Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2) (50 page)

“I might be,” she offered. “Are you up for it?”

He looked down into his lap, and then wickedly at her. “I just happen to be up for it, Sheriff.”

“Well, then counselor, let’s have a meeting. I feel like being interrogated by a sexy man.”

“Will there be handcuffs? I really think there should be,” he admitted.

“Maybe.”

That’s all it took.

He slid off the bed, and she met him halfway to hold his hand. Lucian couldn’t wait to start their life.

Together.

As one.

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

Hospital ER

The entire way there, Nate held her in his arms in the back of their vehicle. He was really starting to worry. If anything happened to her, he was going to die.

There would be no Nathaniel without Avalon. He would cease to exist. She was the only reason he was alive. Avalon held back the darkness that had threatened to swallow him whole.

If not for her, he’d be dead.

There was no way he could let her go.

Maura drove them like a maniac through the streets. “I have her fake ID. She’s going to need it to be admitted.”

They had to be extra careful.

Avalon’s identity couldn’t be discovered.

“I’m scared. Jesus, I’m so scared,” he whispered, fearing the worst. It was scary enough that they might lose the new pregnancy, but to lose her…

It would end him.

“She’s going to be okay, Nate. Think positive. She’s tougher than she looks.”

Avalon kept mumbling, and he kept praying she’d live.

As they raced into the ER bay, Nate was out of the vehicle and heading for the sliding door. Maura was right behind them, and he already had his badge out, and Avalon’s fake one ready.

As far as anyone was concerned, she was a Fed. It would get her preferential treatment.

“I have a federal agent who needs help!” he shouted.

The doctors and nurses rushed her way. They had a gurney, and helped place her body on it.

“She’s pregnant,” he heard himself say. “She’s also blind. Please help her.”

It was an out of body experience as they began wheeling her away. Nate tried to go with her, but they wouldn’t let him.

Tears filled his eyes.

He took a seat and Maura sat beside him.

Nate did the only thing he could do.

He prayed.

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

Luke and Jagger sat in the sheriff’s office, going over the files. They were working backward. At that moment, the focus was solely on Lawrence Stall.

They had a whiteboard up, and they were deconstructing the case.

“What do we have?” Luke asked.

Jagger wasn’t good with this part, but he knew that Nate had to be with Avalon. He was sick over the thought of what could be happening to her.

She was loved.

She was theirs.

After watching over Avalon for years, he felt protective toward her. How could he not? She was part of their family.

“He was originally arrested for a drive by shooting. The sheriff’s department arrested him in his apartment, and they found the gun that matched the bullets from the scene.”

They marked that down.

“Who arrested him?”

“Miles Killion was the one who brought him in. They had the help of the US Marshalls. He was a fugitive.”

They wrote that down.

Nothing was going unnoted.

Nothing.

“What happened?”

“The night of the shooting, Lawrence Stall drove down the street, peppering it with bullets. The person he was aiming for later told the police that he’d hired him to do a job, and then when it didn’t happen, he didn’t pay.”

“What was the job?”

Jagger flipped through the file. “It’s not noted.”

Well, they tried.

“What happened at trial?”

Jagger opened Lucian’s file, and began reading the notes the man had made. “They had a strong case.”

Luke knew what had gone wrong.

“Earl Thorpe tanked it. If what Lucian said is right, he didn’t hire the hit on him.”

“So who did?”

“It had to be Stall. He wasn’t hired by anyone. He simply wanted to get rid of the man.”

“Was he out on bail?” Jagger asked. “I mean, he did a drive by, so you’d think he’d be locked up, right?”

Luke checked the file. “He had Dale Plunkett as his attorney. That man is a snake. He got him released after arguing he wasn’t a flight risk.”

They pulled up the arrest records on Bishop’s computer. “He was out on bail. In fact, he was at the courthouse that day the vehicle blew.”

Of course he was.

He’d want to watch it happen. He was a firebug out to take down the only person who could send him to prison. Then he bribed Earl to let the case tank.

No one thought anything of it, since they believed Lucian was the powerhouse behind it all.

“So we have Arron Abrahms as the judge, Lucian and Earl Thorpe as the council for the city, Dale as the scumbag, and Miles as the arresting officer.”

“Yes.”

“Wendy found out the truth, and someone killed her because she knew it.”

“Right.”

Jagger shook his head. “What are we missing? Who the hell killed Lawrence Stall? Everyone else who was involved in this case is dead—except Lucian, and we know he was with either us or Bishop.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“This part sucks.”

Yeah, it really did.

It was frustrating as hell too.

“What’s this?” Jagger asked, sliding Lucian’s file toward Luke.

“It looks like a case number.”

“Pull it up.”

