Raven Miller Project Read online

  “Yes,” I growled. Suddenly images started to flash through my mind. “Sometimes, mostly.” I could see burnt bodies, screaming faces; men, women and children.

  “Which event are you thinking about?”

  Just before going after Bobby, Annie and I had taken down a white supremist church. The leader was a real asshole, a sexist, abusive man who also dabbled in the occult. I’d actually recruited many of his followers.

  Adam laughed, as if he could hear the nervous apprehension of my thoughts. “What about the ones you killed to get on to the compound grounds?”

  “Casualties of war,” I muttered.

  Adam looked like he was about to punch me in the face when Leo appeared. The hippy pulled his partner off of me with more strength than I expected. “Adam, that’s enough!” Leo shouted, his flower-child behavior replaced with disappointment.

  “No, I’m not done with her!” Adam’s anger was abnormally savage.

  “What the fuck is your problem? Did I kill your brother or some shit?” Oh, that was the wrong thing to say.

  Adam charged at me, breaking away from Leo’s grasp. “Your partner targeted military installations!

  “No, we did not!” At least I didn’t think we did. Maybe Annie had me more gaslighted than I realized.

  Leo sighed. “We’re getting back on the road!” He flexed his back, which caused his massive silver wings to deploy. “Don’t make me do this, Adam.” Before explaining further, he gripped his partner in his wings like some kind of predatory insect. “I don’t want to have to hurt you again.”

  Adam got up on his own, casually running his fingers through his dark blond hair as if he’d done nothing wrong. “I’m not going anywhere with that psycho bitch.”

  I sprang up in one swift motion. Any fear I once had transformed into anger. “Who’re you calling a psycho? You fucking dick!”

  Leo was gripping his head in pain with his hands while still holding Adam back with his wings. “Jesus Christ, man. We don’t have time for this shit!”

  Adam crossed his arms over his chest, taking deep breaths; he seemed to be calming down. Perhaps he was insane after all. “There’s something really wrong with that bitch.”

  Or not. “Says the fucker who tried to rape me?”

  Adam shook his head with a sneer. “I wouldn’t touch you, and you know it.”

  “And that was why you took your pants off?” Adam had no immediate reply. The fucker seemed to be trying to deny it, but his belt was open. Either he was trying to rape me or he was threatening me using his penis.

  Adam shook his head, like an irritated parent or teacher. “You’re a fucking temptress. I-I just need to get some air.”

  I was not about to let him off the hook so easily. I got in his face, emboldened by the fact that Leo was there to hold him back. “Then why did you want to know about Nate?”

  Adam turned to me. I could see by his expression that there was an actual answer to my question. Of course, he wasn’t about to give it to me, not for free. “Just piss off.”

  “Adam!” Leo seemed genuinely concerned as he followed his partner for a few paces until Adam disappeared into the swamplands.

  For whatever reason, I felt the need to defend myself to Leo. “I didn’t do anything to him. He was the one who attacked me. What kind of angel does that?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Leo sighed, crossing his arms with a look of tranquility. “I had a feeling this would happen.”

  He sounded much too calm for my liking. Adam was not a dog that Leo found at a local shelter. (That I could forgive, like when you let a dog hump your leg.) But this was a person. Adam was supposed to be an angel or at the very least someone with a moral compass. “You had a feeling what would happen?”

  Leo turned back to the truck, shaking his head in shame and exhaustion. “This is Adam’s first mission after death.”

  “What are you saying? His soul needs to adjust to not being a total ass-hat?” The anger was boiling over in my gut. “How do you have the nerve to call yourselves the good guys, to judge people like me, when someone like Adam can join your ranks?”

  “He’s not like that at all.” Leo sighed, as if knowing that his words were hard for me to swallow. “You just have to trust me.”

  “Trust you?” I scoffed. “How do I know you’re not going to cut my throat and drink my blood? Don’t even try to say that’s not something angels do. Because I kind of thought angels were not supposed to go psychotic and threaten people with their dicks!”

  “I do apologize for my partner’s actions.” Leo paused, running his fingers through his hair. “Being around you broke something inside him. But it’s no fault of your own.”

