Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2) (40 page)

He thought about it.

“Deal.”

That was exactly what she wanted to hear. Oh, the sheriff would pay for screwing with her. This was the big leagues. If she thought that Ravenswood was clean, she had another thing coming.

It was dirty.

You had to learn to play who was in charge of the game.

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

When the hospital staff would finally let him go back, he was too late. Roxy had moved her from the ER, taking her home. He’d lost his chance to speak to her.

It was eating him up inside.

“What do you want to do?” Jagger asked.

He was on the man until this was over, so he had to stick like glue.

“Can you find her?”

Jagger knew where he would take an injured person. So, they’d head to her place.

“Let’s go.”

“I’m going to make this right,” he said, making a vow to anyone who’d listen.

He believed him.

As they headed out of the ER, the cameras were going off around him, but Lucian didn’t care.

He didn’t hide his face.

He didn’t try to avoid them.

As they kept snapping pictures, he faced the white fury going off around him. If this was what it took, so be it. He was done hiding from the world.

He was claiming life, and stepping back into the fray. He was going to do battle for the only thing that mattered to him.

Not his ego.

Not his wounds.

But his beautiful Bishop.

He was going to make it right, and then make her see the truth.

They were meant to be together.

Forever.

He began his plan to set fate back on the right path.

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

When she got to her place, she was still pretty angry, but the idea that Lucian and that bitch would pay was more than enough to help her get over it.

What she needed was a long bath to soak away the filth of that jail, and time to plan tomorrow’s news story.

She was going to crucify Lucian.

Wendy was going to enjoy this.

As she pulled into her garage, she let the door close behind her. It was better safe than sorry. The world was full of weirdos, and she didn’t trust the man she had just called.

He was a criminal.

They turned on people so easily.

As soon as the doors closed, she stepped out of her pricy vehicle. The second she did, something felt wrong.

She could swear she felt like she was being watched, but that wasn’t possible. Wendy was safely inside her house.

This was her sanctuary.

As she headed toward the door that would give her access to her home, she heard something and turned.

The second she saw him, she was scared.

He shouldn’t be there.

“Wait!”

The strike to her face was enough to break her nose and take her to the ground.

“You’re such a bitch, Wendy. You’re just as bad as them,” he said, as she whimpered. Her hands were covering her face, holding her nose as the blood gushed down her pretty shirt.

He was pleased that she had been hurt.

Honestly, he’d wanted to hurt her for a very long time. She was nothing more than a whore who slept around to get a story.

Payback was a bitch.

“Please,” she begged, staring up at the tire iron. “Don’t do this.”

He was going to do more than
this
. She was going to suffer like nothing she’d ever seen before. All those crime stories were going to look like child’s play when he was done.

“What do you know about Lucian Monroe?”

She was scared.

“Tell me!”

She began spilling her guts. She told him everything that she knew, including the passcode for his gate. She’d bribed a housekeeper to get it.

You know…in case she needed to get to him.

“What else?”

She told him about his security, about where his bedroom was, and anything else he wanted.

“You have files on him, don’t you?”

She nodded. “They’re in my office in the locked drawer. The key is on my keychain. You can have them. Please let me go. I didn’t do anything.”

He knew she was lying.

“Remember the Lawrence Stall case?” he asked, tapping the tire iron in his hand.

“Yes, the one Lucian was working before he nearly died?”

“Yes.”

“What about it?” she asked, trying to move away from him. If she could get to the door, locking him out, she could call the cops.

“You were the reporter who worked that one, weren’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, I was.”

“You reported on it, you also publicized that case, and you made him infamous.”

She swallowed.

She was screwed.

“Yes.”

“Well, thanks to that, you kept the people of Ravenswood from seeing the truth. You kept them from mourning the loss of someone who didn’t deserve to die. It was buried because of you, and now you’re going to pay.”

She screamed, but it was too late.

He hit her over and over again in the face, punishing her for being such a media whore.

As he beat her to a pulp, she gurgled in her own blood.

He had no mercy because she deserved this pain and so much more.

She’d made it a media spectacle, and because of her selfishness, gobbling up the attention, the real victim was ignored.

Now he’d fix that.

It was time.

She would be the next one to be found.

Fate had planned it this way.

He had his fourth victim, and when they found her, they’d have their fifth too.

He was nearly done.

Then he would be at peace.

Finally.

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

Sheriff Bishop Killion’s

Brownstone

When they got to her home, they knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was the right place. The media obviously had followed Roxy and Bishop there.

That was fine by him.

