“It’s nice to meet you, Director, but I don’t believe I called you. So, unless the FBI has some crystal ball or a psychic on staff, do either of you care to tell me what you’re really doing here?”
Oh, if she only knew how right she was.
This is where he had to be careful. While Avalon was inside and safe, they couldn’t let word of her escape. It would alert the higher ups, who would alert the President.
They had to play this just right.
“We were called by our friend Lucian. He needed some help.”
She stared at him. “Really? Your friend Lucian?”
“Yes. He mentioned the killing that happened last night, the one with the judge, and when his alarm went off tonight, he called us. I don’t live far from Ravenswood.”
Her bullshit detector was going off.
“Are we talking about the same Lucian? Tall man, scar on his face?”
And sexy.
She still thought he was a handsome, cold devil. Bishop knew that no matter how much time passed, she’d still feel the same about him.
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Great. I’ll talk to him. I’m sure he’ll settle this and tell me exactly what you’ve just told me.”
Nate knew that wasn’t going to be a problem. He could hear Maura, at that moment, briefing Lucian. They were all mic’d up, and they could play hardball if need be.
“Maybe we should handle this here,” Luke offered.
She smiled at him. “Yeah, my coroner is on her way. She’ll handle the body, and I’ll handle the man in the big house. Since the gate is open, I’ll just stop in and say hello.”
She couldn’t believe after all this time, she was actually going to get behind the gate and close to the man. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
This was so many years in the making. Bishop wondered if he’d remember her.
Or would she, like his old life, be a distant memory.
Both men followed. At that moment, Avalon was their concern.
Hopefully, Maura was moving her upstairs and away from the sheriff.
Over the earbud, they heard Jagger.
“I can take her out, boss. One shot to the knee, and she’ll be out of commission for at least six months.”
“NO!”
The woman ahead of them turned around. “No, what? No, you don’t want me going into this man’s house? No, you don’t want me talking to Lucian to see if your stories match up?”
Nate wanted to strangle Jagger.
“You see, that’s suspicious, Director. Know what’s also suspicious in my book?”
Neither man spoke.
“Well, I’ll tell you. The shocker in all of this isn’t the body on the gate, but the fact that Lucian Monroe, recluse and hermit, has friends—ones in the FBI, and ones who come running at three in the morning.”
Shit!
If her name wasn’t Bishop, and Avalon didn’t tell them that she had to be part of this, they would have yanked this case out from beneath her.
They would have pulled rank via Elizabeth Blackhawk, and that would have wiped the smirk off her face.
Unfortunately, Avalon had been crystal clear that ‘BISHOP’ was important.
So, they did the only thing they could.
They followed her without saying a word.
As she headed to the front door, she didn’t get time to knock. It slowly opened, and there stood Lucian. He was wearing a hoodie, and it shadowed his face on the dark porch. It was clear that Maura had warned him.
The Feds could relax.
Until they knew they could trust this woman, she wasn’t going to get the inside track on what was really going on here in Ravenswood.
“What do you want?” he practically growled, trying to chase her away.
“Well, it’s great to see that ten years hasn’t made you any more of a charmer,” Bishop stated, not batting an eyelash. “You don’t have to snarl, Lucian. I’m just here to do my job.”
He couldn’t help it.
Lucian wanted to protect himself, and this was the only way he knew how.
“What do you want, Sheriff Killion?” he asked, unable to even say her name. He wanted to, but he was scared shitless what it would do to them both.
“Well, maybe it’s to ask you some questions. I get a call about another body, and it’s at your place, hung up on your fence. Then I get to meet two Feds before I get to look at the body. That basically means I get to come up here and ask you anything I want.”
She didn’t budge, instead standing her ground.
“What are you caught up in, Lucian?” she asked, recalling the dream. He needed her again. Like the last time, Lucian Monroe needed someone.
Only this time, he couldn’t chase her away.
She had a job to do.
This mess came first.
He crossed his arms across his chest in an effort to intimidate her. From his good eye, he could see the flash of anger through her emerald green ones. They were filled with irritation that he was jacking with her, again.
Neither of them moved.
It was hard for him to concentrate. Bishop was just as beautiful as he remembered. Tonight, she’d pulled her long red hair back, and she was wearing jeans.
He thought back to the first time he’d seen her at the courthouse and the hideous deputy’s uniform. Then he thought about when he’d been coming out of the coma. He’d been nearly killed, and he’d expected to see his fiancée there.
Only it had been her.
She was dressed the same, sitting beside his bed, holding his hand. He’d been so confused.
He’d said her name, and that alone offered him calm after the storm. She’d touched his lips with her fingertips, comforting him. It made it easy to drift back to sleep.
It wasn’t until later when he could talk to her that he’d realized she’d been put on watch duty, and she’d taken it literal. She’d stayed with him non-stop for days.
Her father had put her there.
