Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(125)
Author: Kristen Ashley

“Okay, so where were you that night?” Jack asked.

“Not here,” Miles immediately answered.

“Where were you?” Jack pressed.

Miles again jerked against Lachlan’s hold but Lachlan held true.

He stopped just as suddenly and clipped loudly, “Tell the ginger to let me go!”

“I’ll let you go, mate, you don’t throw another punch,” Lachlan said from behind him.

“I won’t throw another punch,” Miles bit out.

“Right, then I’ll let you go you don’t call me ‘ginger’ again,” Lachlan went on.

“Lach, let the lad go,” Angus said low.

Lachlan looked to his uncle then pushed Miles off and stepped back.

Miles immediately twisted around to glare at Lachlan then he turned back to Jack when Jack pressed on, “Miles, the night Belle was hurt, where were you?”

“I wasn’t f**king here,” he shot back.

“All right. Then where were you?” Jack kept at it.

“Not here.”

“Then where?”

“Not… fucking… here!”

“Miles, if you weren’t here, where were you?”

“Not f**king here!” Miles roared, stepped swiftly to a table that was close, grabbed a vase and threw it across the room. It sailed safely between Jack and Lachlan but exploded against the wall.

Belle jumped as did others and Joy cried, “Miles!”

The men closed in on Miles but he was now staring at the floor, body mostly motionless except he was breathing heavily. Jack correctly sensed he was no threat and lifted his hand to the other men to stop their advance so they did.

He gave his brother a moment then, quietly, he said, “Miles, if you weren’t here, tell us where you were so we can –”

Before he could finish, Miles’s head snapped up and his eyes locked on Belle.

“I dream you.”

The air in the room went still and Belle figured this was because everyone had stopped breathing. She figured this because she had.

Therefore, she had to force her question through stiff lips.

“What?”

“Since then. Since it happened. I wasn’t there. But I dream it. I dream of pushing you.”

“Oh my God,” Joy whispered and Belle felt tears sting her nose.

“I didn’t do it.” Miles’s voice was now raw. “In my dreams, I feel my hand on you, I see you going down the stairs. But I didn’t do it. It’s been torture but I swear to f**king Christ, Belle, I didn’t do it.”

“You dream it?” Angus asked quietly and Miles tore his eyes from Belle and looked to Angus.

“Yes,” he bit off.

“Do you dream of anything else?” Angus questioned and Belle watched in horror and distress as Miles’s face became ravaged.

“I lose time,” he whispered his admission.

“Bloody hell,” Jack muttered.

Miles closed his eyes tight then opened them and looked at Jack. “Since I met her. Since I met Belle, I’ve lost time.”

Jack held his brother’s gaze even as he ordered, “Lila, Rachel, take Mum out.”

“Jack, I –”

Miles and Jack both looked to Joy but it was Miles who spoke. “Mum, please.”

Her teeth worried her lip as she studied her youngest son. Then she looked at her oldest but she nodded to the floor before she went out, Rachel and Lila following her.

Rachel closed the door.

Belle’s eyes went back to Miles to see he was addressing Angus when he said, “I dream of a woman. A woman and a man. I’m watching them. They’re not from this time.”

“Joshua and Brenna Bennett,” Cassandra murmured and Miles looked to her.

“I don’t know who the f**k they are but I wake up pissed off.”

“He’s got hold of you, laddie,” Angus said gently and Miles’s eyes swung to him.

“That’s insane,” he whispered.

Cassandra moved cautiously closer. “We can help.”

Miles stared at her for long moments as everyone was silent.

Then his eyes moved slowly to Belle.

“I didn’t push you, gorgeous,” he whispered, his voice an ache, his eyes filled with pain and it was the first time she didn’t mind Miles calling her “gorgeous”.

“I know Miles,” Belle said softly and moved to the side of the desk but when she sensed Jack’s eyes on her and glanced briefly at him to see his face hard and his head shake once, she stopped. Then she looked back to Miles. “Let them help.”

She watched Miles pull in a ragged breath.

Cassandra sensed capitulation and pushed, “We have a potion.”

Miles turned to her. “It’ll stop this?”

She nodded.

“It’s safe, mate,” Lorna put in.

Miles moved his gaze to hers when she spoke then he lifted a hand and tore it through his hair with no small amount of agitation. When his hand dropped it seemed as if it took every effort for his eyes to move to his brother.

“I killed your child.” The words were tortured.

“Miles,” Jack murmured.

“Yasmin was right. It’s like I’m possessed. All my life –”

“Don’t,” Jack interrupted, his voice a low rumble. “Just let them help.”

For long, tense moments the two brothers held each other’s eyes.

Then Miles nodded.

Jack looked to Belle. “Go to Mum, poppet. We need to talk with Miles.”

She took one look at his beautiful, desolate face and nodded.

Then she moved swiftly to the door.

“Gorgeous.”

She stopped at the door and turned at Miles’s call. His eyes were wet with tears and she felt her stomach clutch.

“Like Jack said, Miles, don’t. It’ll all be all right,” Belle whispered.

“I –” he started but Belle cut him off.

“Get help, Miles and it’ll all be all right.”

He looked away, lifted a hand to the back of his neck and she saw him squeeze before he dropped it, again caught her eyes and nodded.

Belle nodded back.

Then her eyes swept through the occupants of the room and ended their journey resting on Jack.

She gave him a trembling smile then she opened the door and ducked through, closing it behind her.

* * * * *

The wind was high, there were clouds hiding the moon so the cliff path was dark before them. The dogs, usually happy to wander away and roam afield during their evening walks with Jack and Belle, sensed the mood and stayed close.