Oracle Seeing (The Phoenix Files Book 2)

by Kelley, Morgan

He was too damn ugly. She wouldn’t let him walk her dog, if she had one. She was photogenic, gorgeous, and going places. He’d lost that luster when he’d been practically blown up.

  Still…

  She felt sorry for him.

  He was a beast. If the sheriff didn’t mind fucking that, more power to her.

  “I tell you what, Lucian. Since we go way back, maybe if you explain what you see in her, I’ll leave her alone. Honestly, I can’t figure it out? She’s not your type. She’s not polished, she’s not drop dead gorgeous, and I can’t imagine she’s hot in bed. She’s the sheriff. She is beneath you—or she was at one time.”

  He wouldn’t give her anything to use against him or Bishop. “She’s trying to protect and serve. Leave me out of this. Her job has nothing to do with me.”

  More laughter.

  “Darling, you are this job. Your case has never been solved. I want to dig in, find out what’s going on, and spread the news. Aren’t you curious who nearly killed you, Lucian? Aren’t you curious who blew your sexiness away?”

  He wouldn’t let her hurt him.

  “What’s done, is done.”

  “Not for me. I love a mystery, and I want to find out everything. That’s the difference between us, Lucian. I love information. I love the scary bits that no one thinks about. I love making people gasp and worry.”

  “Know what I do wonder, Wendy?”

  “What, lover?”

  He hated her calling him that, but if he said a word, she’d keep going. Then she’d make it hellish. So, Lucian let it go, like he did with most of Wendy’s BS.

  “Why do you hate me, Wendy? You’re the one who walked out on me. I was nearly killed, and you bailed. Why are you being a bitch?”

  He was so glad he hadn’t been the one to dump her. When he’d called her, he was going to have her come see him. He wanted to tell her goodbye so he could be with Bishop. If that had happened, Wendy really would have crucified Bishop the last ten years.

  There was a small blessing.

  “Maybe it was because when I showed up to see you, that red haired cop wannabe was holding onto my fiancé like he was hers.”

  He knew that wasn’t it.

  Wendy didn’t care.

  He knew how she worked. If it mattered, Wendy would have pounced, kicking Bishop’s ass. Instead, she tossed the ring and walked out.

  “You saw me and took off, Wendy. I was too ugly to fit into your world. I used to listen to lies all day. I know one when I hear one.”

  She laughed. “You’re right, lover. That little moppet had nothing to do with it. Let’s face it. That day, when you nearly died, our ride was over. I didn’t really plan to marry you, Lucian. I don’t like to be tied down. You were fun, but I needed something different in my life. I needed someone who wasn’t going to play Quasi-fucking-modo in that mansion of yours.”

  Her words hurt, but he’d swallow them for Bishop. He’d take that arrow right to his already battered heart to save her. She deserved it. This was his last shot at getting Wendy off her back.

  “What will it take to get you to cut her a break?”

  She thought about it.

  Lucian could hear the wheels turning.

  This was going to cost him a lot—he could tell.

  “You let me do a story on you, what happened, and what life is like now. You come on camera and let the world see how the mighty have fallen.”

  That was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t need people staring at him, and he certainly didn’t want their pity. The whole thing made him sick.

  “Will you leave her alone?”

  “Will you do it, lover?”

  “Yes. I’ll sit with you, but not until this case is over. The sheriff doesn’t need the heat.”

  “Do you call her that in bed, Lucian? Is she your sexy little sheriff? Does that get you off? Can you even get it up after all these years?”

  He bit his tongue.

  There was no way he was telling Wendy anything, and he wasn’t commenting on his sex life. Wendy, while she didn’t want him, if she thought Bishop really cared, she’d ruin her whole life. No one said no to Wendy.

  She was the queen bitch.

  “I’ll do the interview. Leave her the hell alone.”

  He hung up the phone, walked to his bathroom and began purging everything in his system. Between the killer, Avalon in his mind, Wendy, and the news ragging on Bishop, he was worn down.

  Lucian sat against the wall, his head in his hands.

  What had he done?

  He only hoped Bishop understood why he’d done it.

  And what, in the end, it had cost him.

  Everything…

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Courthouse Judge’s

  Chamber

  They headed in wearing gloves. At this point, she wasn’t taking any chances. If her deputy hadn’t done the deed, then it meant that someone had to have been in the judge’s chambers.

  That meant they had been listening.

  She had a sneaking suspicion that Wendy Lockwood was as guilty as sin over this one, and she was going to make sure if she’d broken the law, she paid.

  This was her father’s legacy, her duty, and she wasn’t going to let a gold digger make a mockery of justice.

  It wasn’t happening.

  Screw her.

  “What are we looking for, Sheriff?” Deputy Alonzo asked, moving around the space.

  She honed in on the wall.

  There were pictures missing. She’d taken the one of Lucian and the judge, but now there were three others gone.

  Shit!

  Who had been in there?

  “Is there anything that will tie us to someone eavesdropping on our conversation?”

