Scream in the Wind: Paranormal Peacekeepers, #2

By Nicole Tillman

Grace Wildstone and Miles O'Fallon have survived an entire year with the Paranormal Peacekeepers. They've finally found their niche in the world and found peace in each other. 
But happiness is no match for the dark, malevolent forces working against them. 
When Grace falls victim to supernatural symptoms she can't explain, it's up to Miles and the Peacekeepers to help her. The small family comes together in ways they never thought they'd need to, pulling knowledge and know-how from every page of research and every investigation they've ever touched.
But as the light dies in Grace's eyes, Miles isn't sure he can save her. And even if he does manage to drag her back from the darkness, it could be too little, too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole Tillman
• Release date: Oct 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519994196

Nicole Tillman

Nicole Tillman is an author who hasn't always had a love of reading. As a child, she struggled to string words together and would hide in the back of the classroom with her head down in hopes that the teacher would forget she existed. Eventually, she was introduced to a young adult series by a family friend and her love of reading bloomed. Nicole now weaves her own stories, content to lose sleep in order to write both contemporary romance and thriller/suspense novels. She lives in the Ozarks of Missouri with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. Nicole has an Associates Degree in General Studies though Missouri State University and was on her way to completing her Bachelors in Creative Writing when she decided to take a sabbatical to focus on work and her family. Now a stay at home mother, she dedicates her time to her boys, writing, and photography.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Grace

Run!

Our boots pounded against ancient floorboards, each step matching the beating of my heart as it knocked frantically against my ribs. I looked around, trying to focus on whatever was crawling in the shadows, but the only illumination standing out in the pitch black vastness of the manor was focused on the swinging front door that served as our only escape.

It's catching up! Bodhi bellowed.

What is it? I can't see shit! Mark slapped his flashlight and stumbled as we attempted to flee.

I stopped running long enough to grab Mark's arm and pull him toward the door, taking only a millisecond to glance back and check for flying debris.

Poltergeist, I screamed in his ear. And she's really freaking pissed right now! So GO!

From the very brief glance she allowed me, I knew we weren't dealing with a run-of-the-mill poltergeist. She wasn't a prankster spirit. Not one bit. She was a vindictive, restless soul and we were trespassers she was happy to torment.

It was no surprise that by the time the Palmer's contacted us, she'd practically ripped the new family's home in two. I felt for them, seeing as how they'd only bought the property a week before our arrival, but the real estate agent had given them fair warning. They just didn't take it to heart.

C'mon, guys! Shut your traps and move! Violet pushed past us, holding one hand to a bloody gash on her cheek. She was trying to focus and not lose her cool as droplets of her essence fell to the floor, but the uneven shake to her voice betrayed her. She was scared.

We all were.

As we sprinted toward the open front door, something knocked at the back of my brain, begging to be acknowledged. My intuition told me to freeze. It burned through my chest, and I stopped in my tracks even as Mark's momentum tugged me forward.

I could sense his absence in my gut, in my heart, in my very bones. And I wasn't leaving without him. We'd been an inseparable duo for over a year, and I wasn't about to leave my better half behind.

Wait! Miles is still upstairs!

Miles is a big boy. He can take care of himself. Mark grabbed hold of my free wrist and tugged me forward, but I didn't budge.

I'm going back.

Before I could take a single step toward the one person I'd die to protect, a breathless voice cut through the darkness like a comet, blazing fiercely in the dank air while simultaneously extinguishing my fear.

The hell you are! Miles yelled. Move, Grace!

With Mark tugging on one arm and Miles pushing on the other, the three of us flew through the front door just as a bedside table toppled down the stairs after us. We rolled away, shielding our faces as the heavy wood splintered into a thousand pieces.

The safety of the cool night air hugged my body, welcoming me back from the hell I'd just endured. With an unhealthy dose of adrenaline pounding through my veins, I stood, dusted myself off, and looked around at the rest of my comrades.

