“I have two things for you. The first will be arriving at your house in a couple weeks. It’s from me to you, Victoria.”
“Tori. My friends call me Tori.”
The woman teared up. “The next is your payment. I know I didn't technically hire you, but you solved two attempted homicides, and three murders all in under two weeks. That has to deserve a reward. Plus, you found the family Bible.”
She handed the envelope to Julian. “If you’re ever back in Kentucky, stop in. You have an open invitation in my home for the rest of your lives.”
Tori watched her leave as she waved goodbye.
When Julian opened the envelope, he whistled. “Wow.”
Kane read over his shoulder at the amount on the check. “That’s insane.”
“Yeah, it is.” Then, he had an idea. He handed it to Kane. “Happy wedding and baby shower present.”
Tori squeezed her husband’s hand.
“Are you serious?”
Julian nodded. He wanted to reward their team, giving them a nice little nest egg for their baby. “You need a bigger place now that you’re having a kid. It’s a good down payment, but there’s one condition tied to it.”
Kane waited for it. “And that is?”
“After Christina has the baby, she comes back to work. We have a damn good team, and I don’t want to screw this up.”
The smaller woman hugged him, giving Julian a big kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best boss ever! Don’t tell Ethan I said that!” she warned.
Julian grinned. “Yeah, I know. Now, get your asses to the airport. We have more assignments backing up at home.”
Kane patted him on the shoulder. “Drive safe, Julian.”
The man waited until he was gone before he kicked off his boots and slid onto the bed with his wife. When she curled against him, he sighed in peace.
“I love you, honey,” he stated.
“I love you too, babe.”
“Want to take a nap?”
She ran her hand up his leg. “No, I want to fool around. The pain meds make me loopy.” Then, she whispered profane things in his ear.
When she stroked him through his jeans, he went a little loopy too. “VICTORIA!”
Epilogue
Saturday
Two Weeks Later
It had been an awesome drive home. Julian and Tori kept the rental car to slowly make the trek. They didn't arrange for reservations or sweat the details. They simply lived for the moment. Along the way, they were able to laugh, have copious amounts of sex, and come together as an even stronger couple.
Love was a beautiful thing.
Along the way, they turned off their cells and sent postcards to the people they loved back home.
Each one showed a picture of where they’d been and one sentence.
‘We’re having the time of our lives and not sure if we’re ever coming back.’
That wasn’t even close to the truth, but for those days, they lived like all that mattered was love and each other. Sometimes, when you had to chase the darkness and risk your life, you deserved a break.
When they returned to the Rez, the first thing they did was go for a ride. Wakanda and Weeko missed them, and the feeling was mutual.
It was good to be home.
They still had two days off before they needed to head into work on Monday morning. They were still going to lay around and maybe meet up with Justin and Vivian later for dinner.
But first, they had more important things to do.
“Is it ready yet?” Julian asked, pacing the living room like a madman. If he didn't find out, he was going to lose his mind.
Tori glanced down at her watch. “Just about.”
“Seriously! You’d think these things are instant.” Even though Bethany told Tori they were pregnant, they still had to wait and bide their time.
This was going to either make or break them.
After getting their hopes up, neither could take the heartbreak that a negative test would give them.
Julian and Tori were so close, they could almost touch it.
“It’s time,” she said, standing.
“I can’t do it, Tor. You have to look. I’m going to be sick, either way.”
She was too but for her husband, she’d take one for the team. Walking into the bathroom, she took a deep breath and picked up the test. Reading it, tears filled her eyes.
Brushing them with the sleeve of her shirt, she headed out to Julian.
When he saw her face, he knew. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, frozen in that one position. His heart hit rock bottom, and he was lost.
She started laughing through the tears. “It’s positive, Jules. It’s positive,” she whispered. “We’re going to be parents.”
His eyes filled at her words, and he couldn’t speak. He had begun to believe that he would never hear those words in his life.
Now, here they were.
“Really?” he asked, taking a step toward her.
“Yes,” she whispered, letting the emotion out. “I’m not broken any more.”
He rushed her, pulling Tori into his body to share his excitement. “I can’t believe this. You’re having my child,” he murmured, stepping back to look at her torso. “Right now, there’s a little us growing in there. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I can’t believe this is all real. The ghost, the pregnancy, and Bethany telling me what we were having.”
He looked up at her. “What?”
She told him about the conversation. “Do you want to know?” Tori asked. “I mean, she may be wrong, but if she could do this, why wouldn’t she know?”
He was a little freaked out about it to begin with, but did it really matter? Julian Littlemoon was going to be a father. “Yes, tell me! Are we having a son?”
She shook her head.
“A girl? I’m going to have a daughter?” he asked incredulously.
Tori nodded.
Julian began laughing like a lunatic. He raced at Tori and spun her in a circle. “You and I are going to celebrate!” he said.
