Victoria's Destiny

by L. J. Garland

  Lenny slammed the trunk closed. “Done. Old Thurisaz sure will be surprised we’re a step ahead.”

  “Yeah. He sure will.” River nodded. What else could he say? The reporter truly believed everything he’d said—the magic words, the salt, and vials of water. For all the wacky roads traveled, the crazy notions, and the nonsensical theories, the guy certainly had the welfare of his friends at heart. “Thanks, Lenny.”

  “No problem.” His gaze shifted toward the beach house. “You are one brave man, Detective Chastain. But I get the whole moth to a flame thing.”

  He turned. Vicki strode toward him, her hips swaying in a snug pair of black jeans. The teal peasant top clinging to the edge of one shoulder sent his mind reeling with wonder as to whether or not she wore anything underneath.

  “Guess she didn’t mention I was on the killer’s guest list as well.”

  “No.” Lenny’s head swiveled toward him, and a hiss of air whistled between his teeth. “Sucks for you, man. Now, I’m really glad I gave you the incantation. With your rational, logical way of thinking, old Thurisaz will be shocked as hell when you pull that puppy out.”

  River’s focus remained riveted on Vicki while hot desire pumped through his veins. He swallowed. Yeah, psychopaths, visions, and demons be damned. I’m one lucky guy.

  “Becca told me you were out here.” She sauntered toward them, a smile gracing her lips. “What have you boys been up to?”

  “Just some prep work for the demon who’s on our ass.” Lenny patted the Malibu’s trunk then shoved off toward the house.

  “Thanks, Lenny,” River said.

  “No problemo.” Without looking back, he waved a hand above his head. “You two kids have fun.”

  Vicki moved toward River, slid into his arms. God, she felt good snuggled up against him. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down to her hips.

  She leaned in, pressed her lips to his. A sweet mix of musk and wildflowers filled his senses. He pulled her closer, certain she knew exactly what she’d done to him. Moth to flame indeed.

  Vicki broke the kiss, her eyes glittering with passion. “Hello, Detective Chastain.”

  “Ms. Spiere.” His heartbeat pounded in his ears, and every inch of his body strained with alertness to the woman in his arms. After his ex-wife had ripped the last vestiges of optimism from him, he’d lived a more solitary, safer existence. But since meeting Vicki, he smelled the salt in the air, noticed all the different shades of greens of the budding leaves, and actually turned his gaze toward the stars at night. Because of her, life coursed through him again.

  And damn. It felt good.

  “Where can I take you for dinner?” The smile tugging his lips had become more familiar over the last week. Another side effect of his intense attraction to her.

  Her eyebrow quirked in that sexy way it did, and she licked her lips. “Actually, I was thinking about skipping dinner and diving right into dessert.”

  The adrenaline dump from her suggestive words sent his head spinning. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Desire and anticipation swirled through Vicki. She shoved away the nightmare she’d been sucked into and focused on the gorgeous man who pushed the city speed limits while he maneuvered the car across town to his house, one hand on the steering wheel, the other twined with hers. An easy smile sketched his lips. Remaining watchful of the traffic, he still managed to glance in her direction, and each time, those eyes sent her heartbeat skyrocketing.

  In what seemed mere minutes, he pulled the Malibu into the driveway, shut off the engine, and leaned toward her.

  “Come here.” He brushed his lips over hers, teasing, testing.

  Heat flared in her chest, took her breath. After the kiss, she opened her eyes, pleased to find the interaction had the same effect on him. He eased forward again, but she pressed her finger to his lips.

  “You want another, you have to catch me.” She giggled and bolted from the car. The sooner they got inside the house, the sooner she could get him out of his clothes.

  Chasing after her, he pinned her to the door, brushing his lips over hers while he fumbled with the key. She clung to him as they shuffled inside, and he kicked the door closed behind them. His hot mouth skimmed down her neck, the sensations sending her head reeling.

