ghosts twenty-four seven. Let’s get to it, shall we?”

  I nodded, urging him on.

  “I’ll need to inspect your apartment, but I’d like to bring my team, John and Riley. We each use different equipment to measure activity, so it’s better if I can get both of them here.”

  I nodded again, and he took out his phone and dialed. Five minutes later, the other two men were on their way.

  “Okay, where will you be while we do our thing?” Ian asked.

  “Why?”

  “After we take some base line measurements, I’d like to get you back up there to see if there’s any activity related to you. Sometimes spirits are attracted by certain energies.”

  Of course they were. I wondered how I’d gone this long without one attaching itself to me. “I guess I’ll be here.”

  “Perfect. As soon as my guys get here I’ll get right to work. Are you staying at Kat’s tonight?”

  Was I? “I guess so. Staying at my place doesn’t seem like a great idea.” I bit my lip to keep from scowling.

  Ian shrugged. “I haven’t ever seen a ghost do more than just spook someone, so you could probably stay at your place. We’ll be here late, though. Collecting data can take a while to get conclusive results.”

  “Only spooking, huh? That’s good to hear.” Too bad I wasn’t like most people. With my energy I’d end up possessed.

  After Kat returned, the three of us ate our po’boy sandwiches and chatted about nothing ghost-related. I’d almost forgotten why Ian was there until his phone buzzed and he had to go meet his fellow ghost hunters.

  I handed him my apartment key. “Just come get me when you’re ready.”

  “Will do.” Ian took a few strides before I stopped him.

  “Wait, don’t you have a fee or something for this?”

  “Um, yeah. I do, but let’s see where this goes first. Consider this a free consultation. If we need to proceed, then we can discuss it.”

  “That’s awfully nice of you.” I smiled.

  “Ah-ha! There it is. I wondered if I’d get a genuine smile out of you. Looks good.” He winked. “Consider it the friend rate. Later, Kat.”

  She waved. We watched as he left the courtyard, his phone pressed to his ear. The side door to the building banged shut.

  “He’s hot! Is that the ghost hunter?” Pyper asked as she joined us.

  I nodded. “He is pretty yummy, isn’t he? In a schoolboy kind of way.”

  “Schoolboy.” She snorted. “Thinking of sneaking off behind the bleachers?”

  I laughed. “That’s a thought.” Then I finally noticed her electric-blue hot pants and deep-cut halter top. “What are you wearing?”

  Her features transformed into a sexy pout. “What? You don’t like my stripper outfit?”

  Kat started coughing mid-sip, and Pyper laughed.

  “You strip at the club, too?” I asked.

  “Actually, I used to, and now only when necessary. We’re short-handed tonight. ”

  After the initial shock of Pyper’s announcement wore off, the three of us stayed in the courtyard chatting for the next few hours until Ian called me for my part in the investigation. Kat had convinced me to stay at her place. I wasn’t happy about it, but my choices were limited. And if I didn’t get to sleep soon I really would pass out.

  Dragging my feet up the third flight of stairs, I tried to be reasonable. Three other people were in my tiny, almost empty apartment. What’s the worst that could happen?

  I knocked on the closed door, unsure if I should just walk in. In seconds, Ian appeared.

  “Ready, Jade? All we’re going to do is take some measurements. But first I need you to say a protection spell.”

  “A spell?” I frowned. I didn’t practice, and for good reason.

  “More like a prayer. It’s just standard procedure.”

  “All right.” A prayer spell wasn’t going to kill me. They were harmless.

  Ian smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Just repeat after me.”

&n
bsp; I nodded.

  “Gods of the afterlife, we are here as mere observers. We ask for your guidance to walk with you in our quest for knowledge. We seek to do no harm and ask for protection from those whom would seek to harm us.”

  I repeated Ian’s words and then asked, “Ready?”

  “Yep. Okay, so I want you to walk slowly around the room while we take measurements. Don’t speak unless I ask you to.”

  I circled my apartment, while Ian followed holding some kind of electronic meter. The two other guys were busy manning their own equipment. One held a palm-sized video recorder and the other juggled three different cameras.