  He dropped to the floor and slid beneath the desk to look around.

  Bishop did the same, running her hands beneath the bookshelves, feeling for anything.

  Nothing.

  Maybe the person who took the pictures came back.

  “Boss?”

  She glanced over.

  He was by the water cooler and pulling something from behind it. In Alonzo’s hand, there was a digital recorder.

  She’d seen it before.

  Or one just like it.

  It was the same one that Gaylor Zimmer had in his pocket when she did his interview. He’d taken it out, and it was identical.

  They had a spy.

  Perfect.

  Now what was she supposed to do about it? Bishop didn’t know much about this kind of thing, but she wasn’t sure it wasn’t transmitting. It was better safe than sorry.

  “We need something to transport it in.”

  Alonzo found a jar on the judge’s desk with a lid that sealed. He dumped out the candy so Bishop could drop the device inside.

  “What the bloody hell?” she asked.

  “It looks like someone bugged the judge’s chambers. That can’t be a good thing. If he was talking about cases in here, then that person was privy to everything.”

  Oh, she was well aware.

  This could mean mistrials out the wazoo. Everything the judge had presided over was going to have to be reviewed.

  Heads were going to roll.

  “What are you going to do, Sheriff?”

  On top of everything else, even if this had nothing to do with the murders, she couldn’t let it slide.

  She had to find out who this recorder belonged to, and soon. Then she’d start tracking down that mystery too.

  Find a serial killer.

  Protect Lucian.

  Find a spy.

  Do her job.

  Holy hell.

  She needed a break.

  And soon.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Graymoor

  Jagger was restless.

  He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t eat, and top of it all, he found himself pacing patterns in the floor.

  Frankly, it was making Maura edgy. He was normally the calm one. If
the shit was about to hit the fan, Jagger would make sure it stayed an even keel.

  Now…not so much.

  Maura thought back to what Avalon had said about the man and his impending issues. Closing the file she was going through, she opted to reach out to the man.

  Avalon was right.

  They were a family.

  “Are you okay, Jagger? You look like you’re about to peel yourself out of your skin.”

  He glanced over. “What?”

  “What’s going on?”

  He didn’t know.

  For the first time in his life, he was confused. This never happened to him before. He knew he wanted to be a Marine.

  So he did it.

  He knew he wanted to be on Special Forces.

  Again, he took care of business.

  He knew he wanted to screw the hell out of the doctor.

  Yeah, he’d handled that too.

  Only…

  That’s when it went haywire.

  Since when had sex tied him up so much? It was a release. It was a way to get off, feel the endorphin rush, and burn some calories.

  Then it was something to forget.

  Only his brain was holding on. He was haunted by Roxanne Faust.

  Why?

  Who the hell knew?

  “You can talk about it if you want,” she offered. “We’re here for you. It’s clear you’re tied up in knots. Is this about the coroner?”

  He stared at Maura, weighing his options. She might have a clue. After all, she was a woman.

  That gave her insight.

  The only other female he felt comfortable with was his sister, and he wasn’t calling her to ask about sex.

  That was totally weird and crossing a line.

  “Am I a dick?”

  There.

  He asked it.

  She started laughing. “You are absolutely a dick.”

  “Well, thanks. I feel so much better. Never mind,” he muttered.

  He went to leave.

  “Wait. Let me explain.”

  How the hell was she going to explain that? If he was a dick, he was a dick. It was fairly cut and dried. He just didn’t think Maura would say it.

  Then again, she knew about his conquests. She’d once said she’d rather screw a stick than let him use her.

  He probably deserved that comment.

  “It’s your charm, Jagger. You’re not really a dick. You have this veneer that gives the impression that nothing bothers you, that you’re not reachable, and that you’re cold.”

  “Am I all of those things?”

  “No. When Avalon was going to die, you rushed in because you needed to save her. That was all you. Then we brought her to Fire Bay, and you hover over her as if she’s fragile. I’ve seen you Googling Braille so you could help her learn. You act all sweet and gentle around her.”

  “She’s like my kid sister.”

  “Yeah, so that cancels out the dickiness. When Nate’s in a funk, you cheer him up by starting a bickering fest with him. You know how to read the situation, and do what’s best.”

  Yeah, until now.

  He didn’t know what to do with the doctor. Her phone number was burning a hole in his pocket. That NEVER happened.

  Ever.

  Screw it!

  He had to get this off his chest. They were Marines, and he didn’t doubt that Maura would have his back.

  He was her wingman, and she was his.

  “I did something.”

  “Like ‘break the law’ did something, or ‘this is about a woman’ did something?” she asked.

  “I had really hot, raunchy sex with the coroner, in the morgue cooler, and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  A part of Maura wanted to laugh, but then Jagger wouldn’t trust her. She had to be there for him.

  They were a family.

  “Maybe you like her.”

  He stared at her in horror.

  “What?”

