Twilight: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 3

their presence in his mind had wrung the breath from his lungs and the strength from his body. When it had passed, his attention had been occupied with more important things. Amy’s horrific death at Oleander House. Bo’s injury and rapid decline into septic shock at South Bay High. He hadn’t had the time to notice what—if any—energy was left behind by the closing of the portals, even if he’d had the presence of mind to check.
Soft lips, cold with the winter evening, brushed his cheek in a gentle caress. He turned to look into Bo’s eyes. Bo smiled, tracing Sam’s jaw with icy fingers. “It’s not going to be that way this time. This portal isn’t active. All we have to do is figure out when it became active, and how, and why.”
“And then figure out why it closed, and make sure it’s not going to open again.” Dean patted the boulder, then moved away through the forest toward the trail, which was just visible in the gloom. “Piece of cake.”
Shaking his head at the dry sarcasm in Dean’s voice, Bo followed Dean and the flashlight, his arm still snug around Sam’s shoulders. “I know, it’s going to be difficult. But at least no one’s life is at stake here.”
No one except that person who was torn apart in the woods, Sam thought, though he didn’t say it. He knew what Bo meant, and he knew they were all thinking the same thing. Voicing it out loud wouldn’t make it any less true.
Full dark had fallen by the time they turned onto the narrow walkway running from cabin to cabin. Two figures, one tall and one short, stood outside Sam and Bo’s cabin. Darkness and distance hid their features, but the sweep of Dean’s flashlight beam revealed a flash of familiar color on the smaller figure. Lex’s jacket, a bright spring green.
Dean frowned. “Is that Lex and Carl?”
“Looks like them.” Bo let go of Sam and drew away, grimacing as he put his weight on his bad leg. “I wonder what they want.”
The loss of Bo’s warmth left Sam feeling cold and bereft. He shoved both hands in his jacket pockets to keep himself from reclaiming his hold on Bo. “Bet I can guess.”
“It won’t matter,” Bo said, his grim expression belying his words. “They’re not homophobic.”
Sam didn’t point out how many people think they’re okay with it until confronted with the reality, only to find they’re not as open-minded as they’d always hoped. There was no harm in giving their hosts the benefit of a doubt.
The Lodge owners stopped whispering together and turned to face Sam, Bo and Dean as they approached. Sam plastered on a smile to hide the anxiety boiling inside him.
“Hi,” Bo greeted them. “Were you looking for us?”
Bo’s voice was bland, his expression neutral. His “investigation face”, Dean called it, accurately enough. Bo didn’t like jumping to conclusions without evidence to back it up, regardless of the situation. Whatever his personal thoughts or theories were, he always kept them to himself until he was sure, and he rarely let those thoughts show on his face. Not in front of clients and strangers.
“We were, yes.” Clearing his throat, Carl glanced at his wife, then back at Bo. “I know you’ve been working and are probably tired, but would you mind coming up to the office? We have something we need to talk to you both about.”
Silence. The muscle in Bo’s jaw twitched. Seeing the tiny movement by the light of Dean’s flashlight, Sam moved as close to Bo as he dared.
“What did you need to talk to us about?” Bo asked, his tone dangerously soft and blank. “Anything you want to say to Sam and me, you can say in front of Dean.”
Lex and Carl looked at one another. Carl shrugged.
Stepping closer, Lex gazed up at Bo and Sam. “Anne came to us this evening. About you. The two of you, I mean. Do you understand?”
Inside his pockets, Sam’s fists clenched of their own accord. Behind him, Dean muttered something which sounded suspiciously like that fucking bitch. Whatever Bo’s reaction was, he kept it in check.
For a long moment they all stood staring at one another across a gulf many times wider than the foot or two it appeared to be, Lex and Carl on one side, Sam and Bo on the other with Dean at their back. No one said anything. When Bo broke the uncomfortable standoff by slumping against Sam’s side with a defeated sort of sigh, Sam put both arms around him and kissed his brow. He watched Lex’s face as he did it, daring her with his eyes to say one single