The Haunting Read online

  Jace lifted his foot and brought it down hard on Louis causing him to grab his stomach and bring his knees to his chest. Jace didn't have one ounce of sympathy for the man who lay at his feet in a fetal position. "Fucking answer me!" Jace bent down to haul him up to his feet him, but before he had a chance to get a good hold on him, Louis bolted for the door and ran out of the building and down the street. It didn't take long before Jace caught up with him. He tackled Louis halfway down the block and started beating him against the sidewalk. Punch after punch, kick after kick had been observed by passersby. Each of them watched in horror at what was going on right in front of them.

  Jace stood over Louis and looked up in the witness’s direction. "Do any of you have a fucking problem?!"

  They stared into his ice cold blue eyes and quickly shook their heads no. Before Jace had a chance to say anything else they ran away leaving Louis to his own devices.

  Jace turned his attention back to Lois and punched him again, this time making contact with his teeth. A deep inch long cut along Jace's knuckle finally caused him to stop pummeling on the skinny drug addict. Out of breath he leaned over and forcefully reached into Louis' pocket and pulled out fifty dollars. He stood over him, his voice laced with anger. "I'll be back for the rest, you better be damned sure you have it all by the time I see you again. Next time you won't be so fucking lucky."

  Jace turned around and sauntered away as if nothing happened. He cursed himself all the way back to his house. "Fuck! Why the hell am I doing this?!" This ‘job’ wasn't his first choice as a career, but after his father had left him and his younger brother to go live with another woman he'd had no other choice than to become the man of the house. His mother worked two jobs just to make ends meet and a few years later she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She didn't have much time left and Jace was determined that his mother would be as comfortable as possible before she died. He couldn't have asked for a better parent. She had been both mother and father to her boys, she doted on them every chance she got. Jace wiped the back of his hand on his dark stonewashed blue jeans. He probably needed stitches, but was too tired to do anything but go to bed. As he turned the key in the door he heard his mother coughing. He jerked the door open and ran past his brother over to his mother's side. He took her hand in his and looked over to his younger brother Evan. "How long has she been like this?"

  "About a half an hour."

  "Did you give her the medication?"

  "Yeah. It should take affect soon."

  Jace handed his mother a glass of water from the nightstand. When she finished drinking he gently laid her down on the pillow and covered her with a blanket.

  When Evan left the room, Jace followed right behind him leaving the door open just enough so they would be able to hear their mother. Jace walked passed Evan and went into the living room to check the thermostat. "Evan, it's freezing in here! Why didn't you turn the heat up for mom?"

  "The heat is up. The thermostat broke this afternoon and I couldn't get anyone out here to fix it."

  "Why the hell not?! Mom, is sick. She can't be here in the house like this."

  Evan angrily closed the distance between him and his older brother. "Don't you think I know that?! We don't have the money to fix it."

  Jace fisted his hands and pressed them against his forehead. "Fuck!"

  Evan almost jumped out of his skin when Jace threw his keys across the room. "Calm down! You're gonna wake her up."

  Jace plopped down on the sofa and held his head in his hands. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

  Evan sat next to his brother and leaned his head back against the couch. "Can you ask Cesar for some money? Maybe he can help. He knows our situation."

  Jace looked up and stared at the wall. "He already gave me an advance on some jobs. That's how I paid for mom's doctor visit and bought her medication."

  "I really hate that you have to work for Cesar. I should go back to work."

  "Absolutely not! I need you here to watch mom. Anyway, we can't afford a nurse and you're the only one I trust."

  "But, there must be something else we can do so you don't have to work for Cesar anymore."

  "Look, after dad left us, I really didn't have any other alternative. We needed the money. I needed to take care of you guys. There weren't many choices when I was sixteen. Now, well, now it's just too late for me to leave Ceasar. I know too much."

  Jace stood and crossed the room. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed the juice container. He didn't bother getting a glass to drink from. The container would do just fine.

  "That's disgusting Jace! Get a cup! No one wants your cooties."

  Jace almost spit the juice on the floor he laughed so hard. "Shut up! I don't have cooties!"

  "Well, that's not what Leslie down the street said."

  Jace sat on the stool next to kitchen counter, he reached into the bowl of popcorn Evan had made. He popped a piece in his mouth and smiled slyly. "Oh really. What did Miss Leslie say?"

  "She said that after she slept with you, she got the cooties."

  "Well, I wouldn't count on her to be the best source of information when she’s has screwed everyone in the neighborhood with a dick. It was probably you who gave her the cooties."

  "Ew. Definitely not!"

  Jace laughed and popped another kernel in his mouth. When he reached over to grab the container of juice he noticed a small piece of paper on the counter. "Whose number is this?"

  "Oh shit! I completely forgot. I was watching TV with mom earlier and there’s this new reality game show that’s auditioning people to be on it. I thought it might be something you would be interested in doing."

  "Now, why in the hell would I be interested in being in a television reality show?"

  Evan walked over to his brother and picked up the paper. "Because the winner gets one million dollars."

