Forbidden Secrets Page 19

  “That wasn’t him. I’m not mad at him for that. I’m mad because he’s being a dick toward me.”

  “Again, you know that, and I know that but Hart…”

  She got it.

  “I don’t want him to leave.”

  Tori handed her a bottle of salt and smiled. “Then go find him. I can’t make him stay. I’ve tried. If he’s meant to be here, then you’re the one who has to convince him.”

  She got it.

  Lennox grabbed the salt. “This will work, won’t it?”

  Tori picked up Lennox’s phone and clicked on the app. “Trey, are you around?” she asked.

  “I’m. Here. Sprout.”

  “Can you follow Lennox and give her the head’s up if Evangeline makes an appearance?”

  “Can. Do. Soldier.”

  “There. You’re safer than you were. If it gets ugly, make a circle with the salt and stand in it. You’ll be safe. Then call for help.”

  Lennox took a chance.

  She hugged Tori. “Thank you for this.”

  Tori smiled. “It’s my pleasure. Good luck. You’re about to do battle with a very stubborn man who is accustomed to doing it his way.”

  Lennox hopped off the bed.

  “Fate is in control. If it’s meant to be, it will be. I have to believe that.”

  Tori watched her go.

  Lennox was wise.

  Naïve, but wise.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  He was packing.

  Julian had tried to talk him out of it, but he wasn’t having it. Hart was done. He’d been a jerk and nearly cost the client her life. Maybe being a private investigator wasn’t what he was supposed to do with his life. When he got home, he was going to get his daughter and start job searching.

  Yes, he’d miss the people he worked with more than anything.

  Maybe he could find a job in Delta Falls as a cop. They had a police force. Vivian had mentioned that she’d been a cop at one time. If he was lucky, he could get a job and support his kid. If he was really lucky, Clarissa would let him pay her to watch Ivy.

  He’d really screwed this up.

  He couldn’t believe that he’d let his heart get in the way when he knew better. Maybe this mess was a good thing.

  Lennox hated him.

  He had no reason to stay.

  As he packed his bag, he heard the knock on the door. It was so soft that he’d nearly missed it.

  “Come in.”

  When he turned, she was standing there.

  His heart kicked in his chest. Lennox was pale and looked so very fragile. He hated that he’d nearly cost her everything. It went against everything he’d ever been in life.

  Maybe it was outdated but he lived by a code.

  You protected those who were weaker, and Lennox needed someone to do just that.

  “I’ll be out of your home in a few minutes. You’ll never have to see me after that, and I’ll never touch you again. I’m sorry I got you hurt.”

  Yeah, Tori was right.

  She could see the emotional scars now that she sought them out. Lennox should know.

  She had them too.

  “I came to say something to you. I would really like it if you would take a minute to hear me out.”

  He turned and stood there. “It’s your home. Go for it.”

  Lennox could hear the pain.

  It was time to fix this.

  “I’m really horrible with men. I always pick the wrong one. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, they always hurt me.”

  He didn’t speak.

  “I wasn’t fair to you, Everhart. I dumped my emotional baggage all over you. I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at the world, my family, and the dead.”

  “I nearly caused you to die. That gives you the right to be pissed off at me.”

  “Oh, you were totally a dick, but I get it. I don’t blame you. I just needed you to know that you didn’t hurt me. I also need you to know that whatever it is that makes you hate me, I get that too.”

  “I don’t hate you.”

  He hated himself.

  “I want you to stay. I really enjoy your company. You’ve saved me a few times now, and if anything, I get why you want to get the hell away from me. I would too. I’m a disaster. If I could change who I am, I would. If I could erase all of this to make you see the real me, I would. I just can’t. This is my cross to bear, so I’ll bear it. I just want you to know that I trust you with my life. If you stay, I’ll continue to trust you, even if you growl, scowl, and are mean to me.”

  He wished he wasn’t so mean.

  He wished he could trust her.

  “Whatever she did to you, Everhart, I’m not her. I can’t convince you of that if you’re not willing to trust me. If being here hurts too much, I want you to go. I care too much about you to see you hurt like this.”

  “Why do you care?” he asked.

  Hart was confused.

  She moved closer to him. “You saved my life. You didn’t think twice. No one’s ever cared that much about me. To me, it’s precious. That alone earns you my trust.”

  “It’s my job.”

  That stung, but she let it go. This man was a mess inside. Lennox knew there was a good chance he’d never be free of these demons.

  “I’m glad you’re good at your job.”

  He knew how that sounded, but he didn’t do well with the opposite sex. It wasn’t supposed to come out that way.

  Only it did.

  He was an idiot.

  She could see the struggle he was having. It was as if he was battling himself to get through it. Instead of saying more, she moved closer to his body.

  He didn’t move.

  She didn’t back down. Instead, she went up on her toes and pulled his mouth to hers. She kissed him.

  It was slow.

  It was gentle.

  It was her.

  When she pulled away, he was surprised.

