An Inner Darkness Book 5 Bay City paranormal

left to start unloading the SUV. Dean was busy setting up the laptop on the dining table in the next room. “Look, I know we’re never likely to be friends. I know you don’t like me, and I can’t blame you for that. But why do we have to be enemies? There’s no reason for it.”
    “You destroyed my marriage,” she spat. “You broke up my family. My children have been through hell this past year, because of you . Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t hate you for that.”
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An Inner Darkness
    Sam fought back the evil urge to remind her how she’d propositioned at least one of Bo’s friends while they were still married. “I’m truly sorry for everything Sean and Adrian have been through. I know it doesn’t really matter now, but I never set out to break up a family. But you never would’ve found Lee if it hadn’t happened.” Sam touched her arm, willing her to listen to him. “Bo’s happier now. You’re happier now.
    And even though the boys have had a tough time of it, they’re coming around. Why can’t you and I at least try to get along?” Janine’s lips pressed together in a thin line. She turned away and walked toward the front door, the set of her shoulders announcing her tension to anyone who cared to look.

    “I’m going out. Tell Lee I’ll be back later.” She snatched her purse from a hook on the wall, yanked the front door open and strode out into the night. David and Cecile, coming in through the door at the same time, hurried to get out of her way.
    “What the fuck’s her problem?” David grumbled, shuffling across the room with four bags full of power cords.
Sam let out a dry laugh. “She’s going out.”
    Shaking her head, Cecile bumped Sam’s arm with hers as she followed David to the spot beside the stairs where he’d dropped the heavy bags. “At least she won’t be hanging over our shoulders. I think we’ll all be more relaxed without her here.” She was right, much as Sam wished she wasn’t. He was so tired of fighting with Janine. Whenever she was around, he felt as if he were tiptoeing over broken glass, and he was sick of it.
    When Cecile went to help David get out the cameras and cords, Dean strolled over and stood staring at Sam with a solemn expression. “What?” Sam snapped.
Dean’s eyebrows went up. “Little tense there, Sam?”
    “You could say that.” Running a hand through his hair, Sam plopped onto the bottom step. “I’m sorry, Dean. You know how she gets to me. I just wish she’d let it go already.” www.samhainpublishing.com 41

    Ally Blue “I know.” Dean turned to look at the front door, then back at Sam. “That was a brave thing to do, Sam. Trying to make peace with her, I mean.” Sam shrugged. “Yeah, well. Would’ve been great if it had worked.”

    “Don’t give up yet. It takes time to let go of that much anger.” Reaching down, Dean grabbed Sam’s hands and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, I need help checking the batteries in all the gadgets.”

    Sam dutifully followed Dean into the dining room, grateful for the distraction. So he hadn’t changed Janine’s mind just yet. He’d taken the first step, and he had to admit he was proud of himself for it.
    And she didn’t yell or anything. In fact, she looked like she might actually be thinking about what you said.
Sam smiled. Maybe there was hope for a truce after all.
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An Inner Darkness

Chapter Five
    Bo, Andre and Lee returned from upstairs a few minutes later. Lee glanced around the foyer as he descended the steps. “Where’s Janine?” “She went out,” Sam told him. “She didn’t say where.”
    “Probably to her friend Rita’s place.” Sighing, Lee skirted the bottom of the steps and gestured down the short hallway leading toward the back of the house. “Okay, Bo, I’ll take you and Andre to the family room now. There’ve been several incidents in there.”

    “What sorts of incidents?” Andre asked, panning the camera in a slow circle.
    “Unexplained noises. Objects moving by themselves. Some strange shadows. We all frequently feel on edge there, even Janine, though you’d never get her to admit it.” Lee shrugged. “As in the rest of the house, nothing that’s happened in that room has been so spectacular that you couldn’t brush it off as imagination or your eyes playing tricks on you. Janine thinks the whole thing is in our heads.” Bo gave him a considering look. “I have