“And he did. Way too often.”
I reach over and take her hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Mama.”
“It wasn’t your fault. It was his. Things start to get fuzzy after that. Whatever lurked in that house started to play with my mind, too. And then I wasn’t myself for a long, long time.”
“So, Adam said he killed Andy,” Cash says, “but we don’t have any proof of that. You never confirmed it?”
“I—no. I didn’t. He never came around no more.” Mama frowns. “Do you think maybe he lied to me?”
“Were Adam and Andy twins?” Lucien asks.
“Yes, I think so. I didn’t know Adam’s family all that well. His parents both died when he was a boy, and his grandmama raised him and his brother. She died before we got married. He didn’t have much other family to speak of.”
“So, maybe I wasn’t seeing Daddy,” I say, thinking it over. “But his brother.”
“Did he look younger or older in your mind?” Miss Sophia asks.
“I guess he was older,” I reply as I think it over. “More wrinkles and some gray hair. But the same eyes.”
Cash taps on his computer. “Andy Landry, lives in Baton Rouge. I have an address. I’m calling the local authorities and will head up that way.”
“Clearly, we’re all coming with you.”
“I’m not,” Mama says, shaking her head.
“Ruth and I will stay here,” Miss Sophia says. “Oliver and Annabelle are due home soon. We’ll fill them in. Please, keep us posted.”
“We will.”
“It can’t be this easy,” Jackson whispers to me as we hurry to his car. We’ll follow behind the others filing into Cash’s car.
“Maybe it can. We could use a leg up on this jerk.”
Jack shakes his head. “I don’t buy it.”
“Nothing,” Cash says as he walks over to us. We all stood on the sidewalk, waiting as Cash joined the local authorities to look through the little rundown house. “There’s nothing in there. Looks like Andy hasn’t been home in a while. Horace isn’t using this place as his fucking torture lair.”
“He could be literally anywhere,” I say as my stomach falls. “How will we find him? How will we find those women? Goddess only knows what he’s doing to them right now.”
“I think it’s time for a little blood magic,” Millie says, looking right at Jackson. “We know someone who can help with that.”
“No. No way,” Jack says, shaking his head emphatically. “We’re not getting them involved. They’ve been through enough.”
And then, as he speaks, his expression goes lax, and his eyes cloud over.
“He’s having a premonition,” I say softly, linking my hand with his and letting him know he’s not alone.
“Can you see what he does?” Brielle asks. “When you touch him?”
“No. We’re not linked that way. But he can feel me.”
Brielle keeps looking down the street, frowning, and then away.
“What is it?” I ask her.
“There are four.” She closes her eyes. “And their deaths were awful.”
Cash pulls her against him, not caring at all that the cops currently leaving the house and getting into their vehicles give him funny looks.
“They think I’m crazy,” he says with a sigh. “And, honestly, I don’t care. If it meant possibly finding those girls here, it was worth it.”
Suddenly, Jackson blinks and frowns.
“I know where he is,” he says and wipes his free hand over his eyes. “We need to get to the bayou.”
“Do you have an address?” Cash asks.
“No,” Lucien says, narrowing his eyes as he watches Jackson. “He doesn’t need one.”
Jack shakes his head and looks down at me. “My parents’ house.”
“Didn’t you sell it?” I ask with a frown. “Someone must live in it.”
“I sold it. No idea what was done with it after. I’m telling you, he’s in that house. I recognized the kitchen.”
“Let’s go,” Cash says. “You’re in the lead, Jack. I’ll follow you.”
We hurry to the cars, and when Jackson pulls away from Andy’s house, he swears under his breath.
“It makes sense,” he says. “Of course, he’d target that place. I’m linked to it, and it has the bad energy from my dad killing himself.”
“Jack.” I rub his arm and feel the tension roll off him in waves. “What was happening? In the vision.”
“He was cleaning his tools in the sink. Blood everywhere. He was fucking whistling as if he were doing the dinner dishes. Then, a scream came from somewhere in the house, and the fucker smiled. Like it made him so damn happy. He grabbed his power drill, put a bit in it, and walked out of the kitchen.
“I didn’t follow him. I pulled myself out of the vision. I know it’s chickenshit of me—”
“No, it’s not,” I insist. “No one wants to see that, Jack.”
“I figured I know where he is. We can just go get him. And, hopefully, save the girls before he drills holes in them.”
He glances at me, his face filled with torment.
“I’ve seen war, Daph. I’ve seen, firsthand, what men can do to each other. I’ve watched soldiers be blown apart, shot, you name it. But I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Of course, not. There’s never been anyone like this.”
He’s quiet for the rest of the drive. I could find his old house with my eyes closed; I spent so much of my time there when I was young.
Jackson pulls to a stop in the driveway, and both of our jaws drop.
“No one’s here,” I say quietly. “Nobody’s been here for a long, long time.”
“Why would someone buy it if they didn’t want to live in it?” Jack asks. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I don’t know.” I glance up to find Millie standing next to my door. I step out of the car and look at the others. “There’s no one here.”
“I know,” Millie says. “I reached out to see. I know.” She holds up a hand before I can scold her for dropping her shields. “But lives are at stake here, and I needed to know. There’s nothing living in that house.”
“You’ll want to go inside,” Lucien says to Jack, who just nods. “We’ll go with you. Cash and I will go.”
Brielle joins Millie and me as the three men step up to the door. Lucien flicks his hand, and the door unlocks and opens.
“It’s so cool that you guys can do that,” I whisper to my sister. She turns back to me with a smile.
“Lucien just gets sexier every day.” She sighs in happiness. “And you should see what he can do with fire.”
“I’ve seen,” I remind her. “And it’s impressive.”
“You should see what Cash can do with handcuffs.” Brielle’s smile is as bright as the sun. “It’s magical in its own way.”