  “That’s what I just said,” I muttered, making sure to stick by Leo’s side. I didn’t trust him, but he was my only ride. And I wanted the fuck out of this backroad hell. I was about to further explain my side of the incident when I suddenly had a realization. “Is it because we’re related?”

  “You and Adam?”

  “He looks just like my dad.”

  “You are related, just not that related,” he said with a chuckle. “I mean, you’re about as related as the millions of people who can trace their lineage back to Genghis Khan.”

  I giggled at the joke; all the people who use the paid DNA tests to find out they are 1/100th of a percent Mongolian. “That would actually explain a lot.”

  Leo cupped his hand over his mouth, stifling laughter. “Anyway, the way I see it, you remind him of his former life. He’s homesick for family, his daughter.” Leo bit his lip as a smile of realization crept across his lips. “We still have a mission to complete. So we’re taking a temporary detour.”

  “A detour?” I punched his shoulder as hard as I could, to show my displeasure. “You can’t do this! You can’t hold me here! What about my family?”

  Leo only smiled. “Relax, it won’t take long, I promise.”

  Stop your damn smiling! “As I said before, how do I know I can even fucking trust you?”

  My question seemed to make Leo smile even wider. “Well, for starters, I need you both back in the truck. Are you up for a little fun?”

  “Fun?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “What kind of fun are we talking about?

  “As I recall, my partner manhandled you like a bag of trash. How would you like to return the favor?” Leo was still smiling his big toothy grin. But his expression now seemed to hold a glimmer of truth.

  For the first time, I noticed Leo’s fashionable tooth gap. It reminded me of Lauren Hutton or any number of models with that unique look. It was actually kind of endearing. I bit my lip to hide a smirk. “You’re serious?”

  “Very.” Leo cracked his knuckles, summoning the shimmery silver rope that he had used to kidnap me originally. “I think Adam needs to take a turn in the truck bed.”

  Approaching Adam from behind was not as difficult as I thought it would be. The man seemed to be in a trance, looking out at the same water he had pulled me from.

  Was Adam seeing the same thing I had? Since he was related to me, could he also see through my brother Bobby’s eyes? Or was he seeing his own family, maybe his own daughter? I had little time to ponder before Leo put the rope around Adam’s neck, yanking him back like disobedient livestock.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Leo, answer me!” Adam cursed up a storm as Leo hogtied him with the magical rope.

  Leo then handed me the end of the rope. “Do the honors, Miss Raven?”

  “With pleasure.” I kicked Adam in the stomach, causing him to collapse into the fetal position. “Payback’s a bitch and so am I.” I gave the rope a solid pull, which allowed me to throw his body into the truck bed with an abnormal level of strength. It was actually pretty fun.

  Adam landed with a thud, followed by more profanity. He was acting like the typical Southern military hick that I thought he was. Then he went quiet, as if accepting his fate.

  His sudden calmness caused me a moment of hesitation. “Y
ou ok, soldier?”

  “Fucking bitch,” he muttered.

  Considering he was already dead, that show of consciousness was good enough for me. If the meathead had any broken bones or bruises, he could just live with them until we got to our next stop. “Have a nice nap, motherfucker!” Satisfied with my work, I got into the passenger seat next to Leo. “So, where we headed?”

  “Las Vegas, Nevada.”

  “What’s in Vegas?”

  “Adam’s only biological child.” Leo put the truck in reverse and pulled out towards what looked like the main road, leading back to the highway.

  I turned my head to see if Adam had heard. He appeared to be asleep, that or just silently pouting. I was just jazzed to be headed to Vegas. “Does his whole family live in Vegas?”

  “No, his eldest is at college in Colorado. We’ve visited her before. She seemed pretty happy.”

  “His adopted daughter?”

  “Yeah, they’ve always been close. I think it’s the idea of being someone from a foreign land; she was adopted from China while Adam, well, he… he never really belonged. But you know a little about that.”

  “I do, I know what it’s like to walk a mile as a lone wolf.” Probably more so than a certain former soldier, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful. “So why Las Vegas?”

