Chapter Five
Nomi
Ferguson pounced on me, yanking me out of sleep with an oof. I coughed and rubbed my chest as he mewled and purred, shamelessly proud of himself.
I glared at the cat and stared at the ceiling. The dream had been so real and clear. I hadn’t forgotten a second of it. But when I peered around, slightly hopeful it hadn’t been one, I didn’t see my little cuties or Ghost.
Ferguson slammed his heavier-than-it-should-be body into my face, nearly taking me out. I stroked the cute jerk in apology and sighed. “Okay, I’m up, you little menace.”
I padded from my bedroom to get him his food, when something caught my eye and I froze to the spot. A man was on my couch, playing one of my favorite PS5 games, Dragon Age: Inquisition. His white hair was a dead giveaway.
But then I was attacked by two colorful menaces, nearly falling back in surprise. I didn’t hit the floor like I expected to. A strong arm had caught me before I could. I stared into a familiar pair of red eyes, and a series of very unflattering curses left my mouth.
“Ghost!” I exclaimed, scrambling out of his hold. “I—what—but—you…why are you playing my PS5?”
His gaze flicked to the TV, where he’d apparently had time to pause his game before catching me mid-fall. “I enjoy it,” he replied with a shrug.
“Ah,” I said, head not really doing its job. “Cool beans.”
Maybe I was still dreaming and this was one of those new dream clip-overs from lighter sleep to deeper REM sleep.
Ferguson meowed loudly, and I looked down at him in confusion. “Did you say he could play, you jerk?”
His head tilted as if to demand why I wasn’t getting his breakfast like a good little servant. Since I’d clearly lost my mind, I figured I’d think about all the crazy while I got him food.
My colorful cuties fluttered around me in excitement, rubbing my face and arms. I was dripping a little by the time I put the bowl down of Ferguson’s favorite wet food.
Ghost was still on my couch, playing his game. My shock hadn’t deterred him from the epic dragon battle he’d been engaged in when I walked into the living room slash kitchen.
I gave my body a cursory glance, cursed again because my nipples were poking through my top, and rushed off to get a better outfit on. More specifically, one with a bra. If I was going to be humoring my new psychosis, I didn’t want my nipples to be out while I did.
My guest was still playing when I made it back into the living room and, mumbling to myself, I took a seat next to him. He only gave me a brief glance before he mashed a few buttons with gusto.
“Uh, so.”
He continued mashing.
“I think we have a few things to discuss.”
His eyes found mine, and then he hit pause. “I told you it wasn’t a dream.”
I blinked. He blinked. Then I broke the pattern by sighing dramatically. “How was I supposed to know that?!” His lip twitched, and I glared at him. “Oh, this must be so amusing for you. Well, us mortals aren’t used to having Horsemen show up to protect us from demons and angels.”
“So you do remember why I’m here.” He seemed satisfied, but I was still reeling from my dream not being a dream.
And to think I’d nearly thrown myself at him and screamed, “Take me, Ghost Daddy!” Thank God I hadn’t done anything truly embarrassing, or I’d never be able to face him again.
Telling him about my father was shameful enough.
I’d unloaded my dark past on some strange man in my bed like it was perfectly normal.
“That’s not the point,” I huffed. “How did you expect me to respond when it was the middle of the night?”
He leaned back and gave my body another silent once-over. He’d done a lot of staring last night, and it always made me react in ways I couldn’t hide.
Oh god, I’d never recover from my thirsty ass last night. There was no telling what he could do. What if he picked up on my lustful thoughts and this was his gentle way of rejecting the thirsty chick who’d read too many smutty fan fictions from pining after him?
He’d changed into a dark pair of jeans and a shirt that was a stark contrast to his ghostly complexion.
He didn’t look skinny, not really. The way he held me suggested he was strong enough to catch all one-hundred-and-seventy pounds of me, but he wasn’t obnoxiously beefed-out either. Lithe and sleek. Totally my type.
Wonder if he had a six pack…
Dammit, Nomi. He’s a stranger no matter how hot. And a supernatural one at that. The right response is fear, not sizing him up for a quick wrestle between the sheets.
My brain was already deviating from the intended path. I needed answers, so I shook my head and tried desperately to focus on the fact that I’d apparently earned myself a supernatural protector.
“You said that my soul is needed for the apocalypse?”
Still super weird to be asking someone.
His gaze kept flicking back to the screen the way a kid’s would when they were desperate to get back to their game. “Yes, but only I can deliver it. I won’t, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“About that? Sounds like there’s more to be worried about than you taking my soul, Ghost,” I pried.
His stoic face was tough to read, but I got the impression he was hesitating again. Maybe because he was worried I’d freak out. To be fair, I was also very surprised I hadn’t yet. “Anyone hoping to stop it will want to make sure you can’t be used, so they’ll kill you anyway.”
I rubbed my face and leaned back. “Oh, right. I remember.”
Sighing loudly, I got to my feet. Guess it was better than waking up—or rather, not waking up—dead one day. I’d get a chance to talk to Felix and…
Swallowing, I pocketed my phone after getting it from my room. Ghost’s eyes followed me as I grabbed my The Nightmare Before Christmas purse. Then he was on his feet, too.
I peered over at him. “If I might die soon, then I’m going to spend every bit of my time with Felix.”
It might seem odd that I was taking this strange man in my house at his word simply because he had a pair of colorful cuties that made ice and heat, but I was good at reading people. Ghost at least believed the things he was saying.