She laughed. “What are we going to do?”
“Well, I think we should make love. Nothing says, ‘congrats on making a baby’, like more sex.”
Tori continued laughing.
“Then?”
That was easy. “We’re going to go tell my mother. I’m not stupid. If we don’t tell her first, then she’s going to kick my ass.”
Yeah, Clarissa absolutely would.
“You’re not calling Justin first?” Tori asked, leading her husband to the bedroom.
“Okay, sex, Justin, and then mom.”
In their bedroom, she was pulled into his arms.
“I love you, Mrs. Littlemoon. You’ve given me something I never thought possible in my life. I have a wife, and now a child on the way. I’m one lucky man. I’d give you my soul if you asked.”
Tori accepted his kiss. When they broke apart. “Well, there is something I really want, Julian.”
He stared into her smoky blue eyes. “Name it, and it’s yours.”
She ran her finger tips down his cheek. “Anything?”
“Yes.”
“When we go back to work, you’re not allowed to tell me I can’t go out on assignments or keep working.”
Oh, she played that one well.
“Victoria!”
Instead of arguing with him, she pulled him onto the bed. They could work this one out another time.
After all, like Bethany said, the adventure was just beginning.
* * *
Sunday Afternoon
They were packing up and getting ready to head back to Delta Falls. It was time to return to work and start back up with their lives.
Julian was still walking on cloud nine. He’d told his mother and family, and everyone was ecstatic that there was another Littlemoon on the horizon.
Vivian and Justin were the happiest. Now, they could relax and enjoy their pregnancy too. Gon
e were the worries and guilt of what their loved ones were missing out on.
The family was doubly blessed.
It seemed that there was something in the water, now that all the women in the office were expecting. Julian knew that Justin was dying to head back to work to torment their secretary.
It was going to be interesting.
Tomorrow, he was in charge of getting all the desks and offices set up on the second floor. Julian had yet to tell Justin the good news about him and his wife being full partners. He was going to save that for when they were all at work.
He couldn’t wait to see his face.
“When are they arriving?” Tori asked, as she carried out her duffle bag.
Julian immediately took it from her. “Are you crazy? You shouldn’t be carrying anything!” he blurted.
It made her laugh. “Julian, it’s some clothes and a pair of sneakers. I don’t think that it’s going to hurt me.”
He didn't care. “Still, I’ll carry it.”
Tori knew that he was going to drive her insane, but she was so happy that she’d swallow it. “Okay, babe,” Tori answered.
Before he could answer her first question, they heard tires in the driveway.
“That must be them,” Tori said, walking toward the door, only to have Julian beat her there. When they looked out, it wasn’t Justin and Vivian, but a big black truck towing a horse trailer.
“Who’s that?” Tori asked.
Julian feigned confusion at the vehicle. He was well aware of what was coming. “It’s Beckett Rand,” he replied, as the man hopped down out of the cab.
They opened the door to watch him approach.
“Hey, ya’ll.”
“You’re a little lost, my friend, aren’t you?” Julian asked, still keeping up the charade.
The man tried not to laugh. “I was hired by Lorelei Hesser to make a delivery to your wife.”
Tori stared at the horse trailer. “What’s in there?”
Beckett and Julian grinned, since both men had talked earlier. “It’s your present from the Hesser Estates.”
She stared at the man. “Okay, so, I got a horse trailer?”
That made both men laugh.
“No, you are the proud owner of a new horse.” He held out the official paperwork, giving it to Tori. When she took it and read it over, Beckett started laughing at the incredulous look on her face.
“I own Knight of Darkness?” she whispered, staring up at the man.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.
Tori looked over at her husband. “I don’t understand.”
Julian continued, “It’s about time you had your own horse, and Lorelei knew he would have a good home here.”
She started laughing outrageously. Someone had just given her a horse worth more money than their cabin. It was too crazy. “Can we get him out?” she asked, bouncing up and down.
Both men grinned before heading to the back of the trailer. Leading him out, Knight was already saddled and ready for her. Sitting on his back was her own tack, and it carried her initials.
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, thinking she’d never see him again.
Beckett smiled. “You should take him for a ride.”
Julian looked over fast. “No, you shouldn’t! You’re pregnant and that’s not happening!”
Tori ignored him to climb into the saddle. The horse began fidgeting under her weight, and she immediately leaned forward to soothe him. “Shhhhh. It’s okay, Knight. Welcome home, handsome!”
“Hey!” Julian protested. “That’s what you call me!”
Beckett laughed. “So, I also have one more thing for you two,” he stated, crossing his arms.
Julian watched his wife warily on the horse. “What?”
“I’m looking for a job. You wouldn’t still be hiring, would you? It seems that after the Hesser case, I can’t seem to focus on being a sheriff anymore. It’s just not exciting enough for me.”
