Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2) (27 page)

He lurched at her, and they tumbled onto the bed. They rolled, kissed, and touched each other, exploring the new life for both of them. When she rolled, ending up on top, she was about to slide him home.

When he froze.

His hand went over his scar and missing eye.

The patch was gone.

“Oh God!”

He fought to move away, to cover his face and the horrible place that had once been his eye, but she fought him. Bishop held on with everything she had.

“Please stop,” she begged.

The tears in her voice stopped him in his tracks.

He froze.

“Trust me enough not to pull away from me. You can’t let me have you and then keep taking you away. It’s too hard for me. I can’t do it, Lucian. I can’t survive this rollercoaster. Either let me in, or walk away. I can’t keep losing you. I’m only so strong.”

He felt the tears hit his chest.

Christ
.

He’d made her cry.

“What do I have to do to prove to you that this scar doesn’t matter? What battle do I have to fight, Lucian? Just tell me, and I’ll do it. You were coming back, and now you’re pulling away again.”

She was right.

He didn’t trust anyone, but that had to end.

He touched her cheek.

She stared down at him.

Then he did something he never would have done before for anyone.

He moved his hand away, so she could see what had been done to him. In the newly cresting dawn from her window, he turned his face so she could see what he lived with each and every day. Lucian held nothing back as he shared what the explosion had created, and what the surgeons had tried to fix and failed.

Then he waited.

Only she didn’t hesitate.

Her mouth left kisses all the way from the top of the scar on his brow, past the place where his eye once was, and to his cheek.

She didn’t run from it.

She embraced it.

“You’re the most handsome man in the world,” she whispered. “You always were, and you always will be.”

“Bishop.”

His heart ached at her words.

“Let me show you.”

What choice did he have?

In that one moment, everything hung in the balance. His heart, his fate, and his world was hers to love, protect, or destroy. He was letting her in, and he prayed he didn’t regret it.

He’s been a fool to believe in it before.

Bishop was either going to be his salvation or his damnation. Every monster had his day, and this was his.

He let her take control.

His heart was thumping, but it was from fear of repulsing her. As she moved across his body, leaving a trail of heat and fiery kisses, his erection came back, the need followed, and he was ready—for her and only her.

“Please,” he whispered. “I need you.”

Bishop’s heart skipped, and the tears came again, but this time, they weren’t alone. His eye had them too, and with her thumb, she wiped them away.

Then she slid him home.

Lucian moaned, his body arching beneath hers.

Nothing in his life had felt that damn good. Before, he’d taken sex for granted, moving through the motions, but now…making love would be cherished forever.

She’d be cherished.

Her hands found his, and they locked them together. As she slid him in and out of her body, she watched his face.

He was at peace.

So was she.

“Faster,” he begged, needing to see her bouncing above him. He craved the rain of red hair, the slide of her body against his, and the bounce of her breasts. Lucian wanted it all.

This one moment with her made him the happiest man in the world.

“Oh God!” she shouted, her whole body tightening down on his. “Lucian,” she moaned, repeating his name over and over again. He was filling her, and in more ways than one.

She’d finally reached the pinnacle of the climb. The hard-fought battle was done, and she could claim her prize.

Again, she whispered his name, and it sounded right on her lips.

He couldn’t stop saying hers.

“I’m going to cum.”

It was all he had to hear. The need was unstoppable, as it boiled up, over, and exploded into her. Bishop’s words tore him from the ledge, shoving him over and into the most amazing feeling in his life.

As he fell, he wasn’t alone.

Bishop was with him.

She was there for the journey, and he was so damn glad. There was no one he’d rather take it with than her. He needed to make this voyage with the one who owned his heart.

As time began ticking again, she was cuddled against him. Her head was on his neck as he was still buried in her body.

“Bishop?” he finally said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, Lucian?”

“Thank you.”

She lifted her face to stare into that one sexy blue eye.

“What?” he asked. “Say it.”

“You don’t want me to say it, Lucian.”

“I really do.”

He was getting nervous. This couldn’t be a good conversation—not post coital, and not with that look on her face. It screamed
‘danger ahead’
.

“I have to be honest.”

He waited for it.

“What?”

“I love you.”

He stared.

Had he heard her right?

Holy shit!

She moved fast, and this was proof that she liked to keep him off guard.

“I don’t know what to say,” he offered. He knew what he wanted to say, but that concrete block holding his heart prisoner wasn’t fully freed. It was breaking away, but he wasn’t able to articulate the words.

She needed to know all of the truth before he offered her that last piece of him. If he gave her this, and then she found out what he’d done, there was no doubt in his mind that Bishop would hate him.

Hell!

He hated himself.

She climbed off his body, her heart aching. She knew he needed it to heal, but the possibility of rejection still stung. A part of her knew he wouldn’t be able to return the words. If he couldn’t love himself, he certainly couldn’t love her.

“Bishop, where are you going?”

She held out her hand. “We have to shower. I’ll bring you home, and then I have to get to work. Cop hours suck. I have to get to the office.”

He knew she was avoiding what she’d just thrown out there.

He was scared.

He couldn’t lose what he’d just found. If he rushed into it, like he had with his ex in the past, it might go South.

