Chapter Four


The bright headlights cut off Bella's vision, but she hit the horn hard once. The shoulder on her right was nearly nonexistent on the stretch of road. If the car swerved anymore to the right and she'd fall thirty-five feet into a ravine. The headlights barreling toward her swung to one side, away from her, so she compensated a bit and stomped on the pedal.

The squeal of brakes tore through the night as the scent of burned rubber assaulted her nose. Her car came to a shuddering stop, her head tapping against the steering wheel. Thankfully, not hard enough for the airbag to go off.

The driver and the passengers of the behemoth appeared as startled as she was, but she didn't get a good impression of them. They looked fuzzy to her, so she shook her head to clear away the haze. She was lucky she had slowed down when she realized she was lost, or else she'd have a face full of airbag.

It took a few moments to reorient herself, her heart still pounding a heavy beat in her chest. She hadn't heard metal crunching.

Maybe they didn't hit each other? Was the other driver okay?

She rubbed her face and finally looked up to find how close it had been. Their side mirrors were less than a couple of inches apart, though his was higher. It was clear if she hadn't corrected slightly, she'd be sitting on driver's lap, probably bloody and in pieces.

"That's awfully imaginative," the other driver said, having rolled down his window like she absently had done.

Had she said that aloud?

"Are you all right?" the other driver asked her.

She patted herself down again and nodded. "I think so. Are you okay?" She craned her neck to see the rest of his passengers. "What happened to the others?"

He appeared confused for a second. "I think I'm all right, but it's only me."

Now she was confused, she swore she'd seen two others in her truck, an older woman with gray hair and a man about the driver's age with dark blond hair. Her lips thinned and she realized what probably happened. The others she'd seen had to be spirits attached to him and he had no idea. Would he want to know?

She had to handle the situation delicately and try not to show she could see them if they decided to make another appearance.

The man pulled off a black beanie and used it to stem the light flow of blood under a wealth of copper-brown hair. He hit the steering wheel harder than she had, but his was mostly metal. Ouch.

She checked her own head, finding a trickle of blood. A three-day old cut had reopened, but otherwise, she felt fine.

The driver of the tank looked out of his window, his eyes skimming over her car. He whistled and appeared surprised at how close it had been. "The car looks all right, but you blew a tire. Can you get out? Wait, maybe you shouldn't move."

She tried to open her door, but there wasn't enough space between them.

"Don't move," he suggested, restarting his truck. "I'm just going to get off the road."

She watched helplessly as he turned to look over his shoulder, praying he wouldn't leave her in the dark, on the side of the road. Changing a tire was no problem, but it was what came out of the dark that could be. Whenever she was alone, on a night like that, she never felt more exposed. A sharp exhale escaped her when he only pulled his truck to the shoulder.

He ran over and asked her to put on her emergency hazard lights. She did as he asked, watching him move around in the dark with ease.

Taking a moment to search the area, Bella found that the spirits hadn't stuck around. Were they afraid of her? It wouldn't be the first time.

Her door opened as the driver from the truck leaned in to look at her. A pair of amazing green eyes looked genuinely concerned. His hand brushed some of her hair away from her forehead, making her wince. The cut wasn't deep, but it would take some time to heal.

"It looks like it already stopped bleeding," he said, pulling out his cell phone from the inner pocket of his leather jacket. "I can't get a signal. Do you have a phone?"

She had to shake her head since something about his voice sent her into a daze. Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought. She fumbled with her phone after she managed to grab it with shaky hands from the floor, having to crawl over the console to get it. A series of cracks started from one corner and across the entire screen, almost resembling a face. She couldn't help the shiver that moved through her, remembering what she'd seen in her phone earlier.

She touched the screen, surprised to find it still working. "Not one bar," she said, taking his offered hand and crawling over the central console again. Her sweater was gaping open, her breasts practically on display, but she ignored the usual embarrassment. He steadied her for a few seconds once she was on the road.

His touch was welcomed, a first in a while. "Um, hi, mind telling me why you almost killed me?"

The man winced as he pulled away, checking his cut and shrugging. "I thought I'd seen something. Nice car." He held out his hand and waited.

Nice deflection, she thought.

"I'm Edward." She shook his hand and told him her name. "Other than the tire, your car looks fine. You might want to have your brakes checked in case you burned through them."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Mind if I check?" He seemed amused by her concern, only gesturing toward the car. It seemed silly to be worried about it, but it was her baby. The one indulgence she got using the money from her grandmother's life insurance. She placed her hand on the dark blue hood of her new Audi and followed the curve until she reached the driver's side door. Examining it with a critical eye, she didn't find any new scratches on it.

Luck was on her side.

The man cleared his throat. She looked up in time to see his face turn a little red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe I should leave you two alone," he said with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes at the tone of his voice. "Sorry, I'm worried about my car, when I should be concerned about you." I'm an asshole.

He grinned when she blushed. "It's fine. Personally, if I had as nice as car as yours, a part of me would be, 'not my baby'." His laugh was incredible and she tried hard not to stare.

"Sorry anyway," she said, kneeling by the front tire. There was a slash one side. "What did you see on the road?"

Had it been the spirits in the truck with him? Maybe it had only been a deer. Either way, she had to keep her mouth shut about what she'd seen, unless the spirits made another appearance.

"Uh, not sure," he said, squatting down beside her. "I can help with your tire if you have a spare."

