Oracle Saving (The Phoenix Files Book 3) Read online

  “Help yourself.”

  She did. All the while, she was having fun with it. The two Feds behind her looked just as caught off guard as the reporter. That might have been her favorite part.

  “Any who,” she said. “I’m supposed to ask about some reporter who died in her sleep. Did ya know her?”

  He was confused. “Yes, why?”

  “The FBI got a call from the sheriff, and we had to come investigate. Back to my probation,” she said, laughing.

  “Uh, okay.”

  “I’m supposed to ask you all kinds of things like….” She turned around, lowered her voice, and pretended to be clueless. Why should she have all the fun.

  “Uh, boss, what was I supposed to ask again?”

  “You were going to discuss her articles.”

  She winked at him.

  Nate was staring at her as if she’d lost her damn mind.

  “Yeah! That’s right. It seems that she called the FBI and said something about something being un-kosher. She didn’t say what, but then when she kicked it…”

  “She was my friend,” he stated, cutting her off.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… You probably need a hug, right?”

  She did just that.

  The reporter and the two men behind her were staring at her like she’d lost it.

  “Sometimes, we need a hug…what’s your name?” Bishop asked.

  “Scott Humphrey.”

  “Well, Scott Humphrey, what was she working on?”

  He was so rattled he didn’t even hesitate. That was what shocked Nate and Luke the most. The man wasn’t even the least bit suspicious.

  He was falling for it.

  Hook.

  Line.

  Sinker.

  “She was working on some crazy ass case about psychic powers.”

  He handed her a folder.

  Bishop flipped through them. “Oh my God! She was an interesting person. I wish I had a job where I could go around and have fun. Instead, I have to do this.” She lowered her voice. “The suit behind me is tough. He’s about as much fun as a cold, and his buddy…he eats oatmeal every day. You know what people like that are like. Zzzzzzzz….”

  Luke did eat oatmeal practically every day, but that was because his wife liked it. Now he was struggling not to laugh. Bishop was funny.

  The man stared at her. “Are you always like this?” he asked.

  She snapped her gum and tipped her head. “Like what? A girl? A redhead?”

  Before he could ask any more questions, she redirected it. “I need to speak to Sam Vaughn. Is he around?” she asked.

  He pointed at an office.

  “Do you have coffee?” she asked, switching it up again as she buried their intent in the confusion. She loved keeping him guessing. “I really need coffee.”

  “Uh, are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked. “You seem overly caffeinated as it is.”

  “If I bottom out, I get weepy. I get all tears and tissues, and that makes me look crazy.”

  He rushed away to get her some. Apparently, like most men, he didn’t handle girl weeping well.

  Bishop pulled out her phone and began snapping pictures of the papers inside.

  Yeah, she could roll with it.

  “You’re certifiable,” Nate said.

  “Yeah, well, it got us the information. So go with it. You need to get us to his boss’s office. I got the bootleg pictures of the files.”

  He could do that.

  When the man came back, Nate began talking.

  “You’re a horrible agent. I can’t believe they sent me here for a case that is insanely improbable, and with you. I’m marking this down in your file. We’re going to go into that man’s office, apologize for your behavior here, and go back to the office. I need a drink.”

  Luke shook his head.

  He was struggling not to break into laughter. It was damn hard too. Bishop looked like a kid being scolded, and Nate looked like some mean teacher.

  What the hell was going on in his life?

  “We’ve wasted your time, Mr. Humphrey. I’m so sorry. This is what happens when you take new agents out.”

  The man handed her the coffee.

  He looked confused, but he didn’t ask any questions.

  THAT had been their plan.

  At Sam Vaughn’s office, they knocked. Nate was about to take over, but Bishop was way ahead of him. When the man called them in, she handled it.

  “Mr. Vaughn, I’m Special Agent Bishop Monroe. These are my partners,” she said, sharing their names.

  “What can I do for you, Agents?” he asked.

  “We’re here about Kathleen Hale. She contacted us before her death.”

  The man lifted a brow. “About?”

  She smiled. “Psychics. We have to follow up on just about every call we get. Normally, we wouldn’t be here, but since she died…”

  “In her sleep.”

  “Yeah, we were notified of that. You know how ‘Big Brother’ is. We need to ask if she was following up on any other leads.”

  He laughed. “Agents, I’m sorry you wasted your time,” Sam Vaughn said. “Kat, while talented, smart, and pretty, she was a bit off.”

  Luke was curious. “Off? As in…?”

  “She once told me she saw a UFO and wanted the front page to do an article.”

  They all laughed.

  “She had quite the imagination. She’s going to be missed. When she did a ‘normal’ article, she was brilliant. You know what they say about geniuses?” he asked.

  “That they are a little nuts?” Bishop asked.

  “Exactly.”

  “So she didn’t have any leads on psychics?” she asked. “We’re only here because we’re working on a case where a supposed psychic bilked some retirees out of a shitload of money. We’re trying to build a case.”

  He smiled. “She didn’t mention any names, but she did tell me she had a hot one. It was her side article. If that was the one she was working on, it would have been a great story. See? She sounded crazy, but Kathleen had a way of hitting gold.”

