throat and straightened her shoulders, but he wasn't going to let her off that easily. He stroked his fingers over her hand and she pulled it away.
"Not the time or the place," she said.
"I disagree."
"Just watch the window."
He laughed.
She cast him a sideways glance. "I got the impression you were into Luka."
"My tastes are eclectic."
"Hmm, the pretty blonde waitress for example?"
He gave her a mischievous grin.
Clare rolled her eyes and concentrated on the mirror.
A faint tapping sounded, growing louder, until Clare realized it was footsteps.
"Someone's coming. Should we hide?" Pablo asked.
Clare hesitated, not wanting to move in case she missed an opportunity to go home, but equally worried about getting caught. She held her ground for a few more seconds, then dashed to the bed. She lifted the valance, preparing to slide underneath but the wretched bed was solid.
Her eyes widened and her gaze shot to Pablo. "On top," he whispered.
They scrambled up on the high bed, released the ties that held back the bed curtains, and yanked the drapes closed to hide themselves. Pablo ended up behind her and she found herself huddled between his legs.
Clare froze, pulse racing as she tracked the footfalls. A moment later the room door creaked open. Light, decisive steps, which sounded female, clicked across the stone floor.
Pablo hugged his arms around Clare, squeezing so tight she could hardly breathe. The room's owner moved around. Fabric rustled and the sounds of items being moved continued for a while. Clare clenched her fingers, the tension almost unbearable. At any moment she expected the bed curtains to be pulled aside and their hiding place exposed.
An unusual scuffling caught her attention and she cocked her head to listen. It reminded her of a brush being dragged across the floor, but the sound came in short scrapes, more like a scuttling noise. Could it be an animal? Clare wracked her brain to remember the horrible creatures Luka had described. This creature sounded small and fast and she couldn't think what it might be.
Pablo gave a muffled cough. Immediately the scuttling stopped. Whatever it was had heard him.
Every muscle in Clare's body tensed to the point of pain.
"What is it, my angel," a soft voice crooned. "Come tell Mommy." That voice sounded so familiar, it raised the hair on Clare's neck.
There was a quick burst of the scuttling sound, then the room filled with a shrill clicking that turned Clare's insides to ice water.
Clare's heart pounded in her ears as the woman's heels tapped out a path to the foot of the bed where the curtains met. Then the drapes were flung apart. The silhouette of a tall, slim woman with long hair was framed by the swaths of red velvet.
A gasp burst from Clare's lips at the sight of her grandmother. Shock left her light-headed and it took a moment to get her mouth around the frantic rush of questions in her head. "Monique…how…you're dead?"
Although the woman was obviously her grandmother, she looked younger. A stunning floor-length sapphire gown draped her slender form, bringing out the blue of her eyes. Her glossy dark hair flowed over her shoulders like ebony water. Nestled in her ample cleavage, clinging to a diamond pendant, was the biggest, hairiest spider Clare had ever seen.
Monique idly stroked a fingertip along one of the creature's legs. "Clare, darling, I've been expecting you."
Clare scrambled to make sense of what was happening. It was shocking to find her grandmother in Taldom when she had supposedly died in a house fire months ago. "Is this where people come when they die?"
Monique laughed. "Don't be stupid. Do I look dead?"
"Well, no."
"Come on, catch up, darling. You're not usually this slow." Monique glanced past Clare, and her delicate features puckered. "What's Pablo doing here? Where's Luka?"
Things started to drop into place in Clare's mind, although she was far from having the full picture. Somehow Monique had set this up—and she was
"Not the time or the place," she said.
"I disagree."
"Just watch the window."
He laughed.
She cast him a sideways glance. "I got the impression you were into Luka."
"My tastes are eclectic."
"Hmm, the pretty blonde waitress for example?"
He gave her a mischievous grin.
Clare rolled her eyes and concentrated on the mirror.
A faint tapping sounded, growing louder, until Clare realized it was footsteps.
"Someone's coming. Should we hide?" Pablo asked.
Clare hesitated, not wanting to move in case she missed an opportunity to go home, but equally worried about getting caught. She held her ground for a few more seconds, then dashed to the bed. She lifted the valance, preparing to slide underneath but the wretched bed was solid.
Her eyes widened and her gaze shot to Pablo. "On top," he whispered.
They scrambled up on the high bed, released the ties that held back the bed curtains, and yanked the drapes closed to hide themselves. Pablo ended up behind her and she found herself huddled between his legs.
Clare froze, pulse racing as she tracked the footfalls. A moment later the room door creaked open. Light, decisive steps, which sounded female, clicked across the stone floor.
Pablo hugged his arms around Clare, squeezing so tight she could hardly breathe. The room's owner moved around. Fabric rustled and the sounds of items being moved continued for a while. Clare clenched her fingers, the tension almost unbearable. At any moment she expected the bed curtains to be pulled aside and their hiding place exposed.
An unusual scuffling caught her attention and she cocked her head to listen. It reminded her of a brush being dragged across the floor, but the sound came in short scrapes, more like a scuttling noise. Could it be an animal? Clare wracked her brain to remember the horrible creatures Luka had described. This creature sounded small and fast and she couldn't think what it might be.
Pablo gave a muffled cough. Immediately the scuttling stopped. Whatever it was had heard him.
Every muscle in Clare's body tensed to the point of pain.
"What is it, my angel," a soft voice crooned. "Come tell Mommy." That voice sounded so familiar, it raised the hair on Clare's neck.
There was a quick burst of the scuttling sound, then the room filled with a shrill clicking that turned Clare's insides to ice water.
Clare's heart pounded in her ears as the woman's heels tapped out a path to the foot of the bed where the curtains met. Then the drapes were flung apart. The silhouette of a tall, slim woman with long hair was framed by the swaths of red velvet.
A gasp burst from Clare's lips at the sight of her grandmother. Shock left her light-headed and it took a moment to get her mouth around the frantic rush of questions in her head. "Monique…how…you're dead?"
Although the woman was obviously her grandmother, she looked younger. A stunning floor-length sapphire gown draped her slender form, bringing out the blue of her eyes. Her glossy dark hair flowed over her shoulders like ebony water. Nestled in her ample cleavage, clinging to a diamond pendant, was the biggest, hairiest spider Clare had ever seen.
Monique idly stroked a fingertip along one of the creature's legs. "Clare, darling, I've been expecting you."
Clare scrambled to make sense of what was happening. It was shocking to find her grandmother in Taldom when she had supposedly died in a house fire months ago. "Is this where people come when they die?"
Monique laughed. "Don't be stupid. Do I look dead?"
"Well, no."
"Come on, catch up, darling. You're not usually this slow." Monique glanced past Clare, and her delicate features puckered. "What's Pablo doing here? Where's Luka?"
Things started to drop into place in Clare's mind, although she was far from having the full picture. Somehow Monique had set this up—and she was
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