Tori didn't think twice. “Army or Marines?” she asked, knowing it drove her husband insane. That was her only interview question.
“Actually, my brother was in the Navy, and I have to stick with allegiance on this one,” he said, staring at Tori like she was crazy. “Why?”
“You’re hired!” she said.
“VICTORIA! We discussed this! You’re lucky I already wanted him to work for us! You can’t use that as your hiring criteria!”
Beckett Rand began laughing. “You two are going to be fun to work for,” he said, leaning against the horse trailer.
Julian shook his head. “You have no idea.”
When Tori began riding the horse to the back of the house, Julian protested again.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“We leave for work soon, and I want to introduce Knight to Wakanda and Weeko.”
Julian stared at her openmouthed. “Tori, he’s a stallion. You know what that means!”
She laughed, nudging him into a run.
Yeah, she did. It looked like their family would be expanding when it came to their horses too.
“Victoria Rose Littlemoon! Don’t do it!”
Her laughter was all he heard as she disappeared.
Julian couldn’t help but smile.
Yeah, their lives were about to be one hell of an adventure.
Meanwhile….
He needed to find that one artifact that acted like a key.
It had to be here somewhere.
For weeks, he’d searched and searched through the entire manor to no avail. The letter said it was there, and it couldn’t be lying.
Could it?
If it was, this was a colossal waste of his resources and time. Granted, there was that small glimmer of chance that he’d been duped.
Maybe the person who sold the house to him was a liar.
As he moved through the corridors, following the map, he tried to get his bearings.
Something wasn’t right.
There was a wall where a window should be.
Staring down at the hand drawn map on the ancient paper, he couldn’t figure it out. Then, he realized he was reading the paper wrong.
Damn it!
He was a total idiot.
Flipping it around, he headed back the way he came. He was going to make a call to the seller and bitch up a storm. This treasure hunt was coming up with nothing. The promise of mystery and riches was the only reason he shelled out that kind of cash.
He should have known better, but when he had the letter authenticated, he had gotten his hopes up.
Somewhere in this manor was the treasure of a lifetime.
He could feel it in his bones.
Now, it was all about finding that first piece and letting it lead him to the rest.
Back in his room, he picked up his phone and waited for the person to answer his call.
As he stood there, he didn't hear the creak behind him, or the wall sliding open.
As the call went to voicemail, his temper spiked and he wanted to throttle someone.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing,” he barked into the phone, “but that map you sold me and the key to this place is a joke. There’s nothing here but cobwebs, a few creaky floorboards, and a whole lot of bullshit! I want my money back!”
When he hung up the phone, he glanced into the mirror over his bedroom fireplace and gasped.
Someone was there behind him.
Spinning, he couldn’t stop the blow from striking him in the face and taking him to his knees.
Again, he was hit.
Over and over.
Until the pain finally slid away, and all that remained was the sickening crunch of bones being destroyed.
He was dying.
And for what?
A treasure that he would never see.
In that moment, he was so sorry that he bought the house and started playing this Unspeakable Game.
It cost him everything.
Including his li
fe…
Coming Next:
Dangerous Revelations (book 1)
Harcourte Vampyre Society Series
&
Redemption is Here (book 9)
FBI/Romance Series
Other books by Morgan Kelley:
Stand Alone Romance/FBI thrillers
The Junction
Serial Sins
The Blood Betrayal
Romance/FBI Thriller Series
The Killing Times (book 1)
Sacred Burial Grounds (book 2)
True Love Lost (book 3)
Deep Dark Mire (book 4)
Fire Burns Hot (book 5)
Darkness of Truth (book 6)
Devil Hath Come (book 7)
Consumed by Wrath (book 8)
Redemption is Here (book 9) Summer 2014
Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Series
Celestia is Falling (book 1)
Vegas is Dying (book 2)
Christmas is Killing (book 3)
Love is Bleeding (book 4)
Heaven is Weeping (book 5) Winter 2015
The Littlemoon Investigations Series
Blood Red Rage (book 1)
Lost and Broken (book 2)
Unspeakable Games (book 3) Winter 2014
The Carter Chronicles Trilogy
Sinner Repent (book 1)
Sinner Realized (book 2) Winter 2014
Sinner Reborn (book 3) Spring 2015
The Harcourte Vampyre Society Series
Dangerous Revelations (book 1) Summer 2014
Dangerous Choices (book 2) Summer 2014
Dangerous Misery (book 3) Spring 2015
Dangerous Retaliation (book 4) Summer 2015
Dangerous Influence (book 5) Winter 2016
Dangerous Sacrifice (book 6) Winter 2016
Anthologies
Illegal Fantasies- Behind Closed Doors
Lost & Broken (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 2) Page 44
