Zak's P.O.V

I opened my eyes to my own room for once. Damn, it felt good! I nuzzled down into my pillow once more, relishing in the feeling I'd been missing for too long. Hotel beds got really tiring after awhile.

I turned away from the window and back to Lily's side of the bed but she wasn't there. I checked my phone. It was nearly noon! She would've got up and dropped Avaya off at school already, which meant I was out of time to secretly have the house cleansed while she ran errands. I sighed and got out of bed, running my fingers through my limp hair. I'd just have to tell Lily what I had to do and she'd have to be okay with it. I didn't really have much choice.

I fumbled for my glasses on my bedside table and put them on. I scratched my hip bone, right above the top of my pyjama bottoms, and walked down the wooden steps that led me into the expansive kitchen. Lily had her back to me, chopping something up by the sink. I smirked, admiring the way the sun caught her messy ponytail. I'd missed her a lot, even though I hadn't been gone for that long. I crept up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, planting a kiss on the side of her exposed neck. She gasped before smiling and putting one hand over my own.

"Morning sleepyhead," she said softly.

"Morning, Miss Lady." I said, still holding her to my front. "What are you making?"

"Burritos," She chuckled as Gracie came prancing into the kitchen and sat by her feet, tail wagging. "I think Gracie wants me to share."

"You think?" I grinned, leaning down to kiss my pooch between the ears. "You want some beef, don't ya, Grace?"

She yipped in response and her tail wagged faster.

"Okay, okay, but just one more!" Lily said, snagging a thinly sliced piece of beef and holding it out for Gracie to take. Once Gracie had it in her hungry mouth she ran off to eat it.

I raised an eyebrow at Lily. "'Just one more?' How many has she had?"

"Only a few pieces…" Lily mumbled. "I knew you'd have something to say about it so I kept the amount low."

"Well yeah I'm gonna have something to say about it! I'm supposed to be spoiling her and you're supposed to be the one telling me to stop it." I took a seat at the dark granite kitchen island.

Lily turned around and put her hands on her hips, giving me a stern glare. "You want me to go boss lady on you? Is that your problem, Bagans?"

I raised an eyebrow at her commanding voice. A slow smirk cracked my expression. "Damn," I breathed, "I think that's going to be the least of my concerns if you keep talking like that."

She dropped her hands and chuckled, sauntering over to drape her arms around my neck. "Save it, you horn dog," She pecked me on the lips. "That talk is reserved for the dungeon; you know that."

She walked back to the stove where her burrito mixture was sizzling away. She swayed her hips simply because she knew I'd be looking. Damn it, she drove me crazy. Sometimes I felt like we were Gomez and Morticia in The Addams Family; we could be at a classy auction or something and if I got that one look from her we'd be making everyone look away.

I snatched the paper, which had been sitting by a bowl of oranges, and dragged it in front of me. The headline was depressing, as usual. Would there ever be a day when the news found something more interesting to report on than politics and celebrities?

"Speaking of the dungeon," I muttered while I perused the front page, "Avaya didn't sneak down there again, did she?"

"No, not that I know of. Why?" Lily answered.

"Because one there's things lurking down there that I don't need attacking her, and two, I'm pretty sure the last time you and I…mmhm'd down there we left some things out. I don't know about you, but I'd hate to scar the poor girl by reminding her that her parents have sex from time to time with a pair of handcuffs."

Lily burst out laughing. It resulted in her dropping another slice of roast beef to the floor, which Gracie quickly scooped up in her mouth.

"Shit!" Lily giggled as Grace ran off with the meat. She turned to face me. "Ugh, can you imagine? She really never, ever needs to know what we do down there. Please promise me we'll always keep that locked up tight."

I smirked. "I promise."

Lily finished wrapping up the burritos and walked over to the island, sliding a plate in front of me.

"I made it into a sort-of breakfast burrito, just for you, sleepyhead." She gave me a kiss as she walked past me.

"Thank you, sweetie," I said, pushing aside the newspaper for my burrito. Lily poured me a glass of orange juice and we ate in silence for a little bit.