  “From what I observed, it was for the education benefits.” Leo made a signal with his hand resulting in a bright, colorful glow. We drove through a technicolor tunnel, emerging into the bright Nevada sunlight.

  The heat hit me almost immediately, like a hairdryer to the face. “Fuck, man. Turn on some air!” My words were not aimed at anyone in particular since even I could see that the truck did not have AC. My only consolation was that Adam would be having a much worse time, being cooked alive in the truck bed.

  Leo pulled off the main road, heading towards a large, spacious gated community. “Oh look, we’re here.”

  I looked around for the Las Vegas strip; it was visible a few miles away. Although I was disappointed about not getting to visit the fun part of Vegas, it was, in fact, a really beautiful view. “So, how do we get into the desert cul-de-sac paradise?”

  “Therein lies the problem. Once we’re in, I need to stay with the truck, to keep all our belongings in the spirit world. This means you will have to escort Adam into the house.”

  “Um, what?”

  “You could also take this as an opportunity to run, but I’d like to think you’d want to help a lost soul in need of guidance.”

  “So, this is like the movie ‘Ghost’? I’m going to have to talk to a bunch of strangers, claiming that ‘Yeah, I’m a conduit for your dead relative and no, this is not a scam’?”

  “Or we can just sit in the truck for all eternity. I’m an angel, I don’t mind. But you, as a flesh and blood human, your body is going to get a little uncomfortable in the Nevada desert without food or water.”

  Looking around, I knew what he intended to do. Leo could freeze us in between time, locking us in place. I would be trapped in my own personal hell, with no chance of ever finding my partner or my daughter ever again. “Fine, where’s the house?”

  “Just up ahead.” Leo drove through the gate and made a sharp turn towards a hill. “It’s the one that looks like a white-chocolate desert-themed gingerbread house.”

  “It’s pretty cute.” Looking forward I could see what he meant. The house was one of the smaller ones, but it was surrounded by cacti and white oak trees, all covered in Christmas lights. But the most notable trait was the detail work; exotic trim along the roof and entranceway that looked like whipped-cream piping. “How did you know where this place was?”

  Leo pulled the truck over, parking a good twenty feet away from the candy house. “I’ve been there once before.” He paused to breathe, soft and slow as if trying to meditate. “I haven’t actually spoken to any of them. But as part of my job, with training Adam and such…”

  “Are you nervous?” I asked, somewhat sarcastically. He had been the picture of calm and cool for the entire trip.

  “I’m nervous for Adam. If this doesn’t work, we may be kind of screwed. But don’t worry about that. You just go on ahead, and I’ll make sure my cocky-ass partner doesn’t tear your throat out once I untie him.”

  “Okay,” I said with a chuckle as I exited the truck. Walking towards the door, I was overtaken by the beauty. The house itself was like something out of a movie, the most glam place I had ever seen. And I, in contrast, looked like a dirty hitchhiker who made a wrong turn on the way to the casinos.

  I slowly raised my arm, but the door opened before I could even knock. “Of course, they have a security system.” I took a deep, cleansing breath as I prepared my sweetest, most trustworthy smile. “Hi!”

  “Hello there.” A tall blonde answered the door. With her hair hanging loose down her back and her eyes sparkling in the desert sun, she looked supermodel beautiful. “Can I help you, miss?”

  “I’m a friend of Adam Severgine,” I muttered, my confidence quickly fading.

  The woman’s eyes widened. I could practically see her heart breaking into pieces. “I’m sorry, Adam passed away a few years ago.”

  “Yes, I know.” Gee, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. “I’m Raven Miller.” I held out my hand, hoping to salvage the interaction.

  “Alyssa,” she said in a gentle, kindhearted voice. Choking back tears, she shook my hand. “I’m Alyssa Severgine. It’s been a while since anyone mentioned Adam around here.”

  “Alyssa…” Adam’s voice echoed behind me. He seemed calm, even happy, while on the verge of tears. “She was my best friend, who married my widow. God, I missed you.”