They all panted, catching their breath as disbelieving eyes bounced around the circle. Embracing fear was a key element in our line of work, but sometimes that fear embraced us. Their shocked expressions all looked the same; faces bleached white, hands trembling, minds going crazy at what we'd witnessed.

Annabel and Poe, the two bloodhounds we traveled with, bounded over from the van and proceeded to whine and lick at our legs, faces, arms- anywhere they could reach. Coming down from the rush, I scratched Annabel behind the ears and assured here I was okay, but even that didn't appease her.

The dogs had been too scared to venture into the house with us when we first arrived, and that right there should have been clue number one as to how the night would progress, but of course, we ignored it and banished them to the van.

Well... that sucked. Violet, always one to point out the obvious, was first to break the silence.

Bodhi chuckled even as he straightened and grabbed hold of his little sister's shoulders. The concern on his face could be seen from fifty paces away, but up close, it was positively heart-wrenching.

There was no denying they were siblings, considering how they looked and sometimes acted like genderbent versions of each other. Even though Violet had died her hair purple to match her name, you could still tell she sported the exact same shade of blonde as her brother. Aside from that, their complexions matched, their voices had matching lilts, and their eyes were the same turbulent shade of blue. 

You okay, kid? Bodhi asked lovingly as he inspected Vi's cheek.

Though it was initially Bodhi's idea, both he and Violet were the driving force behind the Paranormal Peacekeepers. The great thing about the pair was that they didn't do it for fame, money, or publicity. They didn't even do it for the adrenaline high that often accompanies being scared out of your skin.

They did it because they cared. They truly wanted to help people when no one else could. When fear backed a client to the edge with nowhere else to turn, Bodhi and Vi reached out to help.

Aside from their charitable spirit, Bodhi and Vi were also the only reason the Peacekeepers stayed fed. Both being trust fund babies, they put their wealth into something bigger than themselves in an effort to keep us going - on the books and off - and I commended them for that.

I also loved them for that. Loved them for the life they'd given me. In a world where I often felt so out of place I wanted to scratch my own skin off, they gave me purpose and direction. They opened my eyes to an entire new way of living. Without them, I never would have fully embraced my lot in life. Or my 'gift'.

A crazed smile tugged at my lips, just as it did after every investigation when the reality of my life hit me, but I quickly wiped it away as I made my way closer to Vi, who was cursing her brother and swatting at his hands.

I'm fine, Bodhi!

Hold still, you pain in the ass.

Bodhi hovering over Vi was often a point of contention between the two, but we never paid it any mind. Not that I was in any position to judge, seeing as how Miles was ten times worse when it was my turn to risk my neck.

Grace, is the kit in your bag?

My hand flew to my hip where a messenger bag often rested, but it wasn't there. I vaguely remembered discarding it before we swept the house.

Crap. No, it's in the truck.

I'll get it. Zeke nodded my way before running a hand over his bald head; a nervous gesture if I'd ever seen one. As he turned to leave, Mark, our cameraman, shuffled after him into the darkness, no doubt to grab a cigarette while we weren't working. Judging by the way his hands continued to shake and fidget long after everyone else's fear had ebbed, he needed one.

I reached in my pocket and withdrew my pin light. After clicking it on, I held it steady above my head, illuminating Bodhi's hands as he used his thumb and index finger to pinch Violet's wound closed while he waited for Zeke to return. Always a trooper and the single most courageous woman I'd ever met, Vi held her breath as he wiped at the blood staining her face. Aside from the occasional wince, she didn't object and not a tear was shed.

I told you to duck.

Yeah, Violet scoffed. "A full millisecond before the lamp sliced into my face. Even your reflexes aren't that good."

Pretty sure they are, he teased. He looked over his shoulder, acknowledging the rest of his crew. Everyone else okay?

Miles and I looked each other up and down.

No blood? Check.

Standing on our own two feet? Check.

Breathing? Check.

That was a success in our book.

All good here, boss.

