Kiss of Souls

by Morgan Kelley

  “Beau.”

  “Don’t, Nyx. Just don’t.”

  She got it.

  That part of his life was off limits, even when it shouldn’t be to the woman he was going to marry. Then again, she’d done all of the Evangeline shit behind his back.

  Turnabout was fair play.

  “We should talk.”

  “No, we shouldn’t. You won’t like what I have to say, and if I go there, I’ll get mad. I’ll probably get body jumped by this monster you brought into our home.”

  That said it all.

  Why was she even trying to save what they had?

  “I’m leaving,” she stated. “When I go, she’ll follow. I’m packing as soon as we stop this conversation.”

  He turned to stare at her.

  “Running? Great timing. I don’t know why I’m shocked,” he admitted. “Don’t worry. We’ll have my sister clean this mess up too.”

  It stung, but she was done fighting.

  “Don’t put this on me. I’ve been sticking as best I can, but you don’t want me here. Just say it. You’re over us. It’ll be easier than if you pretend that this is all on me. If you really loved me, you wouldn’t keep beating this dead horse. I made a mistake. We all have.”

  He turned.

  “I’ll lure her away with me, and when she destroys me, you’ll be free. She’s tied to me, not any of you. I’m going to go so far away, you’ll be safe. I’d die for you, Beau, and I likely will. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

  He watched her.

  For the first time in a while, he noticed something. It was killing her. She was hosting a parasite that was destroying her. The smile was no longer there, Nyx didn’t laugh anymore, and she looked like she was aging before him.

  He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he was so angry at the betrayal. He trusted her to protect him like he protected her. Then a part of him was pissed he’d not seen this coming.

  She’d been broken, and he let her go under. So much for being the man.

  He’d failed.

  Instead of holding onto her, he let go.

  Beau Christensen set her free. He was too battered, bruised, and beat down to fight anymore.

  He simply wanted silence.

  “If that’s what you want,” he offered.

  Nyx’s face said it all. This was the end of the road, and the end of their relationship.

  Here was her defeat. Once she lost him, there was nothing left to fight for, and she knew it.

  Beau had given up on her.

  And she’d given up on herself too.

  “I won’t stop you, Nyx. I can’t. I’m too tired to play these kinds of games.”

  His words hurt.

  She went to leave but she stopped.

  “If it matters, I would have fought for you until the end,” she said. “I would have gone down with you. Had they tossed you in jail, I would have visited, I would have waited for you, and I never would have stopped trying to help you.”

  He stared at her.

  “I can see that you wouldn’t have done that for me. You’re a coward, Beau. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not that.”

  Those words were the end to his limit.

  He snapped.

  When he moved toward her, grabbing her arms, she cowered. The anger was in his eyes, and she feared him.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  He set her free like his fingers were burning. “Nyx,” he said, unsure what to say. He’d never grabbed a woman like that before, and he wasn’t sure if it had been him or Evangeline’s influence. Either way, it didn’t sit right in his gut.

  “I’ll go. Just don’t hurt me. Please.”

  He was horrified.

  Was he that far gone that she thought he was capable of that?

  “Nyx.”

  She didn’t answer him. Instead, she moved around him, grabbed her purse, and keys. When she stopped at the door, he thought it was to speak to him.

  “Evangeline, we’re leaving. You have to come. I summon you back to me.”

  The air cooled.

  Her body shifted.

  Nyx walked out—this time her head high and attitude re-adjusted by the dead. She was no one’s punching bag—not anymore.

  Beau called for her.

  He even called for Evangeline.

  But she didn’t look back.

  Not once.

  She was gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  W hen Tori got the call, she wasn’t sure what the hell to think. Beau didn’t sound right. He was mumbling and acting weird. So, like any good sister, she forced her husband to go over there and check with her. Her gut was screaming, and that couldn’t be good.

  When they arrived at their brownstone, the door was locked and Beau wasn’t answering. That scared the hell out of her.

  What if he was sick?

  “What do you want to do?” Julian asked.

  “Pick it,” she stated.

  Julian did it, and he prayed that they didn’t stroll into something they didn’t need to see—like two people fornicating on the living room floor.

  As they headed into the brownstone, the place was destroyed.

  The furniture was flipped.

  The walls were punched out.

  There was chaos everywhere. Here was what she feared most on the ride over there.

  Immediately, Tori’s mind went there.

  Evangeline.

  This had to be the demon.

  With no regard for herself, Tori rushed past the mess to find her brother. That was her only concern. If he were hurt…

  God!

  She wanted to be sick.

  Scouring the place, she finally found him. Beau was on the bathroom floor, an empty bottle of Jack between his knees as he slipped in and out of his drunken stupor.

  She tapped his face.

  He mumbled.

  “Where’s Nyx?” she asked, trying not to breathe in the stench of vomit and stale booze.

  “Left. She left me. I’m all alone.”

