Unthinkable Games (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 3) Read online

  He had to let her in.

  “I love you,” he finally said. He no longer felt the need to hold back. She’d once more proved herself to be his other half.

  Claire stopped.

  “What?” she asked, unsure if she heard him. “Did you just tell me you loved me?”

  He stared up at her. “This is a really bad time to have this conversation,” he replied, grinning. Then, he continued, “but yes, I did. I love you, Claire Littlemoon.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too.”

  With that, he pulled her down to his lips. The kiss they shared wasn’t wild, but it was filled with something so powerful that it rocked them both to their cores.

  Claire didn't expect him to say it.

  Not now.

  She figured he was going to be a long fought battle, especially since he’d had his heart stomped on.

  When they broke the kiss, he rolled, placing her beneath him. Still buried in her body, he began gliding in and out of her. “So good, Claire. You’re perfect for me.”

  She never doubted that she wasn’t.

  From day one, she knew.

  Increasing the pace, Beckett nearly lost it when her hands found his, linking them together over her head.

  This was meant to be.

  He saw it all clearly.

  This was his other half.

  Riding her body, he absorbed the delicious jolts he got from her breathless little gasps and moans. So, this was what being complete felt like.

  After so long, he found his way home.

  With a few mores strokes, he buried himself deep in her body. “I want you to be mine,” he muttered, pumping in and out of her in abandon.

  “Yes! Yes!” she replied, breaking apart. It was too much for her to handle. Beckett was giving her the words she only dreamed of hearing.

  He watched her face flood with pleasure, but instead of holding out, Beckett leapt into the ecstasy with her.

  It was amazing.

  The feeling of pouring into the woman you loved filled him with so much fulfillment.

  So, this was what it was supposed to be like.

  Everything around them stopped as both Claire and Beckett basked in the amazing afterglow.

  Finally, she broke the silence. “It’s about damn time.”

  He laughed into her neck, amused by her comment. “Yeah, well, I’ve always been slow on the uptake, baby.”

  “I love when you call me that.”

  He lifted his head to stare down into her eyes. “I love that you didn't leave my side and kept me safe,” he stated, referring to the skull situation.

  “If you would have woken up in the hospital, it would have been worse. Our luck, we’d get a bed that had multiple people die in it.”

  Yeah, that would suck.

  “You know me so well,” he murmured.

  “My heart knows yours,” she simply stated.

  It made his kick. Those were the sweetest words he’d ever heard in his life. When he rolled to his side, she went with him, pulling the comforter over their cooling bodies.

  “It was bad, wasn’t it?” she asked, knowing they needed to get it over with.

  Beckett didn't want to talk about it, but he gave her some of the details. “He was tortured and mutilated. I felt it all.”

  “Oh, God, Beckett,” she whispered, leaving kisses across his chest to offer him peace. “Don’t do it anymore. It’s okay. You don’t have to.”

  “I do, Claire. This is now my job. I wanted to be a cop to serve and protect. After my brother died, I had to give back. This is no different.”

  She wanted to ask him about his brother, but it wasn’t the time. He’d suffered enough. Besides, the man didn't like to share until he was ready. One day, he’d open up to her. Claire knew it.

  “They need me to give them justice.”

  Her eyes filled with tears.

  “We’ll find them justice. You aren’t alone anymore, Beck. You don’t have to face this by yourself. I’m going to be by your side until the end of time.”

  He believed her.

  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind.

  Now, he’d make sure she never left his side. It was time to let go of his past and embrace what was coming. It was time to start his life over.

  Here was his path.

  “I love you, Claire Littlemoon. Now, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, I have to relive this for your brother and sister-in-law. I need some sleep.”

  She closed her eyes, praying that tomorrow would be a far better day.

  The last two had really sucked.

  They had to get better…right?

  * * *

  Monday Morning

  They waited for them in the kitchen. When Julian woke, he immediately wanted to go and find his sister and employee. Only, he wasn’t allowed to.

  Tori could hear Claire laughing down the hall, and the last thing they needed to do was interrupt. When she pointed that out to Julian, he was more than happy to back off.

  She was absolutely right. While he knew his sister was an adult, it was still very awkward.

  So, instead, they opted to wait for them downstairs. When they heard them coming, Tori got up to pour them both coffee. As they entered, both Tori and Julian were glad to see that the man looked far better than he had when they left him.

  “Are you okay?” Julian asked, sliding over so they could sit in the two chairs side by side. From the way Claire was holding on to him, Julian didn't think he’d have a chance to separate them.

  “I am now,” he replied.

  Yeah, he’d been good after Claire pulled him back with that wicked mouth of hers, but somehow he didn't think Julian wanted to hear about that.

  When she rested her hand on his thigh, Beckett wanted to sing sonnets to her.

  “What the hell happened?” Julian asked, giving them a minute to make their coffee.

  While Beckett didn't really want to relive it, he knew that there really wasn’t a choice. Julian and Tori needed to know what they were up against.

  And it was pure evil.

  “It was bad. This wasn’t just a killing. That poor man was slaughtered.”

