Page 10 of Hot Ghoul Summer

“Gary offered you to Nicky Cross as a trade. Your life for his.”

I’m glad Molly’s in a chair. Her skin is dead white, then flaming red. She blinks several times, sick horror on her features. “No. He what?”

“Your life for his. Nicky Cross accepted.”

“And you’re Nicky Cross?” she yelps.

“For God’s sake, no!” I haven’t even introduced myself. This will go down in history as the worst first impression ever. “Sorry. Hi. I’m Toby.” I hold out my hand.

Of course, Molly doesn’t take it. “You work for him?”

“I most certainly do not.” I frown. “Look, Nicky Cross died during the exchange on the pier.” I probably should leave my role in that moment out for now. “But he’d already agreed to accept you for his personal use and for the use of his gang. And then he said they’d have to kill you so you could never speak about... About that. Your stepfather left Nicky’s body on the pier, and I realized that as he still hasn’t paid off his debts, Nicky’s second-in-command would no doubt come after him. Your stepfather—”

“Ex-stepfather!”

“Gary isn’t likely to suddenly find himself flush with cash. I’ve been working with all sorts of people for a long, long time, and I know something about the bad ones, Molly. Once they figure out a trick that works and saves their own skins? They use it until they can’t use it anymore. You’ll be Gary’s bargaining chip until he’s dead—or until you are.” I kneel in front of her, still keeping my voice soft and my body out of her space, “A beautiful woman like you is worth a lot to horrible people. They buy and sell humans like trinkets. They use people like toys.” This part is where I become the bad guy. “As a witness to the incident on the peer, I spoke to Gary. I told him that I...” I swallow. “I told him he ought to join Nicky Cross—and instead, guess what he said?”

Molly’s face is stricken. Her hair falls forward, messy waves hiding her fear. “Did he... He gave me to you?”

“Said he could have you here by midnight. And look, here you are.”

There’s silence. The kettle whistles and then shuts off, powering down automatically.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I? Does your ex-stepfather have a reputation for being an upright and honest bloke?”

Molly says nothing.

I repeat, “He said he’d deliver you to this address by midnight—and here you are.”

“Here I am. What happens to me now?”

I swallow and risk getting up to plop two teabags in the cups and pour the water. I even get out the red and white biscuit tin, knowing it’ll be filled with my favorite Garibaldis and Viennese Whirls. Molly doesn’t move.

If I tell her that I’m keeping her here until I can pop Gary’s soul off into the ether, she’ll freak out. If I tell her I’m a Reaper AKA Death AKA a ghoul, an immortal, the Pale Rider, Joe Black, and a hundred other nicknames—she’ll freak out and think I’m barmy.

“Not going to tell me? Want to ‘surprise’ me with it?” Her voice is still harsh and unflinching, like she knows she’s in danger, and she’s more pissed than afraid.

I love that about her.

Just like the Molly I once knew, the one who spit in the sheriff’s eye when he tied my wrists together and threw me in the back of the wagon.

She’s not that girl.

Still my girl—if she’ll have me.

“I want you to stay here for now. That’s all. It’s a nice, big house. We can go to the beach—long as you stay close to me. Dunno who let Nicky Cross and his thugs roam around here. Part of me thinks he was here just to collect his money, but until we know more, you are in danger. I don’t know if Gary has associates around here who might know what he’s mixed up in.”

Molly nods. “Gary grew up near Scranton. He used to talk about coming to Lake Erie every summer. I don’t know if he knows people around here, but he knows the area. When he told me to meet him here at his beach house—well, that part didn’t make sense. I couldn’t believe he had money enough to buy a beach umbrella, let alone a beach house, but I didn’t find it hard to believe he was in this area.”

“Ah.” I put two steaming cups on the table and the tin between them. “You choose the mug you want. That way you know it’s safe.”

She pulls a cup over but just wraps her hands around it, then pulls it to her chest. “Trying not to go into shock. I’m a nurse.”

“He mentioned.”

“Why did you get involved in this if you’re a good guy?” Her tone makes it clear that the jury is still out on my character.

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