by L B Wyatt
“You’ve missed something, Veronica.” He pulled away from her further and Veronica tried to reach out for him again, but her actions were starting to make her feel silly. She wasn’t one to plead that was for sure. So why was she acting like a pathetic schoolgirl? She was making herself sick. She forced herself to stand still and as soon as she roped her libido in and the haze of lust faded, she was able to see he was holding something in his hands. She saw the flash of a crisp white envelope and when he twirled it around, she saw her name written across the front.
She swallowed hard and took an involuntary step away.
“You’ve overlooked something, baby doll,” Arc stated calmly. “You need to look closer. Dig deeper.”
She shook her head, feeling anger starting to simmer in the pit of her stomach. “What do you mean?” she demanded.
“You’ve been a fool. And I’m ashamed of you.”
His words were devastating. Veronica felt the wind get knocked out of her and she took another step back. She shook her head slowly and flinched as Arc threw the envelope at her. She held her arms up defensively and felt the paper fly into her elbow before fluttering to the floor. It looked up at her tauntingly, her name now smeared in blood across the white paper. She gasped and took another step back. She stumbled by the bed and nearly fell, but Arc grabbed her arm and pulled at her. She didn’t know why, but she screamed. It wasn’t in her nature to scream out of fear. That was just a display of weakness and Arc would have no part of that, so why was she thrashing and screaming now while he held her so tight it hurt? Why was every part of this dream so far removed from her actual personality?
Or was it?
Was she really this weak and pathetic deep down?
“Veronica!” he yelled into her face.
“Get off me!” she yelled right back. “Let me go!”
“Veronica!” When he screamed her name again, it sounded a little less demonic.
She pushed away, trying to force him off her, but it was pointless. Even in her sleep, he was stronger than she ever hoped to be.
“Wake up, Veronica!” he called.
Her eyes came open and reality crashed down on her. She backed into the bed as a man leaned over her, both his hands on her arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked with genuine concern on his face.
Veronica recognized him as the nightshift nurse who had come in earlier at shift change and introduced himself. It took several seconds and a few deep breaths before she had calmed herself down enough to respond.
“Uh, yeah,” she assured, wiggling beneath his grasp and feeling relieved when he took his hands off her and stood up. “Just a dream.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I’m good,” she promised.
“I’m going to check your vitals. How’s your pain?” he inquired. Even though he had a professional front, she could still hear the underlying current of concern in his tone.
“No pain,” she replied. But that was a lie. Her heart was still shattered from Arc’s harsh words. She clenched her jaw then so angry with herself she couldn’t stand it. Arc hadn’t said those things to her. Veronica had said them to herself. Arc had always been a voice of reasoning inside her head. If she wasn’t hearing his advice, she was hearing her father’s. But she was old enough to recognize those voices didn’t truly belong to the men she valued most in her life. They were just an extension of the lessons those men had taught her. So Veronica had driven herself into a nightmare just to remind herself of something she had been putting off for too long. She had solved Amelia’s missing person case. She no longer needed to throw herself into her work as a distraction.
And that scared the hell out of her.
Veronica had time now to focus on her own mysterious past. She could work on her father’s missing person report and try and figure out who killed her fellow Rogue.
“Is there anyone you want me to call?” the nurse asked gently as he placed the blood pressure cuff around her arm.
Veronica didn’t realize she had planted her head in her hands until she heard the man’s voice and looked up at him. She probably appeared as though she was a mad woman, but it didn’t really matter. She had work to do.
“Yeah, actually there is.” She nodded.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“AMA at 2a.m.?” Merritt looked a little disheveled as he walked into her room.
Veronica dressed in the spare clothes he brought her a few hours ago. She had just pulled the oversized tee shirt on when he opened the door.
“I hate this place,” she muttered.
“Morro’s gonna be pissed,” Merritt yawned.
“I don’t really give a damn. There’s something I need to do.” She put the remainder of her belongings in the small duffle bag Merritt had provided and slung it over her shoulder. “I’m ready. Did you relieve that guard?” Veronica inquired, poking her head out the door. She was glad no one was lurking.
“Yeah. He’s gone,” Merritt assured. “What’s your hurry? Did something happen?” he wondered.
“No,” she stated, motioning for him to follow her.
“Did you already sign the papers?” he wondered.
“Yes, Mom. Holy hell, can we go now?” she growled at him. She didn’t wait for him to follow; she knew what kind of vehicle he drove so she hurried to the parking lot. She was glad to hear him not far behind. She waited for him to unlock the door and then she sat down in the passenger’s seat.
“Where to, boss lady?” Merritt cranked the engine and put his seatbelt on carefully. Veronica saw the flash of pain cross his features when he reached for the strap and she felt a fresh wave of guilt ride through her. She sighed.
Veronica remembered Roma saying something about knowing the last hotel she had stayed in, so going there to get her things wouldn’t make any sense right now. She let out another huff of air. “I don’t know.”
Merritt startled her a little when he started laughing. “How about your apartment?” he suggested.