  “I don’t ‘LIKE’ people. I kill people. I rescue people. I shoot people in the head when they cross a line. I absolutely do not ‘LIKE’ people.”

  “You like Avalon.”

  “I love Avalon. Again, she’s like my sister. I got attached to her.”

  “You like me.”

  “I tolerate you. You’re a bit too bitchy for your own good, and I don’t know how your husband tolerates your bossiness.”

  Yeah, she didn’t buy that.

  She snorted and then decided to do what she always did.

  Bust him back.

  “Yeah, well you banged an ME in a morgue full of dead bodies. Your judgment is certainly up for scrutiny.”

  She had a very valid point.

  He was questioning his sanity.

  “What do you want to do?”

  “Fuck her again.”

  Maura shook her head. “I meant about the situation and how you feel.”

  “I want to tell her I’m sorry. I feel like I used her, but in actuality she used me.”

  “So you want her to tell you she’s sorry?”

  Yeah, yeah, he did.

  “Yes.”

  “Go talk to her. You’re an adult. She’s an adult, so you two should be able to work this out, right?”

  She had a point.

  “Can you handle it while I’m gone?”

  “Avalon is creeping around, Lucian is locked up in his office, and I’m going over files looking for leads. Go. You can’t focus anyway. On your way back, pick up lunch.”

  He offered her a fist bump. “Maura?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  She smiled. “Not a problem, Jagger. Anytime you need to talk, I’m here.”

  It didn’t make him nervous like he thought it would. Instead, it made him feel calm. Maybe Avalon wasn’t the only one he loved like a sister.

  Maura came in a close second.

  “You’re still a bitch.”

  “Yeah, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, Jagger.”

  He laughed as he headed out.

  He had to find a way to work through this.

  He couldn’t focus.

  Bad shit was happening when he couldn’t work through something as simple as sex.

  Sadly, Jagger Armstrong had coroner on the brain.

  That ended here and now.

  As soon as he was gone, Avalon wandered into the room. She was feeling along the walls, trying to get to Maura.

  “Am I clear?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it’s a straight line right to me. Jagger went to get lunch.”

  “Something’s coming, Maura. I can feel it.”

  “With Jagger?”

  She listened to the static, the calls for help, the screams of pain, and it was all in there.

  Avalon wished it was that simple.

  “Not just him. For all of us.”

  Maura didn’t like the sound of that.

  At all.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Lucian had to stop thinking about her.

  Only he couldn’t.

  Bishop was on his mind, and she was making him crazy. Earlier, he’d been angry when she defended him to the media, assuming he couldn’t do it himself, but now he was worried about Wendy keeping her word.

  He felt off balance, as if something bad was coming. His head was buzzing, and the more he tried to ignore it, the louder it became.

  Oh, shit!

  It was happening again.

  Earlier, the killer had faded out. The visions had stopped. He’d assumed that the Earl Thorpe was dead.

  Only he wasn’t.

  The killer was transporting him.

  How did he know?

  Lucian was seeing it.

  As the first vision hit, he fell to the floor, grabbing his head. He could feel the vehicle stopping as the man in the trunk was struggling to hold on.

  He was trying to stay alive.

  God!

  He didn’t know what was coming
.

  He should let go.

  “Let go!” Lucian shouted. “Let go!”

  He didn’t want to experience this man’s death too. He was getting flashes of what was to come, and he couldn’t help but dread it.

  Then he heard footsteps.

  Turning his head, he saw them.

  It was Maura and Avalon.

  “Help me,” he whispered, a thin line of blood dripping from his nose. He could feel it running across his cheek and to his ear as his body bowed in pain.

  Avalon grabbed his hand, and she began trying everything to help him.

  Only she couldn’t.

  His head was a jumble. She was getting flashes of Bishop. Lucian was at her house, and they were making love, the media, the killer, and the phone call with the horrible blonde woman.

  He was a mess.

  His brain was overwhelmed, and his emotions were jacked up. He was going to have a stroke. His heart was pounding way too fast. If they didn’t do something, and quickly, he was going to die. He was too connected to the visions.

  “Knock him out.”

  “What?” Maura asked.

  “He’s going to die. You have to break the connection. I can’t do it. He’s tied to the victims. You have to stop him from living it.”

  He saw the noose.

  He felt it tightening around his throat.

  His fingers went there as his body bowed in tension.

  He couldn’t breathe.

  God!

  Lucian couldn’t breathe.

  “Maura! Knock him out!”

  She reached for the pressure point on his neck and pressed as hard as she could.

  The air released from his lips, as his eye rolled up into his head.

  “Is he okay?” she asked.

  Avalon was breathing heavily, as if she, too, had run a marathon. That had been way too close.

  “For now. He’s okay for now.”

  Maura wasn’t sure she bought that.

  Avalon looked like shit, and now she was resting on the floor beside Lucian, closing her own eyes.

  “Avi, come on. Tell me what you’re seeing,” she said, holding both of their hands in hers.

  Lucian was still warm.