There was all the gold.
“We found it!” Roman said, snapping a picture. “Today was awesome!”
Yeah, if only Nyx and Beau could agree.
Suddenly, the room filled with a chill.
Tori didn't need Nyx to channel to know who had just shown up. “Father, you’re free. We found the gold. It’ll go to the neighboring parish for safe keeping.”
There was laughter from what sounded like little girls.
Julian stared over at the priest’s marble marker, and something hit him.
The marks he’d seen.
They had to be made from the crowbar.
Someone had opened the crypt after the priest was dead.
“Hurry! I think I know where the children are,” he said, rushing toward the marble.
As he got to it, he realized that the priest was trying to give them a message earlier. The scratches on Tori’s chest weren’t to hurt her. It was a clue. Across the front of the marker, a cross was etched. It was a symbol of a holy man, and the priest had left them a clue.
“It’s going to be here. I can tell.”
Tori watched as he removed the marker. Inside was a whole lot of chaos. There were lots and lots of bones. The human body had two hundred and six, and there looked to be four times that. Then, when Roman used his light on his phone to shine it in there hole, they saw it.
There were four skulls.
The energy in the room exploded, and they had no doubt why. They’d found the three little girls. Kendrick Helmsley/Hanlon had placed them with the priest.
Maybe in atonement.
Maybe to keep hidden or safe.
It didn't matter now since they were officially free.
“Girls, you’re going home,” Tori said, feeling little fingers on her arm. This time, it was a gentle touch, free from all anger.
They were grateful.
They were free.
When she glanced down, it stopped.
Then it was gone.
They heard the sirens in the distance along with the groan of the man on the floor. As he struggled to get up, Tori walked toward him. She grabbed Reggie Zellers by the shirt and did something he’d deserved.
She punched him in the face.
He crumbled at her feet as she shook out her hand.
“Asshole,” she muttered, before facing her husband. Tori grinned at him. “I’m better now.”
Julian laughed. “I told you. Between you and Beau, someone always has to get hit. It’s got to be your gene pool.”
Tori winked at him. “Yeah, yeah. Forget that. Try and focus on the main point, Jules.”
“And that is?”
“We found the killer, we located the dead girls, and the gold is safe. We’re out of here after we talk to the sheriff.”
He grinned and pulled her into his arms. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week.”
“Amen,” said Roman.
When they all looked over at him, he smiled.
“What? We’re in a church. It seemed appropriate.”
Yeah, he was absolutely right.
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
When the sheriff found them, they had four skeletons, one man bound with rope, and a bag full of gold church artifacts.
His head was spinning, and he wasn’t quite sure what to think.
“So, Reggie Zellers did all this?”
“Well, he killed the priest for the money. We had our team check, and he tried to purchase Darkwood Monastery, but someone with more money came along. When the Martins and the Nelms got into a bidding war, he couldn’t afford it. So, he was forced to work here. Check the autopsy reports for the priest and Pearlie Nelms. You’ll see that their wounds match the hammer we found on him. He probably roughed the man up to get him to talk, and then shoved him down the stairs to cover it up.”
The sheriff shook his head.
“He admitted to killing them. You can get Ms. Nightingale’s statement. She’s the witness and was nearly a victim.”
“And the gold?” he asked, pointing at the bag.
“We think that Father Esposito knew something was up, so he hid it. We can’t be one hundred percent sure, unless we ask him personally.”
The sheriff laughed. “Well, since he’s been dead for over ten years, we’ll have to assume.”
Yeah, if he only knew how wrong he was.
Tori could catch glimpses of things flashing past her peripheral.
He was still there.
“And what about the three skeletons you found with the priest? How did you learn about them?”
Julian took this one. “We stumbled on it in our investigation. You’ll find Kendrick Hanlon at AngelCake Winery. He was suspected of assault on his own child. You will find all the records you need if you search his real name, Helmsley. I’m betting you can trace these three girls back to him.”
Tori handed him her phone. “Actually, I’ll make it easy for you, Sheriff. Our associate just sent me this.”
He read the email.
“His daughter was in Girl Scouts with all three of them. He knew them!”
“Yes, she was. That should give your DA enough to bring him to justice and the girls some peace.”
“Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
Tori took back her phone, tucked it away, and held her husband’s hand. “We’ve wrapped this up for you in a pretty package. All you have to do is pick Kendrick up and file the papers. There may not be viable DNA in the bones, but he likely moved them. You’ll find it all over them.”
“Your team did damn good work, Mr. and Mrs. Littlemoon. You should do this for a living.”
Julian laughed. “You think? I might just contemplate opening an investigation agency,” he joked.
The sheriff held out his hand. “Thank you. If you ever need anything, you just give me a call. I’ll be more than happy to vouch for you.”
Julian was glad.
They could use all the help they could get.
