Cal turned to look at him. “From what?”
Sam shrugged. “She was afraid someone was coming in that broken window to scare her. She figured this would stop them.”
“Did it?”
“She hasn’t said.”
Working together, the men pushed it aside and Cal opened the door.
“Hello?” he called up the steps. “Anyone here?”
Sam’s skin iced. No, not just his skin, his whole body, his organs, his blood. His muscles tightened in what he recognized as a fight-or-flight response.
And then, just like that, he felt normal again.
“Did you feel that?” he asked, realizing then that Cal had already entered the attic and was looking back at him curiously.
“Feel what?”
“Like, that chill?”
“No, man, it’s hot as hell up here. Maybe you’re getting sick.” Cal squinted. “Sometimes when my mom gets a migraine she sees a flash of light first. You think that could be what happened?”
“No, I’ve never had a migraine.”
“First time for everything. You’re not getting any younger.”
Sam scoffed and marched up the stairs, trying to shake the icy feeling. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck as he searched behind the boxes. It was like a feeling of being watched, and while there were a lot of places to hide, someone wouldn’t be able to move from one place to another without being seen. As much s he wanted to be close to Cal, he wanted to be done more, so they headed in different directions. He alternated between shining the flashlight on the floor in front of him to behind the stacks and stacks of boxes.
But nothing. No one was there, and there was no sign anyone had been there.
So what had he seen?
“Ain’t nothing here. I’m pretty sure all you saw was your own headlights.” Cal gave him a look over the beam of his flashlight. “Or else you’re trying to distract me from what you’re really doing here.”
“Come on, Cal. You know me.”
“Yeah, I do, which is why I came in with you instead of hauling you off.” He opened the door to leave the attic, motioned for Sam to precede him out the door.
Once they reached the front door, Cal turned to him. “You satisfied?”
Sam rubbed the back of his neck again, the prickle that hadn’t gone away. “I mean, I didn’t see any evidence of anyone being here. So yeah, I guess.”
“Well, you go on home, then. Don’t come sneaking around here when no one’s home.”
“Yeah. I’m going to make sure the car’s at my folks’, then go down to Rumrunners.” He said it almost like he was asking permission, which felt weird. But when Cal nodded, Sam headed down to his truck and took off.
Fifteen
Samson hadn’t comein tonight. Erielle’s disappointment annoyed her. She didn’t need a babysitter. She could handle herself, and she didn’t need to depend on him. He’d told her he was in town to help his father, and no doubt that was what he was doing. He owed her nothing. In fact, she owed him for all the help he’d given her.
But she couldn’t stop herself from watching the door. When Marie walked in with her crowd, a surge of unexpected excitement surged through Erielle.
“Marie!” she called.
When the older woman turned toward her, a bemused expression on her pixie face, Erielle waved like a little kid. Seriously, the bar was not that big. Marie knew who’d called to her. Marie glanced at her group, then approached the bar almost warily. Erielle reached for Marie’s favored craft beer and set it on the counter.
“On me,” Erielle said, though she still thought the price was too high.