She looked at him, struck stupid again by his face. Thick lashes and eyebrows made the color of his eyes pop. The angles of his jaw and cheekbones would put most male models to shame, but with the five o'clock scruff, it added the right touch of ruggedness she liked in a man.

Stop staring, Bella. You don't have time for this.

"Yeah, there's a compartment in the trunk with one inside." She stood up again on shaky legs, and offered him a soft "thanks" when he steadied her. After popping open the trunk, he insisted on getting out the tire. "I'll grab the tire iron."

"Again, I'm sorry about that." He pointed to the knot that formed on her forehead. "It's crazy how only a couple seconds can change everything."

Bella agreed, her eyes scanning the area again. She felt a presence nearby—more than one, actually. They weren't showing their faces, though. For a few minutes, they worked to get the stubborn blown tire off and replace it with the spare.

"Where were you headed?" he asked, rising to his feet and dusting off his knees when they finished. He offered his hand to help her to her feet. Dressed in simple black jeans and a grey t-shirt, she only gaped like an idiot at his arms. Defined muscles and the hint of ink under his sleeve, a crest of some kind, caught her eye. "Bella?"

"I'm looking for Crescent Estates." She questioned on how much to tell him. It was never smart to tell someone you'd be alone in a house for several days. "I'm staying with friends in the area."

She waited for him to say something, but he seemed as dazed as she did earlier. Maybe he hit his head too hard.

Edward looked away, sensing James and Shelley. How did the night go to shit so fast? First Jane had disappeared, and not even Shelley and James could find her earlier. They'd always been good at pinpointing her location. It was the only reason he left Alec and Tanya's house.

For a split second, he thought he'd seen Jane running alongside the road, looking more like a wraith than a girl. It distracted him enough that he almost killed someone. He looked at Bella again, grimacing at the bruise already turning her pale skin purple along her brow. She didn't look more than twenty, maybe twenty-two. Young, pretty with long, dark hair that nearly reached the middle of her back, accompanied by tempting curves. Her soft, pink mouth proved to be another distraction. When was the last time he thought of a woman like that? Thankfully, he'd sent Shelley and James to find Jane again or else he'd never hear the end of it.

It was hard to form a relationship when spirits surrounded you, much less have sex with your dead cousin and grade school teacher lingering around. He hadn't tried again in years.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, lifting a hand to check his forehead. He had to bend down for her to see, since the top of her head barely reached his chin. She tested the area around the small cut with the tip of her finger, making him flinch.

"Ow!" He frowned but smiled at her soft giggle that she couldn't contain.

The sound of an inhuman, mournful cry came from deep within the tree line behind them. His head snapped toward the direction of the scream, and he desperately wanted to call out to the others. Had they found Jane? He returned his attention to Bella, wanting to know if she heard it. She was pulling out some tissue from her jacket pocket to wipe away some of the blood on his cut. There was no indication she had heard Jane scream. He had to get out of there and find her.

"Look, why don't we exchange information? I'd like to at least check on you and I can pay for the new tire." He'd find a way to pay for it, probably drain what little savings he had or charge it, but it was worth it. She looked thoughtful for a moment, but finally handed him her phone. He added his number and called his phone, pulling it out to show her it was real. "I expect a call as soon as you find out how much."

"Sounds good to me," she said, slipping inside her car. "It won't be until tomorrow afternoon, though. I'm too tired. Once I get to my friend's house, I'll probably sleep like the dead." She cocked an eyebrow as if she waited for something, but when he said nothing, she only shook her head. "Thanks again for helping with the tire. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Edward waited until he could no longer see the red taillights as she drove away. He turned toward his truck to grab a flashlight, determined to find Jane.

.

.

.

Bella entered the house, immediately pressing the security code into the panel by the door. The Parkers had left a message on her voicemail while she was with Edward. They told her the key was under a rock near the front door, and gave her the codes since their neighbors hadn't been home to leave the information. She tossed her bag on the couch nearby, her stomach growling. She hadn't eaten in hours. As she walked through the house to familiarize herself, she turned on all the lights, falling in love with the kitchen and all the fancy appliances.

Opening the fridge, she found a carton of eggs and few other ingredients to make an omelet. The Parkers said she could help herself to anything. Behind her, the temperature of the room fell several degrees. She shuddered and exhaled in surprise, her breath a small cloud of fog spilling from her lips.

Bracing herself, she turned to face the presence. Sitting on the counter, her slim-white legs folded under her, a pale girl of about eighteen to twenty years of age smiled.

"How long has Edward been seeing ghosts?" Bella asked, giving no indication that she was scared. It was never smart to show fear to a ghost, most thrived on it.

"Long enough," the girl said as she tilted her chin up, her pale blonde hair in a high ponytail. It aged her, and she wasn't sure how old the girl had been when she died. "You?"

"Since the day I was born." Her answer seemed to satisfy the girl. "I can hear and see them."

The girl's laughter made the hair on her arms stand. "You can do more than that."

Bella only shrugged, but the girl's perception spot on. "What's your name?"

"Jane." The girl smiled and laughed, the sound almost inhumane until it turned into a sob. Deep blue eyes implored her. "We need your help."

"I'll do what I can." Bella continued to work on her food, needing a distraction. "What do you need?"

"I need you to help stop the bitch haunting my brother." For every word Jane said, the gaunter her features became. A spider web of dark veins covered one side of her face, spreading down her chest. If the hate inside Jane continued to consume her, any humanity left would disappear along with her soul.