Page 30 of Haunted By the Mountain Man
"We tell him the truth," Shane said. "That whether Rebecca and Jimmy are here or not, they wouldn't want him carrying this guilt. That it's time to let go."
"And then we get him proper care," Kevin said firmly. "Jess, start making those calls tomorrow. Find a facility that will work with his condition, his needs. Somewhere close enough that Shane can visit daily if needed."
"I can help with funding," Shane said quietly. "I've saved enough—"
"We all help," Kevin cut him off. "That's what family does."
As we packed up the equipment, I couldn't shake the feeling we were being watched. Not malevolently, but sadly. Two young people who'd died trying to do the right thing, possibly trying to send a message via any means that they could.
Or maybe it was just an old building full of drafts and memories, and we were imposing meaning on random phenomena because we wanted to help Walt find peace.
Either way, the real ghosts that had been exorcised tonight were Shane's fears of asking for help and his brothers' hurt at being excluded. The family had come together despite the secrets, despite the strangeness of the situation.
That was the real haunting that ended tonight—Shane's isolation, his conviction that he had to handle everything alone.
The rest—the cold spots, the voices, the footprints—remained a mystery. And maybe that was okay. Some things didn't need definitive answers.
Sometimes the question itself was enough.
Chapter 8
Shane
I watched Kevin's truck taillights disappear down the mountain road, red dots swallowed by darkness. My brothers knew everything now. No more secrets. No more carrying this burden alone.
"That went better than expected," Raven said behind me.
I turned to find her still filming, her camera capturing the empty lobby with its peeling wallpaper and broken windows. The red recording light blinked steadily in the darkness.
"Turn it off," I commanded. "All of them. Now."
She looked up from her viewfinder, those dark eyes questioning. "I'm just getting some B-roll footage—"
"I said turn the cameras off, Raven. I'm done sharing you with your subscribers tonight."
Something in my voice made her hands move immediately, switching off the main camera, then the smaller ones she'd positioned around the room. The moment the last red light died, I was on her.
I pressed her against the wall, my hands bracketing her face as I claimed her mouth with all the intensity that had been building while we'd played ghost hunters with my family. She gasped against my lips, and I took advantage, deepening the kiss until she was clinging to my shoulders.
"Shane—"
"Mine," I growled against her throat, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. "All evening, watching you with my brothers,seeing how perfectly you fit with my family, knowing they could see what you mean to me..."
I lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to our makeshift room. The mattress on the floor wasn't much, but it was enough. I set her down and started stripping off her clothes with efficient movements.
"Someone's possessive tonight," she breathed, but her pupils were blown wide with want.
"You have no idea." I pulled my shirt over my head, satisfaction overwhelming me when her eyes tracked hungrily over my chest. "Do you know what it did to me, hearing Kevin say you were good for me? Having Neil's quiet approval? Watching Sam's wife already treating you like a sister?"
"Made you hot?" She reached for my belt.
"Made me realize I'm never letting you go." I caught her wrists, pinning them above her head with one hand while the other traced down her body. "You're not just mine for the week anymore. You're mine forever."
She arched beneath me as my fingers found her already wet. "Demanding much?"
"You haven't seen demanding yet." I released her wrists only to flip her onto her stomach, yanking her hips up. "Going to mark every inch of you. Going to fill you so full of me that everyone will know exactly who you belong to."
"Shane, please—"
