And it sucked.
“We’ll figure it out,” Tori promised, as she sat beside her brother. Honestly, she didn’t even know where to start. All she could hope was they’d figure it out.
Beau said nothing.
“We’ll get her free of this,” Julian promised.
Beau didn’t hear a word they were saying. In his mind, he was saying a prayer.
The rosary.
Saints.
He was running out of options.
“I love you, Nyx. I’ll wait for you. I’ll never forget about you,” he said, wiping his eyes.
Tori didn’t know what to do.
Julian could see his wife was struggling.
“Why don’t you go home, grab a nap, and get a shower?” Julian suggested.
Beau shook his head.
“I can’t leave her. I can never leave her.”
Tori touched his arm, and he pulled away.
“You said it would be okay! This isn’t okay at all! Nyx is…gone!”
Tori’s eyes filled with tears.
“Beau…”
He cut her off. “Go home. Leave me alone,” he muttered, as he kicked off his boots, dropped his jacket, and crawled onto the bed with his wife.
He’d just gotten her, and now she was gone.
Beau couldn’t breathe.
He didn’t want to be mad, but he felt guilty. She did this to save him, and he would have rather died.
Now he was alone.
“Beau,” Julian began.
“Please leave me alone with my wife. We’re going to die together,” he whispered. “We go together.”
Tori wanted to weep.
Instead, Julian took her hand and led her out of the hospital room.
“Jules,” she whispered, right before the tears came.
He held her in his arms, tucked against his body as he soothed his wife.
He knew what she was thinking.
“We’ll save them both,” Julian promised.
She didn’t believe him.
“I fought so hard to keep him with us,” she whispered into his throat, “and I lost him anyway. I can’t do this.”
He understood.
“We’re going home. Tomorrow’s a new day, and we’ll regroup.”
She wanted to believe him.
She needed proof.
“How do you know?” Tori asked.
He lifted her chin.
“Because we’re Littlemoons, and we survive everything.”
Tori hoped so.
If not, her heart was as good as dead.
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
Christina and Kane’s
Home
She was too quiet. Kane really believed something bad was coming. While there was a lot of shit going down at the office, his woman was still off.
He could see it.
Feel it.
And hear it.
Since when did Chrissy not commentate everything. For the last hour, she’d said nothing.
NOTHING.
That was like the sun coming up and being purple. It just didn’t happen.
He was worried.
A part of Kane really believed she was getting ready to leave him. Last night, when they climbed into bed, she wouldn’t cuddle. Christina slept on the other side of their bed.
Out of reach.
This morning, she didn’t make them breakfast. Instead, she took a bath behind a locked door while he took care of Milo.
Kane prayed that she wasn’t going to bail on him and their child. He’d seen it happen before. A white woman shacked up with some Indian, and before long, she ran.
They always ran.
Here was his long-time fear. For a while, he’d let it go, but she wasn’t acting weird then.
Now…
Yeah, it was time to freak the hell out.
Kane watched her, and every now and then, she’d wipe a tear from her eyes, thinking he wasn’t seeing it.
Well, he was.
Enough was enough.
“Are we calling off the wedding and separating?” he asked out of the blue, hoping to catch her off guard.
Her head spun so fast, he thought it was coming off her shoulders.
“WHAT?”
“You heard me. It’s clear to me that you’re not happy. I can see it on your face.”
Her lower lip trembled.
That was all Kane had to say.
His heart shattered. He was losing his woman, and he’d been right to be afraid at the beginning of their romance. No wonder she didn’t marry him.
He’d wanted to be married before Milo was born.
She had excuses. She was too fat.
Right after, he wanted to tie the knot…
She said no.
Now she was unhappy and leaving. Kane had nothing to hold her there. If Milo couldn’t do it or his love, it was a lost cause.
“Is there someone else?” he asked, trying to stay calm. He flexed his fingers into a fist as he pictured pummeling some man’s face to a bloody puddle of mush.
“KANE!”
He stared at her. “You don’t love me anymore.”
She started crying.
“See?”
“I’m crying because I love you so much,” she admitted. “I am unhappy, but not with us.”
He didn’t understand.
Cautiously, he moved toward her and their sleeping child. Milo was out cold in his bouncer. His heart ached when he looked at him. He was the sweetest little man he’d ever seen.
