Truth Is Found (27 page)

“You’re tougher than this, Marine. You will get over this. Remember what you told me when Julian and I couldn’t get pregnant? You told me you had my back. Well, that’s why I’m here. I have yours too.”

“My wife and child suffered because I’m a screw up. How do I live after that?”

“Well, you won’t find the damn answer in the bottom of a bottle, Justin. We’ve been down this road. You get mad, you drink, and you lose control. It’s a trigger for you, so you can’t do it. You have everyone worried, including Vivian.”

“I can’t face her, Tori. I’m afraid to face her.”

She understood. “You can’t run forever. You have to man up and talk to your wife. She’s just as afraid as you are.”

“I’ve lost all I loved in a matter of seconds.”

Tori went to speak, but she was distracted. There was music beginning to play, and that meant Bethany was taking her for a little trip.

“I can help,” she stated, praying she held on.

The curtains in the room began blowing, and the lights flickered. When Justin stopped, he looked around.

“What the hell?”

He looked around, eyes wide at what was happening. The old beer bottles on the table from his bender flipped upside down, magically balancing on their openings.

“Jesus!”

Yeah, hardly,

“You’re about to get a message from the beyond,” she stated, standing from the chair. “Give me a few minutes. I have to talk to Bethany.”

He looked at her like she was half out of her mind. They’d not told the family everything about her gift. Yes, Claire knew, but only because she’d seen it happen. Justin only heard about it, and even then, he thought they were yanking his chain.

It looked like Justin was about to get a firsthand look at it.

“Just don’t let me fall,” she whispered as the room around them came to life.

“I’m ready.”

With that, the decent into Crazyville began. Tori could feel herself sinking through the layers until the gray went black, and then morphed back into gray again. When she opened her eyes, there stood her little spirit friend.

“It’s about damn time!” Bethany said, pacing across the now empty room.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been a little busy,” she stated.

“You call cheating on me with some other ghost busy?” Bethany asked.

Tori began laughing. “You realize how crazy that sounds, right? You’re jealous of my dead brother’s ghost. That’s three days past stalkerish and into dead weird.”

“More like the woman he’s coming through. You might not need me anymore.”

Tori didn't have time for this. “Bethany, I promise I will always need you. We’re friends.”

That seemed to appease the dead woman. “Okay. I believe
you.”

Finally
.

Tori was back in control. Her spirit guide was chilling out.

“What’s he doing?” she asked, looking around the room. “Is he running for it?”

Bethany blinked and then started to laugh. “No, I’ve locked the door. He’s not going anywhere. He is staring at you like you have three heads.”

“Well, keep him busy. I can’t go chasing him all over the place.”

“Two Julians? How lucky are you?”

She pointed. “There’s only one, and I’m not sleeping with him. He’s my brother and married.”

She lifted her hands. “Okay! Calm down. You used to have a sense of humor.”

“What did you want to tell me?” she asked.

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with him. He’s stressing this for nothing. That baby wasn’t meant to survive. In fact, she wasn’t going to be born. Fate just stepped in and saved them the pain of losing her later.”

“Well, gee. Let me go tell him that so he can take a header off my building.”

Bethany laughed. “There’s more.”

Tori waited. After all, this was Bethany’s show.

“His wife is going to get pregnant again…well, she’s meant to if he gets past this. He’s at a crossroad. If he chooses right, he’s going to get his child back.”

“What?”

“The soul will be recycled. Tell him that. When they get pregnant again, they’ll be getting that child returned to them, just in a new vessel, plus they’ll get another baby.”

“Twins?”

Bethany nodded. “Two girls. His fate isn’t sealed yet, but if he doesn’t fix this, they will be.”

Tori grinned. “There are days I love having you around.”

“Oh, and days you don’t?”

“Absolutely.”

While she was there, Tori figured she needed more information. She needed the three girls’ names. “Can you get their identities for me? A first name at least?”

Bethany crossed to her. “I can, but you’ll have to be on the property. If I try from here, it’s going to take a lot of energy, and you and I aren’t strong enough.”

She could do that.

“I’ll do it back in the room.”

“Tori, I have to tell you something.”

She didn't like that. “What?”

“There’s more spirits there now. Someone else has crossed, and there’s a lot of anger. The girls aren’t alone.”

Great.

More ghosts.

Why couldn’t this case be simple?

“Am I in danger?”

She thought about it. “You’re all in danger. I’ll stick close, and I’ll try and warn you if something comes up, but watch yourself. You won’t get another chance at motherhood.”

Tori’s hands went to her baby bump. “Only one child?”

Bethany nodded.

Well, if that was the case, she’d make sure nothing happened to Veronica.

