Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2) (34 page)

Silas was one of them.

“For some reason, she’d got it in that thick skull of hers that the second she saw you, she was in love. We all know that’s total bullshit. There’s no such thing. Oh, but she insisted. Her daddy and I tried to break her of it. We tried to talk her out of it when she’d head to your house every damn day to check on you.”

He listened.

It hurt that he’d abused her heart.

Lucian wished he could snap his fingers and make the pain stop for both of them.

“Each day, she showed up here, pushed that button, and you stole a piece of her heart. When you told her you’d see her in hell, she cried for a week. She was inconsolable. She never cries. Bishop laughs at tears. She didn’t cry when her daddy died. She was strong and held up. You broke her.”

He wanted to be sick.

This was the last thing he wanted to hear. He knew she fell in love at first sight. He had too. He saw that now, only he couldn’t hurt her with his past.

She deserved so much more.

Sadly, Silas, albeit a bastard for saying it, was right.

“Now she’s ready to do battle for you, Lucian, and I’m sorry, but what can you offer her? You’ve given up on life. We appreciate everything you’ve done for this community. Miles did, and so did I, but leave her alone.”

He had a lot to offer her.

Lucian loved her.

“This is really between her and I.”

Lucian wanted to scream about how much he loved Bishop, and how his life needed hers to move forward. She was the missing piece that let him live.

He loved her.

God!

He loved her so damn much it hurt.

“Know what she’s always wanted to be growing up? A cop. She’s good. She’s smart, and she’s tough. You’ve come into her life, and now she’s going to tank her career. She’s willing to toss it for you. She told me she’d walk to protect you.”

His heart skipped.

Why wasn’t he surprised?

She meant what she had said. She did love him.

“Maybe, Lucian, you can find it in that cold dead heart of yours to put her first. She held your hand. She told off that shrew you were going to marry, she fought for you for two years, and now she needs you.”

“To?”

“Leave. Go away. She’ll heal. Walk out of her life and set her free. She can’t do this. You’ll destroy her. When you hurt her again, and you will because you’re a selfish bastard, she’ll break. Bishop deserves better.”

“And if I don’t?”

He put the glass down.

“Lucian, you’re a good man under it all. You heard the news. She’s the beauty, and you’re the beast. That’s a fairytale. You know it’ll never work. Think about it.”

Oh, he had.

Until that moment, he’d believed in it. Until Silas told him all of this, he really thought he could be enough.

He loved her.

Only no one believed him.

Wendy saw it.

Silas saw it.

Apparently, only Lucian and Bishop were blind to this failure in the making.

“She’ll defend you to the bloody end. If you feel anything for her, do the right thing. The last ten years you haven’t. Make that choice now, and do what’s best for Bishop. Set her free.”

His heart was breaking.

“She fought for you for two years. Fight for her now. Return that favor. You’re no good for her. You can’t even offer her love, and you know it. Bishop needs a man who will love her with all he has, who will scream it from the rooftops, and won’t be hiding it. You’re still hiding. She needs more.”

The man before him was right. He’d forgotten what he was, and this was his reminder.

He’d do what he could to save her.

He’d do the interview with Wendy, getting her off Bishop’s back, and he’d leave Ravenswood until he could sneak back without her knowing.

“Thanks for the drink.”

Silas took his cane and headed out.

Lucian sat there for a few minutes until he had the nerve to pour another drink. As he sipped it, he thought about what she’d said to him.

She loved him.

She’d protect him.

She’d…

She’d hate his guts because he was going to do the ultimate bastard thing.

He was going to set her free.

Lucian Monroe was going to make her hate him. It was the only way to save her, and because he loved her, he would.

He loved her so damn much that it hurt.

He’d wished he’d told her, but now it was too late. Lucian had horrible luck.

It was always way too late.

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

He was trying to be patient.

The body still wasn’t found.

How could that be?

He placed it where people would see it. After all, it was broad daylight. He was hanging right there on the bridge.

All they had to do is look, and they’d find his body swinging like it deserved.

But no.

Shit!

If the police didn’t get there, and soon, he wouldn’t get the validation he needed.

He’d left the trail, but what good was it if he couldn’t get them to see it?

This wouldn’t do.

He’d need to call in an anonymous tip.

It was risky.

Still…

He had the next two in mind, and then he was done. What he had planned would trip her up. Sheriff Killion wouldn’t know what to do with herself.

That was his plan.

And as he knew, they always worked out.

Justice would have its day.

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

Maura was digging through the files.

Lucian’s living room was a mess. It looked like something exploded in there. She needed to find more leads for the team. If they didn’t come up with something, there would be more deaths.

