“Vivian,” he began, unsure how to ask the question that was burning in his gut.
“I have to do this, Justin,” she replied, emotionlessly.
He didn't say anything more. He simply walked out of the room and closed the door.
How was he supposed to stop or protect her? For now, he was feeling completely helpless.
Damn it! He hated this nutjob.
Justin couldn’t wait until this was over and he had his wife all to himself.
Then he realized that wouldn’t ever be true.
He would have to share her with fate, forever.
When the phone rang and he saw his brother’s number on the display, Julian already knew what was coming. There could only be one reason why he would be calling at that time of night.
As he answered, his wife sat up and began dressing. The years of being a Fed and soldier had her trained well. She already knew that they would be heading back out.
“Hello?”
“Jules, I need you.”
His brother sounded like hell.
“Is it bad?” Julian asked. To hear his soldier brother this shaken up had him worked him up too.
“Yes, it is.”
“Hang in there, Justin. We’re coming. We’ll be there in ten minutes,” he promised, as he pulled on his pants and slipped into his boots.
“Please Jules, I can’t do this alone.”
Tori raced out the door and began grabbing their things. She too had heard the terror and pain in his voice and wanted to get there for Vivian.
Julian headed out behind her.
Out in the car, he stared over at his wife. “Hurry.”
“I’m on it.”
Chapter Twenty Eight
When they finally arrived, Justin was waiting for them outside. He needed to get some fresh air. His nerves were a tangle, and he wanted to punch the shit out of something.
No, he wanted to kill.
He hated seeing his woman having to carry this burden all alone and instead, he wanted to somehow shoulder it for her.
“I’ll go inside,” Tori offered, heading up the stairs. She knew the men were going to talk, and she would give them privacy.
When Tori was gone, Justin sat on the steps and his brother joined him.
“Need to vent?” Julian asked.
“Yeah, I do.”
“What’s on your mind?” he asked, like he didn't already know. Julian could put himself in Justin’s place and sympathize.
“I can’t keep her safe.”
Julian pulled out some gum and offered his brother a stick. “I know how you feel.”
He took a piece and stared at him.
“When I fell in love with Tori and lost her that first time, my heart was empty. I felt like a failure because I couldn’t fix her. I wanted to patch her up and scare away all the nightmares.”
“Same here.”
“But,” he continued, “I couldn’t. It wasn’t my job. I wasn’t brought into her life to be the white knight, Justin. I was put here to hold her up and make an existence for us both. You’re looking at Vivian like she’s broken, and you need to fix her. That’s not the right way to approach this.”
Justin stared at him.
“If you want to save her, stand beside her so that she can lean on you, or behind her to catch her if she falls. What she’s living isn’t a bad thing. It’s her gift, and her path in life.”
“I have to listen to her weep in her sleep, Jules. She cries out, and this time I could hear her begging the woman to fight.”
He dropped his arm across his brother’s shoulders. “I used to be there, Justin. There are days where Tori wakes up in a cold sweat and trying to get free. I can’t count the times that I’ve had to hold the woman I love and listen to her call out another man’s name, as she’s forced to relive her past. I may never understand why the powers that be are punishing her, but I’ll stick by her side until it’s gone.”
“And if it never leaves?”
He shrugged and answered in terms that his brother would understand, “For better or for worse. For richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health,” he repeated for his brother. “We both made the vows. Now, you can stick to it or you can run. I’ll make sure your wife is taken care of if you choose to do that. Tori and I will keep her safe.”
He was appalled that his brother was even suggesting that. “Screw you! I’m not bailing.”
Julian grinned.
“You’re an asshole, Jules. You said that to piss me off.”
He nodded. “It’s better to be mad than scared. You know that as a soldier. Welcome to the war of love. It’s the bloodiest, hardest, and meanest fight that you’ll ever find yourself in. It doesn’t matter that you’re a Marine. They can’t prepare you for what lies ahead.”
“But?” he asked, sensing there was one coming.
“It’s worth every second of it in the end.”
Tori slowly opened the bedroom door. She peeked into the darkness and waited for any sign that Vivian was awake.
“You can come in. I can’t fall asleep,” she said.
Pushing the door open, she headed in to see her new friend and sister. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“No more dreams?”
She turned on the light and shrugged. “I usually can fall right back to sleep.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Vivian could hear the men moving through the townhouse, and waited for them to join them. “Yeah, it was an interesting one,” she stated.
Justin sat beside his wife and protectively placed his body alongside hers to offer as much comfort as possible.
“I was living it through the victim, again,” she began, “Unfortunately, he drugged her enough that she couldn’t fight back. The dose must have been off, since she was still a little coherent.”
“Lucky her,” Justin said.
“Possibly, he wants her that way,” Tori suggested. “With each woman, he’s switched it up. Maybe he likes them responsive,” she added.