She was a good cop and listened to her boss. That’s the only reason she stuck around. He’d convinced himself of that, and when the bandage had come off, and his fiancée had already abandoned him, she’d still been there.
Those same green eyes watched him.
She’d seen it all. She saw him at his worst, and since that day, he never wanted to see her again.
He never wanted her to see him again.
Bishop moved closer, only to have him take a step back. This was getting old. This decade old dance was out of style, and wearing on her already crappy mood.
“Can I come in and ask you some questions, Mr. Monroe?” she asked, trying to be patient. If she got all crazy, the FBI was going to yank her from this case. She could see it now.
So, she’d play it cautious.
He didn’t look happy.
Fine.
She’d play the game.
“We can do it out here, if you’re afraid of me getting behind your walls. We wouldn’t want that to happen. Who knows what could happen?”
Both Feds stared in confusion.
Oh, Lucian got it. That sentence had nothing to do with the killings and everything to do with them. Until the bandages came off, he’d had someone in his room to cheer him up. His family was gone, his fiancée bailed, and this woman stayed. They’d built something that day.
They’d found something he couldn’t let grow. There was no room for it in his life.
Truth be told, Lucian wanted to hate her, like he hated everyone. Even after she saw his face, she stayed—until he had no choice but to get angry and kick her out.
It was for the best.
Bishop didn’t get it. What he’d felt, what he’d needed, and what he’d wanted died that day. He couldn’t let them surface. For her, he’d push it down.
Still, he didn’t answer her.
Bishop was getting impatient. “Fine, we can do this here, inside, or at my office?”
The choice was his.
Finally, when the Feds were staring at him, he relented. Lucian wasn’t happy.
“You can come in.”
He stepped back and headed toward the foyer. He knew the two Feds were with her.
“Nice place, Mr. Monroe. I wish I could be seeing it under far better circumstances.”
He couldn’t breathe.
If he even responded, he’d give himself away.
Instead, he kept walking.
Bishop followed, and she could see his nerves. She could see him fidgeting. Then she saw the flash of gun tucked into his belt.
Yeah, this was definitely bigger than they were letting on, and here was her proof. Dream aside, she could tell that Lucian needed help. This case wasn’t going to be random.
Maybe that was her gift, alerting her, but she had to focus past the man in front of her to get to the truth. The shit was about to hit the fan, and Lucian was somehow in the blowback.
Was this why she felt the need to save him?
Was it this case?
They had a judge.
A mass of flesh.
And a man who was the city’s star DA being left a body.
This was definitely related. She was on the trail. So, instead of playing games, Bishop went for the kill.
“Why don’t you tell me who the dead guy on the gate is, and we can go from there?”
No one spoke.
Bingo.
This was a cover-up if she ever saw one. “Did he try to hurt you, and you killed him? Is that when you called in your friends in the FBI?”
Lucian didn’t know what to say.
This was getting out of hand.
His vision said she was coming to save him.
“I saw the gun, Lucian. Is that piece going to match any bullets Roxy pulls out of the victim?” Bishop kept offering him a way to get it off his chest.
“You don’t have to answer that,” Nate offered. “In fact, it’s best you don’t. Maybe we should go outside, Sheriff.”
Yeah, that wasn’t happening.
“No way, Mr. FBI. I’m not leaving, and you’re not covering up whatever mess is going on here. Today isn’t my first day on the job. I know him, and I’m willing to bet better than you do,” she stated.
Lucian stared at her.
He hated that she could say that and be right.
He’d wanted her at one time—with all he had in his body and soul. Then fate intervened and life changed.
Nate saw this getting out of hand. “The FBI is going to take over this case.”
It was time to pull the cord on this one.
Just as she was about to tell him off, someone cleared their voice. It was a woman, and it drew Bishop’s attention to the top of the stairs.
She was like a ghost.
All around her, there was gauzy material draped, as she descended the stairs. Her red hair flowed loose, and she was being followed by a woman in Camo and carrying a gun strapped to her chest.
Immediately, Bishop’s hand went to the butt of her gun. This was ugly. They all had sidearms, and she was getting that twitchy feeling.
This might be going south.
“Who the hell are you?”
She stared over at Lucian, and he turned his head so she couldn’t see his face. It appeared he’d been keeping himself busy while locked away, and with a sweet younger woman.
That made her angry.
It made her jealous.
Bishop hated that only she’d been kept from seeing him. It was clear she was the enemy. After everything, she was the one he hated most in life.
“I’m Avalon,” she said, reaching the bottom of the stairs. “I’m glad to meet you, Bishop. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
The woman stared at her. “Have you now?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I wish I could say the same about you.”
“He’s two of seven, isn’t he?” she asked, focusing on the woman. Her aura told the tale. Bishop Killion had a gift. She wasn’t a strong psychic, but she wasn’t without her own abilities.
Interesting.
Fate had made a match between these two, and Avalon needed to fix it.
She didn’t say a word.