After Zeke and Mark returned with the first aid kit, the six of us chatted quietly, discussing what our next move would be while Bodhi finished bandaging Violet's face. Once she was all cleaned up, we checked our things, gathered up our equipment, and loaded into the rigs. Before we slammed the doors, Poe jumped in with Bodhi and Annabel curled up on Miles' lap.

As we rolled away, I watched the old manor disappear behind us and a blanket of contentment spread across my shoulders.

This was my life. Driving from state to state with my best friends, getting the shit scared out of me night after night, chasing down the boogeyman even when clients were too naive and arrogant to believe he existed.

But he existed, in all kinds of forms. That was the foundation of my life, my job, my existence, and it was an unwavering truth that I acknowledged every morning when I woke, and every evening when I laid my head down next to Miles.

It never got old. The thrill never faded or lost its gleam. Actually, it grew, along with the warmth and satisfaction of helping a family in need. For once in my life, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be, doing what I was meant to do with a group of people who were destined to be my family.

For once in my lackluster existence, life was good.

With the warm breeze twirling in through the cracked window and the steady passing of the street beneath our tires, I began to doze in the back of the van. My head lolled and I let my eyes flutter shut as we made our way down Seawall Boulevard toward Hotel Galvez. 

It wasn't our first stay at the Galvez. We'd visited once before, just after Miles and I joined the Peacekeepers. The manager had reached out to Bodhi when a maid collapsed after witnessing an apparition of a young bride.  Sadly, we weren't able to document any sightings or offer any helpful information after our three night stay, but the manager was hospitable enough to offer us a free night if we were ever in the area on business. So Bodhi jumped at the opportunity when we received a call from the family remodeling their formerly condemned house near Lindale Park.

Although I was bone tired by the time we arrived at the hotel, I knew I wouldn't be able to thunk down on the two-thousand thread count sheets and doze off without a care. No. Even with a bar of black tourmaline around my neck to ward off negative spirits, I often still awoke to strange voices. Since I'd made the decision to dedicate my life to investigating the paranormal, my spirit sense had doubled. Tripled even. And there were always souls lurking in the dark, just waiting to push past my defenses.

Once we locked the rigs, the six of us headed upstairs to our rooms, barely mumbling a goodnight as we shuffled off to our respective rooms. Both dogs followed the hands that fed them and attached themselves to Bodhi and Vi. No matter how many times I'd asked Bodhi throughout the day, he still wouldn't tell me how he avoided the Galvez's 'no pets over twenty-five pounds' policy. My best guess was that he fibbed on our registration form.

I used my key card to open the door and was instantly welcomed by the sweet caress of central air. Sighing, I threw my bag into a chair and kicked off my boots. Miles shuffled past me like a zombie, headed for the king-sized bed.

Finally, he groaned, flopping face-first onto the sheets. The mattress creaked under his weight and I practically salivated at the thought of climbing into bed next to him and letting his presence ease the tension from my limbs.

No, no, no. Shower first, then sleep. I slapped his leg as I unzipped my bag and pulled out gym shorts and one of Miles' t-shirts; my normal sleep attire.

He rolled onto his back and shielded his eyes from the harsh light emanating from the bedside lamps. Snuggling into the pillows, he made it clear he wasn't ready to move. That was okay. It wouldn't be the first time I'd have to drag him to the bathroom and shove him in the shower, and it wouldn't be the last. This life wore more heavily on civilians than it did the gifted, and Miles was no exception.

I'm not looking forward to going back there tomorrow night, he said, a surge of regret coloring his voice.

Then stay behind, I shrugged. Let Mark go with Bodhi and Zeke for a change. Let him see how it feels to do the dirty work.

And have him creep out that poor family? No thanks. They're already scared out of their wits and, believe it or not, I do have at least a shred of human decency buried beneath all this charm and class. He winked, but I shook my head, knowing he was right.

Miles had the kind of charisma that people didn't question. It wasn't crude and in your face. It was subtle, calm. You didn't feel like you were being coaxed into doing something against your will if, for example, he told you your house was no longer inhabitable. And that's what the boys would be doing when they