When the Dead Come Home (The Veil Diaries Book 8)

by B. L. Brunnemer

  “Miles noticed you didn’t eat before you left,” he said. “And I know Rory’s not home.”

  “How?” I took a bite before starting the show.

  He hesitated. “It’s all over the news. They found another body.”

  I went still. “Another one?”

  He nodded.

  I sighed. “I kinda thought so.”

  “The only thing that they’re telling people is that, yes, it’s a woman and they believe it’s the same person responsible.” He pulled out his own salad.

  “So, they’re finally making it official?” I looked up at him. “A serial killer.”

  Isaac nodded as he opened the lid and picked up a spoon from the desk. “Looks like it.” He turned back to me and gave me a warm smile. “Let’s not worry about that. Let’s watch the show.”

  I smiled back and snuggled up to him. He kissed the top of my head and started to eat his dinner.

  I finished half my salad before I set it down. Isaac lifted his arm, giving me better cuddling. I took a deep breath of limes and smiled.

  He held me close and did nothing but spend time with me over the next hour. It was exactly what I needed. “Thanks, Cookie Monster.”

  He looked down at me. “What for?”

  “For being you.” I reached up and brushed back a stray blue hair. “Just being you.”

  He smiled down at me. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

  I chuckled. He bent his neck so he could brush his lips against mine. Heat slowly filled me as his hand cupped my jaw. He slipped between my lips, sending my head spinning. My heart pounded as one kiss led to another and another.

  Eventually, I pulled back only long enough to push away the blanket and straddle his lap. My lips took his again as need ached through me. His hands ran down my waist to my butt and squeezed. Fire curled through my core and I moved my hips against his. He groaned against my lips.

  Needing to feel him, I pulled his shirt up his rock-hard abs, my fingers dipping into the hills and valleys, rising up his body toward his chest. He pulled back only enough to pull his shirt off and drop it to the floor. Then his arms were around me again, holding me tight against him. The feel of his skin, his smell, his gentle touch… it all made me want more.

  He took over my mouth and kissed me desperately. My fingers ran down his chest and brushed over the small raised scars. I stiffened.

  His hold loosened as he pulled back to look up at me. “What?”

  My eyes were on his muscled chest. Perfect, sexy, and he still had his tan from this summer. I traced a fingertip over the scars, my throat tightening. The darkness I’d been holding back washed over me, dragging me down into its inky depths.

  His hands went to my jaw and forced me to meet his eyes. “Red?”

  I swallowed hard. “If it wasn’t for me, you would have never had to go through that.”

  “Lexie.” His voice grew softer. He took my hand and ran my fingers over one of the thin lines on his chest again. “Without you, I would have been beyond lost.”

  “Without me, you would never have been possessed in the first place.” I shook my head. “Do I just bring everyone I love pain?”

  Isaac scowled at me. His fingers gently pushed the strap of my cami off my shoulder. My lower stomach fluttered as he traced the puncture scar from the demon just below my collarbone. “You were willing to give up everything to save me.”

  “I was dying already.” I looked down, away from him. I couldn’t hold his gaze. It was as if he was stripping me naked and seeing everything without even touching me.

  “You were dying. But you were willing to trade your soul,” he gently reminded me. “You found me, Lexie. I was drowning and no one else could reach me.”

  I shook my head. “I was the only one who had the abilities—”

  “I was lost long before that. Before you even came,” he whispered, his hand forcing me to turn back to him. “You saved me in so many ways that I’ve stopped counting.”

  “But things are going to get worse here.” I ran my fingers over the thin scars on his chest, remembering how close I came to losing him. My Cookie Monster. His hands moved to my waist, his hot fingers slipping under my hem, drawing it up to my breasts.

  His eyes moved to my stomach and my scars. Warm fingers traced the thick scars down my side then over my hip. “You don’t hurt us, Lexie.” His warm amber eyes followed his fingers, tracing the lines again. “You found me when no one else could. And that was before there was even a demon.” His eyes met mine as his fingers flexed on my hips. “Every time you see these scars, I want you to remember what you were willing to do to save one of us. Remember that you don’t take from us. You add to us.”

