If she was to do that, it meant keeping Bethany out. The last thing Justin was going to want was her dead spirit guide interfering.
“Later, Bethany.”
With that, she headed out of the office. In the hall, Julian was waiting for her. When he opened his arms, she didn't hesitate to go into them.
“It’s okay, honey.”
She knew he was lying.
The look on his face said it all. They were imploding from the inside out, and no one could stop it.
Not him.
Not her.
Their team was falling apart, and so was their family.
“We should go to the meeting,” she offered. If they didn't, she was going to cry. Tori was close to losing it, and her being weepy was the last thing she needed.
“Okay, honey. I’ll talk to him later,” Julian offered, trying to help.
“No, Jules, I have to be the one to get through to him. Right now, he’s angry. If you approach him, he’s going to hate you too. We can’t let that happen. He needs someone through all this. You have to stay on his good side.”
She was taking one for the team.
“Tori, he doesn’t hate you. Justin is just trapped in the emotions right now. If we give him time…”
She laughed sardonically. “Sure. Let’s give this time to fester even more. That’s a great plan.”
He kissed her on the temple.
“Let’s go, Jules. We have work to do.”
There was no way he could tell her that this wasn’t a powder keg just waiting to blow around them.
It was worse.
Someone had doused their family with gasoline, and they were simply waiting for the match to be lit.
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
In the largest conference room, the team had gathered. Around the table they sat, each one beside their partner. When Tori sat, Beau flanked his sister with a look of concern on his face.
Even he sensed the shit fest coming down the line.
Great.
Now she wanted to cry all over again. This day sucked, and she couldn’t escape it.
As Julian sat, he began handing out files to each pair of team members. Only Beau and Justin were by themselves. Both men looked miserable--one for his sister, and one because of her.
“Kane, you and Christina are working the phones and handling the incoming payments. All the office drone work is going to fall on you.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Christina said cheerfully. She didn't mind staying in the office. When they went out, Kane was a hot mess.
Julian continued, “I also want you both to be on top of the media. There was another story in the tabloids today about us. It seems that Shelby Christensen is pushing to get our attention.”
“Oh, brother,” Tori muttered under her breath. She wanted off that ride too. It was getting old, and fast.
“I’m sorry,” the newest member stated.
They all glanced over at Beau. He didn't often speak up in a morning meeting. Often, he silently observed.
“I’m really sorry about all the shit she’s been slinging at all of you. She’s texted me about forty times in the last two days. I really think she’s pissed I’m not answering her. Maybe if I do…”
“Just ignore her,” Julian stated. “As long as we stay quiet, she has nothing new to use. Eventually, the media will get bored and drop her.”
They could handle the mess. It was no worse than their other problems.
God!
Julian hoped he was right.
The last thing they needed was to let her get to them. They’d built the wall, and she wasn’t going to take them down.
She’d already done enough damage to the Littlemoon image, smearing Tori and Julian’s spotless reputation.
They didn't want anything to do with her or the craziness.
“She can’t hurt us if we say nothing,” Julian reassured.
That was another reason they were going to be taking Beau with them. While out in the field, he wouldn’t be easily accessible. That would mean that the media wouldn’t tear into him.
Tabloid rags were vicious.
Some of the stories that they’d run were out of control. After the accident, they said Tori was drinking too, and that she was texting.
It was total BS.
That only stirred Justin up even more, even if they all knew that it was all lies.
“We’ll handle it, boss,” Kane said, cracking his knuckles. “If Lena has any issues, I’ll toss them off the property.”
He knew he could count on the big guy. His enforcer was fed up with people in his fiancée’s face. It was a sad day when Kane, the calmest of the group, was ready to crack skulls.
“Christina, you don’t have to be at work,” Julian offered. While she wasn’t hurt in the accident, he was still worried. One miscarriage was about all they could handle, plus Christina was further along.
They didn't need a baby’s funeral.
“I need to be here, Julian. I’m going to swing over and see Viv later. I’m going to bring her lunch and see if I can cheer her up.”
At his wife’s name, Justin flinched, but he didn't look up.
Tori went to reach for his hand, to offer him comfort, but he pulled it just out of her grasp.
Julian sighed. “Okay.”
Focusing on Beckett and Claire, he couldn’t help but notice that the man was practically hovering over her. He was wearing his leather gloves, and not touching anything but her.
Apparently, there was some residual energy in their office.
“Are you okay, Beck?” Julian asked, motioning toward his hands.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Beckett said nothing more because he still wasn’t comfortable with everyone knowing about his gift. Yes, he was out, but that didn't mean waving it around like a banner.
He appreciated their concern.
The table wasn’t too old, but there was still a little mojo coming off it.
While it didn't hurt him, he wasn’t taking any chances. Their first day upstairs in his new office, Claire had to pull him back from the brink when he touched a brick wall.
Who knew this building had been a brothel?
That had been one hell of a field trip.