  “You’ll always be my hero. No matter what, I wanted to give you that to remember me by—no matter the choice you make.”

  “I wouldn’t ever forget you, Lennox. You’ve imprinted on me.”

  It was true.

  Her eyes filled with tears. “Good. Say that at my funeral during my eulogy. If you leave, Everhart, I’m as good as dead. You’re the only person who can save me. I know that here,” she said, pointing at her heart.

  His skipped.

  For some reason, he didn’t think she was talking about the killer. This was deeper.

  She ran her fingers over his cheek. “Thank you for all you’ve done. I’ll miss you. Goodbye, Everhart Rose. Go home to your child. She needs her father.”

  With that, she walked away.

  Hart didn’t know what the hell to think. His fingers went to his lips. Lovingly, they stroked the wetness he found there.

  He was torn.

  A part of him believed what she’d said. The rest of him wanted to trust her. Lennox was a puzzle.

  He didn’t know if he could leave until he solved it for himself.

  And ultimately, that was going to be one hell of a problem.

  * * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *

  Sheriff’s Station

  While Tori and Julian wanted to hang around the house, they needed to finish up for the day. The sheriff, Silver Byrd, might have something for them, and they needed to head there.

  Tori was hoping the man had gotten his hands on the autopsy reports.

  While they had Lennox’s version of what happened, something in those reports might give them a lead.

  Right now, they didn’t really have much direction. Other than the business partner, Calvin Foster, they were running out of people.

  Besides that mystery, they had Evangeline on the back burner. With Nyx and Beau arriving later, they wanted to be ready to take on the dead woman.

  It was going to be interesting.

  “What are you thinking about?” Julian asked.

  “Ju
st how chaotic all of this is. I feel like we’re scattered. I don’t know which angle to work first. Should we be digging into who Evangeline is or should we be focused on who is trying to kill Lennox?”

  “What if they’re the same?” he asked.

  “Exactly. I don’t know that it’s not connected. I find it hard to believe that the dead are this stirred up for no reason.”

  “Speaking of dead, where the hell is that pain in the ass, Bethany?” Julian asked.

  Immediately, he was groped.

  “If I tell her where you just touched me, she’s going to boot your ass,” he said to the ghost.

  Tori laughed.

  “Don’t encourage her. I don’t like when she tries to manhandle my man junk.”

  She laughed even more.

  “We. Need. You,” the radio chirped.

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Julian asked. “We have a meeting with the sheriff.”

  “Sprout. It. Is. Important.”

  Tori glanced over at her husband. “You did say that you didn’t want me taking that trip without you. Why don’t you drive, and I’ll go play with the dead?”

  “Be safe!” he ordered.

  Tori leaned over and kissed him. Then she manhandled his man junk.

  “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  She laughed as she closed her eyes. “I love you, Jules. See you in a few.”

  With that, she was gone.

  As was the smile he’d plastered onto his face.

  When Tori opened her eyes, there stood her two spirits. Bethany was tucked protectively beneath her brother’s arm.

  “What’s happening, dead people?”

  “We have a problem,” Bethany stated.

  Tori couldn’t imagine what the hell it could possibly be. If her brother and Bethany were worried, it couldn’t be good.

  Julian was going to lose it.

  She could already tell.

  “What?”

  “Evangeline is trying for a forced possession.”

  Tori had no freaking clue what that was. In fact, she didn’t think she wanted to know. It made her think of a horror movie and someone spewing pea soup around the room—mainly her.

  “Break it to me gently. I’m going to have to tell Julian, and he’s going to have a stroke.”

  Bethany moved toward her. “I’m scared.”

  Tori genuinely liked her spirit guide. She looked seventeen, but was over one hundred.

  “What has you freaked?”

  “We figured out what’s going on.”

  Tori couldn’t wait to hear this. “What?”

  “We thought she was draining us to manifest, but she doesn’t need our energy.”

  “Continue.”

  Trey did. “She’s trying to move us out to get to you.”

  Yep.

  Julian was going to stroke.

  “Why would she want to do that?” Tori asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

  “She wants to talk and she wants a place to hang out. You know that spirit life sucks without a medium to anchor us. She’s desperate to get one to do the job.”

  “Tell her pop in here. We can chitchat all she likes.”

  “She can’t for some reason. I don’t know why. I can’t get close enough to her. She’s targeting us to get to you. She’s pissed, and she has a message to give.”

  “Why do I feel like this is really bad and you’re not telling me the worst part yet?”

  “By make room, she wants to boot us out. If we get kicked out, she’ll have a vessel to hang out in.”

  Great.

  This was the last thing she needed. Already, Tori had someone borrowing her body, and Julian was attached to her.

  “Can I handle her and the two of you at once?”

  They both shook their heads.

  “This sucks.”

  “If she kicks us out, we won’t have a place to go,” Bethany stated. “We can only survive so long without a host if she decides not to leave. It’s like when Trey was pushed out of Nyx’s head. He had to be let in. If not…”

  Yeah, she knew.