  She pushed his jacket down his arms, revealing his firearm. Stepping back, she raked her gaze over him. The gun, the badge, the confidence. Oh, my. Why do I find the fact he’s a detective so damn sexy?

  “Serve and protect,” she whispered and swallowed.

  Without missing a beat, he released the shoulder holster, shrugged it off, and eased it to the floor. One step and his strong arms wrapped around her, his eyes dark with desire. “That’s exactly my plan.”

  She tugged his shirt up and over his head, exposing a muscular chest. Her hands ran wild with greed, and her lips followed, nipping and kissing his skin until his breath came in short ragged bursts. She unbuckled his belt, loosened his pants, and urged them downward. Using her hip to guide him around, she placed her hands flat on his chest and shoved him backward.

  Eyes wide, he glanced back, seemingly surprised to find the couch behind him. Within moments, he’d removed the remainder of his clothes and sat naked, waiting for her. “I caught you at the door. I believe you promised more.”

  Stepping from her shoes, she smiled. “I did, didn’t I?”

  She paused, staring at his delicious body. Every inch was tense, ready to pounce. A scintillating shudder rich with heat coursed down her spine.

  If he wanted more, she’d give it. But not all at once.

  She eased her blouse up, exposing her midriff. His focus shot to her bare skin, and he licked his lips. She ran her hands over her waist and stomach, splaying her fingers, teasing the shirt higher and higher until at last she shed it. The teal fabric wisped to the carpet.

  River clutched the throw pillow next to him. His predatory gaze confirmed he liked her impromptu striptease. He wanted her. And he was doing everything he could not to leap from the couch and grab her.

  She let her hands drift across her chest, over the sky blue strapless bra, and down to her hips. Trailing a finger along the waistband of her black jeans, she enjoyed the heat curling low in her body. He’s holding his breath, waiting to see what I do next. Satisfaction swept through her. Unable to torture him—or herself—any further, she moved to the couch and stood in front of him. Without waiting for permission, he lowered her jeans and helped her step free of them.

  “Lord have mercy.” He rested his hands on her hips and stared up at her. “When you promise more, you sure do deliver.”

  He pressed his lips to her stomach, sending delicious tingles between her thighs. His fingers trailed over the thin fabric covering her breasts, pinching and teasing until her nipples became taut. His touch, his mouth. Liquid heat filled her, triggering her body to pulse with need deep inside.

  “As much as I love this shade of blue….” His hands moved to her back, releasing the clasp on her bra, the straps slipping from her shoulders and down her arms. Lower, he hooked his thumbs beneath her waistband and slid her panties to the floor.

  Naked before him, she shuddered, desire dancing along her skin. His intense gaze seemed to drink her in. Emboldened, she straddled his legs, eased down onto his lap, and peered into his dark-blue eyes. Before coming to Savannah, she’d believed her fate set to a solitary existence. I’ve waited so long for a man like him. Strong, smart, capable. She caressed his shoulders then moved her fingers to the nape of his neck and toyed with his hair. And in less than two weeks, he’ll face the killer. How can I save him?

  He stared into her eyes, scanned her face. A crease marred his brow, reflecting unspoken concern. “What?” The word sounded rough, thick with need. “I…you….”

  “Yes.” She nodded. Rising up, she lowered herself onto him, taking him inside. “I need you.” Forever.

  The thought rang in her head. The commitment. The ri
ghtness.

  But no promises had been made. The topic of a relationship had not even been ventured. Was there a chance he felt something for her as well?

  She moved over him, his hands on her hips, supporting the rhythm she set. Tilting her head, she kissed him and spiraled higher until her body clenched around him. Pleasure swept over her as she crested.

  “River!” She threw her head back, sparks of light dancing behind her eyes.

  It didn’t matter whether he loved her or not.

  Her heart had chosen River Chastain.

  * * *

  There were things that just seemed to go together. Like hot sex followed by a good pizza and an ice-cold beer. One sated lust, the other offered fuel. Both fed the body and soul.

