Los Angeles

by Tiffany Aaron

  “I can have my aunt send some dental records out if we need them.” He sat on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on.

  Cassandra rubbed his back and he took a moment to lean into her touch. It was nice to know he had someone who cared to come back to.

  “No. You know what he looks like, right? And we have pictures of him, so that’ll be fine. His face isn’t bad.”

  “Text me the address. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” After hanging up, he let his hands dangle between his knees. “Tommy thinks they’ve found Patrick.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cassandra whispered.

  He lifted his shoulders then dropped them. “I knew it was bound to happen, and it’s not like I didn’t know he was already dead. I just hate having to identify him.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?”

  “No, honey. You stay in bed. If I can, I’ll come back here. If not, I’ll call you in the morning.” He kissed her goodbye before he left.

  * * * *

  Getting to the dumpsite thirty minutes later, Nevan stalked to where a group of people were gathered. He glanced over to see Tommy watching him.

  “You up to this? We can just go by pictures.”

  He nodded. “We weren’t close or anything. Let’s just get it over with so the coroner can take the body.”

  Tommy gestured to one of the techs who unzipped one end of the body bag. Nevan studied the bloated, pale and bruised face for a minute then nodded. “That’s Patrick.”

  “All right. You can take him to the ME now.”

  Nevan wandered a little way away towards the cars, knowing that he wouldn’t be compromising the scene in that direction. Propping his hands on his hips, he stared up at the black sky above him. For just one second, he felt like asking God why it had had to happen. He wouldn’t do that though, because he’d learned God had nothing to do with senseless tragedy any more than he had to do with the happiest occasions in the world.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in God. Oh he did because of everything he’d seen that wasn’t part of the normal world. It was just that he didn’t necessarily think God watched over every single second of every single person’s life here on earth.

  “Sorry, man.” Tommy slapped him on the back. “I assume you’re going to want to break the news to your aunt and family.”

  “Yeah, though they know he’s dead. They’ll be happy to know we found his body. The closure will be when they bury him.”

  He scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to get back into the policeman state of mind. He didn’t want to miss any clues that would lead to catching who did this. Nevan turned back to look at the dumpsite.

  “Have we found anything yet?”

  Tommy clicked his tongue against his teeth—an annoying habit Nevan had discovered his partner had when he was thinking. “One of the uniforms found a blood stained white robe. There’s no way of knowing until the labs come back, but I wouldn’t doubt we find out that the stains were from Patrick.”

  A white robe. Nevan filed that information away. So he really did have a link to that group Cassandra had seen in her vision. It looked it was a druidic ritual gone bad or maybe not bad, considering how much they’d taken. Maybe Patrick had to die to make the magic work.

  Nevan shook his head. No matter how much he believed in spirits and fallen angels, he never assumed he’d be involved in something that had to do with magic, and apparently blood magic at that.

  “We’re still scouring the scene.” Tommy poked Nevan in the side. “Who are you seeing? Those are the same clothes you left work in yesterday.”

  He trusted Tommy to take a bullet for him and to back him up when he needed it, but he wasn’t going to tell him about Cassandra. Not yet at least. He wanted to talk to her about it before he started telling everyone about their relationship.

  “I’m not telling you yet. Too early. Don’t want to jinx it.”

  Tommy nodded wisely. “Gotcha. I was the same way when I started seeing Sheldon. Didn’t tell anyone for a year. I wanted to make sure he was the right one before I got my mom all worked up over nothing.”

  Nevan walked towards his car. “Do I need to stay here any longer?”

  “No. I’ll stick around for a little bit longer, but I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

  “Thanks.” He waved before he climbed into his vehicle. An uneasy feeling crawled up his spine and he just knew there was a spirit in the backseat. Gritting his teeth, he looked in the rear view mirror and shrunk back when he met Patrick’s gaze. “Fuck!”

  Patrick blinked then smiled when he realised Nevan could see him. He gestured wildly and Nevan nodded.

  “Yeah, I can see you, but damned if I know what you’re trying to say,” he muttered. After turning the car on, he pulled into traffic, trying not to get too distracted by the upset ghost sitting behind him.

  “Listen, Patrick. I see you. I don’t know how to go about hearing you. If you can stick with me, I can take you to someone who might be able to hear you. Do you understand me?”

  Patrick nodded and Nevan noticed how nice-looking his cousin was. Thank God, he didn’t look like his body did. Nevan didn’t think he would be able to deal with seeing that face every time he looked up.

  “Did August McCallen have anything to do with this?”

  His cousin nodded. Well, it wouldn’t be admissible in court, but it helped Nevan to know they were on the right path.

  “Was he the one who killed you?”

  Patrick shook his head then said something. Nevan shrugged to show that he didn’t understand.

  “Does this have anything to do with a group of druids looking to open a gate to somewhere?”

  If a ghost could beam with happiness, Patrick did. Nevan tried to think of other questions, but before he could, his phone rang. Using the Bluetooth, he answered, “Largent.”

  “Hey. I was just checking up to make sure you’re okay,” Cassandra said.

  He smiled. “I’m fine—or as fine as I can be, considering I just ID’d my cousin’s body.”