  Your lesbian best friend married your ex-wife? I bit my lip to hold back laughter.

  “So, um, how do you know Adam?” Alyssa asked.

  I, unfortunately, did not have an answer prepared. “Adam was a friend of my father’s. My dad was a soldier, too, kind of.” Crap! That makes no sense. “Actually, Adam, he was more like a friend of a friend.”

  The awkwardness was broken by the delightful squeals of a happy toddler. The energetic little girl had her mother’s light blonde hair and Adam’s dark blue eyes. “Dada!” She was looking behind me.

  “I’m actually a friend of your daddy.” The little girl shoved around me. She was reaching for Adam. She could see him.

  “Jamie Felicity!” Alyssa shouted, scooping up her daughter.

  “Dada!” the little girl cried. “I want Dada!”

  Alyssa ushered me inside and closed the door. “I just don’t want the neighbors thinking I’m insane. Or more insane, anyway.”

  We entered the home to the pristine living room. The decor was white, pastel pink, yellow, green and blue. “Wow, very Candyland.”

  “My wife was going for a Navajo-chic vibe,” Alyssa said with a chuckle. “Let me get you something to drink, is Voss water ok?”

  “That would be great.” I had actually never had a Voss water before, but I’d heard they were something special. I took a seat on the plush leather sofa. “Wow, this place is gorgeous,” I said in a whisper.

  Adam took a seat beside me. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. His voice went soft as he looked around. “It’s everything my family deserves.”

  “Uh-huh.” I read between the lines. This palace of a home was everything Adam couldn’t give his family when he was alive.

  Jamie came running back in, slamming into the padded leg of a coffee table. “Dada!” She fell on her bottom with a thump, followed by adorable tears. “WAHHH Dada!

  Alyssa rushed back in, placing two bottles of water on the table before making a grab for her daughter. “Oh, my sweet baby.”

  But little Jamie kept reaching for Adam. “Want Dada!”

  I had been giggling so hard at the adorable scene, I never stopped to look at Adam’s face. He was being abnormally quiet for a man who was meeting his child for the first time. I waited for Alyssa to turn away (since clearly only I and
little Jamie could see him.)

  My soldier friend looked stoic. He was staring straight ahead, his intense blue eyes unblinking. But I could tell he was trying not to cry. After all, there was not much he could currently do. Adam was essentially visiting his family the way one would visit animals in a zoo.

  Mesmerized and awestruck by what I was witnessing, I froze. This was emotion across space, time, reality. Maybe, just maybe, if Adam could see into the realm of the living, then perhaps the people I’d loved and lost could as well. My mouth hung open as I tried to think of what to say next. I didn’t even notice when Alyssa took a seat by my side.

  “Can you see him?” she asked in a whisper as she placed her hand upon my shoulder.

  I was shivering with nerves. “Yeah, I would have said something, but I wasn’t sure if you believed in that kind of thing.”

  “He’s here?” Her joy was apparent.

  “Yes!” I quickly replied, unable to contain my excitement. “Adam is here.” This was going to be easier than I thought.

  She reached her hand up as if trying to feel for him. “Adam was in so much pain, the last few months. He fought so hard. But, in the end, the illness just took everything.”

  Her words broke my heart. I knew what she felt, and I would have given anything to let her see him. “Adam died in hospice?

  Alyssa nodded. “I’d like to think he passed in his sleep, that he didn’t suffer too much.”

  “He told me you were pregnant when he died.”

  She nodded. “I loved him. His last few days were very difficult for me. I wanted to be with him as much as I could. He was very sick, on a lot of medication, but somehow a miracle happened.”

  “Wow,” I said with a grin. The modern-day fairytale was rather endearing. “What does Jamie know about her father?”

  “I like to tell her stories. His first wife used to tell their daughter stories to help pass the time when he was deployed. That’s where Daddy is, he’s deployed, on a great big adventure.” Alyssa wiped tears from her eyes.

  That was why Jamie was so adamant about reaching for Adam. She probably thought he was alive. I almost felt guilty. “So, what brought you to Las Vegas?”