  They didn’t say anything.

  “If you don’t mind me inquiring,” the man asked, “can you tell me what group of retirees?” he asked. “This would be a good story for someone to pick up if there was some person running around stealing from the elderly.”

  Nate wanted to see how she outmaneuvered this one.

  “Oh, no problem, Mr. Vaughn. It’s the ‘At Heaven’s Gate’ retirement home. Google them.”

  Luke nearly started laughing—not only at the name, but at the look on Nate’s face.

  It was priceless.

  “Thank you,” he said, scribbling it down.

  “We appreciate your time,” she stated, shaking his hand. “We have to get moving.”

  “Safe travels,” he stated, never getting up from his chair.

  Bishop led the way.

  Once outside, Nate gave her a high five.

  “That was incredible. He didn’t get to ask why we were investigating his coworker’s death if she died in her sleep, and the boss bought your whole retiree story.”

  “You’re insane,” Luke stated. “Oddly, that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. No, ‘At Heaven’s Gate’ was the funniest thing ever.”

  She pulled out her phone. “You won’t be chuckling for long, Feds,” Bishop offered, as she handed it over. “Our dead reporter had the names of all of last year’s women in her folder, the coroner, and that’s bad.”

  Yeah, it was.

  It meant that she was digging into the case. Had someone she’d harassed, followed, or questioned been their killer?

  Or was she just on top of her game?

  This was a mess.

  A huge one.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Word traveled fast.

  He knew there were strangers in town, and he was excited. It was about to be fun. Before, it was about taking out some women, pla
ying God, and riding the high.

  Now it was a challenge.

  He knew she was around.

  There was chatter in the static. He could hear her name being whispered over and over again as if she was the next coming of Christ.

  It was irritating.

  Oracle had come for him, and he was glad she was around. Now it would be entertaining.

  It would be a much harder game.

  Well, if she thought he was going to give up, back down, or run, she had another thing coming. This was a fight to the death. He was going to be the strongest psychic out there if it was the last thing he’d ever did.

  Before, it was fun.

  Now it was about being the best.

  Oh, Oracle might try to stop him, but he’d take out as many people along the way that he could.

  That was a promise.

  * * * O R A C L E * * *

  Roxy’s Rental

  Thursday Mid-Morning

  After they’d talked, Jagger tucked her in, sat on the edge of the bed with his gun in his lap, and waited.

  What he was waiting for, he wasn’t sure. Still, he sat there, keeping an eye on the mother of his child.

  What else could he do?

  She needed rest, and he didn’t. He’d spent too many nights dreaming about the mistakes he’d made. Now he wanted to stay awake and try to fix his shit.

  He wanted to believe he deserved it.

  When she’d left kisses across his scratches and told him it would be all right, he’d felt that same emotion welling up again. It had been there the last time they made love in her bed, and it was back.

  He was healing.

  Maybe it was time.

  The distance.

  The lesson he’d learned.

  Maybe it was the simple fact that she was near, but he was ready to try and find a way to make them work. So, when she’d slipped into her slumber, he ordered her some lunch. He couldn’t leave, so he figured that he’d try to feed her again.

  It was safe ground to start.

  It had been one hell of a pain in the ass. He went to order burgers, since that was his go to, but something stopped him. She worked in the morgue.

  Roxy spent her days cutting into bodies. Maybe, just maybe, that was a bad choice.

  Pizza it was.

  He made sure to order one for Lucian and Avalon, and when Roxy’s came, he carried it in and placed it on the nightstand. He wouldn’t eat without her being awake. He couldn’t feed himself if his child was hungry.

  As a soldier, he was accustomed to sacrifice. There was no way he’d cater to his own needs if she was without. That wasn’t the kind of man that he was or would ever be. Besides, it wouldn’t matter for a little while longer.

  He was patient.

  He could wait.

  When she started moving, Jagger touched her wrist. Her pulse was normal, maybe even a little slow. She wasn’t in danger, and that allowed him to relax.

  “It’s hard to sleep with you staring,” she stated. “I feel like I’m an animal in a zoo.”

  Actually, it was hard to sleep with the scent of his cologne wafting around the room.

  He was good enough to eat.

  Speaking of which...

  “Is that pizza? I’ll kiss you if it has cheese and no meat. Hell! I’ll pick the meat off. I’m that damn hungry.”

  Score one for his gut instinct and the ability to think outside the box. He’d been right on target.

  “It’s got spinach for the iron. I Googled it, and apparently, that’s vital when you’re growing a child. If you’re anemic, you’ll need it. I hope you like eggs and some other things. I was covering all of my bases.”

  “What bases? It’s a pizza,” she said, sitting up.

  God!

  Jagger looked so handsome.

  He had this deep red hair, almost an auburn, and it was buzzed supper short. His blue eyes were so peaceful. The soldier was calm, and that was a good thing.

  Roxy wasn’t.

  It likely had more to do with the tattoos peeking out from beneath the sleeves of his t-shirt.

  Yeah, it absolutely did.

  “Did you say eggs? On a pizza?”

