He laughed. “It’s not crazy. I needed to save you.”
When she wouldn’t look at him, Beau lifted her chin so they were staring into each other’s eyes.
“You’re not a stranger, Nyx.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
Beau sighed before rolling to his back. He was careful to make sure their bodies were still in contact.
Just in case…
“I feel like I know you. It’s deeper than me saving you. You’re channeling my big brother, and for that I have a debt to repay.”
“So that’s really what this is? I’m a debt?”
He glanced over at her.
This was tricky ground and he knew it. If he was completely honest, she’d be freaked out. How did you tell someone that you knew they were meant to be yours the second you saw them?
In this day and age, that was insanity.
It bordered on stalker.
“It’s so much more than that. I can look into those aqua eyes of yours, and I can see you’re hurting. That touches me. Maybe it’s because I was a soldier and I’ve seen so much anguish, or maybe it’s because I don’t want to see that look on your face anymore. Either way, I want to help. If you tell me the truth, promise not to hide anything, and play it straight with me, I’ll give you all I can. I’m a man of my word.”
She couldn’t believe any of this. In her life, she didn't fall into happiness. There was always hurt, anger, and pain. Now he wanted her to believe she’d found peace?
“Sure thing, Sir Galahad.”
“I’m being honest with you. My last breath is yours, if that’s what it takes. If you want to joke about me, so be it. I’m giving you what I’ve asked for in return. I won’t lie, I won’t yank your chain, and I’ll make sure you always know what I’m thinking.”
“I just don’t know why, Beau. Why do you give a shit about what I’m going through?”
He stared into her tear-filled eyes. “Someone has to, so why can’t it be me? Is that so improbable that you crossed paths with someone who was meant to care? You brought us here, and maybe fate wanted that for a reason.”
A big wet tear slid down her cheek, and he wiped it away with the rough pad of his finger.
She had a choice to make.
Nyx could trust him or walk away and suffer until she did take her life. There were really only two sides to this coin. All she had to do was decide.
So, Nyx went with her heart.
Truth it was.
“When you touch me, the voices get more manageable. When you’re next to me, Trey backs off, and it gives me some room to breathe. That’s the absolute truth.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “It’s never happened before. You learn to build walls to protect yourself. I put up boundaries, and the spirits generally listen, but he won’t. He’s stubborn.”
“I hate that he’s hurting you.”
She believed him.
“Okay, so problem solved. I stick close until he leaves you alone.”
Nyx stared at him and then started to laugh. “This is insane.”
“Is it? I don’t think it is. I certainly don’t find it funny. You’re hurting. That’s not something to trivialize.”
She stopped laughing.
“Do you think that it’s crazy that my dead brother found you, led you right to us, and I happen to be the only person--on this ball we call Earth--to give you peace? You really believe that’s a coincidence? No one is that naïve.”
She didn't answer him.
“Personally, I know it has to be fate with a side of miracle, and I’m willing to see what happens.”
“But you don’t know me,” she stated again. “I’m a stranger.”
He pointed at them lying in bed. “Strangers meet, have sex, and then move on. We haven’t done any of that, so this is more of two people getting to know each other.”
“This is crazy. You’re insane.”
“It doesn’t matter if I am or not. I’ve seen fate intervene, and I’ve seen more miracles than I can explain.”
“Really?” she asked, wanting to believe.
“Yes. Need an example?”
She nodded.
“Okay, let me tell you about one day in the Middle East. I was out scouting a location. I wasn’t supposed to have a dog with me that day, but I did. He was new to the unit and untested. So, as I was getting geared up, the sarge came in with a favor to ask.”
She listened.
“He never did that. When Sarge gave you your orders, that was the end of it. We had rules, regulations, and protocols. Him even coming to me was odd. As I was going out, he stopped me, handed me a leash, and gave me this untested furball.”
“What happened?”
“I was irritated. This was supposed to be a quick patrol, and we didn't need to babysit a barking child, but I took him. Jethro needed a test run, and he was going to get it.”
She listened.
“We headed to the same place we’d gone a million times. Only this time it was booby-trapped. Here’s where the miracle comes into play, Nyx. If I didn't have that dog with me, I would be with Trey, trying to talk to my sister.”
She looked surprised.
“He saved our lives. I wasn’t meant to die that day, and I believe you’re why. I’m meant to be right where I am. I found my sister, rebuilt that bond, and joined her business. That led me here and to this moment in time. We don’t need understand the why, Nyx. Things happen for a reason.”
He had a point.
“I know you think it’s insane, but let’s do the unthinkable,” he stated.
“Which is?”
“Let’s follow this path and see what happens.”
She hesitated.
“What do you have to lose? You wanted to die. Am I really that horrible an option that you’d choose death over a few days stuck with me?”
Nyx began chewing on her bottom lip. Beau had a very valid point. “You’re right.”