  Tori moved closer to her husband. She could see him ready to lose it, and that was a bad thing.

  “What do you mean?”

  Beckett told them about the torture. “He was bound. The killer didn't just take his life. I think he tried to get information out of him.”

  That made him sick. “Like what?”

  Beckett shook his head. “I can’t tell you that. All I know is that it was bad. REAL bad.”

  Claire laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  “What happened to you?” Tori asked, hoping to distract Julian. “It was like you vacated your body.”

  “It was painful. I might have passed out.”

  Claire disagreed. “I think it’s a coping mechanism. You were being tortured. You felt the pain, and your body kicked into ‘Fight or Flight’. You escaped the pain by going deep. It’s common with soldiers who are prisoners. You checked out.”

  “How did you wake up?” Julian asked.

  Claire started laughing. “Do you really want to know?”

  Beckett leaned over to kiss her. “Your sister has an amazing mouth.”

  Julian started choking on his coffee. In fact, it nearly came out his nose.

  Tori patted him on the back.

  “Jesus. That’s a picture I didn't need in my damn head,” he stated. “I’m your boss, she’s my sister, and that’s way too much information.”

  “You asked,” Claire offered.

  “Thank God that she was with me. If it was anyone else, that would have been awkward,” he teased.

  Julian pointed at his wife. “Don’t do it, Victoria. I mean it. I’m a man on the edge.”

  She smiled. “I’ll give you this one. It’s all you get today, so remember it well. I’m taking the next opportunity when it arises.”

&n
bsp; “So, do you know who it is?” Julian asked, ignoring his wife.

  “No, and trust me, you couldn’t do an ID by looking at him. He was mutilated and a pile of bones and flesh. His head was there, but he had no eyes.”

  “What?”

  “Yep. You heard that right.”

  “We need to find out who it was,” Tori stated.

  Julian knew where she was heading with it. “No. Beckett said it was brutal. You’re not going to play with the dead anymore.”

  “Babe, we don’t really have a choice. We need to move forward. We have two bodies. There are four more unaccounted for.”

  He knew she was right.

  “Shit!”

  Beckett was curious. “How do you reach her?”

  She had no idea. “Usually she finds me when she has something to say.”

  “Yeah, Bethany has been quiet the last couple days. Maybe she hasn’t seen anything. We might have Casper the Useless Ghost.”

  “That wasn’t nice, Julian. She’s helping us.”

  He laughed. “Tori, that was me playing nice. We don’t know if she’s helping at all. Maybe we haven’t heard from her because she’s not seeing anything.”

  Tori didn't doubt her spirit guide. “Bethany, want to see Julian naked?” she asked, tormenting her husband.

  He was appalled that she would even suggest something like that.

  Then, Julian noticed he had other issues. Tori’s body went stiff.

  “Tori, honey?”

  “Music,” she murmured, right before she checked out.

  Beckett watched as his boss went into the trance-like state. “She looks like she’s day dreaming.”

  Julian believed otherwise.

  “Trust me. This is nothing but a nightmare.”

  Tori could see the gray coming, and then going. The piano playing became softer and softer, until it faded away. When Tori opened her eyes, before her stood the small young woman.

  “Can I really see him naked?” she asked, grinning wickedly.

  Tori snorted. “You know you’ve already peeked. Plus, I’m thinking when you slipped into my body last time, you enjoyed yourself.”

  Bethany grinned. “Guilty as charged, Tori. He’s hot, but that’s not why you wanted to see me, is it?”

  She shook her head.

  “The man we found. Who is it?”

  Bethany actually appeared to go pale. “He was hurt really bad. He’s the angriest of them all. I think it’s because of the way he died.”

  “Did he hurt you?” Tori asked, not quite sure what went on in this dimension--or her head--whatever it was called.

  “No, but he’s the one who wants to rally the others to do bad things. He wants to haunt this house, and not in a good way. An angry spirit is a bad thing. They usually hurt the living to get their attention.”

  Tori hoped that didn't happen. The last thing she needed was swinging chandeliers and exploding glasses. Julian would lose it.

  “I keep telling him that you’re doing your job. I think he’s okay so far. He’s just locked into what happened. We relive it over and over. He was tortured.”

  “Does he have a name?”

  Bethany hopped up onto the chair. “You already know who he is. You’ve figured it out in your head.”

  “Marshall Salvatore.”

  She nodded, hushing Tori. “Don’t say his name again. If you do, he’ll come to you. He’s not in good shape, either. The last one you saw was bloody. This one’s destroyed.”

  Tori didn't want that to happen, then again, how could a sawed up body get to her?

  It appeared before them on the table.

  “Too late,” added Bethany sighing. “You were thinking about him. You can’t do that.”

  “Holy shit!” Tori muttered, stepping back.

  “I told you,” Bethany warned. “The power of the mind is an amazing thing.”

  His angry shouts filled the room. They were so loud that Tori had to cover her ears. Then, without warning, things started flying around the room. Tori instinctually moved in front of Bethany.

  “See?” she offered. “He’s pissed.”