  “That’s rough.” Cassandra cleared her throat. “Were you coming back tonight?”

  “I’d like to, if it’s all right.” He didn’t want to push himself on her, but her place was neutral territory when it came to spirits.

  He could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s fine if you come back. I realise after you left that you don’t have a key to get back in. I’ll stay up until you get here.”

  “I’m going to bring some company.” No point in surprising her by just showing up with Patrick.

  “Oh okay. I have a guest room they can use. “

  He chuckled. “I’m not sure he can sleep. Of course, he’s already dead so it’s a moot point anyway.”

  “Dead?” There was a second of silence then she said, “Is Patrick’s spirit with you?”

  Nevan glanced in the mirror to check. “Yes. He’s still there.”

  “Well this could be interesting. We might learn some things.”

  “I already know that McCallen was involved, though I have no idea in what capacity. I can see him, but I can’t hear him.”

  Cassandra sighed. “That’s to be expected. You’ve spent all of your life walling them out that you never developed the ability to hear as well. Though I’m not a hundred per cent sure those gifts always go together.”

  Nevan exhaled. “Good. I don’t care at the moment which I have. All I want to know is, do you think you could hear him? He might be able to help us find who killed him.”

  “I might. Just get him here and we’ll go from there.” She hung up without saying goodbye.

  “Goodbye to you,” he mumbled as he checked the spirit’s presence one more time before he concentrated on getting them both to Cassandra’s.

  Cassandra met him at the door when he got to her house a little later. She threw her arms around him, holding him tight. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her floral scent.

  “I love you,” he announc
ed.

  She stiffened and pulled away from him. “What did you say?”

  He could pretend he’d said something else. He hadn’t meant to tell her that so soon. It had only been a few days and how did he know that he felt that way? Yet he looked into those gorgeous hazel eyes that didn’t see actual images, but could see into the soul of a man, and he knew it was true.

  “I love you,” he said again.

  “Are you serious?” She grabbed his hand to drag him into the living room where she dropped on the couch. He joined her.

  “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.” He cupped her face in his hands then lifted so he could kiss her. “I know it’s probably way too soon, but we know each other, Cassandra. We know each other’s deepest and darkest secret. There’s nothing to hide.”

  She kissed him back then said, “I love you too, Nevan.”

  Something settled in his soul like there’d been a piece missing and now it was back. He was complete when before he’d struggled to find his place in the world.

  Chapter Six

  Nevan could’ve knocked Cassandra over with a feather. She was so shocked by his admission that she wasn’t completely sure she wasn’t still asleep and it was all a dream.

  “I love you too, Nevan,” she said.

  “Good for you, Cassandra. You were always the bravest of us.” Lucifer’s voice traced a whisper through her mind.

  “You can be brave.”

  “I know I can be brave,” Nevan replied and she blinked.

  Shit! She’d said that out loud. Cassandra kissed Nevan again before he could say anything else.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist then pulled her onto his lap. She ended up straddling his thighs. She ground herself against the bulge under the zipper of his jeans. The crotch of her panties was wet, and she shuddered at the slightly rough feel of the cotton fabric over her clit.

  Nevan ran his hands down her back to cup her butt then squeezed her cheeks before slipping under her clothes. He broke their kiss. “We need to get these off you.”

  She stood on the couch, one foot on either side of his legs. Bracing her hand on his shoulder, she let him strip off her underwear and T-shirt. After he did that, he brought her pussy to his mouth.

  He ran his tongue over her inner lips then, using one hand, he spread them to expose the piece of flesh that brought her the most pleasure. Tongue, lips and teeth were applied to make her squirm and beg until need blocked every word she could think and all she could do was moan.

  Then he pushed three fingers in at once, and she bowed, savouring the burn and stretch. Once she got used to it, he started alternating between them and his tongue.

  “Oh Nevan,” she groaned.

  Her orgasm hit her and she cried out as she came. When her legs couldn’t hold her any more, Nevan helped her lie on the couch. She smiled up at him, knowing he leaned over her. She heard the jingle of his belt buckle, then the hiss of his zipper as he pulled it down. The rustling sound of jeans being pushed down to the floor caught her attention next.

  She held out her arms to welcome him against her. His weight pinned her to the cushions but Cassandra didn’t care. She loved the heat of him and the strength of his body. It made her feel safe and cared for in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  He eased her thighs apart then positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. “I love you,” he breathed against her lips as he invaded her core.

  Cassandra raised her hips, encouraging him to go as far as he could without stopping or worrying about hurting her. All she could think about was Nevan coming inside her and giving him the joy she’d felt.

  They moved together in a dance to music she swore only played in their minds. It was perfect and beautiful and everything she’d been looking for. Oh, she’d loved her late husbands, but there hadn’t been this link with them that she had with Nevan.

  He licked down to her nipple then sucked on it in rhythm with his thrusts, and she held the back of Nevan’s head to keep him there.

  “Nevan, I love you.”

  Her declaration was all he seemed to need to lose control. His movements grew less smooth and fell apart at the end. He thrust as deep as he could, and yelled her name as he flooded her.

