Truth Is Found (15 page)

      
        
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Shopping for Fate

An hour had passed, and he was getting tired. The lights stayed on in the shop, and he assumed she must live upstairs. So, instead of stalking her, Beau was going to go home.

While waiting, he’d made notes about the case, but all the while, he’d been dwelling on the woman inside.

There was nothing he could do for the rest of the evening, so he’d cut out.

Just as he pulled out, he noticed the lights went off inside the storefront. Parking again, he watched her exit from the shop to head toward the thick trees behind her place.

Beau found that odd.

What the hell was she doing?

There was nothing beyond her shop but trees. Certainly, she couldn’t be out for a midnight stroll.

It was nearly eleven at night, and no one in their right mind would go wandering in the woods. She didn't even have a light. Either she knew where she was going, or she had a death wish.

He didn't know what to do.

She really wasn’t any of his business, so he should head back to the hotel to get some sleep.

As soon as he started the vehicle again, the silence inside his car was broken by the radio coming to life.

Beau nearly jumped out of his skin. He may have even aged a few years.

The channels surged from station to station, stopping only briefly punctuate five specific words.

‘You. Have. To. Save. Her.’

He stared incredulously at his radio. This couldn’t be happening.

Then again, after what he saw today, he couldn’t really be shocked or surprised. This had to be his brother.

“Trey?” he asked, hoping to get an answer.

The radio kept flipping channels.

‘Hurry. She. Needs. You.’

It said it all.

Well, this had the potential to be awkward if she was just taking a stroll. It appeared that he didn't have a choice. The dial was going crazy, repeating the word ‘hurry’ over and over again.

Pulling back into the lot, he raced toward the trees. Beau wasn’t sure how far of a head start she had into the woods, but if his car radio insisted, he was going to listen.

There was no doubt in his mind that it had to be his brother.

Who else could it be?

He’d had that vehicle since he’d been back from the military, and it certainly never did that before.

As he hurried through the trees, he could hear the water rushing up ahead. There had to be a bridge or some sort of waterfall.

Pushing through the trees and into the clearing of thicket, he slid to a stop.

Standing on the one hand rail of the rickety old bridge was Nyx.

She was poised to jump.

He wasn’t sure why she was doing it, but there was no way he could let her. As the cold breeze tickled his neck, he didn't doubt who was urging him on.

“I got it,” he muttered.

Beau sprang into action, racing toward her. As she leaned forward, toppling over the edge, he knew there was only one thing to do.

He was going for a late night swim.

CHAPTER Seven

Nyx just wanted it to stop.

All she needed was for the voices to go away, so she could rest in peace. Like she initially believed, Trey wasn’t going to be silenced all that easily.

The opposite was true.

Now he was more determined than ever to force her to do his bidding. Trey wanted to connect to his family even more.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop him.

So, she had to stop the channel he was trying to come through.

Nyx didn't want to die, but it was the only way.

Not only could she hear Trey, but she could feel him. He’d lied to his sister. He’d been dishonest so she wouldn’t suffer.

He had felt the incendiary explosive device go off. It didn't kill him instantly. Trey knew what was happening the entire time, as his life flashed before his eyes. His passing had been anything but calm.

There had been screams of pain, wailing, and agony.

He lied to his sister to give her peace, but Nyx wasn’t as blessed. She was nothing more than a stranger to him, a channel, and he was going to use her.

They all did that to her.

With each spirit, she felt the pieces of her being torn away, stolen forever from her. Now she had a chance to find peace. It was all she wanted in life.

After everything, didn't she deserve it?

Even as she planned it, he bellowed in her head, knowing what she was going to do.

He vowed to stop her.

She vowed to succeed.

It was a silent verbal tug-o-war in her mind. Nyx wasn’t a fool. He only wanted her to stay so he’d keep his channel. If she did, there’d be no winner.

She’d have to medicate, becoming nothing more than a drooling zombie.

That wasn’t how she wanted to live.

As she stood, poised and ready to die, she could feel the pain in him as it washed through her.

