a Touch of Revenge (Romantic Mystery - book 6): The Everly Gray Adventures by L.j. Charles Read Free Book Online

trail I needed to follow. If nothing else, Connor had some kind of connection with my mom and might be able to lead Pierce and me to Grady.
    I left Mitch’s lair, fought to keep my eyes on my feet, but darn if that bare sakura tree didn’t call to me. I blew out a sigh, hoping it would ease some of the pressure in my chest, and then trudged down the stairs to face the inevitable. I braced my suitcase against the bottom of the staircase and made my way across the lush fields toward the Japanese cherry tree. Dry leaves rustled in the wind. They’d hang around for a while, unlike the too-short life of the cherry blossoms. I didn’t bother to glance back at the house to see if anyone watched me. It would be expected that I visit my husband’s grave, so there was nothing odd or remarkable about my behavior. Nothing odd, unless you were me.
    It was the emptiness that clung to me, smothering the breath from my lungs. I knew Mitch wasn’t in that grave. Oh, his physical remains were, but Mitch, my Mitch, had transitioned to the light. I’d watched his soul leave his body when he died in my arms. I hadn’t told anyone, not even Jayne, about that part.
    It had been beautiful, until it wasn’t. There was a part of Mitch’s spirit that still clung to human life, to me. It hovered in the background and nudged me from time to time. Not with words or ghostly appearances. It was always a touch, brief and so light I barely felt it brush the outside edge of my energy field. And it was the reason I’d totally shut down my fingertips. When they were out of commission, I couldn’t feel…anything energetic.
    But now my ESP abilities were wide open. And his grave was but a touch away.
    I sat cross-legged on the ground and clenched my hands into a tight ball. Could I face the emptiness if there was nothing here? No remnants of Mitch’s spirit? Or would touching his final resting place bring him full-force into my awareness? I consciously splayed my fingers, then wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs. I extended my hand over the grave, shaking so hard it made my teeth chatter.
    “You can do this, Everly.” The wind whisked my words into the ethers.
    Eyes wide open, I placed my fingertips on the ground, and…nothing. The loss griped my insides and twisted into raw pain. I jerked back, tucked my hands against my body. Still, this was easier than having him invade my energy field.
    I took time to suck in a couple breaths, then lay back on the ground and stared at the clouds tumbling across the vivid blue sky. Was I beginning to heal? Had it been me, my grief, my needs, holding Mitch close so he couldn’t finish his transition?
    A gust of wind tore through my clothes and I was surrounded with the sweet fragrance of cherries. I shook, cried, laughed, and finally found some words. “Thank you, Mitchell Hunt, for staying, for protecting me while I was such a mess. Still am, I guess. But it will be better now. It’s time for you to finish your journey, and for me to start mine. There’s a place in my heart that will always belong to you, no matter what happens.”
    I wiped the tears off my face, stood, paused at the base of the stairs to get my suitcase and handbag, then walked around to the front door and rapped. Parker answered, a frown darkening his face. “You’re family, Everly. Knocking isn’t necessary.”
    “I…can’t do this, Parker. Stay here, act normal, friendly. It’s…I’m not comfortable with Mitch’s family right now, and the memories of living here are just too much. And I’ve found a clue. A name. I—”
    “What’s going on?” Jayne came up behind Parker, and yanked the door wide open.
    “Everly’s found a clue,” Parker said, then dropped his arm over Jayne’s shoulders, tucking her into his side.
    Jayne straightened, but Parker held her close. “Why don’t you come in and tell us—?”
    “No, I need to leave. There was a name. In England. And I want to start chasing this lead right away. You of all