by Kris Norris
Gil sighed and the bed dipped as he crowded the edge. “You’re not going crazy. And while we both know it can’t be Charlie, maybe there’s a connection we’re missing. I’ll check it out later.”
Fallon nodded and leant against his shoulder. “So I guess this means you haven’t had any luck finding the woman I saw?”
He shook his head. “Wade just called to inform me how daunting a task it was to narrow down the search. Apparently there’re as many churches as there are coffee shops.”
She pulled back and locked her eyes on his. Something in the way he talked about Wade’s call made her believe the man had wanted more than just to update Gil. “And that’s the only reason Wade called?” she pressed.
Gil’s head lowered and Fallon knew what was coming next. “As a matter of fact, he was wondering if you could give us more information.”
“Such as?”
“Such as where the bastard took the girl.”
Fallon snorted and pulled back, wrapping her arms around her chest. “I told you. It’s not like that. I can’t just sit down and spy on people. The other person always initiates the connection.” She looked down at her lap. “I’m just along for the ride.”
“But you said it yourself…this time’s different. Maybe the connection’s always there, but you’re able to hold it off some of the time.” He knelt beside the bed and raised her chin again. “If you don’t want to do this, darling, I’ll understand. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like.”
“I can try, but…”
He silenced her with a warm finger across her lips. “That’s more than I should ask.” He waved at the bed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just be here when I come out,” she said, then cursed the impetuousness of her tongue.
Gil merely smiled and brushed his lips softly across hers. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”
* * * *
Fallon twisted the covers in her fists, staring up at the ceiling as the clock ticked in the background. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed and still no contact with The Priest. Gil had stayed by her side until the tension had finally gotten to him and he’d taken to pacing the room, watching her as if she was suddenly going to sprout another head. She huffed in frustration, and was just about to tell him the whole idea was ridiculous, when a wave of distortion rolled across the room. The ceiling wavered, faded into wooden beams, and then back. Fallon covered her mouth, trying to hold the bile down, as more of the room pitched and rolled, pulling her further into the vision. Gil called her name, but she was already too far gone to reply. A heady floral scent assaulted her senses as the darkness finally gave way to light and the images steadied.
Fallon pushed herself up and grabbed a small table when the room swayed again. She waited for the feeling to pass, then surveyed what she could see. She was at the back of a rectangular room, by a set of large wooden doors. Off to her right was a doorway, which led to a brightly lit room. There were tall stands of roses lining the walls and a small book centred on a table by the doorway.
She moved forward, drawn to the light of the next room. She stopped just shy of the door, afraid of what she’d find, but aware of the need to keep going. The other room seemed quiet, filled only with the distant sound of water. She peeked around the door and studied the room. A long aisle stretched out in front of her, flanked on each side by rows of pews. A stand of flowers had been placed along each row, the sweet fragrance filling the room. She moved through the doorway and down the aisle, staring at the beautiful view landscaped across the far windows. Water and hills streaked with orange as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Fallon walked to the end of the aisle, wondering why the chapel looked so familiar, when a soft scraping sound penetrated her haze. She looked off to her left and noticed another door shoved up against the back wall. It was hanging slightly ajar, a sliver of light reflecting on the opposite wall. She moved over to the opening and looked inside. The Priest was hunched over the woman, a small instrument clutched in his right hand.
“So pretty,” he crooned, bending further over the woman’s chest. “Soon your soul will be beautiful too.”
Fallon inched her way inside, slowly pushing the door aside. The room was dark and cluttered with boxes, but she needed to see if the girl was still alive. She slid over to her left, hoping to get a better look, when he stopped and straightened. Fear punched through her stomach and she had to fight the urge to run.
He can’t see you. You’re not really here.
The argument sounded good in her head, but it did little to soothe her fears when The Priest cocked his head and sighed.
“I know you’re there, Angel. I can feel you.”
Fallon pressed her back against the wall, unsure of her next move. Would he hear her if she spoke to him?
“You’ve been with me before, haven’t you? I knew there was a reason you answered my call.”
He chuckled and Fallon cringed at the sound.
“What’s the matter, Angel? Are you scared? Hoping to get a better look at my work?” He kept his back to her, but shimmed sideways. “I’m not quite done, but then you already know what it’s going to look like.” He laughed again. “Aren’t you going to talk to me, Angel?”
“Please. Don’t do this,” she whispered, edging back towards the door. How the hell did he know she was there?
“What’s wrong? Don’t you believe in me anymore? Aren’t you here to watch me cleanse her soul?”
His voice was strong and laced with anger. Fallon braced for what she knew was coming. “You don’t have to do this. I can help you. Please. Just let her go and call me.”
His roar pierced the silence. Fallon screamed and backed up slamming against the door. His anger vibrated the air as he threw a box of tools across the room.
“I thought you understood!” he shouted, turning partway towards her. “I thought I could trust you!” He looked back at the woman lying on the table. “You were the only one who stayed the demons. You made me feel…human again.”