“There’s a man at the vineyard, and with each death, he’s getting more and more angry. He won’t come through. You’re going to need help.”

“From who? The freaking Ghostbusters?” she asked.

“You're funny.”

“An exorcist?”

“Hey! That’s not amusing! I’ll be sent away too. I was thinking more like your brother’s girlfriend. She’s like a lightning rod. If you can get her to focus past your brother, and I mean the dead one, not the sexy live one, she’ll tune in to him.”

“Like a radio?”

“Yes. You need her and a séance to figure out who he is. I’ve tried to ask, but every time I get close, he threatens me. He’s crazy and dangerous.”

“Is he the spirit who attacked Beau?”

She nodded. “Where he is, you’ll find the girls. He’s protecting them, and he’s collecting the new souls as they pass.”

“Is he evil?”

“No, he’s just lost like I once was. You need to set him and the rest free. He’s not supposed to be collecting spirits. It’s dangerous.”

“Great.”

Bethany shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Well, a séance it is then. I’ll be back when I get to the vineyard. I’ll need those names. Please don’t let them hurt me when they come through.”

She recalled the last time she played medium to multiple angry spirits.

“I’ll stick close,” Bethany promised, even as Tori began slipping back to reality.

When she opened her eyes, Justin was super close, and looked incredibly freaked out. She couldn’t blame him.

“Tori?”

“Yeah, welcome to my haunting. It’s a fun time for me and all involved.”

He didn't know what to say. “That was scary. I couldn’t get out the door and my phone was drained of all the charge.”

“Yeah, Bethany it pretty strong. She’s been dead almost eighty years. She can pretty much do what she wants.”

The lights went out.

“Bethany! Knock it off.”

There was laughter, and they went back on.

Justin looked around. “Okay, your gift is scarier than Vivian’s.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my cross to bear. You need to sit down. What I’m going to tell you is big.”

He stared at her. Maybe he was very drunk, and this was some dream.

“Okay.”

Tori sat beside him. “When we got pregnant, Bethany was the reason. She helped us out. Now she has a message for you.”

He lifted a brow. “For me?”

“Yes. There are two paths ahead, Marine. If you continue down this one, you’re going to be very unhappy.”

“And?”

“Fate has plans for you. I’m going to ask you to trust me with what I’m going to tell you.”

“Okay.”

She took his hand in hers. As soon as her brother-in-law slept, she was going to call his wife. They needed to work through this together.

“Yes, you lost your child, but it’s only temporarily.”

He stared at her.

“Vivian has another pregnancy down the line. I know you think I’m crazy, but Bethany is pretty spot on.”

“I don’t know if I can do this again. It hurts too much to lose a child.”

“You didn't lose her. She was temporarily yanked back to wherever souls go. She’s coming back, and she’s bringing a friend.”

He stared at her. “What?”

“If you fix this here and now, you’ll have more kids, and the one you lost will come through again. You’ll have twins.”

He tried to think.

“I’m going to ask that you keep this between us. I trust you with my secret, Justin. I’m giving you something to get you through this.”

He didn't speak. Instead, he broke.

“Really?” he whispered, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand.

“Yes, Marine. There’s an end in sight.”

He couldn’t hold back anymore. His heart stopped hurting, and there was a release of weight from his shoulders.

He didn't lose his child forever. It was only temporary. That alone gave him so much hope. The misery ebbed away.

Tori pulled him against her, and held him in her arms. “Let it out, Justin. It’s going to be better. I promise.”

They were given a second chance.

It was a miracle.

One they never thought would come.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When she woke, her head was pounding, and she was as naked as the day she was born. Her first thought was to be horrified. After that had passed, she tried to place where she was.

It seemed her knight in shining armor struck again.

Beau had tucked her into bed and was waiting bedside her. His hand was firmly in hers, and there was a sense of peace, not embarrassment when she realized he’d seen her naked.

Again.

With any other person, she would have been mortified, but with him, she was thrilled to see him.

“Bad, huh?” he asked, noticing the lines of stress were gone from her forehead. She must have been able to focus, and he was glad.

She simply laughed.

As he moved closer, she moved away. Their only contact was their twined fingers.

Her putting space between them registered on his face. He looked surprised, and hurt.

“Sorry. I assumed you wanted to be comforted,” he muttered, moving back to his original spot.

Nyx knew she hurt him, but if she let him kiss her, they were both going to be naked. She couldn’t do that to him.

Not without giving him all the horrible truths.

Beau deserved it. She’d promised honesty, and she always kept her word--even when it scared her.

“We have to talk.”

“Uh oh.”

That didn't sound good at all.

