The Ghost Files 3 by Apryl Baker Read Free Book Online Page A

with everyone staring at me, I can’t not be polite. Nancy will have a seizure if I don’t. Here goes.
    “You too, Mr. Crane.” I grasp the proffered hand and instead of snatching it back, want to pull him to me and hug the man instead. I can sense emotions in ghosts sometimes when they’re broadcasting really, really loudly. This man is screaming his emotions. I can feel pain, grief, love, but mostly I feel joy. He is so full of joy that he’s found me.
    “I’m not as bad as you think,” he tells me softly. “And I’m so glad I’ve found you, my Emma Rose.”
    I nod and reluctantly pull my hand out of his, not wanting to lose those feelings, despite the definite impression that Ezekiel Crane is dangerous. I also know he’s my father. DNA results or not, everything inside of me shouted family when he took my hand. Maybe there is something to that old saying about blood knowing blood.
    “I will see you soon, ma petite ,” he tells me with a reassuring smile.
    “Come on, Mattie.” Eli grabs my hand. “Let’s get you out of here.”
    I still can’t believe it. I finally found my dad.
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    I roll my eyes when Eli puts himself between me and Dan in the cab of the truck. I swear, the two of them are ridiculous.
    “Your dad is officially on my scary-freaky-people list,” Eli tells me, his face all serious. “Did either of you get bad vibes from him?”
    Dan nods. “Yeah, he gave me the creeps, too.”
    “Can we not talk about that?” I’m not in the mood to discuss my father. I need to talk about the missing girls. “I have more important things to discuss like the ghosts that attacked me in the airport bathroom.”
    “I wondered when you were going to tell me about that,” Dan says and turns onto I-85.
    “It’ll be more than a mention. To start with, there are several pissed-off girls who blame me for their deaths.”
    “You?” Eli frowns. “Why?”
    “I got an up close and personal look at the why,” I whisper and describe my ghostly vision, leaving out nothing, not even the part I wanted to forget. Okay, I know it didn’t happen to me, but it sure feels like it did.
    “Oh, that sucks.” Eli pulls me close and buries his nose in my hair. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Mattie.”
    I really, really like the feel of his warm breath stirring my hair, but I won’t admit that to him. “Is there something you guys can do? Like what you did in New Orleans when you muted the ghosts? I’d rather be an observer than an on-board passenger. I can’t do that again, Eli. It’s like…I have a feeling all of them will make me experience their deaths before this is finished.”
    “I’ll check,” he agrees. “Caleb’s pretty good at altering designs to fit what he needs them to do.”
    “How many girls are there?” Dan asks, doing his best not to seem bothered by the fact his brother has his arm around me. “Can you describe them to me?”
    For once I don’t smile at Dan’s jealousy. “I’m not sure exactly. I only saw two of them, but they said there were others. Maybe eight? I’m guessing. I can draw you the ones I saw. I think the one girl died around Lake Norman. I remember the woods and the water. No, I’m sure it’s Lake Norman. That’s where she thought she was, so yeah, Lake Norman.”
    “Mattie, I’ll get a sketch artist if we need to,” Dan frowns. “Your hands are still pretty messed up.”
    “About that…” I start, then stop when both guys give me sharp looks. Oops. I have got to control my guilty tone of voice better in these situations. I’m a good liar, but it’s hard to do around these two. Besides, it’s not like I have anything to feel guilty about, at least I don’t think so.
    “Mattie…” Dan urged.
    “In a second.” I need time to stop thinking about my old serial-killer foster mother—the one who’d kidnapped and tortured me for a few days? That one. Yeah, she pretty much destroyed my