  Tori looked over at her husband. “Do you want the drunk who might puke on you or the possessed employee?” she asked.

  If this wasn’t serious, Julian would have laughed.

  “Well, there’s a choice no boss ever thinks he’s going to hear.”

  Their team was imploding, starting with Nyx and Beau. Something had to be done.

  And soon.

  Tori waited.

  “Shit, babe. Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Fine. I’ll take the demon, and you get the vomiting, blood-relation,” he stated. “I had Justin when he went off the reservation.”

  Honestly, he’d rather her be inside where it was completely safe. He’d wander the streets, but Tori…he couldn’t risk her. This case was going to hell in a handbasket with the police dogging them, and he was a little bit calmer.

  That was all kinds of ironic.

  “Be safe, and don’t do anything stupid,” Julian warned his wife.

  She got it.

  Julian was over this too. Since this was her brother, and his fiancée, she was going to handle the mess.

  “Okay, works for me.”

  Julian headed out, and Tori helped strip her brother down to his boxers.

  Yeah, this was awkward. He was going to be super embarrassed when he sobered up.

  Well, he deserved it for drinking like an asshole. When Julian found Nyx, she was going to kick her ass too.

  Enough was enough.

  This was infringing on their lives and business. Tori could be with her husband and their team. Instead, she was babysitting adults.

  It had gotten old.

  “Beau, what the hell did you do?” she asked, as she dragged his ass into the big shower.

  Then she took one for the team and held him as the cold water came on.

  Family was going to be the death of her.

  Here was the proof.

  Where d
id one find a possessed woman in Delta Falls? One who walked away from her fiancé carrying one hell of a ticking demon time bomb?

  He didn’t even know where to start.

  So, Julian used their resources. He made a call to find Nyx. He tagged Roman to use the FBI software to locate her.

  It had been easier than he thought.

  It turned out that she’d checked into a hotel not far away, and he didn’t think it was to have a séance. It was one more dive motel and his gut was warning him it was going to be bad.

  When he pulled up and headed in to ask for some information at the desk, it took a little time. The guy at the desk wanted a bribe.

  Well, he got one.

  Julian headed to the room, his wallet a hundred bucks lighter, but he got the information he needed.

  At the door, he knocked.

  Nothing.

  He knocked and called for her.

  She didn’t answer.

  Julian was at about his limit for breaking and entering, but he knew what Tori would want him to do it. The couple needed an intervention, and they were it.

  The only bright spot in this whole thing was that he wasn’t likely going to get puked on. Nyx wasn’t a drinker.

  Or so he hoped.

  Picking his second lock for the night, Julian entered the room. There, lying prone in the bed, was Nyx.

  He didn’t even have to ask who else was there. Julian could feel the cold claws of evil all over the place. It sent shivers down his spine as his breath turned into a mist.

  Nyx was surrounded by evil. Evangeline was copping a squat in the room or Nyx’s body.

  “YOU. HAVE. TO. HURRY,” Trey stated, as the channels on the radio flipped wildly.

  He could feel Bethany there beside him, holding onto his arm. Julian wasn’t sure if she was pulling him toward the bed or trying to hold him back.

  But she wasn’t happy.

  “THE. WICKED. WITCH. WANTS. TO. KILL. HER. NYX. IS. GOING. TO. LET. HER. TO. SAVE. BEAU.”

  Well, that wasn’t good.

  That choice was going to create all kinds of shit. He had to do something.

  Reaching into his pocket, he picked up the one thing he’d used against the dead.

  Holy water.

  This was his own special brew. He’d mixed Dead Sea Salts into it. It was ironic, and he hoped oh, so potent.

  “Back off,” Julian muttered, tossing the liquid onto Nyx to break Evangeline’s hold on her.

  The dead demon-woman screamed in anger and her voice reverberated through the room.

  ‘Mine!’ it wailed. ‘She is mine!’

  Julian prayed that no one outside the room could hear it. If they did, they’d think he was killing someone.

  Evangeline wailed again.

  ‘You can’t have her!’

  Oh, Julian wasn’t leaving her behind. He now realized that the voice wasn’t in the room, but in his own head. So, he dumped some water on himself for good measure.

  Nyx’s body bowed as Evangeline struggled to stay in the woman’s body.

  It wasn’t happening. Julian wasn’t giving up. He knew what would happen if Beau lost Nyx.

  What would happen if they lost her.

  Lena was gone, but they weren’t going to be burying another person they loved.

  Instead, he went for the second part of his defense against the dead.

  Julian whipped a pocket full of salt at the woman. It seemed to have the desired effect. The cool began abating as the dead entity backed off.

  “GET. HER. WARM.”

  “Gee, thanks, Trey. I wasn’t aware,” he muttered as he stared down at Nyx’s blue lips. She looked like she was on the threshold of death, teetering on the edge.

  “GET. HER. BACK. TO. BEAU.”

  Julian didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he wasn’t going to stick around to see what could happen. Evangeline wouldn’t be down long, and since he was moving her prone vessel, she was likely going to follow.