“I’m sorry, Trey. You’re on your own.” With those words, she couldn’t carry it anymore. Her life had been hard enough, but to bear his burden too?

Yeah, she wasn’t that strong.

She couldn’t do it alone.

So, it was time to go into the silence…alone.

Heading to the old bridge behind her business, she knew the water would swallow her up and allow silence to take her.

It was the best place.

No one would find her.

Nyx Nightingale would just cease to exist. She wouldn’t come through to announce herself either. She’d go quietly into death.

It was for the best.

As she climbed up, Nyx was grateful that it was dark. The water beneath her swirled in vicious, black vortexes that were ready to devour her whole. She was glad she wouldn’t know what was going to happen.

If she had to face death in the face, surely she’d chicken out.

She couldn’t swim, but she’d heard that drowning wasn’t violent. After all she’d lived through--she wanted her passing to be gentle. It had to be the opposite of her existence.

She deserved that.

Right?

There shouldn’t be horrors and pain.

While the voice screamed in her head, she ignored it. “This is your fault,” she taunted back in defense. “You didn't keep your part of the bargain,” she whispered, standing on the rickety old rail. “You promised, and now I have to silence you.”

His screams intensified, as if he was trying to slow her down. It made everything hard to focus on, as she stood on that top rail.

He was desperate to stop her.

She was desperate to stop him.

It was a violent tug-o-war, and there could be only one winner.

She heard him beg and plead for her to stop. She heard his whispers of promise, and Nyx knew they were lies. There would never be an end. The only time it had ebbed away was when Beau Christensen had touched her.

She’d tasted peace, and it was what she craved. There could be no silence in life.

Only, soon it would come.

She was done.

After everything, she couldn’t do it anymore. Leaning forward, Nyx allowed gravity to take over, and she began falling toward the darkness.

Her arms were out.

She held no breath.

She went willingly into death.

As she hit the water, it knocked her out. There was no struggle as she sank into the depths knowing that this was it.

The silence came.

And in the process, she let go of life.

            
        
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When the water hit him, it stole his breath. The weather was relatively warm, but the black water was chilling him to the bone. Maybe it was because of what he knew was on the line.

Her life.

His life.

This water wanted her soul, and Beau wasn’t willing to let her give up. He’d seen too many of his friends do the same. PTSD had taken people he called brother, but death wasn’t going to take her.

He couldn’t let that happen.

For some reason, she called to him, and he wasn’t willing to let her fall without trying to do battle for her soul. He was a warrior, and this is what he did.

He fought.

He struggled.

He won.

Beau wasn’t afraid of a bloody war if that’s what it took. He’d give everything he had to make sure in the end, they were the ones standing on that battlefield.

Life was a gift.

She was wasting it.

As his body moved through the water with little effort, Beau couldn’t see jack shit. It was like night enveloped them, swallowing everything around them.

Then he got close enough.

He could make her out in the shadow as the clouds above left the covering of the full moon. Her eyes were open, but they saw nothing.

She appeared to be gone.

Her black hair blended in with the water, floating around her as she went deeper and deeper. When he grabbed her wrist, she didn't even flinch.

Nyx didn't grab his back.

There was no reaction, and he knew that was a very bad sign.

Beau knew he didn't have much time.

Already, the violent water was going to be a bitch to swim through. Their shoes and clothes would weigh them down, but he had to pull it off. Why it mattered, he didn't really know. All he knew was it did.

She was important.

For some scary reason, he didn't want to lose her. While she was a stranger to him, a piece of his soul knew hers, and he wanted to see what it all meant.

Curiosity killed the soldier, but he couldn’t help himself.

Pushing up from some solid ground he found with his feet, he got them to the surface. It wasn’t easy since she was limp, her lungs were filled with water, and she wasn’t helping herself.

Fortunately, in the military, there were water safety courses. He’d towed larger men to shore in shorter periods of time. He could do this.

Beau had faith in himself.

If there was one thing he was sure of--it was that he was a damn good soldier.

As they got closer to shore, he became more desperate to save her. His arm around her tightened as he prayed she’d make it. He didn't understand why she did it, but he wanted to know what the hell she’d been thinking.