I wouldn’t take my chances with humming and hawing the existence of the supernatural. I didn’t have time. I needed to make the most out of it. Every minute without my favorite person in the world was a minute wasted.
Ghost’s presence was at my back as I wandered out my front door and waited for him to go out so I could lock my apartment.
“Felix?” he asked.
I ignored the pain in my throat. “Yeah. He’s…well, he’s my dad.”
He cut me off before I could take the stairs. “The one who hurt you?”
I was confused at first before I realized that I’d basically told him my father was scarier than the angels and demons hunting me. It was natural he’d connect the dots.
“No, that one’s dead. This is my dad by choice.”
His head slanted in that pensive way of his before he offered me a nod. “He won’t see me.”
“Won’t see you?”
“Mortals can’t when I don’t allow it,” he explained as if that made it clearer.
My brows drew together. “I see you. Oh, then did you want me to?” I thought back on what he said. “Wait, is that why you were surprised I could?”
His face was as expressionless as ever, but I got the sense he was impressed I’d drawn that conclusion.
My colorful cuties bounced into view, and I laughed. “So I’m guessing people don’t see them either?”
His nod confirmed my theory.
“Then you guys need to avoid getting me wet today,” I told them in my best serious voice, wagging my finger at them. They froze as if listening and then bopped in place twice in happy agreement. “Good. I really can’t have everyone thinking I’m sweating balls when it’s not even that hot outside.”
When we made it to the first floor, I searched the street before talking to him to avoid looking any crazier than I felt. “What’s your name, by the way?”
He stared at me as if he hadn’t expected the question. “You can call me Ghost, little wisp.”
Was I little wisp or was he talking to his cuties? But then I realized it’d be weird for him to answer my question but be talking to them.
“It’s Nomi,” I corrected.
His lips twitched again. “I know.”
“Okay, cool,” I said slowly, walking a few steps before turning around again. “Are you sure they’re after me? I mean, I haven’t been attacked or anything.”
His eyes slid away and wandered the street as if he was looking for them. “One tried last night.”
I paused, pulse panicking. “If I…will going around Felix put him in danger?”
His gaze returned to mine, and I couldn’t read it like I could at other times. “It’s possible.”
I swallowed around a lump forming in my throat, eyes burning at the thought of putting Felix in danger.
Ghost watched me closely as I started to walk the way I came. He stayed silent until we reached my door, but as if he couldn’t help himself, he asked, “I thought you wanted to spend your time with him?”
“And put him in danger? No, thank you.” I tried to keep my voice even despite the urge to cry.
I might die and not see my Old Man again, and the last time we talked, I’d taunted him.
Why didn’t I just tell him I loved him? Why didn’t I give him a big hug and say how grateful I was to have him as my chosen dad?
A text would never express my gratitude, but it’d have to be enough.
I wouldn’t put him in danger selfishly to spend time with him.
I sat on the couch, not seeing or feeling anything but terrible regret.
The cushion next to me shifted. “You’re sad.”
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I think that’s a normal response when someone tells you that you might die soon, and if you go around the people you love, they might die too, Ghost.”
He hummed lightly. It was several long minutes before he spoke again. “And if I said I’d protect him?”
My head snapped his direction. “You would?!” I couldn’t keep the excitement from my voice.
Those beautiful red eyes gleamed in response. “I would.”
“That’s so awesome of you! Thank you so much!” Without thinking, I threw my arms around him and hugged his surprisingly sturdy frame. He was colder than I expected, but also weirdly warm when I pressed into him.
When he went totally rigid in response, I cursed a little under my breath. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting I need to ask to touch people like that,” I apologized as quickly as I could and withdrew.
But his arm went around my waist and tugged me back into him. My pulse kicked up as our chests merged and my hands were pinned between us. The muscles in his torso were a lot bigger and defined than his shirt initially suggested. Against my hands, they were firm and obvious.
Holy moly, he definitely had a six pack.
I could’ve sworn he smelled my hair before he released me after we’d stayed like that a minute longer. Or maybe it was wishful thinking on my part because I’d been shamelessly feeling him up and it’d be nice not to be the only perv in the room.
I pulled back, heat in my face. I was a woman in her thirties who read smut daily. Why the hell was I blushing around this dude so much?!
“Should we go?” he asked as if to break the tension, rising from the couch.
I patted my cheeks and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Ghost.” I smiled at him and re-shouldered my purse. “He’ll be at Dolci Caldi, the bakery café he owns, so we’ll go there.”
I stared at him as he went to the door. He was impossibly tall and made my apartment seem tiny by comparison. The cute wisps fluttered around him in happy glee, bouncing along his shoulders and head. Unlike me, they didn’t leave him dripping. Guess he had supernatural guards against moisture.
I made my way to his side, peering up at him and nearly laughing when Ignis took a dive off his head to land on mine.
“You know, you don’t need to hide or anything.
It’d be nice to introduce you. Felix won’t ever know it, of course, but I’d like him to meet the guy who decided not to kill me and protect me instead. ”
Yeah, no, that was weirder after hearing myself say it.
His expression was unreadable again, but I picked out some surprise in it. “I prefer not to be visible to mortals. I make them uncomfortable.”
From being so hot? I mean, his looks were staggering, but most would think he was wearing contacts and dyed his hair. Or that he was a cosplayer. Though, I guess it’d be obnoxious having everyone stare at you. I’d been doing an awful lot of staring since meeting him.
“Oh, of course,” I said, trying not to sound disappointed. “That makes sense.”
He didn’t say anything else, so I left again, intent on giving Felix an obnoxiously long hug when I saw him.