  The absolute adoration in his eyes tightened my throat. He bent forward and brushed his lips over the scars on my ribs sending a jolt of heat through me. My breath caught in my chest as his lips moved over my skin. The room grew hotter with each brush of lips.

  When he finished kissing my scars his gaze met mine. The heat in his eyes had my body clenching. I slipped my cami off and dropped it to the floor. His eyes grew wider a heartbeat before his mouth took mine. Gently, his hands moved over my sensitive skin.

  My fingers ran over his hard muscles. While I tried to breathe, his tongue did things to my breast that made me grind my hips against him.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” he rasped as he moved to the side to lay me down on the futon. He moved over me, his chest pressing against mine, his hand carefully massaging my breast. Sparks and lightning fired down my nerves. His lips left mine to begin a slow, scorching path down my breastbone. My breathing grew heavy, everything else disappeared as his lips brushed small, sweet kisses across my breast.

  I shifted against him, my panties soaked. I needed more, wanted more. I tugged on his shoulder. He came back up to kiss me again, his body spreading my legs. His hips met mine while still holding most of his weight off me, his rigid length hitting me where I wanted through my thin shorts. I moved against him again.

  He rubbed his cock against me. I whimpered as my skin grew tighter. My body grew heavy, achy and hollow. Hungry for him. His hands were everywhere, exploring every inch of me he could reach while all I could do was hold onto his shoulders and breathe. He shifted a little to the side, putting his weight on one arm as he ran his other hand over my breast and down my stomach. He hesitated at the waistline of my shorts. I whimpered and arched against him, wanting more; more of him, more of his touch, more of his body, more of his heart… all of him. I took his hand and guided it under my waistline before burying my hand in his hair again. His breathing grew heavier as our kiss grew deeper. His trembling hand slid slowly down into my shorts, making me shiver. Everything in me was coiled tight, ready to explode. All he needed to do was touch me.

  His trembling fingers just barely ran over the front of my panties. Need shot through me, making me shake. I made a small noise as his fingers stroked my damp panties. He hit my clit and my back arched, pressing me against his fingers.

  He lifted his head, his eyes glowing. “Lexie… I…” His hesitation had me kissing the line of his throat and shifting against his hand again.

  He let out a hard groan. “I-I’ve never done this before,” he whispered softly, his voice uncertain.

  I pulled back and met his gaze. “Huh?”

  “I-I need you to tell me what you want me to…” His face burned as his fingers stroked.

  My head fell back as I groaned. I was getting there, and fast. “Isaac, you’re doing great already.”

  He hesitated again.

  I looked up at him and kissed him again. “Up a little, that small bump…”

  His fingers moved over my panties and stroked my clit.

  I cried out as my body grew taut, coiling tight. “Oh, fuck…” My entire body shook as I climbed to that edge. I trailed my hand down his chest to his jeans and slipped my fingers under the waistband. He groaned deeply as he took my mouth again, his fingers stroki
ng with more confidence. I somehow managed to get his pants undone and my fumbling fingers slipped inside. My fingertips barely brushed soft flesh when his fingers left me.

  I opened my eyes to ask him why when his hand slipped inside my panties. His fingers stroked through my folds, missing my clit. My hips moved against his hand, needing, wanting.

  Once his fingers finally slipped inside me, I cried out in need. I was on the edge and so desperate to fall. His fingers slid out slowly, driving me mad.

  Everything I was focused on his fingers sliding back in. My legs shook, my breathing uneven. My core throbbed. “Curl your fingers up and go faster.” I whimpered.

  His lips took mine again as he did exactly as I said.

