They’d reached a shaded edge of the beach, where a pair of refurbished lounge chairs sat almost tucked in the woods. “And here is Tommy’s favorite napping spot. And I say that with complete sarcasm.”
“I remember another red-headed boy who hated to take naps, too.”
“I need to check on a build just down the way, see if the pillars of this dock we’re working on held overnight. Think you could rock a baby to sleep?”
“I have some experience with that.”
As Lynn settled in the chair, William handed her the baby, who was already starting to whine. She held him, already humming in his ear.
“I’ll be right back,” William said, kissing her on the forehead and jogging down the beach.
Tommy raised his head and began to cry. Lynn swayed back and forth.
“Blackbird singing in the dead of night,” she sang softly.
With William rounding a bend in the beach and disappearing, Tommy began to wail.
“Take these broken wings and learn to fly…”
The boy was strong, trying to push himself up, reaching for the direction of his father.
“All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise,” she sang a bit louder.
He’d reached full tantrum mode, his sweet rounded cheeks flushed, his eyes narrowed fighting sleep.
“Blackbird singing in the dead—“
The thunderclap jolted her as she saw the lightning bolt flash on the horizon. The boy screamed, and the lightning flared again. A strong wind picked up, tossing the trees around them. As his little fist curled almost painfully on the sagging skin of her arm, the crack of thunder resounded across the water, now beginning to churn in the distance.
My God. My God.
Lynn leaned in, their foreheads touching. “Listen to me. No sir. No sir, you will not.”
His eyes, the deepest of blue, then began to close. He laid his head on her shoulder, whimpered once more, and sighed.
Lynn looked across the water, now calming. She closed her eyes.
A storm was coming. But it would not be today.
ALSO BY JEREMY FINLEY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeremy Finley’s investigative reporting has resulted in criminal convictions, legislative hearings before the U.S. Congress, the payout of more than a million dollars to scam victims, and the discovery of missing girls. The winner of twenty regional Emmys and Edward R. Murrow Awards, he is also the winner of a national Headliner Award, a national Edward. R Murrow Award and is a two-time recipient of the IRE Award (recognizing the best in investigative journalism). He is the chief investigative reporter at the NBC station in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife and daughters. You can sign up for email updates here.
Newsletter Sign-up
Thank you for buying this St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases and other great reads, sign up for our newsletters.
Copyright Notice
The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
THE DARK ABOVE. Copyright © 2019 by Jeremy Finley. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 120 Broadway, New York, NY, 10271.
Cover design by Nikolaas Eickelbeck
Cover photographs: sky © Pozdeyev Vitaly/Shutterstock.com; cloud © Vandathai/Shutterstock.com; trees © DutchScenery/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Finley, Jeremy, author.
Title: The dark above / Jeremy Finley.
Description: First edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Press, [2019]
Identifiers: LCCN 2019007958 | ISBN 9781250147288 (hardcover: acid-free paper) | ISBN 9781250147295 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Paranormal fiction. | GSAFD: Science fiction. | Suspense fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3606.I55345 D36 2019 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019007958
eISBN 9781250147295
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: July 2019