Like with his momma, it had been love at first sight.
“Talk to me, Chrissy. I want you to be happy.”
“Then I have to leave.”
It hurt.
He wanted to puke.
“So, you are leaving me?”
She shook her head.
Kane was getting frustrated. This was like one big circle, and it was making him dizzy.
“I don’t understand. If it’s not someone else, and you love me more than anything, why are you unhappy?”
“Christopher Leonard.”
“Did he touch you? I’ll go break his pretty boy face,” he growled.
She wanted to laugh, but she was afraid. Once she told Kane, he might not understand.
“No, he didn’t touch me, Kane.”
“Then what?”
“He offered me my job back. They have my head tech position open, and it’s mine if I want it.”
“OH.”
That one word said it all.
“But?” he asked.
“You’re a Native. You’re closer to home here. I can’t drag your ass across the country to Washington DC.”
He stared at her.
Kane knew she loved her job before him, and she’d left for him. Together, they tried to make a life together, but it didn’t work.
Not there.
She was sad.
“Did you ask me what I wanted?” Kane asked. “Instead of keeping quiet and assuming, maybe you should ask me what I would like to do.”
She stared at him.
He wiped away the tears on her cheek. Here was the mother of his child, and hopefully, they’d have more kids.
“I just figured…”
He touched her lips. “Ask.”
“What do you want, Kane?” she asked.
“You. I’ve only ever wanted you. I don’t care if it’s here, there, or on the Moon. I only want you.”
She stared into his strong Native face and sweet brown eyes. “So, if I wanted to go?”
He leaned over and kissed her. “We go. I can find a job anywhere. The most important thing is we’re happy together, and I know you hate it here.”
She stared at him. “I don’t hate it. My mind…”
“Is busy, and you need to work.”
She nodded.
“And your mother doesn’t like me,” Chrissy said. “She told me I’m a bad mother.”
He sighed. Here was the other reason mo
ving would be a better thing. Chrissy had been trapped at home with a baby, and his mother had been dropping in to visit.
It was code for meddle.
“We can go on one condition.”
“What?” she asked.
“You marry me. I mean it, Chrissy. I want you to be my wife.”
She crawled into his lap and straddled his hips. “You make the arrangements, and I’ll be there.”
“Promise?” he asked.
She kissed him.
Her mouth moved over his, driving up his blood pressure. When she pulled away, he was breathing heavily.
“Cop or Fed?” she asked.
He stared at her. “What?”
“What do you want to be?” Chrissy asked. “Ethan Blackhawk said…”
He covered her mouth with his and another heated kiss. When he pulled away, she was flushed red.
“I want to be naked,” he admitted. “How about we start there, and then we talk about a move East?”
She pulled off her shirt.
He grinned. “That, Chrissy, is one hell of a start.”
She got off his lap and headed toward the stairs. “Milo will be asleep a little longer. Want to come rock my world?” she called.
Kane knew two things.
She didn’t have to ask twice.
And he’d follow her into Hell and back.
“I’m coming,” he said, running after her.
“Oh, Kane-y-kins, you definitely will be.”
Thank God for that!
* * * L i t t l e m o o n * * *
Washington DC
As he headed toward the door, there was an entourage behind him. Ethan normally didn’t think about them, but today, he wanted to be alone.
Elizabeth was back in Salem, and he needed to get all his ducks in a row before he went to meet her.
This was one of those ducks.
“You can stay outside,” Ethan said.
His one security guy touched his arm. “Boss, you know I can’t allow you to go in there alone.”
He sighed. “Liam.”
“Sir, just take me. Then I can report back that you’re safe, and we’ll all relax.”
He figured he had no choice. Ethan couldn’t wait until he left DC. He was tired of being followed, watched, and treated like he was a child.
“Fine, but only you. This is a personal thing, and I don’t want everyone hovering.”
The man got it.
“We hover because we like you.”
He laughed. Ethan knew Gabe’s security staff had become family. They’d become guardian angels who saved his life.
That was great.
But it wasn’t him.
The only people he wanted guarding his flank were his wife and husband.
Period.
“I have this appointment. We can discuss it later,” he said.
Liam nodded, and then spoke into his watch. “I have the raven. He’s with me. We are going inside.”
Ethan saw the cars move into position across the street.