  The wave rose above, threatening to tear me apart. “I’m coming, don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.” The tsunami slammed down on me, shattering me. I clenched around his moving fingers as I grabbed at his shoulder, wave after wave of pure pleasure sparking down every nerve I had. My hips met his rhythm, keeping it going. Words poured from me without thought. When I stopped convulsing, he slipped his fingers from me, sending another curl of longing through me. That had been great, but not satisfying enough.

  I took his lips and slid my other hand down to his hips. His breathing grew heavier as I met his eyes and pushed his jeans far enough down that he sprang free. The rigid length against my thigh made me smile. He pulled back only long enough to help me get out of my cotton bottoms and panties. He tossed them over his shoulder as he took me in. Desire, need, love. All of it filled his eyes until the way he looked at me made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. I opened my knees to welcome him. He moved between my thighs, his hips resting against mine. Hot, dry skin met my folds as he moved over me.

  He cursed and pulled his hips back. “I don’t have anything.”

  Half out of my mind with wanting more, I almost said fuck it. But instead, I reached over to the middle drawer and pulled out a square foil.

  He smiled a big smile down at me. “Damn, woman, that’s sexy.”

  I chuckled as he sat back on his knees and opened the foil. I devoured him with my eyes as he slipped it on. He curved up a little, not too big, not too small. That’s all I could think before he was over me again. His face flushed as his lips took mine. Soon, we were back to where we were, his sheathed cock stroking through my folds, throwing me toward that edge again.

  He pulled back a little. “That’s… that’s yes, right?”

  I nodded, barely understanding what he was asking through the storm building in me again.

  He reached down and pressed the head of himself against me, only to go a little high and nudge bone. He cursed. I reached between us and took him between my fingertips.

  He groaned. “I might not last long…”

  “I don’t care, I already came.” I positioned him at my entrance. “I just want to feel you.”

  He moved his hips forward. Slowly, carefully, he slipped inside me in small, shallow strokes, each going a little deeper than the last. I moaned as my entire body began to tremble again. His slow, careful strokes were just enough to leave me wanting more.

  “Please… deeper,” I whispered against his neck.

  Tension shook his shoulders as he pressed his cheek against my hair. “You sure?”

  I nodded then dropped my head back. “You won’t hurt me. Please?”

  Those amber eyes met mine as he slowly, carefully, filled me. By the time he was all the way in, I was breathing heavier and he was whispering about baseball under his breath. My hands went to hold his face and turn him to me. Sweat dropped from his forehead to the bed near my head.

  “Don’t worry about how long it lasts,” I begged. “Just stop thinking and be with me. Here. Now. Be with me.”

  His body sank into mine, though he still held himself off my chest so not to squish me. He began to move. My toes curled as my body gripped his. I gasped as that edge flew by. Lost, my hips met his, stroke for eager stroke. Yes, yes, yes.

  His entire body grew rigid, he groaned as he thrust hard one last time. His eyes squeezed shut as he joined me. When he relaxed, he all but dropped onto my chest. I wrapped my arms around him and cradled him with my body. Happiness bubbled through me like champagne. My Isaac. My Cookie Monster.

  I simply relaxed into his heat and floated in happiness. Eventually, we came back down to earth when Hades grumbled from the doorway.

  “Oh, shit. The cameras.” He jerked the blankets up to cover me.

  I snorted. “None of them point into the bedrooms.”

  He didn’t relax. “What about audio?”

  I widened my eyes and put a panicked look on my face. “Oh shit.”

  “Rory’s going to kill me!” He moved to get up.

  I started laughing. “No audio. Rory thought that would be too much like spying.”

  He sank back into the mattress. “Shit, Red. Don’t do that to me.”

  I snickered. He wrapped his arm around me again and pulled me close. His lips stopped my giggling and soon I forgot what I was giggling about. He buried his face in my hair and held me close. I took a deep breath of lime and floated.

  Eventually, though, a thought crept into my head. “Do… do you think that was too soon?”

  He lifted his head to scowl down at me. “After a year of wanting you? Hell no.”

  I giggled.

  He smiled. “I love you, Lexie.”