  River finished the frosty mug of ale and ordered a second. He looked across the table at the woman who’d just satisfied his physical hunger—blonde hair pulled back, enormous gray eyes soft with satisfaction. His stomach tensed at the sight of her, desire pooling low and instigating a renewed need of possession.

  Damn. I just took her less than an hour ago. He shifted in his seat, relieving the pressure of his tightening groin. Seemed his internal clock didn’t run along conventional times when it came to Vicki.

  He grabbed another slice from the pan to distract himself. “Is it me, or is this the best pizza ever?”

  “It is.” Vicki nibbled the point of a large piece, a wicked smile curving her lips. “But I’m sure the hot sex we just had is probably enhancing the flavor a bit.”

  He choked then grinned like an idiot.

  She laughed, and the genuine richness of it tore at him. She was what his mother had referred to as a pure soul, beautiful inside and out. A rare find in his line of work.

  A shadow flitted across her features, and the air seemed to shift. The same thing had occurred earlier during sex. He’d asked her what was wrong, but she’d brushed it off as nothing. Here it was again.

  “What’s up?” Attempting to cover his interrogation, he stuffed a large bite of pizza into his mouth. “Do I have sauce on my face?”

  “No.” A smile fluttered over her lips then disappeared, her eyebrows knitting. “Just thinking.”

  “About?”

  A war transpired within her eyes while she decided whether or not to speak her mind. Within moments, it appeared honesty won out. “The crime scene you went to this morning.”

  “What about it?”

  “You haven’t really said much.” She picked up her soft drink and sipped. “Did you find…her?”

  “No.” He chewed the bite of pizza he’d just taken, giving him time to decide how much he should tell her. At this point, she knew almost everything. Even had damned visions about the victims. Maybe she knew something that might help them find the missing girl. “We had a cop watching her. He was found at the scene. Murdered. The redhead you pointed out at the restaurant was gone.”

  She swallowed, cleared her throat. “Oh.”

  “Did you see anything else? Have another vision?”

  She shook her head, and guilt flickered in her eyes. “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “How then?”

  “I have a vision, get the symbols, then the event happens.” She shrugged. “Sometimes I’m there to see what happens. Other times, like these murders, the symbols are vague, too difficult to pin down, so I see it afterward.” Her shoulders slumped.

  “Probably for the best.”

  She had that beaten down look about her, as though she were a passenger on the train of her own living nightmare, and she couldn’t get off.

  Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his. “If you showed up when the actual event occurred, you might become a victim as well.”

  She clenched his fingers, and her mouth thinned. “Yes, but if I could figure out the location ahead of time, I might be able to prevent some of these senseless deaths.”

  Tilting his head, he narrowed his eyes. “Thought you believed in destiny.”

  “I do.” She huffed and slumped back into her chair. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him. “It’s not like I want to. It’s more like I’ve been forced to accept it as truth. God, if I could change it, have a way to save even a few of them….” She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “That would be a blessing.”

  “I bet. But then it gets into a gray area.” He raised his hand, signaling the waiter for the check. “How do you decide who to save?”

  “At least there would be a choice.” She grabbed her drink, toyed with the straw. The waiter dropped the check on the table and scurried away. “Even if I do get clear, specific symbols, I still never know exactly what’s going to happen, much less when. So what do I do? Run up to them like some mad woman, screaming to watch out because something awful is about to happen? What if I’m wrong, and they’re destined to win a new car or get a promotion?”

  He shook his head. What indeed.

  “Take our waiter, for instance.” She waved her hand toward the cash register. “His fate will take place in a bowling alley sometime in the next two weeks.”

  Oh, shit. River twisted in his seat, trying to get a look at the guy. “He’s on the list?”

  “The killer’s list?” She shook her head. “That guy’s just a run-of-the-mill vision. No pointed Ds.”

  His shoulders sagged with relief. She hadn’t seen another victim. Of course, Becca, Lenny, and he all remained on the killer’s list.

  “The point is the guy could meet his future spouse there.” She sucked soft drink through her straw. “Or he could choke on a chicken sandwich from the snack bar.”