  I had no idea how accurate any of their readings would be. Ghost hunting wasn’t in my knowledge base. But I did have a weapon they didn’t know about. Deciding it was best to be in the know, I let my guards down and took in the lingering emotions. Ian’s excitement tingled up my spine.

  “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” I asked.

  “Everyone has a passion. Now, don’t talk. We’re taking measurements.”

  I mouthed ‘sorry’ and zeroed in on the camera guy’s boredom and the videographer’s impatience. Seems Ian’s helpers didn’t share his passion. Blocking the three of them, I concentrated on any other emotional imprint. Nothing. I kept my senses open. When we neared the bathroom, trepidation slowed my steps. Ian nudged me. I had no choice but to suck it up.

  The Honey Dust still covered the floor, and the sweet honeysuckle scent brought the afternoon’s events right back. I almost felt the mini tornado swirling around me. But as I stood there taking it in, nothing penetrated my emotional energy. It just felt peaceful.

  Ian steered me to the center of the living area and asked me to say something.

  “Hello?” I called.

  Silence.

  “Are you here?”

  After a moment, Ian nodded. I tried again. “If you’re here, give us a sign.”

  We tried a few more rounds of calling the ghost out, but nothing happened. With my part finished, I asked Ian to leave the key with Pyper, and left to find Kat.

  I found a note on the empty table in the courtyard. Kat was waiting for me in the club. What? That’s the last place I’d expect her to be.

  As I rounded the corner I spotted a bride-to-be dressed in a short, black sequined dress and a white veil, surrounded by a group of women decked out with condoms and penis pops. The group moved as one to the front of the entrance. Is it normal for a woman to have her bachelorette party in a strip club? Huh.

  I moved to join the back of the line, trying to avoid a crowd of men moving toward the party girls.

  Someone grabbed my arm, startling me.

  “Hey!” I cried out.

  “You don’t need to wait in line,” Kane said. Was it weird my insides turned gooey every time I heard him talk? “Your friend’s inside at the bar.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled up at him. As I walked through the door I turned back to wave and caught him watching me. My insides were warm and mushy…until emotional energy slammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me.

  I would have fallen if the wall hadn’t been directly behind me.

  Gasping for air, I envisioned a glass silo then mentally put myself in it. The pain in my gut lessened enough for me to breathe, but didn’t fully vanish.

  The biggest problem with being an empath is I couldn’t effectively block out others’ emotions in a highly charged atmosphere. And this placed was charged. Usually an individual person’s energy has a distinct imprint. I could feel his or her energy and knew the specific owner, much in the same way I could pinpoint the sound of a voice to a particular person. But in situations like this, it was a shouting match of emotional energy. Only, I felt the pain in my stomach, not my ears.

  With so much energy surrounding me I couldn’t focus. If I didn’t merge my senses with someone else, I’d collapse…soon. With emotional chaos making my head spin, I reached out blindly. Unfortunately I chose the wrong person.

  My stomach rolled as rage crawled up my spine, wrapping around my neck as if to strangle me. Gagging, I pulled my energy back and placed my mental image safely back into my glass silo. Jesus! Nothing short of evil resided in that body. On the outside he looked completely normal: an average balding, thin man sitting in the corner, rolling an unlit cigarette between his fingers. I made a mental note to somehow warn Pyper and the staff to stay away from that one. Sometimes my gift comes in handy, and other times it’s downright unnerving. In this case, it was definitely both.

  My eyes watered. I didn’t notice Kat until her hand touched mine. “It’s okay, zone in on me,” she said.

  The pain subsided, and I gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, again.” Having someone to focus on usually worked better than my cylinder, but it had to be a person with nontoxic energy or else it was useless.

  “No, it’s my fault you’re in here. I got a hankering for a margarita.”

  No wonder she seemed relaxed. “How many have you had?”

  “Two or three…or maybe this is the fourth one. I can’t remember. Pyper wouldn’t let me pay for them.” She giggled.

  I laughed. “Okay. Let’s go sit.”

  When we got to the bar, Kat handed me her drink and left to use the restroom. Sitting, I tapped my mental cylinder again. This time, it held. Thank God.

  “What can I get you?” The bartender’s radiant heart-shaped face turned toward me, breaking into a smile that extended to her eyes. Her spiky red hair glowed under the bar lights.