He rolled his eyes and opened the door. The cool air and the blast of rock music hit him like a wall, and he suddenly felt calm.
“Rocky!” he called.
A big man came around the corner smiling a big gold toothy grin.
“Ethan! We just opened. What do you need?” he asked, crossing toward him. When he hugged him, Ethan thought Liam was going to piss himself.
“He’s an old friend,” he stated.
“Yeah, me and this guy go way back. I gave him his first non-rez tattoos. It has to be what? Almost twenty years since I inked you?” he asked.
“Yeah, and I have some hard ones for you.”
“Okay, shoot.”
Ethan pulled off his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt. When he opened it, the man shook his head.
“Someone fucked that up,” he said, touching the raven on his chest. “It’s all scarred. Is that a freaking pentagram?” he asked.
Yeah, it was.
“Can you cover it?”
“Ethan, you know I can cover stone. You just have to sit through the pain.”
He was aware.
Scar tissue hurt like a bitch.
“I need this fixed, and I also need one other thing.”
Rocky looked up. “What, bigshot?”
He opened a folder and pulled out all the pictures. There had to be twenty of them.
“I want you to cover me. Arms, chest, back, everywhere.”
The man whistled. “How much time you got? A year?” he asked.
Ethan shook his head. “Two weeks.”
Rocky glanced over at the man on the door. “Yo! You his muscle or a customer?”
“I’m his security.”
“Turn that sign around. I’m going to be busy. This is going to take a whole week every single night.”
Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. From it, he pulled a stack of hundreds.
“Ink me, my friend,” he stated, handing him the money. “We have to work fast.”
Rocky pointed to a chair as Liam began drawing the blinds. “Why the rush? You got a date?”
Ethan took a seat, as he mentally prepared for what was to come. It was a little pain, but it was going to be worth it.
“As a matter of fact, Rocky, I do have a date—with my wife.”
With that, Rocky got down to work.
Ethan Blackhawk was going to surprise his wife and brother.
He was going to be a totally different man.
He was going to be himself.
Coming Next:
Revenge has Come
June 2017
Oracle Haunting
July 2017
Other books by Morgan Kelley:
Standalone books
The Junction
Serial Sins
The Blood Betrayal
Romance/FBI Thriller Series
Elizabeth, Ethan, and Callen
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)
Dead Shall Speak (book 10)
Pledging to Die (book 11)
Slay Bells Ring (book 12)
Past will Haunt (13)
Choices will Destroy (14)
Blood shall Run (15)
Act of Blood (16)
Stalked by the Past (17)
Dying to Love (18)
Revenge has Come (19) Bonnie is back. June 2017
Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Series
Greyson and Emma Croft
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)
Hell is Burning (book 6) September 2015
Justice is Dying (book 7)
The Justice Series
Greyson and Emma Croft spinoff series
Dark Justice (1)
Lost Justice (2)
Paid Justice (3) August 2017
The Littlemoon Investigations Series
Julian and Tori Littlemoon
Blood Red Rage (book 1)
Lost & Broken (book 2)
Unthinkable Games (book 3)
Truth is Found (book 4)
Haven of Nightmares (book 5)
Forbidden Secrets (book 6)
Kiss of Souls (book 7)
The Carter Chronicles Trilogy
Callista, Nathaniel, and Lucas
Sinner Repent (book 1)
Sinner Realized (book 2)
Sinner Reborn (book 3)
The Oracle Chronicles Series
Nathaniel Carter and Avalon Miller
Oracle Rising (book 1)
Oracle Seeing (book 2)
Oracle Saving (book 3)
Oracle Haunting (book 4) June 2017
Oracle Hunting (book 5) January 2018
Harcourte Vampyre Society
Jolie, Jacques and Flynn
Dangerous Revelations (book 1)
Dangerous Choices (book 2)
Dangerous Misery (book 3)
Dangerous Retaliation (book 4)
Dangerous Influence (book 5)
Dangerous Sacrifice (book 6)
Dangerous Blood (The final Book)
Anthologies
All the couples in one book
Illegal Fantasies-
Behind Closed Doors(1)
Romance Under Arrest-
Behind Closed Doors(2)
Holiday Reinforcements-
Behind Closed Doors (3)-
Please feel free to visit her at her blog at
www.morgankelley.blogspot.com
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