An Inner Darkness Book 5 Bay City paranormal

less unpleasant than usual if she didn’t feel confronted by their united front.
    “I need you to take the boys out tonight,” she said, sounding as if the words had been dragged from her. “Lee’s sick, and I have to work. I’ve been granted an interview I’ve been after for some time, but he’ll only let me talk to him tonight.” Bo blinked. “That’s it? There’s nothing wrong? Nothing’s happened?” She frowned. “No, of course not. What on earth gave you that idea?” Sam bit his tongue. Berating her for worrying Bo the way she had wouldn’t help matters.
    “Nothing, I just…” Bo shook his head. “Nothing. Of course we’ll take them.” A weird blend of relief and resentment flooded her face. “Good. Thank you. I didn’t want them to have to stay home, but there’s just no way I can take them and still do this interview. And I have to do the interview.” In other words, your career takes precedence over your sons.
    Sam kept that to himself. It was unfair and not entirely true, and he knew it.
Indulging the thought in his own head felt cathartic, though.
“It’s no trouble at all. You know we’re happy to take them.” Bo stood, smiling.
“Anything else we can do?”
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Ally Blue
    “Yes.” Janine’s gaze cut toward Sam for a second before settling on Bo again. “I don’t want any talk about special powers or whatever you think Adrian has. He’s having a difficult enough time without the two of you making it worse.”

    “What do you mean?” Sam blurted, pushing away from the wall. “You just said nothing’s happened. What’s he been having a hard time with?” Bo rubbed his fingertips against his temple. “Sam, please.”

    “Come on, Bo, she just said—”

    “He is having a hard time,” Janine interrupted, glaring at Sam, “because his family has been broken up and he is trying to deal with his father being…being gay , for God’s sake, and carrying on with you. ”
    Sam bristled, but Bo cut him off before he could say anything. “All right, that’s enough.” He crossed his arms and aimed a stern look at his ex-wife. “Janine, I think we all realize how hard this whole thing has been for Adrian, but he’s adjusting. In any case, I will not apologize for finally being happy, and I most certainly won’t apologize for leaving a relationship that was bad for me. One that was just as bad for you, I might add.” Janine dropped her gaze to the floor. Sam stifled a crow of triumph. Yeah. Suck on that , bitch.
    Before Sam could turn the uncharitable thought into a childish remark, Bo shot him a look suggesting he knew exactly what Sam was thinking and he’d better not say it. Sam dutifully kept his mouth shut.
    Sighing, Bo tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “Okay. We all know there are hard feelings here, and we all know why. But we’re adults, for God’s sake. Surely we can all put our differences aside, at least when Sean and Adrian are around. The three of us fighting can only make things worse for the boys, and they’re the only ones who are completely blameless in this situation.”
    “I hardly think—”
Bo cut off Janine’s indignant rejoinder with a single raised finger. “Stop. Just stop.
No more fighting. It gets us nowhere.”
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An Inner Darkness
    To Sam’s immense surprise, Janine closed her mouth and sat staring at the floor. She looked very much like Sean did whenever Bo reprimanded him.

    “That’s better.” Bo sat on the edge of the desk, cautious gaze darting between Sam and Janine as if he expected one—or both—of them to start a fist fight at any moment.

    “Janine, do you have the boys’ costumes with you?” She cleared her throat and peered up at Bo. “Yes, the boys have them.” He nodded. “Okay, good. Would you like me to take them straight back to your place after trick-or-treating, or would you rather come pick them up?”
    “Well. I, um, I guess it would be best if I come pick them up. I’m not sure how late my interview will go, and I really don’t want the two of them running around the house tonight if I’m not there. Lee can barely get out of bed right now, he shouldn’t have to wrangle those two when they’re on a sugar high. Especially Sean, you know how he gets.”
    Sam choked back a laugh. “Sorry,” he said in response to Janine’s narrow-eyed glare. “I was just thinking you’re right about Sean, he’s a regular human tornado after