Beau fully expected her to run. Why wouldn’t she?  His brother was making her suffer, and she was in pain because of his family.

“Yeah, it’s not going to be a good talk, Beau.”

“If you want me to leave, I will. I’ll never bother you again,” he stated. While he wanted to force himself on her, he wouldn’t.

He couldn’t.

Beau vowed never to be like his father, Lawrence Christensen. Even if it hurt to leave her, he’d never take away her free will.

Ever.

“You deserve the truth. Before we move this any further along, I want to be open with you. I can’t bear to tell you this after I’ve slept with you, only to have you run.”

It surprised him.

His first instinct was to make a joke. “So, I’ve finally worn you down with my charm and charisma. I knew it would happen.”

Nyx didn't laugh.

It made his heart skip. This was going to be a very serious conversation. He could feel it.

Nyx continued, “I hope you’ll stay after you hear what I say, but I understand if you don’t. You don’t owe me anything, Beau. Don’t stay out of obligation. I want you to stay out of something more.”

He watched her. If she only knew that he was so tangled up over her, she’d never have to say that to him. He wanted Nyx in the worst way, and he didn't mean only for sex.

There was a connection.

There was something there.

It called to him.

“I don’t do anything out of obligation, Nyx. I was a soldier because of that, but now I’m here of my own free will. I won’t run.”

She prayed that was true.

There had been men in her life before, and the second the big ugly secret came out, they left. No one in their right mind wanted to carry her emotional baggage.

She didn't even want it.

For the longest time, she believed she wasn’t worthy of love--that she was defiled and ruined.

Now she thought otherwise.

Beau was her beginning--or so she hoped.

“When I was sixteen, my parents and I had a pretty nice life. They loved each other. I mean…really, really had this connection. You could see it when they looked at each other. Our life was perfect.”

He listened. He tried to understand, especially since that was the opposite of what he had.

“Then one night, we went to bed a normal family, but woke up shattered.”

Beau brought her fingers to his lips. “I’m listening. I’m not going to leave,” he reassured, seeing the fear.

“Three men broke into our home. They wanted to rob it, but my father woke up. He confronted them.”

He saw the demons, and understood what he really chased away. It wasn’t his dead brother, but her past.

Nyx was running from it.

“They killed him right there in front of my mom. She tried to save him, but they were so hopped up on drugs, they didn't even hear her.”

He was sick hearing it. His mind flashed back to the war, and the screams of women in the night. Their husbands were killed in front of them too.

It resonated with him.

“My brother didn't even have a chance.”

“What about your mother?”

“They shot her too.”

He didn't like the way this was playing out. It didn't feel like it was going to have a happy ending. Frankly, it made him sick. He didn't want to run.

He wanted to stay that much more.

“I tried to hide, but they found me. I was only sixteen, but they took me with them.”

His entire demeanor changed. “They took you?”

Nyx nodded. “For three days, they held me captive, until they raped, beat, and left me for dead. I managed to find my way back to a main road. I don’t know how I did it. I was fighting so hard just to survive.”

He wanted to be sick.

“They broke me, Beau, and in more ways than one. Not only did they kill my family, but they destroyed a piece of me. I woke up in the hospital surrounded by all these strangers. The cops were asking so many questions, and I was so afraid. All I wanted was to go home, but I couldn’t.”

Gently, he wiped a tear from her cheek. “Go on, Nyxie. I’m here for you.”

“As I was lying there in the hospital, the voices began. I could hear the dead who’d passed there. The second they knew I could tune them in, they began following me.”

That explained her gift.

“I’m a mess. I’m a disaster at best. If you were to run, I wouldn’t blame you. In fact, if you didn't, I’d question your sanity too.”

He didn't speak. He was too sick over what she said. He could picture her battered, bruised, and broken. Beau had seen plenty of that in the sandbox. There were women there who had been victims of such cruelty, and he loathed what some men were capable of when they wanted to hurt someone weaker.

“Are they dead?”

“Who?” she asked, sitting up.

“The men who put their hands on you.”

She shook her head. “Two are in jail, and one was never found. I always look over my shoulder, expecting him to be right there. The only good thing about this gift I’ve received is that the dead genuinely like me. They warn me.”

“Why tell me now? I know you wanted me to know, but why are you really telling me?”

She could lie, or she could keep her word.

“I feel something for you, Beau. It’s something I’ve never had before, and I’m smart enough to know that if I don’t put all the cards on the table, it won’t work. I want what others have, and I recognize it in you.”

That touched him.

So, he wasn’t the only one who felt it.

“I’m barely alive. I function, but I don’t live. I wanted out because of my past more than your brother screaming in my head. I wanted the pain to stop. Over the last day, it’s stopped, and I don’t just mean Trey. The hurt has lessened. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d find. I have peace. I don’t want to die anymore.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m glad.”