His shoulders slumped and Fallon felt the world shift. “No. Wait! I can help you. I…”
He turned, his eyes locking with hers. She saw his pain, felt his regret, as his face disappeared on the whispered breath of her name.
“No!” Her voice cracked and she lurched forward, slamming hard into Gil’s chest. His arms tightened around her back as she slumped against him, her body completely drained.
“Fallon. Damn it, baby, are you okay?”
She mumbled something into his shirt, wanting nothing more than to sleep, when he eased her back and lifted her face to his.
“What happened? You just zoned out on me. Then you screamed and I swear you aged me ten years.” He shook his head. “Fuck. I never should’ve asked you to try…”
Fallon placed a trembling finger over his lips and flashed him a warm smile. “It’s okay,” she rasped.
”Do you know where we need to go?”
Fallon nodded, moaning at the increased pain in her head. “A chapel. Over by the ocean.” She waved her hand in the air. “There were flowers and decorations. I think I’ve been there before.”
“You’ve been to the church?”
“Not a church. A chapel. Where couples get married.” She sighed and palmed her forehead. “Damn my head hurts.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Fallon laughed. “Only if you plan on committing me,” she replied. “Don’t worry. It’ll go away once I rest.” Her eyes fluttered shut and for a moment she felt her body drift.
“Whoa, darling. Is there anything else you can tell me? The colour of the chapel? An address?”
Fallon shook her head and forced her eyes open one last time. “I only saw the inside of it…” she started then gasped as an image flashed in her head. She was back in the chapel, only it was full of people. “Jane,” she yelled.
“Jane what?”
“Jane’s wedding. We went there when J
ane got married two years ago.” She grabbed her head as the pain flared. “He’s in the back.”
Gil nodded, already dialling his phone. “Wade. We’ve got a location. It’s a little chapel down by Redondo. I can’t remember the name, but it’s right by the ocean.”
“I know the place. A friend of mine got married there a few years back. I’m on my way.” Gil heard him flip on the siren.
“Call Trevor and wait for backup.”
“There’s no time for backup. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”
“Damn it, Wade! You’ll wait for backup or I’ll kick the shit outta ya the next time I see you.”
“Go with him.”
Gil turned and stared at Fallon. She was barely awake. “I’m not leaving you.”
Fallon shook her head and closed her eyes. “I’ll be fine. The Priest can’t get to me now. Wade needs you and I need to sleep.” She flicked a hand at him before tucking it beneath her head. “Go. You can wake me when you get back.”
Gil watched her drift off to sleep, dark rings rimming her eyes. His heart flip-flopped in his chest and he knew he’d never be the same again. “I’m on my way.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. And you’d damn well better be waiting for me.”
“There’s no need…”
“I said I’m on my way. Now you’ll wait for me or I’ll find myself a new partner, got it?”
Wade chuckled. “Guess we couldn’t have that. Drive fast old man and I’ll see you there.”
Chapter Nineteen
Gil tiptoed into the room, his fatigue weighing heavy on his shoulders. It’d been nearly three hours since he’d left to meet Wade, but it felt like a lifetime ago since he’d seen Fallon’s face. She was still sleeping on the bed, her hands tucked beneath her head, the blanket pooled at her feet. She looked like an angel lying on the sheets, her long dark eyelashes brushing the pale skin of her cheek and her hair fanned out across the pillow. He did his best to ignore the dark circles rimming her eyes. A testament to all she’d done to try and save the woman.
His chest tightened. She wasn’t going to take the news lightly.
He walked over to the bed, unable to stop his hand from reaching out and caressing her shoulder. She looked so fragile, so innocent curled up on the bed, he couldn’t fight the need to shelter her. She sighed as he slid his fingers down her side, smoothing out the fabric covering her hips. Damn, she still looked hot, and it was no surprise when he felt the firm press of his jeans against the hard length of his cock.
“Gil?”
Her voice was soft, husky with the sound of sleep. He leant closer, inhaling her warm, womanly scent as he dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “Shhh, darling. Go back to sleep.”
Fallon shook her head and he watched her fight to open her eyes. It was then he realised how exhausted she looked. “What happened?” she asked, licking her lips as if speaking had dried them. “Did you find her?”
Gil sighed and sat back in the chair he’d left beside the bed. “Yeah, baby. We found her.”
Tears glistened in Fallon’s eyes as she pushed herself up and met his gaze. “And…” she prompted.
“And she’s still alive,” he answered, careful to keep his voice steady.
“But?”
He looked away. She knew him too damn well to fall for anything less than the truth. “He’d already done the damage.” He returned his gaze to hers. “We found her in the back, just like you said.”
Fallon’s face paled as she threw herself off the bed and stumbled over to the window, her body trembling in the pale moonlight. She braced one hand against the wall as she turned to face him. “The cross?”
“Carved into her left breast, just like the others. It wasn’t quite as intricate. I think he knew we were coming.”
“Did he rape her?” she whispered, as if the sound of the words might change the outcome.
He could only nod as more tears slipped down her cheek.
“At least she has a chance to recover,” he added, hoping to give her a reason to release the guilt he saw coiling up inside her.