He was going to fix this, even if he had to take a few more shots to the face from the angry coroner.

Bishop was worth it.

As they got out, he headed through the crowd and to the door. The media shouted questions at him.

They were simple.

Why was he there?

Were they a couple?

Where they in danger?

Did this have something to do with the case?

He had the answers to all of them, but first, he needed to secure the most important part of this.

Bishop.

At the door, he knocked, ignoring the camera flashes. When Roxy told him to go away, he wasn’t even going to entertain that idea.  

He’d hidden enough.

It was time to claim what was rightfully his. He was going to be honest, tell her the truth, and pray she’d forgive him.

Lucian was there to make Bishop see the truth. He needed to fix her heart. He’d worry about himself after the fact.

If not, he was going to die alone.

If he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone. The sheriff was meant to be his wife.

He wasn’t above pulling the Avalon card.

When Roxy wouldn’t let him in, he pulled the key he’d swiped from her hidden spot that first night he’d come there.
He’d meant to put it back…

Actually, he hadn’t.

He planned to keep it for the rest of his life—especially since her place was the only home that gave him peace. It was her presence in the small space that made him whole, and he wasn’t giving that up.

Jagger watched him unlock the door.

“She’s going to kill you.”

“Bishop won’t. I have to believe she still loves me.”

He laughed. “I was talking about the maniac who wields a scalpel on the dead.”

Yeah, about her…

“Can you distract her? Apparently, she likes you.”

He wouldn’t bet on that. Roxy liked his dick, and that was about it. Jagger only wished he really knew what the woman was thinking.

“I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

He pushed the door open, much to Roxy’s horror.

“Get out! I’m calling the police!”

He pointed at Jagger.

He flipped out his badge.

Now she was glaring at him too. “If you take his side, I’ll kick your ass too. I can take you both!”

Jagger sighed.

Well, he’d have to see if that was accurate. He hoped she didn’t go for a nut shot.

He liked his.

Heading her way, he scooped her off her feet, tossed her over his shoulder, and carried her toward the kitchen. “Move fast, Lucian. She’s going to kill us both.”

So much for this woman wanting him.

Jagger knew that was dead as of that moment as she cursed him out. Roxy began fighting, and he simply carried her to the kitchen where she could try to kill him with everything in there. He hoped Bishop had a first aid kit.

Oh, and tile for easy blood clean up.

Lucian bounded up the stairs.

At her door, he didn’t even knock. He had to see her. When he peeked his head in, he wanted to be sick.

Bishop was in the bed they’d made love in that morning, and she looked like hell.

She was pale, her face was scratched up, and she was sporting more bandages than he wanted to see—ever.

“Get out, Lucian. You’re not allowed here.”

Her words hurt, but he deserved them. In fact, he’d said the same thing to her. Payback was a bitch.

“I need to talk to you?”

“What’s wrong? Wendy wouldn’t take you back?” she asked, rolling to her other side so he wouldn’t be able to see her face.

As she scooched down in the comforter, he wanted to hold her in his arms.

“I was wrong.”

She didn’t speak.

“Why did you hurt me like that? What did I ever do to you, Lucian? I know you think I destroyed you ten years ago, but today…that was more payback than anyone deserved. I really loved you.”

He hated that she’d used the past tense.

“You still love me.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Bishop, you don’t mean that.”

She started to cry. “Go away. I give up. I fought for you for as long as I can. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t wonder why you hate me so much, and I can’t play this game. You win. You want to be alone, you got your wish.”

He didn’t want that.

He wanted Bishop.

Lucian had always wanted her.

“I need you to listen, and then I need you to understand.”

“What’s to understand? You told me I was just sex and you didn’t love me. You told me that you were going back to Wendy. You let me walk out of your house. You let me leave, Lucian. That said it all. You let me leave twice and I’m not sticking around for round three. You had all the chances you’re ever going to get.”

He was aware.

Lucian had to pray he had a shot.

“Today, I called Wendy. I told her I’d do an interview, no holds barred if she left you alone. She agreed.”

She didn’t want to listen, but she was a captive audience. It wasn’t as if she could jump out the window. It seemed childish to cover her head with a pillow until he left.

“That’s great, Lucian. Have fun. You can rekindle your love.”

He wanted to be sick.

Lucian never loved Wendy. After meeting Bishop, he knew the truth. He’d been using her as much as she used him.

He had to keep going. Bishop had to listen. “After that, I thought I’d bought you some time. She wasn’t going to go for the jugular, and you’d keep your job.”