Had his brother done this to her?

Beau wanted to fix this.

Fix her.

It was absolutely crazy, but he couldn’t let her die. If she did, it would be one more dead soul carried on his already overburdened shoulders.

As the land appeared under his feet, he pulled her onto the shore. Tipping her head back, his lips found hers, and he tried to share life.

He fought when she couldn’t.

Beau refused to give up.

With each breath, his heart pounded in his chest as he willed hers to do the same. Just as he was about to place his hands over her heart, to beat life back into her, she started coughing and choking on the water.

He rolled her to her side until she was empty of the wretched water that tried to steal her away.

When she rolled to her back, she stared up at him.

“Why did you do it?” she asked. “Now I’ll suffer. You shouldn’t have saved me. I was free.”

He didn't understand, but he didn't really care. “Nyx, you don’t deserve to die.”

She cut him off with weeping. Her sobs filled the night air as she mourned her attempt at silence.

When she curled into the fetal position, turning her back from him, his heart ached.

Beau picked her up and held her in his arms on the shoreline. “It’s going to be okay, Nyx. I promise that it’s going to be all right.”

She sobbed harder.

“No, it’s not. You should have let me die!”

“I couldn’t do that, Nyx. I couldn’t let you give up like this. It’s not right. You know that. Somewhere inside, you know it and you’ll understand it too when you’re better.”

She sobbed more.

Beau held her in his arms as the air cooled their bodies. The woman wept violently, and he did the only thing he could.

He held on.

        
        
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Wednesday Pre-Dawn

He could feel her mouth hungrily moving across his body. It was as if she was trying to devour him whole. Her lips left a warm trail of wetness as she used his body to find something she was seeking.

His wife was awake, and now he was too.

“Victoria,” he muttered, as he opened his eyes to watch her sliding naked across his torso. Her red hair tickled his flesh and filled his body with need. That simplest touch was more than enough to enflame him, but when her hands joined in the exploration, he was lost.

“Julian,” she replied, never pausing from making love to him. When she woke from her dream, Tori needed this.

She needed him.

There was such love in Tori for the man beside her--not only because he was her husband, but also because they were soul mates.

As she lay there contemplating sleep, she thought back to the woman who told her they weren’t a perfect fit. Not only had it insulted her then, but it wounded her heart.

It pissed Tori off.

She knew the truth.

This man was meant to be hers.

She saw it every time he looked at her with those sexy, gold-flecked eyes. When he inadvertently pushed his hair behind his ears, it stole her breath.

Yes, he was perfect.

Here was her way home, her salvation, and the most important person in her life.

She desperately needed him.

Not because she was sad, but because she wanted to feel alive. Julian had a way of bringing it out in her. When she was with him, there was fire, heat, and life.

Now she wanted to feel it all.

Sliding up his body, hers rested over his. Between them, the small baby bump was housed, reminding them of the life they’d grown together.

“I love you, Julian,” she whispered as they fit together like a lock and key. “There will never be anybody but you. You complete me.”

His eyes filled with emotion. “You’re my heartbeat and breath,” he vowed. “Without you, Victoria Rose, I’m empty.”

Her lips sought his.

When they met, life blossomed--not only in her, but in him too. They came together and made magic.

They were two people who never should have met, but Fate had a plan, and she wound their lives together into a spectacular tapestry of life.

At first, life seemed unbelievable with him, now it seemed improbably without him.

They were one.

Julian stared up into her eyes and found the same love that lived in him. It was like looking into a mirror, seeing the deepest wells of the soul.

“Make love to me,” she whispered, her hair tickling his cheek as it hung down.

Julian didn't need to be asked twice. Rolling, he placed his wife beneath him. All he wanted was to taste, touch, and feel. Her body was his banquet, and Julian Littlemoon was voracious for her.

Slowly, he slid down her torso, ignoring her breasts, bypassing the baby bump, and going for what he craved most. The second his mouth closed over her clitoris, she moaned in pleasure. That was the best sound in the world.