  He’d be wandering until he became one of the dead, angry, and lost.

  “What do we know about her?” Tori asked.

  “She’s been murdered, and she’s trapped.”

  “So basically, we have to find her body. Is that what you’re telling me?”

  They nodded.

  They had already planned on that.

  “Don’t try to channel her,” stated Trey. “She’s extra strong and very angry.”

  Tori knew she didn’t have a choice, but she kept it to herself. Later, when she did the deed, she’d deal with the consequences.

  “Nyx is coming soon. I’ll talk it over with her. Is a séance safe?” she asked.

  The two spirits looked at each other.

  “Is it?”

  “Yeah, it can be as long as no one invites her into them. Until we know what she is, or who, that’s the dangerous part.”

  She got it.

  “Now I have to go back to Julian. He’s freaked out, I can tell.”

  Bethany hugged her. It wasn’t often one of her ghosts could manage that, but it was nice.

  “Don’t worry, Bethany. You’re my spirit guide. I won’t let her push you out. You’re not going to end up lost and bitter.”

  “I just found Trey and you. I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me leave.”

  Trey came closer. “Baby, we’ll stick together even if we get shoved out. I won’t leave you.”

  Tori watched his face.

  He was trying to reassure Bethany, but he was worried.

  ‘Help,’ he mouthed.

  She got it.

  In life, she couldn’t save her brother, but in death…she absolutely could try, and Tori would.

  “Don’t worry. I have your backs. Keep your eyes open and warn me when she’s coming. We’ll be ready.”

  “Please take care of Veronica. She’s got an important life ahead of her,” Trey stated.

  Oh, she would.

  No one was hurting her family.

  Dead or alive.

  Julian was waiting for her. When she popped back in, he was grateful. The second he saw her face, he knew something bad was coming.

  His wife looked worried.

  “I don’t want to know, do I?” he asked. “It’s going to be that damn bad.”

  Tori shook her head. “Yeah, you’re not going to like this one at all.”

  Julian sighed. “Just tell me. It’s like a Band-Aid. Rip it off fast, and in the end it will hurt far less.”

  Tori told him everything.

  The ghosts’ fears.

  The oncoming mess.

  Even about the possession.

  He simply sat there in their parked SUV saying absolutely nothing about it. He didn’t argue, flinch, or lose it.

  That freaked Tori right out.

  Her husband had a really short fuse for a few things in life.

  Bigots.

  People who hurt his family.

  Oh, and the dead.

  He really, really hated the dead, and this was surely going to push him over the edge.

  When he finally spoke, Tori braced for it. She was certain there was going to be a barrage of anger and some sort of ultimatum laid down.

  “No one is taking away your spirits,” he stated. “We have to find a way to keep them.”

  Tori stared at him.

  Then she pinched herself really hard, until she yelped.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he asked, lifting a brow in confusion.

  “You just told me you wanted the ghosts to stay. This can’t possibly be real. Who are you, and where did you put my husband?”

  Oh, he was aware.

  Julian had to be insane.

  Here was the proof.

  Honestly, he couldn’t believe he was saying it either, but Tori couldn’t lose Trey.

  Not again.

  F
or that alone, he’s swallow his dislike of the dead and put on his big boy panties.

  “What can I say? They’ve grown on me.”

  Yeah, like mold.

  Chapter Twelve

  Inside the station, they were greeted by the half-Native man. While he wasn’t rude, he didn’t seem like he was glad they were there.

  Could they blame him?

  They’d been there two days and they’d already delivered him a homicide. That tended to piss off cops all the time. They would feel the same way if they were him.

  “Sheriff, can we talk to you?” Tori asked.

  He welcomed them into his office. “You aren’t going to tell me you found another body, are you? Honestly, folks, I really don’t think I can handle it. I’m getting old.”

  Tori found that amusing.

  He wasn’t any older than she was, and Tori was still in her thirties. The sheriff must have seen the look on her face, and he explained.

  “This job is aging me. What can I do for you now?” he asked. “Be gentle.”

  Julian led this one. Out of the two of them, he was the calmer one, and he’d already built a rapport with the man. They were Native and understood each other. Hopefully, at this point in their investigation, that worked for him.

  “We came to see if you got the ME to share the reports with us,” he stated.

  The man leaned back in his chair and placed his boots on the corner of his desk. “He wouldn’t give them out. While I can print them for you, I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

  “Sheriff.”

  He held up his hand to stop him. “Had you not found a body, I might have been able to slip them to you. Unfortunately, the death of Rick Timberland, Miss Easton’s guard, has the media all stirred up. They’re calling her cursed, and the second you walk out of here, you’re going to be on their radar.”

  Tori got it.

  It was the same old problem that they faced each and every time they took on a case.

  “I want to help, but I can’t. All I can tell you is that when you read the autopsy reports, they are all accurate. I went over them after you saw me yesterday. There’s nothing suspicious in any of them. I swear.”