  The heat shocked her and she realised he didn’t use a condom. Again, it wasn’t like she could get pregnant, but he’d seemed rather concerned about protection and she hadn’t challenged him on it. It hadn’t mattered, yet now he’d made love to her without a condom. And that was the surest sign of his love.

  She held him as he shuddered and trembled until he collapsed in her arms, sweaty and panting. He kissed her for a few breathless minutes before he heaved himself off her. Cassandra wrinkled her nose at the feel of his cum trickling down her legs when he helped her stand.

  A heavy silence filled the room and she knew it was right then that he realised what he’d done. Reaching out to put her hand on his chest over his heart, she smiled up at him.

  “I don’t mind. I told you I can’t have children and fallen angels can’t carry human STDs. So even if you have one, I can’t get it.”

  “I don’t have a STD.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at how insulted he sounded.

  “Let’s go take a bath, then we can go back to bed.”

  A cold breeze hit her and she froze.

  “Fuck!” Nevan was shoving her arms into his shirt and covering her up. “I forgot about Patrick.”

  His cousin.

  “Did he watch us?” Admittedly, being watched while having sex wasn’t that big a deal for her. But it might upset Nevan to have anyone else see her naked, even if that person was dead.

  “I don’t think so. He just appeared and you walked through him.”

  That would account for the cold spot. She organised her thoughts. “All right. I’m going upstairs to clean up and get dressed. I’ll be right back down. Don’t get started until I come back.”

  “I’m making some coffee,” Nevan muttered.

  “Can you let Kaiser out?” she called as she dashed upstairs.

  “Yeah.”

  Cassandra washed up then dressed as quickly as possible. The entire time she could hear a low murmuring in the back of her head and it wasn’t Lucifer or Mika’il. Whoever it was sounded irritated and a little scared. The voice wouldn’t clear until she concentrated on it, but she didn’t want to do that until Nevan was there to listen.

  As she came back down, Nevan yelled from the kitchen. “We’re back here.”

  “We?” She got another face full of cold air.

  “Yeah, my cousin Patrick who you just walked through again. Hey, man, she can’t see you, so that’s just rude.” Annoyance tinted Nevan’s voice.

  Laughing, she took her usual seat at the table and found her coffee mug right where she always set it ready for the next morning.

  “Be careful. I filled it a little fuller than usual,” Nevan warned.

  “Thanks.” She took one cautious sip before setting her cup down and waved her hand in the general direction of Nevan. “Should we get started? I’ve been hearing him talking in the back of my mind since he arrived. I need him out of there or I’ll get a headache.”

  Nevan took the seat to her right and while she had no idea where Patrick was, she sensed his presence.

  “This is how it’s going to work. I’ll ask Patrick the question and you tell me what he’s saying, Cassandra,” Nevan ordered.

  “Sounds good to me.” Taking a breath, she cleared her mind then welcomed Patrick to come up front and centre. He came in a rush, shouting and begging. “Slow down. Stop shouting.”

  Nevan took her hand and she squeezed it, more for his reassurance than hers. She’d done this sort of thing before. Once he realised she wasn’t going to block him, he’d calm down and they could get started.

  “Patrick, shut up.”

  Patrick went quiet in her head and she sighed. “Okay, I can hear you, so you don’t have to shout. Just talk norm
al.”

  “I can’t believe I’m fucking dead, man.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” she told him.

  “Well, that’s what I get for wanting to gain power. They fed me all the right lines and I fell for them.”

  “Do you know who killed you, Patrick,” Nevan asked.

  “Yes and no. I don’t know their names and I never saw their faces. It was a group of neo-druids, or at least that’s what I thought they were.”

  She repeated his answer word for word.

  “You thought they were?”

  She almost saw him shrug. “I went to this club meeting, right? McCallen was the one who invited me. Anyway, the club isn’t where these people are. I was contacted at a meeting. If I wanted to know more about ancient druids, I should go to this fountain in this park.”

  “Please wait for a second while I tell Nevan,” she requested.

  Patrick fell silent, so Cassandra quickly updated Nevan on what he’d told her.

  “What fountain? What park? I need specifics, Patrick.”

  She gave him the directions to get there like Patrick had received them.

  “So once you got there, what happened?”

  There was the faintest scratch of a pen on paper. Of course, Nevan would be taking notes. None of what he got was admissible in court because no one would believe a ghost told them about it, but it could give them leads to follow.

  “I stood there for ten minutes and no one came. Just as I was about to leave, someone hits me over the head and I’m out. When I wake up, I’m dressed in this white robe in the corner of this stone room. There was a circle of twelve hooded figures surrounding an altar where a thirteenth person stood. I could hear his voice, so I knew it was a guy.”

  This time Patrick paused on his own, obviously having figured out that Cassandra would need time to inform Nevan.

  “How many times did you go to these ceremonies?”

  Patrick hummed as he thought and Cassandra was annoyed by it. “I went to maybe six ceremonies and chatted with a few of them online. If you check my computer, you’ll see the emails. Anyway, I told them about our family and how we have the gift and all that.”

  “Did you tell them you had the gift?”