  “Bottled water, if you have it.”

  “Three dollars.” She set a bottle, dripping with melted ice, on the counter.

  Yikes. “Thanks. Can you tell me where I can find Pyper?” I wanted to tell her to look out for Ian so she could get my key.

  She nodded to the stage. “Right up there, but she goes by Candy when she’s working. Don’t tell the masses though.” She winked. “You’re not here for an audition, are you? Those are usually during the day when the club isn’t open.”

  I choked, spitting the water out. “Oh, no. I just needed to talk to her for a moment.” A vision of myself on stage made me shudder.

  “Too bad. I’d have liked to see that.” She grinned and turned her attention to a waiting customer.

  I watched in fascination as Pyper rode the pole to the beat of “Cowboy” by Kid Rock. Multi-talented didn’t begin to describe her as she climbed the two-story-high pole, using just her arm strength. Once she was two-thirds to the top she wrapped her legs tightly around the pole, released her hands while arching her back and spun around for a good thirty seconds. Damn. That was impressive.

  The men hooting in the front row were clearly not put off by the implications of a woman who could hold herself up with her thighs. A fact demonstrated when they whipped their dollar bills out and waited for her to give them a moment of personalized attention.

  Mesmerized by Pyper’s performance, I didn’t notice the man sit down next to me until he spoke.

  A whiskey stench assaulted my senses as a male voice whispered low and hot into my ear. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, bringing Kat here?”

  It’s a good thing my protection cylinder held, because I knew if it hadn’t, my po’boy dinner would have ended up on the club floor.

  “Dan,” I replied. “Who invited you?”

  Chapter 3

  I quickly scanned the club for Kat, but she still hadn’t come back from the restroom.

  “Kat called me, drunk off her ass.” Dan moved to stand in front of me. His hostility filtered through my defenses, making my skin crawl. Where had that come from? We certainly weren’t friends anymore, but we had formed sort of an unspoken understanding to ignore each other. He leaned in. “Stay away from her.”

  My temper flared. I planted my palm on his chest, pushing him back as I stood. “Or what, Dan? Are you going to keep her under lock and key?”

  “Don’t ever touch me again,” he seethed.

  Like I wanted to
? My hand ached with a slow burn from the contact we’d just had. My physical reactions to him were getting worse. “Then leave me alone. Kat doesn’t need to be rescued. She’s a big girl.”

  His eyes narrowed as he pushed me, knocking me down onto the stool. “You expect me to believe she came into a place like this on her own? Have you decided to become a stripper now? I’m not surprised. Or maybe you just switched teams since you can’t seem to hold onto a man.”

  Stunned, I stared up at him from the stool. In a million years I’d never guess he would assault someone, and especially not me. No matter how angry we were with each other. Not after what the three of us had been through the summer before our sophomore year in high school. It was clear he’d been drinking, but I’d never known him to be an angry drunk. Worry for him eroded some of my anger. What the hell was going on?

  “Excuse me.” The bartender leaned across the bar, tapping Dan on the shoulder. “Maybe you should take a step back.”

  Dan cut his eyes to her. “Mind your own business.”

  “This is my business. Now step back, or I’ll have you thrown out.” She signaled to someone across the room, but I couldn’t see whom with Dan blocking me.

  “You can’t throw me out. I haven’t done anything.” Dan dismissed her and turned to a man sitting to my left. “Stupid dikes.”

  All my concern for Dan’s mental state fled as I registered his vile words. It was like he’d been possessed.

  “I heard that.” A vicious scowl spread over the bartender’s face. “This is your last warning. Leave the lady alone, or you won’t like what happens next.”

  Dan laughed and placed a possessive hand on my arm. “Me and the lady go way back,” he slurred. “I’m not bothering you, am I, Jade? I mean, it’s not like you don’t know how I feel about you.”

  His touch sent a ripple of disgust through me. Twisting my arm, I did my best to dislodge it from his grasp. “Let go, Dan. I mean it.”

  “I think you better do as she says.” Kane appeared at Dan’s side.

  “Who the hell are you?” Dan turned, his body poised for a fight.

  “The manager. I suggest you remove yourself from my club.” Kane appeared relaxed, but his voice was laced with a dangerous edge.