“Claire and Beckett, you’re out in the field working the simple cases. We have a few cheaters who need surveillance, and we have one or two cases for worker’s comp. You’ll have to cover them.”
Before Beckett could speak, Justin jumped in. “I’ll handle half. I’m not doing anything.”
Julian stared at him. “Not without a partner.”
He glanced over. “I’ll be fine.”
The entire table went tense. Everyone saw the simmering kettle of anger just waiting to blow.
They waited for it.
“Those are not the rules. In this office, we follow them, Justin. You know that.”
Justin’s cheek twitched, and he didn't look happy. “I know the rules. I can sit in my damn truck and take some pictures. Let me take the newbie if you’re afraid I’m going to screw up and get someone hurt.”
He turned his head and stared right at Tori.
Her heart flipped.
Enough was enough.
Julian draped his arm over his wife’s shoulders. “Lose the attitude, Justin. You may own a portion of this company, but you’re not going to be disrespectful. We’ve all been walking on eggshells for you, and it needs to stop.”
Justin stood.
“Sit your ass down.”
He didn't move.
Kane pushed back from the table so Christina could move further away from Justin. They were all waiting for a blow up, and no one could forget that of the two men, Justin had a wicked temper.
“You’re not going out alone. You can work all the leads from your office. You can’t have Beau because he’s heading out with us. He needs field training. If you want, we have some interviews. If you can contain your self-loathing and hate, maybe you can find us some m
ore employees.”
Of all the people in the world, only Julian could talk to Justin that way and get away with it. Anyone else would have been swallowing their teeth.
“Fine.”
He sat, and there was a collective sigh of relief.
The match hadn’t been lit.
Julian continued without even batting an eyelash. If his brother wanted a fistfight, he’d give him one, just not here at work. This was their family business, and nonsense wasn’t happening there.
They had a reputation to save. It was already halfway to the tank thanks to Tori’s mother. They didn't need the media getting wind of this mess.
Who knew what they’d come up with?
“We’re heading out after this meeting.”
“What case are you working?” Christina asked, trying to add some calm to the team. She understood what was eating at Justin, but there was nothing that they could do to change it.
Fate spoke.
They were all her bitch.
“We’re working the Darkwood Monastery case. It seems that someone’s screwing with the owners. They recently bought the monastery from the church, and they opted to convert it into a functioning vineyard.”
Beckett leaned back in his chair. “What’s happening?”
“Someone’s sabotaging them. They have guests complaining that there are things missing from their rooms, someone’s stealing wine, and they have a suspicion that it’s their nearest competition.”
Tori flipped open their file and tried to ignore the eyes boring into her soul. Justin was glaring at them, and she just wanted to get the meeting over with before someone got hurt.
Mainly him.
For Julian to rip into Justin, it had to mean he was close to the edge too.
“The biggest competition to the winery is less than four miles away. The vineyards butt up against each other. Daniel Nelms believes that all the shit going down is sabotage to put him out of business.”
“Do you think he’s right?” Christina asked, pulling up the vineyards on her tablet.
Tori shrugged. “We’re going in sort of undercover as a couple trying to have a romantic weekend away. We’re too well known now to go unnoticed.”
“And him?” Kane asked.
“I’m going in as the hired help. There was a job as a waiter in the shop. I’m going to be handing out booze to rich people. Fun, I know. Commence jealousy.”
Tori patted him on the arm. “Well, when we find you a partner, you can be the couple.”
“YAY! So you’ll find me a female? Do I get to fill out a questionnaire about what I’m looking for? Or will you wing it?”
Beckett laughed, despite the tension. “Gay men love wine. They could find you the best partner while at the vineyard.”
Beau opened his mouth and then closed it.
Then he glanced over at his sister. “You wouldn’t do that to me, now would you?”
She winked. “I wouldn’t, but Julian would.”
He looked worried. He wasn’t quite sure how Julian felt about him. The man was always watching him.
“Anyway,” Julian stated, “we have a cover, and there shouldn’t be anything hinky about this one. It’s a straight case, just the way I like it.”
Beckett laughed. “Yeah, I could drink a toast to a case with no ghosts.”
Julian offered him a fist bump, since he agreed. “Amen. You and me both, my friend.”
Tori could have reminded her husband that they always had a ghost. She just didn't always make herself known. Why ruin his moment of happiness?
“We’re going to go in to find any evidence that shows AngelCake winery is stirring the pot. Someone is causing a ruckus, and we need to figure out who. It should be straight forward.”
“What do you have for the details?” Tori asked, knowing that Christina had been researching it for them.
She turned her tablet around and began, “AngelCake is a national wine chain. They like to name all their drinks after desserts. I can’t wait to down a whole bottle of Devil’s Food Cake after childbirth.”
Kane stared at her, and as he was going to point out the obvious faux pas she’d just made, Justin pushed back from his chair and walked out.
They all watched him go.