Bishop couldn’t.
Where the hell had she gotten the information? She hadn’t even gotten that detail yet. How did this woman know about the first victim being one of seven?
Now she was getting freaked out.
“Someone should tell me what’s going on,” she said. “I’m starting to get angry, and no one here will like me when I’m mad. I get spiteful.”
Everyone in the room was watching Avalon as she stood in front of the sheriff.
So…
This was Bishop.
She was beautiful. She was a redhead too, and she had a wisdom about her that would help save Lucian.
“I’m here to stop a killer. I’m also here to help you save the man behind me. Lucian Monroe needs you. You’re his only chance.”
She stared over at him.
“Yeah, that won’t be happening. You’re very confused. I tried to help Lucian once, and he pretty much told me to fuck off and a bunch of other colorful things. That boat has sailed. He hates me. Ask him yourself.”
Avalon didn’t need to ask Lucian anything. She knew what lived in him.
Bishop had just about enough. She turned to face the FBI director and his partner.
“You have twenty minutes to get your stories together, figure out what you’re going to do, and let me know. I’m going to go work on the scene. Mr. Monroe, I’ll be back for the interview. Be alone because I’m done playing games. This is all about you. Whether you like it or not, you’re in trouble.”
“I don’t see how you’ve connected this to me,” he stated.
Yes, he’d always been arrogant, cocky, and sexy. Bishop was immune to him now. Eight years had passed, and she’d built up a resistance.
Or so she hoped.
She explained. “You have a dead judge and a body on your gate. You were a lawyer, and to me…this smells. Once I find out who that man is, I’ll be back.”
“It’s Dale Plunkett,” Avalon offered. “I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”
They all watched the sheriff. She turned to face the smaller woman, and the look on her face said it all.
She was irritated.
When she moved toward Avalon, Maura stepped into her line of sight.
“Move or I’ll move you,” Bishop stated.
Maura found that amusing. She could kick this woman’s ass with two broken arms and blindfolded. She may be a sheriff, but Maura had skills she hadn’t ever encountered before.
Avalon tried to calm them all down before this escalated further. They were on the same side.
“Maura, she’s not going to hurt me. Bishop is here for a reason. I’m not worried.”
Maura moved aside, but remained within arm’s reach just in case.
“How do you know it’s Dale Plunkett?” Bishop asked, studying the woman.
“I’m a psychic. I was sent here to save this town and help Lucian. We need your help to do it. You have a gift, just like Lucian and myself.”
She could feel the man watching her.
She wouldn’t look at him.
Bishop couldn’t.
If she did, she’d go soft over the idiot. There was something about him that turned her inside out and upside down, each and every time she saw him.
It always had.
Lucian called to her. Bishop vividly remembered watching him as she pulled courthouse duty. She wanted to meet him so many times, but after each time she’d get up the nerve, he’d walk right past her to meet his trash bag fiancée, and they’d head off together.
Still, when her path kept crossing, she wanted to know more about him.
For years, she’d been curious.
In fact, she was still curious.
“Like I said, you have twenty minutes to get this figured out. If I don’t like the
answers, I’m screaming foul.” She glanced over at the two Feds. “You might want to have your boss give me a call. If I even suspect you’re not legit, I’m going to hang your asses on that gate next to Dale Plunkett, and he’s going to look the best out of the three of you when I’m done.”
She pulled out her card and handed it to Nate as she walked past him. “I’ll be waiting.”
Then she focused on the man shrouded in secrecy.
“Lucian, you have nineteen minutes. Be ready, and this time, I’ll be the one dropping the profanity and the one in complete control.”
With that, she headed out.
They could hear the large door slam.
“So, you personally know the sheriff?” Nate asked, dialing his phone. That might have been handy to know earlier. They’d assumed he knew the woman’s father better, but from the sexual tension in the room, it was clear that something was there.
Lucian laughed, and it wasn’t a funny one either.
Did he know her?
Hell yes, he did.
He’d fallen in love with Bishop Killion the day he’d first seen her at the courthouse. When he woke up, to find his life destroyed, he’d had to make the biggest sacrifice of his life.
He had to pretend to hate her to give her the life she deserved, Lucian had to push her away. He was a monster, and he had to hide.
Yet, he regretted it every single day of his miserable life.
“Yes, I know her.”
He wished she was his for the last ten years, but he knew the truth.
It couldn’t happen.
Because Lucian Monroe was cursed.
Again, here was his proof.
* * * O R A C L E * * *
He watched from the crowd of people who had begun gathering down the road from the house. The speculation was already flying.
This had been perfect.
He’d picked the perfect spot to leave the body.
It was working out better than he had originally planned. The judge had been found, the defense attorney, who was the scum of the earth, had been found too.
Next, he would hit a little closer to home.
He was going to make sure that Lucian Monroe realized that he wasn’t safe.
Yes, he had the huge house.
Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2) Page 11