no records of his birth, his Social Security number belonged to someone already dead, and a detailed Internet search produced nada. Even his brother, Elias, is a ghost. His so-called deceased parents were tracked to living during the 1700s.”
Nix sucked in a ragged breath, the scenario she painted atypical of the paranormal community.
“There is no record of any children being born to the couple. Everything Micah ever told me was a lie.”
Elias ? What a peculiar name. Coupled with parents from the 1700s, her problem kept getting bigger and more complicated. “Have you seen his brother since Micah’s disappearance?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Good riddance, too. Elias always made me feel like he stripped me naked. Made my skin crawl.”
Nix wanted to strip her naked, too. He could understand Elias’s obsession there, but he’d been her brother-in-law, which identified him as a pervert and a little sick in Nix’s opinion. Some familial territory lines weren’t meant to be crossed. “Since Micah is nonexistent, do you think he was really a lawyer or do you think that another lie?”
“He practiced law, but he held no official degree from Harvard as he claimed. I have all his case files boxed up if you want to look at them.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
“What happened in the kitchen….” She shuddered and fear clouded her eyes. Considering what he knew and what he saw, he thought her very brave. She swallowed hard and asked, “Do you really think Amos got rid of it?”
Nix hesitated, scratched his chin, and nodded. “Yeah, I do.” He gave her the answer he knew she was most reluctant to hear. He would never be comfortable sugar coating supernatural occurrences. Sugar coating got people killed.
The beauty of her tear-filled eyes hit him again. Like blue diamonds.
“How could he do that?” She swiped at the wet tracks falling down her cheeks, and Nix thought she’d be stunning dressed to the nines. Red-rimmed eyes, puffy red nose, a total mess, and still a very attractive woman any man would desire. He could understand why a high-powered man like her husband would desire a woman like her—if not for love, her looks alone would seal the deal.
Between gasping, tear-laced breaths, her words stuttered out, “How could…he do…any…of…the things…he does?” A long, ragged inhale seemed to fortify her backbone into steel. The crying ceased and her voice grew a fraction stronger. “I’m scared, Phoenix. Terribly scared.” A nervous laugh made her sound like she hovered between the delicate edge of reason and full-blown irrationality. “I guess that makes me weak. Not the type of woman you’d….”
She glanced away sharply, and Nix wondered what she’d been about to say. He knew what he wanted her to say, but even if she admitted an attraction to him, it wouldn’t be right to pursue it. Madison Wescott was a vulnerable woman, and he would be a cad to make a move on her during the worst moment in her life. Tense silence hung between them as she sniffled and used the back of her pale pink, three-quarter inch sleeves to mop up her tears.
“You’re not weak, you’re human. I get scared, too. I’m just too manly to admit it.” For some crazy reason, he resisted the urge to pound on his chest like Tarzan. But it didn’t matter, she broke into laughter, a pure, melodious sound that shivered all over his body and settled like a warm cocoon on his downstairs brain.
“Yeah.” Her chuckles retreated. “But at least you know how to protect yourself. If I tried, I’d just screw myself.”
“Not anymore—you’ve got me to do that.”
Their gazes locked, and she sucked in a shallow breath. Oh, God, he couldn’t have just said she had him to screw her now, could he? Not what he intended to imply, even if the idea was fabulous.
Nix cleared his throat. He wouldn’t correct himself. It’d make matters worse if he tried. “You want to show Gage those case files you
Nix sucked in a ragged breath, the scenario she painted atypical of the paranormal community.
“There is no record of any children being born to the couple. Everything Micah ever told me was a lie.”
Elias ? What a peculiar name. Coupled with parents from the 1700s, her problem kept getting bigger and more complicated. “Have you seen his brother since Micah’s disappearance?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Good riddance, too. Elias always made me feel like he stripped me naked. Made my skin crawl.”
Nix wanted to strip her naked, too. He could understand Elias’s obsession there, but he’d been her brother-in-law, which identified him as a pervert and a little sick in Nix’s opinion. Some familial territory lines weren’t meant to be crossed. “Since Micah is nonexistent, do you think he was really a lawyer or do you think that another lie?”
“He practiced law, but he held no official degree from Harvard as he claimed. I have all his case files boxed up if you want to look at them.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
“What happened in the kitchen….” She shuddered and fear clouded her eyes. Considering what he knew and what he saw, he thought her very brave. She swallowed hard and asked, “Do you really think Amos got rid of it?”
Nix hesitated, scratched his chin, and nodded. “Yeah, I do.” He gave her the answer he knew she was most reluctant to hear. He would never be comfortable sugar coating supernatural occurrences. Sugar coating got people killed.
The beauty of her tear-filled eyes hit him again. Like blue diamonds.
“How could he do that?” She swiped at the wet tracks falling down her cheeks, and Nix thought she’d be stunning dressed to the nines. Red-rimmed eyes, puffy red nose, a total mess, and still a very attractive woman any man would desire. He could understand why a high-powered man like her husband would desire a woman like her—if not for love, her looks alone would seal the deal.
Between gasping, tear-laced breaths, her words stuttered out, “How could…he do…any…of…the things…he does?” A long, ragged inhale seemed to fortify her backbone into steel. The crying ceased and her voice grew a fraction stronger. “I’m scared, Phoenix. Terribly scared.” A nervous laugh made her sound like she hovered between the delicate edge of reason and full-blown irrationality. “I guess that makes me weak. Not the type of woman you’d….”
She glanced away sharply, and Nix wondered what she’d been about to say. He knew what he wanted her to say, but even if she admitted an attraction to him, it wouldn’t be right to pursue it. Madison Wescott was a vulnerable woman, and he would be a cad to make a move on her during the worst moment in her life. Tense silence hung between them as she sniffled and used the back of her pale pink, three-quarter inch sleeves to mop up her tears.
“You’re not weak, you’re human. I get scared, too. I’m just too manly to admit it.” For some crazy reason, he resisted the urge to pound on his chest like Tarzan. But it didn’t matter, she broke into laughter, a pure, melodious sound that shivered all over his body and settled like a warm cocoon on his downstairs brain.
“Yeah.” Her chuckles retreated. “But at least you know how to protect yourself. If I tried, I’d just screw myself.”
“Not anymore—you’ve got me to do that.”
Their gazes locked, and she sucked in a shallow breath. Oh, God, he couldn’t have just said she had him to screw her now, could he? Not what he intended to imply, even if the idea was fabulous.
Nix cleared his throat. He wouldn’t correct himself. It’d make matters worse if he tried. “You want to show Gage those case files you
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