It might be a disaster.

If anything, he wanted to protect Bishop. Her heart mattered too, and he wasn’t sure he could be whole enough to give her what she deserved—a complete man.

“Want me to wash your back?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t send him away.

“Are you kidding?”

His heart dropped at her question. Here it came.

“I want you to wash my front too. There’s no point doing it half assed, now is there?”

She smiled at him, even though she was dying inside.

“It would be my pleasure.”

He followed her into the shower, but already, his head was buzzing, and the static was fighting to take him down.

He knew something was coming, but what?

Lucian prayed it wasn’t going to be personal. He couldn’t take another hit to his heart.

Chapter Twelve

Friday Morning

Eight A.M

He took him.

It was too easy.

When he saw the man coming home, drunk, disorderly, and ready to stumble into his home so early in the morning, he knew it was his sign.

All night, he caroused with someone, but that didn’t matter. All that did was that he had him.

It was so easy to take him too.

Way too easy.

Now he was in the trunk of his car, bound, gagged, and ready to be killed. As he struggled, trying to get free, he knew he needed to get him to a safe place.

He needed to take him someplace where he could be hidden until it was time to do the deed.

Then he’d be left for the sheriff to find him.

But where?

Oh, he knew.

He’d take him to the place not far from where it all started. Where on that fateful day, life was ended, peace became elusive, and his life came to a halt.

That’s where he’d place him for the world to see his lack of justice. He may have fought for the law, but he didn’t fight hard enough, and all of this was the proof.

Had he been a winner, this wouldn’t be happening to him. He was one more waste of justice added to the list.

It was time.

Payback was here.

This man, Earl Thorpe, was marked.

It was time for him to die.

It was time for him to begin planning the next person on the list of people, who no longer deserved to live.

At the very bottom was Lucian Monroe.

He was a quitter.

And for that, he would pay.

       
                
* * *
  O R A C L E   * * *

Bishop Killion’s

Brownstone

They’d laughed the entire time they’d showered. It was hard not to when two slippery people were crammed into the small stall.

Lucian wasn’t a huge man, but he was big enough that showering together was more acrobatics than ease.

Still, she didn’t mind.

It was a pleasure to see him laugh and let go of the pressure he was putting on himself.

Plus, two naked people, rubbing against each other, was always a good thing.

The wet slide of flesh against flesh had been amazing, and when Lucian got hard all over again, she was there to take him up on his offer of shower sex.

She’d be a fool to pass that up.

When a sexy man rubbed against you in the shower, life was too short to say no.

In fact, she screamed
‘yes’
a few times, and she may have even called him God.

Yeah, it was that damn good.

After the repeat interlude, they found themselves in her kitchen, having something to eat.

When she handed him a Pop Tart, he simply lifted a brow. He laughed when she told him not to judge her. The masculine sound was music to her ears.

He was free.

Lucian was finally ready to relax around her.

After dressing, and getting into her gear, she found him watching her.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re beautiful.”

It made her blush.

“I’m passable for a cop.”

He moved toward her, wanting just to hold her in his arms. Gently, he pulled her toward him. When she didn’t hesitate, but instead rested against him, he was at peace.

“You’re more than passable. You’re perfect.”

She nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder. Bishop wished she could keep his scent on her all day long.

Hell!

She wished she could steal his hoodie to wear him all day long. 

Yeah, someone had it bad.

Here was the proof.

“I need to ask you something.”

She glanced up. “Yes?”

“Can we do this again? It was amazing to be with you and to not have to worry.”

She smiled.

“Mi casa es su casa.”

“Sexy. I love a bilingual woman.”

She snorted. “I’d love to discuss what else you love, but we have to get moving.”

He knew she was referring to what she’d told him after sex, and he was grateful she wasn’t angry that he’d yet to say it back. It was there, but he needed more time.

He was a thinker, plotter, and planner. It was the lawyer in him, and he needed to make sure the time was just right.

Lucian had learned that moving fast meant getting hurt. The day he’d nearly died, had he slowed down, talked to the reporters, and paid attention, his life would have been different.

Then he realized.

Had he done any of that, he would have missed this.

“Bishop?”

“What?” she asked, checking the clip on her sidearm before sliding it into the hip holster.

“Tonight, can you come to my place?”

She was shocked at the invite. Honestly, she expected him to move slowly. Bishop was fine with that. She’d let him set the pace. She’d give him that gift.

“Is your shower bigger?”

“You’ll have to spend the night to find out.”

“Will you be making dinner or should I get takeout?”

“You’ll have to spend the night to find out.”

She smiled.

“I guess I’ll be spending the night.”

He watched her quickly gather some girly things and throw them into a bag. It amazed him how easily she accepted the situation. It was as if it didn’t take thought or effort.

When she tossed in a racy thong, his body reacted. It was purely masculine and a beautiful thing.

“I’m set. We’ll head out.”

He tugged on his black hoodie, but didn’t pull the hood up. She didn’t watch him put the eyepatch on, but she knew he was doing it. He was facing her mirror.

It was a start.

He was going outside and into the sun without the hoodie obstructing his face. It was as if he finally was ready to face the world.

