Truth Is Found

by Morgan Kelley

  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.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  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.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  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.

  So, he began.

  Julian teased her.

  Tormented his wife.

  He drove her straight into the madness.

  With each touch of his mouth, her body heated to crazy levels. Soon, she’d melt into the mattress.

  As he worked her hard, using his fingers to plumb the depths of her body, she shook around him. When he found that one secret spot, she exploded apart.

  Tori shouted in release, her body quaking as the tremors rolled through her. When she began surfacing, Julian was far from done, and for that she was grateful.

  She never wanted the pleasure to end.

  He worked her back up to delicious, pleasure-filled heights. As she balanced on the razor edge of orgasm, Julian forced her off the edge, his name on her lips.

  It would forever be there.

  He was all.

  Julian was her salvation.

  Sliding up her body, her eyes flickered open, and they met his. Nothing needed to be said. There would be silence as their bodies claimed and reclaimed each other.

  “You’ll always be mine,” she whispered. “No matter where you go, what happens, or how our lives end, I’ll know that I found the person I was meant to be with.”

  His eyes filled with emotion.

  “You were made for me.”

  Julian was caught off guard as she rolled, placing him on his back. Her fingers moved down his ribs, his abs, and to the cording of his hips. When she blew out a puff of breath, it warmly heated the flesh of his erection, and he wanted to beg.

  With Tori, it would always be like this.

  She was his all.

  When her mouth found his rock hard erection, she slid her hand up and down it. The sound of pleasure from her husband made her crazy. There was never a more alluring call than mate to mate, as they were lost in the heat of the moment.

  “Please, Tori. Don’t make me wait,” he begged.

  She teased the tip of his erection with her tongue, driving him wild with the lightest of touch. While he said he didn't want to be teased, Tori knew better.

  She knew his body.

  Soul.

  Mind.

  Julian loved the way she made love to his body.

  As if to prove she was right, he bowed, offering up more of himself to her eager mouth. When she slid him as far down her throat as she could, his hands bunched in the bed linens.

  “More! I need everything,” he whispered, trying to keep his voice down.

  Tori complied, working him hard. Her mouth stole, took, raided and in her wake--she left a quivering man behind. As she pushed him toward the edge, Tori wanted to make that fall with him.

  There was nothing like his body buried in hers as they raced to the edge of pleasure as one.

  She had to have it.

  Julian was her addiction.

  As soon as her mouth released him, his eyes popped open. He was disappointed and anticipating her next move. Without a word being said, he offered her his hand.

  It touched her.

  This was her knight in shining armor.

  Taking his offering, she moved up his body to straddle his hips. Instead of burying him in the heat, she stroked him with her hand.

  He whimpered in pleasure. “Please. I’ve never needed you more than right now.”

  She understood.

  With each time they made love, their lives were woven even tighter together.

  Tori felt the same.

  He could feel her move above him, and he opened his eyes to watch her. She slid him through the wetness of her body, and he wanted to explode from that alone.

  His wife had a way of driving him insane with the simplest of touches. Now she was going to push him into madness.

  She never looked away as she silently slid him into her body. Inch by inch, the pleasure rolled through them. As Julian filled her, there was that feeling of completion.

  She was home.

  He gasped when she slid him all the way into her body.

  They became one.

  “Ride me,” he whispered h
oarsely, barely able to contain the pleasure from exploding through him. It was locked away, just waiting for her to set him free.

  “Help me.”

  His hands went to her hips, and the ride began.

  It was slow.

  Wicked.

  Wild.

  With each stroke, breath was stolen.

  The entire time, it was as if time stopped around them. In the room, all that could be heard was the quick intake of breath as the pleasure mounted.

  Tori couldn’t help but fall hopelessly in love with her husband all over again. He was magnificent. The long lean lines of his body called to her and with each stroke down, he shook in need.

  Her name was on his lips.

  She was forever his.

  Julian opened his eyes and stared down his torso to where they met. The wetness of his slick erection set off shockwaves through his body. He needed to feel her fall again, and then he could take the tumble.

  As Tori shook, he watched the pleasure race across her face. From the flush he could see in the moonlight, to the pebbling of her nipples, he never wanted to miss a second with her.

  “Fall for me,” he begged.

  When she didn't hesitate, he watched the most amazing thing. Here was his woman in the throes of passion, and he was solely responsible for it.

  That’s all he ever wanted.

  Julian wanted Tori to feel, to be happy, and to know that she was worthy of everything he had to offer.

  As she shouted his name again, he rolled, bringing her beneath him. As she struggled to find her way back through the passion, he waited.

  He was hungry, but he needed to be in control. He was thinking about what Cara Wirth said earlier.

  They were an odd couple.

  He wanted to prove her wrong in the worst way.

  As Tori moaned before opening her eyes, he began the race to the end. Here, he was going to make sure they both knew the woman’s opinion was wrong. In the pleasure, they’d find the truth.

  Here was a match made in heaven.

  “Tori,” he muttered, driving his body in and out of hers with such need.

  “Take me, Jules,” she replied, knowing what he needed. After all, it was what she craved too.

  He reacted to her words, driving himself deeper and deeper into the warmth. When her body reacted, drawing him closer to the edge, Julian didn't fight it.