Page 109 of Malice

She studies Aster’s face for a second. “Promise Abigail?”

“I promise. You’re always welcome.”

She turns to Farnsworth, gazing up at him. “Abigail visit?”

His lips stretch into a genuine smile. “Yes, Abigail. You can visit.”

“Goodie!” She pops up and grabs his hand. “Abigail happy.”

Farnsworth gazes at us, schooling his expression back to neutral. “Enjoy your downtime, Chaser. You never know when it will end.”

Then he’s gone, taking the small girl with him.

“I’ll let you two… newlyweds—I think that works—be alone,” Jocelyn says. “Come on, Crash. Let’s talk about your parents.”

Once they leave, it’s just me and Aster in the yard. Otto scratches at the ground like he’s trying to get Abigail back. Sweet.

“What should we do now, Chaser?” I ask, draping my arms around his neck.

Aster’s eyes heat as he pulls me close with his arm around my waist. “I have a few ideas.”

Chapter 36

Aster

I’m on the last chapter of the book I’m reading, the second in Hudson’s most recent series, and it’s so good I want to shout, but I’m mindful of interrupting Hudson’s work. He’s typing away diligently on his laptop, putting the final touches on the book that has plagued him for months while he dealt with the fallout from his stalker.

We don’t say his name anymore. In fact, we don’t really talk about everything that went down, except the moments when we express our gratitude for meeting. It’s been three months of bliss since our bonding ceremony, and every day is magical and new. I’ve never spent hours sitting on a couch or in bed just talking to someone before. We share our secrets and fears, our hopes for the future. We share our love, and it’s incredible.

Just as I close the book, taking a moment to smile at such a satisfying ending, Otto jumps up from his spot on the couch between me and Hudson, staring straight ahead with his tail wagging. Seconds later, Crash appears, and Otto goes wild.

We see him around the house sometimes, chatting with the other spirits, telling them all about the things they’ve missed since they ended their mortal walk. He seems at peace now, after Jocelyn visited with his parents and now he has a place to callhome. He still plays with Otto often, and chats with us, but he’s given us the privacy he promised.

“Just came down for some dog smooches,” he says.

“Have fun. I’m gonna make the writer some tea.”

Just as I get on my feet to head to the kitchen, there’s a knock at the door.

“Uh oh,” Crash says, disappearing out of sight, leaving my dog bewildered.

I walk over to the front door and open it to find a faceless black figure standing there. My heart sinks. Honeymoon’s over.

The figure hands me a manila folder, bows slightly, and dissipates before my eyes. I shut the door, walking back to the couch slowly.

“Who was at the door, love?” Hudson asks, looking up from his computer.

I hold up the folder. “My next assignment.”

Hudson’s face turns pale. “Oh.” He nods. “Okay. Back to work, huh?”

“Guess so, yeah.”

I sit beside him and open the folder. We both look at the details together. A married couple is being plagued by a hostile Horror that wants them out of the house.

“Looks like I’m heading to Cambridge.”

Hudson squeezes my hand. “We’reheading to Cambridge. Together. We’ve got this, Chaser.”

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