“Recover?” she repeated, a hysterical cackle trembling across her lips. “How is she going to recover? Every time she looks in the mirror she’ll see what he did to her.”
“She’s alive. That’s more than any of his other victims can say.”
Fallon merely shrugged, adding, “They were luckier,” under her breath.
Gil growled and stalked across the room, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. “This isn’t your fault, so stop the guilty act. He’s sick. And if it weren’t for you, she’d be nothing more than a picture in a file right now.” He pulled her closer, needing her to see the honesty in his face. “And despite what happened, alive beats dead any day of the week.” He eased his grip slightly. “One day, she’ll see that.”
Fallon pulled herself free and pushed past him, making her way over to the bed. When she turned to face him, her eyes gleamed with her pent up anger. “When, Gil? When will she see how lucky she was?” She threw her hands up in the air. “When she’s pushed everyone who means anything to her out of her life? When she’s spent the better part of the next several years just existing, hiding from the world?” She shook her head. “No. She won’t see the luck in her life until it’s too late.”
Gil met her accusations with a few quick strides, covering the distance between them before she could balk. “Just because I screwed up my life, and hurt the only woman I’ll ever love, doesn’t mean she’ll do the same. You’ve given her the chance to choose. What she does with that chance isn’t your fault.” He traced a single finger down her face. “It’s never been your fault.”
Fallon stared at him, her mouth open, her eyes wide. It was as if his words were still sinking in, still penetrating the haziness she’d woken to. He watched as understanding washed over her, and she dropped her eyes, unable to meet his gaze.
“Gil…”
“I want you, Fallon. Not just in my bed, but in my life. I want you beside me, sharing the good and the bad.” He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. “I wanted to hurt Jackson today for thinking he could touch you.” He shook his head as Fallon looked up at him. “I know it was innocent, but damn, you’re mine.” He pulled her hard against his body, grinding his erection into her belly. “Mine, do you hear me? No other man is ever going to touch you, baby. No other man is going to get a chance to taste your sweet juice, or hear you scream his name as you pulse around his cock. You’re mine, now and always.”
Fallon huffed and took a step back. Gil released his hold, allowing his hands to fall at his sides. “For always? Or until you’ve dealt with the past long enough and decide to hide away again?” Her bottom lip quivered. “What’s so different this time?”
Gil took a deep breath, knowing his future hung in the balance. “This time, I’m not afraid to show the world how I feel.” He took a step forward. “I love you, Fallon. I always have. And once we’ve taken care of your obsessive admirer, I’ll show you just how serious I am.”
Fallon placed her hand on his chest when he bent down to kiss her. “I don’t need fancy words or shiny trinkets to trust in your devotion. I need action.” She gave his body a long slow sweep. “Prove it. Stake your claim right here, right now…or walk away.”
Gil moved, pulling her tight against him, his tongue already demanding entrance to her mouth. She opened willingly, her tongue clashing with his, fighting for dominance of the kiss. He allowed her a few moments of triumph before sliding his hand behind her neck and arching her back, deepening the kiss in a way that told her he was in control. She’d wanted him to prove his claim, and he wouldn’t stop until he’d done just that.
“Gil.”
Her voice was breathless, husky with desire, and the sound of it surged more blood to his already swollen shaft, reducing what little room he still had left in his pants. He groaned at the increased pressure, hoping he didn’t cream his shorts before he
’d had a chance to strip her.
“Do you know how hot you look in this delightful scrap of fabric you have covering those beautiful breasts of yours.” He trailed a finger down across her collarbone, lightly brushing her nipple. She moaned and arched further forward, pushing the distended pebble against his hand. “Every man at that party wanted to rip it off you and taste your pretty nipples.” He chuckled, allowing her to undulate her chest against him. “I thought Jackson was going to die from that hard-on he was sporting since the moment Jane introduced you to him.”
Fallon’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “What?”
“You didn’t notice the way he kept his shirt down over his jeans, darling? He wanted you…bad.”
She smiled at the hint of jealousy he heard in his voice. “But you’re the only one who gets me.”
He nodded, happy she’d taken his words to heart. He’d meant every one. No other man was ever going to touch her. “Glad you see it my way, baby. ‘Cause after tonight, you’ll never question who you belong to again.” He stepped back. “Now I’ll give you two choices. Either you undress yourself, or I’m going to rip those clothes off you. Either way, I want you naked. Now!”
Fallon arched her brow in challenge. “Really. Isn’t that just a bit barbaric? I mean…”
Her words disintegrated into a keening cry when he reached forward and grabbed the sides of her skirt. The bedroom echoed with the sound of the material ripping apart as he let the torn scrapes fall to the floor. She stared at the black fabric puddled on the floor then slowly raised her face to his. Anger and astonishment flashed in her eyes before they glazed over with lust. He smiled, knowing she wanted his loss of control as much as he needed to lose it.
“Should I do that lovely red shirt next, or your panties?”
She crossed her arms as if protecting the material still covering her body. “I’ll take it off,” she whispered, reaching for the hem.
“Just make it quick, baby, if you still want to have it in one piece.”