Besides, she was edgy.

The team was off its game.

Jagger was off doing who knew what.

Avalon was trying to hold back the storm.

Nate and Luke still weren’t back.

Yeah, she wasn’t cut out for research. She was a planner. Her gig in life was planning intricate missions to extract people in danger.

Avalon was safe.

She was off her game too.

As she flipped through the papers, something caught her eyes.

A name.

She’d seen it before.

She crossed it against a list of cases that Lucian had given her. There was the name again.

She pulled the file and read it.

There was the judge’s name.

Then she kept looking.

There were Dale Plunkett’s and Earl Thorpe’s too. There was the arresting offers.

Alonzo Garcia and Miles Killion.

She moved to the box with the files of complaints. In it, she dug around. She found what she was looking for rather fast.

Haas Newman’s name kept coming up over and over again.

His attorney, Dale Plunkett had lost the case to Lucian and Earl Thorpe.

He’d gone to jail on white-collar crimes, only he didn’t get a cushy stay. Lucian had made sure of that.

He’d pushed for maximum security with the hardened criminals.

Pulling out her tablet, she put in his name.

Haas was out of jail.

He had been the last year.

That fit.

It had everyone involved.

This could be it.

Maura was excited. Maybe she could do this after all. She was one hell of an investigator.

Here was the proof.

She’d found a viable lead.

Oorah.

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

Ravenswood Chronicle

She strolled in there, and she was pissed. Honestly, Bishop prayed they’d start shit with her. She was ready to kick someone’s ass.

If York didn’t help her, she’d take the freaking business apart one reporter at a time.

When she walked in, she saw Wendy.

The woman glanced up, and then went back to work. That should have been her first sign that something was up. Wendy didn’t even give a shit that she was there.

Well, she would before it was done.

At the main desk, she needed to see York.
The receptionist, for her own good, didn’t try to give her an excuse. It didn’t take long for her to be sent upstairs.

Good.

She needed to verify some shit, and then Bishop was going to make some arrests.

At York’s office, she found him sitting behind his desk. He was on the phone with someone, handling business. He held up his finger, signaling that he needed a moment.

Fine.

She’d give it to him, and then he was going to hear her out. As she moved around the office, she checked out the view. It was overlooking most of the city, and out on the hills, she could see Lucian’s home.

Her heart skipped.

She missed him.

Bishop wondered what he was doing. Later, she’d ask him for his cell number. After all, she was seeing him, right?

Was that what they had?

Bishop thought about the hot morning sex, and it flustered her. If she didn’t focus on something else, she’d be wet and wild for him.

So, she kept wandering.

There were pictures of York and his family. They were on a boat, in a plane, and at Disney. In each one, they were smiling at a little girl.

She wondered if she’d ever have that.

Would she ever have that family?

Again, Lucian crept into her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Sheriff. Can I get you some coffee?” he asked, pointing at a tray. “This whole mess is getting out of control. That was our attorney. Apparently, Gaylor Zimmer has written quite the scandalous exposé about you.”

She wasn’t shocked.

He moved fast.

“He thinks I’m hiding his wife. She’s the least of my issues.”

He poured her a cup and took a seat. “What can I do for you then if it’s not about Gaylor?”

She pulled the recorder out of her pocket.

“Okay, and?”

“Is this one of yours?”

“Well, I’m sure we’re not the only ones who use them. It’s a rather popular model. It might be ours.”

That gave her hope.

“Is there a way to trace it?”

He looked uncomfortable.

“Spill it, York.”

“Where did you find it?”

“It was in the judge’s chamber. If one of your reporters was eavesdropping, this is huge—as in someone’s going to go to jail huge.”

His eyes got big.

“My reporters wouldn’t…”

She glared at him.

“Okay, they absolutely would.”

“Is it traceable?”

He nodded.

“Do it.”

“Really, I’d feel better if you had a…”

She cut him off. “If you say warrant, I’m going to get one, York, and I’m going to execute it. It’s going to take days to pull everything, and I’ll shut all three businesses down. What will your bosses think then?”

“Give me it.”

He took the recorder and popped off the back. Inside, he looked for a serial number.

“I don’t want anyone to know I did this. Are we clear? My reputation as a boss is on the line. Reporters have a right…”

“Stop. Give me the name and I’ll leave you alone.”

He called the tech department. “I need to know who some equipment is registered to. I found it in the hallway, and I want to return it.”

He listened.

“Thank you.”

When he hung up, his face said it all.

“Wendy Lockwood.”