Page 19 of Soul to Possess

That came out sharper than I intended. But I didn’t take it back.

He just smiled, slow and knowing. “No? You’re in my home. At my discretion. That makes me your friend. At least… temporarily.”

My pulse skipped. There was amusement in his voice, but something underneath it too. Something steel-edged.

“I—I guess that makes sense,” I said, forcing my tone to soften. “I do appreciate the breakfast. It’s… really good. Yummy.” I tried to smile, eyes flicking over him like I could make sense of him if I just looked hard enough. But I couldn’t. And that was starting to scare me. He wore a dark gray long-sleeved shirt stretched tight across his shoulders, sleeves pushedup just enough to expose the veins in his forearms. There was more stubble on his jaw than yesterday, like a few days’ worth. He looked… unbothered. Like I wasn’t a stranger sitting at his table. Like this was routine.

“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to make it sound casual.

“Atticus.” He said it around a mouthful of eggs, like the question was as ordinary as asking for the time.

Atticus. The name sat heavy in my head. Not familiar, not really—but sharp. Like something from a story I couldn’t place. I took a sip of my orange juice, buying myself a second. What was I even supposed to say next?Thanks for the pancakes, by the way—why do you have a paddle and rope hanging on your wall?

My throat tightened. Would bringing up Marvin help—or make things worse? I said nothing. Just sat there watching him chew, waiting for my brain to catch up with my mouth.

“Cat got your tongue?” His eyes flicked up to mine, unreadable. “Or is the nameAtticussomehow triggering for you?” He said it too casually. But the way he looked at me made me feel like he wasn’t just guessing. Like he was watching the way Ireacted—tracking it.

I forced a small shrug. “Just… not sure what to say next.”

“Well,” he said, pausing for another bite, “what would youliketo say next?”

I hesitated, then went with the simplest truth I had: “Where am I?”

“You’re in South Dakota,” he said. “Where were you headed?”

“South Dakota,” I repeated slowly.

He chuckled. “We’ve been over that, haven’t we? You were on your way to meet a husband. Marvin, right?” He leanedback a little. “Well, I don’t know anyone named Marvin around here.”

My stomach turned. “He owns a big ranch,” I offered, unsure why I felt like I had to defend the story. “No wife. No family. He sells horses—lots of them.”

Atticus tilted his head. “Gennie girl, I know every man within 300 miles of me. There’s no Marvin.”

My heart stuttered. “Maybe he goes by something else?” I asked, a whisper of hope in my voice.

He didn’t even hesitate. “Doubtful. Did he give you an address?”

“It was on my bus ticket.”

That made him pause. “Bus ticket?” One eyebrow lifted.

“Yeah… the driver said the snow made it too dangerous to go further. He dropped me off way back and told me to follow the stakes through the woods.” Atticus laughed, loud and sudden. “No shit. My driveway’s not built for that kind of crap. What the hell were they thinking, dropping a little thing like you in the snow like that? Lazy, useless bastards.”

I blinked, caught off guard by how fast his anger came—directed outward, but hot and sharp. He kept shaking his head, muttering. “I was wondering how you ended up out here, but you looked so damn spooked last night, I figured I’d let you get your bearings before asking.”

“They told me the stakes would lead straight to Marvin’s ranch,” I murmured.

“Well, they were wrong,” he said flatly. “Those stupid fucks probably didn’t even know where they were. You still have that ticket?”

I nodded slowly.

“Good. Lemme see it. I can at least tell you where youweresupposed to end up.”

I nodded, pulse quickening. “It’s upstairs. In my bag.”

He gestured casually toward the living room. “Run along and grab it. I’ll toss the dishes in the sink. We can talk on the couch.”

His plate clanged against metal as he stood, moving with a kind of unhurried confidence that made the room feel smaller. I left the kitchen in a rush, adrenaline already churning. Maybe he really could help me get to Marvin. Maybe this was all just a huge misunderstanding. He’d been kind this morning—strangely kind. He’d made breakfast, even smiled at me. His name was Atticus. A beautiful, unexpected name to match a man like him. Severe and magnetic. Dangerous-looking, but civilized.

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