“No,” she said quickly. “I won’t be able to go back there. Ever.” She was shaking her head as she watched him reach over and open the glove box. He pulled out the wallet that was in her oversized purse during the gala.
“A hotel then?” he suggested, handing her the billfold.
She nodded, her eye on the gun stored next to where her wallet had laid. “Yeah, that would be good. Mind if I borrow this?” She pulled the Ruger from the compartment and checked it. It was loaded and ready.
“Sure.” Merritt shrugged.
She tucked the gun away and then opened the wallet to count her bills. Merritt had protected her belongings and she had enough for a night somewhere.
“Where to?”
“Anywhere,” she replied. “I don’t care.”
Merritt put the car in drive and took off. They drove for a long while in silence until he pulled into a Day’s Inn. He turned the engine off and they sat there under the awning for a while. Veronica was staring off into the lobby when she finally spoke.
“Do you know if the feds left any evidence of that homicide at the department?”
Merritt was quiet for a minute before answering, “Probably. But I’m not sure. I wasn’t assigned.”
She nodded and frowned deeper.
“What is it, Covey?” he asked.
She turned her head so they were facing each other and chewed on her lip. “No leads, right?’
“None,” Merritt confirmed. “From what I heard around the station, she was shot from behind at close range. No weapon and no positive ID on the ballistics either. No prints in the system, no family coming forward; it’s like she doesn’t exist.”
“Was she assaulted?”
“Sexually? No,” Merritt continued. “No signs of any struggle. It was like someone snuck up from behind her and pulled the trigger. If they did take something, it must have been in her hands. Her purse and pockets weren’t even touched.”
Veronica nodded. “Thanks again,” she
said, holding her wallet up for emphasis.
“Hey, if you…” Merritt hesitated causing her to look over the console at him intently.
“What?” she coaxed.
Merritt shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “I was going to offer you my couch. You know, if you don’t want to be hanging out alone in a hotel room with half the state’s criminals fishing for your head.”
Veronica smiled at his sentiments and raised a brow. “That’s very considerate of you, Merritt, but I can’t involve you any more than I already have. It’s a risk just being seen with me right now.”
“I don’t mind,” he said.
“And I believe that. I’ll give you a call if I run into any scrapes,” she promised.
“Be careful,” he insisted as she opened her door.
“Oh, yeah,” She paused before getting out completely and unzipped her duffle. She produced some papers and handed them to Merritt. “Turn these into Morro for me, if you don’t mind. It’s my statements of what happened. He wanted them turned in by tomorrow.”
Merritt took them but his brow knitted with concern. “Shouldn’t you turn these in yourself?” he inquired.
“Don’t worry, I’m not taking off,” she assured. “I just need to take care of some things before I come into the station.”
“What about the ledger?” he continued.
“Tell Morro I’ll turn it in within the next couple of days.”
Merritt nodded and tucked the papers in the console. “See you around. Hopefully not at 2 a.m. again.”
She smiled, getting out of the car and waving as he drove off.
Veronica waited ten minutes and then called a cab from the lobby. She snuck into the vehicle from the side and took off to another hotel location. To say she was paranoid was an understatement. She didn’t want anyone to know where she was. She thought fleetingly about having Merritt take her to another storage unit to grab a resource bag, but she decided against it. She was thankful he had retrieved her wallet from the rental car. This gave her the opportunity to get a cab to a different hotel and another rental car as soon as they opened in a few hours.
Veronica rested easier in the hotel room. It was a little pricier than the Day’s Inn, but she liked the idea of it being in a busier area. It was right off a main street with stores and other businesses within walking distance. The extra crowds gave her more cover, although there wasn’t much going on at this hour. Nevertheless, she knew when the sun came up the streets would be bustling and she could get something accomplished.
But she wrestled with herself for the remainder of the night. She thought sleep would be easier, but her inner struggle was hard to overcome. She was on the fence about an important decision; about asking someone in particular for help that went against what she had always believed to be right or wrong. Someone she didn’t even like. Morally it didn’t feel right, but in this situation, Veronica wasn’t sure if she had another choice.
She pulled the covers over her body and nestled into her pillow. She felt the cold, but reassuring handle of the gun tucked beneath her head and she finally drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Veronica felt sunlight on her face. She woke up thinking of Amelia Mason’s parents. She could see Amelia’s mother so clear in her head it was as though they had just spoken yesterday. Then she imagined how hard the girl’s mother would take it to find out Amelia wasn’t missing, she was dead.
Veronica sat up, putting her face in her hands for a long moment. She hated waking up like that, especially when she’d had minimal sleep to start with. She needed coffee, she decided. And lots of it. She got dressed in the same black leggings and oversized shirt Merritt had given her at the hospital and tried to tame her hair with the crappy hotel comb. It was almost useless. She couldn’t get it into a neat enough braid for her liking, so she opted for tossing it up on her head in a messy bun. With no makeup, she was left with dark circles under her eyes and a look of exhaustion, but it would have to do. Who the hell was she trying to impress anyway?