“Oh shit! I didn't mean to bring it up,” Christina stated.
No one there blamed her. This was just one of those speedbumps they had to navigate each and every day.
Julian sighed. “I’m sorry, everyone. I hate that we have to be targets for his anger. I’m working on it.”
All of them looked sympathetic.
“We have to do something,” stated Christina. “I’m afraid that the day I give birth, he’s going to lose it. I don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t be sad every day. It makes this job hard.”
She had a very good point.
“We’re working on it,” reiterated Tori. “Justin is a tough case, and we’re trying…”
They all knew what she wasn’t saying out loud. His PTSD and the issues he’d once had were coming back.
“I’ll handle it after this case. I don’t want to leave right now, but we can’t back out. The owner of the vineyard wasn’t willing to compromise. I offered the retainer back, but they heard we were the best.”
The team knew he wouldn’t do that to them on purpose. Leaving Justin there in charge was a risk.
“While we’re gone, I need everyone to keep an eye on him. If he looks like he’s going south, someone call me.”
They all nodded.
“If he starts drinking…”
No one needed to hear the rest.
They were already aware that Justin and booze were a bad combo. It intensified the anger, making him dangerous. That was a road that they didn't plan on heading down.
Not now.
Not ever.
As of yet, he was okay.
Christina rubbed her hand over her belly. “You said that this vineyard got a referral. Have we run everyone? I know how you like to be prepared. I can do it if you like.”
Julian closed up his file. “Daniel Nelms said it was a woman named Nyx Nightingale. I did a quick search on her, but she didn't pop. She’s never called us or had contact with our office either. When I did the basic criminal background check, she was clean. I’m really at a loss.”
Christina began typing again, her fingers flying over the tablet’s keys.
Tori thought about it. “Maybe she saw us on the news. God knows we’ve been plastered on every TV and in every paper. Chester Lamont was on the news talking about us solving the murder of his brother.”
Yeah, they saw that.
“Apparently, he told them all the gruesome details, and it sensationalized the whole thing.”
Julian was still pissed about that. They asked, no, begged him to keep the details out of the press. Only, he wanted attention to recoup some of his money. Since he couldn’t keep the gold, he had to make the bucks somehow.
It was on their backs.
When you found gold, dealt with a pirate mystery, and a slew of deaths, something was bound to get attention.
“The ‘Killing House Crimes’ was one to never forget,” Beckett muttered. The only good thing about it was that he found a fiancée.
Never mind that Claire nearly died at the hands of a nutjob. He was still trying to forget that detail.
It wasn’t easy.
“Well, maybe she saw us online and recommended the team,” Kane offered.
Christina started laughing.
It started low and got wilder.
As they all watched her, she couldn’t help herself. When the boss man got wind of what she found, he was going to go nuts.
“You said you ran her, right?” she asked, between fits of giggles.
Julian nodded. “Yeah, I did.”
“What did you run her through?”
He shrugged. “DMV and arrest records. Why?”
Julian didn't like the way his employee was amused by this. He
knew Christina, and she was entertained by the oddest things. Generally, if she found it funny…
It wasn’t.
Well, not to him.
She’d worked under Elizabeth Blackhawk in the FBI. They were a strange bunch, and the oddest things tickled their fancy. By odd, he meant dangerous.
Skinned corpses.
Shooting killers.
It was always a questionable mess.
“Did you Google her?” Christina asked, calming down. She was borderline ready to pee her pants, thanks to the baby bouncing on her bladder. Once her boss saw what she’d dug up, she might just do that too.
“No. I figured a visual and then the police records were sufficient.”
“Did you run a search with her name and businesses?”
He crossed his arms. “Why the hell would I do that? Christina, just tell me what you found. I don’t have the patience for this today.”
Kane kicked her under the table.
Work was tense enough.
They didn't need Julian following Justin off the calm trail and into the bedlam too.
Tori was pretty sure she got what Christina was alluding to, so she took over. She’d worked as a Fed, and when you ran someone, you had to do a deep search. If, by some chance, you didn't and Elizabeth Blackhawk found out, you were eating boot leather--after she jammed it into your colon.
“I think I understand what’s amusing Christina.”
“Well, I don’t get what’s funny,” he stated.
Christina sent the picture of the woman to the wall. It was her driver’s license. They all studied it on the screen.
Still, Julian didn't find anything amusing.
“Wow!” muttered Beau, checking the woman out. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had black hair cut sharply to frame her face. It set off her really deep aqua eyes. They seemed to stare right through him.
Immediately, his heart began racing.
Maybe he’d been out of the dating scene for a while, but this woman drove up the heat index in the room for him.
Tori glanced over at her brother and noticed he was flushed.
She rolled her eyes.
“Down boy. Get the hormones in check.”
Beau couldn’t help it.
There was this feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach. It hadn’t been there for a long time. This stranger stirred it up in him, and he couldn’t help his reaction.
Truth Is Found Page 3