  Jace snatched the paper out of Evan's hand. "The fuck you say! Gimme that."

  Evan smiled. "I thought it would intrigue you."

  "Oh, I'm intrigued. What would I have to do?"

  "You have to spend twenty-four hours with five other people in a haunted mansion."

  Jace gave Evan with an annoyed look. "Really? A haunted house? You're fucking with me right?"

  "I'm serious. You know that money would help us out with Mom"

  "I know."

  "So, what are you gonna do?"

  "I’m going to call this number first thing in the morning."

  Jace rose from his chair and Evan followed his brother to his room. "Oooo, aren't you scared?" He said teasingly.

  "Grow the fuck up. This will be a piece of cake. Easiest money I’ll ever make."Jace slammed the door in his brother's face and threw himself on the bed.

  "Night!" Evan yelled from the other side of the door. Jace's last thoughts before falling asleep were what he would be able to do for his mother with all that money. They could finally move into a better house and in a better neighborhood where his mother could rest as peacefully as possible before she passed on. Yeah, easiest money he would ever make.

  Chapter Three

  Kelly went home to pack a few things before she for her audition, or rather her interview with the executives of the network. The producer wasn't looking for actors. He wanted real people with real problems to appear on the show. When she called the network, a recruiter had asked her a lot of questions. Where she lived. Where she worked. How much she earned. What her blood type was. Which was kind of odd. Why would they need to know her blood type? Nevertheless, she really needed the money so she answered whatever questions they asked of her.

  She made her way to the bus station across town and purchased her ticket to Nevada City, California. Which wasn't far at all. Only the next city over. An hour bus ride at the most. Kelly looked up at the windows on the bus as she walked closer to enter it. Naturally, being her awkward self she wasn't paying attention where she was going and bumped into someone, dropping her bag on his foot. How could she be so gr
aceful when she danced, yet be a total klutz the rest of the time?

  "Oh, I'm..." Kelly's voice trailed off when she saw the tight well sculpted muscular chest right in front of her face. She looked up and was captivated by the man's eyes. He had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and they sparkled like the sun shimmering on the ocean's waves. She tried to utter an apology, but she was rendered speechless.

  He looked down at her and his facial expression wasn't the most inviting. In fact, it was downright intimidating. Not a word. Not a smile. Nothing. He just turned away and got on the bus. Kelly couldn't move. She was stuck to the sidewalk as if someone had super glued her shoes to the concrete. She watched him board the bus; she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

  Get a grip Kelly. Plenty of men come in the club. Although, none have ever looked as sexy as this guy. Kelly picked up her bag from the floor and got on the bus. She smiled at the bus driver as she entered the aisle and proceeded to walk towards the back of the bus. All the seats were occupied with people except for one. Of course that seat happened to be next to him. She sighed and inwardly cringed. What was she going to do? She had no choice but to sit next to him. She couldn't stand up for the whole bus ride.

  He sat with his eyes closed and his head leaned back against the seat. It wasn't just his eyes that were intimidating. It was his whole appearance and body language. He was a big man. At least five foot ten and two hundred pounds of scrumptious solid muscle. His dark hair was shaved close to his scalp and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days. Kelly loved that look on a man. He looked rugged and sex oozed from every inch of him. Kelly shook those thoughts out of her head. What if he opened his eyes and found her staring at him with lust written all over her face? What would she say?

  His legs were spread apart and his foot was sticking halfway into the aisle. How was she going to get into the seat next to the window if he was blocking her path? As her eyes drifted from his foot up his leg she could see the big hard bulge between his legs. His jeans clung to him in all the right places. Now, she could see why he couldn't close his legs enough to fit in the tight space of the bus seat.

  The bus was about to take off when the driver told Kelly to have a seat. Kelly looked back to bus driver and nodded an okay. What was she going to do now? She couldn't very well climb over him. Well....she contemplated that idea for a half a second then quickly realized that would not be appropriate at all.

  Kelly cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem." He didn't even flinch. Seriously? Who falls into a deep sleep that fast? Kelly cleared her throat louder this time. "Ahem." Still nothing. The bus started to move and drive away from the station. Finally, Kelly got annoyed and kicked his foot. She didn't care how intimidating he was, she wasn't scared of anyone.

  The man moved like a wild cat attacking its prey. Before he even opened his eyes his hand reached out for Kelly and grabbed her by the throat. He pulled her across his lap. Kelly couldn't scream. She didn't have any time to comprehend what was going on. All she knew was that she couldn't breathe.

  The passengers on the bus started to yell at the bus driver to stop the bus. The bus driver stomped on the brake causing everyone to fly forward in their seats. "What the hell is going on back there?" Simultaneously all the customers were screaming what was happening. "Quiet!" The bus driver started towards the back of the bus.

  Kelly was gasping for breath. The stranger opened his eyes and she could see the look of regret in his eyes as soon as he realized who he was attacking. He instantly let go and Kelly coughed trying to catch her breath.

