An Inner Darkness Book 5 Bay City paranormal

afraid to ask. “Are you—?”
“Yes. I’m going over there.” Twisting around, Bo backed out of his parking space.
“I’ll take you back to the office first.”
“No, you will not.” Sam grabbed the strap over his door as Bo peeled out of the parking lot. “Maybe I should drive.”
The glower Bo gave Sam in response was answer enough. Sighing, Sam slumped in his seat. “I’m coming in with you.” “No, you’re not. You’re staying in the car.”
    Bo swerved across all three lanes of traffic, setting off a cacophony of horns. Sam swallowed his heart back down. “You’re way too angry to confront Janine alone right now. You’ll just make it worse.”
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An Inner Darkness
    “Fuck,” Bo swore, swerving again to avoid the ancient Cadillac which had pulled out in front of him and immediately stopped. “Dammit, Sam, don’t lecture me. I know what I’m doing.”
    Closing his eyes, Sam counted to fifteen. He opened his eyes again and aimed the calmest look he could manage at the side of Bo’s head. “I know you, Bo. You’re always calmer at first, then you start getting mad and it just escalates. You had your calm period at the office. Now you’re getting seriously pissed off, and you know how you are when you get like that.”
    Bo shot him a glare, but didn’t argue. Encouraged, Sam plowed on. “If I thought I could talk you out of seeing Janine right now altogether, I would. I know that’s not going to happen. But I am not letting you go in there alone and screw things up for good. I’m going with you to keep you in line.”
    “This is a family matter,” Bo snapped. “You don’t need to be involved.” Now that hurt. Swallowing the urge to lash out, Sam forced himself to answer without rancor. “You and I love each other, Bo. We’re committed to each other. That makes us family. I’m not letting you leave me behind when I know damn well you need me there.”
    Some of the fury faded from Bo’s face. He darted Sam a glance that tried to be angry and annoyed but looked more guilty than anything else. “Fine.” He didn’t speak again, but he’d evidently given up on fighting Sam’s decision. Sam counted that as a victory.

    By the time Bo pulled into Janine and Lee’s driveway, he seemed a little calmer.

    Sam was glad of that, but he was still determined to be at Bo’s side during the coming confrontation. To his relief, Bo didn’t try to talk him out of it again. They got out of the car and approached the front door hand in hand.

    Bo had to ring the doorbell twice before anyone answered. Sam heard raised voices before the door swung open to reveal Janine standing there in ratty sweats, looking like she hadn’t had any more sleep in the past few days than Bo had.
    Her eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you two doing here?” www.samhainpublishing.com 149
Ally Blue
    “I got the letter from your lawyer today,” Bo said. “I’d like to discuss this with you.” His voice was steady, but his hand shook in Sam’s. Sam gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze.
    “There’s nothing to talk about. Now please get off my property.” Bo caught the door when Janine tried to swing it shut. “Janine, please. I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“Seriously?” Shaking her head, she barked a sharp laugh. “You know what, the fact that you don’t understand is a huge part of the problem.” Sam took one look at the redness climbing Bo’s neck and decided to intervene. “Can you explain it to us?”
    She shot Sam a look full of nearly palpable hatred. “You’re psychic , aren’t you?
Why don’t you just read my fucking mind?”
    The fingers of Sam’s free hand balled into a fist. He shoved it in his pocket before he could give in to the temptation to use it. “It doesn’t work that way.” Bo let out an impatient huff. “Just tell us what we’ve done this time.” She crossed her arms. “I warned you that I’d take this step if you kept filling the boys’ heads with these crazy ideas about portals and monsters. You didn’t listen. Now you’re paying the price.”
    Sam’s stomach dropped into his feet. Oh shit. He glanced at Bo, who had gone an unhealthy shade of gray.
Bo’s fingers tightened around Sam’s to the point of pain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    If Sam hadn’t already known Bo was lying, he didn’t think he’d have been able to tell. Janine, however, wasn’t buying it. She gave them a cold