“Finally, a woman says that to me. I can die a happy man,” Beau teased. Then he went serious. “We all have a gift. Maybe when you were given yours, it was incomplete. What if it needs me in order for you to survive? What if you were just waiting for me to survive the Middle East?”
Did he realize what he was saying?
Nyx had to be dreaming.
Things like this didn't happen to her. Sexy soldiers didn't fall into her lap to rescue her. There was no Galahad, and there certainly was never a hero. She was alone in the world and didn't get him.
At all.
Beau laughed. “Don’t look so freaked out. I swear I’m not some killer stalking you. You’re not my prisoner. There’s the door if you want to escape.”
His words stole her breath.
She actually flinched, and he didn't know why.
Another tear fell as he lifted her chin. “I was kidding. I’m sorry, Nyx. Whatever that just did to you, I’m so sorry.”
What astounded her the most was his ability to be so damn astute. He definitely had a gift. He felt what she was living in the moment.
Neither spoke.
Beau knew the next step had to be hers. Despite what he thought, or felt, it was all up to Nyx.
“Okay, we’ll try. You’re right. Maybe your gift will calm mine down. If not, maybe you can just tell your brother off.”
He grinned. “Was that a joke?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so. Want to go get something to eat? I didn't eat dinner last night, and I could probably take down the better half of a cow.”
She started to panic. There was no way she’d get through a meal. When Beau moved away from her, she was in searing pain.
“Shhhhhhh, it’s okay.”
“I don’t know if I can…”
He did the only thing he could. Beau kissed her. His lips crashed across hers, and immediately, he pulled her back into his arms. She didn't fight him, and that made his heart pound.
She tasted like
heaven.
She felt like a dream.
There was nothing like that moment in his entire life. Nyx was definitely supposed to be there with him for that journey. Beau believed in fate and liked to let it lead the adventure. It saved his ass in the military, it found him his sister, and now it just handed him a woman who couldn’t survive without him.
Yeah, he wanted to grab Fate and kiss her next.
Pulling away, her eyes were huge, she looked shocked, but she wasn’t afraid anymore.
Damn him and his calming touch. Here was her proof. Yes, Nyx’s heart was pounding, but not because she was afraid.
Neither spoke, but he looked supremely satisfied.
He knew what worked, and he was more than happy to do it again and again.
Beau loved this PI stuff.
After this case, he already knew that he’d never be the same again.
“This is still crazy,” she stated, barely able to breathe after that kiss. Never in her life had she felt anything quite like that. Nyx wanted to melt into the bed. “How am I going to eat?” she squeaked.
He took her hand in his. “You’re going to have to trust me, Nyx. I’ve got you, and I’ll hold your hand--literally.”
She couldn’t look away. The look in his stormy blue eyes was so self-assure that Nyx didn't have a choice.
“Well?”
“I’ll be honest, I’ll trust you, and I won’t yank your chain either. Just don’t let me fall.”
“Never. Let me silence your demons, Nyx.”
This was the biggest gamble of her life.
“Bring it on, Beau. Bring it on.”
CHAPTER Nine
Julian couldn’t believe their luck.
Now the only obstacle in their job was if the man who hired them would be interested in finding out the whole truth. It was one thing to hire them to find the person who was destroying his business, but it was something entirely different to come out and find bodies on his property, and out his wife as a cheating hussy.
This could get ugly.
It was all going to come down to Daniel and what he really, truly wanted.
While Tori was waiting Sheila out, he opted to cozy up to Daniel on the tour.
It was just about time to lay the groundwork. If they were going to drop this bomb, he wanted assurance that they wouldn’t be left holding the bag.
It wasn’t about the money.
It was about the principle.
The last thing they needed was for the business to get a bad reputation from a client. Julian didn't want that to happen.
Granted, there was always the chance that he wouldn’t want all the dirt. Finding out that he had hidden bodies of young children, somewhere on the vineyard, was going to be bad enough.
But Sheila?
What if she was behind all this?
Could she be ruining her husband’s business all to get him to divorce her?
Julian would kill to know if there had been a prenup. Then he’d have a better idea what Daniel could lose.
Yeah, this was going to be tricky, and he knew it.
As he silently observed the man, Julian noticed he was watching his son do the tour of the winery labs. He actually looked to be enjoying it.
Dad was proud.
You could tell.
It was also obvious that Romeo liked what he did. That was just one more reason Julian regretted what was going on around him. The poor guy was going to be blindsided.
Before he could head over to him, he was distracted by one of the other guests on the tour. Roman Remington got a little too close to a table, and his camera, which was slung over his shoulder, knocked some wine samples to the floor.
Everyone looked over.
“Oh crap! I’m sorry!”
Immediately, the wine lab supervisor was at his side cleaning up the spilled vintage.
“No worries! It happens all the time,” he stated. “We spill a lot of wine in here. That’s why we have concrete floors. It’s probably from drinking and working,” he teased, winking at the rest of the guests. “You can’t help but get tipsy when you taste all day long.”