  Great.

  Grabbing Nyx, he wrapped her in the disgusting comforter, and scooped her into his arms. At the door, he grabbed her purse and pulled it shut.

  Outside, the media was taking his picture.

  Oh.

  Holy.

  Shit!

  This was going in the tabloids.

  He could see it now.

  ‘Julian Littlemoon abducts dead body from seedy motel to have perverted threesome with wife.’

  “Nyx, you had better have a really awesome explanation for this one, or I’m going to kick your ass myself,” he muttered, starting up his ride.

  And he would.

  Enough was enough.

  He was taking back control of his family, his life, and his imploding business. Julian was about over all of this nonsense.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  Julian sighed. “Hang in there, Nyx.” He was calming down. He wasn’t good with broken women. He tended to screw it up.

  Nyx whimpered from the back seat, and then closed her eyes.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  She didn’t want to do this anymore. Nyx wasn’t happy to see Julian. This was the worst thing that could happen.

  She’d almost been free.

  If she was gone, Evangeline wouldn’t have a vessel. She wouldn’t have someone to squat in, and they could get rid of her easily.

  Yes, it would cost Nyx her life, but it would be worth it to save them.

  And now that wouldn’t happen.

  It was her worst freaking nightmare.

  And it was only going to get worse.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  Detective Arsen Wood’s

  Apartment

  He didn’t have his original files on the case, but fortunately, Arsen had the fortitude to make copies before he had to hand the case over to the new detectives. As he sat on his couch, drinking a beer, he began scouring his notes.

  It was driving him insane.

  They had to be missing something, but what?

  That was the million-dollar question and for the life of him, he didn’t know where to even begin. He was following the same procedure he did with every case, but somehow, he had to have missed something.

  It was the only possibility.

  He began reviewing what he knew.

  Shelby Christensen was blackmailing people. So far, what they had learned was that the attorney, the man who was paying her off the longest, was now dead.

  To him, he wasn’t sure if it was a suicide or more. At this point, it was a crapshoot. It could go either way.

  Then there was a man who was clearly a junkie.

  He thought about what Tori Littlemoon had said. Her mother did have Oxycodone in her system, and no pills to be found.

  So, was she blackmailing Xavier Lake by selling to him? Was she originally his dealer?

  Did he steal her drugs?

  How did he fit into this mystery?

  The questions overwhelmed him.

  Arsen began flipping through the bootleg copies of his partner’s notes. He’d swiped them when the man wasn’t looking. Jamie Brewer always insisted on keeping his own notes so he could think ‘outside the box’, so when he headed to the locker room to grab his workout bag before he went home, Arsen did the deed.

  Honestly, he really believed Jamie’s aloofness, while quirky, to be detrimental to their team.

  How were they supposed to work as a unit if one person held back?

  It was as if he didn’t trust anyone.

  Then Arsen realized he was being a hypocrite.

  Yeah, the whole thing was ironic, since Arsen had been helping the Littlemoons behind his partner’s back. He was doing the same thing Jamie Bender was, but he was being even more sneaky.

  Still…

  Jamie had been acting odd. He could feel it to his bones. As he scoured his notes, what he found was surprising.

  His own partner had been holding back.

  Holy shit!

>   He’d known about the Oxycodone the whole time, and he’d never told him. He had been working it on his own as if it were a drug angle.

  In the side notes, he found the proof scribbled as a message to himself.

  ‘Suspected selling of drugs. Start here.’

  Why hadn’t Jamie told him that?

  Each morning, they had a meeting over coffee to discuss what they had pondered the night before. That was how they worked.

  Why did this get skipped?

  It was irritating and amusing. His partner was on the same path that the Littlemoons were taking. Tori believed that drugs were in play too.

  One question remained.

  How did he miss it?

  He wasn’t sure.

  All he did know was his partner and he weren’t working a full case. He was doing his thing, and Jamie was doing his.

  Well, this was the outcome.

  Chaos.

  From here on out, he was going to have to be more of a team player—including not going behind his partner’s back. That was totally wrong and on him.

  This had made a mess.

  And now he was on his own.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  Beau and Nyx’s

  Townhouse

  He got Nyx back and was in time to see Tori helping her brother stumble his way to bed. He was clean, damp, and Tori was a wet mess.

  “Shower, huh?” he asked, as he unrolled Nyx like a burrito onto the bed and against the drunken man.

  “Yeah, I got to see my brother naked. This is probably one of the worst nights of my life. I now have to go home and bleach my eyeballs.”

  Julian snorted. “I feel your pain. I once walked in on Claire changing in her office. I wanted to jump out a window. I saw breasts. It ruins a person.”

  Tori appreciated his humor.

  She needed it.

  Glancing down at the bed, she pointed at the woman. “What’s her story? Where was she?” she asked, as she tucked them both into the bed, side by side. “Did you have to knock her out?”