Jagger typed it into Bishop’s computer, and a picture pulled up with details.

“Who’s Lisa Sawyer?” he asked.

Luke stared at the picture.

He didn’t have a clue.

What the hell was going on?

Who was this girl?

“We need to go back through that file, run that name through some internet searches, and go from there. Lucian tagged it for a reason. I don’t want to leave any stones unturned.”

Jagger was afraid of that.

It was going to be one hell of a long night.

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

Bishop got him tucked into bed, and she was more than happy to rest beside him. As he snoozed away, she couldn’t help but stare at him.

He was going to be her husband.

Hot damn!

This was her dream come true.

Bishop couldn’t help but picture him standing at the end of the aisle as she walked toward him.

It was going to be amazing.

As she was lost in her daydream, her cell began vibrating. Grabbing it, she answered.

“Sheriff Killion.”

It was Roxy.

“Lawrence Stall’s autopsy is done. We have some DNA from the killer. It looks like he left a trail.”

That was the best news yet.

“Are you coming in?”

“I can’t. I’m the only one here to watch Lucian. I don’t want to leave him alone.”

“I have a problem.”

She glanced over at her fiancé. “What?”

“I did something stupid, and I have to fix it.”

“What? Are you okay, Roxy?”

“I brought Jagger home with me, I slept with him in my bed, and I think he sees a future for us.”

That was the best news Bishop had ever heard.

“And?”

“I need to turn in my resignation.”

“What?” said, scaring the shit out of the sleeping man.

He sat up and looked around.

“Sorry, babe,” she said, focusing back on the call and the insanity her best friend was spouting. “Roxy, you can’t leave! This is so jacked up. We’re a team!”

“I have to get away for a while. There’s a stand by coroner who’ll cover for me, but right now, I need to get away and think.”

“Roxy, this is so wrong.”

“I have feelings for him, and I just can’t. He blindsided me, and I need to go. I don’t want to love him, Bish. I can’t do this. It’s freaking me out.”

Lucian touched her arm. “Go. She needs you. I’ll be fine here. It’s Graymoor. I’m safe.”

She was torn.

This was Lucian.

It was Roxy.

She loved them both.

Finally, she gave in as he insisted.

“Stay right there, Roxy, I’m on my way in. We’re going to talk about how crazy this is.”

“You can’t talk me out of it, Bish. I need to do this. I’ve already made up my mind. I’m giving you my resignation, and you can tell Silas.”

Great.

She loved that mess being dumped in her lap.

“Your grandfather is going to shit a brick, Roxy. The second you run, Silas is going to make everyone’s life hell until you come back. You know how he is with you. He makes overprotective look like a pleasure cruise.”

“I need to get away, Bish. I can’t function. The panic attacks are back. I’m scared shitless of the man.”

Her heart broke for the woman. “I’m coming. Hang in there. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“You don’t have to, Bish. Stay with your man. I’ll be okay. I just needed to tell you that I love you, and I’m sorry that I have to leave.”

There was no way she was letting this happen.

Hell no!

“Yeah, you’re my bestest bitch. You know I’m coming. Sit your ass there, and don’t leave. I’m on my way.”

“I booked a flight for the morning.”

That said it all.

Well, then Bishop needed to work fast.

“I’m sorry, Bish. I love you.”

Roxy hung up.

This was a mess.

“Go. I’m in the house. Nothing is getting me here. I’ll go back to sleep, you handle her, and stay safe.”

“How am I supposed to get there? My truck is dust.”

He kissed her. “There’s a truck in the garage.”

Yeah, there was.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?”

He laughed. “My ears are still ringing, but I’ll be fine. The housekeeper will be here at six in the morning, so don’t shoot her if you see someone in the house.”

She took a deep breath. “I love you, Lucian. Be safe, and if you need me, you call.”

He kissed her. “I’ll always need you, but Roxy needs you right now. I get that. I can share my wife-to-be with her best friend. I want you to be happy.”

She tucked him in.

“Stay out of trouble, don’t hit your head, and I’ll see you in a little while. I have to talk Roxy out of running, and that’s never easy.”

He didn’t doubt that in the least.

Bishop hurried and got dressed so she could head out.

Racing down the stairs, she realized that she’d forgotten her sidearm.

Shit!

She’d have to pull her clutch piece from her desk at work. She didn’t have time to go back. Roxy was notorious for hiding, and she had to intervene.

Once in the garage, she saw the keys hanging on a board by the door. Finding the ones for the badass black truck, she hopped in. It roared to life, and she headed out.

At the gate, there weren’t too many reporters.

She saw them move out of the way, and she even waived at them. As she hit the road, she hauled ass, noticing they were following.

Well, at least they’d leave Lucian alone.

There was that.

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