  “Yeah, well, I would be too if someone hacked me apart,” Tori admitted.

  “STOP!” shouted Bethany, only to have the room go silent. “As you can see, he’s not doing so well.”

  Tori looked at the pile of man meat. He was still fleshy but had no eyes. “The killer blinded him?”

  She nodded.

  “He’s sick.”

  Again, Bethany agreed. “You need to get this solved and fast, Tori. I can’t promise they won’t get bitchy.”

  She understood.

  “Can you ask him something?”

  The small woman nodded. “Sure, what do you want to know?”

  “Did he see who did this to him?”

  Bethany started whispering into the mutilated head’s ear, and then she paused to listen.

  Tori was enthralled, because it seemed so… normal. What the hell had happened to her stable, ordinary life? It was a testament to her lack of sanity that this wasn’t even fazing her.

  Yeah, she definitely had issues. If the doctors at the VA could see her now, they’d institutionalize her.

  “He said he was hit in the head, and then he woke up tied to something.”

  “His bed,” she offered. Tori was piecing what Beckett and she had discovered in order to get the full picture.

  “Was he looking for the treasure?”

  Once more, Bethany began whispering, as if a child passing a secret to a friend.

  Suddenly, there was a barrage of screaming in the room. It was loud, angry, and coming from the dismembered man lying on the table in bloody bits.

  “Jesus!” Tori murmured.

  It appeared she got her answer.

  ~ Chapter Sixteen ~

  Julian nervously paced back and forth across the living room floor. As soon as Tori slipped away, he carried her to someplace where she couldn’t get hurt. In all honesty, he really hated this little ‘trip’ his wife took. It freaked him out.

  He was supposed to protect her.

  Watch over her.

  Keep her safe.

  And now, all he felt like he was doing was losing control. That didn't sit well with him, especially since he was someone who always had to be at the reins. Owning his own business had done that to him. Too many people relied on him for their survival. Now, his wife, who he was willing to die for, was off cavorting with some dead spirit.

  It was making him insane.

  “Jules,” Claire reassured, “It’s going to be okay. Just hang in there. I know how you feel. When Beckett goes there, I feel so helpless.”

  Julian felt a million times worse. Right at that moment, there was so much more on the line. His wife was carrying his child, and this scared him shitless. All he wanted was to be a father. The idea of risking the pregnancy for this case was mind numbing.

  As quickly as Tori went under, she was back, gasping for breath as she resurfaced from the trance.

  Julian was immediately by her side, sitting with his wife on the couch. “Are you okay?” he asked, resting his hand over her midsection.

  Tori looked around, trying to get acclimated. “Yes, babe, I’m golden. How did I get in here?”

  “I carried you. What happened?” he asked, watching her with eyes filled with so much concern.

  She reached up to palm his cheek.

  Immediately, Julian placed his own hand over hers. Wordlessly, they shared so much.

  “He was definitely tortured, and I can see why Beckett had a rough one. The killer really broke him into pieces.”

  Beckett didn't want to think about it. As his body tensed, Claire squeezed his hand.

  “What else?”

  “He was looking for the treasure. At the end, when I brought it up, he lost it.”

  They looked confused.

  “He got really mad. There was screaming and profanity, which is difficult to be afraid of comin
g from a pile of dismembered limbs.”

  Julian didn't look amused.

  “We don’t have much time. We definitely found Marshall Salvatore. I assumed it was him going in.”

  So did Julian. “Yeah, he was behind a sheetrock wall. Before the eighties, most people used paneling or plaster.”

  “Unfortunately, I have bad news.”

  That was the last thing Julian wanted to hear. “This is going to freak me out, isn't it?” he asked.

  “The spirits are getting angry. We need to pick up the pace on this. One mad ghost is one thing, but even Bethany looked worried. We don’t need six outraged dead people haunting this house.”

  No, they didn't.

  “Okay, then I suggest that we split up and get moving. You and I, Tori, are going to head to Brady Parker’s house. He owns the property past the swamp, and might be able to give us some insight.”

  She hoped so. Tori didn't want to piss off the spirits, making their lives even more difficult.

  “And us?” Beckett asked.

  “You two are looking for roses. We have to find what that last clue meant. Somewhere, among the flowers, is our answer. You’re on that.”

  Beckett was torn. He both wanted to be trapped inside with Claire all day, and didn’t. While sticking close to her had its allure, the house and its secrets didn't.

  “We’re going to be following that passage too. It leads somewhere, but we just have to figure it out.”

  They all stood.

  It was time to get to work.

  “Be careful, Jules,” Claire warned. “Watch your back.”

  Tori took his hand as they prepared to head out. They didn't have to worry. She wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

  Not now, not ever.

  She immediately didn't like it.

  It all felt off.

  The second they arrived at Brady Parker’s, Tori felt like she was back in a warzone. There was camouflage netting strung in the trees, ditches were dug, and the place looked like the man was waiting for some personal war to go down.

  It set off the alarms in her head.

  This was a bad idea.

  What she wouldn’t give for her sidearm at that point. Since they had to board a plane, her gun was at home locked in a safe.