It was progress.

Together, they headed downstairs and toward the door. Before she could leave, he kissed her.

“Be safe at work today,” he offered. “I like having you in one piece.”

“I like being in one piece. The other option sucks,” she teased, thinking about her dad and how he’d died in the safety of his own home.

“I mean it. Please don’t get hurt, Bishop. I can’t…”

She knew he was struggling, so she stepped in and offered him a lifeline.

“Someone likes me. He’s getting all mushy.” Then she made kissy sounds.

It made him laugh.

“Don’t be a pain in the ass. Just promise me, okay?”

She wrapped her arms around his hips. “I swear I’ll be fine, but I want something from you too.”

He waited.

He was man enough to admit that her one sentence had dual effects on him. It warmed and chilled him. Wendy had said that to him a lot. He’d bought her with things just to keep her by his side.

Now he saw it.

Then he was too worried about his public opinion.

“What?”

“Can you start going through your files? Maybe you can pull any cases where you think that you, Arron Abrahms, and Dale Plunkett crossed paths with some drama. Killers like drama.”

He relaxed.

It had been related to the case.

“What?” she asked, feeling his body go lax then tense, then lax again.

“Nothing.”

“At my place, it’s a no lie zone,” she reminded him. “Here, you have to tell the truth.”

He had no choice.

Lucian knew Bishop was laying down the law.

“When you said you wanted something, it reminded me of my past. It wasn’t a good memory.”

She understood.

“I’ll never ask anything from you, Lucian. I need your help with this case and nothing more. I can take care of myself. I don’t look at you and see a man with money. I look at you and see the man I love.”

He believed her.

Why?

It was a no lie zone, and so far, she’d been the one to give everything.

“Okay. I’ll help you.”

He didn’t tell her that the static was kicking up, and that generally meant the visions were coming. While they were far less violent with her, and at that moment, she’d yet to see that happening to him.

He hoped it didn’t freak her out.

“Let’s go.”

She opened her door, and they were three feet outside when the shit hit the fan.

Cameras flashed, questions were tossed at them, and they were bombarded with the media.

She was pissed.

Someone threw them to the wolves.

Well, shit.

Her gut response was to kick their asses. Then she saw them move on Lucian like a pack of hungry mongrels. They were salivating to catch the reclusive Lucian Monroe outside the gates of Graymoor manor.

He reached for his hoodie, trying to protect himself. There was no doubt what he didn’t want them to see. He was back to hiding, and that pissed her off.

“Get back!” she shouted, placing herself between them. “This is private property, and you’re trespassing.”

Really, it was all she could do to protect him.

It made her angry.

This was her home. Lucian had finally relaxed, and this was going to stir him up.

Shit!

They pushed through the crowd to get to her truck. It wasn’t easy. They were relentless. No sooner did they break through the cameras, they ran straight into the last person either wanted to see.

Facing Lucian down was the woman who broke his heart ten years ago.

“Well, well, well. It looks like someone is sleeping with the sheriff. How interesting. I never saw this coming.”

Bishop knew better than to engage the viper. Instead, she hit the locks on her truck, trying to get Lucian clear.

“So, Sheriff, what did you find at the judge’s office? Did Holly Zimmer have something to do with his death? Is she a suspect? What was said during the interview?”

Bishop said nothing.

But Wendy’s words hit a chord. Only she had no choice but to put them on the back burner. Lucian had to come first. She’d vowed to keep him safe.

“Are you two in a relationship?” Wendy Lockwood asked, trying to get any details she could.

Her camera guy was in Lucian’s face, snapping pictures left and right.

It was pissing Bishop off.

When he put his hands on the man, she nearly snapped. “Hands off!” she ordered, shoving the camera guy away from Lucian.

“Awww, she’s protecting him. How sweet. Beauty and the Beast, and the woman has bigger balls. It looks like his eye isn’t the only thing he lost that day.”

Lucian’s hand tensed in hers.

She was going to kill this woman.

“Watch it, Wendy,” she warned, as she got the truck door open and Lucian inside. Thank God for dark tint.

“Or? Are you threatening me, Sheriff Killion? In front of all these people? For him? Trust me, he’s not worth it.”

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Bishop would kick her ass, lose her badge, and willing hand it to Silas for Lucian.

He was worth everything.

To Bishop, he was her world, and she’d finally managed to catch his attention. She’d fight hard to keep him.

“I will kick your gold digging ass off my property if you put your hands on me or him.”

Wendy laughed. “Lucian likes a woman with balls. I’m not surprised he’s chasing you down. What’s funny is a dead body lands on his doorstep, and he starts sleeping with you. How interesting, no?”

If she was trying to plant doubt, it wouldn’t work. Bishop was stronger than that.

“Screw you, Wendy.”

With that, she hopped into her truck and locked the doors. When she glanced over, Lucian was looking down. His fists were clenched in his lap, and his body was tense again.

This was bad.

Very, very bad.

“Lucian.”

He stopped her. “Just get me home, okay? I need to get home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t,” he said, warning her. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

That said it all.

Lucian Monroe had come a long way in one night, and now he’d reverted back to day one.