The lobby was busier than what Veronica had considered it would have been the night before. She was going to try and get some coffee from the breakfast bar, but it was so crowded she figured she would grab a cup at the place on the corner. She might have to overpay for it, but it would be better than waiting in line behind all those business suits.
The sun felt good on her skin and Veronica enjoyed the short walk to the shop. It was busy, but not nearly as much as the hotel. She got in line, but flinched a little when she heard someone say her name. She turned toward the sound of the feminine voice and tried to hide the shock that undoubtedly flashed across her features.
There was a beautiful blonde sitting at a small round table by the window. She had two cups of coffee, one in front of her and one in front of an empty stool. The woman smiled and Veronica was astonished at how amazing she looked. She was petite with honey-colored waves hanging all down her back. Her clear blue eyes were just as striking from across the room as they were up close. She was dressed casually in jeans with a blue blazer and a white top beneath. She was exquisitely put together and she certainly didn’t look like she had just had twins a few short weeks ago, but Veronica knew for a fact she had.
Reigning in her shock, Veronica made the necessary strides to fill the gap between them and stood by the table as the blonde smiled warmly at her.
“It’s been a while,” she said, gesturing for Veronica to have a seat. “I just got you a black coffee. I know you hate those crappy frappy drinks,” she stated, sipping her own drink.
“Right,” Veronica said lowly, trying not to look too freaked out. The woman sitting across from her was the only real psychic Veronica had ever met, (maybe the only true one in the world) but it was still strange to have someone just know things without being told.
“Thanks.” She managed to find her manners through it all. She picked up her coffee and sipped. It tasted like heaven. It had been sitting there long enough it was the perfect temperature to drink without burning her tongue, which made her wonder how long her company had been waiting for her.
“What are you doing here, Brooke?” Veronica finally asked.
Brooke shrugged and raised a brow, sipping her coffee again. “You tell me. You’re the one who kept me up all night.”
Veronica narrowed her eyes. “What do mean?” she demanded.
Brooke licked her pretty little lips and glanced out the window as the cars went by. Veronica noted how Brooke’s mouth was bare of lipstick or gloss. In fact, Brooke didn’t appear to be wearing much makeup, if any, and yet her skin was smooth, dotted only with a small spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She still looked amazing with minimal effort, which made Veronica hate her a little more if that were possible.
“Sometimes when people think really hard about me, I can see what they see…feel what they feel. You were having a really hard time deciding on whether or not you should call me, so I thought I’d make the decision easier on you,” Brooke explained.
Veronica had watched Brooke in action. She knew Brooke was powerful, but hearing what she’d just said seemed to make it all the more real to Veronica, which in turn, made it a little more frightening. What else had she seen? What other secrets did she know?
Veronica must have been staring too long and hard because Brooke turned those eerie, all-knowing blue eyes back on to her and said, “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
Veronica slanted her eyes and opened her mouth, but Brooke put up a small hand and shook her head with a smile.
“I know, I know. You’re not afraid of anything. I get it. What I meant to say was you don’t have to be afraid about what I know. It’s not my place to share it with anyone for any reason.”
Veronica clamped her lips shut and started to shake her head. She wasn’t sure if Brooke’s words were reassuring or just made matters worse. Veronica had never had very nice thoughts about Brooke. In fact, she had been mean and hateful
to Brooke since the day they met. Veronica had never believed in psychics or anything else out of the realm of logical explanation and Brooke just didn’t fit into that category. She was so far out it was hard for Veronica to relate, even though Veronica had witnessed things in the company of Brooke and Logan she never thought possible.
“Then what’s the matter? Why not let me help you?” Brooke asked.
Veronica widened her eyes for a moment and then felt let out a breath of air. “Can you stop doing that?” she hissed.
Brooke’s own eyes were a little larger than normal and she reached to rub her temple. “I will if you stop thinking so loud.”
Veronica couldn’t help it. Something about the way Brooke said that and the way she looked saying it caused Veronica to laugh. Brooke grinned in return and the ice broke a little. Veronica relaxed in her seat and took in a deep breath.
“I have to admit, Brooke, you sure as hell don’t look like you just had a baby. Let alone two.” Veronica didn’t want her statement to sound too much like a compliment, but it did anyway. Damn it.
Brooke smiled brighter and Veronica could see the sparkle behind her eyes that only a mother possessed. Veronica tried to keep her jealousy and other thoughts in check, but it was hard. Brooke had Logan. And she had Logan’s babies. Veronica sighed, quickly escaping from those notions before Brooke could hear them, but when she saw Brooke’s expression shift, Veronica knew it was too late.
“Do you have pictures?” Veronica asked politely, trying to steer the topic toward something to distract them both.
“Of course, I do.” Brooke nodded.
“Can I see them?” Veronica inquired.
Brooke shook her head no and sipped her coffee again. “Nah, I know you don’t give a damn about my kids, Covey. It shows character that you asked, though.”
Veronica felt the sting and opened her mouth to snap, but thought better of it. How many times had she said something derogatory toward Brooke? Plenty. So Veronica deserved that and much more.