I started to tap my foot in dreadful anticipation of what I was about to say. For a second I thought, hey, maybe I won't have to tell her. Maybe, best case scenario, I'm just crazy. I felt an uncomfortable feeling trickle down my spine, like someone was watching me. I knew I had to tell her. I'd be putting my family at risk if I didn't just suck it up and get on with it.

"Hey, Lily?" I said, finishing off my orange juice.

"Yes, dear?" she said, looking up from her Cosmopolitan magazine.

I bit my lip. "You know how I was saying that this last lockdown got pretty dark?"

Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Yes…"

"And you know how the darker lockdowns have a stronger effect on the guys and me…"

"Uh-huh…"

"I'm worried that I may have…um, brought something home with me," I let the words out in a jumbled mess. "I'd like to get the house cleansed and blessed, just in case."

Lily just stared at me for an eternal moment before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. I know she hated it when I said things like that. She hated having to worry about something she couldn't see attacking her in her own home. She hated having to be extra strict with Avaya because there was a ghost in the house. And she wasn't the least bit religious, so she didn't particularly like the idea of a priest coming in and blessing the house. I felt really awful seeing her get stressed out over it. She knew this was part of my job sometimes, though. She'd been warned. But, like she said, just because she was warned about it didn't mean she had to hate it any less.

"Zak, please tell me this isn't going to be a repeat of Bobby Mackey's," she begged. "I can't handle that again."

I clicked my tongue at her. "Lily, look at me. I'm fine. This is nothing like that, okay? I'm just getting a weird feeling every now and again and I want to be safe and cover all the bases, that's all."

I actually cringed, remembering when I'd returned from Bobby Mackey's Music World. I'd been distant, cold, and irritable. I'd snapped on Avaya for asking where the scissors were and full-blown screamed at her. I can still see her eyes, welling up with shocked tears, before she ran away from me. I can still hear Lily's frantic yelling late into the night, mixed up with my own. I can still hear her telling me she was going to pack up and go to live with Anastasia if I didn't snap out of it. Bobby Mackey's had nearly destroyed my family.

She sighed heavily. "I don't like this, Zak," she declared.

"I know, baby, I know you don't," I consoled. "But I have to, okay? It's the only way I can protect you and Avaya."

"I know, I know," she muttered, clearing the island of our dishes. "I still don't like it."

She shuffled over to the dishwasher and started to place the dirty dishes in their respected slots. She was far more quiet and ominous so I shoved away from the island and walked up behind her, putting one arm around her waist. I leaned down to kiss her shoulder, bare from her black tank top.

"Please don't be mad at me," I whispered. "I didn't mean to bring anything home."

She turned to look at me and her brow knitted together with concern. "I'm not mad at you, Zak. I know this isn't your fault. I'm mad at the damn spirits who won't leave you alone! That's what I don't like about your job because if they attach themselves to you, they're attaching themselves to me and Avaya too."

"Trust me, you're not the only one who's fed up with them," I muttered darkly. "But connecting with the other side is dangerous, you know that. Every job has a drawback, this is mine. I really do try to keep them away in any way I can but sometimes my methods don't work."

"Yeah," she gave a small sigh and shut the dishwasher. "Go call Father Paranormal. I'll take Gracie for a walk or something."

She started to walk away but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. I made her look me dead in the eye. I didn't want her just dismissing me like that. I knew she hated all the spirits that had already infected our home and refused to leave and I know she hated the only way I knew how to keep her safe. But, like every time before, I had to make her understand why I was doing it.

"I love you," I said firmly. "It's because I love you that I'm doing this. You've seen what some of these spirits have done to me; I'll do anything to stop that from happening to you or Avaya. My family's safety comes first here, alright?"

She nodded. "I know, love."

I heaved a sigh. I could relax. We were okay. I caught sight of the engagement ring on her left hand and smirked. I pointed to it.

"In times like this just remember, you said yes," I winked.

"Oh, I know. What was I thinking?" She grinned and walked away, likely to find Gracie's leash.

I watched her go and shook my head at her sarcastic mannerisms. Deep down underneath it all she loved me. She had to, because with all the paranormal shit that surrounds me she would've definitely left me by now if she didn't. I couldn't say I didn't have something to be thankful for at least.