“So, if you want out, go now. I know I’m a disaster, and I probably shouldn’t say this, but I can see me with you. That’s never happened before. Don’t stay out of pity for me. If you’re staying, make it count. Please.”

He took her face in his hands. “Why wouldn’t I want to be with you, Nyx? You’re funny, smart, and incredibly beautiful. I’d be a fool to run.”

“Because I’m a mess.”

He laughed. “Oh, sweetheart, I know messes. I come from a long line of them.” It was time to be honest, just like she had been.

“I’m just as big a wreck. Don’t judge the book by its cover. Let me tell you about my shittastic life.”

She still held his hand.

“My mother is trying to blackmail my sister, who I never knew even existed. My father was a horrible person. He was a soldier, and the military overlooked his indiscretions.”

She didn't speak.

“He liked hurting women. He raped and abused them in his anger, and I’m fighting that part of my DNA. I told you that I have bad in me, Nyx. We all do. Trey did. Tori does, and so do I. He’s tainted all of us.”

She stared up into his stormy eyes, and they were troubled. “I don’t believe for one second that you’d ever hurt a woman, and you’d never hurt me. I can tell.”

“I’ve kept women out of my life because of him. I’d date one, she’d try to get under my skin, and I’d walk away. I have a temper, but I also have a shitload of control. That’s the big gift the military gave me.”

Nyx moved closer, getting onto her knees to be eye to eye with him, all the while keeping the sheet clutched to her chest. Not once did he look down.

The man definitely hadn’t lied.

He had some crazy control.

“You’d never hurt me. You’ve seen me naked, you saved my life, and you’ve never been inappropriate with me, Beau. Despite what lives in you, I trust you.”

“I’m not a saint, Nyx. I’ve wanted you in the worst way. I still do. I want to rip off your clothes, pretend I can have you without repercussions, and get lost in it. I just won’t let myself risk hurting you.”

She gently left kisses across his cheeks.

“I have to be good.”

Running her fingers through his auburn hair, she smiled. “We’re dead, Beau. This is our heaven. You don’t have to worry. They only let the good in.”

His brain was going haywire.

Then she dropped the sheet.

It was the only thing between them, and now that final barrier was gone.

He didn't look down.

Oh, he wanted to, but he respected her far too much. Nyx wasn’t going to be a conquest. He already knew that. He wanted more than just sex from her.

Beau Christensen wanted it all.

When he still didn't move, she went against him, her naked body covering his clothed one. Together, they tumbled back against the bed.

“Set him free. I want him.”

Her words tugged at his control.

“I know he’ll always keep me safe.”

Beau let his gaze flicker down their bodies, and as his temperature shot up, she began exploring.

Nyx’s fingers found his heated flesh beneath his shirt, and she drew patterns across it. While he wanted to roll, placing her beneath him, he opted to let her drive their mating. In the back of his mind, he wanted her to use him.

She was all he ever wanted.

“Beau,” she whispered, her hand finding the bulge in his jeans. When he didn't even move, she pulled away. “If you don’t want me, I understand.”

He was surprised. “Nyx.”

“You’re lying there like this is torture. I’ll stop.”

When she went to move away from him, he grabbed her wrist. “I do want you. I just don’t want you to see what the real me looks like.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. “I want the real you. He’s the only one I need. I showed you the real me--all the scars, wounds, and everything that scares the world. Why don’t I deserve that from you? We’re playing by your rules. You wanted truth and trust, but you’re not sharing it with me.”

She was right.

Beau didn't move.

There was the audible click of the clock.

His breathing.

Her pulse pounding.

Then he made his choice. Pulling her back, he attacked. His mouth devoured, it pillaged, and stole. As he held her trapped to his body, she didn't fight.

Instead, she held on for dear life.

His hands wandered, first finding ample breasts, petal soft flesh, and then the wetness between her legs.

He was going to go up in flames.

When she moaned, Beau wanted more. Pulling away from her, he ripped his shirt off and threw it across the room. Before it even hit the floor, he was pulling down his zipper and struggling to get free from his jeans.

If she wanted him, he’d show her.

If Nyx wanted to see what lived in him, they’d forge ahead into the storm.

Here came the monster he always feared.

When he was stripping, she watched him. His body called to her. He was sexy, handsome, and willing to risk it all for her. That was the sexiest thing of all.

She could trust him.

Here was her champion, and she knew it.

The demons were shoved so far back, that she couldn’t hear a single voice. They were all gone.

It was only them.

As he attacked, her hands were held above her head, and his mouth destroyed hers.