Leaving him behind, they headed toward the parking lot. Leaning against the car was the reporter.
“Well?”
“It’s closed. We’re done here.”
“And what about me?”
Julian knew what he wanted, but there was going to be one test left. He and Tori had decided it was better safe than sorry.
“It’s Saturday. We’re taking tomorrow off. Meet us at our office Monday at nine. We’ll discuss if you have a place with us.”
He looked excited.
“Thanks! I’m going to grab my things and head home.”
They watched him walk away.
“That’s a gamble,” Julian stated. “Are you sure?”
Tori had thought about it. Roman Remington had broken this wide open. If he passed her last test, he was in.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Tori glanced across the parking lot. Nyx was getting checked out by a paramedic, and her brother was sticking close by.
“You have to let him handle this,” Julian said. He had a bad feeling, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Now that Nyx was safe, she seemed chilly toward him. It was as if a switch was flipped, and Beau was in for the shock of his life.
“I know. I just hate to see him hurt.”
“Tori.”
She focused on her husband. “Have faith in me, okay? I know you think I’m going to jump into this, but I won’t. I’ll let it play out. If Beau needs me, I’ll be here--just like you are when Justin needs you.”
Julian got the point. She was simply being a good sister, and he couldn’t fault her for that.
He raised his hands. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll be right back. I’ll tell him we’re heading out.”
Julian gave her a kiss. “I’ll be right here if you need me, Tori, because he’s my brother now too.”
She loved him with all her heart.
“Thank you for that, Jules. There’s no one else I’d trust him to but
you.”
He watched her go.
Tori crossed the lot, reaching her brother’s side.
As she touched his arm, he glanced down at her. “Hey! Is everything wrapped up?”
“Yeah, but I need to talk to you for a second. Can you spare a few? It’s important.”
He made sure Nyx knew where he was going as the paramedic bandaged the cut on her head. Meeting his sister in front of his car, he waited.
“I need to say something to you.”
“Okay.” Deep down, Beau already knew what it was going to be. His sister made it clear at breakfast. She thought that Nyx needed some time and space.
He didn't agree.
“Beau, I love you.”
“But?”
“There’s no but. If you need to stay here to be happy, then do it. If you feel like this is your path, and you have no doubt, I want you to leave our agency and start a life with Nyx.”
He was surprised.
Then he thought back to what Julian said. “Are you sure?”
She took his face in the palms of her hands. “Absolutely. I’m envious of the chance you have. I wasted time with Julian because I was afraid. You’re not. I say do it. Julian and I will make sure your car payment is made, and you have cash to live. If this is what you really want, I want it for you.”
His heart skipped. “Really?”
“I didn't get you the first thirty years of your life, but I’ll have you for the next thirty. I want to give back what you’ve given to me, Beau. You fought hard to be with me. You didn't abandon me, even when our mother tried to manipulate you. I’ll have your back, Army. I’ll always have it.”
“I love you, Tor. I’ll always be in your life. I won’t lose you again. Loving Nyx doesn’t mean I can’t love you too. In fact, I love you more than any one, it’s just a different kind of love.”
That she got. After all, she loved Justin the same way. It was a brother-sister bond that no one could break.
She grinned. “You should love me. I’m the best damn sister in the whole world. You men make me nutty. I deserve a medal.”
He hugged her. “You’re going to make a kick ass mom,” Beau whispered in her ear. “Don’t doubt it. You will put all the other moms to shame. Veronica is going to be loved more than anything in this universe. I can tell.”
She needed that.
“You think?” she said, touching her baby bump.
“I know,” he replied, placing his hand over hers. Their stormy blue eyes met. “I love you, Army.”
Tori winked at him. “Well, soldier, go get the girl, and if you need to come home, we’re there.”
She held out her fist. “Do it like you mean it,” she said, getting a bump from her little brother.
“Always.”
She walked away. “Follow your heart, but listen to your gut. It’s a fine balance.”
He listened to her words as she climbed into the SUV and Julian backed out, waving goodbye.
He was going to do just that.
It was time to start living his life.
And he knew the woman to do it with.
Nyx Nightingale had stolen his heart.
Now it was time to give her his soul.
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
Shopping for Fate
Nyx accepted Beau’s offer to give her a ride back to her place. When they entered inside, her heart was heavy. She saw Tori and Julian leave, and it was without a word.
In that moment, she knew that she’d never be part of their circle. She was always going to be an outsider.
Well, she’d keep her word.
When she’d spoken to Tori alone, she told her what she was going to do, and now it was time.
It seemed appropriate that it was happening there.
This was where it all began.
Her heart was breaking, and it was time to put on the show for him.
“Hey, want to get something to eat?” Beau asked, locking the door behind him when he followed her in.
