Oleander House: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 1

it, Bo,” he burst out finally, standing in the middle of his bedroom with his eyes squeezed shut. It was the last room on their list. He’d thought for sure if he were to feel anything it would be here, where he’d experienced the most erotic and terrifying dreams of his life.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Bo said. “There was no guarantee that you would. It was worth a shot, though.”
“I know it’s here,” Sam muttered, mostly to himself. He opened his eyes and looked at Bo. “It’s here in this house, somewhere. I know it is.”
Bo stared back at him. Something in his eyes made Sam’s pulse race. Bo took a step toward him, then another, the camera hanging neglected at his side. Sam stood stock-still, watching Bo warily. Bo laid a hand on Sam’s arm, his gaze flicking down to Sam’s parted lips. And suddenly the thing was there, right there in Sam’s mind, burning cold and utterly inhuman.
Panic clutched at Sam’s throat. He gasped and fell to his knees, clawing at his chest, the notebook and pen clattering to the floor. “Bo,” he choked out, the sound barely audible. “It’s in…in me…inside…fuck…”
Bo dropped down beside him. “What are you talking about? Sam, what’s wrong?”
“The…the thing…from before…” Sam managed before his breath gave out. His head swam. He felt himself falling. Bo caught him and shifted him so that he lay across Bo’s lap with Bo’s arm under his head. He stared up into Bo’s eyes, trying desperately to convey without words what he was feeling.
It was a horrible sensation, as if his body had become a conduit of some sort. As if whatever intelligence stalked the hidden corners of the house was using him for its own sinister purpose. His vision narrowed to a hazy tunnel. The room seemed to be shrouded by a thick gray miasma.
Bo’s fingers pressed to the side of Sam’s throat, searching for the pulse. His voice sounded faint and muffled. “Come on, Sam, stay with me, okay? Just hang on.”
Yanking the radio off his belt, Bo thumbed it on. “Someone come in, we have an emergency!”
Silence. Bo called again, with the same result. Through the ringing in his ears, Sam heard Bo curse and drop the radio on the floor before sound faded altogether.
Sam felt the quick heave of Bo’s chest as he drew a deep breath and started shouting for help, but he couldn’t hear a thing. Everything had faded to static. The temperature in the room plummeted. Sam could see his breath in the suddenly frigid air.
Something cold and malevolent slithered around and through him, the impossibly deep sound of it vibrating in his bones. He fought it with all his strength, thrashing in its icy grip. Bo curled protectively around him, Sam felt the frantic thud of Bo’s heart against his cheek and the terrible presence vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. The cold dissipated along with it.
Sam collapsed in Bo’s arms, gulping air as fast as he could. He closed his eyes and let Bo hold him, too drained by his struggle to do otherwise. With the danger gone and his lungs working again, Sam couldn’t help noticing how good it felt to be cradled against Bo’s body.
“Sam? Fuck, are you all right?” Bo’s voice still sounded muted, but the fear came through loud and clear.
Sam nodded and gave Bo a weak smile. “Yeah. It’s gone now.”
Bo let out relieved breath. “Christ, you scared me half to death.”
“Sorry,” Sam whispered.
“Don’t be. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
The silence that fell between them was pregnant with all the things they couldn’t say. Bo leaned down, his braid slipping over his shoulder to brush Sam’s cheek. The soft touch set off tiny earthquakes in Sam’s body. Without thinking about what he was doing or if it was right, Sam reached up and stroked his fingers along the line of Bo’s jaw. Bo’s eyelids fluttered. He leaned into the caress, lips parting with a soft sigh.
For one dizzying second, Sam thought Bo was going to kiss him. Then voices sounded in the hall, shouting for Bo and Sam as footsteps pounded toward the room, and the moment passed. Bo straightened up, shaking off Sam’s touch. “In here!” he called.
David and Cecile burst into the room. “What’s wrong?” David panted. “We heard you holler for help. Why didn’t you call us on the radio?”
“I tried,” Bo said. “It didn’t work.”
Cecile was already moving toward Sam. “Oh my God, Sam’s hurt!” she cried.
“No, I’m okay,” Sam