Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson Read Free Book Online

coming at her as if it were somehow her fault.
    â€œHow long has this house been here?” she asked.
    â€œI’m not sure. Since the twenties, I think. It was abandoned back in the seventies after the man who owned it killed himself and his family inside.” He gave her a sideways smile. “Supposedly. The city tried tearing it down once, but some historical society was able to save it. Everyone says it’s haunted.” David looked at her. “You think she was kidnapped by a ghost?”
    Lucifer kept her gaze on the house as she said, “No.” She looked back to David when he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started tapping the screen. “What are you doing?”
    â€œI’m calling Gina’s dad. If she was really kidnapped, I want to hear it from him. No offense.” David held the phone to his ear, waiting for Buck to pick up the other end. After a moment, he said, “Mr. Pierce, this is David. Gina’s boyfriend. Would you please call me right away? Thank you.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket before leaning back against the car with a heavy sigh. “This is just absurd.”
    â€œWell, while you’re waiting for him to call back, maybe you could help me. Do you notice anything odd or out of place?”
    Exasperated, David looked to the house. “No. It just looks like an old house to me.” He paused then said, “Do you?”
    Lucifer frowned. “All the windows are broken,” she said. “Prob­ably have been for who knows how long.” She leaned close to him and pointed toward the second story of the house. “All but that one.”
    David stared at the unbroken window. “A window is odd to you?”
    â€œHow many kids have thrown rocks at this place over the years? Hundreds? If this house was abandoned forty years ago, there shouldn’t be a single window intact. Yet, there is.”
    â€œI suppose that is a little odd. Could be just a coincidence.”
    Lucifer arched her eyebrow as she stared at him. She pushed off of the car and bent over to examine the rocks at her feet. Once she found one to her liking, she picked it up and hurled it at the window. The rock whistled through the air until it hit the window with a crash, shattering the glass into a hundred pieces. Sharp, tiny shards rang out like dull chimes as they fell to the ground like deadly rain. Lucifer repositioned her trick bag over her shoulder and started walking toward the house. “Go home, David.”
    â€œNot a chance.” His voice was lower now, his tone measured but firm. “I’m not going anywhere until I know what’s going on with Gina. And I mean really going on with her, not this nonsense about some boogeyman. Consider me your shadow.”
    She looked back at him, wanting to give him a scowl. But when she saw the undercurrent of worry beneath his determined expression, she could only sigh. He cared about Gina. Lucifer wondered what it would be like to have someone worry about her like that. But just as quickly as the thought came to her, she pushed it from her mind. It was foolish to think about such things. People close to her always got hurt. Always. Besides, what in this world or any other would she do with a boyfriend, anyway? The idea was ridiculous.
    â€œAll right,” she said. “But if I tell you to do something, you have to do it.”
    â€œOh, do I?” He tried to smile at her, but his broad grin lay across his face in a half-hearted tilt.
    â€œYes, you do,” she said with a healthy amount of venom in her voice. David blanched. Even Lucifer was surprised by her own anger, but she wasn’t mad at him because he wanted to come along. She was mad at herself because she knew she was going to let him.

    The outside of the Worcester House was a model of perfection compared to the mess inside. Trash was everywhere. Bottles, bags, papers, even a couple of shopping carts. The heavy