Both men found that horrifying.
“You may be right, Tori.” Vivian told them about the trunk and the transport to the house. She told them about the smell of death.
“Are you sure?” Tori asked. She and Julian had gotten enough whiffs of death in their time together to know that it was distinctive.
“Yeah. What’s weird is, as he was unlocking the door to the basement, I saw someone else. It was just the back of a head. I think the hair was gray but it didn't seem right. The head just looked wrong and distorted.”
That was very interesting. Maybe the person doing this had someone to help them.
“The person never turned around?” Justin asked.
Vivian shook her head and accepted some water from her husband. When he placed the bottle back on the nightstand, she continued, “Both women are alive downstairs in cages. He’s keeping them like animals.”
That repulsed everyone.
“They don’t look so good, either.”
Tori contemplated that. “If he is repeatedly dosing the women with drugs that could be why they aren’t doing so well.”
She continued, “I wish I had more to give you. I’m going to try and go to sleep again. I might be able to find something.”
Julian patted her leg. “Don’t force it. It’ll come to you when it’s good and ready.”
“If you both want to get some sleep, there’s a spare room down the hall.”
Julian took his wife’s hand and led her out of the room. They’d try and get some down time. Deep in his belly, he believed that they were going to be breaking this wide open soon.
They had to.
Three women’s lives depended on it.
When they were gone, Vivian glanced over at her husband. “Are you going to be okay?”
He lightly kissed her on the lips. “I am, because I believe in us.” Together, they shifted down into the bed, and he pulled the comforter up over them
. “Get some rest, baby,” he whispered as he left kisses across her head.
Vivian breathed in the scent of Justin’s cologne and just let everything go around her.
There was no doubt that if she needed him, he’d be right there to help her.
Now, if only he could find a way to save her from herself.
Tuesday Morning
When she woke up, her husband was sound asleep. Slowly, she extricated herself from his hold and slipped out of their bedroom. Last night, she’d fallen into a deep sleep but none of it was filled with dreams. It was restful, and that alone put her on edge.
Why didn't the pattern follow through?
It had always been the same. There was one dream and the second followed, shortly. It was like a before and after. Now, she was left befuddled and out of sorts.
What had happened?
As she made coffee, the creak of the floor had her looking up. Tori was standing there and fully dressed.
“I should have offered you some pajamas last night,” she stated. “I’m a horrible host.”
Tori teased her. “We sleep naked, since we’re still newlyweds. You don’t have to worry about it. Come to think of it, so are you, and I hope you’re not wearing flannel, already!”
Vivian shrugged. Tori’s humor wasn’t lost on her, but she simply wasn’t having a good morning.
“You look worried,” she stated, as she took a seat.
“I didn't have a second dream.”
Tori contemplated that. “You said last night that you were in the woman’s body looking out, right?”
She nodded.
“Maybe he drugged her more, and she was passed out the rest of the time.”
Vivian hadn’t considered that. She was thinking more along the lines that he killed her. “I hope that’s what happened. I hate that I didn't get to much more from that dream.”
“You got lots, Vivian. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself. You told us about the basement and the dirt road. That’s more than the cops have right now.”
She had to agree. “There was also a little basement window, but he boarded it up.”
Tori took her hand. “See. That’s a lot. We can use that when we find this asshole.”
Vivian paused. “Do you think we will?”
“Hell yeah, we will. This is Littlemoon Investigations. If you lost it, we’ll find it.”
Vivian started laughing. “It’s pretty great having a sister. I didn't know what I was missing.”
She understood that herself. “Do you need a hug?”
The woman nodded and came around the table and into Tori’s arms. They embraced each other tightly.
“Well, holy shit! This is better than all the really great X-rated dreams that I’ve had,” stated Justin, as he and his brother walked in together. He didn't expect to enter the room and have his wife and Julian’s hugging each other.
“Me too,” his brother replied, grinning.
The women broke apart, but their arms stayed around each other’s waists in a sign of unity.
“Knock it off,” Tori stated, pointing at Justin. Finally, she wasn’t alone to deal with the two brothers. Justin had tied the knot and given her some backup.
“Hey, why do I always get in trouble before him?” he replied, laughing.
Julian grinned, wickedly.
“Because, he thinks it but normally has the sense to not say it out loud,” she answered.
Justin didn't care, he was just glad his wife looked at peace. He believed that Tori would keep her safe no matter what.
Julian decided to save his brother from the wrath of two wives, who had obviously joined forces. “Did you have any other dreams?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t let it faze you. We have this today. Christina and Kane will head to the doctor’s, and we’ll wait for them at the office. Before we know it, we’ll have a little more to work with, I’m sure.”
“You’re the optimistic twin, huh?” she asked, laughing.
“Have you met my womb-mate? I had to be.”
“Hey!” Justin objected, even as he laughed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
It lightened the mood in the room for everyone.