  He sat her upright in his lap and apologized profusely. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I...I didn't know...are you okay?"

  Kelly was still in shock because the situation had occurred so fast and she didn't have time to think. She just shook her head and rubbed her neck. Her voice barely a whisper. "Yeah, I think so."

  When the bus driver got to the back of the bus where they were he didn’t look pleased. "What in the hell is going on here? Is this thug trying anything funny with you Miss?" The driver must have thought she was being sexually harassed seeing her on the strangers lap.

  Her attacker looked at her and then at the driver. "I'm..."

  Kelly interjected before he could say anything further. She looked at the driver when she spoke. "No. I'm fine. It was... it just a misunderstanding." Why did she just cover for someone who just tried to choke the life out of her? She should just tell the bus driver and have this guy kicked off the bus and have the police take him away. He obviously wasn't stable enough to be around other people. But, for some reason she couldn't bring herself to speak those words aloud.

  The bus driver gave her a sideways look, she could see that he didn't believe her. "Hmm. You know you don't have to be frightened of this hooligan. If he's bothering you I can kick his ass off the bus right now."

  Kelly cleared her throat. "I'm fine really. He's not bothering me. It's just as I said before. It was nothing more than a misunderstanding.

  "Whatever you say ma'am. But, if you change your mind just give me a holler.” The driver went back to the front of the bus and sat back down in the driver's seat.

  When the bus started in motion again, Kelly looked at the stranger. His eyes no longer possessed that cold stare she had seen earlier before boarding the bus. He now looked at her with confusion. "Why did you cover for me after what I just did to you?"

  Kelly shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know what to say to him much less how to answer his question because she'd had no idea why herself. "Um… I don't know. You were sleeping and I shouldn't have kicked you. I'm sorry for that too. It was partly my fault. I caught you off guard. I had no way to know how you would react. Besides you looked genuinely sorry for it."

  He slowly raised his hand to her neck and Kelly instinctively moved her head back away from him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He cleared his throat. "Not again anyway."

  Kelly hesitantly sat back up and he gently rubbed her neck with his thumbs and forefinger. She watched him look at her neck while continuing his light massage, she felt a warmth build in her core. Butterflies were fluttered in her stomach, her breath caught in her mildly sore throat and she started to feel a little dizzy. Maybe it was because the oxygen had suddenly been cut off to her brain. No. It was something else. Something she had never felt before. Lust?

  Why was she having these feelings for a perfect stranger? Most of all, a stranger who tried to choke her to death. In her head she knew it wasn't right but, her gut was saying something else. She always followed her instincts, this was the first time she questioned her natural intuition. This wasn't the time or place for this. She had to concentrate on winning that prize money so she could accomplish something that was always in her heart and that was going to medical school.

  She suddenly felt very uncomfortable and heat began to rise in her face causing her to blush. She realized that she was still sitting in his lap and his erection was now pressing against her ass. She could feel how big he was and wondered what it would feel like to have him sliding inside of her. The uneasy feeling she'd had was now subsiding as curiosity took over. Kelly adjusted herself trying to get off his lap and into the seat by the window. That slight movement made him harder. Kelly's eyes met his stunned expression. Obviously, he was just as embarrassed as she was. Probably even more so.

  He placed his hands under her knees and slowly lifted her into the seat next to him. He did this without making eye contact with her. They didn't say a word to each other for the next half hour. When the silence was finally broken it was he who spoke first.

  *********

  Jace kept his eyes focused on the seat in front of him for the last thirty minutes. What could he have done? He had made a total ass of himself. First he choked the beautiful girl sitting next to him, then while she sat in his lap, his third appendage decided to have a mind own its own. Remembering how his cock felt against her ass was making him hard again, he quickly adjusted himself and sat up i
n his seat. How he wanted to be inside of her. The need was nothing like he felt before. Sure, he'd been with lots of women before, but he saw something different in her eyes.

  The fire in her eyes was apparent. She looked like the kind of girl who didn't take shit from anyone. One kick from her and that was all he needed. There was also a kindness in her heart. She didn't have to cover for him like that. Had it been him, there’s no way he would have let something like that slide. He could tell she was special.

  He wanted to tell her how sorry he was again. There was no way he would have ever done that if he had been awake and lucid. She caught him off guard is all. You just don’t let your guard down in his line of work. He had to be alert at all times and he hadn't been today. Evan was home taking care of their mother while Jace was out all night collecting for Cesar trying to earn some extra money. His brother and mother were all he had in the world and he would do anything to protect and care for them. He was going to be gone for a few days and needed the money for food and everyday necessities until he got back. After this trip money would no longer be an issue. They would have more than enough to take care of their mother with plenty left over.

  Thinking about his family was a welcome distraction. He didn't have to think about the woman sitting next to him, which was an entirely different type of distraction all by itself. Jace had to apologize to her again. It would eat him away inside if he didn't. But, what the fuck was he going say to her? She probably thought he got off on that kind of stuff. Who got hard after almost choking someone to death? A sick and demented person that's who.