  “I love you too.” I kissed him again because I just couldn’t not.

  It had been a couple of hours since Isaac kissed me goodbye at the front door. He kept turning around and coming back for another kiss. It was too cute not to oblige, but Rory’s car pulling up quickly put a stop to our play.

  If that hadn’t worked, the first words out of his mouth killed the mood. “Someone’s killing boys now. We just found another one.”

  He told Isaac to spread the word and to drive home safe.

  Rory headed into the kitchen while I shut and locked the front door. “Isn’t Tara with you?”

  His shoulders sagged as he pulled out a beer. “No. She’s still staying at her mom’s. She says she’s not ready to come home yet.”

  I sat down on the arm of an armchair. “She will, it’s just going to take time.”

  Rory left the kitchen to sit on the couch. He took a deep drink before he turned his attention back to me. “I went to see Serena today.”

  I blinked at him. Serena… no, I couldn’t have heard that right. “What?”

  “I needed her help identifying some symbols,” he said.

  “Are you fucking insane?” I snapped. “She’s in with the Witch’s Council!”

  “I know,” he said. “But we’re running out of leads and people are dying.”

  I deflated. “You just… you have to be careful. Did she touch you? Give you anything?”

  Rory shook his head. “No. I made a point not to give her anything either.”

  I let out a relieved breath. “Well, what did she say?”

  He took another drink. “That they were symbols for holding whatever was in the circle and wiping their memory.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Wiping their memory?”

  He nodded. “She said the soul of the victim wouldn’t remember their death, or who did it.”

  I cursed as I slid down into the armchair. “Well, that’s great.”

  “What?” Rory leaned forward.

  I turned to him. “That would leave a great big hole of no closure for the ghost. They might not move on because of it.”

  “So, they’ll hang around?” he asked.

  I nodded as it hit me. “Just as if the Veil was still closed.”

  “What are you saying?”

  I turned to him again. “It’s the person who closed the Veil.”

  “What makes you say that?” He leaned forward again.

  “The Veil is open, he has to stop them crossing some other way.” I met his gaze. “Son of a bitch.”

  Ro
ry closed his eyes and shook his head. “Well, that’s not going to help the feds much.”

  “But it’s someone else looking for them,” I reminded him. “It’ll add pressure. He could fuck up.”

  Rory nodded. “That’s true.” He sighed and shook his head before getting to his feet and heading to his room. “I’m hitting the sack.”

  “Night,” I said absently, running through everything I knew again.

  I was still sitting there an hour later when my phone rang. Quickly, I checked the number. Unknown. But I knew those digits. I debated letting Dylan go to voicemail.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey.” His voice was rough and hoarse.

  “You okay?” I asked without thinking. Cursing myself, I waited.

  “No. No, I’m really not.” He swallowed hard. “I know I shouldn’t have called…”

  He was more than right about that. Too bad I was a big softie. “Is it about your dad?”

  “Yeah”

  “Jake told me some of it,” I admitted. “How is he?”

  “He’s in hospice homecare now,” he croaked.

  My heart dropped. “I’m so sorry, Dylan.”

  “They say he doesn’t have long, a couple of months maybe.” He sniffed. “Look, I know I have no right to ask you, but…”

  I gritted my teeth, dreading the next words from him.

  “Could you make some of Mom’s cookies for him?”

  I relaxed. “You can’t follow the recipe?”

  “I can, but I fumble the execution every time,” he said. “I’m sorry to ask, he’s just mentioned the cookies a few times, and I’d do anything to get him to eat something.”

  My eyes burned. I liked Dylan’s dad. He was sweet. “Yeah, I’ll get Asher to make sure that they’re edible too.”

  “Thank you.” He sighed.

  “Anything else I can do?” It slipped out before I realized it. Fuck!

  He hesitated for several heartbeats. “No, just the cookies. Thank you, Lexie.”

  Chapter 15

  Friday

  “Good,” Uma said. “Now hold it.”