  The waiter returned to collect payment for the meal.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, scooping up the bill along with River’s credit card.

  “Great.” He glanced at Vicki then turned back to the waiter, a young man probably somewhere in his mid-twenties. “Maybe you could help us out. My girl and I were thinking about knocking down some pins and wondered if you might know of a bowling alley anywhere around here.”

  The guy’s eyes lit up. “Sure. There’s one over on Victory.”

  “That the one you use?”

  “Yep. I’m on a league over there.”

  “Really? Tuesdays and Thursdays?”

  “No. Just Thursday nights. We’re the Pin-Knockers. Great group. You should try it sometime.” With a smile, he scurried to the register.

  River turned to Vicki. “So what would you do at this point? Every Thursday you go over to the bowling alley and watch the Pin-Knockers do their thing?”

  A sad smile touched her lips. “There are just two Thursdays I’d have to go.”

  Damn. She’s right. There’s a two-week timer on her visions. That means I have—what?—eight, nine days left? River glanced up. The corners of Vicki’s mouth pulled downward and creases furrowed her brow. Well, hell. She must have figured out I just calculated my own date with the devil.

  “Nine,” she said, confirming his theory.

  “Good to know.” He drained his beer. “Not that I believe in destiny.”

  River picked up his credit card and escorted Vicki out to the Malibu. Once situated inside, he started the engine and tried to decide what to do next. Her bleak outlook disheartened him. What better way to get past it than to face it head-on?

  “How about some closure?”

  She turned to him, her pensive expression morphing into curiosity. “Closure?”

  “If you don’t want to, it’s fine because it’s just a thought.” He pulled out onto the road. “How would you feel about visiting the crime scene?”

  She stared out the window. “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “It’s been processed, so we’d be clear to go in. But I was thinking if you went through, located all of the symbols you saw, we might find something.” He kept his expression relaxed. This wasn’t about finding clues to the murderer but more about giving Vicki a sense of completion. Besides, the Savannah Crime Division was a damned thorough bunch. Do
ubtful they’d missed anything. “It might help to know what route he took. Didn’t you say the symbols often lead to the event?”

  “Yes.” She tapped her foot on the floorboard, glanced over at him. “Okay. If you’re sure it’s all right.”

  River turned onto the road leading out into the marsh area that bordered parts of Savannah to the Atlantic Ocean. Angling onto a dark side street, he slowed. Moonlight illuminated the stand of wiry pines lining the edge of one side of the road and a thick marsh on the other.

  “Look.” River tapped the brakes and pointed out the window. On the marsh, a giant crane lifted into the air and flew over the car, disappearing above the trees. “I’ve seen several out near my house. It never gets old.”

  He turned into the first driveway on the left. After getting out his cell phone, he tapped the autodial for Dauscher. His partner picked up after the second ring.

  “You still at work?” River shut the car off.

  “Yeah.” His partner sighed. “Should be done in a bit. Wendy’s out shopping with her mother, so I’m on my own. What’s up, your date cancel on you?”

  “No.” He glanced at Vicki and, unable to stop himself, reached over and caressed the closest jean-clad thigh. “I’m on that now. As a matter of fact, we’re sitting in the driveway of the latest crime scene.”

  “You took her to the kidnapped waitress’s house?” Dauscher rumbled with surprise. “Good Lord in Heaven, man, you sure know how to show a girl a good time.”

  Not wanting to alert Vicki to his partner’s reaction, he nodded and kept his tone genial. “We were going to go in. Have a look around.”

  “Why in hell would you do that?” His partner’s surprise became infused with deeper misgivings. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. Just wanted you to know.” He pulled the keys from the ignition and opened his door. “One partner to another.”

  “Fine,” Dauscher growled. A moment passed, and then a resigned huff sounded. “Just be careful. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  River stepped out of the car, the crisp evening air enveloping him, and the smell of rich sea salt filled his nose. In the distance, a dog barked. He pushed his door closed, and a moment later, the passenger door thumped shut behind him.