All the way there in the car, she’d been chilly, and it was still a little cold in the room. He wanted to tell her that he was staying, but she didn't seem to be in the mood.
Then again, someone had just tried to kill her, and she had been locked in a crypt. Nyx was entitled to have a bad day over this one.
So, he’d wait.
“Actually, we need to talk.”
“Okay,” he said, dropping down on the couch in her shop. That, too, gave him fond memories--ones he hoped to relive over and over again.
“I need you to leave.”
Those words were so hard to say.
“What?” he asked, staring at her. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. There had to be a mistake.
“I don’t want you here.”
“Nyx, what do you mean by that?”
Trey was screaming in her head, and she had to struggle not to let it show. The pain filled her, only it was nothing compared to the hurt in her heart.
“I have to let you go, Beau. You need to go back to your life. We had a great week, but it’s not going to work between us, and I think you know it.”
His breath caught in his chest.
She couldn’t mean it, could she?
Was she really cutting him free?
“It will work if we make it happen. You don’t mean that, Nyx. We’re good together. We’re meant to be a couple. I know you feel it inside like I do.”
‘Don’t do it!’ Trey warned in her head.
‘Big mistake!’ he warned.
Beau stood to move toward her, and instead of going into his body, she took a step back. Touching him would make her break, and she couldn’t force him to stay.
He needed his life.
She needed him.
When he saved her, by pulling her from the swirling black water, she owed him. This was the time to pay it back. If he stayed, he’d never know fulfillment with his career. He’d always be forced to be seen as some drifter.
She couldn’t do it to him.
He deserved a good life. Beau served his country, fought valiantly, and was a hero.
She’d give him what she could.
Nyx was willing to make the sacrifice. Out of love, she’d let him go like she promised Tori.
“Thank you for saving me, but we have to part ways. It’s over, Beau.”
He was hurting.
She was breaking his heart, and he was helpless to stop it. The pain welled up, as he struggled to find anything to convince her to stay with him.
Beau needed her.
He’d die without her.
“Come with me,” he begged.
She took another step back. “I can’t. I have to make a living and pay my bills. Here’s my job and career. This is where I belong, Beau. You have your place too, and it’s not here. It’s back at your home.”
He didn't want that answer.
This wasn’t how he saw it ending. They were going to be together. He had to have faith.
He had to believe.
“Nyxie, don’t do this. It’s a mistake. I don’t need you to do this for me. I need you to fight for us. It’s the only way we’ll make it. Please.”
She was well aware, but it didn't matter. Time would heal him, and it would ensure him a new life.
A happy one.
One without some freak with voices in her head.
“Come with me, and I’ll take care of you. I’ll work fifty jobs to make sure you have everything you need. Just say you’ll come with me.”
She wanted that in the worst way, but she couldn’t uproot everything she had--not without a future.
Not once had he mentioned anything permanent. Beau never even called her ‘girlfriend’. She had to believe if they were meant to be, he’d come back to her.
She only had to hold on to faith.
Moving toward him, she wrapped her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his chest. His heart pounded, and she hated that she was hurting him. His wh
ole body shook with tension, and she knew it was her fault.
After all he did, she loathed that she couldn’t let him stay, and she couldn’t go.
“We can make this work,” he stated. “We’re only an hour apart. I’ll come here every weekend. I’ll make the effort to be with you.”
Still, he didn't offer her anything more than that. Nyx would risk it all, but she had to have something permanent. She had to have a relationship.
“It won’t last.”
Eventually, he’d drift away. That would hurt far worse. She had to cut him free, and it had to be now. She couldn’t stand in his way. He needed to get his license to work, and she needed to pay the bills.
“You need to go, Beau. It’s time. Please leave.”
She set him free.
It was the hardest thing she had ever survived. Before Beau, she believed that being assaulted and losing her family was the worst pain in the world.
This was far worse.
She was losing everything.
He backed away from her, the hurt in his eyes. “If that’s what you want,” he stated.
God!
He couldn’t be like his father, forcing his will on her. That part of him rose up, and he fought against it. Yes, he could demand, take, and offer her promises, but she didn't want him.
Nyx didn't need him anymore.
He wasn’t surprised. This was the story of his life. It was time for him to leave to lick his wounds--mainly his shattered soul and broken heart.
“Good luck, soldier,” she said, as tears filled her eyes. “I know you’ll have an amazing life.”
He doubted that.
It slipped through his fingers like the sand in the desert. Beau had lost it all.
“I’ll always love you, Nyx--until the day I die. I’ll be waiting for you if you change your mind. Heaven has room for the only angel who belongs there, and that’s you.”
He turned, headed out the door, and never looked back.
Beau couldn’t.
If he did, he’d crawl.
His life had been changed forever, and he knew to the depth of his soul that it would never be the same again.
He wasn’t going to heal.
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