Daniel Nelms laughed. “Kirby Andrews is the best wine creator in the entire valley. I was lucky to get him. He’s been a godsend.”
The man beamed. “Thank you, sir. I love what I do.”
Mitch Pettigrew chimed in. “Could you explain your job a little more?”
As if on cue, the man began his part of the tour. As he poured more samples and passed them around, he told them about his duties there at the vineyard.
“I’m like the chef here. It’s my job to concoct the different tastes in the wines--like the one you’re tasting now. You may notice that it has some chocolate undertones just below the fruitiness.”
It took everything Julian had not to roll his eyes. It tasted like fermented grapes.
PERIOD.
He was probably the last person who should be doing this tour. This was insane. He swore to himself that if he survived all the booze today, he wasn’t going to partake tonight.
“Oh, well, is it hard to make these formulas?” asked Allene Bunchen. “Or can anyone whip them together?”
“It’s not too hard if you know what you’re doing, but it is proprietary. Each ‘recipe’ is like a signature. We use oak barrels that are made especially for us,” he stated, pointing across the giant room to a stack of barrels. “Those are on the way to the storage unit for fermentation, and that one over there is getting ready for tonight’s pour. The one upfront is the one we’ll be bottling next. That is after we taste it!”
“Don’t they go bad?” Allene asked.
Julian was bored out of his mind. At that moment, he wished he was with Tori peeping on cheaters.
“Well, it’s called fermentation. They sort of have to sit around and go ‘bad’. They’ll remain there for a year or possibly two. Most wineries can’t afford to let the vintage sit around for that long, but we can. That’s why our wines are pricy. You get a better bottle if you let it age naturally. The saying is true. You do get what you pay for.”
“I heard AngelCake’s winery has a bottle that’s exactly like yours,” she asked. “I read it in the paper. You can’t tell the difference by taste.”
Kirby Andrew’s face changed. It was only for a split second, but Julian caught it.
“That’s what I hear. I don’t drink the competition,” he admitted. “It taints my ability to be objective.”
This was interesting. Why was the woman bringing up the other winery again? It was as if she was trying to get a rise out of them.
Or…she was digging too.
Julian went on alert.
While Allene was asking uncomfortable questions, her husband Brandon was taking pictures of just about everything in there.
If Julian wasn’t a suspicious man, he might have missed it. This looked to be more than just tourist habits.
They were casing the place.
As Allene kept questioning Kirby, Julian could sense eyes on him. Roman and Mitch were moving in. Slowly, they were getting into position to flank him.
“Where’s your lovely wife?” Roman asked.
“Shopping,” Julian replied, pretending to taste the wine. The last thing he wanted was to be foggy at that time of the day. They had work to do.
“She didn't want to join you?”
He shook his head. “She can’t drink, so she opted to do some touristy things in town.” He wanted to add that he didn't blame her, but he managed to keep his trap shut.
Unfortunately, that didn't work for the other men. Instead, they kept asking questions, and Julian kept dismissing them. When they’d ask about his job, he would try to evade or politely escape the conversation.
Julian was relieved when Reggie Zellers, the winery’s sale manager approached. It gave him the opportunity to escape.
“Mr. Littlemoon, you have a business. Have you ever thought about getting your own specific vintage made to give out as busines
s gifts? They make the perfect present.”
Julian grinned. He was so happy to be able to escape the two gay men’s invasive questions that he’d entertain just about anything at that point.
“No, I never have. Do tell me more.”
The man seemed to buy it.
“You can take flavors that are unique to your ethnicity, and we can put them in a wine. It might be a smashing success!”
“Oh, you have essence of peyote?”
“I’m sure we could get it,” he stated.
That cracked him up. Instead of letting the man in on the joke, he simply patted him on the back. Somehow, he didn't think the man realized what it was.
This guy was desperate to make a sale.
“Send me the information, and let me know if you can get me some peyote,” he added, just for his own amusement.
“Sure thing!”
Julian took that moment to slip away from the group. Daniel Nelms was close by, and he wanted to get in a mini update. The man was his boss, and he deserved to get his money’s worth.
“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Daniel Nelms glanced over, smiling. “Sure thing, Mr. Littlemoon. Did you find anything?”
“Not anything substantial, but we’re working on it. Where’s your wife?” he asked, looking around. “She seemed to rush out of breakfast in a hurry.”
It took Daniel a second to register the question. “Oh! Sheila! Well, she has yoga three days a week. She likes to keep her body and mind in tune with the universe.”
Julian didn't get that, but then again, he would take one of his horses out if he wanted to focus. It was probably the same thing.
Sort of.
Sheila was definitely riding something.
“You look a little worried. Are you okay?” Julian asked.
Daniel looked around and lowered his voice. “I am. I know my daughter runs a little wild, and that’s my fault, but I’m worried about her. It’s not like her to flake on her job. She likes money, and I won’t pay if she doesn’t pull her weight in the family business. Plus, we have someone trying to sabotage us. It makes me nervous.”
“Yeah, I see how it would.”
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