  “Uh, yeah. Do you eat eggs? Was I wrong? I figured you might not like meat. When I was looking for food for you before, I didn’t see any. I found cheese, pickles, peanut butter, bread, eggs, and cereal. I think that means you’re good with gluten, good with nuts, and you like vegetables.”

  “You’ve thought way too much about this,” she teased. “I feel like I’ve been studied.”

  He knew she was right.

  “Probably. I’m a Marine. Well, ex-Marine, and we tend to take things seriously.”

  “Once a Marine, always a Marine. Ooohra.”

  He was well aware.

  It was his code in the brotherhood. Maura lived it too. The corps had formed him, and he could never go back to being a civilian. It simply wasn’t possible.

  Grabbing the pizza box, he opened it. “I thought you’d like to eat something,” he offered.

  She didn’t miss the hopeful look on his face as he tried to offer her something to feed their child. He was testing the water, and she knew it.

  Staring down at it, she had to laugh.

  It was a hot mess.

  “Jagger, you weren’t kidding, were you?”

  “No, I told them to put fried eggs—for protein— spinach, pickles, jalapenos, and the rest of the veggies on it for all the other nutrients you need for a baby.”

  She laughed. “You’re a sick man.”

  “Am I?” he said, his voice soft and low.

  She recognized that he was trying to bridge the gap, and she was more than happy to help him. They were both broken, and this wasn’t only about her.

  “No, you’re an incredibly sweet man.”

  He’d take that.

  Right now, he felt like he was in Limbo. He didn’t quite know what Roxy was feeling about him. She was being nice—nicer than she’d ever been—and he was confused.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked. “You have a look on your face.”

  “I’m wondering where the insult is?” he asked.

  “Why does there have to be an insult?”

  “That’s your thing. I do something nice, and you make me feel like an idiot for trying. It’s like in Ravenswood. I came to tell you I was sorry we had sex in the morgue, and you laughed at me and told me it was nothing.”

  He pointed at her midsection.

  “It was definitely something.”

  Wow.

  She didn’t know what to say.

  Yeah, she’d been a horrible bitch. How could she explain to him that was simply her way of protecting herself? If she pretended not to care, she couldn’t get hurt.

  Right?

  Well, apparently not. It hurt others. It hurt Jagger, and that was wrong.

  That behavior stopped now.

  She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Thank you for Googling it, and thank you for ordering me this incredibly chaotic pizza. We should eat it together.”

  He touched his lips with his fingers.

  His heart ached for more. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but Roxy brought something alive in him, and he didn’t want that to end.

  “Okay. I’d like that.”

  Jagger picked up a slice and offered it, first, to her. “You have the baby, so you get the first piece.”

  That touched her.

  The douche-y Marine was soft beneath it all. She saw it now, and it was endearing. It looked like what had happened between them had touched him too.

  “You just want to see if I die before you try it,” she teased. “I see through your plan, Marine.”

  He laughed. “Hell yeah, I do. I’m not crazy.”

  She took a huge bite and turned the slice around, signaling it was his turn.

  The things you did for love.

  Yeah, he had it bad.

  He took a bite and che
wed. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. The pickles were a bit much, but he’d survive.

  “So, we’re having a girl,” she said, trying to talk about something they both had a vested interest in.

  It wasn’t what she wanted to focus on, but that was life.

  What she wanted to do was crawl into his lap, wrap her legs around his hips, and kiss him. Only, she wasn’t sure he would appreciate it. She’d hurt him and Roxy was sure he was only being nice because of the baby. The second he’d found out, he’d calmed down.

  She noticed he was watching her.

  “You’re making me nervous.”

  “How?” he asked. “I didn’t say a word.”

  “It’s the way you look at me. I don’t know why you do. It’s like you really believe that I’m not a mess.”

  “You’re not a mess. You’re smart, you’re a doctor, and you’re the mother of our child. I respect that.”

  In fact, he loved that about her.

  All of it. Whether she ever would hear and realize it—that was another story.

  “What was your mother like?” she asked.

  He chewed as he thought about it. “She was like a teacher. She was stern, but she loved us. We were homeschooled. When my father became paranoid, after one of our bodyguards was killed, we were put on lock down. He kept Jaxon and myself behind the walls of the house where we were ‘safe’.”

  “And your mother?”

  “He didn’t protect her. I swore that one day, if I ever had a family, if I was ever lucky enough, I wouldn’t be that man. I may be a huge asshole, Roxy, but I’ll keep you safe. It’s the one thing I’m really good at.”

  Roxy was pretty sure there were other things. He was gentle beneath the tough guy exterior. He had people who cared about him. Jagger Armstrong was more than just protective—even if she loved that best.

  She ate the pizza.

  “So Jaxon is your sister? What’s she like?”

  He grinned.

  It was the first honest one he’d ever given her, and she liked it. His wall was down, and she had to find a way to keep it down. She loved this jerk, and she had to fix them.

  She’d screwed up once when he’d tried to be with her, and she owed it to him. If you broke it, you fixed it. That was what Silas had taught her so many years ago.