“Let’s get ready for work. I have a feeling today is our lucky day.”
“Babe, you say that almost every day,” Tori said, standing.
“And one day it’ll pan out.”
To say that Kane Redwolf was a bit nervous would be an understatement. The idea that they were going to go in and impersonate Federal agents made him a tad bit edgy.
No, he took that back. It scared the shit out of him.
When he stared over at Christina’s smiling face, it gave him a little reassurance that she was indeed sure about what they were about to do.
“Relax, Kane. I’m still an FBI employee. Plus, the Blackhawks would cover for me,” she said, as they drove towards the doctor’s office.
“Yeah, well what happens if one day they stop being the safety net?”
“Then we rock out the orange jumpsuits in the clink. As long as one of us stays out, there are conjugal visits to look forward to.”
The look on his face made her giggle.
“You want to sit in the car? I don’t need an accomplice. Really, I can do this myself.” Christina loved that she was getting to work in the field. In the FBI, she was always searching for evidence and processing. Now, she was able to do a little sleuthing.
Hot damn!
She felt like Nancy Drew, only so much cooler. She had a sexy Native partner.
He shook his head. There was no way that he was going to let the woman, who he was crazy about, do something stupid without him. “No, I’m in.”
She pulled into the parking lot. “Okay, here is all you have to do,” Christina began, “I need you to look scary and intimidating. Stand behind me, cross your arms, keep your sunglasses on, and scan the room like you’re looking for someone to beat down.” Wasn’t that how her old bosses used to roll?
“Who are you?” he asked, surprised that she was being this devious. “What happened to that sweet, gentle nerd that I fell for in Red River?”
She leaned over and kissed him. “She’s finally getting to have fun in the field. It’s like crack. I’m addicted and may never be able to get off the crime solving-juice.”
Something about that statement should have scared him, but oddly, it offered him peace.
“The Littlemoons have created a monster,” he said, as she hopped out of her SUV. “Chrissy, try and wipe that grin off your face. It’s not really FBI-like.”
Christina tried, but she really couldn’t help it. This was her first time actively trying to get information from someone, and she was beyond jazzed.
Once inside, the transformation occurred. She did indeed stop the smiling, and she tried to lose the bounce in her step. Christina may only get one shot at this in her entire life to play agent, and this was going to be the Academy Award winning performance.
“Yes, can I help you?” the woman asked, glancing up.
Christina looked around, and then carefully pulled out her badge, making sure that the woman saw the gun strapped to her hip. When her eyes went wide, Christina knew that she was going to get what they needed.
Lowering her voice, she slid it across to her. “I need your help. My partner and I are here working on an investigation. I need to know if you’ve seen any of these three men in here,” she said softly. Again, she glanced around, trying to look covert.
“Sure,” she said and was shushed.
“I need you to not let on that I was asking you anything, okay? Just talking to you could risk your life.”
The woman nodded hastily and took the three pictures that the Fed had in the file. This had been a crazy week. First, her co-worker disappeared, and now this…
Christina wanted to explode in glee, but somehow managed to keep it in.
“No, ma’am. I’ve never seen any of
them. If you have their names, I can check the system.”
That’s exactly what she was hoping for. Although her bosses didn't tell her to do it, she liked to be thorough.
“I appreciate your help on this Federal case.” Christina pulled out her phone and read off the names one by one. She really hoped that Officer Jersek, Brock Edwards, or Josh Devaul were going to be in the computer.
“None of them, ma’am,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” She pointed at two of the men. “They’re paramedics.”
“We get a few of that crew in here when they transport patients from a long term facility or hospital to see the doctors, but I’ve never seen those three. We usually get visits by Clark or Terry.”
She took the file with the pictures back. “I appreciate your help, and again, we weren’t here.”
The woman nodded enthusiastically as they left.
Once outside the door, Kane stared over at her, incredulously. “I didn't think anyone would buy it, but you were amazing, sweetheart.”
She grinned triumphantly and bowed dramatically. “I am well aware.”
“Back to base?” he asked, getting into the SUV.
“Absolutely. We need to share this with the team.”
* * *
At the office, they all sat in the main sitting room and watched the news. The TV reporter was talking about the newest woman to disappear and how the police believed they were all connected.
“Shit, we’re running out of time,” muttered Justin.
“Yeah, we are,” his brother replied. Julian didn't like how fast it was all moving, especially the part where the abductor was picking up women closer together.
“I wish the news would release her name,” stated Vivian. “Then, we would have a place to start.”
Justin pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “Call your ex-partner and tell him that you want the newest abductee’s name.”
She started laughing at him. “Yeah, did you hit your head before work? He hates my guts because of our association. Tom isn’t going to help us out. Not any time in this life.”
Blood Red Rage (LIttlemoon Investigations Book 1) Page 41
